Descargar la aplicación
28.37% HARDY EMPIRE / Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Acquisition of Estée Lauder

Capítulo 121: Chapter 121: Acquisition of Estée Lauder

---

The sky was obscured by a relentless downpour, and the casino phone rang. Siegel answered it, receiving news from Los Angeles: due to the heavy rain, none of the planes he had hired could take off. This was a huge setback. The important guests he had invited couldn't make it, and hundreds more were stranded on the road.

But with three to four hundred guests already present, Siegel had no choice but to proceed. At six o'clock in the evening, the casino officially opened. The planned fireworks display was canceled due to the rain, so the opening ceremony was held inside the casino instead. Without the presence of the big names Siegel had hoped for, he had to settle for Meyer and a few other notable figures to help with the ribbon-cutting.

Despite the hasty conditions, the casino began to buzz with activity as guests took their seats at the gaming tables. Siegel felt a small sense of relief.

However, around 10 PM, a massive lightning strike illuminated the sky, followed by a blackout that plunged the casino into darkness. Panic spread as a woman screamed. The staff quickly fetched flashlights, but the dim light did little to calm the growing unease.

Siegel, now anxious, ordered his staff to investigate the problem. They discovered that the transformer had malfunctioned. Siegel had them work to repair it immediately, while candles were lit throughout the casino. But the candlelight was insufficient for gaming, and many impatient guests left for their hotel rooms, disheartened by the cold winter weather.

After more than three hours of repairs, power was finally restored, but by then, the hall had emptied. The first day of the casino's opening had ended in disaster.

Later, in the lounge, Siegel sat alone, drinking. The day had been a catastrophe: the heavy rain, the absence of important guests, and the failure of the carnival and fireworks. To top it all off, there had been a power outage, driving the guests away.

Siegel's woman, Virginia, tried to comfort him, "It will be okay. Don't worry too much."

Siegel exhaled slowly and responded with determination, "Yes, it will get better. When the weather clears tomorrow, the guests will return, and everything will get back on track."

After all, he was Benjamin Siegel, the underground king of the West Coast. A setback like this couldn't hold him back.

The next day was Christmas. Guests awoke in good spirits, ready to enjoy the festivities that had been dampened the previous day. The weather in Las Vegas was now clear, with blue skies and white clouds. As the day progressed, guests returned to the casino, and Hardy, uninterested in gambling, took Ava for a short visit.

Hardy, aware of the addictive nature of gambling, felt no thrill from it. To him, it was far less enjoyable than doing business or spending time with a woman.

But as the casino became lively again, the temperature in the hall began to drop noticeably. The staff soon discovered that the central air conditioning had broken down. In the cold winter, with temperatures ranging from 1 to 10 degrees Celsius, the unheated hall became unbearably cold for the guests.

Siegel, upon hearing this, was furious. "Didn't you all check this before? How could there be such a problem? Get it fixed immediately!"

After more than ten hours of emergency repairs, the air conditioning was restored, but many guests had already left, disappointed by their Christmas experience in Las Vegas. What was meant to be an enjoyable trip had turned into a miserable one.

Even Meyer and representatives from Warner Bros., who had come to show support, left the next day.

By the third day, the casino was nearly empty, with only about a hundred gamblers remaining. The massive venue felt deserted, and even the service staff were few and far between. Siegel had envisioned a bustling casino with over 1,000 daily visitors and more than 300 occupied hotel rooms. Instead, the reality was far from his expectations. With only gambling available as entertainment, guests who weren't obsessed with it quickly left after a day or two.

Hardy, recognizing the problem, approached Siegel.

"Mr. Siegel, it might be helpful to place advertisements in the newspapers to attract more tourists," Hardy suggested.

"It's already been done," Siegel replied, frustrated. "But that only brings in a few gamblers. The real issue is that the other facilities here aren't up to par. The Flamingo is no different from other casinos, and it's failing to attract residents."

Siegel had hoped to create a tourist destination that would draw in large crowds, but with nothing setting it apart from other casinos, the Flamingo was struggling to attract enough gamblers to sustain itself.

After calculating the finances, Siegel discovered that the casino had not only failed to make a profit in the past few days but had actually lost a significant amount of money. With only about 100 customers daily, the casino was losing money every day. The cost of operating the casino, including wages for the staff, security, and management, was substantial.

Hardy realized that the Flamingo's failure was partly due to Siegel's stubbornness, external pressures, and sheer bad luck. It was as if fate had conspired to thwart Siegel's ambitions.

"Mr. Siegel, I have other commitments in Los Angeles, so I'll be leaving today," Hardy said, taking his leave.

Siegel nodded, though he remained hopeful. "Go ahead. I'll find a way to turn things around. After some time, once everything is built according to my plan, I believe this place will attract plenty of guests."

Hardy returned to Los Angeles, dropped Ava off at home, and told her, "I'm heading to New York. I'll be back in a few days."

"Go ahead," Ava replied, understanding that Hardy had many businesses in New York.

Hardy had already booked a flight and landed in New York ten hours later.

---

Meanwhile, when Elizabeth Taylor returned to her room after a day of filming, she found several large boxes on her bed. Inside were exquisite Barbie dolls dressed in beautiful clothes. Her first thought was that Mr. Hardy had sent them. She searched the room but found no one. Disappointed, she asked her assistant, who confirmed that Hardy hadn't come and that the dolls were delivered by courier.

Taylor found a card inside one of the boxes. Hardy explained that he couldn't attend the opening event, which left Taylor even more disappointed. Although she liked the Barbie dolls, she missed Hardy's presence more.

The next few days of filming were challenging for Taylor as she was often distracted. Coincidentally, the scenes required her character, Matilda, to appear lost, and Taylor's distracted state was perfect for the role. Director Hitchcock praised her for her ability to capture the character's emotions so naturally, but only Taylor knew that she was really thinking of Hardy.

