svetikya Page 68
Page 68
That day, I found a girl named Baoye for 3000 yuan. As soon as we entered the room, she started taking off her clothes. I told her not to rush and to come out with me to get something to eat. While we were eating, I put food on her plate and gently wiped the corner of her mouth. She looked at me, a little dazed, and said, "Brother, I'm full, let's go back." I said it was still early, so I'd watch a movie with her. At the movie theater, I gently held her hand. After the movie, she buried her head in my shoulder and asked me where we were going next. I said, "Let's walk around some more." On the way, we met a little girl selling flowers who said to me, "Big brother, buy a bouquet of flowers for the sister." So I bought her a bouquet of flowers. We walked around for a long time. After we got back to the hotel, I told her, "Go take a shower first, I'm going downstairs to buy something." I never went back.
Later I heard that she had reformed, found a proper job, and frantically searched for me all over the world...
My buddy is playing a game of redemption.
Hawke couldn't resist lighting a cigarette for himself.
On the breakfast table.
Taylor Swift kept burping.
"I told you not to eat so much, and now look what happened, you've stuffed yourself sick!"
Hawke patted her on the back.
"It's clearly...it's definitely you!"
Taylor Swift was so upset she almost cried.
That guy is awful.
He blamed all the bad things he did on her.
"Alright, alright, get some exercise, you'll be fine in a bit." Hawke sat back down and said, "I've looked into your new album plans, and they're fantastic. Add to that the song I wrote for you, and it's a game-changer. You're sure to be a future pop diva in the West."
Taylor Swift, I believe in you!
"Thank you, I have faith in myself too."
Taylor Swift said happily, picking up an apple and eating it with difficulty. As for the milk on the table, she felt like throwing up just looking at it.
"However, now that I'm a shareholder in our company, could you be a little more lenient with the copyright restrictions? I'm not greedy, let's split the copyright 50/50."
"Taylor Swift, are you getting too cocky?" Hawke stared at her with a half-smile. "Music companies acquire recording rights, that's the rule. You've only been in the industry for a short time, and you're already trying to challenge the rules?"
Okay, Hawke now understands. Taylor Swift's fawning over him and expressing affection is probably not because she's in love, but because she's keenly aware that Hawke will be her boss in the future. By pleasing her boss, given their relationship, she can undoubtedly secure a lucrative contract and help herself advance further in her music career.
Taylor Swift looked at Hawke with a pitiful expression:
"Daddy~"
I go.
Hawke's eyes widened. Had this young woman discovered some secret to wealth? How could she be so quick to understand?
Hawke couldn't stand this!
Immediately...
He took a banana from the fruit basket on the table, stuffed it into her mouth, and blocked it completely.
Two hours later.
Daylight, blue sky.
Hawke walked out of Taylor Swift's villa.
"Damn it, capitalist, vampire!" Taylor Swift watched Hawke's departing figure through the French windows, rubbing her knees as she cursed, "I've made so many sacrifices, and they only loosened the contract terms a tiny bit."
"Even if I starve to death, jump off the top of the Empire State Building, or die outside, don't ask you for pity anymore."
Taylor Swift managed to get some benefits from Hawke thanks to her silver tongue.
Her contract will be amended later.
After she released three albums, the recording rights for each subsequent album would be split 40/60, with her own rights and the record company's rights accounting for 40% and the record company's rights for 60%. After six albums, the recording rights for all music would belong to her five years after its release.
Hawke really had Taylor Swift completely under his thumb this time.
Because it was right after the release of her sixth album that she left Big Machine Records and joined Universal Music. The contract Universal offered her—which included the five albums Taylor Swift would release next, and whose recording rights would belong to her five years after the release of all her music—was worth $2 million, making it arguably the most valuable contract in history.
Hawke was simply giving Taylor Swift the benefits she would have fought for herself in the future, and making them available to her ahead of time.
Taylor Swift appeared to be cursing Hawke, but deep down she was quite happy because this was considered one of the top contracts in the industry.
She should thank me!
