Manhattan Reborn 1978

new York.

Lunch time~

In a restaurant near Rockefeller Center in Manhattan.

Livlin and Leslie sat at a table by the wall and raised their wine glasses together.

"congratulations!"

"What's there to congratulate?"

Leslie took a sip of red wine and smiled: "Coach, being willing to accept the conditions you gave means that you have taken the first step!"

"This is a very good start!"

(Coach, founded in New York in 1941, is one of the well-known local brands in the United States. It mainly sells leather products, such as women's handbags, men's briefcases, wallets, etc.)

"Hehe~"

Livlin raised her eyebrows a few times, put down the red wine glass, shook her head and said.

"The real start of this plan was not done by me..."

"Oh?"

Leslie asked as she picked up the cutlery with both hands, paused.

"You're talking about...the Pastor family's magazine?"

"That's right!"

Livlin put a small piece of fish meat into her mouth with a cutlery, shrugged, and said with a smile: "What do you think of me choosing Harper's Bazaar magazine?"

"Um...don't you like VOGUE magazine?"

"No~"

Livlin also stopped what she was doing and explained: "The style of Harper's Bazaar magazine in recent years is more restrained compared to VOGUE magazine."

"I don't like the style of "VOGUE" magazine~"

“But it’s selling well!”

"Um...that's right!"

"However, most of the women who buy Harper's Bazaar magazine are from the middle-income group around 25 years old~"

"They are the most potential consumer group who love fashion and pursue perfection!"

"Okay~"

"I don't know much about this either... Just make your own decision~" Leslie raised his hands wisely and said with a smile.

Livlin put down the tableware with a smile, raised her wine glass again and said.

"Do you have any work to do this afternoon?"

"Yes, I have!"

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Ok!"

"I want... to go and play with David!"

Leslie felt a little embarrassed and said jokingly: "Are you asking me for leave?"

"ok~"

"I approve!"

"Hahaha~"

----

Central America.

Omaha, Nebraska.

Omaha, adjacent to the banks of the Missouri River, is the largest and largest industrial and commercial city in eastern Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County.

. . .

Downtown Omaha, Kiewit Plaza (Kiewit Plaza, at 3555 Farnam St.) 14th floor.

Berkshire Hathaway's headquarters.

Mu Brandes, who came from New York, followed a secretary lady and walked into Warren Buffett's office.

Buffett was very enthusiastic about Mu Brandes, whom he had met several times but never had the opportunity to sit down and chat with.

"Brandes!?"

“Welcome to Omaha!”

"Hahaha~Thank you!"

"Please sit down!"

. . .

After the two briefly exchanged greetings.

Mu Brandes took out a small notebook from his briefcase and smiled at Buffett.

"When we were on the phone last night, I proposed to you the purchase of some shares. What was your decision...?"

"Oh~"

Buffett, who has always been quick-thinking, was "rarely" silent for a few seconds, glanced at the notebook in Brandes' hand, and said.

"In the past few years, the stock market has experienced an overall sharp decline..."

"Our company's stock price dropped from more than 73 yuan in 90 to only about 75 yuan per share in 40."

"However, this year our stock has risen again to more than 140 yuan and has remained at this price!"

"I know~"

Mu Brandes opened the notebook with a smile, flipped through a few pages and smiled.

"Warren!"

"I haven't mentioned it to you, have I?"

"I have changed my job and have a new boss~"

"So, I also learned a lot of new things from this new boss in my new company and new job~"

"Hehe~"

"What have you learned? Can you share it with me?"

"Of course!"

Mu Brandes lowered his head and glanced at his watch, and said with a very confident face: "10 minutes!"

"A quarter of an hour at most will be enough!"

"..ok~"

Buffett sat back a little, pretending to be listening.

Mu Brandes smiled and put the notebook on the table, took out a pen and said.

"In January 71, your friend Carol Loomis published a series of articles in Fortune magazine."

"In the first of them, "Tough Times Are Coming for Hedge Funds," she highlighted your amazing performance in running the partnership and your cautious view on the prospects of the stock market~"

"But just before Carol's articles were published, you officially began to dissolve the crude oil partnership bit by bit and received 1600 million yuan in cash."

"Your original partners asked you many pointed questions and questioned your judgment on the stock trend~"

"Even your good friend Charlie Munger has remained silent on several of your acquisition decisions and did not immediately stand up to support you."

