Manhattan Reborn 1978

new York.

Manhattan, upstairs at Wildfire Bar on 42nd Street.

David sat on the edge of the bed, holding Lilith's hand. After she closed her eyes and her breathing gradually stabilized, he gently exited the room and walked to the sofa in the living room to sit down.

not far away.

The housekeeper Acklade, who had always been silent and invisible, glanced at the room where Lilith was resting, and closed his mouth tightly without saying a word.

"Whoo~"

"Acklade!"

"Susan and Cui Yingying...when will they come back?"

"It should be soon!"

"Um.."

"Perhaps, you will have doubts in your mind."

"Why should I do this?"

"Hehe~"

David didn't look at Ackleide, but said more like talking to himself.

"I... am not a hero! And I don't want to be a... hero who saved someone~"

"I actually have a habit of telling the truth..."

"So, from now on I must control myself and mind my own business..."

"..." The expression on Aclade's face changed slightly twice, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, but he said nothing.

David slumped on the sofa, squinted his eyes and looked at the ceiling, muttering softly. .

“Those who shout freedom with their mouths feel like they are locked in a cage in their hearts.”

"A true madman will never say he is crazy..."

"When people live, they are not afraid of poverty! They are only afraid of losing their goals and losing the love in their hearts..."

"True and false, right and wrong..."

"Sentimental, or... ruthless!?"

"What is important...?"

"Original?"

"...It's not important anymore~"

David seemed to be saying to himself, and seemed to be "going crazy". .

His voice was very small, but every word "reverberated" in the room. .

As soon as David walked out of the door, Lilith woke up immediately, hiding behind the door, leaning her head against the wall, tears gushing out silently~

----

new York.

Brooklyn.

Brooklyn is located on the southeast side of Manhattan Island. It is the most populous borough among the five boroughs of New York City, with nearly 200 million residents.

In the beginning, Brooklyn only had six small Dutch immigrant villages built on the East River, so it was nicknamed "Little Holland".

It became part of the New York Territory in 1664.

In 1898, it was officially incorporated into New York City and became one of the five boroughs.

The original name is Breukelen in Dutch.This name precedes the Dutch city of Bugen of the same name.

If the area were divided into a city, it would be the fifth most populous city in the United States.

However, as a characteristic of the United States as an immigrant country, especially the characteristics of New York City, the capital of the world, Brooklyn has immigrants and their descendants from almost all over the world.

It's a huge melting pot!

Immigrants of different nationalities mostly maintain their own cultural communities,

Italian immigrants account for about one-third of the residents in Bensenhe community, so it is known as "Little Italy" in Brooklyn.

. . .

In Benson, Brooklyn, a bar playing "authentic" Italian music.

Paulie, the gang leader who had attended a meeting at Bonini's restaurant, led several people to stand up, nodded to his subordinates Jimmy and Henry, and walked out.

(Paulie, appearing in Chapter 366, from Martin Scorsese's film "Goodfellas".)

Henry, who was in his early thirties, watched his boss leave, sat down with Jimmy, lit a cigarette again, and whispered.

"I think...he must know that I'm still using drugs..."

"Hehe~"

Jimmy sneered twice and stared at Henry sideways without saying anything.

Henry continued: "Gabby's men were caught for drug trafficking, and he was also sentenced to 20 years."

"Old Gabby is 70 years old! He will never come out again in this life..."

"Because of this incident, Paul even warned his son several times."

"Should we... give up too?"

Jimmy raised his eyebrows, flicked the cigarette ashes casually, turned his head to look around, and whispered to Henry.

“Let’s talk about this later!!”

"Have you figured out the situation there?"

Henry shook his legs twice with a hint of excitement in his eyes, and whispered: "Molly has been raising that guard for more than two years, causing him to owe tens of thousands of dollars in gambling debts."

"I think the time has come!"

"How about Jimmy? Where do we start?"

"Well...The sooner the better!"

"Ok!"

"This Sunday night was the latest transport by German Airlines..."

----

new York.

Manhattan, in an ordinary apartment building on East 49th Street.

Ezra Cremo, head of the CIA's New York branch, was introduced by Gust Evra Cost, the head of the CIA's Greek branch, and shook hands with three colleagues who had just returned from Athens, Greece. A few pleasantries were exchanged.

After the five people sat down.

Gust winked at one of his subordinates and said with a smile: "They are all the heads of the field team who have been stationed in Athens in recent years."

"Everyone has a lot to offer..."

"Haha~ Man, you have already introduced me to their situation!"

