My absurd experiences in North America over the years

The overall atmosphere of dinner was more relaxed than Li Fu had expected.

The Florida sea breeze wafted in through the half-open floor-to-ceiling windows, carrying the scent of palm trees and seawater, making the entire restaurant feel like a ship floating in the night.

CP was in high spirits, commenting on almost every dish that came out, covering a wide range of topics from the origin of the fish to the doneness of the steak, from the history of the winery to the future of Florida real estate.

But he always manages to find a way to string them together into a seemingly plausible business narrative.

It has to be said that this is a very unique ability, just like the CP in Li Fu's past life memories, who could turn a speech or rally into a party for tens of thousands of people.

Perhaps this is what makes a born politician—never shy, and surprisingly eloquent.

When they reached the main course, CP put down his knife and fork and looked at Li Fu very seriously. "Li, there's something I need to tell you. I've been looking at a few overseas projects lately."

Li Fu wasn't surprised; they wanted to expand the CP brand globally. "Which regions?"

"London, Dubai, and Asia," CP said in a lighthearted tone, as if listing the names of restaurants he frequents. "The financial crisis hit the European and American markets hard, but some places actually saw opportunities. Land prices plummeted, but the fundamentals of the cities did not collapse."

He has been reading reports recently, which show that high-end residential prices in central London are more than 30% lower than their peak, but rental demand has hardly decreased.

"These places are indeed very promising, especially Dubai," Li Fu recalled that the British economy had a brief recovery in 2014, and that investing there would definitely be profitable.

At least they can reap the rewards at a high price because Li Ka-shing transferred all his assets to Great Britain.

As for Dubai, the princes of the Middle East are incredibly wealthy.

"It seems you also think my direction is right," CP leaned slightly towards him. "I've been thinking about something lately. The CP brand can't just stay in New York or the whole of America. I've built so many landmarks here, but once we cross borders, it seems like nobody knows my name."

He was not satisfied with the status quo and believed that a truly valuable brand should be universally applicable, like Louis Vuitton and Hilton.

Li Fu did not respond immediately. He was processing the words in his mind. CP had already been considering global brand expansion in 2009, which was earlier than the public statements he remembered from his previous life.

Perhaps it was because he intervened in CP's capital structure in advance that he was able to expand at a faster pace.

Goodness, is he going to give up his political ambitions because his business is going so well? That doesn't seem like a good idea!

"I've done some research," CP continued, still expressing his own thoughts, "and for our first step in expanding globally, I think London is the safest choice. I'm familiar with its legal system, language, and capital markets. Then there's Dubai; people there love landmark buildings..."

He also mentioned Hong Kong and Singapore in Asia, and even that wretched place called Tokyo.

Ivanka added, "Dad recently had the team conduct in-depth market research on several places, and in a few places, he even flew there himself."

CP immediately waved his hand, "But don't misunderstand, this is just preliminary research, it's not time to sign yet. But I think the direction is correct, and we should consider overseas options. An economic crisis is a disaster, but it's also an opportunity, right?"

Li Fu leaned back in his chair, watching CP's animated expression. He could tell that the excitement he felt when talking about the global expansion was genuine; it wasn't an act, but something he truly loved.

Doing business, building skyscrapers, and putting his name on the most prominent place in the world—that's what drives him.

"It's certainly worth considering, but the outlook isn't that optimistic yet," Li Fu steered the conversation back to New York. "To achieve a global presence, our foundation in New York needs to be solid enough."

Upon hearing this, CP nodded repeatedly, "Great minds think alike. I think so too. New York is the root; the deeper the root is planted, the stronger the branches that grow outwards will be."

Li Fu only wanted to subtly influence his thoughts, but he never expected that Li Fu would take it as an endorsement.

This left him somewhat speechless.

If the CCP hadn't ascended to the presidency seven years later, wouldn't all his planning during that time have been in vain?

Was it all just to get Ivanka?

It doesn't seem like a huge loss, considering that I made money along the way and established myself in New York.

But what kind of thing is this?

As the dinner was drawing to a close, the conversation shifted from global expansion back to specific real estate projects in New York.

CP's lawyer joined the discussion in the last fifteen minutes and offered several suggestions regarding the tax structure. CP listened for a while, then shook his head and waved his hand, indicating that he would have his team coordinate with Li Fu's team later.

He showed absolute trust in Li Fu.

Of course, all of this is based on Li Fu allowing him to win big.

Ivanka whispered to Li Fu, "It seems Dad values ​​communicating with you a lot. He rarely eats so relaxed at these kinds of dinners; usually, he's either negotiating or arguing with people in the latter half."

Looking at CP's slightly tipsy appearance, Li Fu recalled memories from his past life: would that president who tried to make America great again ever appear?

No, he has to do something afterward.

Currently, he is not only a partner of CP, but also, to some extent, one of his most relied-upon strategic advisors.

They even thought he could predict the future.

After the dinner, the butler led Li Fu to his guest room to rest.

The palm beach outside the window stretched out in a deep, dark hue under the moonlight, with fishing lights flickering on the sea.

He stood by the window for a long time, thinking that if CP's global strategy continued to develop, the influence it would build in the international market might unexpectedly boost his future political career.

After all, the larger the business empire, the stronger CP's desire for control becomes, and he may want to seek even greater power.

His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.

Lina sent me an email: "The initial draft of the allocation plan for US stocks and gold is ready. We can discuss it in a video conference at 10:00 AM tomorrow."

This is the key point right now.

Li Fu glanced at the phone briefly, then put it down, feeling a bit heavy-headed from the alcohol.

After turning off the lights, he lay in the dark for a while, but he couldn't fall asleep. The changes in his partner were a bit unexpected, which made him feel out of control for the first time.

His concerns were certainly not unfounded.

However, if the timeline is extended to a longer period, this is unnecessary.

Because there will always be someone pushing the CCP toward the White House.

How could their cooperation possibly be smooth sailing?

When the enemy is so eager to kill Li Fu, they are, in a way, destroying the foundation of CP's business.

Will this fighter, who was shot in the ear by an assassin during a political rally, still clench his fist and shout "fight, fight, fight" three times, just sit and wait to die?