"Most of the houses on both sides of Central Park and on the Upper East Side are property rights determined in the form of cooperative apartments (Co-op). The transaction price of this kind of house is relatively cheap, but the monthly fee is higher. If you use a loan, There is also an additional state tax required.
The purchaser, as the owner, also needs to submit an application for approval by the owners' board of directors. However, there must be no problem with Mr. Li's qualifications. So I bring you some photos of the houses that best meet your requirements, all next to Central Park, penthouses. Please take a look..."
The real estate agent Lawrence found was a white man and very enthusiastic.
"I like this one better." Ronald flipped through the photos. He took a fancy to a house with windows facing Central Park. The decoration inside was also very classical, a bit like the house where Ingrid Bergman lived. Building. "
"How much loan is Mr. Li prepared to borrow?"
"Hey, he's Ronald Lee. No need for a loan." Of course, Lawrence knew that Ronald had just made a lot of money, and was a little dissatisfied with the agent's question. Didn't he explain Ronald's identity and background before coming here? ?
"OK, that saves a lot of state tax." The agent was a little surprised. Many movie and TV stars actually bought houses with loans. Only Chinese Americans like Lawrence like to use cash.
"This is the application form. Mr. Li, let's compare it item by item, and I'll help you fill it out." The agent quickly filled in Ronald's name, occupation, etc.
The property rights of cooperative condominiums are legally complicated. People who buy a house need to get approval from the owners' board of directors. There are still many questions to ask to prevent some people who, although their income is considerable, from moving in, will affect the value of the property. Such as criminals who break the law, escort girls, etc.
"Are you single? How many family members do you have?
Will you sublet the apartment to someone else?
..."
"This is buying a house, why do you have to ask me such personal information?" Ronald grabbed the application form, which had more than twenty questions.
"This is standard procedure, Mr. Li. The owners' board of directors doesn't want to see buyers rent out the house, bring in tenants they don't like, or take advantage of the fluctuations in the rental market to make money, so there is also a penalty clause here. If you rent the house again within one year, If you sublet the house, you still need to pay a subrent."
"Are you checking people who buy houses, or are you checking criminal suspects?" Ronald was angry. The small apartment he bought back then didn't have so much trouble.
"Let me fill it in for you. These are very simple questions. If you buy a newly built condominium, not only will the monthly property fee be more expensive, but the location is not as good as Central Park, and the unit price of the house It’s about twice as high as this type of shared property rights.”
The agent is still very competent. The other side of the problem is that the house price is cheap. And near Central Park, the most livable area in New York, most of them are co-op houses.
"How long do you live on the Upper East Side each year?"
"I don't know, maybe a month or two, my main job is still in Los Angeles." Ronald answered the question patiently because of the cheap price of the house and the good location.
"That's not possible. You need to live here for at least 6 months every year. If you..."
"Does the Upper East Side belong to America and New York State? I live here and I still need a green card?" Ronald was very angry.
"In a way, yes, it's just different here."
"I have a cousin who can live in this apartment." Ronald wanted Donna to help him go to "immigration jail" and give her a place to work.
"Sorry, my cousin is not an immediate relative. If she is your wife, or your long-term live-in girlfriend..."
"Fxck!" Ronald was angry. Why am I, a well-known Hollywood director, still making things difficult for you when I spend real money to buy a house? "You'd better introduce me to a condo, I'd be willing to spend twice as much."
"Actually, it's not that difficult. I can arrange an interview for you with the owners' board of directors, and they will make an exception and give you some preferential treatment."
"I would rather not..." Ronald could already imagine that after moving in, those on the board of directors would use various excuses to pry into his private life.
"ell, Mr. Li. Joint ownership is a better choice for customers like you who value personal privacy very much. I recommend this building to you. It was built in 1983. There are apartments above the 39th floor. There are many With good service and a particularly strict security system, many people in the entertainment industry also choose to rent here..."
"Isn't this the apartment that Demi Moore used to rent for $8,000 a month?" Ronald recognized the glittering interior decoration in the photo at a glance. And there are really big trees planted on the roofs of the lower floors.
"This is a landmark building on Fifth Avenue. From the 30th to the 55th floor, they are all decorated in a unified bronze and mahogany style. Going up to the 68th floor, they can be decorated by themselves according to the needs of the owners."
"Well, very good, very good." Ronald looked at the photos of the interior. There are many lofts on the upper floors that connect the upper and lower floors. They are real city villas. It is also located on Fifth Avenue, the most prosperous shopping mall, and is very convenient for eating and shopping. It is especially suitable for people like me who come to New York occasionally and don't want to stay in a hotel.
"Which floor are you more interested in?"
"66, 68, seems more auspicious?" Ronald thought to himself, it feels good to come to the top.
