In the blink of an eye, Christmas is coming again, but Chen Qiang felt that last year's Christmas is still vivid in my mind.

Walking off the train and standing on the platform of the train station, Chen Qiang looked around and found that there was no change in the Los Angeles Railway Station.

"This year has passed so quickly." Chen Qiang couldn't help but sigh.

If there was no war, 1940 would have been a very busy year for Chen Qiang, because 1940 was the Olympic Year. Chen Qiang would represent China to participate in the Olympics, win a few more medals, and break several world records.

Unfortunately, the war turned the Olympics into vain, and Chen Qiang had no chance to stand on the stage of the Olympics for the third time to win glory for the country.

However, his busy career also made Chen Qiang busy from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. If Chen Qiang thinks carefully, he has done a lot this year, finding more than a dozen franchisees for the gym, making it impossible for the Japanese to buy scrap iron, and helping Hu Shi to get the "Huaxi loan". He himself became a millionaire by selling hula hoops.

Recalling the days when he was a child when he was just coming to this era, he was in danger of being a child. Every morning, he first calculated whether he could make money before meals today. Chen Qiang suddenly felt that he was really lucky. Now he not only did not have to worry about food and drink, but also had some industries in the United States. In the future, he would be a billionaire and his descendants would not have to worry about money.

Thinking of his descendants, Chen Qiang couldn't help but think of Esther, his wife.

"I haven't seen Esther for half a year. I don't know if she has gained weight or lost weight."

Chen Qiang walked out of the train station and saw Esther from a distance. She was originally a beauty, and today she was wearing a red coat, which was particularly conspicuous in the crowd.

"Chen!" Esther saw Chen Qiang, ran over quickly and poured into Chen Qiang's arms.

The so-called small separation is better than the newlyweds. These two people are having a small separation and a newlyweds, so they naturally show their love and sprinkle their dog food all over the floor.

The two of them usually communicate frequently. Esther already knew that Chen Qiang made a lot of money by selling hula hoops. Now they can build a villa of two people on the piece of land they bought before.

Chen Qiang also knew that Esther had begun to embark on the path of an actor. She played several inconspicuous small roles in MGM movies, commonly known as supporting roles.

Nowadays, Chen Qiang is also a millionaire, so Chen Qiang is quite open about Esther's acting career. Anyway, his family is rich, so it doesn't matter if Esther regards acting as a play. If Esther is willing, Chen Qiang can even pay money and invest in a movie for Esther.

Chen Qiang still spent Christmas this year at Louis Williams' home. However, the atmosphere this year is different from last year, with less embarrassment and more harmony.

When I came to Los Angeles for the New Year last year, Chen Qiang and Esther were still lovers, and Louis Williams even felt like "I treat you as a friend, but you sleep with my daughter". The Williams and his wife were somewhat embarrassed when facing Chen Qiang. This year, Chen Qiang and Esther have married, and the Williams and his wife can play the role of "parents", and Chen Qiang has experienced that long-lost feeling of "home".

...

The firewood in the fireplace made a stinging sound. The dog raised by Louis Williams's home lay at Chen Qiang's feet with a comfortable face. Perhaps because Chen Qiang always feeds it a little food during meals, so the dog likes Chen Qiang, a new member of the family.

On the radio next to him, Roosevelt was talking endlessly.

The 1940 US presidential election had come to an end, and Roosevelt finally won and began his third term.

However, in the past month, the situation in Europe has taken a sharp turn. The Battle of Britain has entered a white-hot state. Germany bombed Britain, Britain also bombed Germany, and over the English Channel, becoming the meat grinder for the air forces of the two countries.

This was a crucial battle. Although Britain suffered huge losses in the battle, Germany was unable to gain the air superiority advantage of the English Channel and could not dismantle Britain's naval and coastal defense forces, so it could not land on the British islands. The Germans had to give up the "Sea Lion Plan" to invade Britain and instead formulate the "Barbarossa Plan" to invade the Soviet Union. Then millions of German troops fell into the ice and snow of the Soviet Union.

Under such a situation, President Roosevelt, who had just been re-elected, began his twelfth "fireside conversation", which is what is being played on the radio now.

Roosevelt's "Fireside Talk" is a very famous political public relations event. In 1933, on the eighth day after Roosevelt took office as the US President, he was recorded interviews by ABC and CBS in front of the fireplace of the foreign guest reception room downstairs at the Presidential Palace. Since then, this interview has been named "Fireside Talk".

In the past decade when Roosevelt was US president, he had dozens of "fireside conversations". The previous "fireside conversations" were all targeted at the Great Depression. It was also because Roosevelt led the Americans out of the Great Depression that "fireside conversations" were well known to the majority of Americans. Every "fireside conversation" in the future has become a must-listen content for the American people, and the listening rate is much higher than the ratings of the future Super Bowl.

