America 1982-Chapter 257 - 2: Tommy’s Encounter with Betrayal_4

This is also why most of the owners of Beverly Hills Estate are Hollywood stars nowadays.

"Bing Crosby." Tommy said the name of the original owner.

Delia’s first reaction was that Tommy was joking; her face was full of disbelief, "How is that possible? Crosby’s inheritance was worth at least a hundred million, his family couldn’t possibly be so desperate for money that they would have to sell property..."

Bing Crosby, America’s most successful entertainer, could win an Oscar for Best Actor for a movie, break Guinness World Records with his records, earn a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and leave behind three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Moreover, he was very adept at making money, investing in horse tracks, oil fields, movie technology industries, real estate, and so on. To put it this way, in earlier years, the canned laughter used in American sitcoms required a patent licensing fee to his company because his company was the first to register it as a patent.

When he passed away in ’77, newspapers reported that Crosby’s estate was worth eighty million dollars, and ten years on, appreciating to over a hundred million wouldn’t be surprising at all, which is why Delia found it unbelievable that Bing Crosby’s descendants would need to sell off real estate to get cash.

"I couldn’t believe it either, but it’s true. Do you know? His family hates him to the bone." Tommy told Delia what he knew:

"The guy didn’t trust his wife, his children, he thought they were fools, and if he left it to them to manage, they would surely squander everything. So, he made a decision. He left all his assets to a trust foundation that he trusted more to manage. The will stated that his children wouldn’t think about inheriting anything until they were sixty-five, only allowed to withdraw two thousand a month for living expenses from the trust fund. Yes, you heard right, sixty-five. He thought maybe his children would only truly mature at the age of sixty-five."

"Didn’t he worry that his children wouldn’t live to be sixty-five?" Delia couldn’t help but laugh out loud when she heard the will.

Tommy continued, "Then the family trust he trusted, after he died, decided to make conservative investments, and so, they opted for the supposedly safe oil industry. Unfortunately, they didn’t anticipate America’s declaration of an era of oil surplus, causing oil prices to fall from thirty-five dollars a barrel to ten, and in three years, twelve hundred oil drilling rigs were shut down in the U.S. Hence, if they didn’t sell off the property to raise cash, Mr. Crosby’s trust fund might not even outlive his children."

"Looks like seven acres." Delia glanced over the land wrapped up for renovation and commented.

Tommy shook his head slightly, "Only just over five acres, because previously Odilia lived in her nine-acre mansion in Newport, so I was concerned that a smaller residence might make her uncomfortable. She once told me, if we married, she’d like to have a family zoo with some tame little animals to grow up with the kids."

"So this mansion, which you’re clearly preparing to use as a marital home, how much did it cost you? Give me a price that will discourage me from becoming your neighbor," Delia said with a laugh as she looked towards Tommy.

"When it was listed publicly in ’85, the price was seven million. The real estate consultant told me it was worth eleven million. It was my good luck to be able to buy it because around that time, I just had Sophia help me make some extra money on Wall Street. So all in all, this mansion, the renovation costs, and the rent for these three residences, were all paid for by the Japanese. Thank you to Japan for appreciating the yen, which enabled this American pauper to get this big house for free." Tommy spread his hands to Delia:

"To express my sincere gratitude to Japan, after obtaining this house, I specifically made donations of a hundred thousand dollars to the Big Cigar Foundation established by General Curtis LeMay and the United States Army Air Forces 509th Composite Group, as a thank you for their use of barbecues and nuclear bombs to make Japan a loyal ally of America."

"So, how is Sophia doing?" Delia asked about Sophia upon hearing her name.

Tommy nodded, "She’s doing extremely well. I’ve rented three nearby villas just to avoid them sitting empty. She’s living in another villa I was obligated to rent, and I’m even paying for the maid."

"And you’ve given another villa to Susan or Holly? I assume they have a close relationship with you," Delia teased with a smile.

Tommy shook his head, gazing into the distance, "Unoccupied; planning to use it specifically to entertain black guests who visit, to show them respect."

"I guess you didn’t just want to chat about the big house the Japanese gave you for free," Delia noticed Tommy’s expression and stopped the small talk to ask his reason for seeing her.

Tommy’s gaze returned to Delia, "I need a black lawyer, a black lawyer as excellent as you."

"No, you should have said to me that you need me. I would be upset if you get a case and don’t think of me," Delia winked at Tommy.

Tommy exhaled a breath of frustration, "You’re not black, Delia, and I’m not here with new business for you. I just need a black law firm to do some legal work for my TV station, understand? There are many things a black firm can do that you can’t."

"Like what?"

"Like a black person can attack another black person for betraying their race, but you can’t."

"Indeed, there are some very outstanding black lawyers, but I guess you don’t need those whose sense of justice is overwhelming, and who have a very strong sense of racial identity?"

"You know me, Delia. If you have a suitable candidate, call me or Sophia."

"So, you’re busy, too busy to have dinner with me?"

"A bit busy. My poor team is waiting for me to chair the first meeting."

"Then why are you still practicing golf?"

"I’m waiting for my black bodyguard. My driver, Mr. Page, has gone to pick him up. He is on his way."

"Why do you have to emphasize a black bodyguard?" Delia asked, puzzled.

"Because a black bodyguard can be my swearing proxy. The black bodyguard is in charge of cursing people while Mr. Page is responsible for hitting them." Tommy turned and walked towards the living room:

"To avoid being labeled a racist, I generally don’t interfere with my black bodyguard’s actions when out of indignation, he insults his fellow black people for me."