Reborn in America, I am a legendary short seller on Wall Street.

Chapter 175 Mr. Potter's First Time Skipping Work

After discussing the property purchase together, Mr. Porter was quite excited. He had considered buying land in New York before, and even thought that buying land in Manhattan was a sure thing. However, his total savings and assets amounted to only a few hundred thousand dollars, and such a big decision as buying land would definitely be difficult to make.

When it comes to buying houses and land, the worst thing is when someone takes the lead.

Mr. Potter, having witnessed Larry's miraculous rise over the past year, outwardly displayed a reserved attitude towards Larry, but rationally still harbored an unshakeable godfather complex towards him.

But subconsciously, Mr. Porter had long thought that Larry was an investment genius, especially since Larry and Wallace made a lot of money with Colt. Even if Mr. Porter said he "didn't care," how could he really be indifferent to such a thing?

That's hundreds of thousands of dollars! It's the result of a lifetime's hard work, and they earned it in just over a month.

In other words, Larry is a "potential stock," so if we don't hold on to him now, when will we?
That's why Mr. Porter was so stunned when he saw Larry's 2 shares of railroad stock today, and even blurted out that he wanted Larry to help him make money.

Of course, it was a little embarrassing to say it, but once it was said, it was done, and at least Mr. Potter felt relieved.

"Mr. Porter, did the Goldman Sachs people say when they'd be coming again?" Larry suddenly asked.

Mr. Potter snapped out of his reverie, frowned, and said, "It's been two days. They come every morning, and I reckon they'll come this morning too."

Larry pulled Henry Goldman's business card from his wallet, glanced at the phone number, and decided to call him right now.

Larry was a little hesitant, though. To be honest, he might have preferred to do business with the short, stout saxophone, because the latter seemed more honest.

Larry pondered for a moment, then turned to Mr. Porter and asked, "Who came to see me? Such a big deal, I'm guessing it was one of their top executives who came in person. Was it that Goldman guy, or Sachs?"

Mr. Porter frowned and replied, "Anyway, he's a tall guy. Oh, by the way, the $1 that was deposited into your account before was also sent by him."

Larry gave a wry smile, realizing he might not be able to avoid the topic of Henry Goldman...

However, Larry still shared his concerns with Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter listened with a cold laugh and said dismissively,

"I think Henry Goldman might be better. Don't be fooled by their appearances. Their so-called honesty is just a carefully crafted persona. When it comes to their interests, they'll retaliate against you more ruthlessly than anything else. So, instead of looking for those who seem conservative, it's better to find someone who has a clear price tag! At least he's genuinely willing to put in the effort for your discounts and commissions."

Larry suddenly realized what was going on, nodded in agreement with Mr. Porter's assessment, and then picked up the phone and dialed the number provided by Henry Goldman.

The call was connected.

"This is Goldman Sachs. How can I help you?" A deliberately trained, soft voice came through the phone.

"Hello, I'm looking for Mr. Henry Goldman."

"Oh, that's unfortunate. Mr. Goman went out this morning to visit a very important client and probably won't be back until 10:30," the other party replied.

Larry frowned, thinking to himself, "What bad luck!" He then said, "Oh, then tell him that Larry Livingston needs to see him. He should call me when he gets back. The phone number is..." As he spoke, Larry glanced at the phone number on a metal plaque under Mr. Potter's phone and gave the number to the other party.

The man repeated the number and then said, “Yes, Mr. Livingston. I have your number saved… but I seem to have heard that he was here to visit you. Haven’t you seen him yet?”

Coincidentally, at that very moment, there was a knock on Mr. Potter's office door.

A young clerk opened the door a crack and said to Mr. Potter, "General Manager, a man named Henry Goldman has come to visit you!"

Mr. Potter and Larry exchanged a glance, then he ordered, "Let him in!"

Larry exchanged a few polite words with the person on the phone, then hung up.

Before long, Henry Goldman appeared in Mr. Potter's office. He was thin and tall, and looked energetic and enthusiastic. He wanted to greet Mr. Potter as soon as he opened the door, but before he could finish speaking, he saw Larry leaning against the desk.

“Ah! Mr. Potter… Oh, Mr. Livingston is here too. Thank God, today must be my lucky day. I’ve finally waited for you.”

As he spoke, Henry Goldman walked a few steps to Larry, extended both hands, and shook Larry's outstretched right hand with a look of honor.

Larry raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Goldman. I heard you've come to see me two days in a row this week. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Henry Goldman's face turned serious, and he nodded hurriedly, saying, "Mr. Livingston, there is indeed important news regarding the property you mentioned last time... Please inform your client immediately. This is a golden opportunity; once missed, it may be difficult to find another one!"

Larry paused for a moment, then realized that what Goldman meant by "client" was that he believed he was representing a client in finding opportunities to purchase property.

When I mentioned buying stocks last time, I said it was for a client; later, when I inquired about properties near the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, I didn't say it was for myself...

This misunderstanding was understandable; Larry even felt that if he hadn't bought 2 shares of stock first and presented a $25 bank draft, Goldman wouldn't have been so concerned about the property purchase.

