money player

Without saying hello, Sin Yiu-man continued to pound the sandbag at his own pace.

A moment later, another person arrived, Lauren Bacall, Bogart's young wife. The two exchanged a few kisses, and Bogart began to teach Bacall how to box.

Within two minutes, another man arrived, holding a camera, and took pictures of Bai Kaoer, who was throwing a punch, from every angle.

Okay, boxing for fitness is a pretense; creating a persona is the real purpose.

Worried about being photographed, Sin Yiu-man tactfully left when the photographer changed angles.

I changed into my swim trunks in the changing room and went to the outdoor poolside.

There were about a dozen members in the water and by the pool, but his gaze easily fell on the blonde woman sitting by the pool. Marilyn Monroe was sitting sideways in a sexy pose. He watched her for about ten seconds, but she didn't change her pose. He instantly realized that this guy was waiting for his "chance encounter".

Marilyn Monroe was signed to Fox, but she also had a deep collaboration with Flower Company. Simpson signed a cooperation agreement with Fox, the gist of which was that Jorge Guinness would create some opportunities for Monroe, and both parties would share the benefits.

To put it bluntly, Jorge Guinness helped Fox promote Marilyn Monroe, but this didn't prevent Fox from receiving its due benefits. Fox was naturally happy to reap the rewards, providing Simpson with a roster of new talent, saying they could choose whomever they liked, and expressing their hope for deeper and broader cooperation.

Sin Yiu-man went to a spot diagonally away from Marilyn Monroe, sat cross-legged by the pool, and waited for his pores and blood vessels to naturally contract.

Marilyn Monroe got tired of posing and looked around to distract herself. Naturally, Sin Yiu-man came into view, and a complicated expression appeared in her eyes.

She hadn't forgotten her embarrassing moment in the Paris restroom, nor had she forgotten the spray of water that Sin Yiu-man had given her. She was grateful that Sin Yiu-man hadn't taken advantage of her, but she also felt a pang of resentment. Since she had never wanted a girl, it was a sign of disrespect.

In addition, she also had a strange feeling; that night, she smelled her father's scent on Sin Yiu-man.

Her gaze never left Sin Yiu-man once it locked onto him, making him feel watched. After a brief search, their eyes met above the pool.

Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly, then shifted his gaze to Monroe's right rear.

Ava Garner was walking over, a cigarette dangling from her lips, her expression not very pleasant. Not long after, she encountered the Sinatra couple in two different places—a coincidence, but probably not entirely.

He looked around but couldn't find a woman with a better figure than this "Hollywood sex symbol, the world's most beautiful vertebrate." He decided not to pretend he didn't see her and let things happen as they were.

When Jia Na's gaze met his, he raised his hand and waved.

Soon, the two stood together.

"Adam, you didn't attend my wedding," Jia Na said reproachfully.

"It wasn't convenient at the time, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Cen has already explained it to me. When did you arrive in Los Angeles?"

"yesterday."

"Processing business?"

"Yes, the company has a project."

"Rome?"

"you know too?"

Jia Na chuckled, "That British girl is like a headless fly, bumping around everywhere. Many people know that."

There's always a first time.

"You cast her as the lead in her first role? You think highly of her?" Jia Na asked with a half-smile. "Or..."

Both answers are exactly what you think.

"You're giving such a definite answer, are you not avoiding the question?"

“That’s all in the past. Cen knows she exists. Okay, let’s not talk about me, let’s talk about you.”

"What am I?"

“I just saw Frank at Mickey’s place a little over an hour ago.”

Jia Na's expression changed. "Damn it, I already said I would talk to him, why do you still need to talk to Frank?"

"So, you know?"

“There aren’t many secrets in Hollywood, and Frank and I are husband and wife. Frank has been having some career setbacks lately, and he’s very distressed.”

"It seems like Sam made a phone call."

“I’m talking to Sam.” After a moment’s hesitation, Jana said, “Adam, could you lend me some money? I’ll mortgage my shares in Lady’s and this house to you.”

Sin Yiu-man looked troubled. "I suggested to Mickey that I write him a check, but he refused, saying that he had already reached a repayment plan with Frank, and Frank confirmed his statement. So, it is not convenient for me to get involved."

"That idiot!" Jia Na was furious. She stomped her right foot on the ground twice. "He must have agreed, he must have agreed."