Ezra Cremo waved his hand, pondered for a moment, and asked in a low voice with a hint of apology in his smile: "You said last time that there were a total of 29 people in these three groups?"

"That's right!"

"Their standard configuration for each group is about 8-12 people."

"At the beginning of last year, the headquarters had already streamlined the personnel of our Greek branch. Each of their groups could only try their best to retain most of the elites. The rest were laid off~"

"Oh.."

"But the new deputy director of personnel management at our headquarters, Kai Relit, informed me..."

"Our New York branch only has twelve places to accept!"

Gust secretly gritted his teeth, raised his hand to hold his glasses, and whispered: "Sorry! I haven't heard about this specific situation..."

"Hehe~"

Ezra Cremo showed an apologetic wry smile, spread his hands and said, "You are the first person to come to me for help, but you will never be the last one."

"Of the twelve places, I...can make the decision to give you only nine!"

"This is the best I can do..."

"...I understand!" Gust nodded solemnly and sighed without waiting for him to finish his words.

"Nine people, I will ask them to come back to you as soon as possible to report!"

"Thank you!"

"..."

Ezra Cremo stood up, extended his right hand to Gust, and whispered: "If you need anything else, you can come to me in the office at any time~"

"Ok!"

Gust, feeling the rapid rise and fall of strength from Cremo's hand, nodded with an unchanging expression and sent him out of the room.

. . .

After half an hour.

Following the instructions of a passerby, Gust turned from 49th Street to the intersection of Second Avenue and 51st Street and entered a Brazilian restaurant.

in the restaurant.

Ezra Cremo, who had been waiting here for a long time, looked at Gust who followed the waiter and said with a smile.

"Hey~ man, come over and try what they have here..."

Gust sat across from Claymo with a smile on his face, thanked the waiter, watched her leave, and then said.

"You... have something to do with me?"

"Ok!"

Claymore smiled and pointed to the dishes on the table and said, "Let's chat while eating~"

"Ok!"

. . .

"Did you know about my lack of manpower from Kai Relit?"

"Well... I found a document in his office."

"Hehe~"

"My predecessor...had four female secretaries and assistants who looked like flower vases in the branch."

"He also helped to use his connections to hire some of their relatives and friends in the name of non-staff~"

"On this point, you can rest assured!"

"The ones you just added... were all elites who received strict training from the headquarters!"

"So, they will never have any personal emotions or... because of an ordinary job transfer."

"Hahaha~ Okay! Okay!"

"Have you figured out how to arrange the remaining twenty people?"

".. Phew~ No!"

"I... have a suggestion, do you want to hear it?"

"Of course!"

"Hehe~"

"Do you think they would be willing to work in a private business consulting firm?"

"..What do you mean?"

"Means nothing!"

"You and I both know that people like them who have been engaged in field work for a long time have the best sensitivity to information and the ability to obtain important information!"

"So, after they leave CIA, they can continue to do some more familiar jobs... It should be the best arrangement for them~"

"...Okay! I'll think about it."

"Ok!"

"But, I heard..."

"This time the headquarters plans to lay off at least 3000 of your field staff?"

"..right!"

"Man, you don't have much time!"

"..Thanks!"

"Hahaha~ You're welcome!"

"If you think about it, you can contact me at any time."

"ok~!"

----

afternoon.

Manhattan.

42nd Street, above Wildfire Bar.

top layer.

Bernard Madoff, following the butler Acklade, walked into the top floor and saw David jumping rope.

When David saw him coming in, he stopped what he was doing and smiled at him.

"Sorry! I decided to leave in a hurry and couldn't come back with you!"

"Haha~ It doesn't matter."

Bernard Madoff, as if he knew something, told David that he had left him in the old Morgan Manor in Boston and forgotten about it. .Not angry at all~

"Come on, let's go and sit down!"

David invited Bernard Madoff to sit down and watched the butler Acklade leave, then smiled.

"I remember that Mikhail Friedliman is hosting a small party at his house tomorrow night?"

"Yes!"

"Does it have anything to do with people who are withdrawing their investments?"

"It... was specially summoned by Mikhail for that group of people!"

"Oh? Tell me~"

Bernard Madoff took a deep breath, thought for a while, and explained: "Mikhail is an old friend of mine for many years~"

"There has always been very little interest between us~"

"So, after he learned that the group of people was going to challenge me and get back the investment at all costs, he contacted some of his old friends and wanted to use their help to help me relieve some of the pressure."

"Um...you mean, Mikhail wants his friends to invest in you?"

"..Yes!"

"This is the same as a Ponzi scheme... tearing down the east wall and repairing the west wall?!"

