After the Divorce, I Could Hear the Voice of the Future
Chapter 493 - 488: Threshold

As night fell, Lu Liang was invited to East Hampton.

At the eastern end of Long Island, New York, many politicians, magnates, socialites, and superstars have set up mansions here, and it is also the top affluent area in New York.

Last year at the trade fair, a mansion was sold for 147 million US dollars, becoming the most expensive in the history of the United States in one fell swoop.

Upon arriving at the neighborhood, limited edition sports cars and luxury cars, which are rarely seen on the streets on ordinary days, suddenly became commonplace, even the patrolling police cars seemed to be unusually numerous.

The cleanliness of the streets was almost comparable to Lujiazui, and not a single homeless person could be seen.

"Have you ever thought about buying a mansion here to occasionally come and vacation?" Wilson looked out the car window, and Lu Liang followed his gaze, "Since I've got time, I'll take a look tomorrow."

Not far away, there was a mansion's second floor that appeared to be hosting a party, with good-looking men and beautiful women, dazzling lights, flowing wine, and an atmosphere of drunken joy.

Not just this one, since entering the East Hampton neighborhood, there had been mansions hosting similar events every now and again.

After all, with the existence of American-style "stand your ground" laws, playing recklessly in bars could easily lead to trouble, just like Little Wang – if he had been flaunting his title as the son of the foremost wealthy individual in the United States daily in American bars, it would not have been surprising if an accident had already happened.

So unlike in China,

house parties are more popular in the United States.

And the atmosphere, or rather the custom, is different from that in China too. Even if they do not know each other and have no money, as long as a friend is invited, they can also tag along.

Wilson paused to think and said, "I remember that there's a mansion for sale next door. The layout is good; I'll go ask about it for you tomorrow, maybe you'll even get a discount."

"Then I'd appreciate that." Lu Liang smiled, not declining Wilson's kind gesture.

Without discussing the future relationship between the two countries for now, he had property in China, property in Tokyo, property in Edinburgh, how could he miss out on New York.

It is nothing more than thirty or fifty million US dollars. If he capitalizes fully on this big surge in Bitcoin, just a casual dividend could be several hundred million US dollars.

Acquiring a bit more real estate is all right. After all, only the land remains as eternal as the sun and the moon; every American tycoon is a big landlord.

Like Gates, who has bought 269,000 acres – the land area he holds is only slightly smaller than the Pudong New Area.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at a large seaside estate, which was so vast that it resembled a holiday resort.

It was dark and hard to see the full picture, but Lu Liang saw a sign by the road indicating that a golf course was just one hundred meters to the left.

A standard 18-hole golf course generally covers 60 hectares, about the size of a small district with a population of six thousand households.

"This one was last year's auction king, sold for 147 million US dollars and was snapped up by Broadway's Schubert Management Company," Wilson said with a smile on his face, having been here many times before. Schubert acquired and transformed it into something akin to a holiday resort.

The main reason was to provide a venue for nearby tycoons and celebrities to pass the time, because not everyone enjoys hosting parties.

Some tycoons both fancied a tranquil atmosphere and disliked being alone, so the resort came into being naturally.

As long as they kept the rich and famous content, Broadway's title as the world's number one opera house would remain unshakable.

That would also lead to a continuous harvest of middle-class pretenders trying to ingratiate themselves with and feign sophistication.

Wilson chuckled and said, "I actually do not understand opera, don't even like it, including many of my friends. But they'll all pretend to be fond of it, thereby raising the barrier to entry into our circle."

"An obedience test," said Lu Liang with a light chuckle.

"You could say that," Wilson nodded, opened the car door, and beckoned a bellhop to come over and check in Lu Liang.

"If you live around here and want to come over when you're free, you can. I've already recommended you for membership."

The so-called proof is also a kind of barrier, but those recommended by him could go straight in with a face scan.

"There's not much money in playing with art. They need to please us to get donations, which helps them maintain day-to-day operations."

Wilson said beamingly, being candid and treating Lu Liang as one of his own, explaining the ins and outs.

It could basically be summed up in one sentence – in the world of capital, everything exists to serve capital, revolving around capital.

Without the support of capital, no industry could survive; even if self-sufficient, it would still die an untimely death.