"Those three floors are reserved by the developer for himself and his wife, who is a famous model from Eastern Europe."
"Hey, you are discerning." Ronald felt that this developer was quite discerning in choosing 66-68 as the highest level. In fact, the middle floors of this building have been skipped. Above the shopping mall and office building on the 20th floor, the apartments are calculated directly from the 30th floor, making up auspicious numbers.
"How about 58? The 58th floor is not bad either."
"There is a very good two-story apartment on the 58th floor. I can talk to the developer's boss. It is the best apartment except the one he left to his parents on the 63rd floor."
"Okay...make an appointment with him." Ronald decided on the house he wanted to buy, and then began to prepare to attend the preparatory briefing party held by George Jr. for his father's participation in the party's primary election.
As a manager of his father's upcoming campaign office, George Jr. was enthusiastic about nominations for the New York primary.
His mother, Barbara, did not approve of her alcoholic, cheating, and accomplished eldest son in business. It's not because of anything else, it's because little George is too similar to his father. Even when he cheated on his wife, just like George Sr., he looked for a secretary by his side.
But since Ronald rediscovered his lost faith with him in the church, coupled with his movie investment business, the profits are much better than the oil business. The son's reputation among New England's upper classes slowly began to improve.
Unable to withstand her eldest son's plea, Barbara gave him a chance to start over, allowing him to contribute to the most important cause in the life of the family patriarch, George, in the most important election of the family.
As an important old lady in the family, Barbara valued the willingness and efforts of these children to contribute to the family.
Her favorite youngest son, Jeb, had been a volunteer for George Sr. for a long time in the 1980 election. Last year, he was deeply involved in the election campaign of Florida Governor Martinez, an ally of George Sr., and has now served as Florida’s Secretary of Commerce. It's just that he can't come to the husband's election this time.
This time, little George was also full of confidence and took the initiative to come to New York State. In this most important state in the east, a state where the leader won a big victory in the 1984 election, he could persuade more local forces to run for his father's party primary. faction supports the current deputy commander.
Douglass Jr., a powerful figure in the Elephant Party in Staten Island, was already helping introduce George Jr. to powerful people in New York in the hotel.
They saw Ronald coming and came up to greet him.
"Laura, help me continue with them. Doug and Ronald and I have something to discuss." Little George asked his wife to continue socializing with the funders, and he pulled Doug and Ronald into the nearby restaurant. A small room.
"Here is the competitiveness within the party.
, the person who proposed to run for the election, here is the rumored candidate within the Donkey Party..."
Little George pointed to the two piles of materials on the table and introduced them to Ronald. George Sr.'s campaign advertisement needs to be worked out in which direction he and Ronald need to work together.
"Aren't these guys handsome? Like movie stars."
Ronald couldn't understand what the political opinions and resumes of these politicians represented. He could only judge these candidates from the perspective of a movie director.
The most handsome guy on the Elephant Party side is New York State Representative Jack Kemp. He is a former NFL quarterback, and the introduction materials say that he is the JFK Kennedy of the Elephant Party today.
As for the Donkey Party, the most handsome person is the Senator from Tennessee, a guy named Al Gore. He is also a talented person. He has good looks and is popular with the audience. He can play a small town young man in a traditional Hollywood movie.
"Why, do you only look at candidates based on their appearance? This is not a movie casting." Douglas Jr. joked.
"That's not necessarily the case. The most important tool in America's current election campaign is television advertising, and the thing that most affects voting is the television debate. For example, the last presidential election versus Mondale..." Ronald's own aunt also voted, and instead of To say that she particularly agrees with the political views of the leader, it is better to say that she agrees with the face that represents conservative values.
"So, what you are saying is that a handsome candidate is more likely to be elected?" Little George thought thoughtfully.
"That's not entirely true. Different movie types require different leading actors. The current commander-in-chief was not the most popular in Hollywood back then, but he plays a smart, tough, and compassionate commander-in-chief. This role suits him perfectly."
Ronald commented on the looks of these candidates, "This Kemp is more popular with female voters in big cities, and this Gore is in line with the imagination of female voters in the south. These two can act in a romance movie. .
No, I remember that candidates for the leadership must be born in America and be over forty years old, right? "
Ronald suddenly discovered that Al Gore was only 39 this year.
"He will be 40 years old when the election is held next year, which meets the minimum requirements of the law. He is also the youngest candidate for leadership in history."
"Oh, this one can't be the protagonist. He looks like a villain, and his smile also gives the feeling of a womanizer." Ronald looked at an Elephant Party candidate named Rumsfeld, a bureaucrat from Illinois. .
"Well, that's it. What about this?" Little George found this discussion of fortune telling very interesting and wanted to participate.
"This one is a bit girly..." Ronald saw that he was a senator from Delaware, and he smiled like a villain.
