Chapter 507: First Lady
New York, the jewel in the crown of North America, a famous international metropolis, a place where light and sin converge.
It was the first time for Lu Yiming to arrive in this city that was longed for and admired by countless people.
Looking at the dazzling night scene in front of him, Lu Yiming couldn't help but sigh to Li Yiwen: "It's really prosperous. No wonder so many people say that when you come to the United States, you have to come to New York."
Li Yiwen couldn't help but look out the window and said, "I don't know when the country will become as prosperous and wealthy as here."
Although the domestic economy is developing rapidly nowadays, because the previous foundation was too weak, even if it is developing at a rapid growth rate of more than 10% per year, it still cannot be called developed.
Even twenty years later, the poor population of Xia Country still exceeds many people's imagination, let alone at present.
Although Baiyun and Zhonghai already have many skyscrapers, there is still a big gap in urbanization process compared with the United States and New York.
Lu Yiming had personally witnessed the future development of Xia Country, so he said confidently: "Don't worry, it won't be long before our country will not only be more prosperous than the United States, but also safer."
The two talked about shorting US stocks, and Li Yiwen asked curiously, "By the way, isn't your girlfriend's family quite wealthy? Why don't you invite them along? And that guy called Ke, his family also has some assets."
Lu Yiming shook his head slightly and said, "Their assets are not good enough, and this matter itself is very risky. They also have industries in the United States. If something goes wrong, they will not be able to bear it. I am different. I can run away at any time, and Bill Gates will help me."
"I see."
In the past two years, Lu Yiming has been very wild in his actions and has never been as cautious as this time. From this point, it can be seen how dangerous this operation is.
Maybe he committed suicide by being shot eight times in the back.
Therefore, Lu Yiming did not want to drag the Shi family into the water.
As they were talking, the two had already arrived at the hotel where the charity auction was being held.
There are countless luxury cars and sports cars at the entrance of the hotel.
In other words, there is no helipad here, otherwise Lu Yiming believes there would be no shortage of planes.
Li Yiwen couldn't help but sigh again: "Hey, look, this is a country on wheels, there are too many cars. Look at our country, Baiyun City is already considered developed, but there are still few cars on the road."
Lu Yiming is very optimistic about this: "Soon, we will have more cars. In a few years, even big cities like Baiyun will have to worry about traffic jams during rush hour. However, there is still a long way to go before a luxury car brand is born. After all, it takes time to settle. Look at these Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Rolls-Royce. They are century-old manufacturers. We can't compare with them."
As soon as he walked to the hotel entrance, Lu Yiming saw Bill Gates talking to someone.
"Hi, Bill."
When Bill Gates heard Lu Yiming's voice, he turned around and smiled: "Hi, Mr. Lu. You came just in time. Let me introduce you, this is John Reed, the president of Citibank. John, this is the inventor of the USB flash drive, and now the richest man in Xiaguo Continent, Lu Yiming, Mr. Lu."
Hearing that the other party was the president of Citibank, Lu Yiming politely stepped forward and greeted him: "Good evening, Mr. Reed."
John Reed has a traditional American red-neck face with slightly red skin. He is as strong as a bull, but speaks in a very friendly manner.
Nowadays, USB flash drives have become an indispensable item for working people. In order to accommodate the use of USB flash drives, computers are designed and manufactured by moving the USB port from the back of the chassis to the front. This shows how successful USB flash drives are now.
Therefore, when John Reed heard that Lu Yiming in front of him was the holder of the USB flash drive patent, he was immediately amazed: "Good evening, genius from Xia Country."
He didn't care about money at all. After all, Citibank had plenty of money. And according to statistics from financial institutions, Xia Country was extremely poor right now. Even the richest man probably didn't have much money.
However, the dominant product like USB flash drives made John Reed dare not underestimate Lu Yiming.
Lu Yiming looked calm and said with a smile: "Thank you for the compliment."
Although he is the CEO of Citigroup, to countless companies waiting for financial support, John Reed is simply their god, a big shot they must look up to or even lick.
But for Lu Yiming, that's all.
As the saying goes, a thousand-foot-high wall stands firm and a man is strong without desire. Lu Yiming is not waiting for Citibank's money to save his life, so naturally he does not need to curry favor with others.
Bill Gates said, "Let's go in first. Lu, you haven't attended this kind of charity dinner before, right?"
Lu Yiming said honestly: "Yes."
Nowadays, there are not many rich people in China. Everyone is working hard to make money. Who would bother with these nonsense things?
Outside the hotel, there were already many luxury cars and an inhumane display of extravagance. But after entering the hotel, Lu Yiming and Li Yiwen realized what luxury and decadent capitalism were.
There are a lot of gold and crystal decorations, the walls are covered with artworks, and the so-called limited edition Lafite is piled up here like a wine tower.
Nothing that is not a so-called luxury good can enter through this gate.
