My absurd experiences in North America over the years

The office was silent for a few seconds.

Looking down from the 26th floor, the bustling crowds in Central Park outside the window appear as small, shadowy figures. In the distance, the Hudson River gleams with a leaden gray light under the hazy sky.

Trump's hand, holding the coffee cup, froze in mid-air; he brought it to his lips and then put it down.

A billion dollars is a huge number.

Currently, given his connections, he is far from able to secure such a large loan or investment from banks or other financial institutions.

He looked at Li Fu with a scrutinizing gaze that came from someone who had spent decades navigating the political and business world.

"One billion..." Trump repeated the number, as if to make sure he hadn't misheard.

"Yes, one billion," Li Fu said seriously. "As long as we reach an agreement, the money will be in my account in one minute."

Trump's fingers tightened instantly on the sofa armrest. He turned his head and glanced at Ivanka.

Ivanka was equally shocked.

In the past, this would not have been the case. A billion dollars in New York City, where land is incredibly expensive, would only amount to a few large projects, or sometimes even just one.

However, in the context of the financial crisis, things are very different now.

Moreover, real estate investment is not a one-time investment, but rather a phased process. If it is profitable, a small amount of capital can be used to leverage large projects.

Spending 1 billion is considered extremely generous.

These days, you can count the number of big-ticket transactions in Manhattan that cost hundreds of millions of dollars on one hand.

Looking at the entire New York real estate market, the total transaction volume of commercial real estate in New York last year was $19.6 billion. After the financial crisis, it plummeted, with the number of large transactions exceeding $100 million dropping from 62 to 9.

It's only one step away from complete stagnation.

What does this mean?

This means that there is an extreme scarcity of individuals and institutions willing to invest in the market, and a single injection of one billion dollars in cash could make the Trump Organization the most influential player in the New York real estate market overnight.

This is the scarcity of our times.

Trump and Ivanka certainly know the value of a billion dollars at this moment.

"So, does that mean we're about to go all out?"

Trump flashed his signature smile, his heart filled with surging fighting spirit.

"That's right, we're going to make a big splash," Li Fu took over the conversation, steer the topic from real estate to municipal engineering.

No one knew better than him that the government was short of money after the financial crisis, and that construction on roads, bridges, and public facilities had basically stopped.

The Federal Reserve and Congress are busy dealing with the financial crisis, while state governments are focused on the presidential election. At times, states and the federal government are even like enemies.

Those stalled projects went unnoticed.

The officials in charge of these matters may lobby the city government or councilors for their own political achievements, but they are unlikely to obtain funding.

If we look for social capital, who would be willing to invest in the context of a financial crisis?

At this time, Li Fu's collaboration with Trump is a win-win situation for both of them. The Trump Group has enough qualifications and connections to take on these projects; all it lacks is funding.

And he just happened to have enough cash flow.

"There are projects everywhere now, and we can definitely take advantage of this downturn to acquire them all. What are your conditions for investing a billion dollars?" Trump slowed his speech, as he recovered from his surprise.

"We'll discuss each case individually, based on the actual investment ratio and the project's contribution. But in general, the profits will be split 60/40, with you getting 60% and me getting 40%. However..." Li Fu paused for a moment, "but there's one condition that must be written into the agreement."

"What are the conditions?" Trump asked.

As long as it's not excessive, he will definitely agree; for him, today is simply a stroke of good luck.

"More than 80 percent of this money must be used for investment, including new project development, resumption of existing projects, and acquisition of prime land. The remaining 20 percent can be used to supplement your working capital, but it cannot be used to repay bank loans."

Li Fu made his point clear from the start.

What Trump needs most, or what is most urgent right now, is probably a bank loan.

If he uses a portion of the money he invested to repay loans, it would severely impact the overall returns. Trump isn't incapable of doing something like that.

The office was quiet for a moment.

Trump stared at Li Fu for a few seconds, then laughed. The laugh wasn't loud, but it carried a tacit understanding between businessmen.

"Don't worry, I have plenty of ways to delay loan repayments. Investing and buying at the bottom are of course the most important things."

He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Li Fu. He needed to sort out his thoughts.

It finally started raining outside the window, mixed with light snow.

The Manhattan skyline appeared hazy and yellowish under the dim light, with the green spaces of Central Park, the traffic on Fifth Avenue, and the spire of the Empire State Building in the distance all shrouded in a gray veil.

At this time yesterday, he was still thinking about how to get through the winter. Now it's not a question of getting through it, but how to realize his grand ambitions.

"Ivanka, you take the lead on this matter. Make a clear list of all the projects the group currently has on hand, including those that have been halted, those that are still in operation, and those that are under negotiation. Also, go through all the real estate projects currently listed in the New York market and select the best ones."

"What about the municipal engineering projects?" Ivanka asked.

"You don't need to worry about that," Trump waved his hand. "Once the real estate side is ready, I'll go and negotiate with them. Right now, the most important thing is to use the money wisely."

Ivanka nodded, took a notebook from her briefcase, and wrote down the things she needed to pay attention to.

"What about the Chicago project?" She looked up at her father, then glanced at Li Fu. "The loan for that building is due in a few months."

The loan amount is huge, and repayment in installments will require hundreds of millions of US dollars.

Trump already has a plan in mind: continue suing banks externally and negotiating privately; there's always a way.

"I've heard of that building. If you're short on funds, I can invest in it."

Li Fu stated this calmly.

Trump's heart skipped a beat when he heard this; he couldn't have been happier!

"Ivanka, go and prepare the relevant information now. Make sure Lee is familiar with the project as soon as possible," he said, looking at his daughter.

"Okay, I'll go right now," Ivanka said, getting up immediately.

She knew that this was the most urgent matter.

Bringing up this matter at the end was precisely Li Fu's strategy. He first discussed a billion-dollar cooperation, stating that the money could only be used for investment.

The additional investment at a crucial moment was aimed at acquiring shares in the Trump Hotel Tower.

Of course, this is even less likely to be considered from an economic perspective.

What he wants is a deep integration with the Trump Organization.

It started with a partnership, then came shares in key Trump Organization projects, and then shares in the entire organization…

Only two people remained in the office.

Trump leaned back on the sofa, his eyes showing a sense of relaxation after a big deal, as well as a father's reassessment of his daughter's future.

Perhaps we need to make some changes?

That Kushner kid actually got Ivanka to change her religious beliefs; that's the greatest blasphemy against God and evangelical doctrine.

He is a devout evangelical Christian.