stjorthotic Chapter 341 Three Refusal and Three Concessions: Forced to Accept Ford Motor Company Equity
Chapter 341 Three Refusal and Three Concessions: Forced to Accept Ford Motor Company Equity
Chapter 341 Three Refusals and Forced Acceptance of Ford Motor Company Equity
The next day, Larry's original intention was to visit Mr. Yung Wing, but early in the morning, there was a knock on his room.
"Mr. Livingston! I'm sorry to bother you. I'm the hotel's lobby manager. Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts wishes to see you!" a voice came from outside the door.
Larry had already finished washing up and was about to go out for breakfast when he heard the news, so he opened his bedroom door.
Standing at the door was indeed the lobby manager of the Tremont Hotel. Even though it was the height of summer, the manager was still dressed in a well-tailored suit and stood three feet away from the door, bowing respectfully to Larry.
"I'm sorry to bother you! But the senator is eager to see you, yet he's afraid that his unsolicited visit might offend you. So he asked me to come and ask you first."
Larry raised an eyebrow. "Did Senator Kennedy come in person?"
"Yes! He arrived here half an hour ago and has been waiting for a long time! To be honest, the senator was very anxious, but he didn't urge him personally. I took it upon myself to knock on the door," the lobby manager replied.
Larry frowned. There were many contradictions in the other person's words, but the true meaning was already clear. It must be the hotel lobby manager, who, fearing that the senator might be unhappy waiting too long, chose the lesser of two evils and directly knocked on the door to urge him.
However, it was still quite surprising that Kennedy would personally come to find him.
Larry straightened his clothes, took out his gold-cased pocket watch to check the time, and then followed the lobby manager downstairs with his head held high.
In the first-floor café, Kennedy sat upright in a chair covered with a snow-white linen tablecloth, seemingly sipping his black tea nonchalantly. Larry, however, could immediately see that the tea had long since gone cold.
He was clearly so eager to see me that he waited until the tea got cold. But once I came downstairs, Mr. Kennedy, preoccupied with his status, started acting all high and mighty again—
Larry couldn't help but laugh.
Of course, Larry wouldn't reveal his true feelings on the surface.
Larry's face contorted with fear and anxiety. He jogged to the dining table, his voice filled with self-reproach.
"Your Excellency, Senator! Oh my God! I had no idea you were waiting for me. Your presence fills me with utmost respect and flattery! Please accept my apologies!"
Kennedy slowly turned his head, his face full of a warm smile. "Mr. Livingston! Oh, we're old friends, why bother? I just happened to be free. I came early this morning and didn't have time to inform you beforehand. It was my oversight—"
Then, the two embraced sincerely and patted each other on the back.
The hotel lobby manager and the senator's entourage, who were standing nearby, were quite surprised by the friendly meeting between the two.
No one expected that the senator would be so close to this young man.
After a long embrace, Kennedy and Larry reluctantly parted. Only then did Kennedy say with a smile, "Larry! You've grown taller in the few months I've seen you! And you're getting more and more handsome. I think in a few years, you'll be the center of attention among Boston's socialites."
Larry laughed and said, "If that's the case, I'm afraid I could match half your charm!"
After saying this, the two looked at each other and smiled again.
"You just woke up and haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Why don't we have breakfast together?"
"It is my honor, Mr. Senator."
The two chatted as they walked into the restaurant of the Tremont Hotel.
Kennedy showed no sign of haste, calmly ordering food, sharing cigars, and exchanging pleasantries. It wasn't until halfway through breakfast, when they were both drinking their after-dinner sherry, that he casually brought up, "Yesterday, the bubble tea shop in Chinatown caught fire. I heard someone say you were there too?"
Larry nodded and said with a smile, "It's an amazing coincidence. I just got off the train yesterday, intending to meet with my men to discuss business, and very coincidentally, I discovered the fire in Chinatown—"
Kennedy frowned and said in a deep voice, "Oh, that's a truly regrettable accident. A group of thugs were incited to attack Chinatown! Perhaps the bubble tea shop's main branch was too conspicuous, making it the target of their rage—"
Larry gave a wry smile. "I'm partly to blame! I designed that storefront too beautifully! The thugs must have thought it was the richest store—"
Larry's joke made them both laugh.
