Chapter 352: A major event involving human life has happened!

After getting off the taxi in Tribeca, Manhattan, Naoki Nagayama led Nakai Genta to walk around in the alley for more than ten minutes, making Nakai Genta a little tired. 【352

"Aren't we there yet? Naoki-san, are you lost?"

"Stop nagging. Don't you know the saying: 'Take a walk after a meal, and you'll live to ninety-nine'?"

Naoki Nagayama was racking his brain to figure out the direction; after all, he had only been here once over a year ago, and the route had become hazy.

"Aha~ we're here." On an inconspicuous street, Naoki Nagayama finally found the bar where Madonna and Basquiat had first met. "Let's go, let's see if we can run into some friends!"

Walking into the bar, under the dim lights, many hippies were already gathered together drinking and chatting. Gangsters who didn't look like good people were huddled together whispering, and brightly dressed women were pulling men around, laughing and scolding. In the middle of the bar, a band was performing at the top of their lungs.

At first glance, it looked like a gathering of demons and monsters.

"Naoki-san, are your friends in New York really good people?" Genta Nakai was secretly shocked, feeling as if he had stepped through the gates of a new world.

"Of course, Genta-san. Don't look at their tattoos, smoking, drinking, and swearing; most of them are friendly and enthusiastic good people!"

Naoki Nagayama was right. Although it was hard to say in other respects, the people here were mostly counter-culturalists from the bottom of society, representatives of advanced culture, and advocates of the spirit of love and peace.

In the 80s, finding a bar in New York that didn't discriminate based on skin color and practiced racial equality was already quite an achievement.

"Hey, Bob, give us two Manhattan cocktails!" Naoki Nagayama shouted to the bartender, acting like a regular who came often, though the bartender Bob didn't recognize these two Asians at all.

While waiting for their drinks, Naoki Nagayama and Genta Nakai enjoyed the performance in the middle of the bar.

The resident bands in New York during this era, besides popular rock, were actively experimenting with newer things. After the decline of Qin Wulang in '82, New Wave was surging again. Underground bands added disco, punk, and metal to their music... The use of synthesizers made the timbres increasingly rich and varied, and the collision of multiple elements made 1983 a year of explosive, legendary albums.

"The music style here... is very strange." Genta Nakai took the cocktail and took a sip, feeling the spicy liquid travel from his throat to his stomach, his whole body becoming hot-blooded and surging. "There's a strange drive to it!"

"Haha, this is the cradle of future music trends~" Naoki Nagayama laughed, then turned to ask the bartender, "Hey, Bob, what about Madonna, who used to sing here?"

Bartender Bob now confirmed that this Asian was indeed a former customer: "You mean Madonna? That girl already signed with Sire Records; she doesn't perform here anymore."

"Oh? And what about her boyfriend, Basquiat?" Naoki Nagayama continued to ask.

"Yo, you mean my brother Basquiat!" Bartender Bob was clearly more enthusiastic. After that girl Madonna latched onto a big shot, she took off from the bar, but his good brother hadn't forgotten these friends after becoming famous. "He's incredible! He's already holding art exhibitions everywhere! He's been very busy lately and hasn't come by~"

Come to think of it, Basquiat going from a bottom-tier street graffiti artist to a famous painter holding exhibitions was the true embodiment of the American Dream, making every guy scraping by at the bottom of New York envious.

Naoki Nagayama sighed helplessly: "Looks like I won't be able to see my old friend today~"

Genta Nakai shrugged. He didn't know these two people anyway; as long as he could drink here, it was fine~

The two hung out in the bar for two hours, immersed in the noisy and jubilant atmosphere, listening to the band's impassioned singing and bragging with the drinking buddies they had just met. Under the influence of alcohol, their dizzy heads felt a sense of relaxation and pleasure.

Seeing Genta Nakai, who was already flushed from drinking, Naoki Nagayama pulled him out of the bar, letting the cold night wind blow away some of the intoxication: "Genta-san, you can't get drunk and pass out so soon. You haven't even seen the wildest club in New York yet!"

"Naoki... what did you say?" Genta Nakai's speech was already a bit slurred. "A club?"

"Yes!" Naoki Nagayama pulled him into a yellow cab. "Driver, go to 77 White Street in Manhattan!"

Mudd Club, one of the most legendary clubs in New York, a paradise for Qin Wulang artists, a destination yearned for by rock youths, and a nightspot where many famous artists hung out. The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and David Bowie, Blondie lead singer Debbie Harry, Talking Heads... all had lingered in this club until dawn.

Naoki Nagayama, having come here again, thought he would still see a group of guys in strange costumes waiting in front of the small door, and perhaps he would even have to wait in line for a few hours.

But when he finally stood in front of the club, which had been converted from a small factory building, he felt stunned...

It was completely empty now, and even the Mudd Club sign had been taken down...

Mudd Club, it had disappeared~

"Naoki-san, are we there?" Genta Nakai draped his arm over Naoki Nagayama's shoulder, looking left and right as if searching for the entrance.