“At the end of 70, many partners cashed out and left the company.”

"And you and your wife Susan's shares in Berkshire have soared from about 18% to 35%!"

"In 71, President Nixon abolished the gold standard, causing domestic oil prices to skyrocket. Nearly half of the country's oil companies suddenly stopped issuing coupons."

"Many daily necessities have skyrocketed due to inflation and prices."

"Housewives who like to be budget-conscious want to buy cheap things, and retailers are also gathering together to promote sales~"

"This has changed the financial situation of the blue-chip stamp company held by Berkshire."

"In the same year, you were also unfortunately suffering from a disease, and you were very allergic to penicillin and almost lost your life."

"While you were recovering in the hospital, Roy and Martha Towers wanted to cheer you up and brought you a copy of Playboy magazine~"

"But you hadn't fully recovered at that time. Your fingers continued to swell and you couldn't hold the magazine by yourself. You had to ask your wife Susan to help you turn the pages."

"For this reason, Susan reluctantly turned the page quickly, and even got your complaints!?"

"Hahaha~" Oren Buffett squinted his eyes and laughed and nodded.

Mu Brandes curled his lips and smiled, shrugged, and continued.

"In 72, at the suggestion of Charlie Munger, you and Green joined the board of directors of See's Candies~"

"This investment cost Blue Chip Printing Company 2500 million yuan!"

"That same year, you purchased shares in the Omaha Sun."

"In 73, the Omaha Sun won the Pulitzer Prize for local investigative reporting, the highest award for public service from the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Press Association, for its coverage of the Children's Town scandal."

"The Washington Post wins investigative reporting award for Watergate."

"However, the success of "The Omaha Sun" is just a flash in the pan~"

"Its business is not doing well, and you don't want it to continue to lose money."

"But in another sense, compared to other things, the reputation you get from the Omaha Sun is just a by-product."

"The author George Goodman, using Adam Smith as his pen name, published a best-selling book called "Super Money", which sold more than 100 million copies across the United States, causing strong shock and repercussions in the investment community~"

"In his book "Super Money", he fiercely criticized the stock market bubble in the 60s and brought many fund managers to the highest level of public opinion."

"Let them be described as luring ordinary investors into the stock market to lose money... long-horned monsters~"

"When the stock market bubble burst, these fund managers were also thrown into the abyss of public opinion."

"But when George Goodman wrote about you and Benjamin Graham in the book, he spent a whole chapter writing about you in a dazzling way. It formed a great contrast with those telephoto monsters~ "

"However, in Goodman's book, Graham's speech is always a bit artificial, and his words also reveal a sense of self-irony."

"And you..?"

"It's a different look!"

"You are the last remaining investment expert in the United States. You love Coke very much. You run your own business alone, far away from the Satans on Wall Street."

"Later, someone compared you and Graham in the book to a two-inch T-bone steak and the same piece of foie gras on the same plate."

“Everybody wants steak!”

Mu Brandes closed the notebook casually, winked at the cheerful Buffett, and smiled.

“T-bone steak!?”

"Hahaha~"

Buffett laughed a few times with a strange expression, nodded slightly and said: "And that John Brooks, compare me with those greedy, short-bearded securities investment wizards on Wall Street..."

"Since then, I have really enjoyed the pain of becoming a celebrity."

"I don't see it that way!"

"You are showing off nakedly!"

"nonono~I didn't!"

"Hahaha~"

. . .

After the two laughed.

Mu Brandes packed up his briefcase, put it aside, looked down at his watch, and smiled.

"My new boss, his name is David Coleman."

"Like you, he has a great investment vision and is sincere in his treatment of others!"

"So, he hopes to buy at least 10% of Berkshire Hathaway."

"For this reason, he is willing to give a high price of 15% premium based on the current stock trading price!"

"Warren! Will you give me a clear answer before Christmas?"

"...Hmm!" A relaxed smile appeared on Buffett's face and he nodded.

Mu Brandes stood up with his briefcase, extended his right hand to Buffett, and said with a smile.

"David Coleman is not the Arad Lowenstein you funded!"

"He is the most trustworthy person among all the people I have met so far!"

"So, Warren!"

"Please seriously consider our proposal!"

"He is more reliable and trustworthy than your previous partners!"

"OK! I will!"

. . .

M. Brandes, gone.

Buffett sat back behind his desk again, adjusted his glasses with his hand, and frowned~

David Coleman!

