From legendary short seller to god of American capital

Chapter 346 Unable to bear giving up a large piece of meat he couldn't finish, he devised a wic

Chapter 346 Unable to give up a large piece of meat he couldn't finish, he devised a wicked plan.

Henry Goldman arrived at the Duckta Apartments by carriage at 11:40 a.m.

After getting off the carriage, Gao Man picked up his pocket watch, looked at it, nodded silently, and then put it back into his inner pocket.

The two had arranged to have lunch together today over the phone yesterday.

Gao Man tidied up the real estate documents she carried with her and carefully straightened her clothes before striding into the apartment.

Guided and supervised by the doorman, Goldman took the elevator to the seventh floor. The floor manager took over the doorman's duties and led Goldman to Mr. Livingston's room.

This was Goman's first time at the Dakota Apartments. Although he had to be mindful of his status, he couldn't help but look around curiously.

The floor manager on the seventh floor personally rang the brass bell on the room door.

The door to room 7a was still closed, but the door to room 7b next door was already open. Dunbar looked at the newcomer warily, but his expression relaxed slightly when he recognized Henry Goldman.

"Oh, it's you, Mr. Goldman." Dunbar had dealt with Goldman quite a bit when he was in Texas, and the two were already very familiar with each other.

Henry Goldman smiled at Larry's bodyguard. "Oh! Mr. Dunbar, you're back from Texas? What a coincidence!"

The two had barely exchanged a few pleasantries when the door to 7A opened.

Larry Livingston appeared, wearing a snow-white shirt with the collar open and the sleeves rolled up high, exuding a natural, carefree youthful spirit.

"Mr. Goldman, you've finally arrived!" Larry said with a smile.

"Larry, I didn't mean to be late. I wanted to get all the information about this land ready for you—"

I just checked it again.

"Come in!" Larry smiled and ushered Goldman into the living room, with Dunbar following behind.

After the two were seated, Mr. Dunbar acted as the butler, familiarly taking out whiskey from the liquor cabinet and pouring a glass for each of the three.

Larry took the wine, thanked Dunbar, and then raised his glass to Goldman, saying, "Good health!"

Thank you! Best wishes to you as well.

They each took a sip of their drink.

Goldman sat on the sofa, gave Larry a deep look, and said with a smile, "Larry, you should find a secretary or butler in the future. You can't keep bothering Dunbar. You're a rich man now, so you should act like one."

"I haven't made any plans yet. Besides, I'm just an ordinary person. What's the point of talking about style and pomp?" Larry replied with a smile. After chatting for a few more minutes, Goldman took a thick stack of real estate documents from his briefcase and placed them in front of Larry. "Just as you predicted, Henry Astor III hasn't even had a chance to enjoy those newly acquired lands before he's already planning to dispose of them—"

Larry nodded and took the documents. He had just turned to the first page when he glanced intently at the words "34th Street Land and Property" and was immediately stunned. "Has this old man gone mad? He dares to sell this land!"

Gorman was somewhat surprised and asked, "Do you know this land?"

Larry thought to himself, "How come I didn't know? I witnessed the handover of this land with my own eyes."

This land was the most important property in the Astor family. When the three families were dividing their assets, Larry suggested that Astor IV take the land along the subway line. Astor IV listened to Larry's advice, but when this land was allocated, he showed a very reluctant expression.

This is no ordinary piece of land; it was the site of the "Aster Opera House," planned by the elder Astor. Located in a prime location and intended as a high-end commercial building, it naturally commanded a high price, but unfortunately, the project was abandoned.

All three branches of the Astor family naturally wanted this land. Astor IV was no exception.

But there was nothing he could do. Since he had to make a choice, he could only watch helplessly as the land was given to someone else.

Ultimately, a fierce battle ensued between the eldest and second eldest sons, and their competition caused the land price to skyrocket.

In the end, it was still won over by the spendthrift Henry Astor.

"This piece of land—it must be quite expensive," Larry mused.

At the time of the family division, the land was reportedly priced at $400 million, which was an internal family price. Now, the price for selling it to the public is likely to be even higher.

Henry Goldman chuckled and said, "Because it's not just a lot of land, there are several buildings on top of it. The land is located at the intersection of Broadway and 34th Street, the core lot is 24 acres, and there are other properties on it—Aster III is asking for $600 million. Although there's room for negotiation, I estimate it won't be less than $570 million."

