Chapter 249: Times Square
On 42nd Street in Times Square, Arthur and Rudy Giuliani sat in a second-floor café, looking down at the intersection below.
"I will shut down all the adult establishments around here, renovate these stores, and invite large corporations to move in," Rudy Giuliani said, pointing to the street below. "I will redevelop the roads at the intersection and make Times Square the symbol of New York."
Arthur took a sip of his coffee. "I plan to use that plot of land on 49th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues to build the Galaxy Plaza Tower. Recently, I acquired the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group and will open one in the Galaxy Plaza Tower in Times Square. I need a ten-year tax exemption for the building."
Rudy Giuliani was about to speak, but Arthur interrupted, "Don't rush to reject it. I'm the first to support your redevelopment of Times Square, and the investment in the Galaxy Tower is nearly $200 million.
I don't believe anyone else is supporting you as much as I am right now. A ten-year tax exemption isn't too much to ask. If the redevelopment of Times Square fails, my losses will be significant too. Without matching returns for such a high risk, it will be tough."
Rudy Giuliani thought for a moment. "Then you must start construction within three years. The redevelopment of Times Square is expected to officially begin the year after next."
Arthur smiled. "Don't worry. Both Galaxy Group and Ritz-Carlton are influential brands. Their future reputation will only grow, and it will definitely benefit the area's competitiveness."
Arthur then gave Rudy Giuliani a meaningful reminder, "Crime in New York is also a big issue. Last night, I witnessed a robbery on Park Avenue in the Upper East Side. If even the Upper East Side isn't safe, imagine the rest of the city."
Rudy Giuliani frowned. "Looks like I need to have a good talk with Eric Adams. New York's high crime rate is largely due to police inefficiency!"
Arthur shrugged. "No one cares about the reasons, but the Upper East Side is a wealthy area that must be kept safe."
Rudy Giuliani was a Republican, no wonder he would become Trump's personal lawyer in the future!
After leaving Times Square, Arthur returned to the Galaxy Tower downtown. "Carl, have you chosen a base for Seraphim?"
Carl Anderson nodded and handed Arthur several documents. "These are the areas we've considered, but we haven't decided yet."
Arthur flipped through the documents and selected a plot of land in Pitkin County, Colorado. It was a 12,000-acre valley priced at $4.5 million. "Let's go with this one. It's sparsely populated, with the whole county covering over 2,500 square kilometers and a population of just over 10,000, mostly concentrated around Aspen."
Arthur picked the chosen location. "Complete the handover as soon as possible and start building the training base in the right spot."
"Understood," Carl Anderson replied enthusiastically and left the office.
If Arthur remembered correctly, Aspen was a skiing resort in the future. Though the land he purchased wasn't suitable for farming due to its rocky terrain, it could support livestock and the timber business. Maybe he could build a ski resort there?
After a while, assistant Anna Walker brought the budget report for The Pelican Brief. After selecting Oliver Stone as the director, the budget had increased from the initial $22 million to $30 million.
Arthur then looked at other business matters: "Galaxy Publishing is planning to acquire the movie entertainment magazine Premiere? Support Louis Rossetto in founding the technology magazine Wired?"
Since becoming a major shareholder of the UK Mirror Group, Galaxy had established its own publishing company, managing the Mirror Group and two adult literature publishers based in the UK and the US, mainly in English-speaking markets.
Premiere, founded in 1987, was a new type of American movie entertainment magazine, similar to the UK's Empire, focusing on the movie entertainment industry. The Hollywood power list was a gimmick created by Premiere.
"I agree with acquiring these two magazines. Have them also contact The Hollywood Reporter to see if they are willing to sell. Galaxy needs its own newspaper industry," Arthur was also interested in well-known newspaper brands. After all, the Mirror Group was rooted in UK operations. Having their own platform for expression, either through television broadcasts or newspapers, was essential.
"Okay," Anna quickly responded.
In the afternoon, Jennifer Aniston arrived at the penthouse apartment in Galaxy Tower, and Arthur was on the phone with director Frank Darabont.
"You still want to use the original title The Shawshank Redemption for the movie?" Arthur had to remind him, "First, the content is about prison life, which won't attract female audiences. Second, there aren't any action scenes or romantic elements to appeal to young people.
Lastly, the leads aren't particularly famous. Even though Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are well-regarded, they lack commercial impact!"
Frank Darabont on the other end of the line chuckled helplessly. "We really can't think of a suitable title. After all, this film is about redemption, freedom, and hope. Arthur, do you have any ideas?"
Arthur thought for a moment. "The Shawshank Redemption mainly corresponds to the theme of hope. If you use the original title, people might misunderstand and think Shawshank is a person's name. So, it's best to change the movie's title to something more appealing!"
"Alright, we'll discuss it further," Frank Darabont's thoughtful voice came through the phone.
Seeing Arthur hang up, Jennifer Aniston couldn't help but speak, "Can you handle managing so many companies every day?"
Arthur shook his head. "No, this has accumulated over time. Normally, Anna informs me directly of important matters."
"In the evening, we need to attend a party at the Plaza Hotel."
"You look great in those black stockings," Arthur smiled. Women really didn't fear the cold.
Jennifer Aniston glanced at Arthur and said, "It's your fault. The bruises on my knees haven't healed yet..."
*****
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