"This, this is better, it can act in a serious drama." Ronald turned to a governor of Arkansas in the south. You can't say that this person has a very sunny temperament and is approachable. He is more trustworthy than the previous two more handsome candidates. What they said.
"Our main opponent in the primary election is this person." Little George wrote down Ronald's feelings. He took out a photo of an ugly old man and pushed it to Ronald.
"Robertson, isn't this an evangelical preacher?" Ronald remembered this preacher who preached on television and disliked him. Someone who accidentally sees him on TV and wants to change the channel.
"He called on believers to endorse him. If there are one million signatures, he will run for the leadership. Now he has obtained 3 million signatures and officially announced his candidacy." Little George knocked on the table. This was his father. In the primary stage, the biggest competitor is.
"He also has a candidate?" Ronald expressed disbelief. Such a great stickman, would anyone in America choose him to be the commander-in-chief?
"Three million signatures, this is a force that cannot be ignored."
"What's so charming about him?" Ronald looked carefully at Robertson's resume. He claimed to be a Marine combatant who served in Korea.
"Is this man fake? Look at his eyes. He doesn't have the temperament of having participated in the war like your father." Ronald looked at Robertson's oily eyes and said,
I believe that such a pair of eyes will appear on the face of a person who fights opponents on land.
These eyes reminded him of Michael Cimino, the director of "The Deer Hunter" back then. He didn't dare to look directly into the camera, as if he was always hiding something. Cimino also faked his military service.
"I'll find someone to check. Do you think my father's image should be more of a soldier?"
Little George also felt that his father could shine a fearsome light when needed.
"Veterans are always respected, especially since your father has such a legendary experience, which can actually be used. I always feel that watching your father appear on TV, although he does not have the charm of the current commander-in-chief, we Everyone will feel at ease when the country is led by such a person, and no one will bully us."
Ronald gave his general idea, and Douglas Jr. wrote it down and handed it to Little George.
"When I go back, I will discuss your views with my mother. She has now found a campaign consultant, Roger Ailes. I heard that he was one of the campaign consultants of the Great Commander-in-Chief."
…
After all, little George is still the son of an old political family. Seeing that Ronald can give him advice, he feels at ease.
He continued to go out and talk to the upper echelons here in New York and get their opinions and opinions.
"What do you think?" Little Douglas pulled Ronald and looked at little George who was making vulgar and outrageous jokes in the crowd and asked.
"Fortunately, his father's image is relatively good." Ronald also felt that George Sr. was more of a politician than his son. If George Jr. wants to choose, he will have to choose a script carefully. Maybe he can play a western cowboy?
"Anyway, we have contacted them. This time we are deeply involved in this kind of national election. We have got a ticket for the Staten Island congressional district and local elections. Waiting for the next mayor, We can also have some influence when it comes to the election of governors and members of the House of Representatives.”
"Then you have to work harder." Ronald, who was not used to this kind of situation where everyone talks nonsense that doesn't mean what they say, patted little Douglas.
"Ronald, why are you here?" A rich voice came from behind.
"Why are you here, Arnold? Um... hello, Maria." Ronald greeted his wife, who was attending with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"I have always supported the Elephant Party, but you, I thought, like most people in Hollywood, you also support the Donkey Party?"
"Um... Actually, I voted for candidates from both parties. I came here with my good friend, Douglas Jr. We were on the wrestling team in high school." Ronald didn't want to reveal his political leanings, so he Little Douglas pushed out.
"Hello, Mr. Schwarzenegger, I like your movies very much." Douglas Jr. smiled and stepped forward.
"It was a complete coincidence that I actually supported the Elephant Party. I had just come from Europe at that time and watched a TV debate. The candidate of the Donkey Party was talking about social justice. When I saw it, wasn't it the same as my hometown? I This is not what I came to America to see.
I happened to see Richard, the candidate of the Elephant Party. He talked about small government, free competition, reduction of public expenditures, and tax cuts. When I saw it, I liked this party. From that day on, I have been an Elephant Party member. "
"Hahaha", Ronald and Douglas Jr. burst into laughter. Schwarzenegger's acting skills are good. His native country is Austria, and these words make people feel as if he comes from the Eastern camp.
"I said, you were asked to star in that movie, what did you think?" Ronald thought of the Joel Silver movie and had approached Schwarzenegger.
"To be honest, I don't want to act. You also know, Ronald, the box office of action movies is not as good as it used to be. If I still rely on my muscles to act, I won't have many years. Don't you think that my muscles are better than those of starring in movies?" Was the girth smaller when you were wearing it?" After leaving Hollywood, in a place where there were no other people in the entertainment industry, Schwarzenegger was no longer polite.
"It's true." Ronald took a look and saw that Schwarzenegger was indeed smaller than before.