Larry frowned as he listened.

Land isn't necessarily better the bigger it is, because land in New York has high holding costs. But it's clearly a huge piece of meat!

I'm really not happy that I can't have it.

Goldman had noticed the change in Larry's expression, but this was expected, given the size of the land and the presence of buildings on it; the old spendthrift was asking for $600 million.

Actually, Goldman originally intended to sell the land in separate units, but since Larry was the first to ask him to keep an eye on the land, he naturally let Larry choose the best locations first. Now, Goldman can confidently recommend his proposal!

"—Larry, if you're interested, I recommend this 12-acre plot of land. It's right on the street, and there are large, scattered plots nearby that can be acquired in the future or used to expand your commercial property."

Goldman thoughtfully opened the document, revealing the diagram he had drawn.

Larry remained silent, frowning. After a while, he finally said, "Yes, this piece of land is too big, and he's asking for a really high price—there's nothing we can do."

Larry gave irrelevant answers, completely ignoring Goldman's proposal, and instead lamented his inability to access the expensive land.

Henry Goldman nodded. "Larry, I'll convene a temporary salon for gentlemen interested in the land. You can jointly purchase and develop it, effectively establishing a joint development relationship. Of course, you can also buy it collectively first, and then subdivide the land internally—"

"But small plots of land aren't worth much—" Larry continued, frowning and sighing.

Larry stared intently at the bright red $600 million offer.

He knew that with his current assets, acquiring this land would be extremely difficult.

Of course, the price will be reduced a bit. The problem is, if it's for acquiring land, banks won't lend to me. I'll have to use all my working capital to fill this gap—

The key issue is that there are more and more places where money is needed now, and who knows when those places will suddenly require payment.

If you run out of working capital, it's like pushing yourself off a cliff into bankruptcy.

Larry was well aware of the value of this land; after all, it was one of the Astor family's most prized possessions.

The best and most advantageous way is actually to acquire this land in one go—because the land has great potential for appreciation in the future; it's a juicy piece of meat.

The problem is, this is a piece of meat that I can't stomach.

Goman continued to promote his idea, which was to suggest that he take the lead in purchasing the entire plot of land in the land-buying salon, and then carry out the transaction.

Larry thought for a moment, then suddenly put down his whiskey glass, looked up at Goldman and said, "Didn't we agree to have lunch together? How about this: let's go find a restaurant near that piece of land—perfect, let me take a good look at the land before making a decision."

"Go now?" Goldman looked at Larry with some surprise, feeling that the other party didn't seem very interested in his proposed land purchase plan.

"Yes, let's go now! I'm hungry, I want to have lunch!" Larry stood up, his face serious.

At 12:40, the three of them arrived at the intersection of Broadway and 34th Street by horse-drawn carriage.

Under the blazing sun, a massive steel skeleton stretched across the buildings on 34th Street. The scaffolding was rusted, and the unfinished roof and dark windows resembled the hollow eye sockets of a giant beast.

The construction site was overgrown with weeds, and several stray dogs scurried among the abandoned walls. Nearby residents had already cleared this abandoned land—

It was used as a dumping ground for household waste.

"This is Astor's Opera House?" Larry squinted, surveying the dilapidated ruins.

Henry Goldman followed along, stumbling along the path. Looking at the buildings, half-remaining and half-ruined, he sighed, "This opera house was originally planned and built by old Astor. He knew this was a good place. But he died after only half-building was completed—and the three descendants argued endlessly about who should lead the project. No one could convince anyone else, so these buildings have been abandoned here for probably seven or eight years."

Larry sneered, "He dares to talk about property with this piece of land? He dares to sell it for $600 million—he only paid $400 million for it when he acquired it."

Goldman glanced at Larry, unsure of the price he'd quoted, and explained, "I don't know how the three Astor families divided the land. But Astor III's offer is $600 million. He even said he'd rather pay for the rest of the development himself if it doesn't sell for that much!"

Larry's sneer deepened. He put his hands on his hips and surveyed the vast ruins, exclaiming, "He developed it himself? That's utter nonsense! Judging from the foundations and remains of this land, old Astor really did want to build a huge opera house, plus a commercial property."

If that old man wants to develop this land himself, he'll not only need to increase his capital, but he'll also need to recruit a huge team to carry out the development. With his capabilities, can he do it?