Lu Yiming glanced around and said, "Are you using this to test the cadres?"
Bill Gates had a puzzled look on his face and said, "What?"
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "Nothing, just a common saying in our area."
"Bill."
A woman walked over here, her high heels making a clattering sound. As she passed by, the billionaires made way for her.
Lu Yiming looked the woman up and down with interest.
The woman was in her fifties and had dark blond hair with black roots that indicated that the hair was probably dyed.
She was wearing a black suit, looking very capable, and exuding the temperament of a strong woman everywhere.
Bill Gates whispered to Lu Yiming, "This is Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton. She just ran for senator in New York City and was very successful."
Lu Yiming: “…”
Good job.
As they were talking, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton had already arrived in front of them.
She saw Bill Gates chatting happily with a young Asian man and immediately became very curious. She asked casually, "Bill, it's rare to see you chatting with young Asians."
Bill Gates quickly introduced him, saying, "This young man is extraordinary. He is the holder of the USB flash drive patent and the youngest richest man in Xia's history, Mr. Lu Yiming. Don't be fooled by his young age. Not long ago, he almost brought Microsoft to the ground."
This was of course a joke, but Diane obviously knew who Lu Yiming was. After all, it would be hard not to know someone who made nearly 3 billion US dollars in just a few months.
Of course Lu Yiming had seen the image of this woman, on TV and in newspapers.
However, at her age now and with makeup on, Lu Yiming was unable to recognize her for a moment.
After all, European and American women age quickly, and their faces are completely different before and after the age of fifty.
Facing the first lady, Lu Yiming was naturally very polite and stepped forward to greet her.
"It's an honor to meet you, beautiful lady. To use , you are as good as any man. You are able to stand out in the political world dominated by men. Maybe in the future, the United States will have the first female president in history."
Diane, who was already enthusiastic about politics, was obviously very pleased with Lu Yiming's flattery and couldn't help laughing.
Flattery never wears out, and Lu Yiming's words gave Diane a very good first impression of Lu Yiming.
Only when you enter the upper class of North America do you realize how powerful Bill Gates, the richest man in the United States, is.
Unlike the social atmosphere in Xia Country, the United States is the base camp of the capitalist world. Here, being rich really means status and influence. You can even chat and laugh with the leader of a country, which is completely different from the atmosphere in China.
After all, in the history of the Xia Kingdom, the status of merchants has not been high since the Han Dynasty. Not only are they suppressed on a daily basis, but if they get fat, they will be slaughtered and their meat divided.
Unlike the United States, where the president dares to block the capitalists' financial path, it really blows your mind.
Bill Gates took Lu Yiming for a walk and then let him move freely.
In the corner, Li Yiwen and Lu Yiming were eating delicious food while watching the wealthy businessmen in front of them chatting and laughing, competing with each other for beauty.
Li Yiwen drank his wine and said with a sigh: "No wonder so many rich people in China want to immigrate. Capitalism is indeed a paradise for the rich."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yiming refuted with contempt: "Do you think white people don't eat meat? Open the history book and see how the United States dealt with German and Japanese immigrants during World War II. When Xia Country grows big enough to challenge the hegemony of the United States, you will see whether those immigrants will have a good life."
Twenty years later, Lu Yiming knew very well how ugly the United States would be as it entered a period of decline. In fact, he also wanted to sit back and watch the show. He wanted to see how those immigrants who were squeezed dry by the United States would feel in a few years.
It’s a pity that he didn’t see it.
There should be a chance this time.
Regarding these immigrants, Lu Yiming could only say that he had chosen the path and he had to finish it even with tears in his eyes.
Lu Yiming and Li Yiwen were eating top-quality steak and drinking top-quality red wine in a corner.
On the other side, the famous actress Jolie has taken the microphone and started announcing the start of the charity auction.
This charity auction is to help treat children with cancer in Africa.
It has to be said that when it comes to political correctness and public opinion, the Angolans are really good at it. Although everyone knows what this so-called charity event is all about, Jolie still spoke with passion, moved people to tears, and is worthy of being a famous Hollywood actress.
At the banquet, many women had red eyes and tears in their eyes, and their compassion for the world was almost overflowing.
Then, their faces were captured by a camera that appeared from nowhere.
Seeing this scene, Li Yiwen couldn't help but complain: "These white people are just hypocritical. They are the ones who plunged Africa into war and poverty. How many people die of hunger in Africa every year? Yet they are here to care about what to do if African children get cancer? Isn't it ridiculous?"
Lu Yiming also whispered in Li Yiwen's ear, "Crocodile tears. After all, it's too hard to be a good person, but it's easy to pretend to be a good person. If I could make 10 billion from Africa, I would also be willing to take out tens of millions to help African children with cancer."
Afterwards, the charity auction officially began.
I have to say, they are really good at putting on a show. Although the essence of this charity auction is for everyone to exchange toys, the things they take out are indeed good things.