I seem to have heard this name somewhere. . ?

Emm. .

Buffett thought about it for a while, but didn't think of it. .

He simply reached out and picked up the phone and called his friend in New York, John Gutfreund, CEO of Salomon Company on Wall Street.

----

New Jersey.

David's car followed the traffic and entered the Lincoln Tunnel.

in the car.

Ruby, who was in a daze all the way, looked out the car window and suddenly asked David, who was also silent and leaning forward to take a nap.

"What...what do you want to do?"

"Ok?"

"What did you say?"

"Sorry! I fell asleep just now~"

"..."

David pinched her neck a few times with his hands, glanced at Ruby, thought for a moment, smiled and leaned over, lay directly on her lap, and said.

"Look, if I were doing what I'm doing now, I wouldn't have been able to do it even if I were killed..."

"I have changed!"

“Become more willing to enjoy freedom and enjoy life!”

"So, I hope you can be like me!"

Ruby lowered her head and looked directly into David's eyes, bit her lip and said nothing.

David seemed to have expected this, and continued to adjust to a more comfortable position and said.

"The time we spend together...is neither long nor short~"

"It can give me a deeper understanding of your character and habits!"

"You are not the kind of greedy person!"

"She's not the kind of girl who loves vanity and is keen on pursuing fame and fortune~"

"If you were really that kind of person, you wouldn't want me, an idiot who works in a bar, to be your boyfriend...right?"

"..."

Ruby curled her lips with a "wonderful" expression on her face and said nothing.

David raised his hand, wiped his nose, and continued with a smile.

"The words I am going to say below have always been hidden deep in my heart and have never been mentioned to anyone."

"I want to see you this time, and I also want to keep these things in my heart for a long, long time... Let me tell you the truth!"

"Ruby!"

"You know I used to be stupid... and I didn't know how to express anything to you~"

"But you should also be able to feel that I like you ~ or... love!"

"Love, this word..."

"Many people will talk about it. As long as they meet a beautiful girl, they will say it without hesitation."

"But I'm not that kind of person!"

"I... said I loved you, but I really loved you with all my heart!"

"Never mixed with any water!"

"However, I think you will be here during this time...I have scolded me for being an idiot countless times~"

"Ruby!"

"If the day you leave, I ask you to stay...will you agree?"

Ruby seemed to be in a trance for a few seconds, and the scene where the two stood on the street and parted a few months ago appeared in front of her eyes.

David observed the expression on her face carefully, and the smile at the corner of his mouth became wider.

"As I said."

"I want you to be able to enjoy freedom and the life you want just like me!"

"In the past, I couldn't do this, let alone give it to you..."

"Now, I can do it!"

David took Ruby's little hand, put it on his heart, and said.

"I've come up with two great plans for you to choose from!"

“The first one is to be an independent producer!”

"Those documentaries that have been shown on TV, or films that introduce exotic customs, natural scenery, and traditional customs of different ethnic groups in various countries."

"Whether it's the aurora in the Arctic or the penguins in the Antarctic~"

“Whether it’s the mystery of the Amazon rainforest or the multiplication of animals on the African savannah~”

"As long as you like it, you can take pictures of whatever you want - and take pictures wherever you want!"

"As for whether the film can be sold, you don't have to worry about it - leave it all to me!"

"..." Ruby still remained silent, but her eyes seemed to be expecting something. .

David only paused for two seconds, and when she didn't speak, he continued.

"The second one is to arrange for you to enter university..."

"Ruby, I remember you once told me...that you have a college dream, right?"

"Hehe~"

"Now, it can happen!"

"As long as you want, you can choose any university in the United States! I will arrange it!"

"When you... come back from school, whatever job you want to do is up to you~"

"As long as you can be happy!"

"..."

David smiled and turned his head a few times, closed his eyes, and whispered in a more relaxed voice.

"I never meant to force you to do... anything you didn't want to do!"

"I never thought that you would willingly become my girlfriend again..."

"I... just want you to live a happy, happy and free life!"

"That's all!"

"Ruby, I... sleep a little longer~"

"When you get to the Wildfire Bar, remember to wake me up..."

. . .

In the back seat of the car.

David's breathing gradually became steady and long~

Ruby's little hand was still gently placed on his heart, feeling his body temperature. .

This nerd!

He really fell asleep! ?

