1977: The beginning of the blind date with the daughter of the king

Chapter 773 Wedding Invitation!
Li Changhe had always thought that the family planning system was implemented the same across the country, but in this life he discovered that it was actually quite different across the country.

Some regions only allow one-child policy, some provinces have a one-and-a-half-child policy in rural areas, meaning that if the first child is a girl, a second child is allowed, and some provinces allow three or more children. These are usually found in remote areas and ethnic minority areas.

As for Beijing, a city that strictly controls population growth, it undoubtedly has a one-child policy.

If Li Xiaojun and Chen Aiguo go back, there will be no hope of them having another child.

Of course, there are ways to circumvent this restriction, such as changing one's place of origin to Hong Kong Island or elsewhere, which would exempt one from this restriction.

However, he was just offering a reminder; whether they wanted to have children or not was up to them.

"You're the one talking to me! Why don't you and Linlin have another one? Speaking of my nephew, I haven't even met him properly yet!"

Li Xiaojun said this in an annoyed tone.

When Zhu Lin gave birth to Li Zheng, Li Xiaojun had already gone abroad. She hasn't gone back in the past two years, so she hasn't seen Li Changhe's son yet.

Li Changhe smiled and said, "Let's talk about it between the two of us. For now, Li Zheng is enough."

Zhu Lin had no intention of having another child, and Li Changhe didn't care either. He didn't have the concept of "many children, many blessings," and he hadn't even thought about passing on the wealth he had created to future generations.

The ancient imperial system is a very clear example of this: no matter how perfect your system is, if the people are incompetent, the family at the top will still fall, and the retainers will still harbor rebellious intentions and even usurp your power!
The same is true in modern times. Everyone says the Rothschilds are awesome, but after so many generations, the Rothschilds have started to run out of money. Later on, they were also suppressed by the old money families in Europe and America. Rockefeller and Morgan were in the same situation.

The Rockefeller family is currently being supported by David Rockefeller's generation, but in reality, Li Changhe is well aware that Rockefeller is also on the decline.

In the 1980s, David Rockefeller and John K. Singer were able to control the US presidential elections and were known as the shadow government. However, after the turn of the millennium, their influence gradually declined, and the rise of Trump is the best proof of Rockefeller's decline.

According to the plan, after Bush Jr., the candidate chosen by the Lo family to succeed him as president was Bush Jr.'s younger brother, Jeb Bush, a super-achiever. However, the result was obvious: he couldn't even get through the party primaries, let alone the general election.

Talented people emerge in every generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years; ultimately, humankind is a competitive society.

Li Changhe had thought it through clearly: it was enough to leave a decent living environment for future generations. There was no need to always stand at the top of the world. His children and grandchildren would have their own fortunes. If they had the ability, they could stand there themselves; if they didn't, they could come down quietly. That was actually quite good.

After spending two days with Li Xiaojun in the Okanagan Valley, Li Xiaojun and Chen Aiguo took their daughter back home.

Firstly, she only had two days of vacation, and secondly, since she had already decided to return to China, she had to prepare for her return.

After Li Xiaojun left, Li Changhe stayed for a few more days before leaving Canada and returning to Los Angeles.

He had already received word that Sophie Marceau and the others had returned to Los Angeles and were no longer staying on Lanai Island.

Back in Los Angeles, Li Changhe first met with Bush, and the two discussed the Texas consortium's funding.

Bush had already allocated the two billion US dollars, and he was all smiles when he met Li Changhe.

Undoubtedly, taking advantage of the opportunity given to him by Li Changhe, he made a big splash within the Texas conglomerate and also gained the friendship of many oil companies.

His father, Mr. Bush, was very satisfied with this, because these oil companies were one of the pillar industries of Texas, and with their support, young Bush's future development in Texas would certainly be much smoother.

“Vic, my father wants me to go back and run for Texas senator again. What do you think?”

Inside the villa, Little Bush sipped his 82 Lafite and smiled at Li Changhe, asking him a question.

Li Changhe smiled and shook his head: "George, it's pointless to ask me about this kind of thing. To be honest, I don't know much about elections in the United States. I might know a little about the process of the presidential election, but I know nothing about the state legislators and the like."

