The Price of a Kingdom
Creators are those who weave dreams.
The final destination of those dreams is to bring their own world into existence.
And if that world were to manifest in reality, what more could be said of the joy it would bring?
“A kingdom, you say….”
The fact that Mr. Disney’s eyes softened slightly at my suggestion was likely for that very reason.
I continued, “I will provide the funds. You simply draw the world you desire upon that empty land. That will be enough.”
“…Why?”
It was then that Mr. Disney, having regained his composure, asked in return.
“I know well enough that an amusement park doesn’t generate that much money in a recession like this. Why on earth are you trying to build something like this?”
Huh? It makes a ton of money.
It is true that in this era, an amusement park is merely a place to ride attractions, so the ceiling for profit isn’t very high. Furthermore, since the Great Crash last year, a significant number of amusement parks had closed their doors because they couldn’t turn a profit.
However, if that amusement park is Disneyland, the story changes entirely.
Children will want to take pictures with Mickey, wander through Snow White’s castle, and wear hats shaped like those worn by the Seven Dwarfs. And to enjoy all of that, parents will have to pay up.
They might even beg for the chance to pay.
“As I said, I believe the potential held by you, Mr. Disney, and this studio is infinite. And I believe the value of the world you will show the world will be anything but small. I have simply placed a bet on that value.”
Of course, I couldn’t say it so bluntly, so I packaged my answer appropriately.
“…….”
My, was my speech too moving?
I watched him silently as he remained lost in thought with his mouth shut.
Presently, Mr. Disney opened his mouth.
“If it’s a kingdom, there must be a castle. Since the project we are currently preparing is Snow White, I would like to build the beautiful castle she would live in first.”
Snow White’s castle built on a desert… it’s a bit strange, but I suppose it’ll be fine.
“You may do as you wish, Mr. Disney. That is what I desire.”
Now, the pieces to fill the desert were gathered in one place.
With the conversation with Mr. Disney as the final piece, I gathered all the components for Las Vegas and returned to Chicago.
I hadn’t visited Nevada yet, but since the Outfit was already handling things there, I just needed to wait until gambling was legalized.
Of course, returning to Chicago didn’t mean my work had disappeared.
“Oh! It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lee! It is an honor to finally meet the Saint of the Dollar.”
As I arrived at the Stevens Hotel, the office of the Century of Progress Corporation—the organizing body for the Chicago World’s Fair scheduled for 1933—President Rufus C. Dawes grasped my hand with both of his.
By the way, that nickname is becoming quite burdensome the more I hear it.
“The pleasure is mine. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in such a grand event.”
“Haha, not at all. Let’s go inside and discuss the details.”
With those words, Dawes guided me to a hotel suite.
“Have you perhaps thought about a concept for your exhibit?”
“I have actually brought a draft of the application.”
Once I finished speaking, I took the file I had kept in my briefcase and placed it on the table. The President and Chairman skimmed through the application.
“Ho-ho, a unique concept. The Light of Truth, is it….”
“I thought it was the concept that could best represent our company’s products. Doesn’t it also fit the theme of this fair?”
The pavilion I proposed was in the form of a tower with countless light bulbs embedded inside an acrylic outer wall. I intended to display products developed by SCC, including Sulfadine, so that visitors could admire them.
“We are grateful, of course, but it seems like the plan alone will cost quite a bit. Will that be alright?”
“People from all over the world will be visiting; I feel like I should make at least this much of an investment.”
If I’m going to spend money, I have to spend it properly to see the real advertising effect, right? If I spend it half-heartedly, I’ll just be throwing money away.
“Ah, I am truly grateful that you think that way. Thanks to you, Mr. Lee, this World’s Fair will shine brighter than ever before.”
“Beyond that, I would like to provide various forms of assistance for this fair.”
Actually, this was the real point.
“After all, a fair has many trivial things to worry about, doesn’t it? Visitor safety, food and beverages, and so on.”
“Ah, that is true.”
“If you entrust them to us, we will handle them at a low cost. I thought it would be better for a company within Chicago, like us, to take charge.”
“That is….”
Surely, they weren’t expecting me to participate for free, were they?
“As I mentioned earlier, we intend to make quite a large investment this time. I hope you understand our desire to make this fair even more successful.”
It’s a fair that will be visited by millions; even if we just sold a bottle of milk to each person, how much would be left over? Don’t just keep it all for yourselves; let me have a slice of the pie, too.
“Hmm… I will discuss this part with the committee. It doesn’t seem like a matter I can decide on my own.”
“I look forward to a favorable answer.”
