America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 454: A New Beginning

8 month 31 number.

Six p.m.

Outside the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, reporters with their cameras and microphones swarmed.

Luxury cars, some extravagant and others understated, pulled up outside the red carpet, where social celebrities and top politicians stepped onto the red carpet.

Since the charity gala had not yet started, many people did not enter the venue, but instead chatted in the lobby after walking the red carpet.

Today, the entire Waldorf Astoria Hotel was practically booked out; there were no other guests.

After this dinner, the renovation phase will officially begin.

So the hotel was very sensible and didn't arrange a separate banquet hall, but instead set up a banquet hall in the hotel lobby for guests to use.

All kinds of food and wine are available. After everyone has eaten, drunk and chatted to their hearts' content, they will go to the prepared venue, listen to the politicians joking and criticizing each other on stage, and then donate money. The show will then come to an end.

"Hey, Mali, I heard you also started an internet company?"

In the hall, small groups of people were chatting idly.

"You know how hot the Internet concept is right now, I don't want to miss out on this wealth opportunity."

If the current US stock market is a bull market, then the Nasdaq is suffering from mad bull syndrome.

The Nasdaq index surged at a rate of more than 5% per month, and the stock prices of any company even remotely related to the Internet skyrocketed in a short period of time. This frenzied market trend plunged all investors into an unprecedented frenzy.

If the stock of a listed internet company you own has not increased by more than 30% in six months, it is no different from buying a stock that has plummeted, indicating that your wealth growth has not kept pace.

......

In the lounge area on the other side of the lobby, Democratic Representative Syed Wilson sat on a velvet sofa, his brow slightly furrowed as he looked at Tom Hansen, a representative of the Republican lobbying group, across from him.

"Side, I've spoken to you three times already about the proposed amendments to the agricultural subsidies bill. If you can get a vote in favor in the House, the agricultural group behind us is willing to provide substantial financial support for your next campaign. It's a win-win situation for you."

Saide put down his coffee cup and firmly refused, "I've said it many times, I will not support this proposal. It seems to be subsidizing farmers, but in reality, the biggest beneficiaries are large agricultural companies, while small farmers who really need help will not receive any substantial benefits."

Tom hadn't expected Syed to remain so defiant. His expression changed slightly, and his tone became laced with a threat. "Syed, you should know how difficult your campaign will be without financial backing. For a senator without many wealthy backers, getting this far wasn't easy. I hope you've thought this through."

"That's none of your concern." Said sneered, stood up, straightened his suit jacket, and said before leaving, "Your information is outdated. Who said I don't have a powerful backer?"

......

"I heard that the guy in the White House is planning to increase funding?"

"That's right, but it doesn't seem to have anything to do with our food industry; it's all about technology and legal protection."

"Damn it, so many people in America still need food aid. Shouldn't this money be given to us so we can send more food to them?"

......

Just as the crowd was chatting, a commotion suddenly broke out at the entrance. The flash of white light from the cameras was so bright that even those in the lobby felt a blinding glare, as if they had been hit by a flashbang.

"Who's here?" Someone put down their cigar, their eyes filled with curiosity.

Reporters never give them this kind of attention, as if they're afraid of wasting film.

Very few things in the entire United States could cause such a huge commotion.

"I don't know, could it be that the president himself attended?"

"Impossible," someone countered. "If it were the president, the White House would have released the news in advance, and the media would have given it extensive coverage. It's impossible for him to make such a low-key and sudden appearance; this doesn't fit the White House's public relations strategy."

Having provided legal counsel to numerous government officials

This is a big show, how could we possibly come in a low-key manner? We must be high-profile to attract attention.

Everyone was talking about it, but no one did anything out of line, such as curiously running to the door to check.

When the two figures appeared at the hotel entrance, all the guests in the lobby immediately focused their attention on them.

After a moment of silence, someone murmured a surprised exclamation, followed by a complex and subtle expression on their face.

The simultaneous appearance of these two individuals was clearly unexpected, yet it also, to some extent, met the expectations of the media and the public.