He wanted Lu Liang to understand why, although Jack Ma was already so popular at East Country University, he still donned the white hat of Xiao Bai.

Their power was unlimited and could spread endlessly, expand, and even command armies and change constitutions. The only ones who could restrain them were they themselves.

Lu Liang fell silent for a long while, sincerely expressing, "That feeling must be very wonderful."

Wilson immediately burst into hearty laughter, "It's more wonderful than you can imagine."

Walking into the estate, Wilson had a smile on his face, waving as he walked, as if he knew everyone.

Because he was the Chief Investment Officer at Morgan, the sharpest spear, the CEO was just in charge of affairs; he was the one who mobilized the funds.

Lu Liang also saw a few familiar faces, such as Ivan's husband, Jia Li, De Mei City businessman, Cruick, and the island owner, Jeffrey.

"Lu, long time no see, how have you been, care for a few drinks?"

They waved and greeted him with a hint of surprise in their eyes.

Seeing Lu Liang here meant he had one foot in the core circle of Wall Street already.

"Later perhaps, I still have to meet a friend first," Lu Liang declined politely with a smile.

Amidst the laughter, he noticed that the comers and goers were all white, with only a small number of Asians and, fundamentally, no Africans.

Perhaps in their eyes, an African chimp setting foot in such a setting was a desecration of the place.

But the status of Asians wasn't much higher than that of Africans; they were basically seen in the roles of female companions or manservants.

This realization extinguished the small flame that had just begun to flicker in his heart, leaving behind only a wisp of lingering smoke.

They were so friendly to him now, probably like courting, where you're Little Sweet before sleeping, and Mrs. Niu after.

Passing through the bustling hall, Lu Liang followed Wilson to an opera house inside where suddenly, uplifting music erupted.

The main melody of the organ sounded, the minor chords as thrilling as a roller coaster ride, thundering into the eardrums with overwhelming force.

David squinted his eyes, a glass of wine in hand, his head bobbing to the rhythm of the stirring music, seemingly lost in it.

Wilson said, "Most people don't like it, but there are exceptions, like David. He really enjoys opera, and this one seems to be 'Phantom,' almost at its finale now."

"Thanks, see you in a while."

After temporarily parting ways with Wilson, Lu Liang went to sit next to David, signaling to a server, he ordered a cocktail.

The two exchanged glances, nodded slightly, and shared polite smiles, appreciating the opera that was about to end.

Different from the promotional posters seen in front of Broadway, there wasn't a single black actor on this stage.

It made sense; Phantom told a story from over a hundred years ago when blacks were either in the sea or in the fields.

Ten minutes later, the actors took their bows, and the red curtain fell.

David couldn't help but clap his hands in applause, his admiration undisguised: "It's magnificent; there is something new to discover every time."

"Perhaps," Lu Liang chuckled, sipping his drink.

The music was good, and the costumes and sets quite opulent.

Beyond that, he found nothing remarkable.

"If you have the time, you should watch the whole show; I believe you'll come to love it," David recommended earnestly, sharing his own fondness for the opera.

Unable to help a smile, Lu Liang suggested, "Mr. Solomon, why don't we find a different place to chat?"

"Let's step outside for some air then," David proposed.

"After you."

Lu Liang followed David out of the opera house and into the garden for a walk.

"Mr. Solomon, what will it take for Goldman Sachs to give up Liu Qing?" Lu Liang asked bluntly.

David chuckled lightly, "Mr. Lu, you should know that Liu Qing is someone I personally promoted. Including her placement in DiDi, she is my right-hand woman."

"Kamon told me that Goldman Sachs missed the best timing to build a position for certain reasons."

Lu Liang went on, speaking about his two teams, holding more than 2% of the total amount of Bitcoin.

David raised an eyebrow, laughing, "Mr. Lu, as far as I know, isn't it over 4%?"

2% represents 420,000, and Lu Liang was clearly bluffing; he held over 800,000, maybe even more.

"Mr. Solomon, I really want to make friends with you sincerely, so don't make it too hard for me."

Lu Liang's smile remained, but sacrificing all his 'weight' for Liu Qing and DiDi was clearly a bad deal.

Moreover, he could tell from David's recounts that his sentiment towards Liu Qing was profound, which was a tactic to ask for more money.

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