My absurd experiences in North America over the years

"Director Wang," Joshua's voice was a little hoarse, "may I ask for the reason?"

"Your proposal is excellent from a financial perspective, but in terms of strategic alignment, Forrest Capital's proposal is more in line with our long-term plans." Director Wang's voice had the calmness of someone who had been negotiating in the business world for many years. "Please excuse me for not being able to disclose specific details."

Joshua opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately did not speak.

Joshua stood in front of the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows, feeling an unprecedented sense of defeat. This young man was unaware or perhaps unaware that the great power beneath his feet was taking off and would become America's most powerful rival in less than ten years.

The political and economic rivalry between the two major powers will unfold in full force in the coming years.

Many Wall Street conglomerates did not even anticipate this. It can only be said that the rise of a great power is a result of its accumulated strength and is too rapid. Huawei's global strategy is a decision made after considering all these aspects.

Li Fu can be said to have accurately provided a certain requirement.

When the entire Goldman Sachs team left, the assistant was already waiting in the car, but Joshua didn't get in. Instead, he stood in the twilight and lit a cigarette.

He doesn't smoke, and the cigarettes he just bought are soft packs of Zhonghua cigarettes. He felt he needed to do something to process this outcome.

$2.4 billion, $200 million more than the competitor, more flexible payment terms, more favorable additional conditions... How could they have lost so easily? He couldn't understand it!

He took a deep drag of his cigarette, thinking of the young man Li Fu, who wasn't much older than him.

But that person could escape unscathed from a meticulously planned trap, achieving a complete victory silently when everyone thought Goldman Sachs was going to win.

Joshua recalled his brother Jared's warning on the phone: "This person is not someone you can easily deal with; you must be careful."

He didn't take it to heart at the time.

Now, he finds himself defeated without even seeing his opponent's face.

This is an utter disgrace.

When news of Huawei's choice of Forrest Capital and JPMorgan Chase reached the Upper East Side of Manhattan, it was already 2 a.m. New York time.

Old Kushner was awakened by the ringing of the phone. He sat up in bed, picked up the receiver, and was excited, thinking that his son would bring him good news.

However, Joshua's voice on the other end of the phone was low and hoarse, carrying an unprecedented sense of frustration.

"Dad, we lost, we lost completely. Huawei chose Forrest Capital."

Kushner's initial excitement plummeted to rock bottom.

He hung up the phone, leaned against the headboard, and stared at the ceiling. He had thought he could snipe Li Fu.

With an extra $200 million, and a one-time payment of $24 billion in cash, no one would turn down money during the worst of the financial crisis.

But Huawei just can't resist money.

He recalled Li Fu's appearance in court, the security team brought in from Boston, and the hidden cameras that had been set up in advance. Every time, he thought he had victory in his grasp, and every time, he lost inexplicably.

He picked up the phone and dialed another number.

"Could you check if any members of the Forrest family in Washington have recently been in contact with Huawei?"

The call came back about an hour later.

"We've already checked. Bill Forrest's office hasn't had any contact with Huawei in the past three months. But someone at JPMorgan Chase, through the Forrest family's connections, conducted several small-scale communications on Capitol Hill, with the topic being 'the positive impact of foreign investment on the U.S. job market.'"

Kushner's fingers tightened instantly on the phone.

The enemy may indeed be one step ahead; they are not using lobbying and deals, but rather "policy communication."

This operation is neither illegal nor against regulations, and it doesn't even require public disclosure.

Old Kushner put down the phone and closed his eyes.

The fire in the fireplace had gone out, and the room was cold.

The day after Joshua flew back to New York, Manhattan experienced its biggest snowfall of the winter.

He didn't go to the company, but went straight back to his old house on the Upper East Side. Old Kushner was waiting for him in the study, where the fireplace was burning brightly, and the orange light reflected off the century-old oil paintings on the walls.

Several newspapers were spread out on the table, all with front pages about the "Queens Police Department corrupt cop self-destructs".

"Sit here," old Kushner gestured with his chin towards the chair.

Joshua sat down and recounted the entire negotiation process with Huawei in detail.

