Father of France

Chapter 112 Optimistic Outlook
This transformation was closely related to the family's wealth. The railway magnate's main profit came from freight rates, but road transport weakened the railway's monopoly and profitability. Family members gradually lost interest in controlling and managing the railway company.

The Vanderbilt family understands the principle that more children bring more blessings. By the fourth generation, there were more than 100 members. After decades of living a life of luxury in high society, the family's wealth was really not much left.

In the past, Picasso would only need to provide his name, and Vanderbilt III would organize the art exhibition beautifully without Corman having to worry about anything. He might even have been paid a substantial fee for Corman's involvement in the event.

But now? We really need to be careful with our money.

Fortunately, Coman had no intention of taking advantage of the situation from the beginning. He immediately offered to compensate the Vanderbilt family for their hard work with the ticket revenue from the high society events, ensuring that Vanderbilt III would not suffer financial losses.

"In fact, this is just the beginning. Many French companies, especially those with an artistic flair, are very optimistic about the American market and want to cooperate with families like the Vanderbilt family, which are full of artistic sentiments." Koeman's face was full of solemnity, and his words affirmed the Vanderbilt family's great value in uniting the Chinese people.

A family like the Vanderbilt can survive if the young Kochman lends a hand, but it's not difficult to bring them down if he kicks them.

This attitude deeply moved Vanderbilt III, who was already beginning to feel the pinch of financial hardship and realized he couldn't compare to his grandfather's generation.

Moreover, he felt that those well-known French companies were indeed very much in line with the Vanderbilt family's current artistic positioning, and he couldn't help but say with delight, "We must make the exhibition a great success."

As for the timing of the exhibition, after careful consideration, Koeman decided to hold it at the end of August. At that time, although Japan had not yet formally signed the surrender document, it was of the same nature as Germany's formal surrender in late May. In fact, Germany was already finished after the Battle of Berlin, but it was missing the formal announcement by Dönitz.

By late August, World War II had effectively ended. At that time, the United States should have been experiencing the height of national pride since its founding. With Americans in high spirits and the whole country in a state of jubilation, an art exhibition featuring Picasso and others would have the greatest impact.

Koeman did not give a precise timeframe, but since Vanderbilt III had served as governor, he offered a national-level analysis, allowing Vanderbilt III to consider it himself.

Unsurprisingly, Vanderbilt III came to a conclusion, and like Koeman, he felt that the exhibition would be more successful when the World War ended.

If all goes well, the exhibition period can be extended appropriately, which will further enhance both its reputation and profitability.

"Mr. William, your keen insight into the arts is truly admirable." Corman said with obvious approval, referring to Vanderbilt III and himself as the "hidden dragon and the young phoenix."

Koeman was actually quite strapped for cash. The more than 30 million US dollars, as well as the artworks and antiques that Martin had, actually belonged to the Youth Division's military assets. Don't be fooled by Martin's seemingly unambitious appearance; he only indulged in a little extravagance, and he would never dare to touch the bulk of it.

As for Alan's gains from the Swiss bank, since the transaction is not yet complete, the figures have not been compiled. However, that money is to be handed over to the state, and its impact is even more serious than that of military assets.

At that moment, Koman suddenly missed his gold, which was temporarily stored in India, terribly. He really should find a suitable opportunity to take back his legally obtained gold, since it was well known that Indians were not very trustworthy.

Vanderbilt III, eager to solidify the artistic family's position, kept Coman at The Breakers for a day. This estate, a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's pinnacle, was then facing the threat of inheritance tax and maintenance fees.

"I think if the art exhibition is successful, none of this will be a problem," Koeman said, trying to comfort Vanderbilt III, that old rascal who was barely keeping his ancestral property. If he hadn't come all the way from Europe to help him out, the family would have fallen apart.

Vanderbilt also had high expectations for this art exhibition. Since it was an art exhibition, there would naturally be tickets. Picasso's paintings couldn't be viewed for free, so in addition to tickets, some paintings would also be sold, which would be a source of profit.

It can be said that when Koeman approached Vanderbilt III, he wasn't treating him like a sucker; he genuinely believed in the reputation Vanderbilt III had built up with hundreds of millions of dollars in wealth.

"We can hire a few celebrities from MGM to increase the art exhibition's visibility; that's quite simple." Vanderbilt III attached great importance to the art exhibition, and various ideas kept popping up.