With that, I finished my conversation with the President and stepped out of the hotel.
The weather in Chicago, now in mid-June, was quite sultry, but people who had lost their homes were still wandering the sweltering streets. Did they know that even more people would be out on the streets before long?
“Consigliere, here is today’s newspaper.”
As I settled into the backseat of my Cadillac, Rizzo handed me the day’s Chicago Daily Tribune.
“Thank you, Rizzo.”
“Then, I shall take you home.”
Vroom—!
As the car began to move forward smoothly, I unfolded the newspaper. It was a paper I should have been reading at the office in the morning, but because of the meeting with the President scheduled since the morning, I was only now able to open it.
And there, I was able to encounter the news I had been waiting for.
[Grigsby-Grunow Demanded to Withdraw from Radio Association — Statement from Company Representative]
A month ago, the federal government accused RCA—the number one radio technology and broadcasting company in the United States, or more precisely, General Electric and Westinghouse, which hold a majority stake in RCA—of violating antitrust laws. The impact of that was now, just a month later, becoming a reality.
That meant.
“Rizzo.”
“Yes, Consigliere.”
“Let’s go to the office, not home. I have work to do.”
It meant the opportunity to get my hands on the voice of the United States was approaching.
Foreman State National Bank.
As I entered the boardroom of this bank for the third time with the Outfit, I could feel one commonality.
It was the fact that the expressions of the directors looking at me were always crumpled.
Well, it couldn’t be helped, though.
“…Mr. Lee, what on earth have you convened this meeting for this time?”
“As was the case last time, it’s because something has arisen that could harm the bank’s interests.”
With those words, I placed the Chicago Daily Tribune I had received from Rizzo a few days ago onto the conference table.
“As you directors have seen through the newspaper, our bank’s major clients, General Electric and Westinghouse, have been sued by the federal government for antitrust violations. This is a ‘risk’ that threatens our bank’s financial soundness and cannot be overlooked.”
“Mr. Lee, that is a matter for those companies, not something for us to intervene in! They are still the best blue-chip companies in America!”
“Haha.”
John D. Hertz protested immediately, but I chuckled and continued.
“Mr. Hertz, whether these companies are blue-chip or not will depend on the outcome of this lawsuit.”
“What do you mean by….”
“The reason they can be blue-chip companies is because they hold shares in RCA, which owns radio technology patents. But if they lose the lawsuit and have to give up all those shares, what do you think will happen?”
In this situation, where the progression from the Great Crash to the Great Depression is faster than in reality, the antitrust lawsuit flying at those two companies is nothing short of a disaster that will shatter both their stock prices and cash flow simultaneously. If the banking sector closes the doors that were once open to them in such a state, it wouldn’t be a joke—they would have to worry about the very survival of their companies.
“Therefore, I believe it is necessary to immediately request the repayment of loans collateralized by RCA stock currently held by the bank and freeze their credit limits.”
And that, precisely, is the situation I desire.
“Mr. Lee, do you even know what that means? We are essentially declaring war on two of the major corporations that move America!”
“Then, are you saying we should suffer losses because we’re afraid of them? If the bank takes no action, this is tantamount to a breach of fiduciary duty to the shareholders.”
When I phrased it as, ‘If you stay still, I, who hold 20% of the shares, will throw you all in prison for breach of fiduciary duty,’ the faces of the directors, which were already long, stiffened.
No, I’m telling you that if you stay still, you are the ones who will suffer losses. I’m just telling you early.
“…Mr. Lee is not wrong.”
The person who agreed with me first was, unexpectedly, the bank president, Mr. Foreman.
“Even if they don’t necessarily lose the lawsuit, given this atmosphere, we will soon have to re-evaluate the repayment capabilities of both companies. It would be better to reduce our losses before that happens.”
“Ahem….”
“If Mr. Foreman says so….”
Geez, aren’t you being too picky about people?
“…Then, I hereby declare that the motion to freeze credit limits and request early repayment for General Electric and Westinghouse is passed.”
Still, thanks to that, the motion passed, so I’ll let it slide this once.
“Mr. Outfit.”
As soon as I left the boardroom, I looked at the Outfit member following beside me.
“Yes, Consigliere.”
“I would like you to find a way to contact the two companies.”
“…Are you aiming for management control?”
“Yes.”
“Unlike banks, they hold real assets; they won’t hand over management control easily.”
“Ah, what I want is something else.”
“If it’s something else….”
“Tell them that I can turn the RCA shares held by the two companies into cash immediately.”
Finally, the time for the hunt had begun.