area51novel Page 97
Page 97
Edward Binns, his eyes still blurry with drunkenness, asked seemingly unintentionally.
Hawke, however, knew that the real business tonight was probably only beginning now.
He smiled slightly:
"Yes."
"Is it because of the valuation?" Edward Binns asked impatiently before Hawke could finish speaking. "How far is Sequoia Capital's $60 million valuation from the price you're looking for, Mr. Ryan?"
Christy Durrington frowned. "Isn't your question a bit too private?"
I knew long ago that you old codger had ulterior motives for hosting this banquet, but the way you ate was rather unseemly.
“Uh…” Hawke raised his glass and smiled slightly: “There’s still a tiny bit of a gap.”
"My friends and I are willing to value Twitter at $80 million. Mr. Ryan, would you be willing to accept the investment?"
Edward Binns said impatiently.
“Hmm…” Hawke said somewhat helplessly, “Mr. Edward, investing in an internet platform at this stage is not a good idea. Although the return on investment is high, the risk is also quite high. As for Twitter, after all, it is backed by Lane Technology and does not lack cash flow for the time being. In addition to operating Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, Lane Technology is also promoting the newly developed Snapchat. The total investment in the initial development and promotion is 40 million US dollars. Only after it succeeds will it open up investment channels, and if it fails…”
Without Hawke needing to say anything, Edward Bins understood immediately. He was shocked. Damn, this young master is playing with fire. The internet itself is a relatively new field, and a company that already operates several internet platforms dares to spend 40 million US dollars to create a new platform.
Crazy?
Edward Bins had previously heard that Sequoia Capital was discussing investment with Lane Technology, and he also discovered that his wife, Christy Durrington, had some connections with Hawke, the young master. So after investigating Lane Technology, he found that it was indeed a high-quality asset and a unicorn in the Internet field, and then he tried to see if he could invest.
Looking at it now...
just forget it.
He has a small family and a modest business; he can't possibly accompany this young master on his crazy adventures.
Even if this $40 million investment platform doesn't fail, given this young master's style, he'll definitely escalate his activities to bigger and bigger levels in the future. He's just a small businessman with no power to restrain him, so what's the point of him doing this?
Edward Binns felt a pang of regret; it seemed he wouldn't be able to take advantage of this young master.
Tonight's banquet was a complete waste.
Seeing that Edward Binns' smile was forced, Hawke's mind raced. It wouldn't be good to discourage the old man, otherwise he would never invite him to his house again. He should give him something to show for his efforts.
Hawke smiled and said:
“Mr. Edward, I remember you work in real estate, right?”
“That’s right.” Edward Binns was taken aback, then said with delight, “Could it be that young master Hawke has recently had such a need? Then please come to me, I will definitely find a good house for young master Hawke that is both beautiful and inexpensive.”
Hawke certainly doesn't lack property, but Cheon Song-yi is missing one. Hawke can't let Cheon Song-yi live in his house forever, otherwise things will get complicated when he tries to pick up other girls. It's time to find Cheon Song-yi a new home.
Coincidentally, this matter could also be entrusted to Edward Binns, allowing him to reap some benefits and cultivate a good relationship with the two, ideally becoming close family friends. This would give Hawke a reason to frequently stay overnight at his house.
176 Come on, brother, take your medicine... [Seeking flowers and subscriptions]
"Yes, I'm looking for one in Manhattan, and the price would be around $1000 million..."
Hawke briefly outlined the requirements.
Hawke wouldn't be stingy with women he wanted to keep by his side long-term; he would usually buy them mansions worth tens of millions of dollars. Of course, he wouldn't give them the mansions immediately; they would only be options. Even then, the options would expire in four years, and the property would automatically transfer to their names.
"Yes, Young Master Ryan, I've got your back..."
Edward Binns excitedly drank his wine while discussing the details with Hawke.
For Hawke, a mere tens of millions of dollars is nothing, but for Edward Binns, it is a considerable sum.
Hawke's mind was already wandering as Edward Binns recounted various matters concerning real estate. After Christie Durrington winked her alluring eyes at Hawke, she stretched out her long legs, clad in black stockings, from under the table and gently rubbed them against Hawke's legs.
"hiss--!"
Hawke gasped.
Edward, it's not that I'm a bad brother, it's just that my sister-in-law is too charming!
In short, Hawke and Edward Binns hit it off so well that they finished off two bottles of white wine in no time.
then.
Hawke and Edward Binns were both completely drunk.
"I can't drink anymore, I should go home."
Hawke stood up unsteadily.
“Going home? Young Master Ryan, it’s so late. If you go home at this hour and something happens, we can’t afford to take responsibility.” Edward Binns hiccuped and said, “If you don’t mind, why don’t you stay here for the night?”
"Is this appropriate?"
"What's inappropriate about it? We're all friends, so just relax and stay here. We have several empty guest rooms!"
"Well... I guess I'll have no choice but to accept."
With the help of the nanny and Christy Durrington, the two were escorted back to their room.
From an angle where Edward Binns and the nanny couldn't see, Hawke grabbed Christy Durrington's shapely buttocks and pinched them three times, giving her a signal.
Christy Durrington turned and glared at Hawke. He knew then that the woman had understood his implication.
Hawke stayed comfortably in his bedroom and slept soundly.
Inside the master bedroom.
