My absurd experiences in North America over the years

"Uncle Fang, is there anything you can teach me?" Li Fu put down his teacup, his gaze falling on Fang Li, sincerely seeking advice.

He has his own strategies, but he needs different perspectives.

Fang Li did not answer immediately.

He poured himself another cup of tea, then looked up at Li Fu, his gaze lingering longer than ever before. "What do you think is your biggest problem right now?"

"A tall tree catches the wind. As you said before, it's like a child carrying gold in a bustling city," Li Fu replied.

"That's just the surface reason. The real issue is your shareholding in Forrest Capital." Fang Li put down the teapot, his fingers lightly resting on the rim of the cup. "You still hold 70%, right?"

"Yes, it's 70%," Li Fu answered truthfully.

"This number is too conspicuous in itself. Think about what those people in Washington see? A young man from a major Eastern country owns 70% of Forrest Capital, and this company is investing in real estate, technology, media, municipal engineering... The scope is too wide, so wide that any politician can use it to make a fuss."

Fang Li shook his head and sighed. Without the United Fund, he probably wouldn't be so conspicuous. After all, the United Fund is so profitable.

"I'm considering adjusting the structure," Li Fu had to admit, 70% was really too eye-catching.

"Adjustments are necessary, and they need to be completed as soon as possible." Fang Li took a sip of tea. "Of all the cards you're dealt, the one that most needs strengthening is the Forrest family. Tennessee is your fallback. Without the name of this old-money family as your foundation, your roots in this land are nothing but castles in the air..."

Li Fu nodded sadly, "Uncle Fang is right."

"There's another point you must be careful about. It's extremely dangerous when a guest's reputation and wealth surpass that of the master. You must always give them enough respect," Fang Li said, unable to draw a conclusion immediately because he didn't understand Thomas.

However, if he were Thomas, he would be restless and unable to eat or sleep. Knowing the actions of the president's cabinet, it wouldn't be too far-fetched for him to cooperate with outsiders in reorganizing the shares.

Li Fu understood Fang Li's subtext: his status as a 70% major shareholder was making his position too exposed, and if he couldn't reduce that percentage as soon as possible, the rift between him and the Forrest family would persist, and with internal and external troubles, defeat was inevitable.

"I can tell you're aware of your situation," Fang Li continued earnestly, "but I still have to remind you, CP is a businessman with extensive connections and a willingness to cooperate with you, but he's just a businessman after all. Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

This suggestion is perfectly valid without any omniscient perspective.

Li Fu's decision to cooperate deeply with CP Group remains incomprehensible to many, including Thomas himself. Later, CP Group's weight in the fund even surpassed that of Forrest Capital, which he objected to.

Li Fu was simply creating a myth, and he neither interfered nor mentioned it.

This is also one of the rifts between Li Fu and Thomas.

Li Fu placed a heavy bet on the CCP, betting on the future, not the present. However, outsiders cannot escape the historical context, and no one can understand why.

If he were to tell people now that the CCP could become president in the future, they would probably think he's a fool. Not to mention now, even during the CCP's election campaign in 2016, the mainstream believed that the first female president was about to be born.

Li Fu's bet on CP was certainly correct, but it's too late to help in the immediate crisis, and the bond between those LPs is still not deep enough.

JPMorgan Chase's allies are more business-related.

His room for maneuver was indeed limited, and in Fang Li's view, the only way might be to consolidate the Forrest family.

However, if Li Fu cannot become a son-in-law, it means that if Thomas turns against him, he will lose his foundation.

This is also a potential hidden danger.

"Have you ever considered exchanging your shares for those in a private hospital group?" Fang Li asked casually. "Don't be afraid of losing money. Is money still that important to you?"

Upon hearing this, Li Fu was immediately shaken.

He considered gifting shares to the Forrest family, such as to Lucy and Cole, or having the Forrest family buy back some shares at a low price to restructure the shareholding.

But it is clear that exchanging shares in private hospitals is a smarter approach.

He picked up his teacup, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. "Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Fang. I'll take my leave now."

An extremely bold plan was slowly taking shape in his mind, and he had to implement it immediately.

