money player

Chapter 184 New York, Satan

Walking on the streets in 1950, if you shouted "U.S. imperialism is about to collapse", probably no one would stand up to oppose it. On the contrary, some people would stand up to support it.

The retaliatory consumption craze triggered by the post-war period has subsided, and the consumption potential of most American households has been exhausted. Although many people have come forward to express the central idea of ​​"active consumption" in an attempt to ignite the American people's enthusiasm for consumption again, Americans whose pockets were empty could only respond with a raised middle finger.

In fact, you never need to be taught how to spend money. It is an innate instinct. When the enthusiasm for consumption cannot be incited, you need to calmly think about the possibility that the constipated pig has not pooped after taking laxatives and has not been fed for a long time.

There are such a group of American economic experts who love to do two things in their lives. The first is to badmouth the United States. The core is that the United States is going to be finished. The difference is the time point. Some say ten years, and some say five years. The second thing is to find faults in every aspect of the economic stimulus policies promulgated by the White House and state capitals.

To put it mildly, this kind of person belongs to Wei Zheng and his ilk. There will be no peace after death. The bones will be dug out and smashed and ashes scattered. If it is more elegant, it is called Yu Gong, if it is more straightforward, it is called Silly Que. But no matter what it is called, it is fine. Xian Yaowen likes it very much. Read their published articles.

Afternoon in Manhattan at Peter Luger Steakhouse.

Xian Yaowen was bathed in the warm sunshine, cutting steak with both hands, staring at the bound book placed on the table, and studying the "creative destruction" theory proposed by Joseph Schumpeter.

Suddenly, he felt a scorching gaze, and following the heat, he saw a middle-aged man holding a violin in his hand staring at his steak outside the glass window.

"Give him two dollars." He said to Qi Longque, and then made a "Canon" mouth shape towards the glass window.

After a while, Qi Longque gave away the money, and the middle-aged man also played the violin as promised.

The industrial potential that the United States unleashed during the war was astonishing to the whole world. However, after the war, it was inevitably faced with the choice of shutting down unnecessary industrial production capacity. During the war, men went to the battlefield and women entered the factories. A strange picture emerged. harmonious picture.

After the war, factories were closed and jobs were reduced. Women faced tens of millions of men who had returned from the military to compete with them for jobs. The unemployment wave first affected women and then men. Although the Marshall Plan provided an export channel for American industrial products, it could not After absorbing all the production capacity, it persisted for three years, and finally ushered in high unemployment in 1948, which reached its peak last year.

The unemployment rate of 7.6% is already a lot of numbers, but it is difficult to find clues from the street. This number cannot break through the high moral wall of society, and sinful impulses will involuntarily choose to break out in dark corners.

In the early summer of 1950, the U.S. economy was in a very bad state, and New York's public security was not to be praised, but New Yorkers were used to it, because this year was not worse than last year.

Not every rat in the gutter is dirty and smelly. There are always some who occupy relatively dry and favorable terrain. Against the background of high unemployment, many southern little potatoes who are doing well have gone to the northeastern state of New York to enjoy them. Niagara Waterfall.

In order to cater to the taste of Southern potatoes, vendors in Niagara Falls specially introduced sweet Mexican burritos, which brought an end to the centuries-old sweet and spicy dispute between the North and the South. From then on, people in the North and the South agreed that the U.S. dollar was sweet. .

Xian Yaowen is a person who is very good at integrating into the local area. At this moment, he considers himself a native New Yorker. Listening to the southern accents in the restaurant, he is confident that New York will become the number one cultural and tourism city in the Northeast.

When the canon heats up and enters the period of passionate love, Priscilla Cheng walks into the restaurant and looks around. It is easy to spot Xian Yaowen, who has completely integrated into the environment, but has characteristics that are out of place.

Looking at the comfortable and relaxed Xian Yaowen, she felt irritated for no reason. She walked to the table and sat down without waiting for Xian Yaowen's greeting. Seeing that Xian Yaowen didn't look up and pay attention, she coughed and ignored him. Coughing.

Xian Yaowen didn't want to hear the third cough, so he closed the bound book and looked at Priscilla Zheng, "The radio said the temperature will drop down today. Go buy a coat. Don't freeze. I will reimburse you."