Christmas Eve arrived, and the crew celebrated simply. The next day, the crew had a day off, but Taylor chose to stay in the hotel with her Barbie dolls, unwilling to go out.

When filming resumed, Taylor was once again engrossed in her work. But two days later, after wrapping up a scene, she returned to the rest area and spotted a familiar figure. Hardy was chatting with Hitchcock. Four-fifths of the film was already shot, with about twenty days left until completion.

"Mr. Hardy!" Taylor shouted excitedly and ran towards him, throwing herself into his arms.

Hardy lifted her up and spun her around, then turned to Hitchcock, "Mr. Director, could you give Taylor a day off? I had promised to spend Christmas with her, but something came up."

Hitchcock shrugged, "You're the boss, so you'll be responsible for any delays."

With that, Hardy took Taylor out for a day of fun. They went to an amusement park, ate delicious food, and went shopping. Taylor was happiest simply being with Hardy.

The two visited Fifth Avenue, where the festive atmosphere was in full swing as the New Year approached. They stopped at the Barbie counter, where many parents were shopping with their children. Hardy observed how popular the dolls were, especially among little girls. The store was filled with wealthy families, and many left with boxes of dolls and accessories.

While browsing, Taylor asked Hardy, "Mr. Hardy, I know Princess Ava is Miss Ava, but who is the Chinese princess?"

Hardy smiled, "She's a friend of mine, a Chinese girl who's also the general manager of my auction company."

"She must be very beautiful," Taylor said, looking at the Chinese princess doll.

"She is," Hardy replied with a chuckle.

Taylor glanced at the Ava and Chinese princess dolls again, feeling that these two women might be her rivals in the future.

After leaving the Barbie shop, they wandered into the cosmetics section. Taylor, already interested in makeup despite her age, was drawn in. A woman in her thirties, surrounded by several staff members, was promoting her products to customers. When she saw Taylor, she greeted her with a warm smile.

"Hello, young lady. You're so beautiful. Would you like to try our Estée Lauder products? I can do your makeup," the woman offered.

"Sure!" Taylor agreed enthusiastically.

As the woman applied makeup, she introduced Taylor to the various products, including cleansing oils, creams, lotions, and a full-effect moisturizing essence. She explained that she had personally developed these products, as she was both a chemist and a skincare expert.

Hardy, listening nearby, recognized the woman as Mrs. Estée Lauder. He had read about the Estée Lauder Company, founded in 1946 by Mrs. Lauder and her husband with a $50,000 investment. Over the next few decades, Estée Lauder would grow into one of the world's most renowned

 cosmetic brands.

After the makeup session, Taylor admired herself in the mirror and was pleased with the results. The makeup had a natural, delicate effect, unlike her usual thick, powdery look.

"Would you like to buy these products, Miss Taylor?" Mrs. Lauder asked.

"Yes!" Taylor nodded eagerly, looking to Hardy.

"Of course, let's buy them," Hardy agreed.

The couple purchased a set of Estée Lauder products and left. Hardy made a mental note to acquire the Estée Lauder brand in the future, believing that it had great potential.

Over the next few days, Hardy stayed with Taylor, keeping her company on set and taking her out for fun whenever she wasn't filming. The director, concerned that Hardy's presence might interfere with the shooting schedule, eventually spoke to him.

"Mr. Hardy, I'm concerned that your daily visits might affect our schedule," Hitchcock said cautiously.

Hardy, understanding, nodded. "I'll be heading back to Los Angeles tomorrow."

That evening, Hardy and Taylor had a farewell dinner. After a romantic evening, Hardy departed the next day, leaving Taylor in New York. Before leaving, he instructed Hubble to look into the Estée Lauder Company and gather information.

---

Back in Los Angeles, Hardy's first task was to meet with his TV station director. The director was filled with excitement as he shared the good news: "Mr. Hardy, as we approached the end of the year, our TV station had a breakthrough moment!"

The breakthrough came from the ratings of a recently broadcast TV show, which had skyrocketed and brought in substantial advertising revenue.

"In the past, our TV station struggled to attract advertisers. Many companies preferred to advertise on radio because of its established audience. But after our recent success, advertisers have started coming to us," the director explained, his face glowing with pride.

The success of the TV show and the increased advertising revenue marked a turning point for Hardy's TV station. It was a sign of things to come, as television was becoming an increasingly popular medium.

Hardy smiled, feeling satisfied with the progress. "This is just the beginning. The future of television is bright."

With the TV station on a positive trajectory, Hardy turned his attention to other matters. The new year was just around the corner, and he had big plans for his various businesses.

But as he settled back into his office, his thoughts drifted to New York and the Estée Lauder Company. The idea of acquiring the brand was becoming more appealing, and Hardy decided to make it a priority in the coming year.


Load failed, please RETRY

Estado de energía semanal

Rank -- Ranking de Poder
Stone -- Piedra de Poder

Desbloqueo caps por lotes

Tabla de contenidos

Opciones de visualización

Fondo

Fuente

Tamaño

Gestión de comentarios de capítulos

Escribe una reseña Estado de lectura: C121
No se puede publicar. Por favor, inténtelo de nuevo
  • Calidad de escritura
  • Estabilidad de las actualizaciones
  • Desarrollo de la Historia
  • Diseño de Personajes
  • Antecedentes del mundo

La puntuación total 0.0

¡Reseña publicada con éxito! Leer más reseñas
Votar con Piedra de Poder
Rank NO.-- Clasificación PS
Stone -- Piedra de Poder
Denunciar contenido inapropiado
sugerencia de error

Reportar abuso

Comentarios de párrafo

Iniciar sesión