As Xian Yaowen listened to Jia Na's mutterings, he subconsciously guessed what she had agreed to.

This question isn't hard to guess. First of all, Sinatra certainly doesn't have the money to pay back right now, but he is capable of doing so. If he can just give it some time, the debt will definitely be cleared. But to get the time to give him some time, he will definitely have to give something in return. What does Cohen value most about Sinatra?

It goes without saying that it is the girl in front of me, Jia Na.

He suddenly regretted bringing Jia Na over; he sensed trouble brewing.

really.

After calming down from her rage, Jia Na gazed at him with her watery eyes and said pitifully, "Adam, please help me."

"How can I help you?" Xian Yaowen gave a bitter smile. "I can't help you."

Gana's behavior confirmed his guess. Cohen was clearly planning to gain both money and people. If Sinatra had accepted his offer to help, he could have intervened. But since Sinatra refused, his opportunity to intervene was gone, and the matter had nothing to do with him anymore.

He had no relation to Sinatra and no business dealings with her. Since Cen Peipei and Jia Na co-founded Lady's, he and Jia Na could have some business ties, but this relationship was no greater than the cooperation he had just established with Cohen. His standing up for Jia Na was almost equivalent to beating up his father for his boyfriend, putting the cart before the horse, showing a lack of manners and reason.

Jia Na grabbed Xian Yaowen's wrist and pleaded again, "Please help me, I hate that short man."

Sin Yiu-man gently withdrew his hand and said calmly, "Actually, you could have stayed out of it."

"No, I have to help Frank."

"If you find an excuse to leave for a while, this matter will be easier to resolve."

“Adam, no.” Jana shook her head. “Even if it weren’t for Frank, I can’t just ignore it.”

Sin Yiu-man suddenly realized that Chia Na was more clear-headed than he had imagined. She wasn't concerned out of emotion; she was considering her reputation and image. Given the prevailing societal perception in the United States that wives are subservient to their husbands, Chia Na, as a public figure, was disregarding her husband, and her reputation was very likely to be ruined.

Alright, since it's about interests, this matter is easy to handle.

He pretended to think for a moment, then said, "I'm going to Mr. Guinness's party later. You can come with me."

A hint of resentment and a touch of allure appeared in Jia Na's eyes. "Why don't you just help me directly?"

Xian Yaowen chuckled lightly, "I'm willing to help you, but you're unwilling to accept my advice."

“I want more direct help, you know what I mean.” Jia Na blinked. “Isn’t that right?”

“Thank you for acknowledging my charm. You are also very attractive to me, but you are Cen’s friend, and nothing can possibly happen between us.” Xian Yaowen shrugged. “I’m very sorry, I can’t offer you direct assistance.”

"You are not a faithful person."

“Ava, I never sleep with my friends.”

"Okay, I understand. What time is the party?"

"I'll call you when we go."

"I'll be at the bar."

"OK."

Sin Yiu-man felt a slight regret after Ka-na left. Ka-na was a smart woman who knew how to weigh things and knew when to advance and retreat. It was a pity that she was just a celebrity with a weak story and not worth sacrificing too much for. Otherwise... she had a great figure!
He plunged into the water, submerged, his body rising and falling like a dolphin, his arms paddling like butterfly wings, and his legs kicking in sync with the action, making him appear as if he were an arrow shot off a bow towards the opposite shore.

He swam back and forth underwater several times. When he felt uncomfortable holding his breath, he persisted and swam to the edge of the pool. Like a missile launching from its chamber, his body burst out of the water and climbed up to his knees. He felt that he still had a lot of upward momentum, but then he lost his strength and fell back into the water.

Wiping the water from her face, she opened her eyes to find a woman before her: Rita Hayworth, the American Cupid who was divorcing Prince Ali Khan.

Haihua Si was in a very bad state; veins were bulging on her forehead as she shouted something at the two men standing opposite her, who were forming a protective circle around her.

The two men were clearly of Italian descent and Jewish descent, both dressed in Mafia-style suits.

Putting all this information together, the two are very likely members of the Cohen family.

Sin Yiu-man's lips curled into a playful smile. Today was probably a good day to collect gambling debts. Another gambling debt collection drama was unfolding here, and damn it, the supporting actors weren't even changed, keeping him on the go.

