America 1982-Chapter 360 - 33: Goodnight, America_6
"Really? A Stanford alum? That’s great. Otherwise, I thought I had to put on a subservient grin and hope Jim could help us find someone suitable from the National Review," Tommy said with some surprise upon hearing Susan’s words:
"Who is it? Let me hear, to see if I’ve ever audited her class. I shouldn’t have, considering I don’t care about politics."
Susan looked at Tommy and said in a relaxed tone, "Ms. Condoleezza Rice, an elegant black female professor whose lectures are lively and engaging. We have a great relationship. I send her cards every holiday or anniversary. When I was graduating, she had just been promoted to associate professor, and she had even discussed with me, asking if I wanted to be her first graduate student, focusing on the international relations of the Soviet Union."
At the mention of the name from Susan’s mouth, Tommy’s smile slowly spread across his face, eventually pervading his entire countenance.
"You must have missed what Susan said. She’s black, you get it? So don’t put on that lecherous ’I’m turned on’ smile," Jim said skeptically, watching Tommy’s expression.
Ignoring Jim, Tommy seriously said to Susan, "Susan, do you know? Reflecting on all my investments over the years, I’ve found that the most successful case was investing in you."
"Because what I said turned you on?" Susan didn’t understand why Tommy had such a smile on his face and, mimicking Jim’s tone, laughed as she asked.
Tommy didn’t deny it, "Something like that."
Seeing that Benjamin had remained quiet, Tommy looked at him, "Interested? Mr. Benson, I remember you have Jewish heritage. I must have a detailed conversation with you tonight. Not only because you are my entrepreneurial mentor and an SSD alumnus, but also because of your identity, a Jew on Wall Street."
With gray eyes, Benjamin looked at Tommy for a while before smiling wryly, "Tommy, you’ve prepared a Plan B for yourself, but I haven’t."
"Of course, you haven’t," Tommy nodded in understanding, "but I promise, I will definitely not resort to Plan B."
"You must give me enough decision-making power, enough," Benjamin forcefully exhaled, looking at Tommy as he spoke.
Tommy nodded earnestly, "However you want to distribute it, that’s how we’ll do it."
"Let Jim and your team establish the basic model initially. If it proves to be without issues, then I will work hard to help you complete the subsequent co-evolution bundles," Benjamin proposed and after a pause, turned back to Tommy again, "Are you sure you still remember what I taught you? Tommy?"
"That every piece of gold flowing through Wall Street has a price tag, it’s just intentionally hidden by some, and you also told me to always remember the original purpose. If what I’m doing now doesn’t match the initial idea, then ask my own heart, to find my original intention," Tommy placed a hand over his heart and tapped it lightly with a fist: 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
"I am certain that what I’m doing now is exactly what I’ve dreamed of."
After listening to Tommy’s response, Benjamin nodded and, with a trace of a bitter smile, said, "Kid, your American dream seems quite different from that of a normal young person."
"Of course, after all, I love this country more deeply than they do. Work discussion finished; I’d like to go home for a swim and get to bed early since tomorrow I have to deal with my black friend. Goodnight, everyone," Tommy stood up from his seat, smiled at the three, then looked out toward the night-swept Los Angeles, and began walking towards the stairs:
"Goodnight, America. As the sun rises again tomorrow, the black people of this country might, perhaps because of the existence of BTTV, start to become a little bit different."