Edward Binns crashed heavily onto the soft, sturdy ship and said:
“Christie, young master Ryan is a very nice man. He gave our family a good business deal as soon as we met. You should get to know him better in the future; it will be very beneficial.”
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Christy Durrington said. "He's the eldest son of the Lane family. Do you think you can just get close to him whenever you want? Let's focus on our business and stop trying to take advantage of those rich kids. We might end up losing more than we gain."
"Didn't you see? I just closed a deal worth tens of millions of dollars with Young Master Ryan," Edward Binns said unhappily. "We're not going to get involved in any funds or finance with this young master. What could he possibly rip us off? This young master is really rich. I just think that by befriending him and helping him with some things, he can save himself some trouble. If he's happy, even a little bit slipping through his fingers is enough for us to live on for a long time. Isn't that good?"
"So you're telling me to befriend him? I'm your wife!"
“I’m doing this for the good of our family. You don’t know how tough business is these days. Our company’s cash flow isn’t great, and we urgently need to find new sources of funding, otherwise the risks will be very high,” Edward Binns said. “Besides, in business these days, without power and influence, anyone can bully you. Don’t be fooled by our family’s combined wealth; we’re billionaires, but what are we compared to the real giants? When they want to take advantage of you, you have no chance to fight back. If we can befriend this young master, then our family will have a powerful backer, and we’ll be able to join the ranks of the elite. Doing business with others will become much easier. Christy, you don’t want our family to go bankrupt anytime soon, do you?”
Christy Durrington: "..."
What else could she say?
She had clearly refused him, but her husband insisted on pushing her toward Hawke for the sake of some so-called benefactor. What could she do?
I have no choice but to listen to my husband.
“I know,” Christy Durrington said impatiently. “I’ll try to get closer to him and see if there’s a chance to get him to help our family more.”
How can I build relationships as much as possible?
Of course, the goal is to reduce the relationship to a negative distance. The main thing is to seize Hawke's "handle". What can't he do?
“That’s it!” Edward Binns nodded in satisfaction, then said, “What do you think, should we have Kem recognize this young master as his godfather?”
“Are you out of your mind? Don’t just make things up.” Christy Durrington rolled her eyes and said, “He’s a promising young man in the prime of his life. You want someone his age to be your godfather? Of course he’d agree. Our family background is far inferior to his. Bringing up this thing will only humiliate you.”
"Heh... It seems like I'm just daydreaming, huh?" Edward Binns chuckled awkwardly, muttering to himself, "So, what's a good way to get closer to this young master?"
Christy Durrington shook her head slightly, turned around and opened the drawer in the master bedroom where she kept things. She took out two medicine bottles, one was hangover medicine, and the other... was sleeping pills.
Taking one pill from each of the two bottles, Christy Durrington poured a glass of warm water, approached Edward Binns, and said:
"You drank so much today, here, take some hangover medicine."
177 Truly a mature woman! [Seeking flowers and subscriptions]
As Edward Binns had previously told Hawke, he had many social engagements and often got drunk. As a result, he and Christy Durrington always kept hangover remedies in their bedroom, and Christy Durrington would give him some whenever he was brought back.
Edward Binns' vision had already been blurry, so when Christy Durrington said that, he obediently took his medicine and soon fell asleep like a log.
Seeing this, Christy Durrington left the room and quietly closed the bedroom door.
Next, Christy Golden Lotus Durrington will be going to fight Hawke Simon Ryan at night.
When Christy Durrington opened Hawke's room, she was astonished to find that Hawke, who had been staggering and drunk, was now lying on the bed scrolling through Twitter with great interest!
Looking at his bright and alert eyes, he didn't seem drunk at all.
"You're not drunk?" Christy Durrington shook the bottle of hangover medicine in her hand speechlessly, and said, "I even brought you hangover medicine!"
"Hehe, do you know how much alcohol I can drink?"
"How many?"
Hawke held up one finger.
"One bottle?"
"I'll keep drinking!"
Christy Durrington: "..."
Hawke wasn't bragging; he's completely immune to alcohol and can genuinely drink continuously.
Christy Durrington placed the bottle of hangover medicine on the bedside table.
Hawke reached out, grabbed her arm, and with a gentle pull, drew her into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist, caressing and playing with her gently, and chuckled:
"How's your husband? How's he doing? Mr. Edward isn't completely drunk, is he?"
"He is still somewhat conscious."
Christy Durrington said, biting her lip.
"Won't he wake up in a bit?"
Hawke exclaimed.
Christy Durrington: "No, I gave him sleeping pills so he'll sleep soundly until tomorrow morning."
Hawke: “…”
It seems that high-level hunters often appear as prey. Christy Durrington looks dignified and elegant, as if everything is being pushed around by Hawke, but what is the truth? Deep down, this woman probably wanted to take matters into her own hands long ago.
But that's quite normal. This is America, a country known for its openness, not the rigid and serious China. Let alone Christy Durrington's approach, there are quite a few open couples here. Will Smith and Jada Smith are a typical example. In 2020, Will Smith, who had been married for over 20 years, was suddenly cheated on by his wife Jada, who was exposed for having an affair with a rapper 21 years his junior.
Moreover, this singer was introduced to her personally by her son. A son setting up a relationship with his father to cheat on him? It sounds unbelievable, but it's not just a rumor.
Will Smith not only readily admitted it, but also generously offered his blessings.