On the evening of August 8, 2008, at eight o'clock, the world's attention was focused on the opening of the 29th Olympic Games at the Bird's Nest.
As the Olympic art consultant, Gilbert was invited to attend the opening ceremony, and he was seated at the VIP podium.
Around him sat political leaders from various countries, as well as officials from the International Olympic Committee.
Before the ceremony began, the leadership chatted with Gilbert for a few minutes.
The conversation mainly revolved around thanking him for his contributions to this Olympics, his recent disaster relief donations, and his deep friendship with the Chinese people.
The performances during the opening ceremony were spectacular and truly breathtaking.
The overall theme focused on showcasing Eastern culture. To highlight elements of harmony, inclusiveness, and openness, artistic groups from other countries also participated in the ceremony.
As the representative of the United States, when Michael Jackson took the stage, North American broadcast ratings instantly soared to their highest point.
It had been several years since Michael Jackson had appeared on a formal stage, so his participation in the Olympics opening ceremony was a huge surprise.
The remaining performances each had their own unique charm, captivating audiences worldwide.
Undoubtedly, as the chief director of this Olympics, Master Zhang truly lived up to his reputation at this moment.
His personal prestige reached its peak following the opening ceremony, and he undeniably became the number one Chinese-language film director without dispute.
After the ceremony ended, Gilbert had a brief chat with Master Zhang.
"Very impressive. Overall, it felt spectacular. I think it will attract a lot of viewers," Gilbert said.
Master Zhang also breathed a sigh of relief. "This is not my accomplishment alone. It is the result of everyone's efforts that made this grand event possible."
"Yes, everyone has worked so hard," Gilbert said with a smile. "I think you should reward them properly."
"That is certain," Master Zhang responded and expressed his gratitude to Gilbert. "I also want to thank you for providing us with so much help."
"I'm just the art consultant, this is no trouble at all," Gilbert said politely. "Now it's up to the Olympic athletes to perform. I hope they all deliver perfect performances."
After chatting with Master Zhang, Gilbert went to see Michael Jackson.
The King of Pop looked in good spirits. Though older now, his stage performance was still flawless.
"Michael, how are you feeling?"
Michael Jackson, his pale face breaking into a smile, said, "Great. I've always wanted to hold a concert here. Now, I've finally achieved that goal."
Gilbert smiled as well. "Holding a concert won't be a problem. You can apply for it, and I don't think they will refuse."
Michael Jackson nodded. "Good idea. Once my new album is released, I'll definitely perform here."
Since a new album was already planned, it seemed there would be no obstacles.
In the previous world, Michael Jackson's cause of death was widely debated. It was officially due to acute propofol and benzodiazepine poisoning leading to cardiac arrest.
Subsequently, Michael Jackson's personal physician, Murray, was sentenced to four years in prison for involuntary manslaughter.
But the situation was far more complex, involving vast interests and powerful capital groups behind the scenes.
From a certain perspective, Michael Jackson's situation was similar to Gilbert's—both were targeted by capital eager to seize their assets.
The difference was that Gilbert had the means to resist, and he was strong. Michael Jackson, however, did not, and ultimately died a tragic death.
Now Gilbert had protected Michael Jackson, making him a banner within his own camp.
Michael Jackson standing here, unharmed, sent a clear message to those being exploited or about to be:
"Come to me. I can protect you. Together, we can resist those forces that seek to oppress us."
Over the past few years, Gilbert had transformed the squid liberal faction, turning them completely into his supporters.
Those who did not support him had been removed.
Another faction of squids had deep ties with Wall Street, medical capital, and Washington.
At present, part of this faction remained neutral, some joined Gilbert's side, and the rest naturally became enemies.
Counting Gilbert's allies, there were new Silicon Valley capitalists and some squid people. These squids had influence across various sectors in North America.
The opposing forces were old Wall Street financial groups and medical capitalists.
Those seemingly neutral belonged to the military-industrial complex, territory of the Anglo-Saxons.
Of course, the boundaries were not that clear-cut. Everyone's influence overlapped, entangled with each other.
But once one's position reached a certain level, personal intention no longer mattered.
Even if you did not want to move forward, enemies, allies, and stakeholders would push you along.
Who still remembered Gilbert's original dream? To become a Hollywood director and make a fortune along the way.
Now he could not retire, because once he did, the only path left would be death.
The coming situation looked grim. The Blue Team taking power was inevitable. If the Blue Team dominated the arena for eight consecutive years, Gilbert would have to keep a low profile.
The day after the opening ceremony, news came from David. Larry Fink of BlackRock sent a lot of insider information about the impending financial crisis.
Washington had already prepared $700 billion for market rescue, and the Federal Reserve had tasked BlackRock with managing the majority of the funds.
Once BlackRock took over these funds, it would mean that the company would soon become a shareholder in many publicly listed companies, further expanding its wealth.
More importantly, some companies held substantial high-quality overseas assets, such as mineral rights, oil fields, and more.
Revealing this insider information to Gilbert was Larry Fink's way of showing sincerity—a gift to demonstrate his goodwill. After cross-verifying through multiple channels, the think tank analysts all believed that Larry Fink was genuinely willing to cooperate.
After receiving state gifts and attending a few exchange meetings, Gilbert rushed back to North America and flew directly to New York.
"How's everything here? Is it acceptable?" Larry Fink boasted as he showed Gilbert his mansion near Central Park.
Looking at the view of Central Park not far away, Gilbert nodded slightly. "Indeed, very nice. Prime location, a symbol of both wealth and status."
Larry Fink asked the servant to open a bottle of Bordeaux wine from France, and the two enjoyed dinner together on the balcony.
"The key to real estate is location. The closer you are to the center, the more valuable your property becomes," Larry Fink said. "There are still one or two vacancies here. If you're interested, I can introduce them to you."
Of course, the property itself was not the focus. Larry Fink's real point was cooperation; a partnership between the two would be mutually beneficial.
Gilbert sipped the wine, honestly admitting he couldn't taste much difference compared to other wines. After all, he was not a wine enthusiast and was not accustomed to it.
"Mr. Fink, how do I know you're not just an intermediary, colluding with the property owner to trap me?"
"An intermediary can't do this forever, can they?"
Larry Fink straightened his expression. "I also want to have my own property, to make my own decisions."
...
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