Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 169, 168: Future Thinking: Leasing Investment in Commercial Centers, Opening Up Access to Higher Levels

The Las Vegas dinner has ended.

Of the 13 casinos currently holding licenses.

Two companies are interested in participating in the aircraft activity, and five are willing to sell their casinos.

The two casinos willing to participate in the airplane event don't need to rush for now.

Fang Wen's current task is to buy casinos and build airports.

The average price at the casino is $5, which is not expensive, and even very cheap.

The total acquisition price can be settled for $34, which includes five legal licenses and all assets such as land and buildings.

The reason it was so cheap was that Las Vegas was not popular at all in 1933.

At that time, Las Vegas had a total resident population of less than 10,000.

There are only a few streets, and the casinos all have "club" signs.

Fang Wen did not immediately sign any purchase agreements with these casinos, but instead negotiated with the mayor and reached an agreement on an airport construction plan.

Both sides reached an agreement, and he asked Indiana to contact a top lawyer in New York and have him come to Las Vegas.

A day later, John Harvey flew to Los Angeles and then took a train to Las Vegas.

John Harvey, who had arrived weary from his journey, met with Fang Wen at a bar near their hotel.

After listening to Fang Wen's plan, John Harvey, as a private lawyer, gave his advice very frankly.

"Fang, your actions are too risky. Las Vegas is not lacking in transportation options; it's not as bad as you think. You can take the train or drive a car. Even someone with my wealth might not be willing to take an expensive plane to come here to spend money. Your free ticket is unlikely to succeed."

Fang Wen smiled.

People of this generation haven't experienced the changes of the times, so many of their ideas are just wishful thinking.

Las Vegas is positioned as a money pit, a place where people come to spend money and enjoy themselves.

It's not as simple as just going straight to the gambling table.

The reason why people are unwilling to travel far to make purchases is because everyone feels it's not worth it.

If you do your job well and become the best consumer venue in the United States, you will naturally have a steady stream of customers.

He knew what to do, but he didn't tell John Harvey these trade secrets.

Instead, they discussed with him the purpose of bringing him here.

"I want you to help me set up a casino company, and then be responsible for drafting contracts to purchase five casinos, as well as signing an airport construction agreement with the Las Vegas City Hall. Also, take me to visit the circuit court judge here in Nevada; I have some things I want to discuss."

John Harvey nodded: "No problem, let's take care of things in Las Vegas first, then we'll go to Carson City."

"Alright, let's talk about the benefits now." Fang Wen took out a small leather suitcase and a piece of paper.

In order to better establish a connection with a trustworthy lawyer, Fang Wen made a statement that he would only consider the lawyer a member of his inner circle if the lawyer accepted it.

Under John Harvey's questioning gaze, he explained:

"There's $5 in the suitcase, your annual employment fee. This piece of paper is a draft of the casino company equity transfer agreement, which will give you a 5% profit share. If you agree, we're on the same side."

These things represent long-term benefits.

Even for John Harvey, it was a good one.

However, accepting these conditions means being deeply bound to Fang Wen.

After thinking for a moment, John Harvey held out his hand: "Deal."

With John Harvey's involvement, the legal issues were easily resolved.

The contract he drafted avoided various legal loopholes and provided legal protection for the transaction.

Subsequently, the newly established Taishan Casino Company and Taishan Airport Company signed six contracts respectively.

With the signing of six contracts, ownership of five casinos was transferred to Fang Wen, and the mayor also granted Fang Wen a flat area north of Las Vegas for airport construction.

Subsequently, a Las Vegas construction company accepted the contract to build the airport and began construction according to the design drawings.

All five casinos were shut down for rectification. Zhao Jiu, who was very familiar with casino operations, needed to replace them with a group of staff he trusted to manage the five casinos together.

The person he wanted had departed from Shanghai by ship more than half a month ago and had now arrived in San Francisco.

The passengers disembarked in San Francisco and were taken on a large bus directly to Las Vegas.

They were from Zhao Jiufu's gambling den, along with helpers they had recruited from Shanghai.

These people are like dragons crossing the river; they have no roots in the United States. If they want to succeed, they can only work for Zhao Jiu.

In addition to this group, Los Angeles' Chinatown also recruited a number of Chinese to serve as croupiers, waiters, cooks, and other similar positions.