After a pause, Kennedy asked, "Have you heard anything? About Huang Meitang?"
Larry's smile remained unchanged. "It's like this, Huang's lawyer asked me to help them. In fact, he had already found Harvard Law School to be the jury. I just used the money from buying Huang Meitang's shares to sponsor some of their expenses in advance."
After saying that, Larry winked at Kennedy, "—Otherwise, the consideration for Huang Meitang's shares is useless. What's the point of leaving behind US dollars when someone is dead?"
Kennedy smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Oh, Larry, please don't misunderstand! I also think highly of Huang. He is a loyal and capable subordinate, and I am very sorry for what happened to him."
"It is only because of my status as a protector of the Irish that I cannot personally help him, but as you entrusted me, I have done my utmost to help him!"
"Yes! That's right, I have no doubt about your fairness and compassion!" Larry straightened up and said solemnly.
Kennedy nodded, looking out the window. "But it's strange, even though I'm doing my best to maintain harmony between the Chinese and Irish communities, some people are still using this as a pretext—not only attacking me, but also inciting new immigrants to create conflict. I personally believe that yesterday's attack on the bubble tea shop stemmed from this—"
Larry nodded. Actually, it was quite obvious. A third party was secretly stirring up trouble, not only creating a huge divide among immigrants but also subtly targeting Kennedy.
But Kennedy couldn't possibly have been unaware that the root of all this lay with his political enemies—
After thinking for a few seconds, Larry looked around to make sure no one was watching before whispering, "I've heard some rumors, and it seems your political enemies are using this—they know your position on this matter is very delicate. If you side with your subordinate Huang Meitang, you'll offend the Irish community; but if you uphold the community's fairness, you'll create another awkward situation—"
Kennedy turned sharply to Larry, looked him in the eyes, and asked, "What embarrassing situation?"
Larry smiled. "That's it! No matter what you do, it's never enough in the eyes of those extremists—you think your impartiality and silence are perfectly objective. But to the extremists, your silence is a form of compromise—"
Kennedy frowned. "Am I supposed to personally hang my best Chinese employee? Is that what would satisfy them?"
Larry waved his hand and said with a laugh, "So you've fallen into their trap! To extremists, anyone less extreme than them is a damn moderate—to fight extremism, you can't use gentleness, you have to use fire!"
Larry's answer made Kennedy's facial muscles twitch. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "On a side note, Larry! After knowing you for so long, I still enjoy talking to you. Because your brilliant mind often manages to pierce the fog and reveal the truth! Okay, please continue—"
Larry nodded and said, "Inciting extreme nationalism or group sentiment is the easiest thing to do—all it takes is some conspiracy theories, plus a little bit of incentive, to set a solid building ablaze."
You believe you are handling the matter impartially. But this, in turn, becomes a pretext for your attackers. If you compromise according to their demands, you are essentially handing over the gun pointed at your own head to them.
"Oh? What should I do then?" Kennedy leaned forward, looking intently into Larry's eyes.
"It's simple! Kill those who deserve to die, spare those who deserve to live," Larry said with a smile. "Don't assume that the people who burned down your shop are the ones you're protecting. I know you'll be hesitant because of their Irish identity—"
But they are indeed calling for violence in your name, so their actions should be subject to a fair trial under the law.
After saying that, Larry added meaningfully, "You should know that these people are no longer part of the Irish community, but weapons in the hands of the enemy—they have been brainwashed by the enemy."
Kennedy nodded. Given his mindset, it was impossible for him not to have thought of this. Larry's words were simply what made him decide to do it.
"Furthermore, regarding Huang Meitang's case, your consistent avoidance is actually a passive approach. In my opinion, you should take the initiative, separate this case from ethnic identity, and proceed as a normal criminal case, fully trusting the American judicial system!"
In this way, you've brought social conflicts that you shouldn't have had to bear yourself to the courtroom! Let the court's fair ruling highlight your impartiality!
Kennedy nodded deeply again. "Then what should I do?"
"Take the initiative! Give interviews or publish your statement in the newspapers! Most importantly, strip away the racial conflict and turn this case into a normal criminal case! Then express your full trust in the American justice system," Larry said solemnly.
