Chapter 725 You are my brother
Seeing Lu Yiming talking so eloquently, the people around him even held their breath involuntarily.
Lu Yiming has such magical power that every word he speaks seems to be able to enlighten people and make them suddenly realize something.
Musk was excited by Lu Yiming's words "Our goal is the stars and the sea".
Jeremy Stoppelman also praised Lu Yiming's idea.
As time goes by, mobile phones with cameras have appeared, and we can take a photo just by taking out our phone.
In November 2000, Sharp launched the world's first real camera phone - Sharp J-SH04, which has a camera of 110,000 pixels.
The price is five hundred dollars.
Earlier this year, Panasonic released a mobile phone with a unique rotating design that can be turned sideways 360 degrees, or backward 180 degrees to take selfies. It is equipped with an autofocus function for the first time. In the "digital camera style", half-press the shutter button on the side of the body, and the autofocus function will automatically focus on the subject in the middle, and you can shoot directly by pressing it directly. Although it takes about 1 second to complete the focus, it can autofocus from about 5 cm to infinity. It can also automatically focus even if you don't switch to close-up mode when taking close-ups, which is very convenient.
In April this year, Sharp released their new flagship camera phone - Sharp J-SH53. The phone's pixel has been upgraded to the million level for the first time. It is equipped with a 1 million effective pixel CCD camera, can take photos up to 1144×858 pixels, 2.4-inch 260,000 color QVGA pixel CGS screen, 32 chord ring tones, and supports MP3 playback and SD card expansion.
At that time, SD card expansion was a big deal for camera phones. Because the memory capacity of the phone body was very small, a phone could only hold a few dozen photos at most. With the SD card expansion function, the camera function of the phone became more powerful.
Now that the conditions for "shooting at will" are fully met, the next step is to display the video. Video websites are such an area.
Fully meet people's needs for showing off.
After all, if you take a good photo or leave a photo wherever you travel, the most you can do is show it to people around you on your phone, and the show-off effect is not strong at all.
It’s a different story if you upload it to the Internet. There are hundreds of millions of Internet users, so theoretically you can create an infinitely large file.
It’s exciting just thinking about it.
However, in the final analysis, the purpose of starting a business is to make money. Even if the project is awesome, it must have a profit point. A business that does not make money cannot last long.
If you generate electricity with love, no amount of money will be enough.
Chen Shijun asked: "Mr. Lu, what is the profit model of this project?"
Musk thought about it, but couldn't figure out how this thing could make a profit.
Upload charges?
Isn't that bullshit? Who would use this thing?
Pay to browse?
This is somewhat possible, but not much.
What else is there?
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "Don't worry about making money. The early stage of a video website is mainly to expand market share and increase the user base. If you do these two things well, even if you don't want to make money, someone will give you money."
Jeremy Stoppelman was skeptical: "Really?"
Lu Yiming said: "Of course, when have I ever lied to anyone? Do you think so?"
Jeremy Stoppelman gritted his teeth and said, "Do it!"
A few days later, the PayPal gang, who had officially gone their separate ways, became stars in Silicon Valley.
This acquisition by eBay directly created three billionaires, fourteen multi-millionaires, and twenty-one millionaires!
Silicon Valley and the Internet have once again become the topic of conversation for everyone.
Even on Wall Street, some people have shouted the slogan "The cold wave has receded", and it seems that technology stocks are rising again. After all, the success story of PayPal is right in front of us.
For a while, even the fact that Lu Yiming and his friends went to eat hamburgers together at the farewell dinner was widely spread and attracted great attention. Many people rushed to the hamburger shop to check in and try the top hamburger set. The crazy surge in sales made the hamburger shop owner's mouth crooked with smiles.
According to the original plan, Lu Yiming should return to China after finishing the PayPal matter, but because he gave the private jet to Li Yiwen when Li Yiwen got married, before returning to China, he planned to go to Boeing to customize a private jet for himself.
This thing, although he is a patriotic youth, but not to mention now, even when he was reborn, this thing was not made in China. Supporting it now is just wishful thinking.
Looking at the first decade of the 21st century from the perspective of the 1930s, it is really the difference between a luxurious palace and a rough one. There are so many areas that need to be caught up and broken through.
Confidence and passion are good things, but we must also face up to the gap and catch up.
The doctrine of the mean has been talked about for thousands of years, but the biggest lesson history has left for people is that people never learn lessons from history.
When Su Zhenge heard that Lu Yiming was going to Chicago to buy a plane, he insisted on going with him. Lu Yiming had no choice but to take him along.
On the way to Boeing's headquarters, Su Zhenge asked Lu Yiming curiously, "Don't you already have a private jet? Why buy another one? If you have too much money to spend, you can spend it on me."
Lu Yiming spoke calmly, as if he was talking about something insignificant: "I gave the old one away. After all, the internal space is a bit small. I plan to buy a bigger one this time."
Su Zhenge almost cried when he heard this: "Fuck, you gave it to someone else? To whom? Why not give it to me?"
