No progress was made in the morning's negotiations, and Pletzker said he would contact someone in the White House. Jiang Chen was not in a hurry. After all, there was still a week before the opening of the SEF, and he had plenty of time to wait for the results of the White House discussion.
Graphene and cloud technology have great value in global markets, but drones are different and are not suitable for all markets. It can even be said that there is almost no market for it from the east coast to the west coast of the Pacific.
Taking China as an example, aside from some issues that are widely criticized but inconvenient to mention, the medical procedures are much simpler than in Western countries, the status of doctors is not as "noble" as in the capitalist world, and the operating costs of hospitals are relatively low. Although the medical level may not be satisfactory in the world, the cost-effectiveness is undoubtedly at the forefront, which is also recognized by the world. This is also the reason why many people choose to come back for treatment if they get sick outside.
In such an environment, the market space for drones is naturally very narrow.
Similarly, logistics drones are not as popular in the North American market as in the Chinese market. This is also the reason why the products are not adapted to the local environment.
After leaving the hotel where Pletzk stayed, Jiang Chen got into Lawrence's car. Being able to be a driver is not something that everyone can enjoy.
"Where to go next?"
"Los Angeles City Hall, it's still early. I have to visit the mayor of Los Angeles later, and then have lunch with Mr. Mayor. In the afternoon... I'm going to Hollywood, a rare trip. I plan to meet my old friends." Jiang Chen looked through the schedule that Xia Shiyu had arranged for him and said to Lawrence who was sitting in the driver's seat.
Surrounded by modern skyscrapers, this city hall with a dome imitating the mausoleum of Mausolus looks retro and small, but its magnificent tower is still the most familiar landmark of Los Angeles. This municipal building often appears in Hollywood blockbusters, such as the newspaper office where the protagonist works in Superman, which was filmed here.
The motorcade soon arrived at City Hall. In the square in front of City Hall, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti personally met with Jiang Chen and introduced him to his office.
It was very easy and pleasant to communicate with the mayor, but it was much easier than those officials sent from the federal government. The main reason for this is that Mr. Garcetti focuses more on immediate interests rather than the interests of the entire federation.
The local government and the federal government are two independent systems, which provides Jiang Chen with a lot of convenience. With just a blank check for a US$10 billion investment, he got a lot of tax breaks and tax exemptions from the Los Angeles city government.
Los Angeles is in great need of foreign capital investment now. The rise in crude oil prices has made the US dollar continue to weaken, and the refugee problem has made the economy even worse. Although Los Angeles is the economic center of the West Coast of North America, it is still difficult to escape the shadow of the economic crisis.
Of course, the policy benefits Eric issued to Jiang Chen were also checks.
These policies will not be realized until Future Group’s investment in Los Angeles is realized.
But these are minor problems. Jiang Chen was quite optimistic about California's manufacturing industry before he came. According to the forecasts of the group's economic analysts, if oil prices continue to rise and the U.S. dollar continues to weaken, a new round of economic crisis is already foreseeable.
By then, if Futureman Group can rely on its highly self-sufficient trust model to gain a firm foothold in the economic crisis, it will be able to free up its hands to acquire overseas assets. The West Coast of the United States is the starting point for Futureman Group to enter the North American market, and investing in Los Angeles is a good choice.
After the business conversation was over, Eric Garcetti warmly invited Jiang Chen to have lunch at the city hall, and Jiang Chen, who had long wanted to do so, naturally agreed happily. The food at the city hall was quite good. Except for the desserts that had too much cream, which made Jiang Chen a little reluctant to thank them, the grilled black pepper steak and the creamy and fragrant corn soup were both really addictive.
After lunch, Jiang Chen said goodbye to Eric Garcetti and left the city hall building.
When he got into Lawrence's car, the special agent supervisor was leaning against the door, drinking Coke and chewing on a beef burger. After seeing Jiang Chen get into the car, he cleared the food in his hands, stuffed the greasy hamburger paper into a plastic bag, threw it into the trash can next to him, and got into the driver's seat.
"A hamburger for work lunch?"
"It actually tastes good." Lawrence grinned and started the car, "Going to Hollywood?"
"That's right." Jiang Chen clicked on the holographic screen of his watch and drew a translucent map in front of him with his finger. There was a red dot marked on it, "The specific location is right here."
Lawrence was obviously stunned for a moment when he saw the map in front of him, and then said with some envy: "It's such a convenient thing."
…
Hollywood is located on the outskirts of Los Angeles, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with a mild climate and pleasant scenery. This is not only the center of the global music and film industry, but also a veritable "rich area" in Los Angeles. Many wealthy people will choose to buy villas here. If you can put the name of "producer" on a big-invested film, no matter which party you attend, it will be the center of attention.
For example, a guy who made a fortune from arms and gold couldn't be happier with it.
"Welcome! Haha, my old friend, you have come to see me!"
Seeing that mean smile, Jiang Chen couldn't help but curve his lips, opened his hands and hugged him. Although the time spent with this guy was short, the experience in Iraq was there, and the friendship between the two was quite good.
If he hadn't been in South Africa, he wouldn't have taken such a big risk to get the last batch of arms into Jiang Chen's hands.
Regardless of whether it was for the sake of dollars or not, he helped Jiang Chen a lot.
"I just got off the plane yesterday, so you have to let me get jet lag."
"Mr. Agent Director, long time no see." Roberts noticed Lawrence behind Jiang Chen and said hello with a smile.
Lawrence had a sullen face, lit a cigarette, blew out the smoke ring impatiently, and said unceremoniously.
"Seeing you jumping around makes me feel inexplicably upset."
Roberts said with a playful smile: "Hey, come on, man, I owe at least half of the credit for why you are sitting where you are now."
Lawrence curled his lips and said nothing, but he had obviously acquiesced to this.
Although Roberts was once on the FI's blacklist, that was two years ago. It is impossible for FI to keep an eye on a person for a lifetime. As long as he proves that he has completely withdrawn from the arms business, FI will naturally have no need to continue to keep an eye on him.
It's just that out of inertia, Lawrence subjectively looked at this arms dealer who touched the political red line of the White House, and felt unhappy that he ended up living such a prosperous life.
"Come in and have a drink together?"
"I won't. You can't drink while working." Lawrence looked up at Roberts' villa and declined Roberts' invitation.
"That's really a pity, you missed a party," Roberts said, turning around, smiling and patting Jiang Chen on the shoulder, "Let's go, man, let's go in and have a few drinks. I already said we would I’m taking you around Hollywood, and I happen to have a few acquaintances here who I can introduce to you. They are all very interesting people, and you will definitely be interested!”
"Acquaintance?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows and asked with interest.
"Yes, there are great directors and there are stars." Roberts said with a wink. (.)