My absurd experiences in North America over the years

At first, everything went smoothly.

Starting with two real estate projects in Queens, more than a dozen businesses under the Trump Organization have gradually resumed operations.

It directly creates thousands of jobs and countless indirect jobs; the real estate industry can drive and influence too many other industries.

It seems that New York City, currently experiencing a cold winter, may be on the verge of warming up.

However, this situation did not last long.

That day, Li Fuzheng and Ivanka were discussing some municipal projects that were about to start when some bad news came over.

Some people have started to sabotage things in secret.

However, it wasn't gangsters smashing equipment or blocking the gate, but rather public opinion that was the cause.

On the third day after work resumed, the community board in eastern Queens issued an official letter, which was polite in wording but firm in its stance, demanding an immediate halt to construction, citing that construction noise and dust were seriously affecting the lives of nearby residents.

The official letter was accompanied by a petition with more than thirty signatures.

Li Fu looked at the names and addresses, and found that most of the signatures were not near the construction site, and some were even as far away as Brooklyn.

Are Americans really this rough around the edges?

Ivanka's assistant, Rosie, did some research and found that the organizer of the petition was Marcus Washington, a member of the community council who owned a grocery store in the area, but business had been lukewarm.

A month ago, someone injected $200,000 into one of his shell companies.

The source of the funds was traced to a consulting firm registered in Delaware, but further investigation revealed nothing more.

Li Fu tossed the petition onto the table, completely ignoring it. "I guess this is just the first wave; there will be more later."

Sure enough, the second wave came even faster than expected.

The construction site fence was vandalized overnight with paint and slogans such as "Get out of our community" and "Death to capitalists" written on it.

The trash can next to the fence was set on fire. The fire was small and was extinguished by patrolling security guards in less than ten minutes. However, the fire truck and police car only made a symbolic round and left.

On the third day, the construction materials at the site were stolen in two waves, but the amount stolen was not large: a few rolls of cable, a few bags of cement, and a few toolboxes.

The figures captured by the surveillance cameras were wearing hats and masks, so their faces were not visible.

Rossi handed the video to the police station, who said they would investigate as soon as possible, and then nothing more was heard from them.

Li Fu didn't react much to these reports. He knew they were just a test; the enemy wanted to see their reaction, as well as the police's. If the reaction wasn't strong enough, the next time it wouldn't just be stealing.

Ivanka didn't have much experience dealing with this kind of situation, so she had to ask the security company to increase manpower, doubling the number of night patrol personnel at each construction site.

However, doing so is not very useful.

Because it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. If you're always stealing, how can you be on guard against it every day?

……

The atmosphere in Kushner's office was even more gloomy than the sky outside the window.

The troublemaking at the construction site is temporarily none of his business; he is currently planning a precise sniper attack.

Just then, the phone rang.

He answered the phone, and the voice on the other end was that of a private investigator.

"We've found out. The petition at the Queens construction site is closely linked to you. The funds went through three layers of shell companies in Delaware. However, if we really want to investigate thoroughly, the source can still be traced."

Kushner frowned. "I didn't make them do that."

"It could be someone from the old man's side," the private investigator said cautiously.

Kushner fell silent instantly.

His father was capable of doing something like that.

After being released from the New Jersey jail, Kushner's temper became even more gloomy, his explosive temper subsided somewhat, and he became less talkative.

However, he could tell that his father was becoming increasingly ruthless.

"There's one more thing," the private investigator lowered his voice even further, "Regarding the Sin Lords, the old man may have met with their people, possibly the 'mayor' of the gang's New York branch, at a private club in Brooklyn."

That's all he could find out; if he investigated any further, he'd die. And the day after they met, Mexico seemed to have gotten involved as well.

Kushner's fingers tightened on the table, his knuckles turning white. "What are they trying to do?"

He was shocked that his father wanted to cooperate with the gang.

"I don't know, but I heard that someone is looking for the blueprints for the equipment floor of the construction site's foundation," the private investigator said, quite professionally, providing comprehensive information.

"Blueprints?" Kushner frowned.

What do you need blueprints for? Do you intend to blow up the construction site?

Aren't you afraid of making things worse by doing this?

No, a sudden thought struck him: it could be a case of framing someone with drugs, a common tactic used by gangsters.

Of course, the FBI sometimes uses it too.

As long as the goods are hidden in a specific location, no one will know. Then, one day someone reports it, and the police will raid the place and dig it up.

At that point, construction will have to stop, the developer might even face lawsuits, and the municipal government, in order to distance itself from the project, will definitely be the first to step in and halt it.

Kushner put down the phone and leaned back in his chair.