A private jet sounds so much more awesome than a private car.
Su Zhenge has long wanted to own a private jet and a private yacht, but now he can afford neither a private jet nor a private yacht.
Lu Yiming was so good that he sent a private jet as soon as he asked.
It's simply inhumane!
Lu Yiming hit him mercilessly and said, "Forget it. You'll just be wandering around this place all day. What do you need a plane for? Even if I give you one, won't it just be a waste of money to park it at the airport?"
Su Zhenge was speechless for a moment. After all, the maintenance cost of a private jet was not low at all. If he spent all his money on maintaining such a thing, how could he go around freely?
"Forget it, I'll just take your private plane."
"You should just focus on making movies. After a few years, when you make enough money, you can afford to buy and support them."
Su Zhenge felt uncomfortable with these words. He looked at Lu Yiming with a depressed look on his face: "Why do you sound like my dad? I am obviously your elder!"
When they arrived in Chicago, it was already afternoon. Lu Yiming was not in a hurry, so he found a hotel to stay in and took a walk around.
Chicago is located in the south of Lake Michigan. It is the third largest city in the United States and one of the world's international financial centers. Chicago also has many high-rise buildings and is known as the "hometown of skyscrapers."
The next morning, Lu Yiming and his team arrived at Boeing's headquarters in Chicago.
This headquarters is new; Boeing moved here in 2001.
Before that, Boeing's headquarters was in Seattle.
At the entrance of Boeing's headquarters building, Lu Yiming looked up at the skyscraper and said to Su Zhenge, "This building is nice."
Su Zhenge said, "You are talking nonsense. How could the headquarters of Boeing be bad?"
Lu Yiming said, "How much would it cost to buy this building?"
Su Zhenge was startled, looked at Lu Yiming doubtfully, and asked, "What do you want to do?"
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "Nothing, I'm just asking casually, why are you so nervous?"
Su Zhenge said: "How could the company's headquarters building be sold? If the headquarters is sold, where will the company go to work? Will everyone sleep on the floor under the overpass?"
In fact, Boeing didn't use this building for long and moved to Virginia in 2022.
Lu Yiming said: "You have been in the United States for so many years, don't you know them? Although the company's headquarters has moved here, the production is still in Seattle. Boeing has two important factories in Seattle, the big one is called Everett, and the small one is called Layton. Boeing also has a factory in South Carolina, located at Charleston International Airport."
"The office concept in the United States is completely different from that in my country. In my country, each leader basically has his own room, and the higher the official position, the bigger the room. These Western countries are popular with open offices, that is, hundreds of people sit in a hall, small leaders sit with everyone, and big leaders sit in the cubicles next to them. So these Boeing factories are actually their important office locations."
"If we sell the headquarters building, they can just work in the factory while watching the planes ."
As they were talking, a group of people had already walked into the building through the revolving door.
Seeing Lu Yiming and the others come in, a young woman immediately walked around the front desk and walked towards the few people holding a folder.
She was a white woman, with heavy makeup on, wearing a black long-sleeved suit, a black tight hip-hugging miniskirt, her legs wrapped in light brown lace stockings, and a pair of black patent leather high heels. She twisted her body very vigorously when she walked.
Su Zhenge's eyes widened as he watched, and even a part of his body felt like it was about to move.
He whispered, "This girl is so damn pretty!"
Lu Yiming said, "Then try your best to take her down!"
As she was talking, the young woman had already come up to the two men. Seeing the two Asian faces, she looked quite arrogant and said in a high-handed manner: "Who are you? This is the headquarters of Boeing Aircraft Company. Please leave immediately. If you want to visit Boeing's factory, please go to the Everett factory."
The Everett Assembly Plant is open to the public for tours, and the revenue from tourists alone is several million dollars a year. It has to be said that Boeing knows how to do business.
Lu Yiming said calmly: "I'm not here to visit, I'm here to buy a plane."
Although Lu Yiming could easily get the job done by just asking any of his subordinates with his current status, the level he is at now is completely different from that before his rebirth, so Lu Yiming likes to do many things himself to increase his sense of participation.
In my previous life, I was so stingy that I couldn't even buy a car, but now I can buy an airplane so easily. I have to experience it myself, which will make it less fun.
"You? Buying a plane ?"
The young woman laughed as if she had heard some funny joke.
Su Zhenge's eyes became even more fiery, and he couldn't help swallowing.
This scale is really suffocating.
No wonder it’s called Boeing.
Lu Yiming raised his eyebrows and said, "Why? Is it not possible? Go find someone from your sales department. You can't make the decision."
Lu Yiming knew that at this point in time, it was normal for foreigners to look down on the Xia people. He knew that if he wanted to buy the plane safely, he had to find some backers: "I am a good friend of Mr. Epstein."
Seeing that the young woman still had an arrogant expression on her face, Su Zhenge thought to himself: I will make you kneel down and beg for mercy !
