"Aunt Mia, remember this house belonged to Tony, right? Why is there a new tenant?" Wendy curiously asked the landlady.
"Oh, it's you, Wendy. Didn't Tony tell you? He moved out a while ago!" Aunt Mia responded.
Wendy misunderstood, thinking that Tony might be avoiding her, so she muttered with a hint of frustration, "Moved out? Why would he move out for no reason?"
"Well, Tony is a famous writer now. How could he still live in this old house of mine? And do you know how many people have been coming to see him every day since he became famous? Even I couldn't handle it. So, moving out was the sensible choice!" Aunt Mia explained.
"Oh, I see. Aunt, do you happen to know where he moved to?" Wendy inquired further.
"When Tony left, he left a note for me. Let me find it for you." Aunt Mia started searching in a fluster, but she regretfully said in the end, "Oh dear, I don't remember where I put it. How about you leave me your contact information? I'll let you know when I find it or when I run into Tony."
"Alright, thank you, Aunt." Wendy reluctantly agreed.
Though Wendy didn't find Monet's current address from the landlady, she wasn't disheartened. She later went to the "The Brooklyn Paper" because she believed the newspaper must know Monet's address; how else would they reach him?
However, at the newspaper office, she was disappointed again. The staff there agreed only to forward her letter to Monet but firmly refused to disclose his current address.
Finally, Wendy, somewhat annoyed, said, "I'm Mr. Monet's close friend. It's just that he moved, which is why I can't contact him. If you don't believe me, I can give you his previous address or have the landlord confirm our relationship."
But the staff remained unmoved, "I'm sorry, miss. We don't have the time or obligation to verify this matter. Besides, Mr. Monet chose to move precisely because he was bothered by the people who knew his old address. So, if you really are his friend, I believe he will contact you on his own after seeing your letter." (Writing this part reminds me of a scene from a comedy show where someone claimed to be someone's partner, and the security personnel responded, "Yes, yes, yes, that's what they all say!")
Actually, what Wendy didn't know was that even if the staff had given her Monet's current address, she wouldn't have found him. At that time, Monet wasn't even in New York; he had gone to Hollywood.
Hollywood is situated on the outskirts of Los Angeles, California, on the west coast of the United States. It's a picturesque place nestled by hills and water. Originally discovered by photographers seeking outdoor filming locations, around the early 20th century, it attracted many filmmakers. Later, smaller companies and independent producers flocked here to escape the control of patent companies, gradually forming a film center.
So, when Monet arrived in Hollywood, he found that there were already fifteen production studios established here, including the Nest Film Company (the first film company in Hollywood).
Fortunately, Hollywood wasn't that famous at this time, so property prices were affordable, and the barn that Monet bought was even cheaper.
However, even so, when he was signing the contract, the previous owner smiled and asked him, "Sir, may I ask if you're also here to open a film company?"
Monet shook his head and replied, "No, I plan to open an inn."
"An inn? But apart from those who come here to make movies, there aren't many outsiders around," the landlord asked in confusion.
With a mysterious smile, Monet responded, "That will change in the future."
After purchasing the barn, Monet had it tidied up and renovated by someone. He then hired a middle-aged man named Milton, who appeared honest and reliable, to manage the inn. He entrusted the entire operation to Milton and subsequently returned to New York.
In reality, Monet knew that his approach was quite unreliable. Typically, he should have arranged for a trusted person to come as the owner or accountant. Otherwise, even if Milton claimed the business was bad, he wouldn't have any grounds to refute him. After all, there were no surveillance cameras in those days. However, he didn't have anyone he truly trusted. The Shaw sisters could barely qualify, but asking them to come alone to Los Angeles, especially to the outskirts, where they were unfamiliar, was something they probably wouldn't agree to. So, this idea remained just a thought.
Fortunately, Monet didn't rely on the inn to make money. He did it mainly to secure the land; whether the inn made a profit or loss wasn't his primary concern.
After returning to New York, Monet first greeted Mann at the "Brooklyn Gazette." He also received a pile of letters from readers, including Wendy. True to her word, the staff who received the letters didn't believe Wendy's claim, so they put her letter together with the others. Given Monet's level of "diligence," he probably wouldn't get to it for another month.
Just as Monet had returned to his new home, his neighbor and landlord, Paul, warmly greeted him, "Mr. Monet, you're back!"
Monet nodded and replied, "Yes, just got back."
"Come have a cup of coffee; I just brewed some!" Paul enthusiastically invited.
Although Monet wanted to rest at home for a bit, he considered that he had just moved in and could tell that Paul wanted to discuss something. So, he walked in.
Sure enough, after chatting for a while, Paul got to the point and asked, "Mr. Monet, there's a good money-making opportunity now, but I'm a bit uncertain. I was hoping you could give me some advice!"
"Oh? What kind of money-making opportunity is it?" Monet asked curiously.
"It's this!" Paul said, pointing at the coffee in Monet's hand.
Monet asked incredulously, "C-coffee?!"
Paul nodded and said, "Yes, coffee."
"Wait, Paul, are you thinking of opening a coffee shop? That's actually a good idea!"
Paul waved his hand and explained, "No, no, no. There are already too many coffee shops in New York. The competition is fierce, and the market is saturated. So, I'm planning to open a coffee shop in an area where the market is untapped!"
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