The copper bell at the door rang crisply, and the afternoon sunlight poured in, spreading a warm yellow area along the edge of the threshold.

Li Fu came in a hurry and left in a hurry.

Fang Li, however, was in high spirits. A young man with good understanding who could listen to advice at the height of his career was bound to have a bright future.

Li Fu drove across the Queens Bridge and dialed Ivanka's number directly.

Are you free this afternoon?

"It's nothing," Ivanka's voice carried the weariness typical of the afternoon, along with a hint of gentleness. "I was just about to go to the real estate department. What's up?"

"Is your father home?" Li Fu asked.

"He didn't go out today. He seemed to have just returned from the mayor's office this afternoon; he should be in his study," Ivanka asked. "Are you here to see him?"

"Okay, I'll be there right away. Come with me to see him," Li Fu said, and then hung up the phone.

In the study on the 48th floor of the CP Building, CP was flipping through a document.

He was somewhat surprised to see Li Fu and his daughter walk in together. He immediately put down what he was holding, leaned back in his chair, and said, "Li, what brings you here? Aren't you busy with the fund lately?"

"I just got back from Chinatown," Li Fu said, sitting down across from CP without beating around the bush. "I have a suggestion you might be interested in."

CP's expression became noticeably more serious. "Of course, I will take any of your suggestions seriously."

"Do you want shares in Forrest Capital?" Li Fu asked, surprising everyone.

CP was very surprised and even shocked. He looked at Ivanka, who shrugged, indicating that she was unaware of the situation either.

The prominent businessman, poised to enter politics, fell into a brief silence, his mind rapidly assessing the weight of those words. "You mean the part you have yourself?"

Li Fu nodded. "Currently, I own 70% of Forrest Capital, and the Forrest family owns 30%. I want to complete a structural adjustment in the near future, introduce new shareholders, and reduce the proportion to a more reasonable range."

The CCP didn't ask why this adjustment was being made now. The top circle isn't very large, and many people have access to the country's declassified documents.

Are the president's cabinet and staff a monolithic entity?

If he hadn't heard rumors beforehand, why would he have given up the opportunity to expand his family brand worldwide and rushed into politics?

This adjustment shows that his partners and investors are smart enough.

"I've actually wanted to talk to you for a while now. Thomas isn't that magnanimous. You need to be wary of him," CP said, still trying to elevate himself while belittling his "opponent."

Li Fu did not respond to that. "If you are willing, I can help you get 5% to 10% of the shares. This will greatly help the stability of the entire structure and at the same time help you obtain huge commercial benefits."

Forrest Capital's future is self-evident.

CP was certainly tempted, but he had already used the funds recovered by the group to expand his business empire and couldn't come up with that much money. If it were 10%, it would be at least eight to one billion.

Li Fu was willing to sell it to him at a low price, but the Forrest family disagreed; the price had to be at least reasonable.

"You don't need to worry about that. We'll just use a share swap. You can inject some of CP Group's assets into Forrest Capital in exchange for Forrest Capital's shares. That way, the three of us will have cross-shareholdings," Li Fu said again, surprising everyone.

This signifies a deep partnership, meaning that CP Group will have a stake in all his future investments.

If it were someone else, they might worry that this young man's current situation might not be so good, but not CP. Li Fu has brought him a huge fortune in a very short time, which can even be compared with the family's decades of accumulation.

Having tasted such great benefits, he was naturally willing to believe in Li Fu, and even thought that Li Fu possessed mysterious powers.

"Dad, I think we should take this," Ivanka said, not entirely to persuade Li Fu, but also based on business considerations.

"This definitely requires Thomas's approval. Can you convince him?" CP had one last question.

"It might be a bit difficult now, but it should be possible next month," Li Fu said. He was waiting for the Reserve Bank of Australia to raise interest rates. Once the rate was raised, he would immediately close all his Australian dollar positions, taking with him billions of dollars in profits...

Then his words would carry more weight. Most importantly, if he truly claimed to be able to see the secrets of heaven, others would probably believe him to some extent.

…………

Ps.

Brothers, you must keep up with the updates! Recently, the traffic has just started to rise a bit, but if we don't capitalize on it, it will drop again.

We should comment and interact more.

Thank you all.