"Your knees are all red and swollen?"
Taylor Swift is very annoyed:
"What should I do? I have a variety show to rush to this afternoon!"
If someone with ulterior motives saw this, it would be strange if they couldn't deduce the "truth".
Looks like I'll have to wear jeans to work this afternoon.
Hawke, who had gotten into the car, smiled slightly.
He certainly didn't care about giving Taylor Swift a little extra money; he'd give her the whole machine without a problem. But if he fed Taylor Swift all at once, her appetite might just keep growing.
Let's hang her up with a carrot instead.
If I come up with any new tricks in the future, I'll have leverage to put up a fight with her.
Taylor Swift is smart, ambitious, and has a bloodthirsty desire for success.
He doesn't actually dislike Taylor Swift's shrewdness. Just like Patrick Star said, when it comes to money, no one is right or wrong.
124 Is it the legs of their high table that are hard, or my heat rays?
"Erica, have you roughly sorted out the Hand matter?"
In the afternoon, Hawke arrived at the new Midtown Financial Corporation building, lay down on the large bed in the suite of bedrooms in the CEO's office, and asked...
“We have recruited all those who are willing to submit to us, but some of the Five Fingers’ loyalists have run away.”
Erica's cheeks were flushed with a faint blush, and her bright eyes were already glistening with tears.
Even though her legs were a little weak, she forced herself to stand up and poured Hawke a glass of water.
"Young master, those who escaped will probably cause trouble later, won't they?"
"It is indeed a bit troublesome."
Hawke stroked his chin.
The Hand members are all professional assassins. They aren't very good at direct combat, but their assassination techniques are quite good.
Therefore, he was not afraid of assassination attempts, but the people around him were a bit of a problem, not to mention the fact that there was also the headquarters, an organization that could not be found at all.
Cypher had been searching for several days without success. Hawke thought that if he couldn't find the headquarters for a long time, he should rush to the Tri-Wing Building to find Pierce. Surely he would know where the headquarters was!
What? You won't tell me?
Come on, repeat after me: Nine-headed Hydra...
After all, one can only be a thief for a thousand days, not a thief for a thousand days.
“Young Master, I have an idea, but I don’t know if you would be willing to use it,” Erica said with a smile.
"What method? Tell me. If it works, then we'll definitely use it." Hawke chuckled and said, "I'm not the kind of stingy man who doesn't like smart women."
“Then I’ll say it,” Erica said. “Young Master, Winston from the Continental Hotel has requested an audience with you many times. Perhaps… we can use the Continental Hotel’s resources to wipe out the small number of Five Fingers’ die-hards who escaped from the Hand.”
"Mainland Hotel..."
Hawke fell into thought.
“To deal with the Hand’s underworld power, we should definitely use stronger underworld forces to carry out targeted cleanup, which would be much more effective; but if we use official power to suppress them, it would only be less effective,” Erica reminded.
Hawke certainly understood this principle. It's like if you're in New York and something gets stolen, it's definitely less efficient to call the NYPD than to call a local mob boss, even if... the mob boss might just be a lackey of an official.
“Alright then, let’s meet Winston at a formal occasion.” Hawke nodded and said, “We gave him a hard time last time, and this time we can finalize the inheritance of the Hand’s high table seat at the Continental Hotel.”
The Continental Hotel, the world's largest assassin platform, was founded by the legendary Old Man of the Mountain, Hassan. Its influence spans the globe, encompassing the Hand, the Gloria, the Italian Mafia, the Russian Mafia, the Assassin's Guild, and more...
Hawke doesn't seek complete control of the organization, but he at least wants a place within it, and the Hand is the perfect wedge.
“That’s how it is!” Erica said with annoyance, “Young Master, you told me that after I take over the Hand, I must get a seat at the High Table, but now no matter how I contact the High Table, they don’t seem to care. If you don’t take action, Young Master, I really don’t know what to do.”