“MGM.” Coleman muttered to himself. In this era, MGM was the largest film company in the United States. As for the other seven of the eight major film companies, they were really just other companies.

It's fair to say that only MGM is a comprehensive film company, producing films of all genres and dominating the North American market. Calling it the MGM dynasty wouldn't be an exaggeration; its brand recognition and star power far surpass those of other film studios.

Disney primarily focuses on animated films, Columbia Pictures concentrates on comedy films, 20th Century Fox mainly produces large-scale epic films, and Universal's signature films are monster movies like King Kong.

MGM owns 30 percent of the box office revenue in the North American film market.

The so-called Golden Age of Hollywood was basically propped up by MGM, while other film companies could only exert their efforts in niche markets.

As for MGM, they have so many stars that it's impossible to count them all; nearly half of the top 100 actresses are from that company. And each one has stood the test of time. It's nothing like 21st-century Hollywood.

In 21st-century Hollywood, if you asked Corman whether Hollywood actresses or actresses from the San Fernando Valley were prettier, he would most likely choose the latter.

After hearing what Vanderbilt III said, Corman seemed to suddenly become excited about the art exhibition, hoping that this contemporary Vanderbilt figure could bring out the last drop of the family heritage and not waste the opportunity to build an artistic family.

His attempt to exploit people's lack of knowledge had initially succeeded, but Koeman couldn't afford to waste any more time there. The United States was so vast that he needed to investigate helicopter companies across the country to see if he could help France's current actions in Algeria, without drawing the United States' attention to the development potential of helicopters.

After all, the United States still has a war on the Korean Peninsula underway, and he does not want the U.S. military’s existing advantage in weaponry to be further expanded. Armed helicopters are indeed too terrifying for light infantry.

But upon closer examination, the mountainous and forested environment is actually not very suitable for helicopter operations. The United States relied on its powerful industrial strength to eliminate all century-old trees in Vietnam, thus creating an environment suitable for helicopter operations.

Armed helicopters are still best suited to the open desert environment of Algeria, which is why Koeman rushed to the United States. Even if the engine is not yet ready, the fact that metallurgical technology can increase the strength of materials is worth a special investigation.

Coleman's first destination was Philadelphia, a city in New England in the northeastern United States, where the day was sunny and visibility was good.

The US military treated the French delegation quite well, sending soldiers along. It's unclear whether Koeman was a US soldier or not, but he also seemed to be an officer who was optimistic about the future of helicopter applications.

A black military limousine drove in silently. The door opened, and a pair of gleaming military boots stepped out first, followed by Colonel Keller, who stood ramrod straight. He wore a crisp Army Aviation uniform, his epaulets stiff, and his eyes surveyed everything before him like a ruler—the planes, the welcoming crowd, even the sky.

Behind him were several officers, all dressed in the same neat military uniform, and a clerk holding a notebook with a reserved expression.

“Lieutenant Coleman, this is it.” Wiggins got out of the car and gestured for them to enter. After they both got out, the engineer from Bell Helicopter Company noticed the unexpected guests.

A man in oil-stained work clothes was pushed forward. Frank was about forty years old, with messy hair, and his eyes held the focus often seen in a skilled technician, along with a hint of impatience from being temporarily assigned a task.

“The application prospects of helicopters are very broad now, and our company has always believed in this. They are a powerful supplement to the Army Aviation Corps.” Frank answered the military’s questions one by one, speaking quickly and using technical terms. Other officers dispersed, some taking photos, some taking notes, the atmosphere serious yet efficient.

"What does Lieutenant Coleman think?" Captain Wiggins asked Coleman, seemingly taking the French representative's views very seriously.

“Of course I agree.” Koman glanced at the helicopter not far away. To be honest, it was better than the finished product he could draw himself with a ruler. He asked directly, “How do we solve the resonance problem of the tail section? And if we want to meet military standards, we will definitely need to add a lot of armor. Can the existing power system meet the requirements? These are all problems.”

Captain Wiggins nodded and said, "That's true. The application of helicopters is far from mature yet, but that's okay. Bell is not the only helicopter manufacturer in the United States. We will definitely be able to find the company that meets our needs."

"That's perfect. I have faith in the capabilities of the many helicopter manufacturers in the United States, so it doesn't matter if we can't find one in the end." Despite the setback, Koeman did not give up hope. After all, the United States is the world's largest industrial nation, not some empty shell like those in the 21st century.

(End of this chapter)