My absurd experiences in North America over the years

Cole returned to Nashville early due to business; his main purpose in coming here was to acquire shares in The New York Times.

Before leaving, he patted Li Fu on the shoulder in the hotel lobby and told him to contact him if he encountered any trouble.

Li Fu then decided to meet with Trump.

The next morning, the sky over Manhattan was overcast with low-hanging clouds, as if rain or snow was about to fall.

Fifth Avenue was bustling with people, and tourists were taking pictures of the spire of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

No one noticed that two men in dark gray suits pushed open the revolving door of Trump Tower, nor did they know that this meeting would rewrite American history.

The receptionist had clearly been notified, and her smile was exceptionally friendly. "Mr. Li, please follow me."

The elevator stopped on the 26th floor.

Perhaps to show off his appreciation for art, Trump has hung several oil paintings of New York street scenes on the walls of the corridor, with dark tones and heavy gold frames.

At the end of the corridor was a large door with gold trim.

The blonde woman who greeted him knocked twice, then pushed open the door and stepped aside to let Li Fu in.

Thompson consciously stayed outside the door.

The office was larger than Li Fu had imagined. The dark Persian carpet made no sound when stepped on. To the right was a huge glass desk with an American flag laid out underneath.

It's clear that Trump truly loves his country.

On the wall behind the desk hangs a huge portrait of Trump himself, wearing a gold tie, his chin slightly raised, his expression saying, "I know what you're trying to say, but I don't care."

That's his signature expression; no one understands it better than me.

To the left is a set of dark leather sofas, and on the coffee table are several architecture magazines and a cup of steaming coffee.

Donald Trump saw Li Fu stand up from the sofa.

He was wearing a dark blue suit, a white shirt, and his signature red tie. His hair was neatly combed, and a strand of hair on his forehead shone under the light.

At this time, he probably wasn't bald yet; his hair was real.

"Mr. Lee, thank you very much for your visit," Trump said in a loud voice, speaking rapidly like a machine gun. "Is the road congested? Fifth Avenue is always congested at this point. I've suggested to the city government a long time ago that this road should be converted into a one-way street, but nobody listens to me."

As he spoke, he strode forward and shook hands with Li Fu.

His palms were thick and strong, and he held the hand for a full three seconds, longer than he ever shook hands with anyone else.

"It is my honor to be here," Li Fu said, knowing Trump's preferences well. He started with a round of mutual flattery, "I have heard of Trump's name for a long time, and seeing him today, I can confirm that he lives up to his reputation."

Trump was pleased and patted Li Fu on the shoulder, saying, "I was in Chicago yesterday, with several important meetings scheduled, but Ivanka called to say you were in New York, so I immediately flew back ahead of time."

To show how much he valued the meeting, he specifically mentioned that he had been extremely busy lately and had traveled a long distance to see Li Fu.

Whether it's true or not, we don't know.

But in any case, his posture was meant to show that he wasn't there to do business, but to make friends.

The two sat down on the sofa.

Trump couldn't wait to say that he had specially consulted a feng shui master to make feng shui modifications to his building, and then asked Li Fu what he thought.

This matter can be traced back to about thirteen years ago, in 1995, when Trump lost two-thirds of his personal assets due to the real estate crisis, and he decided that he had to make changes.

Through an introduction, he hired Pun-Yin, a 27-year-old Chinese-American feng shui master, and his father to carry out feng shui renovations on his Trump Tower, located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Central Park in New York.

Li Fu had no idea about the feng shui changes made by the master; he didn't even notice when he came in.

However, Thomas had mentioned this to him some time ago, and in order to be prepared, he had privately looked into it in detail.

Now it's actually come in handy.

"The feng shui of your building was carefully altered back then; the person you hired must have been an expert," Li Fu said, feigning profundity.

Trump leaned forward slightly, saying, "I'd like to hear more."

Li Fu leaned back on the sofa, speaking as if it were a trivial matter, "You moved the main entrance from the south to the east, directly facing Central Park. This was crucial. The south side faces Columbus Circle, where there's heavy and fast-moving traffic, making the energy unstable. In feng shui, this is called 'road clash,' meaning wealth comes and goes, and can't be retained. The east side is different. There's an old Chinese saying, 'Auspicious energy comes from the east,' and Central Park can gather people's energy..."

Trump originally intended to test whether Li Fu was truly an expert in feng shui. Although he could only understand the gist of what Li Fu said, it was enough to make him respect the young man in front of him.

"Was that metal globe at the entrance also a suggestion from a feng shui master? There's a reason for that. Globes belong to the metal element, and placing it in the original location of the south gate can neutralize the negative energy from the road intersection. The curved surface of the globe also draws the airflow back, creating a pattern that gathers energy. It's a win-win situation, both dispelling negative energy and attracting wealth..."

Li Fu spoke eloquently, and his demeanor made one think he was some kind of feng shui master.

Trump was now completely convinced that Li Fu was a rare talent and felt quite regretful that he had been pulled away by the Forrest family.

Thomas has a beautiful daughter, and so do I!

"And then there's the dark glass on the exterior walls," Li Fu said, glancing around the office. "Black belongs to water, and water represents wealth. Dark glass can lock the energy inside, preventing it from flowing out. This creates a perfect layout, where negative energy from the outside can't get in, and positive energy from the inside can't go out."

Trump clapped involuntarily, almost exactly as the Chinese-American master designer had envisioned.

"Impressive, impressive. No wonder Thomas refused to bring you to see me. He must have been afraid I would poach you. You're really judging a gentleman by your own petty standards."

"No, no, it's just that I have some interest in this area and know a little about feng shui."

Li Fu appeared modest, but inwardly he was overjoyed.

"No, no, you've already reached master level..." Trump said with a serious expression.

He truly believed in feng shui.

His initial exposure to feng shui began with a real estate transaction in 1994 when the Trump Organization attempted to sell a plot of land to a Hong Kong consortium.

The other party requested a feng shui survey before the transaction.

At the time, a feng shui master from Hong Kong discovered that the site had a "three dragons converging" pattern, with the East River to the east, the Hudson River to the west, and New York Bay to the south, and the transaction was completed almost immediately.

That funding helped Trump, who was on the verge of bankruptcy, alleviate his immediate financial crisis.

He then commissioned a feng shui master to renovate Trump Tower. After that feng shui renovation, the company's operations and financial situation improved significantly, becoming a key turning point in the resurgence of his business empire.

The once controversial building has become one of New York's landmarks.

Who wouldn't believe that?