My absurd experiences in North America over the years

The day after the trade was completed, Paul George's name officially appeared on the Warriors' roster.

The local sports media in San Francisco only published a brief news item, a short piece sandwiched between lengthy reports on the Heat's Big Three, like an inconspicuous patch.

Most fans didn't even notice the trade: a sixth overall pick for a tenth overall pick plus an expiring contract. It sounded like management was clearing salary cap space, rather than some earth-shattering move.

This was exactly the effect Li Fu wanted; everything had to be done discreetly.

He finished reading the ESPN report at his villa in Malibu, and after confirming that George's name was only briefly mentioned in the news, he closed his laptop.

He no longer needed to personally push things forward.

Riley, following his instructions, has begun discreetly inquiring about the 76ers' interest in Monta Ellis.

Philadelphia responded positively, as the rebuilding 76ers are looking to get rid of Iguodala's large and long contract.

Li Fu handed the matter over to Riley to carry out, without interfering too much.

If it works out, great; if not, it's fine too. Let Monta Ellis play for another year. His contract expires the season after next, and he can be easily traded in the offseason next year.

The team's record is mediocre, which just guarantees that they can draft Klay Thompson with their pick.

In mid-August in Los Angeles, the summer heat had not yet subsided, but the nights in Beverly Hills were already beginning to brew a gentle coolness.

Li Fu stood in front of the full-length mirror in the hotel suite, straightening the wrinkles on the collar of his black Armani suit. The clean cut accentuated his tall and slender figure.

Taylor Swift sat on the edge of the bed, applying the last bit of eyeliner in front of the makeup mirror. She was wearing a light white velvet dress, the classic cut of which made her look like a medieval princess.

"Are you done yet?" Li Fu turned to look at her.

"Wait a minute," Taylor Swift said without looking up, gently turning her wrist. "Why are you rushing me? It's your first time walking the red carpet with me, shouldn't you be getting ready?"

Li Fu could only shrug, indicating that it was up to him.

This was the first time he accompanied Taylor Swift to an industry charity gala as her boyfriend. The event was hosted by the Music Industry Association, and Taylor Swift was one of the invited guests.

Logically speaking, Li Fu doesn't belong to this circle, but his identity is too complicated: an investor in MGM, a major shareholder of Time Warner, the head of Forrest Capital, and also the owner of Big Machine Records.

The charity gala organizers practically pleaded with Taylor Swift to bring him along, offering a seemingly legitimate reason: "We've all witnessed Mr. Li's significant investments in the cultural and entertainment industry. Bringing him here for a chat will allow us to discuss potential future collaborations."

When Taylor Swift showed him the invitation, Li Fu looked at the wording and thought it was too cheesy.

But after thinking for a moment, he agreed.

In a way, it suited his wishes perfectly, since it was time to make an official announcement anyway.

By 8 p.m., the red carpet was already surrounded by reporters.

When Li Fu and Taylor Swift's car stopped at the entrance to the red carpet, the flashbulbs had already illuminated the entire area as if it were daytime.

The car door opened, and Li Fu got out first. He turned around and naturally extended his hand. Mei Mei walked out of the car and walked hand in hand with him onto the red carpet.

The atmosphere at the scene instantly exploded, and the sound of camera shutters almost shook the heavens.

"Taylor...look this way!"

"Sir, could you come a little closer?"

"Taylor, may I introduce this gentleman?"

"Wait... isn't this Li Fuyao?"

……

Li Fu is neither a celebrity nor an internet celebrity, but he is indeed a well-known figure and is easily recognized within the industry.

Taylor Swift wasn't nervous or posing for photos. She simply turned slightly to the side and took Li Fu's arm, as naturally as if she had done it a thousand times before.

Li Fu was slightly taller than her, his suit was impeccably tailored, his expression was natural, and he would even nod slightly and smile politely in the direction of the camera.

"Mr. Li, is this your first public appearance as Taylor's boyfriend?"

A reporter squeezed to the front row, the microphone almost shoved in his face.

Li Fu didn't stop walking. "Yes, it's the first time."

"How long have you been together?"

Taylor Swift picked up where he left off, glancing at him sideways and saying with a smile, "Tonight isn't gossip time; the theme is a charity gala."

The reporters let out a good-natured chuckle, but the flashes continued unabated.

As the two figures disappeared at the end of the red carpet, news and reports about them began to flood social media.

"Taylor publicly reveals boyfriend at charity gala," "Forrest Capital's CEO's girlfriend is actually Taylor," "Taylor's boyfriend's face revealed," "The two are suspected of having been in a relationship for some time"...

Less than an hour after the party ended, Taylor Swift posted a tweet on her Twitter account.

"Let me introduce you, this is my boyfriend @Li Fu."

The accompanying photo is a picture of the two of them on the red carpet. Li Fu is looking at her with his head slightly turned to the side, and she is smiling at the camera with her eyes crinkling.

The background is soft lighting and a blurred crowd, the whole scene exudes a sense of ease and certainty that only the two of them can understand.

Twitter exploded instantly.

Various media outlets immediately reprinted the story, and comments in various comment sections were diverse, ranging from surprise and blessings to praise, disappointment, and even insults.

The mix of various opinions propelled "Taylor Swift's boyfriend" to the top of the trending topics list.

The sudden official announcement generated an explosive amount of buzz, instantly extinguishing the lingering excitement of the Heat's Big Three joining forces.

The midterm elections were even affected, and the focus of people's conversations temporarily shifted from who to vote for to the romances of superstars and young upstarts.

However, at the Nashville election rally, Lucy was finally no longer repeatedly asked by reporters about her relationship with Li Fu.

The reporters' questions began to return to the election itself.

I don't know if this is lucky or unlucky.

A few days later, at a press conference at the CP Group headquarters in New York, Ivanka reappeared in public as a vice president.

She stood on the podium in a white business suit, her expression calm and composed, just as she had a year ago.

Her comeback and Li Fu's relationship announcement happened almost at the same time.

Many people thought it was a coincidence, but those in the know would have noticed that from that day on, all the gossip about Li Fu, such as the relationship between Lucy and Li Fu, the ambiguous relationship between Ivanka and Li Fu, disappeared from the gossip pages.

It's not that they don't want to dig, but that the phrase "officially announced" naturally cuts off the narrative chain of the rumor.

In the logic of the entertainment industry, confirming the relationship is the end of the story.

Li Fu's identity was ultimately defined as a trader at Forrest Capital and an important partner of CP Group.

His past investments in infrastructure in Nashville, which boosted the city's economic recovery, made Lucy one of the city's biggest contributors.

In New York, he partnered with CP Group to undertake numerous real estate and municipal projects, and he and Ivanka once fought side-by-side in court against slanderous attacks…

In the information-exploding internet age, these things seem to have quickly become a thing of the past.

No one knows, or even if they did, they wouldn't say, that this is the result of electoral politics—the most fundamental and unshakable rule governing North American society.

Thomas and CP breathed a sigh of relief as they read the report. As top figures in the United States, they seemed to only care about their own interests.

They knew all too well that often the result of arranged marriages was simply that "everyone goes their own way."

How is this any different from a marriage alliance?

It seems that CP is more concerned about the upcoming publication of "The Lament of the Countryman".