Gorman shrugged. "At least that's what King Astor III told me. But you're right, the Astor Opera House was planned over a thousand years ago. If construction continues now, the original design might have to be changed again. These remaining buildings are not only useless, but they might also have to be demolished and rebuilt."

"That's exactly right—to be honest, looking at information and looking at maps are the same thing—but when I saw the real situation here, humph, I'm already having second thoughts about these so-called buildings." Larry frowned and complained loudly.

"So I suggest you buy together. The real estate salons I've gathered are all composed of capable and influential people."

Even if the development costs exceed the budget later, everyone can afford it! Goldman seized the opportunity to promote his solution again.

Larry didn't speak, but frowned and paced around the site, observing everything. He moved constantly among the ruins, even climbing the unfinished scaffolding from time to time to get a better view.

Dunbar was a little nervous, fearing that something might happen to Larry in the ruins, so he followed behind silently to protect him.

Goman was somewhat annoyed that Larry had said he'd brought him here to eat, but after looking at these ruins for so long, he hadn't mentioned food at all. He was actually quite hungry now.

After walking for a while, Larry suddenly squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, and smelled it.

The soil was dry and compact, without the swampy smell commonly found on the wastelands of Manhattan. Clearly, this was a mature plot of land, with the foundation already laid.

Afterwards, Larry climbed all the way to the second floor of the abandoned building and looked out through the crumbling walls into the distance.

The intersection of Broadway and 34th Street is a truly prime location. The small and medium-sized shops that have already been developed outside are very lively, and further ahead, there is a temporary Pennsylvania Railroad station on 31st Street at this moment.

According to my memories from my previous life, the world-famous architectural landmark—Pennsylvania Station—would be laid and constructed there a few years later.

(Interior view of Pennsylvania Station)

Larry remembered there was also a Macy's department store here. He didn't have many opportunities to come to New York in his previous life, but he had been to Pennsylvania Station, which was very spectacular, and the nearby squares and shopping malls were also very impressive.

Of course, more importantly, land prices here will only get more expensive in the future!

This is what's troubling Larry. He knows he can't possibly acquire such a large piece of land; not only is the purchase cost very high, but he also can't afford the subsequent costs of holding and developing it.

Knowing full well how valuable this land would be in the future, the thought of missing out on it, or only taking a portion of it, left Larry with a burning, corrosive pain in his heart, like being scratched by a cat.

If you miss it, you may never have another chance!

But a $600 million offer is just outrageous!

The hardest part of the whole thing was negotiating the price, and this time we couldn't get a bargain like we did on Fifth Avenue. Because that spendthrift son of a bitch has acquired so much land, he's not short of money now.

He might even be getting carried away now, and might actually spend his own money to develop the land. After all, King Astor III isn't stupid; he knows the value of this land.

How can we acquire this land without spending so much money? Larry fell into deep thought.

Astor III—who claimed he might also continue development—

Was he telling the truth or lying?

If he really has this intention, then things will be easier—what if the old man also wants to "prove himself"?

Yes, that's right! If that old spendthrift wants to "prove himself," then he really has a chance to take back this land.

As the saying goes, it's not that we're afraid of the second generation indulging in drinking, gambling, and prostitution, but rather that we're afraid of them trying to prove themselves!

With that thought in mind, Larry secretly made up his mind. He hurried back to Goldman's side, frowning, and asked, "Mr. Goldman, did King Astor III really say that he might develop this land himself?"

Goldman was a little surprised by Larry's question, but nodded and said, "Yes! He did say that, but he only has land in his hands right now—no liquid capital. With bank loan interest rates often exceeding 12%, who can afford that?"

Hearing this, Larry's eyes lit up, and he quickly put a hand on Goldman's shoulder. "Come on! Let's go have lunch, and you can tell me all about this—if King Astor III wants to develop this land, I can lend him money!"

Goman abruptly stopped in his tracks, staring blankly at the person in the man's eye, dumbfounded. "—Larry, what did you say? You're not only not buying the land, but you're also lending money to Astor III to develop it? Did I hear that right?"

Larry's lips curled up slightly, but he still said in a serious tone, "Isn't this hard to understand? If the old man needs some money to prove himself—then I can also become a generous person and help him out! If the old man wants to demonstrate his value, I will support him—of course, there must be some conditions attached."

"What are the conditions?" Gao Man asked, frowning.

Larry laughed and uttered a single word: "A bet!"