Ruby, who felt that she had received too many shocks today, turned her head and looked out the car window. Most of those street scenes were unfamiliar, but a small part of them were familiar~

. . .

ten minutes later.

42nd Street, in front of Wildfire Bar.

David rubbed his red eyes, walked out of the car, looked left and right, pulled Black Mike and whispered a few words to him, then turned back and waved to Ruby, and walked into the Wildfire Bar first.

. . .

There were not many drinkers in the bar in the afternoon.

Behind the bar.

Old Rhett sat in a chair, tilting his head and watching the TV program seriously.

Miranella Webster, who has been helping in the bar in recent days, was very diligent in holding a rag in her hand and wiping the small wine tables near the wall~

Next to a small table near the entrance of the bar, Mengo and Heywood, the steel-toothed dogs, each held a deck of playing cards in their hands, playing a little boredly~

. . .

"Jingle bell~"

The doorbell on the bar door rang a series of crisp little brass bells~

Menge, the steel-toothed dog facing the door, saw David leading a strange girl in. He smiled a little surprised and waved to him.

"Hi~Boss!"

"Good afternoon~"

"Hey~ Mengo, Haywood!"

"You two...are you playing cards?"

"That's right! His cards are so bad... I'm embarrassed to beat him again..."

"Hahaha~"

David smiled and gave Mengo a thumbs up, and said with a smile: "Don't win all of Heywood's pocket money~Be careful if he goes to your bedside to chat with you in the middle of the night!"

"Uh...hahaha~"

"Really? Heywood!?"

"Do you still have this hobby?"

"What the hell!" Heywood threw away the bad cards in his hand depressedly and turned around to glare at David fiercely.

"Hehe~"

With a playful smile, David made a "use your brain" gesture with his fingers, pulled Ruby beside him, and walked to the front of the bar.

"Hey~Old Red!"

"Do you have anything here to fill your stomach?"

"I'm hungry!"

Old Red blinked his big eyes and glanced at the unfamiliar Ruby a few times, and said angrily.

"This is a bar counter, not a dining table!"

"...Okay~"

David pouted and shrugged at Ruby beside him, spread his hands and asked with a smile: "Are you hungry?"

"Shall we go get something to eat first?"

"..I'm not hungry!"

"Tsk tsk~"

"Are you on a diet to lose weight again?"

"Where are you fat? You don't need to lose weight at all!"

Ruby, under Old Rhett's curious and gossipy gaze, sat down unnaturally and said in a pretended indifference.

"What does it have to do with you if I lose weight?"

"Wow~hehe!"

David didn't pay attention to her attitude. He just smiled and asked Old Rhett for a bottle of Coke and drank it by himself.

. . .

Bar door.

Black Mike opened the door first and walked in. His eyes found David who was looking over and nodded to him.

Later, following Black Mike’s footsteps, Susan and Cui Yingying also appeared in the bar~

After they saw David and Ruby at the bar, they looked at each other and walked over side by side with smiles on their faces.

"Hi~ Susan, Yingying, what are you busy at home?"

"It's nothing~"

"Didn't Zina send back a grand piano yesterday?"

"Aclade said that the large room upstairs should be re-divided and arranged according to our living habits."

"Oh... so were you discussing just now?"

"Yup!"

"Hehe~"

"Come on! Let me introduce you!"

"This is Ruby~"

"Ruby!"

"Susan, you already know me~"

"This is the Cui Yingying I mentioned!"

"..."

The three women who had been introduced by David stared at each other for a while, and they all remained silent in a tacit understanding.

David watched the expressions of the three people back and forth with "interest", waited for a moment, and then smiled.

"Is there anything to eat at home?"

"I'm hungry!"

"Uh...it's gone!"

"Yingying and I didn't eat at home at noon..."

"Okay~"

"Then let's go to Brother Biao's place and have something to eat first?"

"ok~"

"Ruby, you can come too!"

"..."

Facing Susan's invitation, Ruby pursed her lips and said nothing. .

David smiled and winked at Susan, then naturally took Susan and Ruby's hands and smiled at Cui Yingying.

"Tonight, I want to eat the shrimp dumplings you made!"

"No problem!" Cui Yingying held back her smile with gleaming eyes, took two steps away, and watched David lead Susan and Ruby out of the bar like a parent leading two children.

. . .

After half an hour.

Wildfire Restaurant.

In a private room on the second floor.