I went ashore, sat down by the pool, and listened intently.

The Italian said, "Mr. Cohen, you have three days to pay off your debt, or we will publish your nude photos in the newspaper."

“It’s not something I owed. Go find Ali Khan. He and I are already in the process of getting a divorce.”

The Jewish man said, “Ms. Hayworth, California is a community property state, and debts incurred during the marriage are considered community debts. You are obligated to bear half of the debts owed by Prince Ali Khan.”

The Italian said, “You have only three days to pay back Mr. Cohen’s $20 and the Flamingo Hotel’s $15.”

These two are quite interesting; they sing in harmony.

Newspapers had long reported that Ali Khan was a gambling addict, and a very high one at that, owing $35 in gambling debts. Under normal circumstances, he would have lost far more cash than that. He also had a wealthy father and a famous actress as his wife, making him a prime client for casinos.

“Ali Khan $20, Sinatra $20, that’s $40. How much more is there that we haven’t seen?”

Cohen probably has a lot of cash on hand. Looks like next time I'll need to talk to him about a loan of $500 million, with $480 million to be repaid in three years.

Sin Yiu-man was distracted and missed a conversation. By the time he came back to his senses, the Italian and the Jew had left, and only Hayworth remained in the frame, squatting on the ground, covering her face with her hands and crying, clearly on the verge of collapse.

What just happened was noticed not only by Sin Yiu-man, but also by the other guests by the pool, yet no one went to comfort them.

Sin Yiu-man's mind wandered again, wondering why those two people acted as if they were in an empty place when this was a members-only venue.

Needless to say, Cohen's influence has spread here, or the owner here doesn't dare to offend Cohen, whatever the reason, privacy here is not guaranteed, and the $500 seems to have gone down the drain.

The desire to make up for lost time was passively activated, and he began to think about how much profit he could make in a year by building a truly private club in Hollywood.

He quickly suppressed the thought; clubs that did business with Hollywood people couldn't avoid drug problems, and he couldn't do that kind of business.

Regaining his focus, Sin Yiu-man turned his attention to Hai Wah-sze.

Recalling Hayworth's information, in 1947, a major event occurred regarding her: she signed a new contract with Columbia Pictures—Columbia funded the establishment of the production company Bakerworth, with each party holding a 50% stake. Hayworth signed a seven-year exclusive contract with Bakerworth, earning an annual salary of $25, and she would star in two films each year.

However, less than two years into the seven-year contract, Haywards ended the partnership, married Ali Khan, and moved to Paris.

At the time, many newspaper articles called Hayward a fool, saying she would definitely regret giving up her career.

A few days ago, news about Hayworth's comeback appeared in the newspapers, and many articles expressed their resistance directly or indirectly. The British magazine People even called for a boycott of Hayworth, saying that Hollywood must know that if this reckless woman returns to the film industry, its already damaged reputation will plummet to rock bottom.

The boycott is normal. Apart from Columbia executives, probably no one else in Hollywood wants to see Hayworth return, firstly because of her box office appeal. Her films are not only bestsellers in North America, but also perform well in Europe, making her the highest-grossing actress in Hollywood.

Secondly, it was out of jealousy. She is probably the only female star whose company took the initiative to handle her tax issues, and her salary is the most valuable.

Hollywood stars earn high salaries, often $50,000, $100,000, or even $200,000. While this may sound like a lot, if they pay taxes properly, they only actually receive about 10% of that. Forget about buying a mansion or indulging in luxury consumption; even covering expenses like cosmetics and clothes is a problem. As a result, legal tax avoidance and tax evasion have become something that every high-income Hollywood star does.

If the IRS were to overturn the table, Hollywood would be completely wiped out, with only Hayworth escaping unscathed, simply because her income is theoretically "after-tax." Whether it's truly after-tax is debatable, but in any case, Columbia would bear the blame.

Sin Yiu-man also disliked Haywards's eccentricities. Columbia's special treatment greatly increased the cost for him to be a good boss. Even if Jorge Guinness's artists could not enjoy after-tax benefits, they still had to enjoy the tax optimization services provided by the company's accountant who paid the bills, which was a considerable expense.

Of course, one should be a good boss, but it's best to get the money from the pig instead of the sheep.

He sized up Haihuasi, this big, fat pig, wondering how to herd her into his own pen.

