50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 616 Everyone gets what they need
"Thank you for your support. I will do better in the future." Ed extended his right hand, the diamond ring on his hand sparkling. Sun Zhiwei immediately reached out to meet him, and the two shook hands warmly.

Just as the two shook hands, Sun Zhiwei felt the time was ripe.

He smiled and said softly, "Mayor, I hope to have the honor of visiting you soon to discuss the expansion and renovation of LaGuardia Airport, which I have just secured."

Ed was in a good mood and would never refuse such a small request for a meeting.

"Yes, you can contact my secretary, Ms. Louise Kent, directly, and she will arrange it."

"It would be my honor, and I will certainly bring you even better news."

Ed didn't understand the meaning behind his words, but he didn't object to the meeting between the two. On the contrary, he was very much looking forward to the good news he had to say.

Afterwards, Sun Zhiwei accompanied Ed to admire the "Golden Cube" and took a group photo together at the "Golden Cube".

Thus, today's outing was a complete success, and Ed left the "Golden Cube" square with satisfaction.

Sun Zhiwei waved goodbye to Ed from afar, and only after the crowd dispersed did he instruct Belinda, who was following behind him:
"Print out the photo of me shaking hands with the mayor, enlarge it, and display it in the store. Remember to choose one with a prominent diamond ring, and have the photo studio add some sparkle to the diamond."

Americana now has post-processing capabilities for photos, which are even more sophisticated than those in China. Adding a sparkle to the diamonds on a ring is a breeze.

The two sixth brothers had similar ideas; Ed planned to use Sun Zhiwei's status as a billionaire to embellish his own image.

Sun Zhiwei couldn't let his compliments go unanswered, so he decided to use the photo of him shaking hands with Ed as the signboard for his shop.

They both had the same idea, so they decided to just get what they wanted.

Belinda nodded in agreement. Her ideas were even bolder, and she had already come up with the advertising slogan to put next to the photo: "Certified by the Mayor of New York City, exquisite jewelry of exceptional quality."

When the customers see it, wow, it really is his own hand! The mayor's ring in the photo is so big and sparkling.

Before leaving get off work that day, Sun Zhiwei sent someone to contact Mayor's Secretary, Ms. Yiss Kent, and arranged to meet at the mayor's office at 3 p.m. the day after tomorrow.

On the afternoon of the third day, Sun Zhiwei arrived at the municipal building with several of his men from the airport. After being informed, they were led to the lounge on the third floor to wait.

He brought a lot of things this time, including large-scale color renderings that he had prepared in advance.

However, he estimated that there was little chance of using it today, since it was the first negotiation. If the negotiation went well, Ed would gather his subordinates next time to hear his plan in detail.

So his goal today is to make Ed understand what his project is and what his purpose is, so that the two sides can negotiate later.

To this end, he also made a separate plan, a full-color plan the size of a handheld picture book.

Paul Taylor's color renderings were also photographed and printed in the book, and the overall style was similar to the brochures used to sell apartments in later generations.

The waiting time passed quickly. Five minutes before 3 o'clock, Sun Zhiwei was led to the door of the mayor's office by a secretary.

Just then, the previous customer came out. Sun Zhiwei saw that he looked happy, so he must have gained something inside. Conversely, Ed was also in a good mood.

Anyone in the workplace knows that when subordinates meet with their boss, they always ask their personal secretary how the boss is feeling that day.

If you're in a bad mood and your business isn't urgent, try to avoid it and come back at another time.

If you wait until the leader is in a better mood, you can go and ask for an audience. The chances of getting things done will be much greater then.

Mayor Ed was clearly in a good mood today. The previous person had already proven this to him, so he could go straight to the point without needing any more preamble.

He waited a few more minutes at the door, and just as it was 3 o'clock, the secretary knocked on the office door. After the secretary went in to report, she came out and led him into the office.

When Ed saw Sun Zhiwei, he happily left his desk and walked towards him. The two greeted each other with smiles on their faces, like old acquaintances.

"Mr. James, welcome to our home."

"Mr. Mayor, it is an honor to visit you."

Ed was genuinely pleased; yesterday's news headline actually used the one he mentioned, and apparently the publicity was quite effective.

Some businessmen who initially had reservations about his re-election changed their attitudes considerably on the day the news was published.

This shows that his publicity strategy was successful.

He used to focus his main efforts on populist policies, which was not wrong, because he needed more votes to be re-elected.

However, this also meant that his efforts in promoting business policies were not very effective.

However, to govern smoothly in a metropolis like New York, he needs a lot of financial support, and often he even needs donations from businessmen to maintain his staff.

Now, given the Sun Zhiwei incident, it's only natural to shift subsequent policies slightly towards commercial interests.

Sensitive small and medium-sized businessmen who understand this signal will start placing bets in advance, and if they receive positive feedback, larger businessmen will follow suit.

Yesterday's feedback from New York businessmen was the signal that Ed had been waiting for—the start of the new policy.

Next week he will implement his first new policy: tax cuts. This is good news for all businessmen in New York.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries with Ed, Sun Zhiwei got straight to the point. He first gave a general overview of his three-phase plan for LaGuardia Airport before handing over the project proposal.

Ed was immediately amazed when he saw the color renderings in the book.

"James, is this what it will look like when it's finished? It's beautiful."

"Of course, I've had enough of this dilapidated LaGuardia airport."

"My original purpose in buying it was to rebuild it into a new New York landmark."

"That's great. LaGuardia Airport has grown up alongside New York, but now it's old, outdated, and out of touch with the times."

"Yes, Mr. Mayor, a new generation of New Yorkers has grown up and they need to be equipped with a new, modern airport."

"James, your plan is excellent and aligns well with my future policy direction. So, what are your requirements?"

"Mr. Mayor, you must have flown on flights from LaGuardia Airport before, right?"

"Of course, that's for sure." Every New Yorker who has ever flown has been to LaGuardia Airport.

"So, what's the most memorable thing about your flight?"

Ed seemed thoughtful at first, then he looked up at Sun Zhiwei, and the two of them said in unison, "Traffic jam."

(End of this chapter)