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Investment strategies around the world are actually similar. Local governments promise various preferential conditions, provide money, policies, land and resources to attract businesses, thereby developing the local economy.

However, a problem arises here.

Human nature is selfish.

How many civil servants in the world can serve others sincerely and diligently? There must be such idealistic people, but certainly not many.

Most people are out to make a profit for themselves.

The mayor of New York is a super rich man. He doesn't need money. He sincerely wants to do something. He wants to cooperate with Zhou Buqi to improve New York's industrial and economic structure.

He himself can also gain political achievements and continue to climb up, which is a win-win situation.

However, the group of people in New York State are not very good. They are all professional politicians. They are a group of professional bureaucrats who have lost everything in business. They cannot survive in the business world and have no choice but to work in the political arena.

If you want to get rid of this group of people, you won't be able to rely solely on political performance.

The most popular thing here in New York are various charity dinners. Many politicians and celebrities organize such events. They find some suitable funding projects and then use their status to attract many wealthy people to donate.

As for where the donations collected go, we can’t care too much about it.

After all, charitable funds have management funds, and all “charitable operations” expenses are reimbursed by the charitable funds. Families of politicians often work here to serve as charity ambassadors.

Some time ago, Zhou Buqi and Lao Zhang exchanged funds in New York, spending a total of 15 million US dollars.

Next, there will not be too many similar activities.

We have to continue to participate in various charity activities. The total budget has reached 30 million US dollars, which is mainly borne by Ziweixing International, Ziweixing Global, Changyou and Spotify.

Throwing such a large amount of money in, and having Mayor Michael Bloomberg operating from it, the effect is significant.

New York City and New York State stopped fighting. The two parties also put aside their differences and worked together. They soon came up with the first version of the plan to build the "New York Purple Star Technology Industrial Park."

quite splendid!

With the economic subsidies, land compensation, construction subsidies, recruitment subsidies and tax refund policies provided by the government, the value of the entire package has reached US$1.65 billion.

If this plan is successfully implemented, it will be the largest commercial subsidy case to attract investment ever given in New York history.

However, there is a very critical problem that cannot be avoided in this first version of the plan.

That's land.

To build a headquarters park and attract Ziweixing International, Changyou, Spotify, and some of the major startups invested by Ziweixing, it is best to place this land in Manhattan.

This is the core business district of New York.

However, Manhattan is too prosperous and is the most economically developed area in the world. Every inch of land is precious... How scarce is land? The housing supply ratio here is the lowest in the world. All the land has been used to build commercial real estate, leaving no room for residential real estate.

This has caused the housing prices of the few residential real estate projects in Manhattan to soar to the skyline, making it the most expensive place in the world. So many people have to go to Long Island to settle.

There is simply no land available in Manhattan for new large-scale commercial real estate projects.

With no other choice, the authorities had to plan a piece of land in Long Island City, which is only across the river from Manhattan and only a 5-minute drive away.

If Daniel Ek, the boss of Spotify, had not said something similar with his own experience, Zhou Buqi might have immediately agreed to the plan.

Because he had been warned like this, Boss Zhou was extra vigilant.

Then the hidden danger was discovered.

Long Island City is also part of New York City, but in Queens!

Brooklyn, Queens, these are the ghettos of New York City!

Generally speaking, in American dramas or Hollywood movies, people say "a kid from Brooklyn" or "My family lives in Queens", which is actually a hint - this kid is a poor guy!

Rich people don't go to Queens at all.

Even though the economy of Long Island City has developed these days because it is close to Manhattan, and it is nicknamed Manhattan's "Satellite City", people's hearts have long been fixed. Rich people will not buy houses there at all, and would rather go further east. On Long Island.

Wilson Miller is the vice president of public affairs of Ziweixing Global. He came to take charge of this business. He took out a map of New York in the hotel and told Boss Zhou about some local cultural features.

"You see... this long island is Long Island. From a geographical perspective, this island is Long Island. But in the discourse system of New York, this is not the case. Not the entire island belongs to Long Island. This one in the west The little slice...this is Long Island City, and we don’t consider Long Island City part of Long Island.”

“Because Long Island City is part of Queens.”

Zhou Buqi basically understands it.

Wilson Miller said: "Yes, Long Island belongs to New York State, but not New York City. Long Island City belongs to Queens and New York City. From an administrative point of view, it is not a planning area. Long Island is a wealthy area, and Long Island City …Including this large area near Long Island City is Queens and Brooklyn, which is a large area of ​​poverty and is where black New Yorkers live. Although both sides are on the same island, there is no geographical limit, but the middle There is an invisible wall blocking the concept. To the west, this place belongs to New York City and is a slum area; to the east, this place does not belong to New York City, but is the real Long Island, where the richest people are in the United States. Many people work in Manhattan. Bankers and wealthy people generally live on Long Island and commute by helicopter between the two places every day.”

