Chapter 79: Leisure Days

The winery had finished its expansion, and next door, a juice factory was still being built. Although he wasn't short on money, he still took out a loan of twenty million dollars from the bank.

The state government offered interest subsidies, so he wasn't about to turn down free publicity. With a juice factory, grapes from the surrounding farms wouldn't go to waste, which was, without a doubt, a fantastic project for the local farmers.

In fact, White Wine was selling quite well, at least in the Los Angeles area. Before this, Texas wine was regionally focused, and high-end places still preferred Bordeaux.

Even though there wasn't a massive change, there were some people willing to give it a try. Trendsetting always had an element of celebrity influence. Observant audiences might have noticed that in William White's films, the wines featured were all from White Winery.

Though short-term effects may not be obvious, William White believed that over time, more people would grow to love that wine. Sommeliers could tell between good and bad, but to ordinary folks, that stuff's all hogwash.

Americans were quite supportive of their own agricultural products. Officials even acted as sales representatives. The year had been tough for farms, but here came a reliable solution that absolutely needed robust support.

William White's promotion was simple: celebrity influence plus patriotism. Texas vintners were thrilled since, in such a harsh environment, wine sales actually increased slightly.

...

When some folks are happy, others certainly aren't. French wine distributors were extremely dissatisfied; their sales had dropped. To them, Texas wine was utterly garbage, not even on the same level.

Yeah, you can gripe in private, but publicly challenging William White would be utterly brainless.

In fact, the French didn't really care whether Americans drank their wine or not. The pride of the French was no joke. They believed that apart from themselves, no one else could make or appreciate wine, and selling it to others was purely a waste.

The capital markets were utterly baffled by why he was delving into agriculture. They thought there was no business in wine and drinks, absolutely a dead end. Coca-Cola had already flopped; how could one expect to come out on top?

Every time William White saw Coca-Cola's stock price, he drooled. It was so cheap, practically free. If he had spare funds, he would have heavily invested already.

At the time, the current CEO was a spendthrift, jet-setting around with his wife on corporate planes. Such a company thriving was downright miraculous.

"You're just selling soda, why the heck are you diversifying?"

Fortunately, William White had plenty of time. This was something he planned to add to the family trust, slowly acquiring shares.

This year's economy was terrible, and next year would be worse. Coupled with their self-demolition, Coca-Cola's stock would surely drop below ten dollars. There wasn't much time; William White remembered clearly that Coca-Cola would have a leadership change next year, making it the best opportunity.

Buffett didn't buy until 1989, and before that, Coke had already nearly quintupled. Buffett's investment of 1.3 billion eventually reaped over 15 billion, making it a celebrated investment that later had lesser success post-2000.

As living standards improved, the demand for soda decreased. Although Coca-Cola attempted to pivot, it appeared average, making easy profits much harder.

Natural fruit juice drinks actually started in the 2000s. William White was a bit early in this venture, and the market's acceptance wouldn't be that high.

Consider it foresight; without a strong brand foundation, it really wouldn't work. This period could only be seen as preparatory. First, take over the high-end market; American rich folks were still particular about these things.

...

"Master, it's nearly time for dinner," said Fulton with a smile.

"I'm really starving. What's the good grub today?" William White, after wandering around the winery for quite some time, felt he could eat a whole cow.

"Master, they've got a few Australian lobsters, should be way tastier than Boston ones."

"Ah, Fulton, we should set up an aquarium for the future. I'm rather fond of them."

"Alright, Master, I'll have it arranged right away."

In those days, seafood was always pre-cooked, leaving William White exasperated. He couldn't understand why fishermen directly steamed them. Thinking with the hindsight of future times, it should be noted that prices weren't high in those days, and lobster wasn't anything rare. It wasn't easy to keep them fresh, so the standard practice was to precook.

Dead seafood wouldn't be tasty. Steaming and then refrigerating it helped preserve its texture as much as possible.

...

In the afternoon, it was time to chop down a tree. Even if it didn't snow, a Christmas tree was still essential. The farm allowed the liberty to chop freely, as the trees weren't worth much.

William White was feasting happily, and even his dog was ravenous. On the farm, the dog was all over the place, getting into everything. Only after being ganged up on by a few turkeys did it settle down.

These turkeys were big and fat. These critters knew their days were numbered and dared to bully even the boss's dog. Don't think only Thanksgiving featured turkeys; Christmas meals could include them too.

...

Home Alone's second week's box office was still impressive. The exact amount would depend on the final two days, but twenty million was assured.

This meant a huge donation, which naturally needed extensive media coverage.

William White continuously attended various charity parties. Although the scene was bustling, the amount donated wasn't large, likely not even a fraction of this time.

His previous good deeds had earned him quite a reputation; this went even further. If you dared call him a country bumpkin, people might blow up at you.

If he were just relying on his parents, he'd have no social status. People might only feel envious, whispering behind his back.

If anyone dared to be as lavish as he was, they'd surely earn the title "spendthrift."

*****

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