Manhattan Reborn 1978

new York.

night~

Brooklyn, Brighton Beach.

Caribbean Club, in a separate office. .

Kavoa Sonechkov, who came back from Baltimore, took a big sip from his wine glass, looked at the so-called "strategist" Marat Poyezhnev with disdain in his eyes, and asked.

"You still fantasize about establishing partnerships with Wall Street companies?"

"And then use some means to replace them all with our own people?"

"Or just use certain conditions to coerce and induce them to be puppets?"

"Aggron, is this your plan?"

The sarcasm in Kavoa's voice made both Agron and Marat frown.

"Hehe~"

Kawara sniffed and sneered twice: "Although I haven't been in New York for a long time..."

"But I have also heard from many people about some things about Wall Street~"

"We are villains who are used to burning, killing and looting. They are vampires who eat people without spitting out their bones..."

"But have you ever thought about it?"

"Why is it that everyone knows they eat people without spitting out their bones, but no one cares about them?"

"On the contrary, if we do something outrageous, we will have to face various... pursuits and interceptions?"

"What the hell..."

Agron slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, his whole person was surrounded by smoke, and said in a low voice.

"I have understood since I came out of the Gulag... Using violent means to make money is a forced and helpless way!"

"Those guys who can earn us a whole year's income with just one stroke of a pen are the targets we should actively pursue!"

"You think we two are naive?"

"Hehe~"

"This matter is far from as simple as you said!"

"If we want to get out of Brighton Beach, we have to do something."

"We must get the respect we deserve!"

"respect?"

"Who do you want to start a war with?"

"Yes!"

"Hmm~ I like your decision."

"When?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"No~"

"We don't need to take the initiative anymore, just wait."

Kawarwa felt a little strange and shrugged, stood up and smiled: "Okay~ you know where to find me."

"Um.."

. . .

Kawara, gone.

Seeing Agron put out his cigarette butt quietly, Military Advisor Marat also stood up and said.

"I'm going back."

"Ah."

"Be careful these days."

"Ok."

. . .

street.

Marat got into his car and turned to look at the door of the club where people were coming and going, with a subtle sneer on his lips.

----

Manhattan.

Gold Coin Hotel.

Otis Parker looked at the newly received message in his hand, felt very interesting and picked up the phone and dialed.

ten minutes later.

The beetle sitting opposite Mr. Parker put down the note in his hand, shook his head and sighed.

"This guy actually showed up again?"

"Oh? You know him?"

"know."

The beetle leaned back very relaxedly, searched for that memory in his mind, and said.

"The police in Paris caught him, Lucio Urtubia, years ago."

"That time, he was prosecuted by the prosecutor for possessing a large amount of funds of unknown origin."

"His family then used all the money they had to clear the joints and get him paroled from prison."

"Oh?"

"Funds from unknown sources?"

"Is he the one... Lucio who printed the dollar that even banks can't tell is real or fake?"

"Yes, it's him!"

"Hahaha~"

Mr. Parker laughed and waved his hands feeling more amused and said.

"Then this time, it must be him!"

“Many branches of Citibank in France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands received traveler’s checks that were difficult to tell whether they were genuine or not, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.”

"If this continues, without that Lucio guy taking action, Citibank will be in huge trouble because of the suspension of collection of travelers checks at the counter."

The beetle also smiled and nodded, and asked with a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "Why do you suddenly start to care about this kind of news?"

Mr. Parker nodded unabashedly and said with a smile: "To solve this problem, relying on the French police... is almost impossible!"

"French law stipulates that the sentencing standards for check counterfeiting cases are much lighter than those for counterfeiting banknotes."

"Furthermore, the court's requirement for completeness of evidence when imposing a penalty is much more stringent~"

"As long as that Lucio is not Grandet who wants money rather than his life, the police and prosecutors can only watch helplessly as he is released on parole after being given a light sentence for a few years, and then continues to return to his old business, and the truth and falsehoods are difficult to understand. The traveler's checks that I read are scattered all over the world."

"So, to solve this problem, we can only find a breakthrough outside the court!"

"For example: Find a way to make this Lucio give up his... business of forging checks, take his wife and children + a large amount of money, find the most suitable country to live in, and retire..."

"Don't you mean...?" Tianniu asked hesitantly, feeling as if he had guessed what Mr. Parker was thinking.

"That's right!"

Mr. Parker took out a written note from the drawer, placed it in front of the beetle, and said with a smile.

"How about you go to Paris?"

"..." Tianniu picked up the note and took a look at it, then said with a speechless smile.

"Just for this?"

"Of course not~"

"Cheryl Norton Morgan originally promised her husband Tooth to go to Vienna to attend the New Year's Concert."

"But she is tonight...that is, she just left Boston for Vienna~"

"Before you go to Paris, stay with Cheryl and his wife and pay attention to whether anyone takes the initiative to contact or approach them!"

The beetle sat up slightly, thought seriously for a few seconds, and asked, "Isn't it more appropriate to let the dragonfly go?"

"She is in Vienna..."

