America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 319 New Life

"Hey Ernst, you have no idea how heartless those money-grubbing capitalists can be. They dare to price a cheap car seat cover at three or five hundred dollars—what's the difference between that and highway robbery?"

On the other end of the phone, Craig's voice sounded like a fat cat whose tail had been stepped on, his voice cracking with anger that almost shattered the receiver.

Ernst's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped his phone, his brow furrowed so deeply it could have trapped a fly.

Leaning back on the leather sofa in the Australian manor, his gaze swept across the endless grasslands outside the window, but his ears were filled with Craig's insults against the American auto parts industry, as if he wanted to curse the ancestral graves of capitalists.

"Damn it! I'm only now realizing that I'm a complete idiot. Those disgusting capitalists are just draining our wallets dry."

Craig's roar came again, and Ernst could almost picture him on the other end of the phone, spitting and red-faced.

Just over a month ago, Craig had replaced the seat covers on his new car with genuine leather ones, which cost him a whopping $480.

But after a trip to China, it was like being doused with a bucket of cold water, completely waking him up. He realized that the cost of these things could be so low, so low that he felt like he had been a sucker before.

"If Americans could buy these products directly from China, these things probably wouldn't be symbols of wealth anymore," Craig said indignantly, as if his dignity regarding wealth had been greatly challenged.

In the United States, car floor mats and seat covers are practically badges of honor for the wealthy. Only luxury cars priced at over $100,000 are entitled to these high-end features.

On the one hand, these things are indeed ridiculously expensive, and ordinary wage earners can't afford to buy them even if they grit their teeth.

On the other hand, the average American has always had a rough lifestyle. In their eyes, a car is simply a means of transportation. As long as it can be driven, there is no need to spend too much time on maintenance, let alone spend money to put a cover on the seat.

"You can hardly imagine the price of these things." Craig's expectations on the phone were exaggerated. "A set of pure cowhide seat covers only costs $55 at the local factory, and they even give away those bamboo cushions you mentioned for free."

At this point, Craig's voice suddenly rose, "You can't even imagine how comfortable and breathable it is. I bet this thing will sell like hotcakes once it gets to America. It will become our Craig Trading Company's flagship product, and we'll make a fortune."

Ernst's lips twitched involuntarily as he listened to Craig's boastful words; he was really making a fuss over nothing.

"And those T-shirts," Craig continued, once he started talking, he couldn't stop, sharing his major discovery. "They're only $1.99 each, and the quality is just as good as the ones that sell for over ten dollars in supermarkets. How much have those despicable capitalists exploited us American consumers all these years? It's practically robbery."

"Damn it! Let them all die!" Craig became more and more agitated, finally swearing. His anger, transmitted through the telephone line, almost ruptured Ernst's eardrums.

Ernst finally couldn't help but interrupt his rant, feeling like he was being scolded as well.

"So? You found another young woman with a child in China this time?" This was the real reason Ernst had been frowning.

He didn't care about the prices of those products at all. Although he hadn't looked into the specifics, he already had a rough idea of ​​the cost of these products.

The prices Craig mentioned were all within his acceptable range, and even better than he had expected, which was enough for him.

After deducting shipping costs, customs duties, warehousing and other miscellaneous expenses, Craig Trading Company can earn at least 30% profit from this deal.

Ernst felt he had been very conscientious; if he had been a little more unscrupulous and replaced the leather with cheap woven materials, his profits could have at least doubled.

But Ernst had no intention of doing that. To him, Craig Trading Company was just a small business to earn pocket money, and it wasn't worth ruining Google's reputation for such a small amount of money.

If Craig Trading Company can attract more users to subscribe to Google Play by offering these high-quality, low-priced products, then when Google goes public, the small amount of money they've made now will be negligible compared to the profits from Google's IPO.

"Huh?" The person on the phone was clearly caught off guard, not understanding why Ernst suddenly asked that question.

Ernst's brow furrowed even more, and judging from Craig's reaction, it seemed genuine.

