章節 152: Chapter 152: House Hunting in New York
Back at the hotel, William and a very excited Ambrosio worked out together for over an hour. After exercising, William finally started working on the script, spending more than three hours to complete it.
He saved the script on a USB drive, stretched, and went to bed, hugging Ambrosio as he fell asleep.
The next morning, William didn't wake up until 9 AM. After getting ready and having a quick breakfast, he sat in the hotel's Bentley and, with the help of a professional provided by the hotel, spent over an hour completing the process of submitting the script. Once that was done, he had someone send the script to Ridley, and now it was just a matter of waiting for Ridley's feedback.
With nothing else to do, William took a nap at the hotel in the afternoon and then went out with Ambrosio to explore New York. Although he was annoyed by the paparazzi following them, there was nothing he could do to shake them off.
The paparazzi, aware of William's wealth, never approached closer than ten meters, leaving William with no choice but to tolerate them. As long as they didn't interfere with his time with Ambrosio, William let them be. Ambrosio seemed to enjoy the attention, often clinging to William's arm and smiling sweetly for the cameras.
The couple spent the afternoon shopping, ending up with over a dozen bags of luxury goods. By 6 PM, William took Ambrosio to a Michelin three-star restaurant for a delightful Italian dinner. During the meal, he received a text from Brian about meeting up.
After spending over an hour at dinner, they returned to the hotel, where they worked out together. Once Ambrosio was asleep, William dressed and drove a regular SUV provided by the hotel, avoiding the paparazzi to meet Brian at their agreed location.
Arriving in an ordinary neighborhood several blocks from the hotel, William found a slightly rundown house. As he got out of the car, he saw Brian sitting by a grill, cooking meat.
Brian greeted William cheerfully, "Come try my Brazilian barbecue," handing him a plate and utensils and giving him a large piece of grilled beef.
The two ate, drank, and chatted for over an hour. Once they were full, Brian wiped his mouth and said seriously, "Let's get down to business. How can I help you? As long as it's within my power, I won't refuse."
William looked at the serious Brian, smiled, and shook his head. "Don't worry, I won't ask you to do anything illegal. You have extensive connections in the USA. Have you considered running for office in New York?"
Brian was taken aback. "You want me to go into politics? How would that help you? And it's not something that can be achieved overnight."
William chuckled, "What I really need are your connections in the USA. I won't interfere with how you run your campaign or what you do if you get elected. I just need you to have an official position, so you can lobby the right people when I need it. How you lobby, who you lobby, I don't care. I'll provide the funding."
Brian was relieved, realizing William's request was simpler than he had imagined. "Just that? There are countless groups like that in the USA. With enough money, you could find dozens or even hundreds of them without funding my campaign."
William shook his head. "I don't want to get involved in politics. I need someone I can trust to work with. When I need something, I'll provide the funds, and you help me manage the relationships. How you do it, I don't care, and I won't interfere."
Brian thought for nearly half an hour before nodding in agreement. "No problem." He took a swig of beer and said with a sigh, "I'm over fifty. I never thought I'd start a second career at this age. Well then, here's to a successful partnership, William."
Due to certain reasons, William had no other choice. He happily shook hands with Brian. "Once you're ready, make sure to register a few foundations related to New York's public welfare. I'll legally donate to these foundations. Then you can start building your momentum. Who knows, next time we meet, you might be a congressman."
Brian laughed. "Hopefully."
They discussed some details, then William hugged Brian and drove back to the hotel to wash up and sleep.
After a good night's sleep, William woke up to a bright morning. At 9 AM, he was having a leisurely breakfast with Ambrosio when his phone rang. It was Felix from the Swiss bank.
After exchanging greetings, Felix said, "Mr. Devonshire, we've shortlisted over a dozen suitable properties for you in Manhattan and Long Island. Do you have time to take a look today? There's a particularly nice penthouse on the Upper East Side, close to the financial district and adjacent to Central Park. It's 369 square meters and priced very reasonably. The owner, a financier, bought it for $48 million in mid-September 1999 and spent another $12 million on renovations. But before he could move in, the stock market crashed, and now he needs to sell to save his company. The asking price is $40 million."
Before William could respond, Ambrosio, sitting next to him and clinging to his arm, exclaimed, "That means it's dropped $20 million in less than a year?"
Felix, recognizing Ambrosio's voice from their time together in Switzerland, replied, "Yes, Ms. Ambrosio. If you pay in full, I believe we can negotiate it down to around $35 million. The owner is in urgent need of money, and the property was only listed for sale the day before yesterday."
Ambrosio's eyes sparkled with excitement as she thought, "My God, how many years would I have to model to buy that house? It would be amazing to live there."
"Alright, arrange for someone to take us to see it. Also, are there any large estates on Long Island? I like big houses," William said.
Felix paused, looking up some information. "There is one, but it has a long history and has been vacant for many years. It would require a significant investment to renovate."
"Doesn't matter. Let's take a look first," William replied. Renovation costs weren't an issue; it was more about whether he liked the place or not.
"Understood, Mr. Devonshire. I can be at your hotel in half an hour. See you soon."
William hung up, feeling pleased with Felix's dedication. Felix had flown from Switzerland to New York just to provide him with excellent service.
In less than half an hour, Felix arrived at the hotel with three assistants. After the hotel staff showed them in, William greeted Felix warmly and patted his shoulder. "I didn't expect you to come all the way from Switzerland, Felix. I'm very satisfied with your attitude and professionalism. Perhaps I should commend you to President Jang Grace. By the way, has Jang Grace been promoted to President of National Bank yet?"
Felix was delighted by William's praise. He had come to New York personally to strengthen his relationship with William. Recently, William hadn't required much of his services, which made Felix worry that William might be considering switching banks.
William's words reassured him. Knowing that William had nearly $3 billion in funds with the National Bank, Felix feared being torn apart by President Jang Grace if William moved his money.
"Mr. Jang Grace has been performing exceptionally well in the stock market recently. I believe his promotion to president is just a matter of time. He also asked me to bring you a gift."
Felix turned and took a briefcase from one of his assistants, making William curious about its contents.
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