Invasion of America

Chapter 56 Losing Money

When the country realized that Zhou Qingfeng used the "nuclear-powered aircraft carrier battle group" to conduct overseas purchasing, its united front value suddenly increased by several orders of magnitude.

One can't help but think carefully about how much background and power are behind him?

In the past, the low-level form of "overseas purchasing" was to use a "big plane" with several "propellers" to force its way through the southern coastal areas, while the more advanced form was to lie or conceal information when passing through customs.

Smuggling using warships. This only happens when the government is extremely corrupt. It will trigger some extremely embarrassing memories and is a topic that cannot be touched upon.

The news reached the ears of the emperor, and everyone who knew about the situation found it strange - when did the U.S. Navy, which once dominated the world, become so rotten?
Are you willing to take any job just to make money?
Thirty years ago, when it forced the Galaxy to stop, it was ferocious, domineering, and arrogant. Wasn't it like this?!

Two days later, out of curiosity and attention to the academician's description, *** went to "Electric Flight" to conduct research and investigate the development status of foreign companies in China.

Encouraging overseas capital to boldly invest in China, releasing a positive signal of further opening up to the outside world, and effectively resolving issues of concern to foreign-funded enterprises - this is a response to the "commitment" that Zhou Qingfeng needed.

As a foreign business owner, Kelly accompanied the investigation - when shaking hands with ***, she was so excited that she trembled.

Those so-called "rich families" in America are all weak. What else can they do except eating and waiting to die while drinking and feasting?

Kelly's father, Jeff Connolly, struggled all his life, but all he could do was have dinner with Wall Street tycoons and become familiar to congressmen.

When she arrived at the University of Tokyo, Kelly finally understood why she didn't like the American upper class - the atmosphere of staleness, extravagance, waste and lack of ambition was suffocating.

Although 'Todai' is facing a bottleneck period, it is still on the rise. Although it is still not rich and there are many social contradictions, it makes Kelly feel as if she is in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s.

It is full of vitality and everything is flourishing.

After only a few months with that brat Victor, Kelly's political status has risen sharply and she is moving towards becoming a good friend of the people of 'Todai'.

In the news footage, ***'s research trip was fully recorded.

He visited the newly expanded R&D department of Electric Flight, the production line of the foundry, and got into the cockpit of the Warthog to experience the driving feeling.

After watching the flight show, he was surprised to learn that the basic model of the Warthog could be sold for hundreds of thousands of RMB. He asked:

"Can this thing really carry half a ton and fly 300 kilometers? It's much cheaper than a helicopter. The 'low-altitude economy' is going to accelerate."

When this passage was broadcast on the news, it immediately ignited the entire Internet.

Half an hour later, a UP host began to give a divergent interpretation of the potential of the "Warthog" - the strait on the southeast coast is less than 150 kilometers away from the nearest place.

A 300-kilometer flight, isn't that just enough for a round trip?!

If a drone carrier is built, it can take off from the center line of the strait or the Philippine Sea and launch a raid in just over ten minutes.

With a load capacity of half a ton, it is more than enough to carry a four-man combat team.

This thing can hover and can be unmanned. It is equipped with a few rocket launchers, grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, etc. under its wings. Isn't it a perfect aerial firepower point?

In comparison, armed helicopters cost tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan to build, which is very expensive and cannot withstand consumption.

The next day, A-share "leeks" also responded and frantically searched for stocks related to "electricity" and "flight".

This caused many stocks to rise for inexplicable reasons.

The more professional "leeks" had already discovered that this foreign company was not listed at all, and turned to look for relevant suppliers and OEM factories.

After searching for a long time, I found that the suppliers and OEMs for "Electric Flight" are all small factories that do not raise funds in the financial market.

But any fool can see that being praised by the government means that the performance of "Electric Flight" and its suppliers will explode.
-
As night falls, in an upscale restaurant in Miami, Florida, lights softly shine on the crystal chandeliers, reflecting a luxurious halo.

Jeff Connelly sat at one end of the long oval dining table, knife and fork in hand, slowly and methodically carving a medium-rare filet mignon.

The dining table was filled with exquisite silverware and half-full red wine glasses. Several investors in suits and ties sat around it. The atmosphere seemed harmonious, but there was a hint of irony.

Their topic revolved around "electric flight" and a recent commentary article in Miami local media became their joke.
"The arrogant 'Dongda Warthog' is ignored by capital."

"Jeff, I can't believe you're so wrong," a Wall Street fund manager said, laughing. "Supporting a 'big' tech company? That's a really unique vision!"

The tone was full of teasing, and there was an unconcealable smugness on the corners of his mouth.

