America's Road to Wealth

Hong Kong Island, Lantern State.

Lantern State, also known as Chili Island, is a small island in the inland sea of ​​Hong Kong. There are no residents living on the island.

There is a seawall built on the island that connects to Xiangjiang Island, and you can sail directly to it. This makes it technically no longer an island.

The Hong Kong Island Yacht Club, the Hong Kong Island Chalo Club and the entrance to the undersea tunnel are all built on it.

The next morning.

The sea around Lantern State is sparkling.

The sunlight shining on the sea is like scattering gold into the sea, which is extremely beautiful.

Across the small sea area, you can see the soft sand on the beach of Hong Kong Island opposite.

Looking further into the distance, one can see both sides of Victoria Bay, the Central District of Xiangjiang Island and the high-rise buildings of Yau Tsim Mong on the Kowloon Peninsula.

The two sides of the Taiwan Strait symbolize the prosperity of Hong Kong Island, and more than 80% of Hong Kong Island's GDP is produced here.

Morning time.

On the five yacht berths rented by the French Beneteau Yachting Company on the long-term lease of the Chili Island Hong Kong Yacht Club.

A Beneteau catamaran, a high-custom-made blue sailboat, swayed slightly with the fluctuations of the sea water in the slight waves in the morning.

"ah--"

"I'm going to die. Why are you like this? One night, I just woke up...ah..."

Extremely luxurious and full of style in the bedroom of a catamaran sailboat.

There was a French woman's cry that was incomprehensible to ordinary Chinese, Americans, and British.

She spoke French with an authentic Gascon/Toulouse accent.

This French local accent is extremely popular in France.

Most French people feel that the Toulouse accent is hopelessly sexy. Speaking with this accent is as good as singing, and it reminds people of French food and sunshine.

Gascon/Toulouse people feel that their accent, just like the sound of nature, seems to have the magic power to bring people into southern France, the city of roses where the sun never sets, and the rose-pink life, which is more French than Paris.

Old Baijing people think their words are authentic, but that's just their own opinion.

The French in Gascon/Toulouse, except for themselves, is how most French people feel...

So maybe we really need to admit that French with this accent may actually sound better.

And since the woman speaks French, of course the Chinese who speak Chinese and the Americans who speak English cannot understand her.

"call--"

Taking a pleasant, deep breath, Abel pulled away from Carla.

He didn't know that Carla's spoken French was the so-called sexiest Gascon/Toulouse accent.

It is also voted by all French people as the most sexy French language.

Because he only speaks English and Chinese and has not learned other languages.

But although I couldn't tell what she was talking about when she was excited.

But only in terms of melody and tone.

Abel also felt that Karla couldn't help but speak her mother tongue since last night.

When I say that, it really feels like singing.

If you have to make a ranking list.

Abel thought Carla, when she said her native language was called that.

I will definitely be ranked number one among the women I have come across with the best names.

A thin towel was placed on Carla, who was so tired that she closed her eyes and lay on Simmons, panting.

Abel put on his boxers, turned around and left the bedroom, passing by the large luxurious living room on the yacht.

Then go through a small set of stairs and appear on the deck of this French Lagoon 77.

This Lagoon 77 is the proudest, most outstanding and most expensive catamaran of the Beneteau Group.

The external asking price for this mass-produced standard boat is almost tens of millions of dollars.

Some people may think that tens of millions of dollars is not expensive for a luxury yacht.

But the key point is that it is only a small and medium-sized yacht of 77 feet, which is less than 24 meters long.

Not those big ones that are hundreds of feet tall, let alone those super luxury cruise ships.

Such a small boat dares to be sold at such a high price and still sell well.

This should also be regarded as a side effect, proving that Beneteau Lagoon’s products are extremely powerful, or that in this field, it is so popular among the rich.

Compared with ordinary power boats, the Lagoon 77 has "sailing" in its name, so it naturally has sails.

The tall and slender mast, the retro-looking sail ropes, and the canvas that expands when not in use all convey the attributes of a sailboat.