"So it was Bill Gates and Ernst. No wonder the media is going crazy over it."

"But the organizers are really mean, arranging for them both to ride in the same car. What are they expecting?"

As two giants in the global technology industry, the rivalry between Microsoft and Google in the Internet field, and the love-hate relationship between Bill Gates and Ernst, is no secret.

"I'd love to see those two fight; that would make the whole of America interesting."

At the entrance, the two men, compared to the celebrities in the hall, were both younger and more handsome than the other.

No one dares to underestimate the influence of these two, let alone the enormous wealth they have created.

Although the two stood together, they maintained a subtle distance from each other, and there was no exchange of glances between them, as if they were just strangers who happened to be in the same frame.

This deliberate sense of distance can be clearly felt even by guests several meters away.

"Are you here as today's guest performer?" Bill Gates broke the silence first, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery, his gaze falling on Ernst's suit, a flash of disdain in his eyes.

It just goes to show that the organizers understand the importance of generating buzz, as they actually arranged for the two of them to appear together.

Ernst's thought at that moment was that he would definitely spank Jennifer Connelly when he got back.

Upon learning that she was going to attend Al Smith's dinner party, she screamed and insisted on buying herself a certain outfit to coordinate her look.

Now look what's happened; even Bill Gates, that guy with absolutely no taste, has made fun of us.

It wasn't that his clothes were particularly flamboyant, but rather that they appeared somewhat fashionable compared to the other guests present.

While the other people's clothes exuded formality and restraint, his clothes, in terms of style and design, had a touch more of a celebrity vibe.

However, Ernst wasn't one to mince words. He turned and looked Bill Gates up and down. "Why are you dressed so solemnly? Did something bad happen at home?"

Bill Gates' face instantly darkened. He instinctively wanted to swear, and an F sound was already on his lips, but when he thought of the reporters outside who were pointing high-definition cameras at them, as well as the stares from the surrounding guests, he forcibly suppressed his anger.

He knew that if he swore, he would definitely be on the front page of major media outlets the next day.

Those high-definition cameras will definitely be able to capture his lip movements, and then they can hire lip-reading experts to translate what he says and generate traffic.

Ernst watched as he tried to calm his slightly heaving chest and thought disdainfully, "With this kind of eloquence, he still dares to come out and curse."

It's just those two words over and over again, is that interesting?

I should really find a street thug to learn from.

"All you're good for is your words. When you go bankrupt, don't forget to come begging at my feet, and I'll definitely give you a bite to eat."

Ernst gave a disdainful smile and scoffed, "America Online, you think?"

"Even a dog was beaten to its knees and begged for mercy by me, so what difference would it make if I found another dog?"

During Microsoft's landmark trial, Ernst had a premonition that ICQ might make a comeback.

It hasn't been that long, and my premonition has already come true.

Recent reports suggest that Microsoft will invest in AOL with a combination of business and cash, including ICQ.

Clearly, while Microsoft has downgraded the strategic importance of its internet business internally, it has not abandoned the market.

In addition to its browser business, it plans to support AOL to compete with Google.

After acquiring Netscape, and later expanding into music-related fields, what if they acquire ICQ and then merge it with AOL's existing chat rooms?

It's believed that Microsoft will provide technical support to AOL in the future, given the services it has abandoned, such as personal email.

In the words of the media, a miniature Google may have been formed.

Moreover, AOL is not short of funds. In addition to the behemoth Microsoft, it also has the support of Zionist Jewish forces. The Jewish community in America will give it some face.

At least in terms of policy, this will provide significant assistance to AOL.

However, Ernst is not afraid. There may be companies that can beat Google in the future, but it will definitely not be AOL.

In the realm of the internet, you can never defeat your opponent by simply copying them.

"I do hope that Microsoft can provide more assistance to AOL, and hopefully this competitor won't be too weak."

Knowing he couldn't win an argument with Ernst, Bill Gates snorted and walked into the crowd.

Ernst glanced at him with a disdainful look and muttered, "A hypocrite."