The spire of the Empire State Building outside the window looked like a dim needle in the hazy daylight.

He wanted to tell his father, "I don't need your interference." He had already picked up his phone and found his father's number, but his finger hovered over the screen for a moment before he still didn't dial.

He remembered Ivanka's profile, how she had ruthlessly blocked him, the messages he had sent but never received a reply, and how Ivanka had chatted happily with Li Fu at a private club.

The look in Ivanka's eyes when she looked at Li Fu was something he had never seen before.

What makes that young man from the East so special?

Kushner's arm hung limply at his sides.

This style of doing things is despicable, but it may be the most effective.

At this moment, Kushner Sr. is in his study on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He puts down the phone and picks up a cup of coffee.

It's snowing lightly outside the window. The snowflakes are fine and dense, landing on the windowsill and melting quickly.

He recalled his days in prison; being a prisoner had always been a disgrace to him, but some things had made him more clear-headed.

In this circle, there are no permanent enemies, nor permanent friends, only permanent interests.

Even blood ties are not enough.

He put down his coffee cup, opened his notebook, and wrote down a few names on the first page.

Li Fu, Forrest Capital, and the Trump Organization.

These are the enemies he must deal with. His hatred for them stems not only from his son's "stealing of his wife," but also from the fact that they have blocked the Kushner family's escape route to weather the storm through marriage.

He closed his notebook, stood up, went to the dressing room, changed into a dark gray overcoat, and went straight out the door.

The car was already waiting downstairs.

The driver started the engine and drove into the traffic of Manhattan.

Brooklyn, on the second floor of an unassuming warehouse.

Two burly Black men in black hoodies stood at the door. When they saw old Kushner, they stepped aside to let him through.

Allen, the "mayor" of the Sin Lords' New York branch, was already there, sitting on a sofa in the corner with a glass of whiskey in his hand.

Allen was probably in his early forties, with a shaved head and a scorpion tattooed on his neck, but he was wearing a sophisticated dark gray suit.

Their leadership and the lower-ranking soldiers had a completely different hip-hop style, dressing in a way that resembled that of high society.

On the coffee table in front of him lay a site plan, with a red circle drawn in the corner indicating the equipment room on the basement level.

Old Kushner sat down opposite him.

There was no small talk between them; they got straight to the point.

"I've got the blueprints, the location is fine, and the workers are all arranged. I'll have them pour a layer of cement, so no one can tell. The pouring is scheduled for next Wednesday night," Allen said, placing the whiskey on the table. "Is the stock you've prepared okay?"

"The Mexican gang is ready. It's pure enough and plentiful enough to bring the whole project to a halt," Kushner's despicable nature was notorious in high society. "The key is whether you can get things done."

"Don't worry about that. Our people are professionals. As long as the blueprints are correct, there won't be any mistakes," Allen said confidently.

"That's good. I'll arrange for someone to anonymously report this later. When that happens, the construction site will stop, the developer will be sued, and Li Fu's investment will be wasted. You'll have gotten revenge for Nashville."

Kushner sought to cooperate with the Sin Lord because they shared a common enemy.

Allen picked up his whiskey, took a sip, and said, "Since we have a common enemy, I hope we can cooperate sincerely in the future."

"Then it's settled," old Kushner stood up.

The two men clasped hands tightly, and a dirty deal was struck.

In Li Fu's hotel room, Thompson spread a drone aerial photograph on the coffee table and marked several locations with a red pen.

"In the warehouse area east of the construction site, a van that we haven't seen before has appeared in the last few days. It appears at night and disappears during the day. We checked the license plate, and it's definitely a fake plate. They've been inspecting the construction site."

Thompson also discovered that the crime lords' territory in New York was mainly east of the construction site, while the Mexican gang's drug network covered the entire city. These two groups had been in frequent contact recently, possibly indicating that they had reached some kind of agreement.

Li Fu looked at the aerial photos several times.

He couldn't quite understand what the other person wanted to do.

Thompson circled the foundation location on the aerial photograph. "The location they surveyed was the equipment floor in the basement of the construction site. We checked the drawings left by the building authority, and it's still in the pouring stage there, which is a blind spot for monitoring."

"Blind spots in surveillance?" Li Fu frowned slightly.

"It's not exactly a blind spot for surveillance. We've already installed two hidden cameras in that direction, disguised as construction site lights. Their people will definitely be caught on camera when they enter the site," Thompson said, having specifically hired a new security company from Boston.

The security team from out of town can help them get through this special period to the greatest extent possible.

Li Fu nodded. "Move the monitoring room to the construction site office, with 24-hour shifts. The staff on duty must have undergone background checks and be trustworthy."