Elegant details, sophisticated construction and refined materials create a comfortable and harmonious interior space.

The optimized layout makes the internal space look extremely spacious and bright visually, making it a real living area.

The salon with large glass windows and the excellent height under the deck transom guarantee an extraordinary panoramic view.

Abel got off Carla and came out of the cabin.

He is currently lying on the outdoor lounge chair on the stern deck of this Lagoon 77.

At his feet, there was cold, clean and clear water. In the distance, he could see Yau Tsim Mong, one of the most prosperous areas on Hong Kong Island.

I have to say, after experiencing it for a night.

Abel thinks that the Beneteau yacht has excellent driving quality.

First of all, she has a beautiful boat shape, slender front and rear, and perfect proportions.

The overall color of the hull is white and flawless, and the paint is so smooth that it is not as rough as ordinary European and American yachts.

Then in terms of driving quality, although she is still an ownerless, newly manufactured young boat.

But how can I put it, maybe because it is produced in France.

Once controlled by Abel, even if she has never been to sea, she can adaptively adjust the boat's shape and driving mode when sailing on the sea and riding wind and waves according to Abel's different driving needs.

The power of the boat is also worth mentioning.

Although it is a sailing boat, it has never been to sea and has never experienced an owner.

But when she was driven by Abel, she was very powerful. The dual power system of sail + internal combustion engine gives Beneteau yachts super endurance.

What surprised Abel even more was that this Beneteau yacht was equipped with excellent French specially tuned speakers.

When he started driving, whether it was the sail system or the engine noise, it sounded as good as singing...

The only fly in the ointment may be that it was the first time it went to sea and was driven by someone for the first time.

When Abel just put the key in.

Some engine oil came out of the engine oil port, and the color was very red...

All in all, Abel was very satisfied with this experience.

So I opened it most of the night last night.

When he woke up in the morning, he couldn't help but start driving again.

The boat was sailing until 10 o'clock in the morning, which was just now, and then we stopped to rest.

At this moment, he was blowing the morning breeze that was slightly cool on the sea in the late March morning of Hong Kong Island, and after basking in the sun for a while.

Abel, who was sitting on the recliner, squinted his eyes slightly, raised his hands, and patted his palms gently.

"Pah - pah -"

The sound is crisp and does not travel very far.

But ten seconds later, Allen and David, the two generals, emerged from the yacht boarding position.

"Morning...oh, it's almost noon. Good morning, David and Alan."

Abel, who had a great time driving the yacht, was in a very good mood.

He smiled and greeted his second general, Heng Ha.

"Good morning, boss."

David and Alan also smiled and said hello to their boss.

After saying hello, Abel spoke first.

"Alan, tell me about the equity structure and approximate market value within the Beneteau Group. As far as I know, it has not been listed yet?"

Allen nodded calmly.

I thought that Miss Beneteau must have made the boss very satisfied last night.

"The Beneteau Group has developed extremely well since the 1990s. Although it has not been listed, it has issued shares three times, with a total share capital of approximately 135 million shares."

"Because it is not listed, it has not released financial statements to the outside world. We can only estimate the value of its assets."

"According to market value estimates, Beneteau's market value is approximately US$5 billion to US$5.2 billion. In terms of shareholding ratio, Anniti Beneteau Hus is currently the largest shareholder, holding 23.56% of the shares. Her husband Banker Louis-Claude Hus holds 10% of the shares. Miss Beneteau's father, Andre Beneteau, holds 8%. The remaining shares are extremely scattered and are mainly held by investors in the La Défense business district of Paris. Those French financial companies hold it.”

Alan Baker was prepared.

He clearly stated the data of Beneteau Group, its current ownership structure and market value.

"In other words, as the controller and founder family, including Carla's father, the Beneteau family only controls about 40% of the shares of the Beneteau Group?"

Abel said while snapping his fingers.

Without him having to say anything, David smiled and handed the boss a pair of sunglasses.