Priscilla Zheng twisted her collar and shook it a few times, sending streams of cool breeze into the peaks and valleys, "Boss, I don't mind changing my coat into an air cooler."

"Ha, your teeth are sharper. It seems that American steak is very nutritious. Have you eaten?"

"No." A roll of eyes.

Xian Yaowen raised his hand and said, "Are you hot?"

"Asking knowingly."

"I remember that the travel allowance I gave you is not low. Remember to take a taxi next time, otherwise I will ask you to provide receipts and invoices in the future."

The travel allowance he set for Priscilla Cheng was US$15 per day, which was a lot of money. Not only could he spend it very generously, but he could also put a lot of money in his pocket every day because he did not require actual reimbursement.

Priscilla Cheng teased: "I want to find my own Chennault in New York. I need to save money to dress myself up."

"Ha." Xian Yaowen chuckled and said, "That's a good excuse. I will evaluate your work later. If the evaluation is good enough, I will increase your subsidy standard."

As he said that, he looked at the waiter who came over, "Hey, sweetheart, give this lady a set menu recommended by the chef. What time will you get off work today?"

If you want to find opportunities to be an actor in the United States, you don’t necessarily have to go to Los Angeles. In fact, San Francisco and New York also have many opportunities to get ahead. At this time, restaurants and cafes in New York are the short-term shelter for many girls looking for dreams. Compared with Los Angeles , New York is more stylish here. In addition to pretty girls, there are also people who play musical instruments and paint in New York.

The waiter in front of me looks similar to Veronica Lake, has a temperament similar to Gloria Grahame, and smells like a cello, making it a good dessert.

The waiter smiled at Xian Yaowen and asked, "Do you want dessert?"

"No need, your smile is sweet enough, sweetheart, do you need me to ask you a second time?"

The waiter wrote a line on the order form and smiled at Xian Yaowen again: "Why not? Do you want a glass of pineapple Colada?"

"Why not? What time do you get off work?"

The waiter once again took the pen and swiped the order form a few times, and then said to Xian Yaowen: "Give me your hand."

Xian Yaowen handed over his hand, and the waiter wrote a phone number on his palm. After writing, he looked at Xian Yaowen and said, "My name is Jane. I get off work at 4:30."

"OK, I'm Adam, wait for my call."

The two were flirting so blatantly, which made Priscilla Cheng, who was sitting next to her, furious. As soon as Jane left, she spat at Xian Yaowen: "Boss, I want dessert."

Xian Yaowen smiled slightly, "Don't worry, we have a second show. I'll treat you to Baskin-Robbins (31 Ice Cream) later. I felt the enthusiasm for ice cream less than two hours after arriving in New York. Maybe in the Bronx It is a good idea to rent a cheap house in Sri Lanka to produce ice cream. If we choose a more European brand name and create an image of high-end imported goods, I believe the business will not be bad.

Hui Xian, what do you think of the name Haagen-Dazs? Does it give you a sense of nobility like a European aristocrat? "

"Boss, I'm not used to your American style of communication. Can I return to Hong Kong?" Priscilla Cheng frowned.

Xian Yaowen smiled lightly, "No problem, let's talk about work before your lunch is delivered. I want to know where you rent your office?"

"There was a restaurant called Hot Cab on Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, and I rented the third floor above it."

"Hot cab?"

Priscilla Cheng said the original text, "Caliente Cab."

Xian Yaowen suddenly realized, "Hui Xian, you shouldn't translate the original meaning of the word. Although Caliente means 'hot', when used in the name of a restaurant, it means that it specializes in Mexican food. It has no special meaning. Cab should be It means taxi. Probably the main customers of the restaurant are taxi drivers. Is it a restaurant similar to a tea restaurant, selling both coffee and food?"

Priscilla Zheng was very surprised, "Boss, you are right, how did you know?"

Xian Yaowen shrugged, "Read more books and newspapers."

Priscilla Cheng was a little dissatisfied with such a perfunctory answer, but she couldn't dig into it, "What should I call it?"

"Direct transliteration, Caliente Restaurant."

"Okay, the office is rented on the third floor of Caliente Restaurant, with an area of ​​almost 2400 square feet."