Bernard Madoff nodded with a bitter smile and whispered: "That's right!"

"Then you still...you are so calm!"

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Bernard Madoff pursed his lips with a more bitter smile and said nothing.

David tilted his head and stared at Madoff for a while, then scratched his head helplessly and said with a smile, "Okay~"

"This time, it's over! It's over!"

"The next step... I'm going to ask my friends to raise a sum of money and invest it in the two funds under your name."

"Tomorrow, someone will contact you!"

"Ok!"

Bernard Madoff felt refreshed, and a trace of hesitation flashed in his eyes, but he did not ask any more questions. .

Of course David noticed his hesitation and couldn't help but laugh.

"This money was entrusted to Odis Parker to help my friend invest it in batches from overseas accounts into the country."

"So, Odis will explain the specific details to you clearly~"

"..OK!"

"I will not attend the party at Mikhail's house tomorrow~"

"On behalf of me, say sorry and thank you to him!"

"must!"

"He... once came to me and talked about investment, but I didn't agree at the time."

"When you meet tomorrow, help me tell him about the investment. As long as my plan is fully launched, he and his friends can join at any time."

"The investment amount is at least 500 million yuan!"

Bernard Madoff straightened his body and nodded vigorously: "Okay!"

"Ok!"

"Also~ the one we all met before...Saudi Prince Difar, do you still remember?"

"Remember!"

"He also talked to me about investing..."

"In the future of our cooperation, you will come forward to contact him on my behalf!"

"You have to ask clearly about all his conditions and the specific details of the investment contract."

"If he gives you any problems, tell me immediately and I will find someone to solve them~"

"..OK!"

"Ok!"

David stopped for a moment and thought it was OK. Then he smiled and said, "For the time being, just help me manage these three things."

"However, you must completely separate my friend's money, the money invested by Mikhail and others, and the investment of Prince Defar!"

"Are you okay with this?"

"No problem~ I will get a few more new fund companies as soon as possible and serve as contract partners to cooperate with them."

"Ok!"

David stood up with a smile, took Bernard Madoff's right hand, and whispered.

"You + Sam Rogers + Mu Brandes will be the new generation of well-known private equity fund managers that I will focus on launching on Wall Street!"

"We can earn money slowly~"

"But your reputation and credibility must not be used or discredited by some people with ulterior motives!"

"Otis Parker will find the guy behind those people and teach him a lesson!"

Bernard Madoff nodded solemnly.

David let go of his hand and smiled: "Your strength lies in your excellent social skills!"

"So, you and Sam should be more active in participating in various Wall Street investor gatherings to let more people know about your existence and let them know about your capabilities."

"In this regard, I will let someone help you secretly, don't worry~"

"Hehe~"

"You have been out for more than a day. Your family should be a little worried, right?"

"Go back~"

"Send my regards to your family and my apologies!"

"Okay, boss!"

"Don't call me boss!"

"I'm David!"

"...Okay, David!"

"Hahaha~"

----

at dusk.

42nd Street, in front of Wildfire Bar.

Leslie got out of the car, looked up at the lights upstairs, and asked Livlin beside him.

"Let's go up like this...?"

"if not?"

Livlin shrugged as if it was nothing, took Leslie's arm and curled her lips.

"In recent days, the reports of LGBT demonstrations in newspapers and on TV have made many people unable to help but jump out..."

"They are really... what do you mean, what are they talking about~"

"I didn't care about those innocent people at all!"

"Um... So you think it was because the old Morgans were influenced by some people's fierce remarks that Laura and Lilith broke off completely...??"

"Yes~"

Livlin followed Leslie's footsteps, smiled and nodded to the steel-toothed dog Menge seen from the bar, walked into the unit door, and whispered.

"According to Laura's little girl's weird temper, can she be obedient?"

"His fierce confrontation with his family, the person who was injured in the end...besides Lilith, who else could it be?"

Leslie slowed down the steps upstairs, frowned and asked in a low voice: "Then David and Lilith's engagement... will it be fake?"

"of course not!"

Livlin couldn't help but rolled her eyes, pulled Leslie to stop, and explained.

"I may know Lilith's thoughts best~"

"Laura, she still has the mentality of a child... When it comes to love and dealing with these troubles, she will only help more and more~"

"You think, if David hadn't stepped forward to ease the conflict between Laura and her family, what drastic and reckless things would she have done?"

"..."

Leslie tilted his head and thought about the irrational actions Laura might make after her blood boiled over. She couldn't help but grinned and said with a wry smile.

"She... can do anything!"

