Chapter 134: Frank's Approval and the Little Fan

[Chapter 134: Frank's Approval and the Little Fan]

The proposal was quite sudden, catching Charlie off guard.

At Yale University, there were three most famous secret societies: Scroll and Key, Skull and Bones, and the Wolf's Head.

Charlie had heard legendary stories about the Skull and Bones society.

In reality, they were just interest groups.

Young people often desperately sought their place in society, forming various teams during their idealistic phases -- a phenomenon seen throughout history and across cultures.

Any college in America would have such societies, although some had extremely strict admission criteria.

Bobby seemed to want to strengthen his relationship with Charlie because of the qualities Charlie had shown.

People often used various pretexts to help friends build mutual trust.

However, Charlie wasn't very interested in these things. If he were still in college, he might not mind joining a fraternity or brotherhood.

But now, with his business so busy, he had no time for that.

Regarding mutual interests and trust, for a seasoned veteran like him, external additional bonds were secondary.

Any group, even a tight-knit family of parents and children, had conflicts.

Trust didn't come from external conditions but from knowing how to manage the balance between conflict and cooperation -- it came from within!

Obviously, not everyone could do this, and neither could Charlie! But he wouldn't force a fraternity membership if it risked his career.

Charlie politely declined Bobby's proposal and candidly expressed his concerns.

Bobby didn't insist, as he himself hadn't gained much help merely from fraternity membership.

They exchanged contact info, agreed on a small party a few days later, and parted ways.

...

Charlie found Frank again, happily informing him that he'd made new friends and some new business plans.

"So, Frank, why don't we collaborate closely and start a huge media and entertainment company together?" Charlie was ambitious and excited.

Frank looked a bit surprised and blurted out, "Buddy, you'd be better off joining one of the Big Six studios directly. I believe in a few decades, you'd definitely become one of the top industry powers."

Charlie rolled his eyes, thinking, why choose such a tough path?

Climbing slowly within a big company meant many restrictions. At best, Charlie could be a mid-level executive; beyond that would depend on luck.

Wasn't it better to have his own accumulated background?

After serious thought, Frank nodded, "Alright, Charlie, I decide to work with you! But we have to be clear. Besides film and TV production, where I fully respect your opinions, for other company strategy development you must seriously consider my suggestions."

He was giving a heads-up, worried that a young success might become overly domineering rather than a true partner.

Charlie nodded, "Don't worry. The company will have clear rules. I'm not a tyrant who craves control. Even if I hope to enforce some of my ideas that you can't understand now, I'll pay a price and try to convince you.

I won't get caught up in constant power struggles! Although, honestly, I think I'd be good at that.

Haha, just joking, Frank. I hope we work together, using dialogue to continuously strengthen trust!

Then, we create a great media and film group!

The 21st century is coming; electronic information and intelligence will profoundly change the world. I'm full of hope for the future, with endless ideas waiting to be realized!"

"You're really firing me up, buddy!" Frank smiled brightly and shook Charlie's hand firmly.

He sensed Charlie's strong inner conviction and confidence.

It showed that he would use genuine ability to lead the team.

Frank was inspired and confident he could earn his deserved position under friendly competition rules.

...

This party made Charlie feel it was a great gain.

He was thrilled to have quickly built such a business and woven a powerful network of interests.

Now he was full of energy, eager to put preliminary collaboration into action.

But things couldn't be rushed.

Adjusting his mindset, Charlie and Frank met more friends. The party organizer, Martin Stern, caught Charlie's attention.

Now 79 years old, Martin was a designer with countless architectural works worldwide.

Along with Kirk Kerkorian, he was called the "Father of Large Resorts!"

His health was declining, so he seldom appeared publicly.

Charlie shamelessly struck up a conversation, chatted casually, and through Bobby and Frank, at least left Martin with a strong impression -- that of an interesting young man.

...

After some time, the girl approached again.

She was about six feet, wearing heels, almost as tall as Charlie. Charlie, through two lifetimes, rarely saw women that tall.

"Mr. Corleone, can you tell me about your entrepreneurial story? It sounds legendary. I heard about you through a theme park project my father is collaborating on. I can't imagine that you came from the streets and, at just 19, have achieved so much in a year!"

The girl enthusiastically hooked her arm around Charlie's like a fan, asking questions with admiration.

To be honest, besides her height, blonde hair, and expensive Prada and Ferragamo clothes, she had nothing particularly remarkable.

In looks and figure, she was not as good as Rachel and Halle, and she was even inferior to Vera and Maggie.

Still, Charlie patiently chatted with her, partly because she looked familiar and might become even more so after plastic surgery.

Also, Charlie hoped to learn some information about the horror theme park's construction from her.

But the girl mostly marveled at his business skills and complained about her own troubles.

"I'm in boarding school now -- it's so painful, like prison. The classmates are dumb and dull."

After listening a while, Charlie grew impatient and used the party's imminent end as an excuse to leave.

Then the girl suggested, "Great, I'm leaving too. Charlie, I'm meeting some girlfriends. Come with us? If I bring you, those guys will be stunned -- who else has a 19-year-old Hollywood mogul as a friend? If you buy some drinks and invite a few celebrities, that'd be even better."

Charlie was speechless -- was she treating him like a kept toy?

"Sure, Ivana!"

Under Frank's teasing glance, Charlie nodded goodbye to Martin, Bobby, and others.

He then found the security driver, spoke briefly with Uncle Lamont, and drove off in Ivana's car.

...

The next morning, at ten, Charlie with dark circles and a tired look stood near a gas station, sipping hot coffee and eating a hot dog breakfast, casually waiting for Uncle Lamont to pick him up.

His eyes wandered, occasionally showing a mocking smile, seemingly still savoring last night's events.

Suddenly, a commotion came from a small garage-like building inside a two-story supermarket next to the gas station.

A young, handsome man in a suit came out, his face excited, fist over his heart expressing joy.

He walked to the roadside near Charlie, shyly glanced at him with a smile, looked around the street, also waiting for a ride.

*****

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