America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 306, Page 304: The Night Is Still Long

Looking at the hundreds of employees sitting below, Eric spoke eloquently.

In the car, Zhou Wenqiong had already reported to him that more than half of the original staff at the Grand Theater had been fired, although she said they were all incompetent and lacked real ability.

But Eric felt that it definitely involved retaliation or the promotion of cronies.

After all, she hadn't had a good time at the theater, so it was only natural for her to carry out a major purge after taking over. At least those who were fired didn't cause trouble, which was enough.

As for promoting cronies, if not cronies, are we supposed to promote strangers? Isn't that absurd?

In the early stages, you must promote your trusted confidants, and only after things have stabilized should you recruit talent. That's how Eric Grylls did it when he took over MGM.

"From today onwards, we are comrades in the same trench. We will fight together, work hard together, and make the theater even better."

"I know that people who dedicate themselves to the stage play industry are all driven by dreams. I also have a dream, which is to build the Hudson Theatre into a world center for drama and stage play arts."

"I want to instill in everyone who comes to Broadway the idea that Hudson is the first choice, Hudson is the only choice, and it would be a loss in one's life not to experience it at our theater."

"Of course, the realization of dreams requires the support of reality. I will not let my soldiers fight on an empty stomach."

"Starting next month, all employees will receive a 10% salary increase; this is the first benefit."

Bang bang bang bang

Instantly, thunderous applause erupted in the grand theater.

Dreams are indeed important, but money is no less important than dreams, especially since many people present have brought their families.

"The second benefit depends on everyone's efforts. By the end of this year, I hope the overall attendance rate of theaters can return to 50%."

"Achieving the target will earn each person a bonus of $1, with an additional $1 for every 5 percentage points above the target."

"If we can reach 70%, we'll issue an additional $2. How much you get depends on yourselves."

Based on the market conditions in 2004, Broadway theaters were still quite popular, with both audiences and tourists far exceeding those of a decade or more later.

Like Disney next door, whether it's The Lion King or the Princess series, the attendance rate is very high, and tickets still sell very well even though it's performed every day.

While 50% is a challenging goal, it's not impossible; the key lies in the choice of genre.

In addition to MGM's adaptation rights, the theater also purchased the rights to world-renowned shows such as "Cats," "Mamma Mia!" and "Don Juan."

The first year is for revitalization, the second year for catching up, and the goal is to surpass Disney in the third year.

The staff meeting didn't last long. Eric didn't like long speeches; no matter how much he talked, it wasn't as motivating for the workers as a pay raise.

After the meeting, Zhou Wenqiong invited the three of them to her home for dinner.

To be precise, it was an invitation to Eric alone, as the Liu mother and daughter usually stayed at her home when they visited New York.

Eric then learned that Zhou Wenqiong's husband had passed away from illness several years ago, and that the two were childless by choice, so Zhou Wenqiong usually lived alone.

"How about we go to a restaurant? I know one that's really good. It's too much trouble to cook at home," Liu Xiaoli said.

"No trouble at all, Eric. You've come all this way, so please try my cooking. Besides, the ingredients are all prepared in advance, so it'll be quick to make."

Liu Yifei glanced at her watch: "Mom, it's only a little before 5 o'clock, there's still plenty of time."

"It's so much more comfortable to eat at home. If you run into paparazzi at a restaurant, it'll definitely make the gossip news. They can make up all sorts of stories from just one photo."

"And I haven't had my aunt's cooking in a long time. Do you have any sauerkraut soup? I also really want to eat shrimp and eggs."

Liu Xiaoli poked her daughter's forehead: "Weren't you on a diet? Yesterday you said you'd only have fruit salad for dinner."

"Oh, sis, what's the point of Sisi losing weight? It'll be unhealthy if she loses any more. Let her eat what she wants, Eric, what do you say?"

Eric's mind was completely blank.

"Alright, stop arguing. Let's go home and eat. I don't want to be bothered by paparazzi either."

He spoke, and Liu Xiaoli gave a soft hum, not daring to say anything more.

Half an hour later, the car stopped in a middle-class community. Eric got out and looked around. The environment was quite nice and very clean.

"The majority of people living in this community are of Chinese descent, with a small number of white people as well."

"As long as there aren't too many Black people, it's fine."

"Don't worry, there haven't been any serious crimes in the community for several years. The police chief in charge of this area is of Chinese descent, so the security situation is quite good."