Another bank executive slowly wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, glanced at Jeff, and said jokingly, "I heard that guy is only in his early twenties, young enough to be your son.

You're not planning to recruit him as your son-in-law, are you? He paused, lowered his voice, and said provocatively, "But are you sure an Asian man can satisfy Jennifer?"

Jeff paused his knife and fork on the steak, cursing these guys in his heart - "A bunch of snobs, just wait and see!"

But he still managed a self-deprecating smile on his face, shrugged his shoulders, and pretended to be nonchalant: "It was just a momentary mistake. Who hasn't had their vision go astray?"

At the other end of the table, old Baker remained silent, slowly enjoying the lobster tail on the plate, occasionally sipping the white wine that accompanied the meal, and turning a deaf ear to the sarcasm around him.

Several of his "friends" in the financial circle were unwilling to let him go. When the conversation got heated, they frequently turned their attention to him: "Old Baker, why don't you say anything?"

"Yeah, you're the Asian guy's personal lawyer. His 'Warthog' project is almost a joke, and you're still so calm?"

Old Baker remained unmoved until the food on his plate was completely cleared. He put down his knife and fork, raised his eyelids, and glanced at everyone at the table.

A mocking smile appeared on his old face, and he spoke slowly:

"Idiots, let me tell you something—while you're all sneering here, Holy Light's air business is about to become profitable."

The table fell into a dead silence. The sound of the knife and fork hitting the plate stopped abruptly, and even the sound of breathing seemed to be paused.

Jeff's glass dangled in mid-air, his brow furrowed in shock and bewilderment. The investor sitting across from him was the first to recover, breaking the silence with a suspicious expression.

"How is this possible? Electric Flight hasn't even received its airworthiness certificate, and the Warthog is still in the testing phase. How can it possibly be profitable?"

Old Baker waved his hand nonchalantly, signaling the waiter to remove the empty plate in front of him, and ordered another piece of fruit after the meal. While eating, he said:
"Yes, the airworthiness certificate is very important, but the US's control over low-altitude and low-speed aircraft is actually very lax. It's not impossible to get the airworthiness certificate without your help.

Faced with competition from its competitors, the Warthog's US flight operations are unprofitable, but who says it has to rely on the US market to make money?

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present looked at each other, their minds racing, trying to figure out what they had missed.

They all looked at Jeff, only to find that this 'future father-in-law' was also confused and obviously hadn't caught up with the pace at all.

Seeing this, Old Baker was amused. He put down his fork, crossed his hands on the table, and said in a light but somewhat teasing tone:

"Remember William Congers? His wife Julia recently registered a company called 'Holy Light Logistics' that specializes in aerial supermarkets and package delivery.

The market they are targeting is tourists from the Bahamas – nearly 10 million tourists a year, think about that, what does that mean?”

Jeff froze, a map of the Bahamas appearing in his mind—just east of Miami, those scattered islands dotted like pearls in the Caribbean Sea. "Victor managed to get the Bahamian government in check so quickly?"

"As long as you find the right person, it's not that difficult." Old Baker nodded, his tone gradually becoming excited, "The Bahamas receives nearly ten million tourists every year.

These people have strong purchasing power and strong shopping demands, but logistics between islands are inconvenient and traditional express delivery cannot meet their needs at all.

Tourists will not sit in one place and wait for their packages to be delivered. They are willing to pay for convenience.

Just yesterday, ten "Warthogs" were airlifted to the Bahamas, and twenty "electric flight" engineers and more than one hundred local employees began training overnight.

Next week, they will begin testing their air delivery service.

And this is just the beginning, the next target for 'electric flight' is Cancun, a tourist destination in Mexico."

Old Baker swept his eyes across the faces of everyone at the table and sneered, "You are all fools. Why are you only focusing on the US market?

Is the United States the only country in this world?

You also know what tourists are like. They like novelty and are willing to pay for a good experience.

When you have an urgent need, a Warthog buzzes over, hovers over the beach, and drops your package – how cool is that?

They would take out their phones to take pictures and post them online, advertising Holy Light for free. By then, the whole world would know that the Bahamas had air express.

Tourism is the pillar industry of the Bahamas, but there are so many places to travel to in the world. Sunshine, beaches, and beautiful women are not scarce resources.

In order to stand out, the Bahamian government is happy to use high technology to shape its fashionable image in exchange for more tourists.

This should have been a scenario that the United States had first, but there will be an exception this time.

I can tell you that I invested $10 million each in Electric Flight and Holy Light Logistics.

I'm old, and this may be the last investment I make in my life, but I'm sure these two companies will definitely explode.

And you just sit here and make up some silly jokes while you watch the opportunity to make money slip through your fingers."

