Manhattan is the most densely populated area in the country, its name originates from the Algonquin language, meaning "island of many hills" or "land of intoxication", legend has it that the island was bought for rosaries and other knick-knacks for a total of about twenty-four dollars, but now it is one of the most expensive areas in the world, and it is not easy to buy a property here.

Tipping the housekeeper, he immediately avoided it, and Warren led Eric into the building's hall, which was empty, except for an old table with a few newspapers scattered around it.

"Osborne industry is in crisis." Eric read the headline, which was a few days ago in the newspaper.

"Now big companies are not safe, this is the Ministry of Defense to play tricks." Warren said. "The Defense Procurement Council has changed its head, and they are more inclined to purchase the flight armor of the Exploration Space Company, so they made an excuse to throw off the pre-agreed agreement, so that Osborne could not recover a large amount of investment, but they have now turned the corner."

"How well is Osborne's management doing?" Eric asked.

"Not really. It's just that something went wrong with its competitors, and today there are reports in the newspapers that the test site of the Discovery Space Corporation was attacked, and its humanoid armor, along with the pilots inside, was sent to God, and some people, including the new chairman of the procurement committee, General Sroka, also lost their lives. ”

Warren's expression was solemn, but there was a bit of schadenfreude in his tone, and it seemed that Stryker's faction did not have a good relationship with the unfortunate person in charge.

Warren then leads Eric to the window, pushes open the window to reveal the scenery in the distance, and points them out to Eric one by one.

"It's a very good location, right in the north of Morning Heights, if you go to the top of the building, you can see Morning Park to the east, Harlem to the north, Riverside to the west, Broadway not far away, you can go to the Hudson River in the morning to stroll and watch the sunrise and get some fresh air, and in the evening if you want, you can find the Opera House in Times Square to watch musicals, where there are often celebrities." Warren explained to Eric like a real estate agent. "This building has seven floors and covers more than an acre---- I mean pristine land, which is extremely difficult to get, enough for you to host a battalion of mutants."

"Then they'll have to live like canned sardines." Although he felt that it was an exaggeration, Eric nodded in agreement, and it was impossible for him to refuse such a place.

The original Manhattan land "Land Price King" was sold a year ago, on a small piece of land not far away. The price is close to $25 million, with an average of more than $15,000 per square foot. In other words, even if an investor wants to buy a phone booth on the land, it will cost $60,000 or seventy.

"Since it's so hard to get, how did your chief get it? Don't tell me that I have a few headless corpses buried in a corner of the basement, and I don't want to have a fight with the police who came in with a search warrant as soon as I moved in. Eric looked at Warren suspiciously, and the cold-looking Stryker dog immediately shouted that he was wronged, and now that his baby daughter was in the academy, his most respected boss and his future had to ask this gentleman to help, no wonder his posture was so low.

"Look at what you said." Warren shook his head. "The Doctor will never ask for trouble, and that's the ...... it is."

Then he told the truth.

The reason why the building fell into Stryker's hands was entirely due to a major lawsuit.

A few years ago, the local government proposed a revitalization plan that included the construction of a waterfront hotel, a financial information center and a business club on the site to better attract tourists and promote employment.

"But I remember, the government. The government may expropriate private land in accordance with the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution for the purpose of engaging in development. Eric questioned.

According to the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, if the land is used for public use, the government. The government then has the right to expropriate private property.

"But there's a key problem here." Warren said with his hands outstretched.

The key problem is that the project involves both commercial and private development. The government itself does not own the opening of a business, but entrusts the private company to complete it. Therefore, the plaintiff residents questioned the government. Is this acting in the public interest or for the benefit of the rich? Their arguments were not upheld, and the Supreme Court ruled 6-3. The government won the case.

"So I'm walking in a waterfront hotel or information center?" Eric looked around, it was just an ordinary office-residential building.

"Of course not, because it's not over yet." Warren continued.

Some residents say the government's land acquisition is unfair and that they don't want to move out, regardless of how much money the government pays. They were very effective in self-protection and sympathy from the media, so things dragged on for a long time. The government raised enough money to coax them out. And then the unexpected happened, an economic crisis hit the entire Western world, and the original plan had to be put on hold, in order to make the debt-ridden local government. The government did not go bankrupt, and the expropriated land was divided into small plots and auctioned off, one of which was ---- here---- which fell into the hands of a Japanese billionaire several times.