Connections are the same everywhere, especially in countries with electoral politics, where skin color is an important tool for uniting people.

Upon entering the room, the space was quite large, but the decor looked a bit outdated, probably because it had been a while.

"Eric, what would you like to drink? Tea? Coffee? If you prefer alcohol, you can have it with the meal."

"The tea is ready. You go ahead with your work. Have Sisi pour it for me."

Liu Yifei took off her coat: "Auntie, you go cook, I'll take care of Eric."

"Yeah, you know where the snacks and fruit are, I don't care."

As Zhou Wenqiong spoke, she went into the kitchen, and Liu Yifei scurried off to get the things.

For some reason, she felt happy and excited when Eric came to visit.

Perhaps it's because this is her second home in the United States, or perhaps it's because she's introducing him to her beloved family, giving her the feeling that their relationship has taken a step further.

Once the two left, only Eric and Liu Xiaoli remained in the living room.

"Where's the remote? I'll turn on the news channel for you."

Why don't you want me to come to your house?

"Huh? What are you talking about? Why wouldn't I want you to come!"

"No, you do. Don't try to lie to me. These eyes can see right into your heart, including what you're thinking."

"Then tell me what I'm thinking?" Liu Xiaoli retorted defiantly.

"You're probably thinking, 'I slept with Eric, and Sissi slept with him too. What if he makes a move on me during dinner and we get caught? How embarrassing would that be?'"

"If we were at a restaurant, this guy definitely wouldn't dare to do anything reckless. You're worried about losing face in front of your sister, right?"

Having her secret exposed, Liu Xiaoli was speechless for a moment.

"Nonsense! That's all just your own thinking. Some people are so dirty that they think everyone else is just as dirty. Eric Cooper, you're a prime example of that!"

"Me, dirty? If you think I'm dirty, why have you slept with me so many times?"

"I was forced into it; you forced me."

Eric chuckled and said, "Using 'force' isn't quite accurate. Don't forget that back in Fengzeyuan, you came to me in the middle of the night and climbed into my bed on your own initiative."

"You...you..." Liu Xiaoli was immediately speechless after being rebuked.

"And there's something else you seem to have forgotten: if I wanted to, I could do it even in a hotel. Don't you remember seeing that before?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaoli immediately remembered that last year at the Flindersdale restaurant in New York, a white woman had crawled under the table to give him a blowjob.

Damn it, this guy is a daring and lecherous scoundrel who doesn't care about anything.

"come over!"

"Huh? What do you want to do? Don't do anything rash!"

"I said come over!"

"Sissi and Wenqiong are right here. If you do anything reckless, I'll be too ashamed to live!"

"One last time, come on!"

Eric's unquestionable tone echoed in her ears, and the memories of being disciplined many times flashed through her mind. Liu Xiaoli remained silent for a moment, but finally obediently sat down next to him.

Immediately afterwards, her mouth was covered, and a large hand reached inside her shirt and rubbed her vigorously.

Instantly, a feeling of tension filled her heart. She desperately wanted to escape, but she also felt a thrill, and her whole body trembled involuntarily.

Da da da.

Suddenly, hearing the sound of shoes on the ground, Liu Xiaoli woke up, struggled to push Eric away, and hurriedly straightened her clothes.

"Eric, there's green tea in it."

Eric sniffed it with a calm expression: "Very good, it smells nice. Pour one for your mom too."

My mom doesn't drink tea.

"I suddenly feel like drinking it too. I've been having trouble sleeping lately, and I've heard that drinking tea can help with sleep. I'll give it a try."

"Okay, then you wait here, I'll make it for you."

As soon as Xiao Liu turned to leave, Eric pulled Liu Xiaoli into his arms again.

"Why are you suddenly not resisting anymore? You're even taking the initiative?"

"Stop talking. You won't be satisfied until you've ruined my reputation."

Eric reached inside with his large hand, biting the other's earlobe and gently teasing it: "But you're very willing, listen, there's the sound of water."

Liu Xiaoli's face instantly turned red to the roots of her ears; at that moment, she felt utterly despicable.

The other party is Xixi's man, what am I, as her mother, doing?

She wanted to resist, but she couldn't.

She wanted to refuse, but she couldn't.

This man is despicable. He used his power to threaten me, and I was powerless to resist.

Yes, it's all Eric's fault; I was purely forced into it.

