Chapter 537: 258
Victor was indeed a talented individual. He had built his own company from scratch and, despite it being only a dium-sized company with fewer than 100 employees, he managed to do so with little help from his family. Claude could probably have done better, but Adrian would definitely not be up for the task.
Having maintained contact over so many years, he was fairly familiar with his uncle’s family situation. If he could bring Victor into his own company, it would undoubtedly strengthen his own power. This wasn’t to say that Adrian wanted to share Claude’s authority. In fact, Victor was competent in managent, but his judgent in business was no match for Claude’s. Moreover, his company had little to do with the dia industry, and it wasn’t easy to switch industries.
The advantages of making Victor a partner were clearly evident. First off, it would certainly garner more support from his uncle, which was without doubt. Adrian was becoming more familiar with the pretentious ways of Uncle Anderson. Despite being often blunt and critical, Victor was, after all, his son.
Secondly, AC dia was bound to expand further in the future, and as tasks beca more specialized, having trustworthy and capable people in charge was the optimal choice. Plus, although Victor’s expertise was in advertising and printing, he had begun to venture into website construction, laying the groundwork for collaboration.
Lastly, Victor had good character. Adrian had observed his cousin’s family for a long ti and had conducted his own investigations. Although he didn’t know Victor as well as Claude did, he knew enough.
Of course, all this was his plan. Victor’s company was currently doing very well; there was no need for him to abandon his business for AC dia, so his words were just laying the groundwork for the future.
“I like it here, especially standing on the balcony watching the sun slowly set, casting its last rays through the concrete jungle. It really moves ,” Adrian said while overlooking the lit-up Big Apple from the balcony. The weather was nice today, and the sunset’s beauty was particularly striking.
“What kind of feelings?” Natalie asked, leaning on him and gazing at the twinkling lights on the Hudson River.
“I don’t know. It’s a feeling that often can’t be described, which in a way shows how impoverished human language actually is,” Adrian said gently massaging her shoulders.
“Ha, you’re getting philosophical, Ed,” Natalie said with a laugh, tilting her head up.
“If you like it, then I’ll keep being philosophical,” Adrian shrugged and then bent down to lightly kiss her lips.
“Like buying an apartnt on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 92nd street?” the young woman blinked.
“Hm?” Adrian, surprised by her question, was at a loss for words for a mont.
“I’ve visited the Jewish Museum here more than once, Ed,” Natalie turned around, pulling at Adrian’s lapel, her eyes filled with tender affection.
“I knew it, I can never keep anything from you,” Adrian sighed dramatically and after another round of kisses said, “Alright, let’s go to the living room, I’ve been preparing for this evening for a long ti.”
“Really? What have you prepared?”
“Since this is our first ti using this apartnt, we should do sothing we’ve never done before—I’ve personally cooked a lot of delicious things, including your favorite French mushroom soup.”
“Ha, you’re trying to tell that you cooked this little mushroom soup?”
“Um… well, it was made by Sailer Restaurant. I just asked them to make it look like I made it.”
It was a very pleasant evening. Natalie seldom stayed over at his place for various reasons, and it had taken so effort to get her to stay this ti. Adrian temporarily forgot all those previous worries as he had dinner, chatted, fooled around, and made love with the young woman. But aside from visiting his uncle and dating Natalie in New York, he had so business to take care of.
“The Apprentice, or rather… ‘Donald Trump’s The Apprentice.'” Adrian said to the middle-aged man in front of him.
“I like the second na better,” Trump said without hesitation, very much in line with his persona. Adrian therefore nodded knowingly, and Trump, noticing his reaction, burst into hearty laughter.
“Basically, the show will start production early next year, so you have a year to prepare and make yourself even more dazzling,” Adrian continued.
“Why not now? Although the details are still unclear up to this point, I’m absolutely capable of handling it,” Trump said, eager to begin.
“If it were just a matter of ability, I would believe you. But when it cos to producing the show, the network undoubtedly has more say,” Adrian spread his hands.
“All right, no problem. I can cooperate whenever you need ,” Trump laughed again, not insisting on anything. After all, he was no fool.
After whetting Trump’s appetite for more than half a year, Adrian finally unveiled the reality show claid to be tailored for him: “The Apprentice.” It was one of the few business-related reality shows in the United States he rembered. The competing salespeople were required to complete various tasks and undergo Trump’s critiques. Those who failed would leave under his rciless mockery, while the winners could receive various rewards, such as a week’s use of a mansion or a certain position.
This business reality show had originally been tailor-made by NBC for Donald Trump, and it was for his sake that Adrian had rembered it and then reciprocated by using it to woo him.
