The American Kill Line: I Can Predict the Future

After hanging up the phone, Ron stretched his back for a while, then walked out of the study.

As soon as I entered the living room, I saw Kate lying on the sofa with her butt sticking out, watching a show, with snacks and fruit placed around her.

The trash can was overflowing with packaging bags and fruit peels, and there were sofa cushions that had been kicked off the floor. Her hair was a mess.

Ron was so angry that he gently stepped on her butt:

"Get ready, Kate. We're not going out for lunch today. We'll cook at home; we have guests coming over."

The girl was quite well-mannered when she first arrived.

After less than a day, it reverted to its original state.

"Make it yourself?" Kate asked, a potato chip dangling from her mouth, her face full of doubt. "Cowboy, you can cook?"

"Otherwise, what can we expect from you?" Ron picked up the blanket from the ground and threw it at her.

Kate burst out laughing and sprang up from the sofa, then pounced on Ron.

Then, like an octopus, it coiled up tightly, grinning smugly:

"My cowboy, how are you so amazing? You can make money, ride horses, and now you can even cook."

Ron staggered, grabbing the sofa for support, and cursed, "Damn it, you're going to break my back sooner or later."

"Really? Then you'll be my personal mount from now on."

Instead of backing down, Kate licked her lips and rolled over, wanting to prove herself.

Ron shoved her away.

Kate then clung to him and jumped onto his back.

This girl is very wild, especially after her true nature is revealed, she becomes even more unrestrained.

The two were cooking in the kitchen.

Strictly speaking, Ron was the one cooking, while Kate was responsible for providing emotional support.

Besides pasta, lunch also included pan-fried steak and grilled sausages.

Actually, Ron is better at grilling meat, and he can also cook a little Chinese food, but it doesn't taste very good.

"When I was very young, my mother said that men who can cook are more attractive. I thought she was saying that to my father."

"It seems your mother thinks the same way I do."

Ron shrugged: "But later, my ex-wife told me that men who can cook are all losers."

"So she became your ex-wife."

Kate ate the sausage and fed the other half to Ron: "It's delicious. You should listen to your mother and cook more often, don't waste such a good skill."

"You make a good point."

A short while later, Mark Andreessen entered with a bottle of fine red wine.

He expressed his doubts when he saw that Ron had cooked lunch himself:

"Ron, my friend, are you sure you can cook? I mean, is your personal doctor far away?"

Ron told Kate to open the wine bottle, jokingly adding, "It's far, but there's a hospital nearby, so we should make it in time."

"My God, I hope this isn't my last lunch."

Surprisingly, after tasting the steak, Mark praised Ron's cooking skills.

After lunch.

Kate said she needed to go back to her rented house to get something.

Ron arranged for a bodyguard to drive her home.

Then he and Mark discussed the fund's share subscription in the study.

Mark is willing to give Ron a 10% subscription share in the second venture capital fund that he will be opening next.

At the same time, Ron has priority investment rights in all projects he leads after a16z.

In exchange, Ron's next private equity fund will also need to contribute 5% of the subscription share.

A venture capital fund of 6 million and a hedge fund of 30 billion are incomparable in terms of amount.

Even 5% is more valuable than 10% of the Mark.

But Ron agreed anyway.

He needs this springboard to turn his money into real business in a better way.

To go a bit deeper, Mark's fund was initially quite small.

However, each shareholder is carefully selected.

These people not only have money and resources, but also very complex political networks.

And these are precisely what Ron lacks most right now.

To give a simple example, let's take IMG as an example.

The best Ron can do is either destroy it or acquire it.

However, the price he pays and the amount of money he incurs will be enormous, so much so that Ron can no longer afford it.

If it were Mark Zuckerberg taking over, he would acquire IMG in the most business-compliant, cost-effective, and effortless way.

The difference between the two lies here.

This is why Mark was so confident in proposing a proportional exchange.

As mentioned at the banquet last night, they are all of the same kind.

However, Ron added one point:

"I need to review these shareholders."

This additional condition is not just for Mark.

Shareholders recommended by top investment banks such as Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan Chase also need to be vetted.

Mark thought about it for a moment and understood his plan.

He laughed and nodded: "No problem, as long as investment banks like JPMorgan Chase and Merrill Lynch don't have any objections."

The exchange of resources and connections is itself a form of cooperation.

If Ron is able to win these people over in the future, it means that I am not as good as him.

Similarly, if their own venture capital investments are not as successful as others, these people will also leave.

The bond of shared interests is the strongest, but also the most ruthless.

……

On the other side, a Rolls-Royce Phantom parked downstairs at an apartment building on Chelsea Street, immediately attracting the attention of the models living in the building.

It spread to the surrounding modeling community in a very short time.

"Oh my god! Who's this important person?"

"It was me! It was definitely Hani, the girl I spent the night with, who sent someone to pick me up!"

"Wake up, bitch. Your honey is just a fat pig who's about to go bankrupt. He can't afford such a nice car."

"Shut up, all of you. This is clearly the car driven by our company's family heir. I've seen it before. I was sitting in this luxury car that afternoon. It's very spacious. You can't imagine how well we got along that day."

"Yes, I can attest to the absolute truth of what Jenny said. I was there that day, and Jenny was bathing it the whole time. She even offered her own underwear because she was worried that the rag would hurt it."