"So ah~"

Livlin held the broken hair around her ears with her hands and said in a lower voice: "From now on, we will not mention this matter to anyone~"

"Just think of it as...a secret shared by everyone?"

"Correct!"

"That.."

Leslie looked at Livlin with a strange expression, hesitated, and then asked.

"Then David is helping Lilith and the others like this... What about Susan and the others?"

"Aren't they jealous?"

Livlin blinked her big eyes, smiled and joked: "Have you read too many Bibles?"

"Do you have a misunderstanding about the word jealousy?"

"Um...what misunderstanding??"

"Hehe~"

Livlin pulled Leslie and continued to go up the stairs. She shook her head slightly and said, "If you had one tenth of David's... ability to understand a woman's mind."

"You can't even ask such a stupid question!"

"...Hey~ He is a real playboy bastard!"

"I'm not!"

"Hahaha~"

"Yes! This is the mood you are feeling now..."

"This is jealousy!"

"..I don't!"

"Yes! You're not jealous, you're just very envious of that bastard David~"

"...I really don't have one!"

"Hahaha~"

When Leslie saw Livlin laughing, she felt that the more she explained, the worse she would get. .

. . .

When the two of them reached the fourth floor and knocked on the door, they were somewhat surprised to see it. .

David, Polly, Susan, Lilith and Cui Yingying were all sitting at the dining table, having dinner together, talking and laughing. .

Livlin moved her lips calmly and said in a voice that could only be heard by Leslie.

"Look~this is the ability of the playboy bastard!"

"fxxx!" Leslie said a curse word from between his teeth. .

"Hahaha~"

"Hey~ we're here to have dinner again~!" Livlin nodded to the housekeeper Acklade who opened the door for them, and shouted to everyone.

"Haha~ Fortunately I had expected it!"

David made a helpless expression like a circus clown and mocked.

"You unscrupulous people who come here every day to get food, aren't you going to pay for the food?"

"Haha~ We didn't come here to see you! Right?!"

Livlin gave David a deliberately arrogant look, raised her eyebrows at the female compatriots present, and said with a smile.

"Hahaha~ That's right!"

Among the women at the table, Polly was the first to speak in solidarity with Livlin and smiled.

"You came just fine!"

"Livlin, Yingying and Susan brought back a pair of mahjong from Chinatown, we..."

"Mahjong? What is that? Is it the same as playing cards? Is it fun?"

"Yup!"

"It requires four people to sit together and play, and Lilith and I are not very good at it..."

"Wow~ Then I... also want to learn?"

"..."

David, who was holding a bowl of rice in his hand and launched a general attack on the dishes, couldn't help but rolled his eyes and said something.

"Playing mahjong for a long time is not good for your waist!"

"It's not good for the buttocks either! It will make them sit flat!"

"Oh? Haha~"

Polly, who put on a "vegetarian" look, looked at each other with the "female gangster" Livlin, and asked with ridicule in her voice.

"So, you like round ones? Don't you like flat ones?"

"Nonsense! Only fools like flat ones!"

"Right, Leslie!?"

"Forehead.."

Leslie, who had just raised the chopsticks in her hand, smiled "wittily" at the female compatriots without saying anything. .

"Hahaha~"

As Polly and Livlin laughed triumphantly, David glared at him with contempt, thought for a moment, and said to Polly unexpectedly with a hint of "big brother".

"Playing mahjong requires winning!"

"You can't play to win money!"

"Hahaha~ If we don't win money, what are we betting on?"

"Whatever~"

"for example?"

"For example... someone I know well washes the dishes!?"

"Cut~"

Polly curled her lips with disdain, turned to Lilith and said: "Let's bet... The winner takes all! The reward for doing whatever you want! How about it?"

Lilith didn't seem to understand what Polly meant. She blinked and asked, "Anything is okay?"

"Yes, anything is fine!"

"Then...okay~"

"So it's settled then?"

"Do you have any other suggestions?"

"No more, it's settled!"

Livlin waved her chopsticks in her hands and was the first to support Polly.

Susan and Cui Yingying both suppressed laughter, their eyes turned around in a wide circle on the few people, and nodded.

"Hahaha~ok~!"

"Let's eat quickly~!"

"After we finish eating, let Yingying teach us how to play mahjong!"

"..."

Leslie lowered his head, glanced sideways at David, and muttered in a low voice: "A mahjong table for four people?"

"This bastard has already gathered enough people!"

"..."

Livlin, who was sitting next to him, seemed to have heard these words. She kicked Leslie under the table, tilted her head and glanced at him with a smile.

"You are jealous!"

"..."

Leslie was speechless.