Manhattan Reborn 1978

new York.

Early morning~

Manhattan, upstairs at Wildfire Bar on 42nd Street.

David climbed out of bed scratching his head while recalling the vague memories that remained when he was asleep last night.

Last night, I seemed to be. . Fart a lot?

Emm. .

pumpkin pie!

It must be because I ate too much pumpkin pie last night that I was farting so much. .

David felt that this fuzzy memory was gradually becoming clearer. He quickly covered his nose and ran into the bathroom with a wry smile.

. . .

Half an hour later, in the restaurant.

Susan placed the breakfast made by Cui Yingying in front of David, winked and teased.

"Fortunately I didn't look for you last night, otherwise..."

"Haha~" Cui Yingying hid in the kitchen and couldn't help but snicker when she heard Susan teasing David about the "strange sound" she heard last night.

David felt his face turn red and chuckled: "I used to eat pumpkin cakes made by my mother, but nothing like this happened~"

"Could there be other things added to this pumpkin pie?"

Susan sat next to David, supported her chin with one hand, shrugged and smiled: "I don't know if there is anything else in it."

"I only know that the air quality in your bedroom must have been very poor last night!"

"Hahaha~" David couldn't help but laugh.

Cui Yingying walked to the dining table with a plate of cut fruits and explained to the two of them with a smile.

"In order to increase the sweetness of the pumpkin cake made by Xu Cuizhen, some sweet potato powder is indeed added."

"sweet potato?"

"No wonder." David shrugged with relief and smiled.

"I like to fart when I eat sweet potatoes. I've had this problem since I was a child..."

"Hahaha~" Susan saw David's cute face admitting it frankly, and she just lay on his body and laughed until tears came out.

Cui Yingying also walked to David and sat down, watching the two of them laughing and smiling happily.

A few minutes later.

David asked Susan, who was laughing until she was crying.

"Last night you said that HBO has started to broadcast TV series produced by Da Film and Television Company?"

"Yes~"

"Are they going to come to the bar again to film in the near future?"

"Of course!" Susan explained while rubbing the corners of her eyes gently, holding back a smile.

"The last time Harvey led the crew over for filming, he said that they had already made a shooting plan for the first 30 episodes, but the script still needed to make some detailed changes based on the broadcast effect."

"So, they would come to the bar every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to shoot new episodes, leaving the remaining days for post-production editing and script revision."

Seeing David nodding slowly, Susan continued with a smile: "Da Film and Television Company, which Harvey represents, and I have signed a contract to rent the filming location."

"Every time they come to shoot for three days, they will give us 2000 yuan to rent the bar."

"And we need to provide them with some cheap alcohol and beverages while they're filming."

"You can earn 2000 every day without doing anything. This business is not bad."

"Yeah~"

"Harvey said that if the broadcast effect on HBO is better, they will invite more big-name Hollywood stars to guest star in the show to attract more viewers~"

"star?"

"Did anyone guest star in the previous episodes?"

"Yes, I have!"

Susan clasped her fingers at David and smiled: "There's Barbra Streisand, Mary Tyler Moore, Richard Dysart..."

David swallowed the breakfast in his mouth, looked at Susan's slightly excited look, and smiled.

"Then you must have missed this great opportunity to get autographs and take photos, right?"

"Hahaha~" Susan happily hugged David and kissed him, and shouted happily as she ran towards the bedroom.

"I'll show them to you!"

"it is good."

David smiled and watched Susan run back to the bedroom, turned to look at Cui Yingying, and asked: "Did you just say...Xu Cuizhen?"

"You want to leave the breakfast restaurant to her?"

Cui Yingying nodded and explained: "I think she is a very different girl, with the energy and courage of a young person."

"So I want to let her try it out for the time being, and then we'll see how it goes."

"Oh~"

"Then when are you going to accompany Master back to Xiangjiang?"

"I also want you to go back and be a guide for Kanes and lead him around."

"Uh... Carnes?"

"But I've never been a guide..." Cui Yingying had a embarrassed expression on her face and her voice was much lower.

David smiled and held her hand, comforting: "It's okay!"

"Kanes is a good friend of mine. You have met him many times in London. His personality and character are not unfamiliar to you."

"Where is the most fun place in Xiangjiang and where can best satisfy his curiosity? Take him for a walk~"

"Anyway, he spends money wherever he goes. What are you afraid of?"

"Haha~" The little worry in Cui Yingying's heart dissipated instantly when David said this.

She looked into David's eyes, felt the warmth from his hands, nodded and smiled.

"Xiangjiang is very small. I have to go to the hospital for a review next month."

"I'll be back as soon as I help Master complete the immigration application procedures!"

"Well!" David tilted his head and glanced at Susan who ran out of the bedroom, winked at Cui Yingying and whispered.

"I asked Elena to help you arrange a flight today, you can leave tomorrow~"

"I will try to come back as early as possible tonight to see your master off!"

"Yeah..." Cui Yingying had two blushes on her face and lowered her head in response.