"No!"

"It's best for you to go!"

"...Okay~"

"Should I leave immediately?"

"Hmm~"

"Just take your new passport and go directly to JFK Airport. Someone will help you board the plane to Vienna."

"ok~"

"Do you have anything else to do?"

Mr. Parker smiled slightly and said in a low voice: "Don't ask...why should I do this?"

"Hehe~"

The beetle laughed dryly twice, waved his hand and said, "Not interested!"

"Hahaha~" The two looked at each other and smiled.

. . .

The beetle is gone.

Mr. Parker threw the two notes on the table into the ashtray and watched them become brighter little by little in the flames. His eyes seemed to flicker with the bright firelight at this moment. .

----

On the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii.

under the sunset.

Donald D. Klein, sitting in the driver's seat, pointed to the mountain peaks in the distance and introduced to David, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

“The mountain we are going to is Mount Koolau, one of the only two mountain ranges on the island.”

"Because of Hawaii's unique geographical location, northeasterly winds blow here all year round."

“The Koolau Mountains, which almost span the entire island, serve as a natural wind barrier, allowing Waikiki Beach, Honolulu Airport and the Pearl Harbor military base on the south coast of the island to be protected from the year-round erosion of the sea wind. .”

"At the same time, this holiday home area in the valley of the Koolau Mountains blocks most of the rainy days from the north."

"Just like the northwest side of the island, where there is no area blocked by the Koolau Mountains, there will often be multiple consecutive rainfalls on one day~"

"so.."

"So, you are very optimistic about these vacation homes and invested in them?" David, who was sitting in the passenger seat, continued with a smile.

Klein glanced at the rearview mirror, turned on the left turn signal, shook his head and said, "I'm not very optimistic about this place..."

"On the contrary, I don't really like it here."

"Because there is so much sunshine here, every time our family comes over to play, the children get sunburned accidentally."

"I don't think so~"

"This place is much more comfortable than New York, which has entered the cold winter season." Polly, who was sitting in the back row, joked to the old David and his wife beside her with a smile.

"Hahaha~"

Warmth or cold, do you still have to choose?

. . .

ten minutes later.

The car David Dengcheng was riding in was parked at the highest point of a branch ridge in the southern part of the Koolau Mountains, in front of No. 396 Corudilla Avenue.

Klein took out a set of keys from his pocket, opened the fence gate of No. 396, and parked the car next to a row of short trees in the yard.

David stood by the car, opened the door for his father, David Sr., helped him get out of the car, and asked.

"Is your leg... okay?"

"It's okay~" Old David patted his son's shoulder with a gentle smile, turned around and took his wife Sierra's hand, looking towards a three-story holiday house in the distance.

"Hey~ David, go on!" Klein smiled and threw the other string to David.

David played with the key in his hand and asked strangely: "Aren't you going in with us?"

"You guys go ahead. I'll go to the holiday house next to you and wait for you right there."

"ok~"

. . .

Klein, wearing a floral shirt and big shorts, staggered away.

David took Polly's little hand, walked in front of the old David and his wife, crossed a clean grassland, and stood in front of the holiday house.

Polly raised her head slightly and looked at the particularly trendy-designed building in front of her. She felt funny and asked, "Kleon said this is called a vacation house?"

"Hehe~"

David looked to the left and right, shrugged and said with a smile: "No matter how big or nice the house is, if no one comes to live in it... then it has no value at all~"

"As for what you call it, I don't care, as long as you are happy."

"...Okay~"

Polly took the key from David and stepped forward to open the door.

Inconvenience in legs and feet.Old David, who moved a little slower, walked to his son and asked with a smile: "I think this place should be called the Mountaintop Resort Villa."

"Everything you said is right!" David smiled and put his hands behind his back, winking at his parents.

"Haha~" Old David smiled and glared sideways at his self-assertive son. He took his wife's hand and walked slowly into the door of the house.

. . .

layer.

David, who was the last to enter, followed his parents, holding Polly's hand and walking around in a wide circle.

The overall layout here is very in line with American home habits~

After entering the door, there is a spacious hall.

On the left side of the hall is a more spacious living room + bar + small suite bedroom with separate bathroom.

On the right side of the hall is a dining room that can accommodate about 20 people eating at the same time + an open kitchen + storage room + bathroom.

Next to the storage room, there is a small door that provides access to the basement.

The basement is not very large, only about 40 square meters, and more than half of the space is already occupied by various sundries.

Second floor.

Two separate en-suite bedrooms are located on the left and right sides of a small lounge area.

Passing through the small seating area, you can go directly to the spacious balcony on the second floor, overlooking the direction of the gate and the grassland.

Three floors.

About two-thirds of the area is a suite bedroom + dressing room + study room.

The other third of the area is designed as a semi-open viewing balcony.

David held Polly's waist from behind, stood on the viewing balcony and looked at the fiery red sunset in the west, and whispered in her ear.

"Like it?"

"Ok!"

"The holiday house next door that is similar to this one will be given to you as a New Year's gift."