Kennedy thought for a moment and said, "But what will my Irish community think? If I actively distance myself—"
"Money! You can't get things done without money. You should leverage the cross-ethnic and collaborative business ecosystem of your bubble tea shop to fund victims and legal justice! As long as the money is right, even if someone tries to stir up trouble, they won't be able to make your community ignore your generosity—"
Larry chuckled and rubbed his fingers together, saying, "And you don't even have to pay for it—remember? Huang Meitang's shares generate substantial profits, which can be deducted from his future share income. It's like he's using his own money to compensate the victims—"
Kennedy pondered for a moment, then looked up at Larry and nodded heavily. "You're right. I was too hesitant before! I always felt I should take responsibility, but actually? This shouldn't have been my responsibility in the first place—it should have been the responsibility of the American justice system."
"That's right! Your adversaries have found your weakness precisely because they saw your concerns. If you have no concerns, your weakness will naturally disappear," Larry said.
"Okay! We'll do it your way." Kennedy nodded.
The conversation between the two fell into a brief silence. Larry then ordered the waiter to bring them both an ice cream and a cigar.
"I love this when it gets hot!" Larry laughed as he took a bite of ice cream and then a puff of his cigar.
Kennedy laughed, took a puff of his cigar, looked at Larry through the smoke, and nodded, saying, "Yes, it's an extremely enjoyable experience, but if I remember correctly, we first met in winter."
"Yes! I love winter so much, I must say summer even more!"
The two looked at each other and smiled again.
After a moment of contemplation, Kennedy revealed his true purpose for being there: "Larry, have you heard? Henry Ford's last prototype was involved in a major accident during testing last month. Mr. Ford also sustained some minor injuries."
"Huh? How could this be? I haven't been back to Boston lately. He even came to New York with me last time, driving his Ford Modela!" Larry said in surprise.
Kennedy's face darkened. "My God, I only invested in Ford because of you. But I never expected him to be so incompetent! Seriously! He's the most exhausted person I've ever met, obsessed with details, and hasn't come up with a single truly profitable plan—"
Larry listened quietly without interrupting, though his mind was in turmoil.
Kennedy continued, "I used to think that automobiles were the future of America—really, I once thought Ford would be the man who changed the world—now it seems I was too naive. Perhaps automobiles really could, but Henry Ford, alas—"
At this point, Kennedy casually asked, "If this project really has to be stopped, then what should happen to my shareholding?"
Larry's heart pounded; he knew the day he had been waiting for had arrived! Kennedy had finally had enough of Ford's slack work and was preparing to retreat!
However, he absolutely mustn't show the slightest bit of excitement or willingness to take over. Because when the automotive industry explodes, Ford will also soar to new heights! Then, Kennedy will realize what he's missed!
By then, he won't remember that he voluntarily withdrew! Instead, he'll suspect that Larry Livingston and Henry Ford conspired to force him out of the equity project, causing him to lose a large sum of money!
(Although, this seems to be the truth —)
Larry felt that he absolutely couldn't let the other party have that impression! Even if his persuasion convinced Kennedy to keep the shares, he couldn't show the slightest initiative, so that the other party wouldn't have any thoughts other than regretting his rash decision.
Starting today, I will put on a show of refusing and declining three times! I will play this role to the fullest extent!
Larry's face, reflecting the rapid flow of his thoughts, showed a mixture of surprise and disappointment. After a moment's thought, Larry said in a deep voice, "Sir! Please allow me, as a friend, to speak frankly to you! Cars really can change the world—you may not know, but a while ago, I took this car to New York! You know, that's New York!"
Larry became increasingly excited as he spoke, spreading his arms to express his astonishment and boundless pride. "From Boston to New York, a total of 225 miles! We got there in less than 20 hours! My God, have you ever heard of such a wild speed?! Really, Mr. Kennedy, you're right, this is the future! This is a miracle."
But there wasn't a trace of surprise or sympathy on the other person's face. Instead, they stared at Larry for a long time before saying, "But the car is totaled! Isn't it?"
Larry was momentarily speechless, an extremely unnatural expression on his face. After a while, he sighed softly, "Perhaps—I suppose so! This is the only flaw in this technological epic! This great experiment was 85% successful, I suppose—"
Kennedy shook his head slowly with a stern face, and said with certainty, "Failure is failure! There is no such thing as an 85% success rate."
After thinking for a long time, Larry didn't speak, but instead sighed softly.