"What are you thinking? Are you insulting me?"

"No, no, uh-huh!"

"But I think I heard it, so you must be punished!"

Da da da.

The voice rang out again, Liu Xiaoli's face full of pleading: "Eric, please let me go, I beg you, I really won't be able to live if Xixi sees this."

"Alright, I can let you go now, but I'll be staying tonight. Remember to come to my room."

"No!"

"Hmm? She's coming soon."

"I promise, I promise you, let go now."

Boo!

After putting down the tea, Xiao Liu looked at his mother and said, "Mom, your face is so red."

"It's hot, so hot. The air conditioner hasn't cooled down yet, but it'll be fine in a bit."

Eric pointed to the side, and Liu Yifei obediently sat down. The three of them watched TV together.

When dinner was ready, Zhou Wenqiong came out of the kitchen and saw Eric and her niece looking affectionate. Her expression changed slightly.

"You two, are you...?"

Eric kissed Liu Yifei on the cheek: "We're dating, didn't you know?"

Recalling the day Eric raped her, Zhou Wenqiong looked embarrassed: "They didn't say anything, but now I know."

"Anyway, let's eat first, it won't taste good if it gets cold."

"Yeah! I can already smell the sauerkraut soup."

Zhou Wenqiong brought the food to the table, clearly well-prepared today, having prepared eight dishes and a soup.

There are so many dishes that even four more people wouldn't be able to finish them, let alone four.

"Auntie, you made too much! Can we finish it all?"

"Is Eric here? He's so young, he'll definitely have a good appetite. Just eat as much as you like. Would you like some wine?"

"When I visited China before, they treated me to baijiu (Chinese liquor), saying that Chinese cuisine must be paired with Chinese baijiu to truly appreciate its flavor. Do you have any at home?"

"Yes, my husband used to drink it too. It's been sitting for several years now. Let me get it for you."

Soon, another bottle of white and another of red appeared on the table.

It was a family meal, and Eric had slept with all three of them.

He didn't treat himself like an outsider at all, and Zhou Wenqiong's cooking skills were indeed excellent, so he enjoyed the meal immensely.

I need to eat more; there's a big battle tonight, so I need to replenish my energy.

The so-called "rest and recuperation" is for preparing for war and awaiting the enemy.

As long as he was relaxed, the three women naturally didn't care either. Before long, they finished two ounces of baijiu, and the Liu sisters each drank a glass of red wine. Little Liu couldn't hold his liquor and only drank a small half glass.

As the alcohol took effect, his hands still obediently picked up food, but his legs under the table became unsteady.

First, Eric rubbed against Liu Xiaoli and Liu Yifei's little feet, and the two of them consciously reciprocated.

Then, for some reason, Zhou Wenqiong seemed to join in as well. Of course, it could also be his imagination, since the lower eye could only be poked but not looked into.

Around 9 p.m., everyone finally finished eating and drinking.

Eric finished more than half a pound of the white wine, and the red wine was completely gone.

At this point, it would have been time to say goodbye, but Eric had his reasons for wanting baijiu.

He pretended to be drunk and drowsy, collapsing onto the sofa while eavesdropping on the three women's conversation.

"Eric, Eric"

Liu Yifei gently shook him a few times: "He looks drunk, he's asleep."

Zhou Wenqiong sighed, "He must not be used to drinking baijiu. What should we do?"

"Why don't we help him out? There's a hotel on the next street."

"No, that's not safe. He's a billionaire with assets worth tens of billions. If something happens to him, it'll be a real problem. I think we should let Eric rest at home for the night," Liu Xiaoli said, remembering Eric's words.

"Sister, you're right. We can't afford to take responsibility if something happens. Let him sleep in my bed, and we can squeeze in together."

"Auntie, maybe I should squeeze in with Mom and let Eric sleep in my room."

"Let's do as Sisi says, since they're dating anyway."

"Um."

The three women laboriously led Eric into the bedroom. After they left, Eric pondered what to do that night.

Xiao Liu came to check on him a few times, but he continued to pretend to be asleep.

Once the noise outside subsided, Eric quietly got up.

He went down the corridor, picked up his phone and called Zhou Wenqiong, then identified her room by the ringtone.

Click!

Zhou Wenqiong hadn't fallen asleep yet. When she saw the caller ID, she was puzzled when the door was pushed open and a huge creature came crashing in.

The night is still long.

(End of this chapter)