As the next richest man in the world, Li Mu's activity in the capital circle had always been the lowest.
Since he started his business, he had only received three rounds of financing. Even the first two rounds were invested by friends and acquaintances. Only the latest third round of financing was funded by the capital circle. In the eyes of the capital circle, such a big shot was simply a god-like existence.
Li Mu was originally not interested in the party that was about to be held in the UK, but Steve Johnson's point of view touched him. Putting aside capital cooperation, Li Mu needed to get in touch with the world's top social circles. He needed to understand the daily social interactions between the new rich like himself and the Old-Moeny who had been rich for decades. If this was a top player's club, then he, as the top of the top, also needed to integrate into this club.
This was just like the hierarchy of the rich in China. Chen Ze once told him that there were many "clubs" among the rich in China. Some of them appeared in the form of clubs, and some appeared in the form of chambers of commerce and business alliances. However, even so, the hierarchy and boundaries between each club were very strict.
For example, if it was a club with a net worth of 100 million, then only those with a net worth of 100 million could enter. After entering, they could also be accepted by others. Those who did not meet the standard would not be able to get in at all.
However, in a club with a net worth of 100 million, there was also a limit. This limit was not set by the club itself, but by a club that was one level higher than it.
There were clubs with a net worth of 100 million, and there were also clubs with a net worth of 1 billion. People with a net worth of more than 1 billion would definitely not lower their net worth to mingle in a club with a net worth of 100 million. Therefore, for a club with a net worth of 100 million, the highest net worth it could bear would not exceed 1 billion.
In addition to the clubs that were measured by net worth, there were also clubs that were based on region, such as the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce, the Beijing Chamber of Commerce, and the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce. Such clubs were also only open to people who met their requirements.
In the international capital circle, such a hierarchy also existed, and the level requirements were much stricter than the domestic clubs. For example, the party that Steve Johnson invited Li Mu to attend was the top "club" in the international capital circle. It was only open to individuals with a net worth of more than 5 billion US dollars, business leaders, and the royal family of developed countries.
Therefore, Li Mu also wanted to see what this group of people's usual social circle was like.
As the only one among the world's top tycoons who did not have a private jet, Li Mu still chose to charter a plane this time. Air China's business jet rental and operation company provided Li Mu with a brand new Bombardier BD-700 Global Express, which could fly directly from Beijing to London without any stops.
This plane was the most luxurious business jet under China Airlines. The interior of the plane was very spacious. Originally, it could accommodate up to 19 people comfortably, but after the modifications, it could only accommodate 10 people. More of the space was separated and renovated into a luxurious sky bedroom.
When they set off, it was Makino Technology's motorcade that picked up Li Mu from Ziyun Villa and went straight to the airport. Li Ziwei had already packed her luggage and followed the motorcade to pick up Li Mu in advance.
The plane's tentative departure time was 12: 30 in the afternoon. Li Mu boarded the motorcade's business car and prepared to go to the airport at 10: 00 in the morning.
As soon as the motorcade drove out of Ziyun Villa, Li Ziwei said to Li Mu, "Li Zong, CEO Lin called me this morning and asked about your itinerary to England today."
Li Mu asked her, "Qingya, what's the matter?"
Li Ziwei shook her head and said with a smile, "CEO Lin wanted me to pass on a request from her and the other company's executives to you."
"Request?" Li Mu said with a smile, "What request? Why are you being so secretive? "
Li Ziwei smiled sweetly and said, "The company's executives feel that Makino Technology has developed to its current scale, and it's time for the company to consider buying a business jet."
"Business jet?" Li Mu frowned and said, "Isn't it good to rent one? When you use it, you spend money. When you don't use it, you don't have to spend a single cent. If you buy a business jet, you'll have to burn money every minute. It needs maintenance, a dedicated hangar, and a dedicated crew and maintenance crew. You can't fly many times a year, and most of your time is wasted. "
Li Ziwei said, "The company's executives privately discussed that a business jet is one of the company's face. Nowadays, many large groups have their own business jets, and many top tycoons also have their own private jets. Every time you travel, you represent Makino Technology and have a high exposure. You should have a plane that belongs to either Makino Technology or yourself."
As she said that, Li Ziwei continued, "Moreover, Google will have an IPO at the end of this year, and Baidu will have an IPO next year. Even we have to prepare for an IPO next year, so you should visit the United States a lot in the future. For your safety and convenience, it's very necessary to have a business jet."