"I can also attest that Jenny received a $100 tip that day; that heir is really generous."

"Hahaha, Jenny, please don't tell us about my poor luxury car!"

"Are you serious?"

"By the way, what color is his car?"

"I guess it's black, otherwise red would be too obvious, and no one would tip it."

"That makes sense."

"You bunch of bitches, just wait, one day you'll be envious of me."

"Stop daydreaming, it's that fat woman from Building 3, I just saw her get off the bus."

Are you sure?

"Shit! What the hell! Someone actually likes this fat woman!"

"Maybe some people just like this kind of thing, you know, it's definitely big."

"I really don't understand how any rich person could like this fat pig. He's not even as good as Jenny."

"Keep your voices down, I suspect this incident at IMG is related to him."

"Are you serious?"

"I don't know, but the truth is often more outrageous than reality. At least when I saw this luxury car, I didn't think it was impossible."

In an instant, all the voices of jealousy ceased.

The news that the sprint star IMG was about to sign had been arrested was already common knowledge in the industry.

Some say it was the sprint superstar's former agency that was behind it, trying to destroy him if they couldn't have him.

Some say it was IMG's old rival who took advantage of the boss's serious illness to sabotage him.

Another theory is that IMG tried to sexually harass a young model, which led to retaliation from the model's sugar daddy.

After all, an IMG executive was also arrested on the same day as the sprint superstar.

I heard that this supervisor is the mastermind.

Nevertheless, this claim remains unreliable.

Because if she really had a sugar daddy, then she wouldn't just be a small-time model.

Moreover, if someone has the financial backing to mess with IMG, why would they choose an unknown model and seek revenge against IMG for her?

This is neither realistic nor reasonable.

However, as someone once said, the truth is often more outrageous than reality.

Kate came downstairs carrying her luggage.

Accompanying me were two roommates with whom I got along quite well.

The bodyguard stepped forward and took the suitcase.

"Congratulations, darling." My roommate stepped forward to hug and congratulate me.

Another roommate also hugged goodbye:

"My little Kate, I won't have the chance to lend you money again."

They all knew that from this moment on, Kate was no longer the same as them.

Just like those girls who moved out.

From now on, I will never look back.

And they will continue to wait.

Waiting for a lucky opportunity to come.

Kate, her face filled with sadness, hugged her two friends tightly: "Bella, Vivian, thank you, thank you for helping me this past year."

My roommate laughed and said, "No need for thanks. We just think you have a very easy-going personality. If we ever run into each other, please don't pretend you don't know us."

"You're right, you're the only girl from Chelsea Street to move into the old money neighborhood, something even Gisele Bündchen would find difficult to do."

Although they knew Kate was only "staying temporarily" and might be "kicked out" any day.

Even so, they did live there.

It is a symbol of identity.

What they didn't know was that "Old Money District" was just a general term.

With some money and status, it's still possible to buy it.

However, the core area requires the approval of the board of directors and the old money.

For example, billionaire Trump once wanted to buy a property in the heart of an old-money area, but was refused.

Even the apartment Ron is currently living in isn't exactly in the heart of the old money district.

Of course, he can move in now if he wants.

He just felt it wasn't necessary.

There are too many rules, and too many trivial matters.

Once they become true capital giants, they can move in without so many restrictions.

Ultimately, the rules of this world are designed to restrict the weak.

Kate said goodbye to her friends and drove away in a Rolls-Royce amidst the envious and jealous gazes of all the models on the street.

This is yet another example of someone who rose from humble beginnings to achieve great success.

This made them both jealous and full of confidence in the future.

Kate got into the car, and the sadness on her face faded.

Instead, a resolute color appeared.

Ever since she moved into Ron's house, she knew that at least two women had walked in there.

There are four rooms in total. In addition to the master bedroom, the other two rooms have walk-in closets where the clothes of two other women are displayed.

She wanted to ask these two people more than once.

But in the end, I held back.

She told herself more than once that Ron did not love her.

At least, this "love" isn't something I can enjoy alone.

So on her first day there, Kate felt that her relationship with Ron was more of a "transaction".

Once the deal is done, she'll get what she wants, and Ron will get tired of her and leave.

But sometimes, some things can cloud one's judgment.

During her two years as a model and one year in New York, she witnessed the dirtiest and most shameless things in her life.

I've also seen my peers on Chelsea Street begging for a chance to be selected in the most humble way.

This is still the best possible outcome.

There was a "senior" who entered the modeling industry at the age of 13.

She never got the chance to appear on the cover of a fashion magazine until she was 37. In the end, she used the money she had saved over the years to stay in a top hotel and then committed suicide by cutting her wrists in the hotel bathtub.

In comparison, this is Kate's experience over the past few days.

There was nothing dirty or filthy about it.

When people saw her, they no longer looked at her with disdain or covetousness.

They were polite and gentlemanly.

Those industry figures who were once unapproachable and whom I would even look down upon just meeting are now carefully trying to please me with obsequious tones.

All of this felt like a dream.

It felt as if all my experiences on Chelsea Street were an illusion.

Fantasy and reality intertwine; the line between truth and falsehood is thin.

"Actually, it's not that hard to choose."