"So, did Mr. Stryker convince the Japanese billionaire?"

"Very effective persuasion." Warren almost patted his chest to make sure. "No consequences."

Eric believes this.

With Stryker's abilities and the resources at his disposal, it is not difficult to settle a foreigner with no background.

Eric didn't bother to ask for the details, it had nothing to do with him, as long as there was no trouble, and the thing was done so well, so he didn't hesitate to praise it.

"Did I tell you did your job, Warren?" He asked.

"Nope." Warren answered honestly.

"Then I'll say it now." Eric looked down the hall for a moment, then walked up the stairs to look at the floors, pushed open the doors of the rooms, opened the windows, and looked inside and out, until he had a rough idea of the structure of the building before returning downstairs.

"Great, here I can receive mutants and ordinary visitors from all over the world, which is convenient and does not disturb the peace of the academy. The only thing missing now is a few competent clerks, and I can't get the students to do this, that's overkill. Maybe I need some ordinary people who don't have the ability to help out here with errands and goalkeeping. Eric groaned, and Warren heard and hurriedly helped with advice.

"This problem couldn't be more solvable, sir." He said earnestly.

"What's there?" Eric asked.

"You see, across the river is the municipal high school, where the twelfth graders are about to graduate, and there are always a lot of people who are not on the list every year, and if you wave your hand, you can recruit a few helpers from them, and they can receive some less important guests for you, and they can also complete some simple tasks, which is what I see in the nearby store." Warren pointed out the door, and there were students and parents chatting in the small square just across the street.

"Good idea, I think I've found someone." Eric saw a familiar old gentleman talking to the boy from a distance, and he said with a smile.

Warren didn't ask much, he wanted to get the matter done as far away from Eric as possible.

"It's because it's the only one. Establish property rights, so there is no need for 1.5% property fee, and at the same time enjoy five years of free land tax service, it should be said that it is quite superior, if you want, together with the decoration cost we packaged, what do you think? ”

"It's nice to have a rich man as a friend." Eric praised, and finally got his statement, and Warren's heart finally fell to the ground.

Walking out the door, Eric glanced back at the building, where he was the owner from now on.

Over the next few days, Congress made a preliminary resolution to allow the temporary creation of a department dealing with mutant relations with ordinary people, and the name was set to be the Ministry of Mutant Affairs, but the minister was Hank instead of Eric.

Of course, Eric himself didn't care at all, in fact, he didn't want this mission to fall on him at all, and he liked to do it by standing in the spotlight and hiding himself deeply, so when the news came, he was very enthusiastic and even enthusiastic to celebrate Hank, making Hank a little ashamed, as if he had robbed Eric of his achievements.

Privately, there is a perception that the members of Congress do not want to deal directly with Eric after seeing his bargaining skills, so they choose Hank, a rough-looking but mild-mannered mutant, as their representative.

This view was confirmed in some newspapers, and the hearing was remembered by many, and Erick almost single-handedly called out in front of a large number of senior politicians, and beat Trask and the Justice Department to the ground.

Of course, this is also due to Stryker's work, and if the outside world knew that these two rivals had colluded, a large number of spectators would have fallen through the glasses.

Regardless of these ups and downs, Eric has been running back and forth between the academy and Manhattan for a while, keeping an eye on the progress of the office. Encouraged by Warren's heavy money, the renovation was quickly completed according to the design plan, and Eric put in more hard work, he was gradually transforming the building into another look, and when it was completed, it was the day when the resolution was officially announced, and the office could be officially established.

"Boss, are you going to call Miss Selena again?" When Eric was about to go out again, Alison walked over to Eric as John called him.

As more and more reporters paid attention to the matter after the mutants were exposed, reporters began to haunt the academy, and in order to avoid the attention of them and the agents, so as not to affect Selena's safety, Eric insisted on contacting from a distance.

But today he's going to Manhattan to see the future office.

"We want to go too." Lorna was leaning on Alicent's shoulder, her eyes twinkling at Eric, followed by her classmates.

Looking at the pair of expectant eyes, Eric compromised.

"Okay, out." He said.

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