However, the intention had been to wait until 2001 or 2002 to launch it, but due to Adrian’s influence, the developnt of the reality show progressed much faster than he rembered. A reality show ant to be a revised version of “Millionaire,” planned for release on network television after “Millionaire’s” potential had been exhausted, appeared a few weeks prior on FOX.
Adrian was certain there had been no insider leaking the idea, as all these concepts were kept in his own collection. Moreover, the reality show launched by FOX varied in detail from what he held, and they overlooked so segnts that could have heightened audience interest. So, it was very likely that their show was created after analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of “Millionaire.”
If Adrian hadn’t known that no network had thought of that idea yet, and that it required a substantial understanding of the internet to fully exploit it—phones could perhaps suffice but not completely replace it—he might have already launched it. Nonetheless, he feared that this show would need to start preparations by next year at the latest. “The Apprentice” had no such constraints; anyone could co up with the concept at any mont. Free agent Trump could be approached by any other network to produce such a show, and he would have no reason to decline. So Adrian decided to move the tiline up to the following year.
After discussing the show a little more, a servant ca to knock on the door. Trump looked at the ti and got up to leave: “Sorry, Ed, I’m going to Texas to discuss a business deal, and I need to leave now.”
“All right, I need to prepare to return to Los Angeles myself. There’s no rush on this; we have a whole year to make adjustnts. By the second half of the year, I’m sure you’ll have more free ti,” Adrian said, nodding with a smile.
With Adrian’s help, Trump’s year had beco much easier. By year’s end, the company had finally escaped its predicant, and with so predicting that the property market would begin to recover in ’99, a resurgence seed imminent. That’s why Adrian had said what he did, and Trump was indeed very pleased.
“Are you going to Texas, Daddy?” As they reached the living room, his beautiful daughter was there, who then asked imdiately.
“Yes, Innie, stay ho and be good, I’ll be back in no more than five days,” Trump hugged his daughter.
“Besides business, there shouldn’t be anything else, right?” Ivanka said with a smile, then glanced at Adrian with her usual disdainful and hostile look. Almost everyone knew she didn’t like him.
“Alright, dear, I really am just talking business,” Trump said, sowhat with a headache.
Things used to be fine, even if Ivanka didn’t like Adrian, she would keep those emotions buried in her heart and not lack the necessary etiquette. But now it was becoming more and more perfunctory, as if she couldn’t stand others not knowing she disliked him. Trump knew his daughter was sowhat arrogant and proud, though usually restrained and modest, but she grew up surrounded by flattery, receiving excessive praise from many elders and important figures. Now faced with Adrian, who didn’t care about her at all, she inevitably felt uncomfortable, which transford into unhappiness and even anger.
Of course, part of this was due to his certain behaviors, which Ivanka really didn’t like, especially his unrestrained actions after becoming a judge on “Arica’s Next Top Model.”
“Arica’s Next Top Model,” a reality show, had gained a massive following since its launch. What woman doesn’t want to beco a supermodel? Moreover, there were hardly any restrictions on applying, and the contestants varied from college students to corporate office workers to housewives. With a large number of applicants, there was a lot of hype, which attracted more viewers. Those who made it to the finals naturally had great figures and pretty faces, coupled with the constant stream of topics and so risqué segnts, the show attracted both won and n, thus increasing the subscriber count.
Trump always had a liking for beautiful models, and becoming a judge on the supermodel show made it all the more convenient for him to womanize. There’s no need to ntion the models from various companies, as among the contestants there were also quite so attractive won. Of course, Trump was careful; even when he dated those contestants, he waited until they were eliminated to prevent anyone from catching hold of any scandal.
But most of these activities could hardly be concealed from his daughter. Even though there was an agreent between father and daughter, and Ivanka wasn’t supposed to say anything, it was inevitable that she felt unhappy, making Adrian the convenient scapegoat.
“I’m only going for five days. If you don’t like it, I’ll try to cut the trip in half, okay?” Trump said after clearing his throat.
“No, don’t worry about it, you do what you need to do, Dad.” Ivanka still wore a smile, then looked directly at Adrian standing beside him, “By the way, Mr. Adrian, there’s a new nightclub opening tonight on 78th Street. It’s managed by a friend’s brother, maybe you’d like to attend?”
“Innie,” Trump coughed again.
“Don’t worry, Dad, I know what I’m doing. I’m just going to show my support, I won’t be drinking,” Ivanka shrugged her shoulders, her gaze still on Mr. Adrian, “Of course, you can refuse.”
There was a hint of challenge in her eyes, and Adrian naturally understood the reason behind it. He couldn’t help but smirk inwardly and shake his head. She couldn’t be that naive?
“No problem, I’d love to check it out,” Adrian promptly agreed, happy to shift the narrative. Natalie was sweet, but not sothing one could indulge in every day, and a night out seed inconsequential… To prevent being underestimated by this young lady.