It can be said that after the casino company was shut down again for rectification, it became a predominantly Chinese enterprise.

But that's not enough. Las Vegas still has very few natural customers, and waiting for customers is not what Fang Wen wants.

He was recalling memories of the future and trying to organize them for use in his current business.

First: of course, the luxury casinos. Las Vegas casinos are not only large in scale but also luxuriously decorated, offering a wide variety of gambling games to meet the needs of different tourists.

Second: Integrated entertainment. In addition to gambling, casinos also offer a variety of facilities such as restaurants, bars, hotels, and shopping malls, providing tourists with a one-stop consumption experience.

Third: Entertainment theme parks: These facilities offer mini-excitement vacation experiences, allowing visitors to enjoy themselves without having to step into a gambling table.

Fourth: Excellent service. Las Vegas casinos offer high-quality service, including professional dealers, attentive customer service staff, and a comfortable gambling environment.

Fifth: Security. The casino has strict security measures in place to ensure the personal and property safety of tourists, providing them with a safe and secure gaming environment.

After these five points were drafted, Fang Wen used them as the development plan for the casino company and discussed them with others.

Inside the hotel, Fang Wen, Lin Shuiwang, Zhao Jiu, Indiana, and John Harvey gathered together.

Fang Wen took out the casino company's business plan and read it aloud point by point.

The other four people reacted differently.

Lin Shuiwang unconditionally trusted Fang Wen: "I knew the general manager had a plan all along. See? This is it."

Zhao Jiu remained silent, deep in thought about the five plans.

John Harvey, who frequently deals with business people, saw the opportunity: "If these plans are followed, they should be very attractive to customers."

Indiana didn't object this time, but simply asked, "These investments must cost a lot of money, right?"

His question was also one that others had thought of: such a large investment and planning would require a lot of manpower, material resources, and financial resources to realize.

It not only requires a lot of money, but also a lot of energy to manage.

Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

But their thinking could never keep up with Fang Wen's. Fang Wen smiled and replied, "Why do we have to do everything ourselves? We can attract investment and let others join our project."

"What! What investment promotion?" Zhao Jiu, who hadn't spoken until now, asked.

Fang Wen explained:
“There’s an old saying that goes, ‘A man’s greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant.’ You should only do what you are capable of. I run an airline, and my main focus is on the airline. I can’t spend too much energy on this. Therefore, I don’t want much profit. The Las Vegas airport and casino business are enough. The other profits can be given to others to earn.”

He explained the process of attracting tenants to the future commercial center twice, in both Chinese and English.

To make it clearer, I'll pick up a few cups and place them on the table.

"Currently, the land is mine, and I only need the casino revenue and airport operation revenue. Other things, such as restaurants, bars, hotels, shopping venues, and entertainment theme parks, can be handed over to others to operate. We only need to collect rent and management fees."

His words opened up a whole new world.

John Harvey asked, "What if no one is willing to run the shops and facilities you've planned?"

"If I don't charge them money in the first year, do you think anyone will be willing to come?" Fang Wen asked rhetorically.

John Harvey nodded: “People will come, but they won’t stay long without any travelers.”

"This is what I'm going to do next. Now let's assign tasks: Zhao Jiu, you stay in Las Vegas and oversee the construction of the airport and casino according to the plan. Lin Shuiwang, you go to Chinatown in Los Angeles to attract businesses and say that the first year's rent and management fees will be waived. Indiana, John Harvey, and I will go and get the upper-level connections in order to get the new planes on board."

Fang Wen wrote down everyone's tasks and then ended the meeting.

There is a huge difference in thinking between modern people and people from the Republican era.

For Fang Wen, these were opportunities.

He wants to use the quick and efficient capital operation methods of the future to accelerate business activities.

Following his instructions, Lin Shuiwang took the train to Chinatown in Los Angeles to solicit investment.

He simply set up a stage on the streets of Los Angeles' Chinatown and invited Mr. Yu, the owner of Baoyuanhao Pharmacy, to go on stage and vouch for him.

Unlike Fang Wenxiang, Mr. Yu did not harbor any resentment because of the casino business; on the contrary, he was very willing to help.

He stepped onto the stage and said, "Neighbors, I am Lao Yu. I have lived in Chinatown since I was a child, and you all know me. The person who set up this stage today was sent by the son-in-law of my childhood friend, Kwong Shan-ming. The Kwong family originated from our area, and you should all know about their business in South Asia. That is why I dare to come up on stage to vouch for him."