Hollywood's most bankable stars are firmly held in the hands of the Big Seven. Right now, all they can think about is what's right in front of them. They're practically handed to them, so how can they resist taking advantage of them?

How do you swing it?
Should we stick to business or maybe have a romantic encounter along the way?
He looked up at the sun, calculating the best angle to approach Haihuasi to capture the sunlight—slanting down from behind. Haihuasi looked up, his face blurred, and in her near-collapse state, there was a certain probability that she subconsciously thought he was a god descended from heaven.

Having calculated everything, he approached Hayward, changed positions twice to find the best angle, and then spoke: "By God's grace, we can all become new people, my child, lift up your head."

Upon hearing this, Haihua raised her head and saw a pair of floral shorts. Her gaze moved upwards and she saw eight-pack abs. As she looked further up, sunlight entered her eyes, and for a moment, her vision blurred. By the time she reached his chest, she could no longer see clearly, only sensing its golden sheen.

Continuing upwards, her vision was enveloped in golden sunlight. Xian Yaowen's face became ethereal, bathed only in golden light—golden light from Palestine, golden light from the Korean Peninsula. Deep within her heart, a sacred murmur arose: Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah…

"Holy Father."

“I am Adam from the Garden of Eden, my child.” Sin Yiu-man chuckled lightly, no longer pretending to be a saint; one word, “Father,” was enough. “Rita, everyone is looking at you. Stand up.”

When Haihua Si regained consciousness, she lowered her head, rubbed her eyes, and looked up again at Xian Yaowen's face, which had moved slightly. This time she could see clearly that it was a handsome face on a tall and straight figure.

She stared for three seconds, then stood up, turned and looked around before her gaze returned to Xian Yaowen's face. "Who are you?"

"Adam, Adam Hepburn."

"Would you like to have a drink with me?"

"My pleasure."

The sunlight stole a few minutes, and the two sat at the bar counter.

Moët & Chandon champagne, chilled to eight degrees Celsius, was brought to Hyde's lips by her glass and drunk in one gulp.

A thought flashed through Sin Yiu-man's mind, and the words "-$50" appeared in his eyes. Since it was the Bureau of Commerce, the cost had to be calculated from the very first step.

"Ali Khan is a bastard who owes a lot of gambling debts."

Sin Yiu-man listened without speaking.

“Cohen is a bastard, deliberately trying to force me to pay back the money… That damn shorty, I’d rather sell my house than sleep with him.”

“Cohen is a bastard who kicks me when I'm down and takes advantage of my vulnerability to try and get me to sign a contract with harsh terms.”

Sin Yiu-man knew that the Cohen that Hayworth was referring to was Harry Cohen, the co-founder and president of Columbia, a Jew born in New York, whose father was from Germany and mother from Tsarist Russia.

Harry Cohen is rumored to be a dictator, with a sign in his office that reads "Listen or Get Out." He is also said to have violent tendencies, having once beaten up an actor for being late and then covered it up with "opportunities." He is also said to have a penchant for eavesdropping, planting listening devices on set and in dressing rooms to monitor the private lives of celebrities.

He also has the common Hollywood manager's weakness of being a womanizer. He likes to give actresses one-on-one "ideological advice," but his skills are a bit shaky. There have been cases of actresses who have been "ideologically advised" by him committing suicide.

In addition, we must mention Mickey Cohen. This guy dares to act recklessly towards celebrities. It's obvious that he must have the tacit approval or even cooperation of some of the Big Seven, working together to control the actors.

“He also wanted me to sleep with him. I threw up three times that night during Gilda. I would rather die than sleep with him again.”

Haihua poured herself a drink and downed it in one gulp.

A beautiful scene flashed through Sin Yiu-man's mind, and he connected the loose threads:
Ali Khan is in debt;
Harry Cohen wants Hayworth back and has reached an agreement with Mickey Cohen;
Mickey Cohen pressed for repayment, gaining both money and the woman, and used the situation to force Hayworth to seek help from Harry Cohen.

Both parties take what they need.

Then, he put himself into the line as a variable.

Analyzing Harry Cohen and Columbia, the Cohen family was just an ordinary refugee family. Harry Cohen and his brother Jack Cohen climbed up from the bottom of the film industry, and it took them more than 30 years to achieve what Columbia is today.

