Chapter 49: "The Comet"

"Absolutely infuriating! I can't believe it! How could that damn guy, Rick, get involved with that wretched woman, Madeline? And Madeline even personally testified that our respected father has acknowledged him! Wasn't he the one who claimed he didn't want anything to do with the family? Why is he back now? This is just driving me mad!" After the family meeting that day, Vincent couldn't contain his anger as he raged in his study.

Thomas, his trusted aide standing by, furrowed his brows and replied, "Sir, it might be because you took that gold pocket watch and his woman from him earlier, and, well..." Thomas hesitated halfway through his sentence.

Fortunately, even without Thomas finishing his sentence, Vincent understood. Still puzzled, he continued, "I didn't just take that pocket watch for nothing, did I? I gave him $100,000, for heaven's sake! That's enough for him to paint for a lifetime. And that woman wasn't something I snatched away; he willingly came to me. And even if he didn't, given Rick's constant obsession with painting, she would've left sooner or later!"

"Sir, you're absolutely right, but the issue is that Rick doesn't see it that way. Nonetheless, the foundation hasn't granted him many benefits either; they've just given him 'The Comet' to keep him satisfied!" Thomas consoled.

Upon hearing "The Comet," Vincent's mood finally improved a bit. After all, it was a mess that no one could fix, so nobody within the family was willing to take it. With a cold snort, he said, "Hmph, if 'The Comet' doesn't show any improvement in half a year, watch how I deal with him!"

Meanwhile, in the president's office at the "The Comet" magazine headquarters, Rick was wearing a bitter expression as he said to Tony Monet, "Tony, how come they only gave me this lousy magazine? I've heard from Madeline that this magazine was purely started on a whim by our esteemed father. If it weren't for the family's support, it would've gone bankrupt long ago. And now, look at this, they're just passing me off with this one magazine!"

During his time at Harvard, the fourth Astor had been a fervent fan of science fiction novels and had even written a short story himself, "Journey to His Star" (to be honest, given the context of the time, it was quite well-written). Thus, acting on impulse, he started the "The Comet" science fiction magazine. But usually, enterprises started based on impulse and hobbies had a tough time succeeding, and the fourth Astor's "The Comet" was no exception. (As a side note, naming it "The Comet," that was an unfortunate omen.)

Nonetheless, it represented a hobby of the fourth Astor and hadn't incurred much loss. It was merely a "venture" for his personal entertainment. Although Vincent had long wanted to shut it down, he considered that he shouldn't ruin his father's hobby right after his passing. He had planned to wait a year before making any moves. Now, with Rick's arrival, he simply passed it on to him, using it as an excuse to handle him.

Understanding Rick's frustration completely, Tony Monet looked at the long-term perspective. He comforted, "Don't lose heart, Rick. Your first step, as a newcomer, is to establish yourself. Even if your father were alive, he wouldn't hand over industries like the New York Library or Astor Hotel to someone new in the family. So, not receiving a major enterprise is quite normal."

"Additionally, I think this magazine is quite promising. According to the contract, all the profits from this magazine go directly to you, without any other restrictions. Of course, I also understand that Vincent did this to mock you, fearing that if he got involved, you would use it as an excuse. But this situation presents us with a great opportunity to showcase our talents!"

Rick inquired curiously, "Do you really believe we can make this magazine succeed?"

Tony Monet nodded and replied, "Certainly, science fiction novels, just like mystery novels and adventure stories, are extremely popular commercial themes. As long as they're well-written and captivating, they can be very profitable."

"I'm well aware of that, but there are so few people who can actually write them well. Unless we find masters like Jules Verne or H.G. Wells!" Rick answered with frustration.

"You don't need to look any further, because that person is right in front of you!" Tony Monet said with a smile.

"What?! Tony, you, you can write science fiction?" Rick asked, astonished.

Tony Monet nodded, saying, "Of course!"

"But I've never seen you write before. I remember you wrote adventure and detective stories. Did you switch genres?" Rick asked, puzzled.

"Who said I can't write? I just didn't feel like it before!" Tony Monet boasted, then admitted honestly, "And no one was willing to pay me a high price to write. However, I can help you by writing a few pieces for 'The Comet' for free!"

Rick quickly waved his hand, refusing, "How can I let you write for free? I know you get several hundred dollars per piece from Mann. How about this, I'll give you $1,000 per piece?"

Unexpectedly, Tony Monet shook his head, saying, "No, that won't do. First, we're friends. Second, given 'The Comet's' poor sales, how could I accept such a high payment? How about this, let's look at the sales figures for each issue. If it sells well, you can give me a bit more; if it sells poorly, you can give me less."

Upon hearing Tony Monet's suggestion, Rick pondered for a moment and then said in a serious tone, "Tony, I've made up my mind. I'll give you 30% ownership of 'The Comet.' Let's be co-owners!"

"That's not appropriate. Although 'The Comet' might be smaller in scale, it's still worth tens of thousands of dollars. Are you sure you want to give me this much?" (Mainly because of the land's value.) Tony Monet declined.

Before he could finish, Rick interrupted, "Tony, you're my best friend. Without you, I wouldn't even have 'The Comet.' And you know, I'm clueless about science fiction and have no idea how to run a magazine. 'The Comet's' future relies on you. That's why I think 30% ownership isn't enough."

While Tony Monet had never managed a magazine before, he had been involved with the magazine for almost two years now, constantly interacting with it. He had learned a lot from Mann and Russell, and now that he was also a co-owner, he was feeling quite eager to give it a try!