During this fireside conversation, Roosevelt strongly stated that the United States did not agree with the so-called "new order" of Germany, Italy and Japan. At the same time, Roosevelt also made it clear that the United States will provide large-scale military assistance to Britain and China.

This is definitely the news that Chen Qiang hopes to hear the most. Although the United States has been supporting China before, it is all in the form of loans, and each loan is also mortgaged. Whether it is tung oil, tin or tungsten ore, the value of these collaterals exceeds the amount of the US loan, so the United States has also made a lot of money through this so-called "aid".

Now Roosevelt's twelfth fireside conversation has sent a new signal that the US loan will become aid, and it will be "military aid", which is probably what is most needed on the domestic anti-Japanese battlefield.

"Good news. I guess Envoy Song is still staying in Washington. I must be eager to see Roosevelt and talk to him about the 300 million US dollars of aid!" Chen Qiang said in his heart.

When Germany, Italy and Japan signed a military alliance, China borrowed 25 million US dollars from tungsten ore. At that time, the Special Envoy Song raised the 300 million US dollars of aid, which shows that the Special Envoy Song was still not willing to give up on his mission to come to the United States.

Chongqing also complained to the US ambassador to China, and pestered Jameson every day, hoping that Jameson could say good things to Chongqing. In the end, Jameson really reported to the White House that without the support of bulk foreign exchange, Chongqing would really collapse.

However, Chen Qiang knew that although Special Envoy Song was still trying his best to complete his mission, the big boss in Chongqing still did not focus all his attention on the War of Resistance. At this time, he was thinking about how to solve the New Fourth Army in southern Anhui.

The Japanese are almost fighting to Chongqing, and the one who is still thinking about fighting in the nest, no wonder Roosevelt doesn't believe him!

...

Esther came back from the MGM set and pouted, looking very unhappy.

Chen Qiang saw that Esther was a little unhappy, so he asked, "Esther, isn't the shooting going very smoothly today?"

"It's not because of the filming." Esther sighed and continued: "I'm competing for a supporting actress in a movie. I had a lot of hope, but the company said that the film might not be able to be made."

"Is it a MGM movie?" Chen Qiang asked.

"Yes. MGM started planning this movie in the fall. Now the script has been written and is scheduled to be released in 1942." Estic nodded.

"Since it's a movie that has been planned for several months, why should it be stopped? Is it because of the funding? MGM should not be short of money," Chen Qiang said.

"I don't know what the specific reason is. I just heard that the senior executives of MGM planned to put aside this movie. I was originally counting on getting rid of the role of supporting roles by relying on this movie, but now it seems that there is no chance. Next, I have to continue playing supporting roles." Esther said a little depressedly.

"Dear, why don't I ask Louis Mayer for a meal!" Chen Qiang said.

Louis Mayer is the helmsman of MGM, and Chen Qiang is planning to find the "King of Hollywood" to take a walk in the back door.

Esther thought about it, then nodded. She knew that Chen Qiang was very rich now, and guessed that Chen Qiang would have any way to help her win this role. Although Esther still wanted to speak with her strength, she did not want to continue playing supporting roles anymore. Since there were shortcuts to take, there was no need to take a path full of thorns.

...

After more than half a year, Chen Qiang met Louis Mayer, the "King of Hollywood".

The two of them exchanged a few words, and Chen Qiang directly asked what was going on in the new film that was likely to be dismissed.

Louis Meyer sighed and began to complain to Chen Qiang.

"Chan, the film industry is really hard to do now! Since September 1939, all anti-** movies have been banned." Louis Mayer said.

"Why?" Chen Qiang asked in confusion. It is said that the United States' position is pro-British and anti-Germany. Those anti-** movies are definitely politically correct and should be encouraged.

Louis Meyer continued, "Because the market, the European film market accounts for 40% of Hollywood's revenue. You know what is going on in Europe now. Germans have occupied the European continent. If we continue to make anti-** movies, our films will not be sold in Europe. Those small film companies are fine. Their movies do not rely on the European market, but our big companies are different. We need the European market to maintain profits."

Chen Qiang nodded suddenly and succumbed to the overseas market. It was the consistent nature of Hollywood film companies. For example, when Japan's economy is good in the future, the plot of 007 will run towards Japan, and Sean Connery will also put a fake nose on it and become a Japanese. After the rise of the Chinese film market, Hollywood blockbusters often invite a Chinese actor and then paste it in a prominent position in the poster to deceive Chinese audiences into the cinema. When the Chinese audience really enters the cinema, they find that the Chinese actor is just a role playing soybean, maybe just showing his face, or just one or two simple lines.

Louis Meyer then added: "To be honest, we MGM and Warner Bros. have been threatened by the Germans, and they are likely to boycott our movies throughout Europe."

"Then this movie that is about to be dismissed is a movie with an anti-* theme?" Chen Qiang asked.