It was approaching noon, and the sun over Victoria Harbor was getting closer and closer to the middle of the sky, making it a bit dazzling.

Allen watched his boss put on sunglasses to block the light and nodded slightly: "41.56% to be exact."

After putting on the sunglasses, Abel's eyes felt much better and he continued to speak:

"If we contact the companies in the La Défense business district and buy stocks from them, how much can we get?"

Allen opened his mouth and was about to speak.

But suddenly they felt darkness above the deck. The three of them looked up at the same time and saw Carla Beneteau in a sky blue one-piece swimsuit. She was covered with a large towel, covering her arms, the moon and other places, standing there and looking towards her. Watch below.

"Hi -" Abel smiled brightly, "Karla, come down and bask in the sun. This can promote the absorption of calcium in our bodies and make our bodies healthier."

Carla smiled brightly, and on her face that had not yet had time to put on makeup, there was a blush that had not disappeared from last night until now, making her look even more youthful and lovely.

"Okay." Her trademark Gascon/Toulouse French faded away and she spoke English that the three Americans present could understand.

Before Carla came down from the upper deck, Abel continued to say to Allen:

"Go to those bankers or financiers. Tell them, I want Beneteau. Buy them out."

Allen originally wanted to say that Beneteau had excellent performance, very good IPO prospects and was very popular in Paris.

If you want to buy stocks that haven't been listed yet, you may need to pay a premium of more than 50% to get a large number of shares, which is not cost-effective.

But in this current situation, there is also the boss's determined tone.

Alan Baker retracted his slightly discouraging words and just smiled and said:

"No problem, in one week. I guarantee you, boss, will become one of the largest shareholders of the Beneteau Group."

"Snapped--"

With another snap of his fingers, Abel smiled and said, "Then what are you waiting for? Let's go now."

"Okay." Allen bent down slightly and nodded, turned around and saw Carla just walking down.

Chief Consultant Smith smiled and nodded to her.

Karla had actually heard the conversation between the two just now.

Carla was filled with joy now and smiled back at Allen.

She knew that the unattractive middle-aged man in front of her was called "Finance Minister Smith" by many French financial media.

Allen left, Carla stepped towards Abel, and when she saw David, she nodded again.

Allen, who just left, was called Finance Minister Smith by the French media.

The David Jones in front of him is Smith's Chief Chamberlain.

Walking up to Abel, Carla opened her mouth, but no words came out.

As soon as Abel pulled her gently, she said "Ouch" all over and fell on top of him.

The two huddled together in a comfortable lounge chair.

Abel pulled the big towel she was wearing just now and covered the two of them.

"David, contact the Beneteau Group."

Abel did not speak to Carla first, but to David:

"Tell them that because of Carla's excellent sales ability, I decided to order six of these Lagoon 77s from the Beneteau Group, in advanced customized versions."

At that time, there will be one boat for Ikana, one boat for Li Fujin, one boat for Charlize, one boat for Paris, and one boat for Kate and Nicole.

The mother of the Smith children always deserves some special treatment.

The reason why so many were given away was because Abel, who had experienced this kind of luxury catamaran sailing boat for the first time, felt that this kind of luxury sailing boat was very suitable for loading, full of style, and the space of the catamaran was not inferior to that of a yacht.

When the sea conditions are good and the weather is good. When traveling offshore, it is more comfortable than a normal motor yacht.

David nodded slightly, took out a notebook and pen from his pocket, and wrote down directly on it.

Is it because David has a bad memory? He has to remember such a small thing because he is afraid of forgetting it?

No, the more it shows that a steward pays attention to the master's requirements, the more it shows his obedience to the master as a steward.

"In addition, order two more specially customized models of more than 100 feet. The requirements are higher and the level must be higher... For specific requirements, please ask Laura for her opinion."

The women on the first six ships were all mothers of children.

The latter two are larger and more demanding. He plans to use one for himself and the other for the palace.

David continued to nod and remember.