"Ah, yes... we're here..." Naoki Nagayama felt an indescribable sense of loss. It was the pain of seeing a legend vanish after arriving in this era. Only then did he truly feel the footsteps of time trampling mercilessly before him.

"Eh? We're here? Where is the club?"

"It's right here..."

The closure of Mudd Club caused Naoki Nagayama to lose his mood for further nightlife, and Genta Nakai, beside him, was already clearly quite drunk.

"Genta-san, let's go back and rest!"

"Eh? Aren't we going to the club?"

"We already went."

"Oh, so we already went."

At this moment, Genta Nakai was as easy to coax as a two- or three-year-old child. He believed whatever was said and did whatever was asked. If he were left on the street, he would probably be sold off quite easily~

That day, Naoki Nagayama spent his first night in New York in his Manhattan apartment. He had many dreams during the night, but the noisy bubbles of the dreams were impossible to recall when he woke up in the morning.

"Morning, Naoki... hiss..." Genta Nakai, pale-faced, clutched his head. Long-standing habits had woken him up early, but the hangover still hadn't let him go.

"How much did you even drink to be this wilted..." The energetic Naoki Nagayama toasted bread, fried eggs and bacon, and finally handed over a glass of hot milk like a mother hen, even though he was the one who was the guest.

"Not everyone has a capacity like yours~" Genta Nakai finished washing up in a hurry and took small sips of the hot milk. "By the way, Naoki-san, let's sell the stocks today."

"Mm."

Naoki Nagayama nodded and began to eat his breakfast. They had dropped enough; to avoid any potential butterfly effect, it was better to sell them early.

Stock trading in this era was not as convenient as in later generations. The simple trading process not only required specialized terminal machines, but the trading itself also required specialized personnel to operate, otherwise, an ordinary person couldn't handle such complex machinery.

"Ring ring~"

Just then, the telephone in the apartment actually rang, which surprised Genta Nakai immensely. As he walked over to answer it, he said, "It's morning, after all..."

"Hello~" After answering the phone, seeing Genta Nakai's expression turn strange, he handed the phone to Naoki Nagayama. "Naoki... it's for you! It's calling from Japan."

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"? Calling your apartment to find me? Moshi Moshi Moshi Moshi?"

Naoki Nagayama's first thought was Otomo Yoshimura of Shu-Yu Film, but after taking the phone, he heard a familiar voice:

"Nii-chan, it's me, it's me, Tsuruko!"

"Eh?!" This time he was truly surprised. "Tsuruko! Why is it you? How did you know the phone number here?"

"This... it's a long story..."

It sounded like she wanted to be reserved for a moment, but then Tsuruko immediately spilled the beans like peas from a bamboo tube:

First, the family called the hotel in Los Angeles and couldn't reach Naoki Nagayama; then Tsuruko used a spare key to enter Shanying-in, found the office number for Shu-Yu Film in the phone book, called to ask for Naoki Nagayama's latest itinerary, and finally found the number he had contacted most recently.

"So that's why I finally reached Nii-chan! Aren't I amazing!"

Naoki Tsuruko had a tone expecting to be praised.

Come to think of it, he really hadn't called home to report he was safe since arriving in New York; instead, he had called the company first. Sure enough, the company knew his whereabouts better than his family.

"Put that way, it is indeed quite amazing..." He praised her perfunctorily.

Because listening to Tsuruko's tone, it didn't seem like anything urgent, Naoki Nagayama asked, "But why was the family in such a hurry to contact me? Did something happen?"

"Yes!" Tsuruko feigned mystery. "Something life-and-death happened!"

"Don't be dramatic at a time like this!" Naoki Nagayama was speechless. "What exactly happened?"

"Big brother's girlfriend is pregnant! She's over three months along!" Tsuruko shouted. "I'm going to be an aunt next year!"

So that was it...

Naoki Nagayama breathed a sigh of relief. Young men and women falling in love and losing control, wasn't that a normal thing? Was it worth being so anxious and making an overseas call? It was only three months; it wasn't like she was about to give birth!

Wait, three months?

They only found out after three months?

Naoki Nagayama caught the blind spot: "Tsuruko, three months? You only just found out now?"

"Yeah, I heard sister-in-law only found out because her belly got bigger..." Tsuruko said.

It was already showing...

Big brother's girlfriend was a bit too careless!

Silently complaining about his future sister-in-law, Naoki Nagayama became puzzled again: "Then why are you in such a hurry to call me? It's not my girlfriend who's pregnant. Shouldn't you be looking for big brother?"

"They have to get married! Married!" Tsuruko sounded like she wanted to give Naoki Nagayama a chop to the head. "Her belly is already starting to show. If they don't get married quickly, they'll be laughed at at the wedding!"

Indeed, even though it was the 80s, such things as premarital pregnancy were still quite sensitive in small places. Although people's concepts had improved, a big belly at a wedding...

It would still be laughed at!