"Strictly speaking, it's not an anti-**. I plan to shoot a British family who lives a comfortable life. Because of the war, life changes. So this should be considered a movie with a pro-British position. However, this kind of movie is not easy to shoot now. Former Ambassador to the UK, Joseph Kennedy, personally warned me not to shoot a pro-British or anti-German movie." Louis Mayer answered.

The former ambassador to Britain, Louis Mayer, "Joseph Kennedy", will be called "Old Joseph Kennedy" by later generations because his eldest son also inherited his name, also called "Joseph Kennedy".

When talking about the surname "Kennedy", people will inevitably think of the famous American politician group "Kennedy Family", and the assassinated President Kennedy. This old Joseph Kennedy is the father of the future President Kennedy. It can be said that the old Joseph Kennedy is the founder of the Kennedy family.

Joseph Kennedy's eldest son, Jr., was a pilot and died in the European battlefield in 1944. The second son is John Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, whom we are familiar with; the third son, Robert Kennedy, served as the U.S. Attorney General, and the fourth son, Edward Kennedy, served as the Senate for 47 years. Joseph Kennedy himself also served as chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, chairman of the U.S. Maritime Commission, and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Joseph Kennedy, the old man started his early investment in stocks. He made $4 million when the U.S. stock collapsed in 1929. He also invested in entertainment, shipping and real estate. During the 1933 US Prohibition, he made $55 million in large quantities of Scotch whiskey. Before the outbreak of World War II, Joseph Kennedy was a multimillionaire. His position as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission was also obtained by providing Roosevelt with a large amount of campaign funds.

Joseph Kennedy the old man was considered a political speculator. When Roosevelt was in power, he defected to Roosevelt and rose to prominence. After the outbreak of World War II, a large number of Jews came to the United States to seek refuge. At that time, the United States sparked an anti-Semitism, and Joseph Kennedy the old man also became an anti-Semitist. Later, when "McCarthyism" became popular in the United States, Joseph Kennedy formed an alliance with McCarthy. You must know that McCarthy is a Republican, and the Kennedy family has been Democratic for generations.

In 1940, Joseph Kennedy, the old man also showed his investor nature. As Britain retreated steadily on the European battlefield, Germany made rapid progress. So Joseph Kennedy, who was still serving as the US ambassador to the UK at that time, pressed the treasure on the Germans and became a pro-German faction. He believed that Britain would not last long, so the United States should compromise with Germany. Joseph Kennedy's attitude was obviously a counter-tone with Roosevelt. How could Roosevelt let a person who thought about British surrender every day serve as the US ambassador to the UK, so he removed Joseph Kennedy from his post.

As mentioned earlier, Joseph Kennedy, the old Hollywood film industry once invested in the entertainment industry, including the Hollywood film industry. As early as the mid-1920s, Joseph Kennedy owned dozens of theaters, film studios, and ran a film company, and invested in many movies. So Joseph Kennedy, the old Hollywood is quite influential. Perhaps it is because of the influence of the Kennedy family in Hollywood that Marilyn Monroe will be related to the Kennedy family in the future.

It is precisely because of Joseph Kennedy's influence in Hollywood that when Joseph Kennedy warned Louis Mayer not to shoot pro-English and anti-German films, Louis Mayer was very concerned.

Back to the point, Louis Mayer complained about his pain, and Chen Qiang asked: "Mr. Mayer, is MGM already planning to stop this movie?"

Louis Mayer nodded: "I hope this movie can continue, but most of the senior executives at MGM are worried about losing the European market. They are also afraid of Joseph Kennedy's warning, so they do not agree to filming the film. Especially when several major shareholders refuse to give in, the company will not approve the funds for filming. If there is no money, the movie will have to stop."

"It turns out that money can solve the problem." Chen Qiang thought of this, smiled slightly, and then asked: "Mr. Mayer, I am very interested in this movie. I hope this movie can continue. If there are financial difficulties, I am willing to invest."

Louis Mayer is also an experienced person. He has been in Hollywood for so many years and has long guessed that Chen Qiang is here to invest money. He has seen many such situations. A rich female star brought her father behind the scenes to meet the producer. Of course, the producer knows what the other party wants.

I heard Louis Mayer look at Chen Qiang, then look at Esther beside Chen Qiang, and said, "If Mr. Chen is willing to invest, he will naturally be undesirable. In fact, the second female lead in this film is very suitable for Miss Williams. If this film can start filming smoothly, I really hope to invite Miss Williams to be the second female lead in the film."

Chen Qiang nodded with satisfaction, raised his wine glass and said, "Mr. Mayer, I hope we can have a happy cooperation."

"Happy cooperation!" Mayer was also very happy. He exchanged a second female lead for the investment of the financial backer's father. This transaction will definitely make a profit. In the future, any producer will be ecstatic when encountering such a thing.

Chen Qiang put down his wine glass and then asked, "By the way, Mr. Mayer, I forgot to ask, what's the name of the movie I want to invest in?"

Louis Mayer immediately replied: "The movie you invested in is called "Mrs. Minnifer."
Chapter completed!