My absurd experiences in North America over the years

Of course, Trump didn't immediately think about doing anything to Li Fu upon meeting him.

I just think we should consider having more options.

At that moment, Trump's phone rang, and he picked it up and glanced at it.

"Please have a seat for a moment. I have a few documents that need to be signed," he said, standing up, straightening the hem of his suit jacket, and walking towards the door.

"Okay," Li Fu nodded slightly.

A short while later, Ivanka returned, holding a brown paper envelope. She pulled the thick stack of documents out of the paper bag and placed it in front of Li Fu.

The cover reads "Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago," followed by a series of numbers and a dense list of legal clauses.

"This building has 92 floors and is 423 meters tall, making it the second tallest building in the United States," Ivanka said, turning to the first page and tapping her finger lightly on the architectural rendering. "Currently, it is planned to have 339 hotel rooms and 486 apartments. If it weren't for this financial crisis, it could be operational in the first quarter of next year."

Work has been largely halted, so forget about the first quarter.

Li Fu took the document and looked at it carefully.

"This is the current debt structure of this project," Ivanka said, turning to the third page, which contained a densely detailed financial statement.

The total construction cost of the entire Trump Hotel & Tower in Chicago was approximately $7.7 million, of which only $1.3 million was self-funded, and $6.4 million was a syndicated loan from Deutsche Bank and Fortress Investment Group.

This loan was due in May 2008.

After negotiations, a grace period was granted, but now the grace period is running out.

The pre-sales of the hotel apartments were far from ideal, with less than 40% completed, leaving a funding gap of at least $100 million.

These are all out in the open.

Li Fu leaned back on the sofa and closed the file.

He was curious about one thing: would Trump's outrageous move of suing banks really be effective?

Did your father's lawsuit against the bank have any effect?

Trump's lawsuit against Deutsche Bank was, in the context of the financial crisis, a desperate move. He was not the only one whose financial market liquidity was frozen and whose funds were cut off.

What's outrageous is his demand: citing force majeure clauses to extend the loan, he is seeking 3 billion in compensation from the bank.

This is truly an outrageous demand.

"The lawsuit is still in a stalemate," Ivanka shrugged. "The bank has also sued my father, demanding he immediately repay a $40 million personal guarantee. The lawyers for both sides have been arguing for two months, and there's still no result."

"If this drags on, it will definitely be detrimental to future investments," Li Fu said, putting down the documents. "It's better to resolve this matter as soon as possible."

Ivanka looked at him, a strange light in her light brown eyes. "You have a good eye. That building will definitely be a landmark in Chicago in the future, with very considerable growth potential. I also need some money to get through this phase. We each get what we need, a win-win situation."

"So, how much do you think I should invest in the Chicago project?" Li Fu asked Ivanka.

When Ivanka wears light makeup, he finds her charm even more captivating; no wonder she's a supermodel and the daughter of a legendary beauty.

"If possible, you can invest one hundred million US dollars for a 20% stake," Ivanka blurted out almost without hesitation.

Clearly, the father and daughter had already assessed this number.

"Would one hundred million dollars be enough to get this project through its difficulties?" Li Fu was somewhat surprised; he thought Ivanka would ask for at least three hundred million dollars.

"A hundred million dollars is indeed a bit tight, but we can reach an agreement with the bank first and then gradually cash out," Ivanka said, not believing that the second tallest building in the United States and the landmark building of the third largest city would have no future.

One hundred million US dollars can at least solve the immediate crisis.

"Twenty percent of the shares?" Li Fu felt that the percentage was too low.

For a mega-project with a total investment of $7.7 billion, a $100 million investment would have secured a 20% stake, and the building would have been largely completed. This would have been impossible had it not been for the financial crisis.

This at least shows that Ivanka has a genuine willingness to cooperate and is not making exorbitant demands.

"If you think the share is too low, you can also choose to invest 200 million for a 35% stake," Ivanka suggested as an alternative, "or invest 300 million for a 45% stake."

Clearly, this is not a matter of increasing shares proportionally to the investment amount.

This also aligns with business logic.

As the shareholding percentage exceeds a certain level, the cost will inevitably increase gradually.

To demonstrate his sincerity, Li Fu decided to invest 200 million after evaluation.

"I choose 35 percent of the shares."

"OK," Ivanka said, pulling another document from the envelope and turning to the last page. "All the terms are here. If you have any objections, you can have a lawyer come and discuss it in person."

"Okay, I'll have Thompson liaise with your legal department," Li Fu said after a quick glance.

The two reached a preliminary agreement almost without any obstacles.

Trump never returned.

To express her gratitude to Li Fu for his timely help, Ivanka invited him to dinner in the evening.

The restaurant is located on the first floor of Trump Tower and is an upscale Italian restaurant.

The two sat down by the window, where they could see the street scene of Fifth Avenue. The sleet had turned into moderate snow, and large snowflakes had already appeared on the ground.

Ivanka ordered a salad.

Li Fu ordered a plate of spaghetti, one of the few Western dishes he could stomach.

Their conversation transitioned from business collaboration to daily life and hobbies.

Ivanka had heard Hilton mention that Li Fu was a true kung fu master, the kind that even Jackie Chan and Jet Li would have to admit defeat to.

In the eyes of ordinary Westerners, Jet Li and Jackie Chan are both masters among masters.

To say that both of them would have to admit defeat is extremely high praise; it's almost as if they were on par with Bruce Lee.

In fact, the three of them could hardly be considered experts in front of Li Fu.

The original owner's terrifying strength was something that no actor or athlete could compare to; the arena, to put it bluntly, still had an element of performance and entertainment.

When he carries out a mission, it's truly a life-or-death struggle.

When it comes to killing, he could just say, "Come at me all at once!"

"I heard you're really good at fighting, is that true?" Ivanka asked, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Li Fu.

Li Fu was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen.

If you add in other accolades, then their impression score is arguably unmatched.

A kung fu master, a top-notch trader, a billionaire, a feng shui master—any one of these qualities is enough to make someone envious.

Generally speaking, successful men are usually older, unless they have inherited a family business.

And he is so young.