But hearing this, it seemed they had already decided to get married~

It looked like big brother's lifelong event was settled!

Naoki Nagayama finally reacted: "You mean big brother has to get married as soon as possible? Is the wedding tomorrow?"

"Not that fast... probably within half a month~" Tsuruko said. "Father and mother said they are in a hurry, but the necessary steps still can't be skipped. And Nii-chan needs to come back as soon as possible; you can't miss the wedding!"

"So that's why you were in such a hurry to contact me?"

"Who told Nii-chan to go on trips for weeks or months at a time~"

"If I didn't tell you early, what would happen if I couldn't reach you later? What if you missed big brother's wedding?" Tsuruko's tone still revealed her envy that her brother could travel so freely.

"I understand... I will be back in the next two days..." Naoki Nagayama could only answer this way. There was no help for it; this was his big brother getting married, he couldn't miss it.

However, before hanging up, Tsuruko continued: "By the way, Nii-chan! Since you went on a trip, you can't forget my gift!"

"Eh? Isn't that why I'm coming back?"

"I don't care, you went out anyway! That's all!"

Tsuruko hung up the phone quickly, not giving Naoki Nagayama a chance to bargain.

After putting down the phone, Naoki Nagayama sighed and said helplessly to Genta Nakai: "Genta-san, it looks like I have to go back..."

"Big brother's wedding, huh~" Genta Nakai had heard the gist of it. "Give my congratulations to your big brother~"

"Sigh... my Roman holiday... the Vatican, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain..." Naoki Nagayama was dejected. "I had already arranged the travel route!"

"Hahaha, there will be opportunities later~" Genta Nakai laughed. He couldn't muster any sympathy for Naoki Nagayama not being able to travel; he didn't even have the chance to go himself~

Complaining aside, some things still had to be done.

After calling to book his flight for tomorrow, Naoki Nagayama and Genta Nakai arrived at the New York Stock Exchange and found their broker to direct the operation on-site.

Sure enough, for a gamble involving his entire net worth, on-site trading was the only way to feel at ease.

Although electronic display screens were being promoted, the New York Stock Exchange was still filled with the noise of people coming and going. The floor trading that had been followed for decades was still popular, and the hand-signal battles between brokers were still intense.

If it were a small transaction, perhaps just hanging it up would be fine, but for large transactions, it was mainly an interaction between large capitals.

A nearly 20-million-dollar order was not small, either.

"Sir, are you selling everything?" The broker was a bit surprised. "IBM stock is still in a downward trend. If you sell at this node, you might not get the maximum return."

"Sell it all. My boss follows ancient Eastern philosophy and hopes to quit while ahead." Genta Nakai communicated with the broker, while Naoki Nagayama acted as the wealthy boss who didn't understand English at all...

Except he was just a little too young.

"Alright! It's your money, you decide!" The broker didn't continue to persuade him; in any case, his commission for this transaction was already quite large.

Watching the broker's dazzling operations and a series of incomprehensible hand signals, both of them felt a bit nervous.

But before long, all the stocks in Naoki Nagayama's account were sold. In the eyes of the capital sharks, this was just a single bite.

Nearly 20 million dollars in funds settled in the account.

The rest was the tedious process of withdrawing the cash!

Genta Nakai, walking out of the New York Stock Exchange, felt his legs go a bit weak. Naoki Nagayama had to help him sit in a nearby small garden for a while.

"Naoki-san, I've become a multi-millionaire, right?"

Genta Nakai still couldn't quite believe it. Although as a staff member of Mitsubishi Bank, he was very confident in his ability to make money, becoming a multi-millionaire was at least something that would happen after middle age.

"Hmm... 200,000 dollars doubled is 400,000 dollars. Converted to yen, it's just over 100 million... but after you pay off the mortgage loan, you probably won't reach the level of a multi-millionaire."

Naoki Nagayama's answer earned him an eye-roll from Genta Nakai. His assets had doubled, and this guy didn't have any reaction at all.

"Naoki-san... you should talk less in the future, you'll get hit by someone!"

Naoki Nagayama was returning to Tokyo tomorrow. Transferring the funds from the stock market to an offshore account and then back to Naoki Nagayama's company in Tokyo would still take some time, so Genta Nakai would have to help handle it in the United States.

"Genta-san, as for the money, leave a portion, about two million dollars, in the United States. I want to purchase some assets abroad."

Naoki Nagayama didn't have the intention of transferring all the money back. The assets here mainly referred to real estate... the desire to buy a house was stirring.

"If Genta-san has time during this period, help me look at some high-end apartments in Manhattan, New York. I want to buy one~"

In this era, with 2 million dollars, although he couldn't buy the top-tier apartments, high-end apartments in wealthy areas were always fine.

"Hai, I understand!"

Such a small matter was naturally no problem. "But Naoki-san, we made a huge sum of money...

We must party until dawn tonight!"

"You..." Naoki Nagayama was speechless. "It's only morning right now..."