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The concept of California high-speed rail in terms of scale is close to China's Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway in the original time and space, but the length is still not as long as the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway.

Under the current plan, California's high-speed rail construction is funded in three ways – federal grants, California's self-financing, and private participation.

Among them, Tang Huan's confirmed investment has soared from the earliest $200 million to the recent $1.5 billion. And it contributed a large share of the start-up capital, so that the preliminary work of the California high-speed rail project is basically completed.

It can be seen that the richest man in the United States has enough confidence in the California high-speed rail project, and it also shows his strength and rapid growth to a certain extent.

The so-called self-financing of California is nothing more than a means of financing such as issuing bonds.

Although Californians are enthusiastic about California high-speed rail with the richest man in the United States as a benchmark, California taxpayers are also very realistic and conservative about such infrastructure projects with too long investment cycles, and are unwilling to add burdens.

After all, no matter how beautiful the future is, it is also the future, and the biggest enemy of a bright future is a lot of uncertainty.

In addition, the construction of high-speed rail in California also involves issues such as land, demolition, and environmental protection.

However, in Tang Huan's view, such difficulties are easier to solve than decades later in the original time and space, and the real key is to make Californians realize the value of California high-speed rail and pass the financing bill.

Fortunately, Tang Huan is very familiar with the tricks of building momentum and striving for popularity. Over the years, his extensive contacts are not in vain, like the New York Post, the clown jumping up and down and constantly spitting on himself, but in the end he can only be reduced to a happy and boring joke, that is, the network is imperceptibly working.

What's more, Tang Huan still has the power of Hollywood in his hands, and it's time for stars from all walks of life to stand up and contribute their appeal.

"If the high-speed rail in California is completed, it will definitely be very convenient for filmmakers to travel between North and South California. Spielberg vaguely expressed his attitude towards the California high-speed rail project.

"However, California's high-speed rail threatens the established interests of the civil aviation industry and road transportation. Tang Huan said leisurely: "The reason why these opponents are full of fire against me is nothing more than the idea of shooting people and horses first, and capturing thieves and king first." The ridiculous thing is that in addition to finding plausible grounds in terms of financial burden, unemployment rate, etc., they even came up with a clumsy excuse to describe California high-speed rail as a profiteering tool for me alone, which really treats everyone as a fool who is arbitrarily fooled. ”

"If the rumor has been circulating for a long time, then many people who don't know the truth will inevitably take it as true, and it is better to clarify it. Spielberg suggested with concern.

"It really needs to be explained in a serious way. Tang Huan nodded, "It is gratifying that many people still understand me and support me." ”

Speaking of this, Tang Huan changed his words and asked casually: "I heard that you took over a Warner movie and needed to shoot it in China?"

This is a manifestation of Tang Huan's cleverness, he has almost all the dynamics of important Hollywood filmmakers like Spielberg, and anticipates that this busy man, in addition to sending samples of "American Rat Tan" for his own enjoyment, may also have something else, that is, the movie "Empire of the Sun" that Warner is preparing to make, "Empire of the Sun".

The project came from Warner's purchase of the rights to the novel of the same name, written by the British novelist James Graham Ballard, who is considered a master of apocalyptic fiction, and 1984's Empire of the Sun, a relatively traditional war novel, critically acclaimed, and semi-autobiographical.

James Graham Ballard was born in 1930 in the Public Concession of Shanghai, China, and grew up there until the outbreak of the Pacific War, when the Japanese imprisoned the British in concentration camps.

This painful experience of "being willing to do anything to feed your stomach" had a great impact on James Graham Ballard. In the novel "Empire of the Sun", the story of a young boy named Jim as a prisoner of war in a concentration camp was inspired by this.

Like the theme of "lost innocence" in "E.T. the Extra-Terregal", Spielberg was intrigued by the project and eventually joined in and became a director.