"I have to develop some room for comedy performance, so I want to do comedy more. I accepted a comedy film called "Dragon Brother and Mouse Brother". Sorry, Ronald. "
"I understand that." Ronald also discovered that Stallone's box office appeal was also declining. The audience seemed a little tired of movies that were pure action movies showing off muscles.
"I would like to introduce you to little George, the son of the deputy commander." Ronald knew that Schwarzenegger came to New York with the wife of a descendant of the Kennedy family. It was not for nothing, so he took him and introduced him to little George. George knows.
"It's so annoying. These people are more hypocritical than Hollywood actors." Ronald couldn't stay for a while before he got bored. Politicians' speeches were as much of a performance as actors. And his acting skills are so bad, I just want to shout "Cut"!
Just then the real estate agent called. The real estate agent had agreed to sell to Ronald and wanted to have an interview with him. Ronald decided to look at the house.
…
"Welcome, my friend. This is my wife, welcome to my building." The tall developer of the building was waiting for Ronald in the lobby. Luxury homes take a long time to sell, and someone like Ronald who can pay in full is considered a good customer.
"Thank you. I heard that you are willing to sell me the duplex apartment on the 58th floor?"
"Of course, you are the one who deserves this building. I wish all the artists in America would buy houses here. What do you think, do you like it?"
Ronald took the special elevator and went up to the 58th floor of the house. This is the same unit as the 59th floor, connected by elevators and stairs. There are multiple large bedrooms inside, a cloakroom, a smoking room, a wine warehouse, a direct private elevator, a large study room and a living room. The existing décor was in a walnut and bronze style, and Ronald was pleased with it.
"Come to my place and talk. If you have any movies, can you shoot them here? I've always wanted to play a cameo role in the movie."
After viewing the house, Ronald initialed the letter of intent and let the agent, accountant, and lawyer handle the rest.
Ronald accepted the invitation and came to the big house on the top floors 66-68.
"Originally, my house was also in bronze style, but after seeing the decoration of my tenant, Khashoggi, a wealthy Saudi businessman, I decided to upgrade the interior style to the current gold style. I strongly recommend that you do the same after buying the house. deal with."
"Uh...I'll think about it." Ronald was not interested in the nouveau riche style where even the door handles were shiny. He felt that he couldn't ruin a house in a good location like this.
However, this style is very unique, and the owner's taste can be seen at a glance. Ronald had some thoughts. How about hiring a Chinese talent to get some Chinese furniture?
"Look, this is an interview I gave in the ***, ***, Boston Globe.
The current American political scene is dominated by some old-school, incompetent politicians, such as New York Mayor Ed Koch, who also accused me of violating the interests of New York citizens. As a result, two lawsuits he initiated against me failed.
These people play politics every day and can't even repair an ice rink. Koch spent $12 million on the Wollman Ice Arena in Central Park from 1980 to now. I bet him that it can be built for less than $1 million.
The results of it? I modified the design and found a professional company that built ice rinks for the NHL. It only cost US$750,000 and was repaired in four months. I promised them a lot of publicity, but they didn't even ask for the profits.
What is this called? This is the art of trading!
It’s ridiculous that Koch has lost face and comes to trouble me every day, saying that my building does not meet the tax abatement policy and that he is doomed to fail.
"Come on, I'll give you this book, my hard work. This is the newspaper where I was interviewed, you can read it, a lot of wisdom. Tonight you can also read CUU, host Larry King's interview with me It will be broadcast."
Ronald returned to the hotel with the book enthusiastically gifted by the owner. He flipped through it and found that the author column said Tony Schwartz. Ronald laughed dumbly, how stingy this was.
Ronald, who has been a screenwriter, knows that if you want to write a book, find a
A ghostwriter who only writes without a signature is paid twice as much as a ghostwriter who requires a signature.
This person was not even willing to pay the money, so he asked the ghostwriter to sign his name in the author column. Anyway, on the cover, above the title, his name is written in large fonts, and readers rarely look specifically at the author column on the inside pages. Most readers might still think that he wrote it himself.
"Are you quitting the Donkey Party and joining the Elephant Party now?" Larry King, the famous host of CUU on TV, asked the question to a real estate developer on the TV screen. This is a recorded video, pretending to be a live interview.
"Yes, I just joined the Elephant Party."
"Okay, why are you being interviewed in the newspaper? Do you want to elect a leader?" Larry King asked him bluntly. This is also what the audience wants to know most.
"No, no, I haven't decided yet..."
"Shxt! It seems you really want to..." Ronald sat up after hearing this. He dug out the phone number given by the other party and waited for the interview with him in the newspaper. The more he read, the more he felt that he had guessed it right. Ronald picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Hey, Doug, are you and George Jr. together? Look at CUU, this fucking real estate developer wants to be elected leader too."