“Be careful, Innie,” Trump said with a wry smile, pinching the bridge of his nose, then gave Adrian an apologetic smile.
“I’ve never made a mistake, have I, Dad?” Ivanka nonchalantly spread her hands and then arrogantly lifted her chin, giving Adrian a sidelong glance.
After leaving Trump’s place, Adrian stayed in his apartnt and didn’t go anywhere, spending most of his ti on the phone until evening. After filling his stomach, he followed the address Ivanka had given him to the nightclub.
“Hey, guys, let introduce you. This is the famous Miracle Director, Mr. Adrian Cowell.” The noisy music continuously echoed from below into the private box, where Ivanka introduced Adrian to her friends and also introduced her friends to Adrian. There were three n and two won, one of the n looking quite steady and about 25 years old, the others about the sa age as her.
“I’m truly flattered, Mr. Adrian, that you like it here.” The composed young man stood up and extended his hand to Adrian with a look of surprise on his face. He was Sanders Denier, the brother of Ivanka’s friend ntioned earlier, the owner of this nightclub, and his sister, Sanders’s sister, sat beside him.
“It’s a pleasure to et you, Sanders. I haven’t frequented many nightclubs in New York, but yours is undoubtedly the best.” Adrian shook his hand and then began to greet the other young people one by one.
They were very much like Ivanka, all children from wealthy families who had attended each other’s parties and were very close. Sanders was also the son of a real estate tycoon, but he was temporarily uninterested in working for his father, and with an elder brother who was more outstanding than he, he opened a nightclub to pass the ti, which turned out to be convenient for these young people looking for fun.
“I must attend to so business, so I will take my leave now. Have fun,” Sanders said a few words before leaving, then Ivanka raised her beer bottle to her friends: “Co on, guys, let’s start celebrating!”
“This doesn’t seem like juice, does it?” Adrian asked at that mont.
“Of course not—You’re not that kind of old fogey, are you, Adrian?” Ivanka said with a giggle, a glint of triumph in her eyes while the others snickered quietly.
Tonight she had been her usual self, very polite to Adrian, but now she finally showed her true colors.
“What’s the big deal? It’s just a drink. Don’t be such a killjoy, Adrian,” another young man chid in, his tone seemingly disdainful.
“You’re nothing like the rumors say, Adrian,” a girl added, her eyes filled with interest as she looked at Adrian as if examining an object.
“We never go to nightclubs with dubious origins, Adrian. Please don’t jump to conclusions about things you don’t understand,” said Ivanka cheerfully, sipping her beer, her eyes brimming with smugness, the air she had been holding in for so long finally released, filling her with imnse satisfaction.
From the mont Adrian equated her with tasteless dullards, Ivanka had been thinking of revenge. As previously ntioned, despite her ability to control herself, her upbringing among flattery and youthfulness made her sowhat biased in her thinking. Even though she knew the impoliteness in her earlier words was at fault, the complete disregard from Adrian still made her angry and led to her retaliatory strikes.
But how old was Ivanka, and who exactly was Adrian? Naturally, she couldn’t get the upper hand, and the more she failed, the more she wanted to save face, particularly enraged by the labels Adrian had stuck on her, hence the scene now unfolding.
Let’s see how long you can hold out. Listening to Adrian constantly answering and explaining questions to her friends, Ivanka had never been happier. Even before coming, she had arranged with her friends to take the opportunity to give Adrian a hard ti with words. She had told them the whole story, of course, with a fair amount of extra oomph in her complaints about Adrian. They all promised to help her; perhaps she was no match for him on her own, but together, how could they not co out on top?
Ivanka was dressed casually today, with a white dress and a yellow coat, revealing a section of her delicate legs in flesh-colored stockings, looking quite sexy in high heels, a complete mismatch for a winter’s outfit. With her mood lifted and beer in her system, a faint blush soon appeared on her cheeks, making her both cute and pretty.
But her good mood didn’t last long because she gradually realized that Adrian didn’t show any sign of being embarrassed by the teasing. He always wore a smile and patiently answered the young people’s questions. As a result, the young people also began to change their attitudes, not as aggressive anymore, and then started having serious discussions with him on certain topics.
In the end, Adrian completely took control of the conversation. Ivanka, sensing the issue, did try to take back control, but each attempt fell flat within two sentences as Adrian deftly shifted focus elsewhere, and her friends were especially cooperative, leaving her no chance to interject.
Damn it! What the hell is going on?! Ivanka couldn’t believe it as she watched her friends laughing heartily in response to Adrian’s words.
“What is going on, Linda?!” Finally finding a mont, Ivanka asked urgently as she went to the restroom with one of her female friends, and Linda’s response left her in despair: “What do you an what’s going on?”
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