Everyone at the table was completely speechless.

An investor frowned, drumming his fingers on the table, muttering softly, "A market with nearly ten million tourists every year...if this explodes..."

Before he finished speaking, a hint of regret flashed in his eyes.

Jeff's expression was even more complicated. He was obviously the first one who wanted to invest in "electric flight", but he "got up early and arrived late".

Old Baker leaned back in his chair, picked up his glass and shook it gently, the smile on his lips deepening: "The Bahamas is not the mainland of the United States, and our 'friendly competitors' are out of reach.

Even if the businesses of 'Electric Flight' and 'Holy Light' encounter setbacks, they will never fail.

Once this air express service is successful, their reputation will spread all over the world. Then, guess who will be the real joke?"

In the restaurant, red wine glasses reflected the light, and the air was filled with the aroma of steak and a hint of tension.

Everyone gradually fell silent.
-
At the dinner table, the awkward atmosphere was broken by a sudden cell phone ring.

Jeff looked down and saw a message from Kelly—a video link. He frowned and clicked on the screen, which showed a news item:
In the camera, *** was sitting in the cockpit of the Warthog, with a bit of curiosity on his face, and he was fiddling with the joystick tentatively.

And the person sitting next to him, pointing at the dashboard and talking, was actually Kelly, his eldest daughter who had always been ambitious but unsuccessful.

His voice came through the phone's speaker, crisp and confident: "This system can achieve automatic hovering and cooperate with surface armored forces, making it suitable for rapid landing operations..."

In the video, the elder nodded frequently, and even showed a smile of approval at the corner of his mouth - this is also the reason why there was a big uproar online.

Jeff was stunned, the fork in his hand hanging in the air, and he didn't even notice the sauce dripping from the steak.

He squinted his eyes and looked again to make sure he was not dazzled - it was indeed Kelly, wearing a smart dark blue suit, accompanying ***, and her aura was no less impressive.

His heartbeat quickened, his head buzzing: "Is this my daughter? When did she... climb to this height?"

The light from the mobile phone screen was reflected on the dining table, and the attention of several financial tycoons was attracted at the same time.

Someone leaned over to take a look, then widened their eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't that Kelly? Next to her is a senior executive from the University of East China. Does the Holy Light have such a large network of connections?"

Another bank executive put down his glass and said in a more serious tone, "It seems we need to re-evaluate 'Electric Flight' and 'Holy Light Logistics'.

If this 'Warthog' really opens up the global short-haul air transport market, it will not be a small thing - it will be a gold mine!"

The fund manager turned his gaze to Old Baker and asked tentatively, "Mr. Baker, could you please tell me how many shares in Electric Flight you got for your $10 million?"

Old Baker was slowly picking up a piece of strawberry with his fork. He looked up, grinned bitterly, and uttered three words: "One percent."

“What the fuck!”

Several exclamations erupted simultaneously around the dining table; even the usually composed bank executives couldn't help but slam their hands on the table.

Everyone was furious. How could a startup company sell 1% of its shares for 10 million US dollars?

This means that the valuation of "electric flight" has soared to the billion-dollar level, directly crossing the threshold of "technology unicorn".

There is no advantage to be gained.

The fund manager's face flushed instantly, and he pointed at Jeff, his fingers trembling slightly: "Didn't you say that ten million dollars can at least buy a five percent stake in Electric Flight?
How could it be so expensive?" He turned to Old Baker, his tone full of doubt: "A valuation of one billion dollars is too outrageous!"

Jeff is in his sixties and has worked in investment banking for decades. He considers himself knowledgeable, but the current situation still makes his mind go blank.

He looked at Old Baker eagerly and asked with almost gritted teeth: "How can you accept this kind of deal?
I remember that Victor only invested 50 million US dollars in "Electric Flight", plus my Jennifer invested 20 million, the total was no more than 70 million.

This company is worth at most 100 million, and you're throwing 10 million into it, which is tantamount to disrupting market rules!"

Old Baker shrugged, put down his fork, and spread his hands. "Because Victor doesn't need money at all. He doesn't want to attract investment, let alone dilute his shares.

Don’t even mention me. Your youngest daughter Jennifer only got 5% of the shares out of the 20 million.

As for Kelly, Victor thought highly of her. He invested five million and actually got five percent - do you think this is luck?"

Jeff was petrified on the spot, his mind struck by lightning. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes glazed over, and his chest was filled with blood.

Twenty million only gets five percent, but five million also gets five percent?
No matter how I calculated this, it didn't seem right! He was furious and cursed inwardly, "My two daughters are both money-losing goods!"

(End of this chapter)