Obviously, there is a hurdle that cannot be bypassed in this movie, that is, it has to be filmed on the spot in Shanghai, China.

As a result, Warner contacted the relevant parties in the mainland, but the progress of the negotiations was very slow, which seriously slowed down the progress of the project.

Seeing this scene, Warner boss Steve Ross couldn't sit still - the shooting budget of "Empire of the Sun" was as high as $35 million, and every day of delay meant an additional loss.

No way, find a way. In this way, Warner naturally thought of Tang Huan's faction.

You know, the "Phantom of the Tomb" series, known for its novelty and grandeur, was filmed in Chinese mainland, and its effect not only makes the quality of the movie itself excellent, but also fascinates curious American audiences.

In China, people are like fish in water, but Warner is in vain, which can only mean that it is a matter of ability.

However, Warner boss Steve Ross was reluctant to come to Tang Huan in person, although the two had a truce and no fight, but Steve Ross paid the price of a controlling stake in Atari and Warner Records, which suffered serious losses, and the knot was hard to eliminate!

Spielberg, who sold the video game adaptation rights of the movie "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" to Warner for an unprecedented $30 million, of course, knows the entanglement between the two sides, and although this matter is a willingness to fight and a willingness to suffer, it is true that the other party was too ruthless, and it is inevitable that I feel a little guilty.

In this way, Spielberg took the initiative to ask, "I'll go and talk to Don about it." ”

Steve Ross, of course, couldn't ask for it, and quickly pushed Spielberg to take full responsibility.

It's just that Spielberg didn't expect that Tang Huan was suddenly annoyed enough by the troubles of California high-speed rail, and it was really difficult to find a chance to speak.

Now that Tang Huan took the initiative to ask about it, Spielberg's heart was so comfortable, and he quickly replied: "Yes, I need to recreate the Japanese-occupied Shanghai in the 1940s as much as possible, which will involve the closure of some neighborhoods, the hiring of a large number of extras, etc., and it is estimated that the filming time will be at least three weeks." ”

Speaking of this, Spielberg smiled wryly, "But the problem is that Warner's communication with the local area has always been difficult to achieve, and even the progress of the project has been affected." I wonder if Don can mediate through this?"

"No problem. Tang Huan nodded happily and agreed, and finally said: "I also happen to have a big-budget movie on the mainland, called "Mulan", starring Lin Qingfang. If you have time, you may wish to come over and give some advice. ”

"I've heard Katherine Kennedy talk about this project for a long time, and I've been part of the discussion. Spielberg laughed, "I guess this movie will be favored by feminists first." ”

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Not long after Spielberg left, the contradictions caused by the construction of high-speed rail in California suddenly intensified, and even caused trouble on the east coast of the United States, Jerry Brown, chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, flew from the west coast of the United States to New York to meet with Tang Huan to discuss.

Jerry Brown served as governor of California from 1975 to 1983, making him the youngest governor in history. He was succeeded by the current President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, and was succeeded by Jerry Brown's father, Pat Brown.

So it can be said that Jerry Brown is from a political family in California and belongs to a star-level figure.

During Jerry Brown's tenure, he pursued a conservative fiscal policy. Even he personally refused many of the privileges and benefits that the governor deserved, such as the governor's mansion of more than 20,000 square feet, luxury cars, etc.

At the end of his term in 1983, the governor left California with the largest fiscal surplus in history, $5 billion.

Jerry Brown's biggest crisis as governor was in 1981, when the San Francisco Bay Area was invaded by the fruit pest Mediterranean fruit fly, and on the advice of agricultural experts and the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, he ordered the spraying of a less toxic insecticide ******** humans.

However, for the sake of environmental protection, Jerry Brown only uses ground spraying.

Unfortunately, the Mediterranean fruit fly multiplied faster than expected. More than a month later, millions of dollars in crop reimbursement and billions of dollars in output value are seriously threatened.