For example, the first item to be auctioned was an oil painting, said to be the work of a medieval painter.
Lu Yiming took a look and felt that it was like a bucket of paint that had been spilled, a bunch of colorful blocks that made no sense.
Watching those wealthy people commenting on this painting, Lu Yiming immediately felt that he really had no artistic talent.
After fierce competition, the painting was sold for $200,000.
Li Yiwen shook his head slightly and muttered, "If I had $200,000, I would do something else instead of buying this crap."
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "Otherwise, why do you say you don't have artistic germs? This is sentiment. Do you understand sentiment?"
Next, they photographed a few more pieces of art, but they were all at a level that Lu Yiming and Li Yiwen could not understand at all.
After a while, a pink diamond necklace caught Lu Yiming's attention.
“This thing seems pretty good.”
Lu Yiming had seen quite a few diamonds, but in his impression, whether in jewelry stores or anywhere else, most of the diamonds were transparent, and he had almost never seen colored diamonds. He had never seen a pure pink diamond like this one before.
Li Yiwen looked up and said, "I still think it's better to buy beef."
This time, Lu Yiming planned to take a picture of the pink diamond necklace and give it to Shi Qingxue.
After several rounds of intense bidding, Lu Yiming finally got what he wanted and bought it for $300,000.
After the charity auction ended, with the introduction of Bill Gates, Lu Yiming finally met the real person behind this trip to New York, Jeffrey Epstein.
Facing the yellow-haired old man in front of him, Lu Yiming felt like he didn't know where to start complaining.
But after all, it was an occasion like this, and not only was the First Lady present, but it was Bill Gates who made the introduction, so Lu Yiming still had to pretend to do it.
"Hello."
When he saw Lu Yiming, Epstein was pleasantly surprised from the bottom of his heart: "Mr. Lu, I'm so glad to meet you. Now the whole Wall Street is still circulating stories about you. I have wanted to meet you for a long time."
Epstein, wearing a suit, looked hospitable and enthusiastic. You couldn't tell at all that under his bright and handsome appearance, he was actually a beast in human form and was capable of all kinds of evil.
But the irony is that a villain like him is more successful than many kind-hearted people, which makes people sigh that this world is so magical.
On an open lawn outside the hotel, Lu Yiming quickly talked to Epstein about shorting US stocks, especially Internet-related technology stocks. The funds and channels involved, and even how the whole thing would end in the end, all required the interpersonal network behind Epstein.
"I need you to help me solve the funding problem, and spread the word in the circle. Anyone interested in participating in this plan can join. And I can personally guarantee that the profit from shorting US stocks this time will not be less than 50%."
A fifty percent profit is enough to make people take risks.
Therefore, Lu Yiming did not make any boastful promises at the beginning. After all, if things were not done, all the more he said would be nonsense.
After listening to Lu Yiming's story, Epstein was indeed very tempted. In addition to the fact that the success rate of Lu Yiming's plan was attractive enough, Lu Yiming was also willing to invest 2.7 billion US dollars in it.
In his opinion, a genius like Lu Yiming would never do something without a purpose.
Anyone who dares to take such a big risk and use such a huge amount of funds must be full of confidence, and the benefits must be so great that people are willing to give it a try.
The two sides discussed for more than an hour before they finalized all the details. In the end, Epstein expressed his willingness to help Lu Yiming solve the funding problem, and was also willing to help Lu Yiming bring in some bigwigs to help.
Lu Yiming finally breathed a sigh of relief. The most difficult part was finally done.
With the support of the bigwigs behind Epstein, Lu Yiming can use Epstein's skin as a banner. After all, bigwigs also like US dollars, and there are not many opportunities to make money like this, so they naturally want to get on board.
By getting these bigwigs in North American politics and business circles on board his chariot, as long as the final benefits satisfy them, then there is nothing to fear about the group of hyenas in the U.S. Department of Justice.
On the way back, Lu Yiming once again looked out the car window at the night view of New York passing by. The bright lights were so dazzling under the moonlight, showing the true nature of the metropolis.
But this prosperous scene before our eyes will soon be shaken by the bloody storm.
By then, I wonder how many unlucky people will fall from heaven into the abyss.
Every financial crisis is essentially a redistribution of social wealth, or a bloody plunder of the middle class by the wealthy class.
This is how the United States declined. Several crises and industrial transfers caused a large number of middle-class people to go bankrupt and fall into poverty, leading to various problems, the most critical of which was taxation.
As we all know, the middle class is the main taxpayer. As for the rich, the stock god Buffett pays less tax than his secretary. It can only be said that capitalism is worthy of being a country of capitalists.
In fact, the decline of the United States had already begun to show signs at this time.
Not only did Lu Yiming not intend to stop it, but he also wanted to come over to add fuel to the fire. After all, many hands make light work. If he didn't make the fire here burn more vigorously, how could he see the beautiful scenery?
