Reborn in America: Starting as a California Resident

George's death deprived Henry of strong support within the Getty, making him an ideal target for marriage alliances with many external families.

These families all hoped to use marriage as a bridge to extend their reach into Getty and Henry's businesses, thereby gaining influence and control over them.

Unfortunately, Henry wasn't a fool;

With his extraordinary insight, he knew the underlying reasons why financial groups such as California and Rockefeller fell into difficulties in later generations.

Therefore, he responded to these marriage proposals with impure motives only with politeness and distance.

Seeing that Henry had no further interest, the matriarchs did not press the matter further, but instead beckoned their younger relatives to greet Henry and Gordon.

However, these younger members of the family are all contestants of similar age to Gloria;

Henry, barely an adult, seemed somewhat out of place.

"Henry, take Gordon to the charity auction first. We'll come find you after we're done here."

Half an hour later, Gloria noticed Henry's slightly bored expression. She glanced at the exquisite Patek Philippe watch on her wrist and realized that time was running out. She seized the opportunity to break the dull atmosphere and gave him an elegant reason to leave.

Henry glanced gratefully at Gloria, then nodded in agreement: "Then Gordon and I will head out first. You can join us after you've finished your business."

"Ladies, please continue your conversation."

Little Gordon also obediently bowed to the elders present;

Having said that, he followed Henry and slowly left the crowd.

As they watched the two leave, the old ladies' faces once again showed loving smiles.

Mary Koch nodded with satisfaction and praised Gloria and Anne, "What polite and well-behaved children, Gloria and Anne, you have taken good care of them."

Gloria and the other woman smiled modestly and replied, "Not at all..."

Afterwards, the other young people in the restaurant also gradually left.

After most of the irrelevant people had left, the ladies refocused their attention and began the most crucial part of tonight's international art exhibition—resource exchange.

Meanwhile, Henry and Gordon entered the newly decorated banquet hall of the auction.

The entire space here is open and bright.

At the very center is a large dais, surrounded by neatly arranged square wooden tables and chairs.

A large bouquet of elegant pink and blue flowers was placed in the center of each table, adding a touch of sophistication to the venue.

If you look closely, you'll find that there are actually gold characters carved on the edges of these square tables and chairs.

These letters are the surnames of prominent American families, symbolizing the status and position of the guests present.

Every step here is meticulously planned by a specialist!

It was used by prominent families to demonstrate their status and influence.

As the auction was about to begin, guests from each family took their seats in order of the gold letters on the table.

Firstly, around the first row of the stage, there are only two tables, which are the highest-ranking seats;

They are: Mellon and DuPont.

The second-ranked positions are guarded around it.

There are twelve seats in total, and the Getty family is among them.

They were positioned directly behind Mellon;

On the left is Duke, and on the right is Hill.

They all own shares in the Federal Reserve.

Moreover, both families have experienced antitrust laws.

Although the companies he once controlled have been split up, they still control the world's leading tobacco company, American Tobacco, and the Northern Pacific Railroad, among others.

The third-class seats are much farther apart!

The person sitting there, though a mid-level figure in the upper class, was still a powerful figure in the United States.

The Werheiser family, the Van Rensselaer family, the Stanford family, the Fair family...

It wasn't until the fourth row that we reached the very edge of the area tonight.

Those sitting there were mostly families in the service industry with relatively shallow assets and backgrounds.

The widespread popularity of ballroom culture around the world ultimately stems from the complex emotions and nature of humanity.

They are practically everywhere.

Although young, Gordon is already quite adept at these social occasions.

At this moment, he sat quietly in his designated spot, scanning the increasingly noisy hall with curious eyes.

Guests arrived in droves, and each face added to the excitement of the upcoming grand event.

Just as everyone was eagerly anticipating the event, Charles van der Meier—an auctioneer with a prestigious reputation in social circles—slowly walked toward the podium.

He wore a well-tailored suit and walked with a steady and confident gait.

He not only holds a degree in art history from Harvard University, but also served as chief auctioneer at Christie's for many years, personally facilitating countless priceless art transactions.

His family background is equally remarkable, belonging to one of the oldest and most prestigious families on the East Coast of the United States.

This background allows him to not only attract attention with his professional knowledge when hosting auctions, but also to bring extra attention and enthusiasm to each auction by relying on his extensive social networks.

Charles adjusted the microphone, cleared his throat, and then, with his magnetic voice, broadcast throughout the banquet hall via the loudspeaker system: "Ladies and gentlemen, good evening."

I am Charles van der Meier, and it is a great honor to host this evening's event.

Please allow me, on behalf of the organizers, to express our sincerest gratitude to everyone for coming.

It is your support and generosity that made all of this possible tonight.

Tonight, we will witness together the transfer of a series of rare treasures, which are not only crystallizations of art, but also recorders of time.

Every time my hammer falls, it will be an act of kindness, conveying a message of care.

Let us join hands to bring hope to those who are waiting for a helping hand.

Now, I invite you all to welcome the first treasure of the evening—it belongs to our most respected matriarch, Mrs. Caroline Dupont.

This exquisite sapphire necklace bears witness to the DuPont family's glorious history over the decades and carries countless warm family memories.

The necklace is made up of eighteen large-carat sapphires, each of which was carefully selected by master craftsmen and surrounded by sparkling diamonds, like stars surrounding the moon.

It is not just an ornament, but a fusion of art and history, and a manifestation of family honor.

Tonight, it will convey a message of love and hope here, and all proceeds will be donated to a non-profit charity to support children's education programs and help disadvantaged children pursue their dreams.

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted in the room.

The lights slowly focused on the display stand, where the shimmering sapphire necklace lay quietly on a velvet cushion.

The guests began to whisper among themselves, many already calculating the bid prices in their minds.

"The starting bid is $500,000, and each bid must be at least $50,000 higher..."