1994: I Became a Literary Master in America

Chapter 119 De Niro's Neighbor

Chapter 121 De Niro's Neighbors (4/5)

I had Italian food at an Italian restaurant on Walker Street for lunch.

Susanna's treating!

The food was delicious, mainly seafood, with an authentic Southern Italian flair.

After lunch, the group continued looking at houses, but this time, they didn't walk; instead, they got into a car.

Susanna was driving, with Sarah and Sarah in the car.

Xu Shengjie drove a car, and Pao and Lily Huang sat inside.

"Has your car been modified?"

"Um!"

"Not bad, that push-back feeling is definitely from a master."

By the way, I'm also planning to buy a used car soon. Do you know any good connections?

"Why don't you go to the used car market? You're sure to find some good cars there! Plus, they're cheap."

"Come on, the used car market is a murky place. I did ask my dad, and the places he recommended all had bad cars and were really troublesome. I'm thinking of finding a repair shop; maybe that would be more reliable."

""

"A car repair shop? There's more to it than meets the eye."

However, my fifth senior brother owns a car repair shop, and he is a master of car modification.

It's a bit pricey, but if you don't mind, I'll try to find out if there's a good car available for you.

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you!"

Xu Shengjie drove his car, clinging tightly to the back of Susanna's car.

I don't know what Aunt Susanna and Ms. Sarah were talking about, but it seemed to him that they had a good relationship.

but----

Ah, the friendship between women!

Just like the weather in New York in October, it changes in an instant.

The morning was sunny and bright.

But after 2 p.m., the sky suddenly became overcast.

"So, did you still have contact with that Martha's brother and his group afterward? Did you get beaten up for nothing?"

"How is that possible!"

"I am a believer in the Third Avenue ICC."

"what?"

"It's the Islamic Cultural Center. My donation last year ranked among the top ten."

The ICC imams all said I was a good kid—I found some local brothers, two of whom were tall and strong, almost two meters tall. Then we changed into white suits and cornered that Italian guy, who almost peed his pants in fright.

"

"and then?"

"Ask Lily."

"That Italian bitch later avoided me when she saw me."

Xu Shengjie couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Italian Mafia?

Very brutal!

But this is the 1990s, and the Mafia, which was once rampant in the 1960s and 70s, has become much more low-key.

They will still occupy territory and will frequently threaten violence.

However, it has become much more restrained.

On the one hand, the New York Police Department and the FBI had been keeping an eye on them since the 1970s and 1980s.

Secondly, the big bosses value making money more—the streets are where the gang's underlings make a living, while the big bosses need to stay behind the scenes, either busy making money, trying to improve their social status, or even being enthusiastic about charity.

Those so-called gangster bosses you see in movies are all actors.

The real big shots have all changed into a legal guise!

For example, a certain congressman, a certain senator —

He frequented high-end parties and mingled among the elite.

Martha's family, I reckon, might not even be as prominent as Dani Airo's within the family.

"Which family does he belong to?"

"It seems to be from the Bonanno family."

"I'll have Louis inquire about it later, and it would be best if we could talk things out."

It's not a big deal in itself, just a children's squabble. But if it's not discussed openly, it'll eventually escalate into a major conflict.

Is it necessary?

"Pao, we live in this city, so it's best to have more friends and fewer enemies; that will make life more comfortable."

"What you said makes a lot of sense, but I feel it's strange coming from you."

"What's wrong?"

"You really gave Richard Gere a hard time."

"That bitch deserved it!"

"Jeffrey, you're swearing. I'm telling Mom."

Lily Huang, sitting in the back row, suddenly spoke loudly.

Xu Shengjie and Pao exchanged a glance and smiled simultaneously.

Susanna's car stopped on GrennWich Street.

"These are industrial-style apartments, and they are all quite large."

The smallest is 1,800 square feet, and the largest is around 4,000 square feet.

This used to be a warehouse for an abandoned factory. Later, a group of artists came here and made it famous.

In 89, Mr. De Niro was the first to buy an entire building here and then spent more than two years renovating it.

This is the current GreenWichhHotle—it's much more lively here now; it was quite deserted before 90.

The car stopped at the street corner.

Susanna and her group got out of the car and walked along the street.

"The GreenWich Hotel is just around the corner. The top floor is Mr. De Niro's private residence, and the six floors below are the hotel."

There's also a Tribeca Grill restaurant on the first floor, which opened in 90 and is very popular; many celebrities often dine there.

Real estate agent Sarah was giving a long and detailed presentation.

"Some people say that this is actually Mr. De Niro's living room."