At this moment, Mr. Porter suddenly interjected, asking, "Where exactly is the opportunity you mentioned? How cheap can the property be?" Mr. Porter was also prepared to take a stake, so he was clearly interested in these two property buildings.

“Right next to the Waldorf Hotel construction site, across Emerald Street. That place was practically made for Mr. Livingston’s requirements!” Mr. Goldman said, then turned to Larry, as if to boast.

“Mr. Livingston, I’m not trying to be rude, but if it weren’t for the fact that Goldman Sachs has such a large business and we have such connections with people from all walks of life in New York, you really wouldn’t be able to find anyone more well-informed than us anywhere else.”

Larry had a sudden thought and nodded, saying, "Can we go take a look now? At those two houses you mentioned."

Gao Man paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Great! It would be best if you were willing to go now, to take a look on behalf of your client!"

Larry nodded, then turned to Mr. Potter. “Come with me. I don’t know anything about real estate and property, Mr. Potter.”

Mr. Porter was visibly taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously said, "...I have to go to work later. Besides, I want to call the bank...to ask about the loan-to-value ratio."

“No rush!” Larry waved his hand, then said seriously to Mr. Porter, “I really don’t know anything about real estate. If I go to look at it by myself, it’s basically a waste of time. You have to help me make a decision.”

Mr. Potter hesitated for a moment, but the words caught in his throat. A fleeting look of hesitation crossed his face, then he nodded and said...

"Okay! Then wait for me to make some arrangements, and I'll go take a look with you!"
.
Goldman hailed a horse-drawn carriage on the street, and the three of them headed towards 34th Street.

On the way, Mr. Porter glanced back at the branch office with unease, then frowned and sighed to Larry, "This is the first time in over twenty years of working that I've skipped work..."

Larry smiled, and naturally recalled how he used to keep asking Mr. Potter for leave in order to go to the casino.

"Sir, just think of it as going to the betting shop to place an order..."

Mr. Potter smiled.

When they arrived at the construction site of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the carriage went through a small alley before stopping next to two slightly old four-story brick and concrete buildings.

These two buildings have a very old design; they were among the earliest "skyscrapers" in New York when the city first started replacing wooden houses with brick-and-mortar buildings, and they look very old now.

The four-story property is divided into two parts: the ground floor, from the semi-basement to the first floor, is commercial space, currently leased by a trading company and a French restaurant respectively; the second to fourth floors are apartment buildings. Tenants can access their apartments on each floor via the staircase at the side of the building.

Henry Goldman explained, "These two properties belong to Mr. Astor... Of course, all the properties around here belong to Mr. Astor... After all, they are the biggest landowners in New York."

Larry wasn't quite aware of the details and turned to look at Mr. Potter.

Mr. Potter then explained,
"The Astor family is a prominent New York family, similar to the Adams family in Boston. Their ancestor, John Jacob Astor, was one of the earliest immigrants to New York, and by 1800, they had become the merchants of the largest fur company in the United States. By the time the elder Astor died, he already owned most of Manhattan. His son, William Backhouse Astor, followed his father's will throughout his life, continuously buying land in New York... buying land whenever he had the money!"

Larry smiled and nodded, thinking to himself that with such top-notch business acumen, turning businesses into land, it was impossible for the Astor family not to be rich.

If their family were still running some fur company, they would probably have gone bankrupt long ago.

Mr. Potter then added that while the Astor family was large and powerful, it was also rife with disputes. The current Waldorf Hotel was founded by William Waldorf Astor, the son of John Jacob Astor III, William Astor's eldest son.

The nearby properties should be considered other properties owned by Astor III, but it's unclear whose they are.

Henry Goldman added, "It belongs to the second son, Henry Astor III!"

Larry was in agony. Every time he encountered people from this era introducing themselves, their names were basically the same, with names like "Third" and "Fourth" everywhere. He was in agony.

However, Larry still mustered his strength and sorted out these relationships.

In short, the second generation had three sons who were the third generation. In the third generation, the eldest son's son, who was also the eldest brother in the fourth generation, Waldorf, founded the "Waldorf Hotel".

However, the descendant of the second son in the second generation is a spendthrift. He is the owner of these two houses, but because he owes a lot of gambling debts, he plans to sell these two four-story properties cheaply.

Larry checked his understanding of the Astor family relationships with Goldman, who laughed and said, "Yes, news of Astor family descendants fighting over inheritance always becomes the most popular gossip in New York newspapers."

"A wealthy family may not have a suitable heir, just as a lion's son may not be a lion!" Larry sighed with a laugh.

However, upon hearing this, Mr. Potter raised an eyebrow and said that John Jacob Astor IV, the youngest son of the third king, was an absolute figure.

He is a graduate of Harvard University, author of the science fiction novel "Other Planets," and holds numerous patents, including those for bicycle brakes and turbine engines.

With both intelligence and good manners, that person's future achievements are sure to be remarkable!
(End of this chapter)