The young woman was still a little skeptical about what Lu Yiming said. Lu Yiming took out his cell phone and said, "Do you want me to call Mr. Epstein?"
The young woman thought for a moment, half moved aside, and said, "Come with me."
The young woman took Lu Yiming and the others to the sixteenth floor by elevator, walked to the door of the office with the word "Sales" on it, knocked on the door, and then said, "If you want to buy a Boeing aircraft, talk to Mr. Hubert Babington."
Lu Yiming nodded slightly.
Entering the office, Lu Yiming saw a man with a brown beard. He was Hubert Babington, the sales manager of Boeing.
"Hello, Mr. Hubert, my name is Lu Yiming, and I would like to customize a Boeing 767 aircraft for private business flights."
The Boeing 767 is a medium-to-large, long-range, wide-body, twin-engine jet aircraft developed by Boeing with two to three hundred seats.
Compared with the previous Gulfstream business jet, the Boeing 767 can be said to be a behemoth.
Hubert Babington raised his head slightly, looked at Lu Yiming and Su Zhenge, a meaningful expression appeared on his face, and then said: "Thirty-eight million US dollars."
Although Su Zhenge couldn't afford to buy a plane, he was well connected with people and read a lot of high-end magazines. He also knew the price of star aircraft such as Boeing 767. He whispered to Lu Yiming in Chinese: "The bare price of this plane is only about 31 million US dollars. He charged you an extra 7 million with this shout."
Lu Yiming couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and said, "Do you think I'm a big shot?"
He said to Hubert Babington angrily, "Mr. Hubert, I sincerely want to discuss business with you. The market price of this plane is only about 30 million US dollars. You actually offered me 38 million US dollars?"
Hubert Babington looked disdainful and said, "I said 38 million US dollars, that is 38 million US dollars. Mr. Lu Yiming, you are not a person who is short of money, why bother about these millions of dollars?"
Lu Yiming said with some surprise: "Do you know me?"
Hubert Babington snorted and said angrily, "Do you think I don't know the Eastern Wolf who swept the aviation stocks back then?"
After hearing this, Lu Yiming couldn't help but feel depressed.
I almost forgot about this matter.
Back then, people were frantically shorting airline stocks on Wall Street, causing heavy losses to companies in related industries, and now people are still holding a grudge against them.
Lu Yiming brought the topic back to the plane and said, "Thirty million dollars, not a penny more."
Hubert Babington was also very straightforward: "Not for sale!"
A $30 million aircraft, plus the modification, will easily exceed $100 million. Lu Yiming did not expect that Hubert Babington would not give in.
This is so uncapitalist.
Wasn't it agreed that as long as it was profitable, capitalists would even sell the ropes with which they would hang themselves?
When did you become so self-disciplined?
This is unscientific!
Although for Lu Yiming's wealth, the difference between 30 million and 38 million is not big, but he doesn't want to spoil these white people like this, and immediately said to Su Zhenge: "Let's go, we won't buy it."
Then turn around and leave.
After leaving the Boeing building, Su Zhenge said angrily: "This is too much. This is clearly bullying."
Then, he asked with some confusion: "Boeing's actions are a bit confusing. Why did they ignore the good news and target you?"
Lu Yiming said: "I can probably guess the reason. It's probably because I took too much advantage of the top ten airlines in North America two years ago. Boeing doesn't want to offend these big customers, so they're picking on me on purpose."
As far as Boeing itself is concerned, these capitalists will not frown even if they are asked to eat shit as long as they can make money. However, Lu Yiming's identity is special. He is the public enemy of the aviation industry in the United States. If Boeing does business with Lu Yiming, it will definitely be targeted and despised by other peers. At that time, if the stock price drops slightly, the loss will be more than tens of millions of dollars.
Su Zhenge scratched his head and asked, "What should we do? The top ten airlines in North America have a great influence in the United States. Why don't you go to Gulfstream and ask them?"
After all, he is an old customer of Gulfstream. Maybe the deal can be done because of his repeat business.
This is what Su Zhenge thought.
Lu Yiming shook his head and said, "Gulfstream's private jets are mainly small and medium-sized, and like Boeing, they are both local aircraft manufacturers in the United States. Now Boeing has concerns, let alone Gulfstream. I think it's likely to be a failure. I'd better go to Europe to have a look. Airbus' private jets should be pretty good too."
With regret, Su Zhenge and Lu Yiming left Boeing's headquarters.
Su Zhenge was just thinking that Lu Yiming would buy a plane to shock the young woman at the front desk with his wealth, and then he could have a deep conversation with her in the evening.
It seems there is no chance now.
After returning to his residence, Lu Yiming packed his things and flew directly to Europe.
Seven and a half hours later, Lu Yiming's plane landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
After leaving the airport, Lu Yiming took out his mobile phone with an international calling card and called Li Yiwen.
"Cousin, what are you doing? I'm in Paris."
Li Yiwen suddenly received a call from Lu Yiming and almost cried: "Don't call me brother, you are my brother, I am on my honeymoon, how can you still find me?"