Susanna couldn't help but laugh and said, "That's not an exaggeration; it's a very apt description."

She's considered part of the entertainment industry and has been here a few times; she certainly has a dazzling presence.

"The apartment I'm introducing is right here. You see, it's only about 200 meters from the Greenwich Hotel."

The group stopped in front of a red brick building.

Sarah said, "This is it."

Xu Shengjie glanced at the building, which had a very primitive industrial style.

It has six floors in total, one floor less than the Greenwich Hotel not far away.

"There's an elevator inside!"

Sarah led everyone into the apartment building, explaining as they walked: "The apartments here are mostly purchased as whole floors, not split up. The bottom five floors are already occupied, only the top floor is left, which is 3,800 square feet in total."

It was converted from a previous warehouse and was not subdivided, so residents can renovate it themselves.

Most importantly, this apartment is one of the few in the neighborhood with its own loft and a 4,000-square-foot terrace. Others had previously expressed interest, but felt the building lacked privacy as it was the lowest in the area, ultimately choosing the larger single-level apartment on Franklin Avenue.

The group took the elevator to the sixth floor.

Just as Sarah said, it was very primitive, a completely dilapidated house.

Susanna and Sarah Jessica both frowned slightly, clearly not satisfied.

"Jeffrey, what do you think? Personally, I think the apartment on Walker Street is better, and White Street and Franklin Avenue are also nice. Here—Sarah, if we were to buy this place, how much would it cost? Give me a realistic price."

Real estate agent Sarah took a document and a calculator out of her bag, typed a few quick notes, and then handed the calculator to Susanna.

"Jeffrey, 78, that's a bit high!"

And this is still a bare shell—Sarah, how much would it cost to turn this into a mid-range, fully furnished apartment?

Sarah picked up the computer again and started typing away.

"Medium-level finishing, retaining industrial elements? Branded kitchen and bathroom fixtures, plus custom storage—excluding furniture and appliances, $45-$50 per square foot, that's the lowest price. If the renovation team is better, it might go up to $60."

Xu Shengjie quickly did a calculation in his mind.

Based on the lowest estimate of $45, renovating such a large house would cost around $16.

"Ms. Susanna, given the condition of this house, I would suggest that it be best to opt for high-end, fully-equipped renovations, with a complete system upgrade, including collectible furniture, fireplaces, and other equipment. Our company provides a professional renovation team, professional designers, professional workers, and professional purchasing personnel, and can also design according to Director Jeffrey's design preferences."

"Yes, including the terrace—"

Xu Shengjie looked up and asked, "How much?"

Sarah's fingers deftly tapped on the computer, and after a moment she gave Xu Shengjie a price.

"US$25 to US$30."

Xu Shengjie looked at Susanna.

Susanna nodded. "If we go by Sarah's opinion, it's not expensive; it's basically in this price range."

"Yes, that's right."

Sarah Jessica said, "When I bought my house before, it was half the size of this one, and the renovations cost $150,000."

It's said that Mr. De Niro's renovation of that building cost even more.

"Mr. De Niro's building cost a total of two million dollars."

Nonsense, his is a whole building, mine is just one floor.

To be honest, it's a bit over budget!

Xu Shengjie initially thought that 800,000 yuan would be enough for the house, including renovations.

But now it seems—

But if you consider the rising property prices here, and its proximity to Robert De Niro's residence—well, it doesn't seem so unacceptable. According to Sarah, the barbecue restaurant and cafe on the ground floor of the Greenwich Hotel, a hub for New York's celebrities, writers, screenwriters, directors, and even publishers—is definitely a great place to expand your social circle.

When will De Niro be De Niro's neighbor?

It doesn't sound bad.

Robert De Niro will be badly let down by his agency in the future.

However, he has always been an upper-class figure in Hollywood, or rather, in the American entertainment industry.

Especially in recent years—by the way, it seems he's about to film *Heat*, which is a significant work that will further elevate De Niro's status in Hollywood. After this film, his status will rise even higher.

Not to mention, in 2002, he single-handedly founded the Tribeca Film Festival —

For Xu Shengjie, becoming his neighbor was a way to further connect with Hollywood.

Previously, he had offended Richard Gere's circle.

But compared to De Niro, Richard Gere is nothing.

It's a bit pricey, but it's also a great deal.

After all, Xu Shengjie needs greater fame and more resources. It's not that Woody Allen and his ilk are bad, but their circles are a bit narrow. In comparison, De Niro has more influence and a higher status.

Xu Shengjie hesitated and couldn't make up his mind for a while.

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