My absurd experiences in North America over the years

The conference room door closed again, cutting off the sound of the FBI agents' departing footsteps.

The air seemed to relax instantly, and the tense, oppressive feeling dissipated as the view outside the one-way glass disappeared.

Cole sat back down in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. His eyes, hidden behind his gold-rimmed glasses, were now scrutinizing Li Fu with a mixture of admiration and scrutiny.

"You handled it very calmly," he said, taking a sip of his now slightly chilled coffee. His tone became like that of an elder evaluating a younger person. "If it were someone else, they would probably have shown some flaws."

He knew that Goldstein and Winthrop were both killed by Li Fu, he knew it from the moment he received the news.

That's why he admires this young man even more.

Li Fu smiled slightly and leaned back in his chair with a relaxed posture. "These are nothing. What's difficult is preventing the FBI from resorting to vigilante justice or abusing their power. Otherwise, they wouldn't care how I answer."

This is a perfectly timed compliment, and also the truth.

Are there few cases of privileged agencies in North America, such as the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), committing murders in the streets?

Even if tens of thousands of people demonstrate and protest afterward, what's the point?

It still came to nothing.

The FBI was acting legally and compliantly today, even quite politely, only because Cole was sitting nearby.

Cole neither confirmed nor denied Li Fu's compliment, but simply took off his glasses, rubbed his temples, and asked, "What are your plans next?"

Li Fu was slightly taken aback; what followed might be the key point of today's discussion.

"Which aspect are you referring to?"

"I mean, after this matter has completely calmed down," Cole put his glasses back on, his gaze sharpening, "what are your thoughts? Lucy has always had high standards, and I believe you won't settle for mediocrity, will you?"

Li Fu knew that this was Cole extending an olive branch to him, or rather, assessing his value to see if it was necessary to truly bring him into his circle.

"If possible, I'd like to start an investment company," he said after a moment's thought.

"An investment company?" Cole raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "You're involved in finance too?"

It wasn't that he didn't trust Li Fu, but rather that all the information and data Li Fu could find had absolutely nothing to do with finance.

This young man possessed exceptional military skills and was also proficient in hacking; he originally had his own plans.

Unexpectedly, the other party wanted to enter the financial industry.

This industry was relatively unfamiliar even to him.

However, Li Fu had had this idea for a long time.

However, the conditions were not ripe until then.

As a time traveler, he knew the direction of the global economy over the next twenty years.

The reason he hadn't planned to go into this line of work before, besides being busy investigating Goldstein and having no time for anything else, was mainly because of a fatal hidden danger...

That is his identity.

In Europe and America, it is incredibly difficult for Chinese immigrants to grow their businesses, especially to the point of controlling capital.

No matter how law-abiding you are, or how hard you try to integrate into mainstream society, once your size threatens the interests of some people, or simply because your wealth has accumulated to a point that makes others envious, you will be disqualified.

The sword of Damocles hanging over their heads will fall.

For example, Zhao Changpeng, who was once the richest Chinese person.

Isn't Zhao Changpeng a remarkable figure of his generation?

He single-handedly built the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange and amassed a fortune that rivals that of a nation.

But what was his ultimate fate?

Because of alleged "violations of anti-money laundering regulations," he had to pay a record bail of $1.75 million. After pleading guilty, he was also fined $45 billion by the U.S. Department of Justice and even faces years in prison.

The money they worked so hard to earn had to be given away bit by bit.

This is not just a legal issue, but also a political one.

When your wealth lacks sufficient political power to protect it, wealth itself becomes a kind of original sin.

This was what Li Fu had been worried about.

But now, things are different, and his gaze involuntarily drifted toward Cole Forrest sitting opposite him.

What if the Forrest family were his partners?

Who would dare to deal with him the way they dealt with Zhao Changpeng?

In this country, capital is fluid, but power is eternal; only by combining the two can a true moat be built.

More importantly, the timing was perfect.

It is now late autumn of 2006, just over a year away from the global financial tsunami.

Lehman Brothers was about to collapse, the subprime crisis was about to erupt, and countless Wall Street elites would go bankrupt overnight, leaving widespread devastation.

But for him, who possessed foresight, it was an unprecedented feast.

If he completes his strategic planning in the coming period, he will not only accumulate initial capital in a little over a year, but also acquire numerous high-quality assets at low prices.

He attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven in an instant.

"Your idea is very bold," Cole's voice interrupted his thoughts, "but the financial world is not easy to navigate, especially now that the market is volatile, and many established investment banks are struggling to survive."

"Risk often goes hand in hand with opportunity," Li Fu answered confidently. "The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish. If there is no risk, it probably means that the rate of return will be extremely low."

Cole gave him a deep look.

He couldn't figure out where Li Fu's confidence came from. Was it the youthful arrogance of a young man, or was he truly confident?

"OK, if you've really made up your mind and need help with funding or licensing, feel free to contact me anytime," Cole said without saying much or making any specific promises, but his attitude was clear.

He allowed Li Fu to give it a try.

As for the amount of funding, he hasn't made a decision yet.

"Then I thank you in advance," Li Fu said sincerely.

With Cole's words, his plan to build a financial empire was already halfway to success.

Cole stood up and straightened the buttons on his suit jacket, as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed the words back.

He looked at Li Fu, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes—the worry of an older brother for his younger sister's future, and the weighing of the situation by a politician.

Finally, he sighed, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back, and waved his hand.

"Lucy is waiting for you downstairs. I have a meeting this afternoon, so you should go ahead!"

Li Fu understood immediately, nodded his thanks to Cole, and turned to leave the conference room.

Cole watched him leave, then sat back down in his chair, his gaze lingering on the Nashville street scene outside the window.

He didn't know how to handle Lucy's relationship with them.

Of course, he may not be able to make the decision either.

Above him were his father and uncle.