Columbia Pictures has never owned its own cinemas since its inception. It mainly relies on independent cinemas to distribute its films, giving the cinemas a 45% cut. Columbia's actual profit is only 15% to 20%, which is why Columbia ranks last among the Big Seven.

However, following the Paramount Decree, Colombia has benefited from the shift in power and is showing a strong trend of surpassing its predecessor.

In summary, the Coen family itself does not possess any connections that need to be feared. Even if they do, they are established through Columbia Pictures. Columbia Pictures' distribution model highly overlaps with that of Friendship Films. As Friendship Films grows stronger, it will inevitably compete with Columbia Pictures for release slots, and a showdown is only a matter of time.

Although Paramount and other companies' cinemas have been spun off, the method of separation is questionable. It may only be a superficial separation, with the same owner behind the scenes. Even if the separation is truly clear, the inertia of cooperation will certainly exist, and they will continue to operate together in the same way in the short term.

In other words, Columbia will continue to be suppressed by other companies in North America.

Harry Cohen values ​​Hayworth because she has considerable box office appeal in Europe, which is a key market for Colombian films.

However, that was in the past. It remains to be seen whether Haywards' box office appeal in Europe will be significantly affected by her changing relationship with Ali Khan.

Ali Khan's father, Aga Khan III, is the spiritual leader of 2000 million Ismaili Muslims worldwide. He can do nothing but receive annual tributes of gold and diamonds from his followers. His family owns land, mines, and banks in India and East Africa, and has significant influence in Pakistan, India, and Egypt.

While he was still in Paris, Ali Khan killed a pedestrian in a drunk driving accident, but was exempted from prosecution due to his diplomatic status. The incident caused a great stir in the newspapers, but was ultimately dropped.

Aga Khan III is a crucial pawn in influencing the Middle East and East Africa; France wants him, Britain wants him, and the United States wants him too…

At this point in the analysis, Sin Yiu-man realized that Colombia was not the focus; Ali Khan was more important.

The Pahlavi regime was supported by the United States and it will happen soon, but how did the CIA contact the Pahlavi regime—directly or through intermediaries?

If it's the latter, who was the matchmaker?
The name Ali Khan immediately comes to mind; he's the perfect middleman.

This complicates matters. Did Ali Khan simply lose a lot of money gambling and incur debts, or was he set up by the CIA?

Why set up a scheme?

With this in mind, Sin Yiu-man made up his mind to enter the game, to test Columbia's strengths and weaknesses in order to formulate a future strategy.

Let's think about it a little more complicatedly: I slept with Ali Khan's wife and saw if the CIA would jump in.

The CIA has its eye on him, and the matter needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Otherwise, as his file in the CIA continues to grow, the difficulty of resolving the issue will increase. His current situation is like carrying a pig's head but not being able to find the temple gate, so he summons an important figure. Just tell me how much of a pig's head you want.

The Korean Peninsula is engulfed in fierce fighting, but legally speaking, it is not a war, because no country or power has formally declared war. It can be interpreted however you like: it can be seen as child's play, a high-intensity exercise, a friendly match, or even as two rebellious sons, North and South Korea, fighting over their father's inheritance with a group of outsiders as witnesses.

Since it is not a war, there is naturally no state of hostility in law. The "embargo" is legal in form but invalid in substance. Given the operating model of Jinji Trading Company, the United States has no position or legal support to accuse it of aiding the enemy or smuggling. On the contrary, Britain has the right to accuse it of smuggling.

Simply put, his smuggling does not serve America's interests and is an act of going against America. However, it's like if America and he were sitting at the same table eating together and he soiled his pants, America could hold its nose and find him disgusting and refuse to eat with him again, but they cannot judge him for soiling his pants. There is no law that says you can't soil your pants while eating.

If the United States gets angrier and angrier, it can call a few strong men to beat him up, or it can just fire a gun at him, using any underhanded means to make him look bad and trip him up, but it just can't have a legal trial.

This is the fundamental reason why he dared to get involved in smuggling.

Analyzing the establishment of the U.S. federal government reveals how commercial logic is deeply embedded in the nation's DNA. The name "United States of America Corporation" is actually most fitting, because the underlying logic of American operations is commercial logic; some things are simply not significant. (End of Chapter)