Chapter 360: The Futuristic Building

"George, how do you like my White Center?" William White said with a grandiosity that was hard to miss, gazing at the giant structure in front of him.

After a little jab at the big shots, George Bush Jr. ignored him and walked straight into the building.

"Tsk. You're just jealous," William White replied defensively. "You see all the glitz, but you don't notice the tech and eco-friendliness, do you?"

On the same day, two modern buildings in New York and Los Angeles opened, along with a none too shabby Sports Center. And you folks still dared call me a job thief?

The simultaneous ribbon-cuttings in those three locations shocked the whole country. The onlookers were deeply impressed by William White's bold moves.

This kind of investment was bordering on insanity, yet you said he wouldn't invest in America? Ha! That's jealousy if I ever saw it.

At least that's what the onlookers believed.

NBC broadcast this spectacle live, instantly silencing a bunch of naysayers. It didn't matter how much he was investing; when those accomplishments stood before them, all words fell flat.

Technology, environmentalism, intelligence, and green -- when those words came out of William White's mouth, the onlookers were left stunned.

My goodness, when did the world become like this? With that smart card, I feel like I could finally enter that building.

Those cracks in the walls were meant for planting greenery. Well, okay, he sure is a little eccentric.

Hold on, what's that high-speed internet port? Fiber optics? There are no traditional phone lines?

Well, the IT crowd was buzzing; this thing seemed to have potential. Darn it, this building should be in Silicon Valley, not Hollywood.

"William, did you bring Bell Labs to Hollywood?" George Bush Jr. looked at all the new gadgets in disbelief.

"What are you talking about? Bell Labs is a treasure trove. They research a lot of things; this is just the beginning. One day, we might not even need factory workers. Do you know what this is? This is technology; this is what we strive for."

William said this cheerfully, but Bush Jr. felt a chill run down his spine. If there were no workers, how would society continue?

"Haha, don't sweat it, George. That day is still a few decades away. Isn't the American economy transitioning? This is just part of it."

"Okay, you've spooked me. I hope that day doesn't come too soon."

...

The onlookers understood that William White was primarily focused on technology; in traditional fields, he was just having a bit of fun.

The White Center wasn't generally open for rent; most floors were for his own use.

Of course, the typical company couldn't afford it; so-called high-tech came with high prices.

In present-day America, high-end office buildings were not in high demand. Once William White's companies moved into the new building, there would be many vacant offices in New York and Los Angeles.

Surprisingly, the parts of the White Center that were available for rent actually attracted quite a bit of attention in the industry. Many media and tech companies were looking to relocate.

There were few tech companies in New York and Los Angeles, yet somehow they were clustering together. If this building had sprung up in Silicon Valley...

Well, while perhaps not as grand, it certainly was more attractive than ordinary office buildings. A number of tycoons grumbled that he seemed to be turning into a real estate developer.

The two White Squares in America were no small fries either. If the current White Center was in high demand, they could only imagine how the newly planned White Square would draw the market's attention.

Come on, is this fair? We have professional real estate companies, and we can't compete with your amateur efforts?

Yeah, high tech, huh? We can do that too.

As they looked over the reports submitted by their staff, any thoughts of competing were quickly dashed. They realized that William White was nothing but a spendthrift. At least a fifth of the property was dedicated to leisure services, and the low occupancy rate of the building was nearly outrageous.

It seemed the discounts he mentioned weren't just talk; with so many auxiliary services, the price was naturally steep.

...

William White retreated to his office, leaving the reporters in a tough spot. After days of pursuing him, it didn't amount to much now. They could at most hang around his news center, and that was all.

William had his own parking lot and private elevator, so the outside world couldn't track his movements. You couldn't even be sure he was at the office.

"William, your office looks more like a bedroom. You planning to keep a secret girlfriend in there?"

"Wow, funny you should know that story. As a cowboy, that's quite a miracle."

*****

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