"However, I think if you want to run for office, you first need to define your target audience. For example, which groups' votes do you want to win over, and then persuade them based on their political needs."

“I think there are other ways to do this, such as increasing your exposure.”

"For example, if I want to develop my career in Los Angeles, I would buy shares in the Lakers. I may not actually like basketball that much, but by supporting the Lakers' glory, I can bind my relationship with Los Angeles and even California. It's a kind of bundled promotion."

"At least in California, if the Lakers win the championship, I, as a behind-the-scenes piece of the puzzle, will definitely share in the glory, and therefore I will easily integrate into this city."

Li Changhe gave Xiao Bush some pointers, and Xiao Bush was smart enough to understand immediately.

“I understand, Vic. Indeed, sports is a good angle to start with, but to be honest, basketball is too niche. If it were me, I would definitely choose baseball, which is more favored by the elite.”

Little Bush said earnestly to Li Changhe.

In the United States, generally speaking, American football is the most popular sport, followed by baseball, then ice hockey and basketball. These days, basketball is at best ranked fourth, slightly better than football.

After David Stern vigorously promotes basketball, it will surpass ice hockey to become the third most popular sport in the United States, but it will still lag behind American football and baseball.

While American football has a larger audience and more intense competition, baseball is more suited to the tastes of America's elite and middle class, just like golf and tennis.

Rugby is a sport that only roughnecks at the bottom of society would be enthusiastic about, just like how the aristocracy of London looked down on football.

"Perhaps, but I'm not running for Congress in the United States, so I don't really care whether the elites like it or not. All I want is influence in California or the United States."

Li Changhe did not offer any explanation. For him, buying the Lakers was just a side project in his plans. He was familiar with the development of basketball in the United States and knew that the Lakers would be a traditional powerhouse. He also wanted to use the Lakers and the NBA to cultivate his own sports equipment brand.

As for football and baseball, they might be more popular, but unfortunately he doesn't understand them, so it would be a waste of money for him to get in.

There's no need to explain these things to Bush.

Bush nodded: "That's true, Vic. But your idea has really inspired me. When I go to Washington in a few days, I'd like to invite you to my home."

Clearly, Little Bush wanted to take Li Changhe home with him to discuss things with Old Bush.

Li Changhe smiled and nodded: "Of course, no problem." In fact, it was already almost the end of October, and he would have to go to Washington soon.

After Bush left, Li Changhe summoned Jim and made new arrangements for the two billion US dollars that had been received.

He wasn't in a hurry to send the money to Japan. He chose to put it in Europe and wait for the Plaza Accord next year, to get involved in the European foreign exchange market. He figured it wouldn't be too late to transfer it to Japan after 1987.

Perfect timing! He can also use this money to expand his network in Europe, since the Texas oil conglomerate has quite a few partners there.

Time flies, and it's already the end of October.

Li Changhe arrived in Washington ahead of schedule to attend a banquet hosted by the Xiang Party organization at the airport, and also sent an invitation to the Rockefeller family and others.

The invitation was for his wedding, which he and Gong Xue would be holding on Lanai Island next May.

In the banquet hall, David looked at the invitation in his hand with some surprise.

“Vic, don’t worry, I will definitely attend your wedding. I’ve always wanted to see what kind of beautiful girl you are that you can take her down the aisle.”

"I might disappoint you, David, she's just an ordinary Chinese girl, but you're welcome to come!"

Li Changhe responded with a smile.

For someone like David Rockefeller, wedding invitations must be sent well in advance. After all, many of his schedules are booked months ahead. Sending them late might allow you to cut in line, but it can also cause inconvenience to others.

In the following days, Li Changhe spent his time attending various banquets. Time quickly passed until November 5th, when the results of the votes were officially announced.

In fact, Riggs' victory this time was practically a foregone conclusion, and even set a record for the largest vote margin in US history.

As a result, Rigdanovic was able to secure a strong second term and continue serving as President of the United States.

Besides the Rockefellers, the Bush family was also happy, as this meant that old Bush would continue to serve as vice president.

His position as vice president is not just a title without substance. In fact, since last year, Rigg's health has been deteriorating, so much of the work has fallen to old Bush.