Xian Yaowen nodded, "The area is almost enough. I read in the newspaper that Greenwich Village is a gathering place for down-and-out artists. Is it true?"

Priscilla Zheng nodded and said in a pleasant tone: "That's right, where I live, my neighbors are either painters or singers. They are all engaged in art."

Xian Yaowen smiled lightly and said, "It seems like you are like a fish in water."

"Yes."

Xian Yaowen smiled knowingly. Priscilla Cheng asked him not to talk in an American way, but her own speaking style already had a touch of American style. It seemed that she was very satisfied with her current life.

"Make more friends who are poor painters. Our magazine can hand over some of the illustration work to them in the future. Maybe in a few years, a Picasso will be born among them, and you will make a lot of money."

Priscilla Cheng said contemptuously: "Boss, you are such a philistine."

"Behind every elegance there is a philistine soul." Xian Yaowen picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip. "If you pay attention to the situation in the Middle East, you will definitely know that Jordan has hosted nearly 50 Palestinian refugees, and its reputation for benevolence and justice has been lost. On the head of Abdullah I, the food that the Palestinian refugees eat is saved from their own mouths by the Jordanian people. Poor Jordan only has a population of 100 million, of which less than half are capable of working. This means that every Jordanian adult is responsible for feeding one Palestinian refugee.

If your elegant buttocks were gracefully placed on the land of Jordan, and Abdullah I gracefully took out grain from your graceful mouth to feed the graceful Palestinian refugees, and you were gracefully weaned from breast milk, both of you would be A hungry baby crying elegantly, can you elegantly write down the elegant spirit of internationalism on paper? "

"Boss, has anyone ever said that you are too small?" Priscilla Cheng did not expect that Xian Yaowen would use such an example to criticize her.

Xian Yaowen spread his hands and said, "Okay, I admit that I don't have much ability. Tell me who you have recruited."

Priscilla Zheng calmed down and said, "David Kenyon Webster, a reporter who used to work for the Wall Street Journal, is a graduate of Harvard University and has studied English literature for three years. I have read what he wrote. The article and writing skills are very good.”

Xian Yaowen frowned and said, "Do you know why you dropped out of school?"

"He joined the army, he was a paratrooper in... I can't remember which unit he was in, except that he was in the Normandy landings."

"Probably the 82nd or 101st Airborne Division."

"101, I remember, E Company, 101nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 2st Airborne Division."

"Oh, having military experience will make him more disciplined. I hope his inspiration is not restricted. What else?"

"Clay Simpson used to work at Esquire magazine. He left Esquire because his request for a salary increase was not met. He is a good illustrator and has certain writing skills."

"Oh, how much do you pay him?"

"75 dollars a week, boss, the publishing industry here in the United States pays weekly wages."

Xian Yaowen nodded, "I know, the weekly salary of 75 US dollars is quite a lot. I hope he is worth this salary. Is there anyone else?"

"No more." Priscilla Cheng lowered her face and said, "My skin color and gender are subject to discrimination. Many people who come for interviews are unwilling to talk about me when they see me."

"Ha, are you sure it's not because you are too ugly?"

Priscilla Zheng glanced at Xian Yaowen and said, "Boss, as you said, my appearance is in line with Western aesthetics."

"I still think so, Huixian, you will definitely meet your Chennault. The two of them are already at work?"

"In the office."

"We'll go back to the office after you finish eating."

An hour and a half later, the two got off the bus in front of the Caliente restaurant on Seventh Avenue South. Xian Yaowen saw a polygonal building sandwiched in the middle of a triangular intersection. Its general shape was like a trapezoid with an extra corner on one side. Looking at the appearance, you can tell that the internal layout is not much better, and the area utilization rate will not be too high.

However, although New York now has rent control and is subject to rent control, it does not include commercial leasing. The monthly rent for a 2400-square-foot office is only $180, so why don’t you need a bicycle?

When going upstairs, Priscilla Zheng made an introduction. The original tenant on the third floor was a magazine maker, but failed to make it and closed down. The previous tenant also made a magazine and closed down. After that, five consecutive tenants were also in the magazine business. Magazines all ended in bankruptcy without exception.

Hearing this, Xian Yaowen took a breath.