He spoke in great detail, leaving no stone unturned: his own quote, the terms, the other party's reaction, and finally, the phrase "a higher degree of strategic compatibility."

After listening, Kushner remained silent.

He picked up his coffee cup and found that the coffee had gone cold. He suddenly stood up and smashed the coffee cup on the ground.

The sound of shattering was particularly jarring in the quiet study.

Joshua was startled.

"They didn't choose such generous terms," ​​old Kushner's voice was very low, each word sounding like he was gritting his teeth, "but instead chose a medical family in Tennessee, a bank that was still haggling over prices during the financial crisis?"

"Dad..." Joshua wanted to say something.

"You go out first," old Kushner interrupted him directly.

The situation is very unfavorable for them. The FBI is still conducting an in-depth investigation, the leader of the Sin Lords, Fang, has been captured, and New York "Mayor" Allen has fled in an emergency.

Because the Queens Police Department was worried that the FBI would find out about them, they simply started an "in-house investigation." Several officers have already turned themselves in and admitted to working for gangs and drug dealers.

Will the investigation lead back to him?

In the United States, surrendering oneself and signing a plea agreement often results in exemption from prosecution and lighter sentences, so the Queens Police Department's "self-investigation" doesn't seem so ridiculous.

Three days after Fang was captured, three officers from within the police department voluntarily surrendered to the Internal Affairs Office, admitting that they had provided intelligence and protection to the Sin Lord over the past two years.

Following this, five more police officers were suspended pending investigation.

At the press conference, the director, his face grim, announced "zero tolerance for any behavior that colludes with criminal organizations."

But only he knows whether there is zero tolerance.

Trump learned of this while he was drinking Diet Coke in his penthouse office at Trump Tower.

He then received a call from Mayor Bloomberg.

"You saw what happened!" To show his sincerity, Bloomberg claimed that the police department's "self-investigation" was his order. "I've already had the Internal Affairs Department thoroughly investigate the Queens Police Department. No corrupt cop will escape."

Trump expressed his gratitude and inquired about the progress of the disruptions at the construction site.

"I've already had the petition from the community council withdrawn. Many of the signatories don't even live near the construction site. The ringleaders of the disturbance have been taken away by the police." Bloomberg used drastic measures to reduce unemployment and revive the economy as quickly as possible.

He urged Trump to allow all projects to fully resume operation.

When Li Fu brought Lucy back to Nashville, it was already close to the New Year.

Cole personally picked him and Lucy up at the airport.

On the way, the two briefly discussed the signing of the contract with Huawei.

Cole wasn't surprised; this wasn't the first time Li Fu had demonstrated his exceptional abilities.

Of course, Li Fu was not arrogant. He was well aware of his own strength. If it weren't for the backing of the Forrest family and the involvement of JPMorgan Chase and French investment banks, even if he had $22 billion in cash, he would never have been able to complete the equity acquisition.

What Huawei is interested in is precisely the foundation behind it.

"To be honest, I was just riding on someone else's coattails. If Lucy hadn't been sitting next to me, and if JPMorgan Chase hadn't taken the lead," he shrugged with a smile, "I think I would have been the one who failed."

"I didn't say a word during the negotiations, so I deserve credit for that too?" Lucy couldn't help but smile.

"More than just meritorious, he's indispensable," Li Fu immediately remarked.

"Then you'd better thank me properly."

The two of them, who had been so cautious before, became very natural in front of Cole.

Li Fu was unaware that during the few days he had been back in China, the situation in New York had completely reversed.

Cole explained the details to him.

Li Fu was quite surprised, as he knew that this was probably initiated by Uncle Cole.

"Why the sudden, thorough investigation?" He was somewhat puzzled.

Cole's profile flickered in the light and shadow outside the car window, obscuring his expression.

"Because the White House and Congress will be transferring power in a week, and my uncle's position in Congress will soon be replaced, so I'm taking advantage of this time to get things done."

His words were blunt, yet they reflected the current state of the American political landscape.

Obama's cabinet will soon be in the White House, and the Democrats have gained control of both houses of Congress in the elections. Once power is transferred, some things will be difficult to do.

While he still held power and could push the FBI forward, he naturally wanted to clear away all obstacles in one fell swoop.