"give me?"

"Correct!"

"But.."

"Nothing but~"

David kissed her on the lips and smiled: "The world is so big, why would I bring everyone here for vacation? Why did I choose such a remote place to buy it? And why did I deliberately make friends with Grams who wanted to sell the house? Ryan?”

"Have you thought about it?"

Polly blinked a few times quickly, some speculations suddenly flashed through her mind, but she just shook her head slightly and said nothing.

David looked at her mature and cute appearance and couldn't help but kissed her hard again and explained.

"This is the most important Pacific naval base in the United States!"

"There are U.S. Navy soldiers on the island all year round, appearing in various areas, which invisibly increases the security of the island."

"And this place is far away from the mainland of the United States, so it will not be affected by some sudden and unexpected minor events."

"and many more!"

Polly suddenly interrupted him and asked, wanting to laugh but holding back.

"Do you think of this as a safe house?"

"Uh... That's about right~"

"This...why do I always feel that you always have a strong sense of crisis? Do you have a premonition of something?"

"Haha~ Things are unpredictable!"

David didn't explain too much. He smiled and changed the subject: "Where should we go tomorrow? Have you discussed it?"

Polly looked at him quietly for a while. Seeing that he was unwilling to say anything, she could only bite her lip and said, "We want to go to the fruit garden on the island~"

"Children don't know...pineapples grow from the ground, rather than hanging on trees like coconuts~"

"Pineapple? Coconut?"

"Hahaha~"

David stroked Polly's back with his hand, raised his eyebrows and smiled: "Let me take care of little Lindsay and little Bernice tomorrow."

"I want to get closer to them!"

Polly whispered with some surprise and some worry when she heard David wanted to get close to her two children.

"But you still have so many people to take care of..."

"fine!"

"Family is the most important thing! They will all understand!"

"...Okay~"

"I'll talk to my parents later."

"ok~"

David smiled and winked, asking with temptation in his voice.

"Then can you come over and stay with me tonight?"

"...Hahaha~" Polly laughed at his "gluttonous" look.

----

night~

Waikiki beach.

David lay on a large bath towel, resting his arms on his head and looking up at the stars.

The sound of waves breaking made him feel like a lullaby.

not far away.

Chasida, the maid who was still wearing long clothes and long trousers, had her arms around her knees, looking past the children who were happily playing in the sand, looking blankly at the sea under the moonlight, not knowing what she was thinking~

. . .

On the pedestrian street next to the beach, in front of an ice cream shop.

Carnes held a box of ice cream in his hand and smiled bitterly at Deborah: "We are really not suitable~"

"Just don't..."

"Okay, okay!" Deborah smiled and waved the small spoon a few times, glanced at Tilda who was chatting and laughing with Lilith in a low voice, and changed the topic.

"Why did you come here with David?"

"Didn't you go home for the New Year?"

Kanes took a mouthful of ice cream, turned to look at Lilith, curled his lips and said with a smile: "That guy David said that you took the initiative to invite Neriya here?"

"Yeah..." The smile on Deborah's lips slowly faded, she stared at Kanes seriously for a few seconds, and nodded slightly.

"You guys are really not suitable~"

"If she marries you, she will definitely help you count the money after you sell her..."

"Hahaha~"

Kanes laughed a few times without caring, looked at David in the distance unconsciously, and said.

"I don't want this either~"

"But the more I come into contact with David, the less I want to see him be like me before."

"Okay~" Deborah interrupted Karnes, not wanting him to continue talking.

But Carnes had no intention of stopping and continued.

"Those people~ Everyone wants to control David, who may become the biggest variable, in their hands!"

"Family, friendship, love..."

"They can all be used as bargaining chips!"

"Do you really think that... Nariya agreed to come to Hawaii because she wanted to come over for vacation and meet you to reminisce about old times?"

"Haha~" Kanes's rhetorical question and sarcastic sneer did not make Deborah's calm face reveal a look of surprise.

She put the ice cream into her mouth with a small spoon and said slowly: "Before I set off from London, your uncle Schroeder called me and said that you might have some emotions and tell David What..."

"Kanes, everything you said is right, and everything you said is wrong~"

"No one can abandon family, friendship and love without a care."

Karnes raised his eyebrows and then said, "You didn't go to David's engagement ceremony. You don't know what those people were talking about, right?"

"Does it really matter whether you care or not?"

"It's just that they don't see more benefits!"

"Otherwise, why do you think... David went to London to visit you but didn't even take a step into downtown London?"

"Why would he be so anxious...to bring his family to the island for vacation before the New Year?"

"He is expressing his attitude to certain people in disguised form!"

"He knows his position and his situation, so he will find excuses for himself to do this!"

Kanes raised his hand and pointed to the beach. The smile on his face was long gone. There was some "sympathy" in his voice, and he sighed in a low voice.

"He said he was on vacation..."

"But do you think he is stupid?"

"Hehe~"

"..." Deborah looked in the direction Kanes pointed, feeling the deliciousness and coldness of the ice cream on her tongue, and fell silent.