When Susan saw the two of them "secretly" chatting with each other again, she deliberately pouted and stood next to David, dropped a stack of autographed photos with several big stars, and said in a sour tone.

"Who said she has to wait for you to come back tonight?"

"She's going to sleep with me tonight!"

"Hahaha~" David grabbed Susan, held her in his arms, nodded her forehead, and joked.

"I asked her to wait for me to come back because I wanted her to give me a full-body massage to relieve the recent fatigue~"

"You've got it wrong again!"

"Tch~liar!"

"I never lie!"

"That.."

Susan glanced at Cui Yingying, who was holding back her laughter, and said a few words in David's ear.

David slowly opened his eyes, looked at Susan who was right in front of him, grinned and asked, "This doesn't seem good, does it?"

"Humph..." Susan showed a contemptuous sneer and whispered in a sinister voice.

"Don't think I don't know your little thoughts."

"Polly found Xina and Elena a long time ago and asked them about you and them..."

"Ok!"

"I will definitely come back for dinner tonight!" David quickly patted his chest and promised when he heard Susan mention Polly, and then Zina and Elena.

"Haha~" Susan squinted at David, who had a "righteous" face. Although she didn't say anything, her eyes had betrayed her. .

David understood her unspoken subtext, bared his teeth and glanced at Cui Yingying, patted Susan's arm twice, changed the topic and asked.

"When are you going to Hawaii?"

"What's wrong? Do you need my help?" Susan blinked and asked.

"I asked Attorney George to prepare a few documents, and you can take them over and hand them over to Polly's father, Malkin, for me."

"Also~ there are some documents that need to be signed by your mother Sarah, please take them with you."

"My mother?"

David pinched Susan with his hand, showing a surprised little face, and smiled.

"I'm going to be late. Let lawyer George explain the specific details to you, okay?"

"Oh..." Susan nodded obediently and did not continue to pester or question.

David liked this very much and couldn't help but kiss her, stood up and walked to the bedroom.

Cui Yingying and Susan looked at David's back and looked at each other silently. They both felt that they had a tacit understanding and smiled ~

----

Manhattan.

Blue Crystal Hotel, eighth floor.

Professor Armstrong Bartlet stood at the door of the room, looked at the seven young people standing at the door with a little surprise, and smiled.

"You are here."

"Yes, Professor!" Zod Jimenez, a cheerful New Yorker, raised the gift in his hand and smiled at his tutor.

“This is the best strawberry cheesecake in New York, you have to try it!”

"I also brought you a breakfast bag that many people like recently."

“There’s juice, salad greens, cut fruit and breakfast sandwiches!”

"Hahaha~ Okay."

"You all come in~" Professor Bartley took the two bags handed over by his student Zedd, and turned sideways to let his seven students file into the room.

José Aaron, who works in the Harvard University Alumni Donation Office, walked at the back of the seven people and naturally took the breakfast bag from his mentor.

Then he turned around and closed the door, followed his mentor and disciple into the living room, brought several of the latest economic journals and today's newspapers, and placed them on the small table.

Professor Bartley glanced at several students pretending to be unintentional, and after chatting with each of them for a few words in a gentle tone, he reached out to open the breakfast bag and asked with a smile.

"Which store did you buy this from?"

Zod Jimenez immediately squatted from the sofa to the carpet and smiled while helping his mentor take out the food from the paper bag.

"In recent months, the breakfast bags sold by this affordable store have made many office workers like me, who are struggling with breakfast every day, fall in love with it!"

"Look~"

"The juices here are all freshly squeezed, there are plenty of ingredients for sandwiches and vegetable salads, and the freshest fruits are washed, cut, and individually packed in a small bag."

"Da...?" Professor Bartlet calmly tasted the food in the breakfast bag and joked that it felt very good.

"If I could buy this kind of breakfast bag decades earlier, I wouldn't have to go hungry every day when giving you morning classes."

"Hahaha~" Zedd sat back on the carpet and was the first to laugh.

Sitting behind him, the "big guy" Dipper, Christiansen, and "thick glasses" Manfred P. Villabarn also laughed with their mentor.

But among the other four people around the three of them, the "happy Dutchman" Chester Faculona, ​​the "curly Italian" Benito Ezez, and the "old-fashioned Germanic" Ike Bar Storrs didn't even have a smile on his face. .

José Aaron, the oldest of the "seven people", lowered his head with some restraint and hesitation, and remained silent.

Professor Bartlett has been teaching and educating people at Harvard University for decades, and he has a very good understanding of the characters and personalities of his favorite children.

Every little move they make, every "attentiveness for nothing" allows Professor Bartlett to detect the little thoughts they hide intentionally or unintentionally~

So ten minutes later, when Professor Bartley finished his breakfast and was about to go to the bathroom to wash his hands, he called out Zod Jimenez and José Aaron.

Bathroom door.

Professor Bartlet stood by the sink, turned the faucet to the maximum, looked at the two people and asked with a smile.