But since he wasn't held back by a woman, why wasn't he urging to go back to America every day like he usually does?

You know, back when this guy was overseas, every time we talked on the phone he would ask when I could come back to the United States.

But this time, he not only didn't mention it once, but his tone also revealed enjoyment, which was really unusual.

However, as long as this fat man isn't scammed, that's fine. After all, with his status as a foreign businessman, no one in China would dare to easily set a trap for him and swindle him out of his assets.

"Since you've chosen these products, then have the factory produce them according to our requirements as soon as possible."

"Don't worry! I'll oversee the entire production process here and make sure the goods are shipped back to the United States as soon as possible. There won't be any delays." Craig patted his chest to assure him, and the loud thumping sound could be clearly heard by Ernst through the telephone line.

Something was strange, but Ernst wasn't in the mood to pay attention to it right now.

"If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. I need to go take care of my little Katie." Ernst's tone unconsciously softened, a tenderness unique to fatherhood.

On February 8th, his first child, little Katie, was born. It was as if the little one was waiting for him. The day after Ernst arrived in Australia, Nicole Kidman's water broke.

She was 38 weeks pregnant, two weeks earlier than her due date.

Ernst was initially incredibly nervous and clueless, constantly asking the doctor if the baby was premature and if there were any congenital diseases.

In his mind, the concept of a ten-month pregnancy was deeply ingrained, but little Katie was born after only nine months in her mother's womb, which made him somewhat anxious.

After asking around, I found out that I had made a big mistake. It turns out that babies who are more than 37 weeks pregnant are not considered premature and their physical indicators are all developing normally.

Upon hearing little Katie's name on the phone, Craig immediately adopted a fawning tone, "Please give my regards to little Katie. When she grows up, Uncle Craig will bring her to China for a visit. Dongguan is a nice place."

Ernst was speechless; he finally understood why this fatso didn't want to go home this time.

Just as he was about to say something, Craig's next sentence sent his blood pressure soaring. He wanted nothing more than to buy a plane ticket and fly over there to give that loose-tongued fat man a good beating.

"Honestly, the name Casey is definitely a better name than the previous Angeli."

Ernst had the word "fuck" already on his lips when he heard a busy signal from the other end of the phone. Clearly, Craig knew what he was about to say.

When he was naming his daughter, the first name he thought of was Angel, which meant that his daughter would come to his side like an angel.

But when Craig heard the name, he spat out a mouthful of Coke right in his face and laughed so hard he almost fell over.

Craig later explained that in the United States, names like Angel, Candy, and Sugar, which are related to angels and candy, are mostly stage names used by women in special professions.

Later, Ernst came up with another name, Dyer. He felt that the name sounded ethereal and dreamlike, and he hoped that his daughter would grow up to be as elegant as a fairy.

When Connie Kidman heard the name, she rolled her eyes, because in the eyes of Europeans and Australians, Dale was similar to the Chinese names Shufen and Guiqin, too unsophisticated.

Thus, Ernst's right to name his daughter was completely taken away, and Nicole Kidman personally named her Cathy, whose full name is Cathy Garfield.

Ernst had also asked curiously what the meaning of the name was, but Nicole Kidman's answer made him fall silent instantly.

Pure, innocent, and carefree.

Ernst understood Nicole's thoughts, of course. She didn't expect Katie to inherit much of her wealth; she only hoped that her daughter could stay away from the scheming and deceit of the capitalist world and live a peaceful and stable life.

But Ernst could not assure her of this.

The root of it all lies in the strange physical condition of the Arlington family.

Such a large family fortune can't be left without an heir, can it?

What if the first wife can't have children? What if she has a son in the future, but he can't shoulder the responsibilities of the family? Unless he has a large family, Katie is destined to come into contact with the wickedness and filth of this world and contribute her strength to the Garfield family, including through marriage.

This is her duty and responsibility as a child born into such a family; to enjoy the resources she deserves, she must give back accordingly.