My absurd experiences in North America over the years

In the evening, Li Fu returned to the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.

At this point, the time to meet Igor was very close.

Taylor Swift went back to her room first. Unlike the meeting with Madonna, this was a meeting from the perspective of capital, which was not really suitable for her to participate in.

"Mr. Li, Mr. Eagle has arrived."

Thompson lowered his voice and gave a brief report.

This one of the most powerful people in Hollywood didn't make a big fuss, only bringing an assistant, or possibly a bodyguard.

The assistant waited outside the private room and only opened the door after confirming Li Fu's identity.

Igor sat by the window, wearing a blue suit without a tie. On the table was a half-empty glass of wine, with a small water mark on the outside of the glass.

He saw Li Fu come in but did not stand up. He simply turned his head slightly to indicate the seat opposite him.

Like Madonna, he came as an industry veteran.

Li Fu sat down opposite him, with a wooden table between them. The afterglow of the setting sun shone evenly through the window, neither glaring nor dim.

"You look even younger than on TV," Eagle said first. "You're only 27, right? To have accomplished so much at this age, you're a rare talent, one in a million. No amount of praise is too much."

"Mr. Eagle, you're too kind," Li Fu replied with a smile. "It's just that I caught the wave of the times and had some good luck."

He wasn't being modest when he said that; he was just stating the truth, so his tone revealed sincerity.

Even if he were a time traveler, if he had arrived after 2008, it would have been difficult for him to achieve his current success no matter what he did. Establishing a foothold in the financial market is the fastest way to make money, and there wouldn't have been so many one-sided market trends after 2008.

If complex operations are required, that's not his forte.

However, in Eagle's eyes, his sincerity was undoubtedly humility. It wasn't that no one made a fortune during the worst of the financial crisis; on the institutional side, there was Goldman Sachs, and on the fund and individual side, there was Paulson. They all made a fortune.

However, Li Fu is fundamentally different from them.

Whether it's Goldman Sachs, Paulson, or the real-life inspiration for the movie "The Big Short," they all made huge profits by shorting dollar assets, and they are still widely criticized.

Li Fu, however, did the opposite. He went long on the US dollar in the foreign exchange market, making full use of the dollar's safe-haven properties as a hard currency, and at the same time used 400 times leverage to fully amplify his profit potential.

This courage is seen by outsiders as that of a brave warrior going against the tide, a true visionary, bold yet meticulous super genius.

"You're too modest. I thought you were the type to show off your talents," Eagle said with a smile and a shake of his head.

"That's the style of the financial market," Li Fu replied with a smile. If he could know the market trend in advance, wouldn't he have to show off his skills?

“I don’t think it’s entirely a style of the financial market,” Eagle disagreed. “I watched the live broadcast of your press conference with Taylor. The timing was very precise. On the surface, you didn’t mention bullying or collusion, but you didn’t leave them any way out in terms of public opinion.”

This is indeed the truth. After seizing the high ground in public opinion, Li Fu directly used his trump card to drive the enemy into a corner.

If this doesn't count as showing off one's talent, then what does?

Li Fu did not continue the topic, but turned to Igor himself, "You have come here in person to intervene in this matter today, there must be a reason for it."

He considered himself a junior and wanted to hear what Igor had to say.

"This doesn't count as interference. I haven't even spoken to Beyoncé and her husband on the phone," Eagle said, leaning back in his chair. "I just feel that continuing this is not good for either of you or the broader entertainment industry."

"It hasn't come to that, has it?" Li Fu shook his head with a smile.

Igor paused for a moment, as if deciding to start from a certain angle, "I can only say that if this continues, this storm will become more than just a war of words. Kanye's actions were the trigger, but it is highly likely that more than just this storm will be ignited. You may not know enough about Beyoncé and Jay-Z."

He didn't speak too bluntly, nor could he speak too bluntly; he couldn't very well just say it was a cultural conflict and a political struggle.

Taylor is currently a traditional white girl from the South, originally from a red state, and is a rising star in country music.

The audience for country music is also predominantly traditional white.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z are, to some extent, symbols of Black culture, embracing a liberal, pluralistic narrative.

The former can represent the vast majority of Black people, while the latter is what Washington hopes to see right now.

This storm may not have been a personal grudge from the beginning, but rather a combined strangulation of country music, represented by Taylor Swift, and its symbolic meaning by mainstream entertainment narrative.

However, it went too far and caused a huge uproar.

"Is what you're saying the same thing as what I understand?" Li Fu asked, looking at Igor across from him.

Igor didn't answer directly, nor could he. He picked up his drink and took a sip. "You're smart. You know what I'm talking about. So you should also be able to understand that your current media presence and public opinion advantage will gradually diminish as things develop."

He had just overseen the acquisition of Marvel Entertainment and didn't want the entire pan-entertainment industry to be impacted in the future.

This is a key reason why he stepped forward this time.

The public loves to use conspiracy theories to deconstruct everything that happens on this land. If this storm is allowed to continue, not only the music industry, but also the film industry and all the pan-entertainment industries will be filled with conspiracy theories, and the works themselves will become less important.

The shadow of the financial crisis still lingers, and he doesn't want things to escalate to that point.

"I hope you seriously consider whether this is really worth getting involved in this mess," Eagle continued. "You've already won. Kanye has lost his business partnership, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have already faced public pressure, and Taylor's voice has been heard by the public."

If the situation ends now, the young man in front of us will undoubtedly be the winner; if the situation continues to develop, there will be no winners in this storm of public opinion.

Despite his differing stance from Eagle's, Li Fu had to admit that these words made sense. When he went to meet Madonna, he received Thompson's investigation results.

Eagle's recent schedule has been public; he hasn't met with anyone in Washington and has been focused on acquiring Marvel Entertainment.

Of course, this doesn't mean anything; who can find out about a private phone number?

However, at least from the perspective of motivation, this Disney leader is more likely driven by a business perspective.

This reduced some of Li Fu's hostility.

"I will consider it carefully and give you an answer later," he said, standing up to shake hands with Eagle.

It is unlikely that the two will become friends.

However, the time is not yet ripe for war, and besides, what the other side said makes sense.

He wasn't the kind of reckless man who would only charge headlong into battle without knowing when to advance or retreat; his reluctance to agree immediately was merely a strategy.