My absurd experiences in North America over the years

The two had a very pleasant conversation about feng shui.

This set the tone for the conversation that followed.

Trump quickly shifted the topic to the current economic situation.

"I don't know how long this mess will last across the country," he frowned. "Banks aren't lending, developers don't have money to start construction, apartments aren't selling, and vacancy rates in commercial real estate are skyrocketing. I've been in real estate for decades and I've never seen anything like this."

Li Fu picked up his coffee, took a sip, and didn't reply for the time being.

"As you probably know, our group just took over two projects from the Forrest family last year. At first, we thought we got a bargain, but who knew that the market would collapse in less than a year, and the valuation of the two projects would shrink by nearly 40%..."

"That old fox Thomas timed his move perfectly," Trump said. He actually knew Li Fu was the "mastermind," but he didn't expose him directly.

But as a final question, she asked, "You didn't suggest this, did you?"

Li Fu frankly admitted, "At the time, I learned about the terrifying default rate of subprime loans and felt that the risk was too great, so I advised them to avoid the risk."

"It really was you. When Ivanka told me about your analysis at the banquet last night, I guessed it. The Forrest family's real estate strategy must have been guided by a mastermind," Trump sighed. "Unfortunately, I'm going to be ripped off."

The Trump family is currently in a very bad financial situation, and he has a very troublesome mess on his hands—the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago.

With a $6.4 million loan due during the 2008 credit crisis and apartment sales completely stalled, default seemed inevitable for this 92-story skyscraper.

Trump even sued the banks directly, claiming that the financial crisis was an "force majeure" factor.

Another example is the Scottish golf resort project, which was approved by the government shortly before the financial crisis forced it to partially halt construction due to a lack of funds.

The projects he took over from the Forrest family exacerbated his cash flow problems.

"How much did those two projects lose?" Li Fu had naturally come after learning about Trump's situation.

Trump's lips twitched. "Roughly estimated at thirty million dollars, but the main problem is that no one would buy it now."

For him, the most important thing about those two projects was not the losses.

Instead, it restricted the cash flow he needed most at that moment.

"I think there are two options available now. First, continue to hold on and wait for the market to recover. You will definitely make money in three to five years. It's just a matter of how much you make. Second, find partners to develop together and share the risks."

Li Fu offered his suggestions.

"How about we work together on this?" Trump leaned forward slightly. "I've heard you've been busy with investments and acquisitions lately. I can give you all the profits from the later stages of both projects, as long as it alleviates my current cash flow pressure."

He has hundreds of millions of loans due.

If you choose to fight it out with the bank, there is a possibility of getting a partial exemption or a grace period, but that would require a long tug-of-war, and the probability of success is unknown.

If someone takes over or collaborates on the development, providing them with cash flow would be ideal.

Giving up the profits from those two projects in exchange for overall stability is the best strategy.

“We can collaborate on development,” Li Fu pondered for a moment, “but I want to collaborate on more than just those two projects.”

The office fell silent instantly.

The green space of Central Park outside the window looked like a faded velvet carpet under the hazy sky, appearing dim even under the halo of Greater New York.

Trump stood up, walked to the window, and said, "So you're very bullish on the New York real estate market?"

Li Fu shook his head. "I wouldn't say I'm optimistic, but I think it's definitely bottomed out. It can't fall much further, and now is a good time to buy."

Trump was unusually serious, saying, "Then we really need to have a serious talk."

He was only thinking about how to get through the predicament, and he never even considered buying at the bottom, let alone whether it was the bottom or not.

However, if someone who is an expert in feng shui and has just created a trading miracle in the financial market tells you that now is the time to buy at the bottom.

He actually dared to gamble.

The other party provides the money, while he provides the land and any relevant qualifications. In theory, if they have sufficient funds, they can acquire all real estate and municipal projects in New York.

Because no one dared to invest during a financial crisis.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door, and Ivanka walked in carrying a tray with a pot of freshly brewed coffee and a fruit platter on it.

She wore a dark gray business suit today, her hair was down, and her makeup was lighter than at the banquet, but her overall demeanor was more capable.

"I had some things to do, so I'm late," she apologized to Li Fu.

After all, it was she who sent the invitation last night.

Li Fu nodded slightly. "You've come at the right time. Now we're going to talk about the important things."

Ivanka nodded and sat down on the single sofa next to her. She picked up the coffee pot, refilled Li Fu's cup, and poured Trump a cup as well.

In the commercial real estate sector, she is the vice president and has to personally oversee many projects, so she understands the front lines better than Trump.

"Ivanka, you've come at the right time," Trump said, picking up his freshly poured coffee. "Li just said he's willing to co-develop those two real estate projects with us."

Ivanka seemed somewhat surprised. "Both of those projects are now completely halted. Wouldn't it be too costly to reinvest and resume operations at this stage?"

"To boost market confidence, of course, someone needs to start construction. However, we need to take advantage of the market downturn to acquire more projects and start construction at the same time. This can bring economies of scale and sufficient attention," Li Fulai had a plan in place.

If you have a God's-eye view and enough funds, not doing this would be a real waste.

Ivanka did not answer immediately, but looked at her father, Trump, and said that wanting more projects meant broad cooperation.

The market is in a deep winter right now!

"You can discuss the details of the project later. Let's finalize the general direction first, as well as the specific scale and depth of the cooperation." Trump is a ruthless person who will go all out once he makes up his mind.

It was this very quality that later brought him great success.

"I can invest about one billion yuan," Li Fu said, making a startling statement. This was no longer just about cooperating on a few real estate projects; he could even secure large-scale municipal engineering projects.

Trump and Ivanka exchanged a glance, both looking surprised, even shocked.

Li Fu's actions were not entirely driven by economic interests; he was planning a grander scheme.

That is to deeply bind Trump to the Forrest family and himself, rather than to the Kushner family, who are Jewish.

Ivanka and Kushner have now broken up due to religious differences. They were originally supposed to reconcile and get married quickly, and the two families worked together to weather the financial winter.

However, Li Fu does not intend to let that happen; what he wants to do is to completely sever ties between them.