With Rockefeller's support, old Bush held real power, practically second only to the king.

Not only Li Changhe was present at the celebration, but Bao Yugang also attended. After all, as one of the "good friends" of Li Gen, Bao Yugang was bound to be there.

After the celebration ended, Bao Yugang wanted to leave immediately, as he was very busy, but Li Changhe asked him to stay.

“Uncle, now that we’re here, I think we might as well go to Minnesota.”

Inside the villa, Li Changhe spoke earnestly to Bao Yugang.

What for in Minnesota?

Bao Yugang was somewhat puzzled.

Li Changhe smiled and said, "Didn't I previously purchase a full-body check-up service from the Mayo Clinic for you? One of their services is a super detailed examination that can only be done inside the Mayo Clinic."

"Normally, they would go wherever you need to perform the tests, depending on your location. But now that we're in Washington, which isn't far from Minnesota, I think we should get the tests done. I've already made an appointment, so we can go straight there for the tests."

Li Changhe spoke earnestly to Bao Yugang.

He remembered that in his previous life, Bao Yugang was diagnosed with cancer in 85. So in the following years, apart from Wheelock and Company, he hardly expanded his business empire and instead began to divide his family property.

In fact, the Bao family missed the entire economic boom period of Hong Kong Island in the 1990s. Although Wu Guangzheng acquired the core Wharf Holdings and Wheelock Properties under the Bao family, he may have business acumen, but his network of resources is far inferior to that of Bao Yugang. Or rather, he lacks personal charisma, so he is better at maintaining the status quo than making progress.

Now that it's the end of 1984, Li Changhe thinks it's time to give Bao Yugang a check-up in advance.

He guessed that Bao Yugang's health was failing, partly due to business expansion and partly due to negotiations regarding Hong Kong Island. His constant flying back and forth between Asia and Europe had taken a toll on his body.

With Li Changhe's help in this life, the Bao family's business expansion went relatively smoothly. Moreover, Li Changhe provided Bao Yugang with a private jet for travel. In addition, Li Changhe constantly provided high-quality tonics such as ginseng. He wondered if he could change Bao Yugang's fate against all odds.

Li Changhe essentially wanted to defy fate and change Bao Yugang's destiny, especially since a living Bao Yugang has such a huge influence now.

In Europe and America, he is a world-renowned shipping magnate, and in China, he also holds a very high position, as evidenced by his role as vice chairman of the Basic Law Drafting Committee, which is unprecedented among Hong Kong's Chinese businessmen.

As long as he lived, Li Changhe knew that even if his identity was exposed in the future, the danger wouldn't be too great. After all, even if you don't care about the monk, you have to consider the Buddha. Bao Yugang's influence, combined with Li Changhe's own influence, was enough to make many people, including the US government, think twice.

"Hey, fine, I'll have my secretary change the itinerary, we'll just go to Minnesota."

Bao Yugang felt Li Changhe's concern and surprisingly did not refute it. In fact, he quite enjoyed this concern.

He has no sons, but four daughters. Although he has four sons-in-law, his relationship with them is not very close. Moreover, all of his sons-in-law work in his company, and in addition to kinship, there is also a superior-subordinate relationship between them. Therefore, these people are very respectful to him, but when it comes to familial affection, they probably don't show much affection.

He was close to his daughters, but their words carried little weight. Old Bao had always been a strict father, and they rarely dared to disobey him.

On the contrary, Li Changhe and the other person became uncle and nephew by chance. Although they were not related by blood, they were very close. In particular, Li Changhe had his own career and had no interest in the Bao family's property. Therefore, when the two communicated, Li Changhe would even be a bit domineering.

Old Bao sometimes enjoyed this attitude, feeling a sense of pride that his successor had surpassed him. This was also why the Bao family as a whole was very accepting of Li Changhe and Gong Xue.

Soon, Li Changhe brought Bao Yugang to Minnesota. With the help of money, the Mayo Clinic immediately conducted the most detailed examination on Bao Yugang.

However, after the examination was completed, the Mayo Clinic doctor came out with a solemn expression.

(End of this chapter)