Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Hotel Entertainment
The Wynn Palace wasn't too far from Trump International Hotel. Lin Chi-ling wanted to walk along the Las Vegas Strip, so they went on foot.
"Was this where you got into trouble last year?" Charles asked Lin Chi-ling as they entered the Wynn Palace Resort.
Lin Chi-ling nodded. "Yeah, I was at a show, got offered $30,000, then they asked me to go to a room to talk with the boss. I refused and called Taipei for help..."
"Let's not talk about it," Charles said, deciding to get $300,000 worth of chips to play around. "This is my first time in Las Vegas," he added. He had only played in the casinos in Cannes before.
"Gambling? I've never played before," Lin Chi-ling admitted, a bit sheepish.
"Win or lose, it's all yours. Besides, I've always had pretty good luck," Charles said, shaking his head as they entered the VIP lounge.
In his mind, though, he was thinking about how insanely profitable casinos were. The hotel resort entertainment model was surely going to be the future mainstream.
Charles had an interest in Texas Hold'em. After exchanging the chips, he and Lin Chi-ling sat down at a table to play.
With small and big blinds at $100 and $200, Charles was ready to play.
Charles Capet was already a billionaire at just 24 and had been listed in the Forbes Billionaires list, especially topping the Forbes Young Billionaires list.
Upon entering the gaming hall, he was immediately attended by a dedicated casino servant. In 2004, Charles had won 400 million euros in the World Cup.
"See this? Texas Hold'em. You get two hole cards, then they deal three community cards first, followed by two more. Players bet in order, then make the best five-card combination from their hole cards and the community cards," Charles explained to Lin Chi-ling while playing.
"You can check, call, raise, or fold during the game. It's really simple!" he continued teaching her.
Lin Chi-ling whispered, "Hey, I got a straight."
That's a straight flush! Charles thought as he glanced at the other players.
Out of the originally eight players, three folded right away. Of the remaining four, the one with the least chips had $60,000, highest being 120,000. They all went all in.
Predictably, Charles cleaned house in one hand.
"We now have $500,000! We won $250,000 in that last hand," Lin Chi-ling cheered, shaking Charles' arm in excitement.
Charles turned his head and kissed Lin Chi-ling. Was he possessed by the God of Gamblers?
"I'm heading to the restroom. You can try your luck at the roulette or dice games," Charles suggested after gambling for a couple of hours, feeling no waves of excitement inside.
"Okay, I'll go over there," Lin Chi-ling pointed at the nearby roulette.
Charles nodded and stood up, instructing a servant to take Lin Chi-ling to the roulette.
After a quick bathroom break, Charles received a call from his new assistant, Amelia Caldwell.
"Boss, we got an invitation from Miss Ivanka Trump for a birthday party at Trump International Hotel the day after tomorrow!"
"Ivanka's birthday party?" Charles, sitting on the couch, looked puzzled. He had only met her once.
"Alright, got it," Charles rubbed his chin. Donald's daughter, Ivanka, was quite charming after all.
After hanging up, Odette Annable, who had come with Charles, also approached him to share the news.
"Go have some fun. You and Amelia have been flying all over the place lately," Charles said casually, treating Odette and Amelia, both flight attendants, as his assistants.
"Boss, I..." Odette said softly.
"Just tell me," Charles liked Odette's appearance quite a bit.
"I want to audition for a supporting role in Gossip Girl," Odette admitted. She had guest-starred on TV before and always harbored a dream of entering the film and television industry.
Charles smiled, lifting Odette's chin. "You look great! After all, you're one of my people now. I'll arrange for Gossip Girl."
"Thank you, Boss," Odette smiled, then whispered in Charles' ear, "Boss, I have not only a flight attendant uniform but also nurse and police uniforms!"
"Not bad, maybe you and Amelia can perform on the plane next time," Charles chuckled, feeling quite thrilled.
Megan Fox 2.0, quite exciting indeed!
"For the next couple of days, you and Amelia can enjoy Las Vegas. After Ivanka's birthday party, we'll fly to New York," Charles said, planning to experience the last of Wall Street's grandness.
At the same time, Charles aimed to leverage Capet Foundation's stock assets for bank loans, preparing to stockpile ammunition.
Capet Foundation's tech stocks aside, there were also Dawn Investments' LV shares, real estate, and even Capet Entertainment, all assets that could be mortgaged.
Standing up, Charles took another look at the luxurious Wynn Palace and smiled inwardly. After the financial crisis, Capet Foundation would enter the gaming industry.
Las Vegas' Big Three Casino Kings: Sheldon Adelson of Sands Entertainment, Kirk Kerkorian of MGM Grand Group, and Steve Wynn of Wynn Entertainment.
Sheldon Adelson ranked 19th on this year's Forbes Billionaires list with $15.6 billion. Kirk Kerkorian ranked 41st with $8.9 billion.
Steve Wynn held less stock in Wynn Entertainment, nowhere near Adelson and Kerkorian in terms of assets.
After all, Rupert Murdoch, Hollywood's richest, was ranked 49th this year with $7.8 billion.
Casino resort hotels had basked in the booming U.S. real estate market in recent years, with the Big Three entertainment groups' stock prices rising steadily.
By 2009's financial crisis, Sands Entertainment, MGM Grand Group, and Wynn Entertainment would experience a significant downturn.
*****
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