Hawke nodded and said, "This time, it was their twelve seats at the High Table who provoked and attacked me first. If they don't give me an explanation, I'll just flip the table! From now on, High Table hotels can forget about opening in America, or I'll smash them all. I'd like to see whether their High Table legs are harder or my heat rays are harder!"
To deal with a killer organization like the High Table, Hawke could easily use a righteous cause and the title of the superhero "King" to carry out a massive purge in America.
No matter how impressive the high table is, can it compare to my "King"?
At Erica's invitation, Winston, the old man, eagerly came all the way from the Continental Hotel in New York.
“Winston, manager of the New York branch of the Continental Hotel, greets Young Master Ryan!” Although Winston was neither humble nor arrogant, he still smoothly flattered Hawke: “Young Master Ryan, last time I witnessed your domineering presence, this time I have witnessed your extraordinary handsomeness and dashing appearance!”
"Haha, I love hanging out with people like you who love to speak the truth." Hawke laughed twice and pointed to the sofa next to him: "Sit down."
0 ······Requesting flowers···· ········
"Thank you."
"Tell me, what was it about when you said you wanted to see me last time?"
Hawke lit a cigar and said calmly.
“It’s really a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King’s temple,” Winston said. “A while ago, didn’t the Five Fingers of the Hand offend you? As a result, Ryan went all out and suppressed the Hand in every way… To be honest, the Hand is one of the twelve seats at the High Table, and it has deep connections with the Continental Hotel in various aspects. Ryan’s attack on the Hand inadvertently affected the mainland hotel, causing it to suffer heavy losses as well.”
..... .. 0
Winston adopted a very humble attitude.
As long as it doesn't violate his and the principles of the Mainland Hotel, he doesn't care about bowing and scraping to this terrifyingly powerful young master.
After all, who wants to die when they can live?
"Innocent bystander? Haha, Winston, the way you're talking makes it sound like the Hand has nothing to do with your Continental Hotel... You just said it yourself, the Hand is one of the twelve seats at your High Table. To put it bluntly, the Hand is a subordinate force of your High Table. Isn't it only natural that you should take responsibility for the trouble they caused? And now you have the nerve to blame me for accidentally harming your Continental Hotel?" Hawke said.
"No, no, no, young master, you misunderstand." Winston quickly waved his hand and said, "The Hand is a member of the Continental Hotel, but the Continental Hotel is not the same as the Hand. Just like the United Nations, it belongs to the whole world, including the Middle East, but when Gaddafi offended the five permanent members of the UN and a war broke out in the Middle East, the five permanent members of the UN did not attack the UN as well, did they?"
“The Hand’s feud with Ryan was entirely their own doing; they didn’t involve the Continental Hotel, or rather, what they wanted wouldn’t be shared with the Continental Hotel…” Winston gave Hawke a look and said, “Therefore, the Continental Hotel has never intended to wage war against Ryan. I’m here to talk to you, young master, and ask Ryan to be lenient with the assets that originally belonged to the Continental Hotel that he seized.”
125. Ryan becomes a member of the High Table?
"Is this such a small matter worth you coming to me personally to resolve?" Hawke said with a faint smile. "I don't believe that your mainland hotels' business is so big that it can't be affected by American officials. You can ask them to lend a hand when it's being carried out."
“Young Master Ryan, you underestimate Ryan’s influence now.” Winston sighed, annoyed. “We did ask around, and the American power structure is very cautious about Ryan. After all, your status as ‘King’ is what it is, who would dare to easily offend you? Of course, if we were willing to pay a heavy price, we could do it, but… it’s not like we at the Continental Hotel wanted to be your enemy, so why should we pay such a heavy price? I’m just here to explain the position of our Continental Hotel, ‘520’. We are just a pure assassin organization, we do things for money, and we have no interest in getting involved in the mess between Ryan and the Hand. We just want to make money.”
"Moreover, our mainland hotels have always been very law-abiding and would never put the names of tycoons or political families on our hit list, no matter how much money they offer... The 30 million last time was just a bounty, and as you can see, no one dared to take the job... We're just making a living through hard work."