No matter how unscrupulous those gangsters are, they only target ordinary merchants and residents. When facing the real upper class, they don't even have the right to sit at the table.

This is no longer the era when the Mafia held absolute power in New York.

This can be considered a vivid political lesson.

Li Fu gained a deeper understanding that the political struggles in the United States cannot be generalized to those in China.

He also needs to prepare in advance.

With Obama about to take office, the Forrest family will lose a key figure in Congress, and the Republican Party will enter a period of silence.

As the car entered Forrest Manor, dusk had already blanketed the entire lawn.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the oak trees onto the freshly mowed lawn, like a charcoal sketch.

Cole didn't go into the manor; he parked the car at the gate. "You guys go in first; I have other things to take care of tonight."

Li Fu and Lucy got out of the car and walked side by side on the stone path of the manor. The night wind blew by, carrying the chill of winter.

Lucy reached out and smoothed her wind-blown hair; her fingers looked exceptionally white and delicate in the twilight.

"Nashville is much colder than Shenzhen, you should wear more clothes," Li Fu straightened her collar.

"Aren't you the same?" Lucy scoffed, "Prioritizing style over warmth."

"How can that be the same?" Li Fu clearly didn't think so. He was in excellent physical condition and had undergone special training, so it didn't matter if he wore thinner clothes occasionally.

Lucy is a pampered young lady.

The two men arrived at the main house entrance, where the butler, Howard, had already opened the door and bowed slightly. "Mr. Forrest is waiting for you in his study."

Li Fu nodded slightly and walked into the corridor.

The oil paintings on both sides looked particularly solemn in the twilight. His leather shoes made no sound on the carpet. This was not his first time here, but he was still a little nervous.

Thomas is not Cole; he is an older generation of elites, or rather, an important part of the medical complex.

He always felt uneasy when facing someone like that.

The two young people walked through the corridor, past the walnut wood wainscoting weathered by time, all the way to the study door.

The study door was half open.

Thomas Forrest was still standing by the window, his back to the door, holding a glass of whiskey.

The old oak tree outside the window had bare branches in winter, which looked like a withered hand reaching towards the gray sky in the twilight.

"Come in!" Thomas turned around.

Li Fu went in and sat down in the chair opposite the desk.

Thomas glanced at his daughter, then looked at Li Fu. His deep brown eyes held no joy, no relief, only an indescribable calm.

"Has the contract with Huawei been signed?"

"Yes, the process went fairly smoothly," Li Fu nodded slightly.

"Do you think it's really worth it for Huawei's terminal business to spend $22 billion?" Thomas didn't know much about technology companies before, as it wasn't his main profession.

$22 billion was an enormous sum during the financial crisis, while the family's entire business was currently only worth around 10 billion.

"It's definitely worth it," Li Fu replied decisively. "In ten years at most, the value of this equity will be at least fifty times what it is now."

"How much?" Thomas thought he had misheard.

Lucy was the same; she looked at Li Fu in surprise.

Fifty times is an exaggeration, that's a hundred billion US dollars!

The world's richest person now only has a net worth of over 500 billion.

"If you are willing to cooperate sincerely with them, the future growth may be more than fifty times," Li Fu said, expressing his confidence in Huawei, "which will become another pillar in addition to the core medical industry."

Forrest Capital holds a 49% majority stake. If the value of these shares increases fiftyfold in the future, Forrest Capital will gain tens of billions of dollars in assets.

The portion belonging to the Forrest family is at least 20 billion.

Of course, Li Fu's statement was slightly exaggerated; he only made an estimate, and it differed somewhat from the actual data.

However, that was under the circumstances of Huawei being besieged. If Huawei's terminal business had not been besieged, or if the degree of besieging had been reduced, its valuation would certainly have been greater than fifty times.

"The 'close cooperation' you're talking about, is it to help them enter the North American market?" It would be a lie to say Thomas wasn't tempted.

With 20 billion, let alone policy easing, there are plenty of capitalists willing to take the risk of "selling out the country." If you don't do it, there are plenty of others who will.

If JPMorgan Chase knew that its $800 million investment would yield returns of tens or hundreds of times, it would not hesitate for a moment.