Brother Biao walked into the private room carrying a piece of warm chicken, placed it in front of David, and said with a smile.

"what about the taste?"

"Is it to your liking?"

"Hmm... delicious!"

David, holding a bowl of rice in his hand, asked Brother Biao while devouring the food.

"These dishes of yours are all great!"

"But why aren't they on the menu?"

"Hehe~"

"We haven't finalized the latest menu yet. We want to wait for you all to come over and taste it before adding it to the menu."

After Brother Biao finished explaining to David, he glanced at his junior sister Cui Yingying who was winking at him and smiled.

"David, Susan!"

"If you need anything, call me anytime. I'll go first."

"Well, okay! Just get busy~"

"ok~"

. . .

He signed and left, closing the door behind him.

At the dining table.

David used his chopsticks without hesitation to give Susan, Cui Yingying and Ruby a piece of white chopped chicken each, and said with a smile.

"You guys should try it too! It tastes much better than Uncle M's fried chicken!"

"Hehe~"

Susan smiled and put the chicken into her mouth with chopsticks, tasted it, and nodded: "It tastes really good!"

"Yingying, can you do it too?"

"Ok!"

Cui Yingying simply responded and ate the chicken with the same smile~

Ruby, who was left, tried to use chopsticks a few times with her hands a little clumsily, then suddenly stopped all movements, looked at David and said.

"Are you full? I want to go back to Philadelphia!"

"Oh?"

"Where's my offer to you?"

"Which one do you choose?"

"...I don't even want to choose!"

"why?"

Ruby looked down at the chicken on the plate in front of her and didn't answer.

David quickly rejected the food in his mouth a few times, swallowed it all, wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, and said.

"Susan, Yingying, you must have wondered why I suddenly went to Philadelphia to find Ruby, right?"

"..yes!"

Susan nodded calmly.

David couldn't help but tap her nose with his hand, sighed, and explained.

"The reason is very simple~"

"I am an ordinary person like you. I also have a knot in my heart that has made me painful and confused for a long time!"

"Ruby!"

"What if, on the day you left, I hadn't kept silent according to my previous character and opened my mouth to try to keep you..."

"Perhaps we wouldn't be in the situation we are in today~"

"same.."

"Susan!"

"You and Yingying have similar feelings to mine, right?"

"If there was an opportunity in front of you right now to unlock it... what would you choose?"

"Continue to let it exist?"

"Or be brave enough to untie it?"

Susan and Cui Yingying looked at each other, and both silently nodded slightly to express their support to David.

. . .

In the room, after a short silence.

David picked up the cup, took a sip of juice, looked at Ruby and said.

"You want to go back to Philadelphia?"

"can!"

"Philadelphia, there is the University of Pennsylvania~ After this Christmas, I will arrange for you to enroll and realize your college dream first!"

"You don't have to worry about tuition fees~"

"ok?"

Ruby put down her chopsticks, put her hands on the table, her eyes swept over Susan and Cui Yingying strangely, and finally landed on David's face, and asked in confusion.

"That's how you... just chose for me?"

"Of course!"

David waved his hand to Ruby and said with a smile: "If it's your own wish, choose it yourself..."

"Do you have any plans for your future life?"

"Definitely not!"

"You are not the kind of person who plans your life in the long term~"

"You are not a person who is good at rejecting me!"

David put his arms on the table and said with strong confidence in his voice.

"You're not a girl who can stay silent for long!"

"Today, you have remained uncharacteristically silent..."

"why?"

"You don't have to answer!"

"I can say it for you!"

"Because you have never wanted to owe anyone!"

"You want to live a clean, free, unrestrained and wanton life~"

"But these luxuries in life are almost out of reach for you now..."

"That's why I will go to Philadelphia to find you immediately after I achieve a little bit of success!"

"I want to give you the power to choose your life again!"

"Just like what I gave to Susan and Cui Yingying!"

"..."

The three women looked at David with different expressions and said nothing.

David's eyes turned to Susan and Cui Yingying, and he said in a calm voice.

"We are sitting here today because we met each other at the right time!"

"If you choose to accept my greed... I will definitely not disappoint you~"

"After all, you three have the final say in the house now!"

"I have no right to speak anymore..."

"..Hahaha~"

Susan and Cui Yingying looked at each other and laughed~

Ruby smelled something she had never heard of in the laughter of the two. .Taste~