“How was the lease signed?”

"The contract is signed for three years, with monthly payments. The rent will not be increased within three years, but part of the repair costs will be borne."

"Did you find a lawyer when you signed the contract?"

"Yes."

"That's no problem. I consulted several Americans before coming here, and they all said that American law is bullshit. Lawyers are responsible for shoveling shit. Without lawyers, it's difficult to move forward."

"I have already experienced this. Because of registration and tax issues, I have to find a lawyer almost every day." Priscilla Cheng complained: "It's really troublesome."

"Okay, I will take over the legal issues."

The two of them talked and went up to the third floor. Xian Yaowen soon met his two staff members Simpson and Webster.

Simpson is a typical donut man. He is very fat, weighing 192 kilograms, but he is quite tall, centimeters tall, which makes him look more burly than fat. The most eye-catching thing about him is his cunning eyes. He is a fat man with wisdom.

Webster has a standard figure, 177 centimeters tall, and the charm of his eyes is very similar to that of the actor in Xian Yaowen's memory. His face is more resolute, more in line with the image of a veteran who has experienced many battles, but he does not feel literary from him. breath.

Under Priscilla Cheng's introduction, Xian Yaowen shook hands with the two of them. Without much pleasantries, the shrewd magazine chief editor Xian Yaowen came online.

“Regardless of everyone’s social class or circumstances of birth, life should be better, richer and more abundant, with opportunities for everyone based on ability or achievement.

This is James Truss Lowe Adams's definition of the 'American Dream' in 1931. I came to New York because of this sentence, to realize my own magazine dream.

Regardless of everyone's social class or circumstances of birth, life should become more interesting, more fashionable, more women, everyone has the opportunity to be based on aesthetic or preference.

This is my Adam Hepburn American dream, and it’s also the Playboy magazine’s American dream.

Playboy must first have women, all kinds of women, women in all states, black skin, white skin, yellow skin, brown, driving, making coffee, sunbathing, wearing clothes, not wearing clothes. I'm taking off my clothes, whatever..."

Xian Yaowen said and shrugged, "My pursuit is that every Christmas, Charmin's manager will treat me to dinner and give me a cash check for six zeros. Simpson, which restaurant do you think is a good date?"

Amid the knowing and ambiguous smiles between Simpson and Webster, Simpson smiled and replied, "Boss, it doesn't matter which restaurant, what matters is the check."

[Charmin is a toilet paper brand owned by Procter & Gamble and was very popular in the United States in 1950. ]
"I guess you want to know how much of the number on the check belongs to you."

"Boss, you are so wise." Simpson complimented with a fat face.

"Hmm, from the moment I stand here, Simpson, your life of lying on the chair leisurely eating donuts is over. I will give you a good job, fly to Los Angeles, find Monroe's agent, Tell him we are going to publish Monroe's photos without permission and ask him to find a lawyer to sue us."

Simpson's eyes lit up, "Boss, do you want to join forces with Monroe for hype?"

"Bingo, Simpson, you are so smart. For your wisdom, our magazine has given you a salary increase for the first time. Starting next week, your weekly salary will be increased to $80."

Simpson's fat face was instantly covered with a smile, and his two small eyes were squeezed into two slits. "Boss, I, Clay Simpson, will definitely become Playboy's most loyal employee."

"Hmm, I want to see a complete plan before noon tomorrow. Don't worry about the budget. I want the most perfect one."

"No problem," Simpson said confidently.

Xian Yaowen looked at Webster, "Webster, are you from New York?"

"Yes."

Compared to Simpson, Webster is much duller.

"Are you familiar with the printing presses in New York?"

"Fortunately."

"I want to leave the job of contacting the printing house to you. I know this is not your job, but you can also see that there is no one else in our magazine for the time being. Zheng is a foreigner, so..." Xian Yaowen said and said. Spread your hands.

"Boss, I'm fine."

"OK, I'll treat you all to dinner the night after tomorrow. Please call your wives and girlfriends. I want to thank them for sending their husbands and boyfriends to hell." Xian Yaowen clapped his hands, "Everyone, there are still more than two days until get off work. Hours, get busy, welcome to hell, please call me Satan or Ram from now on.”

(End of this chapter)