Zhou Buqi had never realized such a serious class concept before, and he would even denounce the evils of the capitalist world.

It's different now.

He is also a rich man.

Ask him to buy a house in Queens or Brooklyn and live in it...he won't want to!

Not because of discrimination against the poor or anti-black people, but for safety reasons.

The more wealthy people pay more taxes, the more police and security forces they can afford, and the safer they will be. A gentleman does not stand behind a dangerous wall. This is not an ideological problem, but the instinct of self-protection in human nature.

Zhou Buqi said with a headache: "So the New York authorities allocated a piece of land for us in the slums!"

Wilson Miller said with a smile: "It's not that serious. Long Island City belongs to Queens, but because it is close to Manhattan, its economy has developed well in recent years. Manhattan has been developing more and more industries because of insufficient land. It's moving toward Long Island City. Long Island City is not poor, it's conceptually planned as a ghetto."

Zhou Buqi sighed and shook his head, "Many times, facts are not important. Concepts are the most difficult shackles to break."

"Um."

"So when Ziweixing Global sets up a project to produce commercial films, it should not be too idealistic. Reporting facts will often be counterproductive. Stepping out of the ideological comfort zone is a great challenge to the public. Only by catering to concepts can we gain more market recognition. "

"Okay, I'll pass it on."

Wilson Miller was speechless.

This big boss's thinking is really fast. When he was studying land here, he immediately jumped to the content of film and television works.

Zhou Buqi stared at the map for a while, "You said that some industries in Manhattan are moving to Long Island City. What industries are they? Low-end industries, right?"

"Well..." Wilson Miller smiled, "There are no low-end industries in Manhattan, mainly service industries. Long Island City has actually developed quite well in recent years, and real estate prices have been growing steadily."

"Where are the people?"

"who?"

"Where are the Long Island City natives? Left?"

"Not much."

"This is a hidden danger!"

Zhou Buqi sighed.

There was no way, he had to handle such a large project with caution. Once something goes wrong, like Spotify, which triggers a strong backlash from labor unions and even leads to general strikes and demonstrations by local people, then things will become big.

For the New York authorities, this has become a political incident. The big project of "Ziweixing Technology Park" has turned from performance and public support to votes against it.

By then, the relationship between Ziweixing and the authorities was at loggerheads.

Foreigners may not be too scrupulous, but people like Zhou Buqi who come from China will pay special attention to this.

Wilson Miller knew what the big boss was worried about and said cautiously: "It is indeed a hidden danger. In recent years, the cost of daily life and housing prices in Long Island City have become higher and higher, which has caused serious protests from locals. . The prices of transportation, catering, and services are all increasing, which has seriously affected their lives."

Zhou Buqi said: "So many years of grievances will break out sooner or later. In the past, they could not find a clear target to vent their anger, and it was difficult to form cohesion. Once they find a clear and big target, maybe we will A living target.”

Wilson Miller nodded, "I will ask the consulting company to conduct a further detailed social investigation."

Zhou Buqi said: "In this matter, the local authorities in New York will be very stupid and ignore the bottom. If something goes wrong, they still lack enough courage and courage to solve the problem. The merchants will have to bear the responsibility. We You can’t be a victim.”

Wilson Miller was also helpless about this. He had been in politics before and was a senior congressman in Los Angeles. He said with emotion: "Yes, American civil servants are the most corrupt civil servants in the world!"

"The most corrupt?" Zhou Buqi smiled, "Not really, right? The last governor was arrested after taking a few game tickets. He was already clean enough."

Wilson Miller shook his head, "No, taking money, receiving gifts and receiving benefits is nothing. The greatest corruption is to have power and do nothing."

"Well, I don't want to do my own thing in my position."

"There is something more serious than this, which is to rebel against the government. After Mr. Bloomberg became mayor, he wanted to reform New York's economic institutions and bring New York to a higher level. He is a good official. But he His sincerity has been constrained everywhere. Partisanship has restricted the development of New York."

Zhou Buqi vaguely heard something, "So, there are still such factors in the Ziweixing Science and Technology Park project?"

Wilson Miller was silent for a moment and said softly: "I don't know. Fortunately, this is the first version, and there is still time to operate. We need to participate in more entertainment, open up relationships, and try our best to implement this plan. In Manhattan, not some bullshit Queens.”

Zhou Buqi said: "Yes! You can't go to Queens, it's too dangerous! It's better for the rich to keep company with the rich. Ziweixing Technology Park will be a super commercial project, and the farther away from the poor the better."