"Except for the time in Houston some time ago, the last time the seven of you came to see me together was five years ago, right?"

"...Yes!" Zod Jimenez lowered his head and whispered with some shame.

"us.."

"Stop talking now, Zedd."

"Say it, Joss!"

"Did you really come here just to see me this time?"

"..."

Joss Aaron, who felt that he was being "targeted" by his mentor, showed a wry smile and shook his head.

"Since we last parted in Houston, I took an excerpt of David's manuscript and showed it to them respectively."

"Oh, then what?" Professor Bartlet washed his hands and asked without any surprise.

"Then..." Joss Aaron turned to look at Zod and fell silent.

Zod, who has always had a cheerful personality, had a surprisingly straight face this time and whispered with a serious expression.

“Before last Christmas, I received a job offer from the Institute of International Relations at Carnegie Mellon University.”

"At that time, I thought you helped me introduce this strange job invitation..."

"So I went to Pittsburgh and interviewed."

"But when I got there and attended the interview, I realized that..."

Zedd's voice was very calm, but he spoke very quickly about his bizarre experience when he went to Pittsburgh for an interview.

After hearing this, Professor Bartley frowned at the two of them and asked.

"Who else has something similar happened to?"

"us.."

"Seven of you?"

"Yes!"

"..." Professor Bartlet was silent.

Joss Aaron glanced towards the living room and explained in a low voice: "Big Dipper is the first among us..."

“Last summer, he received a job offer from someone claiming to be from the RAND Corporation in California. It felt strange and he called me.”

"I asked a friend to find the phone number of the RAND Corporation's California headquarters. After calling it, I found out that they had never sent anything to Big Dipper, let alone a job invitation."

"..." Professor Bartlet raised his eyebrows, stared down at the faucet with running water, and said after thinking for a moment.

"Who's the last one?"

"Me!" Zod replied in a low voice.

"So do you still have that job offer?"

"No.."

"Among them, who still has evidence?"

"Ike!"

A smile appeared on the corner of Joss Aaron's mouth: "You know Ike, he never cares much about such very weird things."

"But after he heard about our experience, he deliberately kept the job offer..."

"Haha~" Professor Bartlet smiled.

He looked at the mirror hanging on the wall, looking at himself with gray hair in it, his eyes gradually became sharp!

. . .

More than half an hour later.

Holding a large stack of folders in his hand, David knocked on the door of his mentor, Professor Bartley.

At this time, Professor Bartlett, as if nothing had happened, helped David put down the folder with a gentle smile and asked.

"What are these?"

""These are the research materials on financial derivatives and credit derivatives in the past ten years. ""

"And these are some theoretical data on currency supply and demand and the corresponding policy data implemented by the government to control inflation in recent years."

When David was introducing information to his tutor, he accidentally discovered a yellow breakfast bag placed under the small table in the living room.

He picked it up curiously: "This is... a breakfast bag from a cheap store?"

"Is this what you had this morning?"

"Yeah~" Professor Bartley picked up a folder and smiled.

"The breakfast bags sold in your affordable store taste very good and the price is very cheap."

"But isn't its price a little too low?"

"Can you rely on it to recover costs and make profits?"

"Are you okay~" David looked through the breakfast bag and asked with a smile when he found that it was completely empty.

"Someone came here just now and brought you breakfast?"

"Hmm..." Professor Bartley looked through the information and nodded.

David quickly realized something and said casually: "I'm sorry~"

"Tomorrow an elder of mine will return to Xiangjiang. I want to hold a farewell party for him tonight, so I can't have dinner with you."

"Hmm..." Professor Bartley responded and continued to immerse himself in the information.

David paused for a moment, picked up a folder, opened it, changed the topic and asked, "Do you still want to attend today's meeting?"

"No~" Professor Bartlet flipped through the information and said with a smile.

"If those old guys could come up with a more innovative and convincing point of view or theory, they would have been eager to express it yesterday. They will definitely not be able to wait until today!"

David felt very interesting and asked: "What do you think of Professor Milton Friedman's speech yesterday?"

"He proposed..."

"Haha~" Professor Bartlet's laughter contained a hint of helplessness, and he shook his head.

"Those who specifically wrote books saying that money and fame should be treated like dirt didn't forget to put their names on the cover!"

"So I would rather err with Plato than think right with these people!"

"Um...are these you...?" David was speechless.

Professor Bartlet looked up at his "silly student", shrugged and smiled.

"These are not what I said, but the classic words passed down by the famous ancient Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero."

"just like you.."

"The more honest you are, the less likely you will suspect others of their hypocrisy~"

"A base soul always presupposes the basest motives for noble deeds."

"And you like to maintain a rational attitude towards the people and things around you, which makes you exude a light that makes them feel ashamed in the eyes of many people!"

"Well...I feel a little embarrassed when you praise me like this..."

"Hahaha~" Professor Bartley laughed heartily.

But David could always feel some released emotions from his laughter. .