Doing this undoubtedly increases costs significantly.

However, there's no other way; the current situation is special, and this is the only thing we can do for now.

"Mr. Li..." Thompson hesitated for a moment, but still said, "All indications suggest that these matters are related to the Kushner family..."

"Let's not alert them yet," Li Fu interrupted him. "Let's proceed with our own tasks step by step."

If he were to take action, he would definitely drive the Kushner family out of New York; now is not the time.

Ivanka has been very busy these past few days and is currently in a meeting at Trump Tower, having a meeting late into the night.

Trump himself flew back from Las Vegas and sat at the head of the long table, looking rather grim.

"I've already spoken to the people in the mayor's office about the community council, and they said they'll handle it, but it will take time." Ivanka opened the folder and spread the petition and funding source tracking report on the table.

Trump glanced at the report and gave a cold laugh. "These people don't dare to come openly, so they're trying to trip us up in the shadows. They won't get away with it."

He's been in the real estate business in New York for decades; he's seen it all.

"There's one more thing..." Ivanka hesitated for a moment, "Someone is investigating Li Fu's background. It seems to be a private investigator, and the person behind him is of unknown origin."

Trump tapped his fingers twice on the table. "What do you mean by 'unknown origin'? It's definitely old Kushner."

He knew Kushner's style of doing things very well.

This guy's favorite thing to do is use private investigators; he even uses them to bribe prostitutes.

The two families have now fallen out, the Trump Organization is thriving, and the Kushner family is mired in a debt crisis. This is a sign of an imbalance in their mindsets.

Ivanka had actually considered this idea, but didn't know how to bring it up.

Trump glanced at her but didn't press the matter. He picked up his coffee cup, took a sip, and said, "You need to be careful at the construction site. Those gangs are ruthless and unscrupulous. Try to avoid going there as much as possible."

"Li hired a new security team from Boston," Ivanka said helplessly. "He won't let me get involved in this."

Trump paused for a moment, then laughed. "Never mind him. He just doesn't want you to be in a dangerous situation."

They were thinking the same thing.

As soon as the meeting ended, Trump went to the city government.

He wanted to put pressure on those politicians, who promised to give him the greatest support for resuming work, but where are they now?

Li Furen was in New York, and after arranging the general work, his mind was elsewhere.

He sat by the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel, holding a glass of water, watching the Manhattan skyline unfold little by little in the twilight.

He is waiting for news.

A moment later, Thompson pushed open the door and came in, holding a freshly printed document.

"Mr. Li, Lina has relayed that JPMorgan Chase has confirmed their willingness to jointly lead the acquisition of Huawei's terminal business equity with Forrest Capital. A French financial institution has also joined in. The investment plan is awaiting your confirmation."

This is what he values ​​most right now.

Two months ago, due to the outbreak of the financial crisis, negotiations led by Morgan Stanley to acquire a stake in Huawei's terminal business failed.

The cash flow available to those financial giants has shrunk dramatically, and Huawei has also reversed its decision to sell its terminal business.

The turning point came during a phone call between Li Fu and Jackson, president of JPMorgan Chase Private Bank, when they discussed foreign exchange rebates.

Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase have a very deep connection; in fact, it could be said that Morgan Stanley was a business spun off from JPMorgan Chase. Morgan Stanley was very optimistic about Huawei, and Jackson easily obtained Morgan Stanley's previous research reports through personal connections.

He felt that this should have been a very promising cross-border merger and acquisition, so he mentioned it to Li Fu.

Upon learning of this, Li Fu immediately inquired about the possibility of restarting negotiations.

JPMorgan Chase placed great importance on Li Fu because of his two extreme trading maneuvers, and when he showed great interest in Huawei's terminal business equity, they decided to participate almost immediately.

The documents Lina sent were the plans for this merger and acquisition.

Li Fu took the document, flipped through it, and asked, "What is JPMorgan Chase's share?"

"Eight hundred million US dollars, accounting for 35% of the total financing, and two hundred million US dollars from France. Our share is 50%, but we are currently running out of cash," Thompson answered truthfully.

The company's accounts now have less than $700 million, at least $500 million short.

"Don't worry, I'll think of a way," Li Fu breathed a sigh of relief. He had to make this investment, and he had to take the lead.

Whether it's JPMorgan Chase or French investment banks, they can only play a supporting role.

Meanwhile, Kushner Lee is using his position as a "squid" (a derogatory term for someone who works under the guise of a fish) to meet with financial tycoons on Wall Street.

He planned to target Li Fu in the capital market to prevent him from expanding further.