“Finally, I want to have a special sea palace. It needs to be luxurious, comfortable, huge and, most importantly, safe at the same time. This ship... forget it, I don’t know if the Beneteau Group can do it yet. Let’s make a record first and then consider it after I inspect the Beneteau Group.”

"That's all, get it done right away."

David smiled and nodded and left.

Wait until the housekeeper leaves.

Carla bit her lip slightly and looked at Abel with a pair of eyes that revealed French style and seemed to be able to speak:

"I always feel that after last night, if you do this again, it will be a bit like a ticket gesture... If so, then I am too valuable."

Abel thought to himself that this was probably the unique attribute of French women, the demented literary women.

Sophie Marceau was like this, and so was young Carla.

"Hahaha--"

Abel chuckled: "Don't belittle yourself so much. Dear Miss Beneteau, maybe in my heart, you are really worth so much?"

Carla curled her lips inwardly. What she wanted to hear was that Abel didn't admit that he was qualified.

It's about the relationship between the two. He made the choice and investment for the sake of the relationship between the two.

I didn’t expect Abel to say that.

Well, Carla also knows that they just met yesterday and today they are talking about feelings.

This is a bit luxurious, even though many French men and women believe in this kind of relationship that can occur in less than 24 hours.

But the man in front of him is different after all. He is the richest man in the world and a business tycoon.

It is said that this kind of person develops feelings for him within 24 hours.

No matter how confident she was in herself, Carla knew that this was impossible.

A demented literary woman is a demented literary woman, and Carla has a family mission after all.

She has a better background, but has faced worse situations since she was a child. She is still much more realistic than Sophie Marceau.

"Six Lagoon 77 high-end versions, two super luxury catamarans over 100 feet... This order is worth at least 100 to 200 million US dollars. Well, even if it is that kind of money, I will accept it."

She stared at Abel with watery eyes and said softly.

There were only two people left on the sea viewing deck at the stern of the ship.

Abel chuckled, and put his big hands into Carla's beautiful sky blue one-piece swimsuit under the thin towel.

"Well--"

Carla couldn't help but scream slightly.

A new yacht that has just gone out to sea is not very adaptable to the sea conditions that it has never experienced before.

"If I say..." Abel's voice was very low, full of magnetism and full of male charm, and he said in her ear:

"These are not qualifications, but because I fell in love with you, so I also have a very good impression of Beneteau, so I placed these orders. Will you feel better?"

The new yacht endured sea conditions she had never experienced before, and she knew she had to adapt.

Carla raised her head slightly and looked at him in the sun, wearing sunglasses.

At this moment, she only felt that this American man was really "merde" good-looking.

Merde is a word in French, which is equivalent to TMD in Chinese and Shete in English. It is the kind that French people often talk about.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"real."

Abel answered readily.

The response he got was Carla enthusiastically hugging his neck and offering him authentic French style.

In Abel's mind, this is indeed not the capital, but the long-term BY expenses.

If it's something like that, it's a one-time thing, or a few times occasionally.

As for the BY fee, it will be before he gets tired of playing, or before he can afford the fee.

Carla must always be his, Abel's private French yacht.

The positioning here is very complicated, so there is no need to tell Carla.

At noon, Carla took a rest on the luxury sailboat. At the same time, she happily called her father and the company to report different situations.

Abel left a few men to look after her and then went ashore.

After landing, he went straight to No. 26 Garden Road.

If nothing unexpected happens, after tonight's banquet, he plans to leave Hong Kong Island tomorrow.

I have one internal and external hemorrhoid. After a check-up at the hospital yesterday, the doctor did not recommend cutting it off. He said it was not very big and he would need conservative treatment first and then look at it. When I went to the toilet in the morning, the pain recurred when I exerted myself. It was so painful that I felt uncomfortable standing or lying down. It wasn't until 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon that I felt a little relieved, and I immediately started typing... I wrote this chapter half-standing, and it took more than three hours. It was so painful. Everyone, after you are over 25 years old, you really need to start taking care of your health... I currently owe three chapters, I will see if I can make up for it later...