Seeing this, Jerry Brown began to use helicopters to carry out extensive aerial spraying, and at the same time asked the California National Guard to set up highway checkpoints to stop the spread of infected fruit in the area.

In the end, Jerry Brown won the biological war, but it was also controversial because of the slow action and the potential environmental pollution caused by widespread aerial spraying of pesticides, and became the favorite point of attack for political opponents.

At this stage in California, there is no bill to limit the governor from serving more than two consecutive terms. However, Jerry Brown, who performed well in office, did not seek a third term, but set his sights on the vacant seat in the federal Senate and ran to run for the Senate, only to meet a strong opponent - Pete Wilson of the Republican Party.

This person is a veteran politician who served two terms as a member of the California House of Representatives for a total of four years, and the mayor of San Diego for three terms for a total of 12 years, and the current President Ronald Reagan personally assisted in canvassing, and finally won by a narrow margin.

Outside commentators believe that Jerry Brown, who hated the scene, has ended his political career.

In fact, Jerry Brown himself was really hit hard, and actually ran to Japan to follow Hugo Eggun-Lassalle.

The Jesuit German pastor was unusual in that he was also a disciple of the Japanese Zen master Kokumo Yamada, who tried to make some academic achievements on the relationship between Zen Buddhism and God.

During this time, Jerry Brown went to Calcutta, India, to volunteer with Mother Teresa.

The canonization of Pope Francis thirty years later in the original time and space shows the extraordinary nature of this 1979 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Moreover, touching Mother Teresa's fairy spirit is also a fashionable move for many Americans at the moment. John F. Kennedy Jr., for example, also traveled to Calcutta, India, while he was still studying.

After about a year or so, Tang Huan persuaded Jerry Brown, who was wandering around, to come back - the political capital that you can accumulate from this kind of travel is limited after all, so it's better to hurry up and do something serious.

Jerry Brown has been interested in the California high-speed rail project since his tenure, after all, the technology has been attracting attention since the Japanese Shinkansen was put into operation, but it is expensive and there are many obstacles to promotion.

At that time, Tang Huan took out the start-up capital and suggested that Jerry Brown should first set up a special agency such as the California High-Speed Rail Authority, and prepare the preliminary work in place.

Today, the richest man's pockets are getting bigger and bigger, and the time is almost ripe to push the California high-speed rail project further.

The most important source of motivation why Tang Huan is so enthusiastic about the California high-speed rail project is the need for personal merit.

Amassa Leland Stanford, a famous industrialist and politician in American history, who served as governor of California and a member of the U.S. Senate, founded the Central Pacific Railroad Company, which employs 90 percent of Chinese laborers, with a number of 12,000 people.

In order to commemorate the only son who died of typhoid fever in Florence, Italy before the age of 16 - Leland Stanford Jr., Amasa Leland Stanford donated funds to establish Stanford University, which has now become a top university in the United States and even the world, and has also given birth to the cradle of high-tech - Silicon Valley.

In contrast, people who wander in the beautiful scenery of Stanford University will think that in its initial donation, there may be a windfall of flesh and blood?

Among the old families in Xiangjiang, there are those who started by relying on opium trafficking, but after several generations, they have almost been whitewashed.

Tang Huan has no black history to be whitewashed, but as long as he draws such a long bar as California high-speed rail on the map of the western United States, his family will be able to survive several generations without falling.

In the same way, California high-speed rail is also of extraordinary significance to Jerry Brown, who is "one door and two governors", once he is put into it, he will do his best 100 percent, not to mention that his political upward channel is blocked, and he must find something valuable to do to reverse the passive situation.

As soon as they met, Jerry Brown said directly and worriedly: "California high-speed rail has become a bargaining chip between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party in the midterm election process this year, and the situation is not ordinarily complicated." ”

Tang Huan put down the cup and said lightly: "Actually, it's very simple, whoever is in favor of California high-speed rail, I will support whom!" (To be continued.) )