After he finished speaking, Lin Shuiwang said loudly, "Our general manager bought five casinos in Las Vegas and is operating them jointly. He said he wanted to set up restaurants, bars, hotels, shopping malls, amusement parks and other facilities in his own casinos, but it was too complicated and difficult to manage, so he handed them over to outsiders to operate. If any of you are interested, come and talk to me."

After he finished speaking, everyone started discussing it.

"It's a good thing. I heard that the Los Angeles government is planning to demolish this part of Chinatown and relocate it elsewhere. It's better to go to Las Vegas."

"Yes. We've lived here for decades, but then the government took a liking to us and we have to move again. I don't want to go through all that trouble. If the Kuang family's son-in-law is decent, we can try our luck in Las Vegas."

Listening to the discussion below, Lin Shuiwang was secretly pleased.

He then asked, "Are you really going to tear this place down?"

Someone immediately responded: "It's true, the Los Angeles city government is going to build Union Station, forcing us to move to the Broadway area."

Broadway in Long Beach is like being moved from the city center to the beach in the suburbs, it couldn't be more remote.

Lin Shuiwang showed an indignant expression.

“Why go there? We might as well go to Las Vegas. The five casinos our general manager bought there are bigger than Chinatown is now. Besides, the general manager said that those who go there this year will not be charged rent or management fees.”

People were already dissatisfied with the impending demolition of Chinatown, and Lin Shuiwang stirred things up.

More importantly, it's rent-free for a year, which is incredibly tempting.

Immediately, several people asked to go to Las Vegas to see for themselves, and neighbors left right away to spread the word, and the news spread throughout Chinatown in no time.

The next day, they traveled as a group by train to Las Vegas.

I witnessed a scene of massive construction underway.

Although it's uncertain whether doing business here will be successful, many Chinese are still willing to give it a try because of the rent-free and management-fee-free environment.

Soon after, several people signed leases and began making arrangements to open their shops.

Fang Wen's investment promotion plan is progressing smoothly, but the problem of attracting customers has not yet been solved.

He's not in a hurry; things need to be done step by step, not haphazardly.

He has now come to Carson City with Indiana and John Harvey.

Although it is the capital of Nevada, it has a population of only a few tens of thousands.

Moreover, the entire city is full of western characteristics, with most buildings being low-rise and primarily constructed of wood.

Driving through this city gives you a very relaxing feeling.

Fang Wen had two purposes this time: to visit a very influential state legislator and to go to the Nevada Federal District Court.

As the car drove across the intersection, John Harvey said, "His office is on the left."

Fang Wen parked the car, and the three of them walked up the steps and entered the state legislator's office.

He entered carrying a box, and came out empty-handed.

It's settled.

The three then got into the car and continued driving.

John Harvey explained the next steps: "She should be going to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals next year. She is the best legal aid I can find, but I can't use direct methods against her."

Fang Wen nodded: "I understand. We'll do it your way. We'll work together to make a good impression on her."

The car arrived at the district courthouse. Indiana didn't get in; she waited in the car while Fang Wen and John Harvey arrived at the office.

There, John Harvey had a friendly conversation with the man, and it turned out that John Harvey's father and the man were colleagues.

After exchanging pleasantries, Fang Wen was introduced to the authorities.

The other party was somewhat wary of this visitor from the East.

Fang Wen smiled and said, "I just want to seek some fair legal protection to protect me when I encounter unfair treatment. In addition, there is another matter I am here to visit. I would like to establish a charitable foundation in your name to help those in need, especially those who have to go to prison for breaking the law and need assistance, as well as their families."

These words touched a nerve with the judge.

He has judged countless cases, witnessed the coldness and warmth of human nature, and has also had moments of compassion.

It is indeed a meaningful thing to establish a charitable foundation in your own name to help those you want to help.

He smiled knowingly, shook hands with Fang Wen, and invited, "Please come and work here. I'm very interested in your charitable foundation. By the way, what industry do you work in?"

“I have established a casino company in Las Vegas, a legal business that complies with Nevada laws, and philanthropy is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Fang Wen replied with a smile.

"Any legal company will be protected by law."

Fang Wen got the promise he wanted.

(End of this chapter)