Li Mu nodded gently. Li Ziwei's words were also very reasonable. In the future, with the accelerated development of the overseas business and the launch of the IPO, he should often fly around the world. Now, every time he went out, he would make an appointment with the business jet company in advance, but it was inevitable that he would have to travel at the last minute. Due to the sudden need for this kind of travel, sometimes there would be an awkward situation where there was no plane to check in.
Moreover, chartering a plane was a short-term rental after all, so the model would be different every time, and the crew would be different every time. Every time he met a strange crew, it was a more embarrassing thing. The other party did not know all his habits, so he had to re-communicate with them. If it was a fixed crew, it would be a lot less troublesome.
As for the price of a business jet, at this stage, some of the better small and medium-sized business jets were generally at the price of thirty to forty million US dollars. For Makino Technology, it was really not a big expense.
However, according to Li Mu's understanding, the purchase of a business jet was very cumbersome. Generally, it was necessary to place an order in advance, pay a deposit, and then the production company would schedule the production according to the order. This time cycle could be as short as one year, or as long as two or three years. Even if the order was placed now, it was unknown how long it would take for the plane to be delivered.
After thinking for a while, Li Mu said, "We can first understand the market situation and choose a model with a longer range. This way, we can save the time of stopping in the middle of the ocean in the future. Also, if we want to buy it, we should find a way to buy it earlier. It's best if we can get an order that will be delivered soon. Otherwise, it will take two or three years. By the time the plane is delivered, we will have already been on the market."
Li Ziwei nodded and said, "Okay, I will talk to Boss Lin about these issues."
After that, Li Ziwei said again, "By the way, Li Zong, Miss Annie's assistant just called me. They arrived in Yanjing last night and are staying in the Hilton Hotel next to the airport. When we arrive at the airport, they will meet us at the business terminal."
…
Half an hour later, Li Mu met Annie Hathaway at the business terminal.
Today, Annie Hathaway was wearing a black wraparound dress and a pair of shiny silver high heels. She looked simple, elegant, and dignified.
In contrast, Li Mu was dressed much more casually. He was wearing a basic Gap T-shirt and a pair of black Adidas sports shorts.
The reason why Li Mu was dressed so casually was mainly because he was going to take a long flight. Therefore, he deliberately dressed more comfortably. However, the price of being comfortable was that he didn't look like a gentleman in front of a lady.
However, Annie Hathaway didn't seem to mind at all. After she hugged and kissed Li Mu on the cheek, she happily said to Li Mu, "Li Zong, thank you for letting me ride on your plane to London."
Li Mu smiled and said, "You don't have to be so polite. We are all friends."
After that, Li Mu asked her, "Has the matter with the crew come to an end?"
"Yes." Annie Hathaway smiled and said, "The focus of the next stage is Leonardo and Du Wei. Tom and I can take a break for half a month."
Li Mu asked her, "Where did Mr. Hanks go?"
Annie Hathaway said, "He transferred from Shanghai to the United States yesterday."
Li Mu nodded and asked her again, "What are your plans after the party in London?"
Annie Hathaway smiled sweetly and said, "I haven't decided yet. I might go back to the United States for a few days, or I might go straight back to Hua Xia."
Li Mu said, "If you go straight back to Hua Xia, we can still go together."
Annie Hathaway nodded excitedly and said with a smile, "That's great. Thank you, Mr. Li."
Taking a business jet was not as troublesome as taking a regular flight. After going through the security check in the business terminal, they rested in the VIP room. While they were resting, the staff had already sent their luggage to the plane in advance.
Half an hour before takeoff, a Toyota Coaster from the airline sent Li Mu and the others to the hangar. The crew members were already waiting outside the door of the plane.
After greeting the crew members, everyone boarded the plane one after another. As soon as they boarded the plane, the crew members began to introduce the internal facilities of the plane. In addition to each person's own first-class seat, as well as the bar counter, small conference table, washroom, and other hardware, the crew members focused on the luxurious bedroom on the plane.
The bedroom on the plane was more than ten square meters, with a standard double bed, sofa, TV, and independent bathroom.
After listening to the flight attendant's introduction, Li Mu said to Annie Hathaway, "Miss Annie, this bedroom is for you to rest at night."
Hearing this, Annie Hathaway hurriedly waved her hand and refused, "How can I do that, Li Zong. We can rest outside. You can use the bedroom."
Li Mu smiled and said indifferently, "Of course, ladies first. With Miss Annie here, how can I sleep in the bedroom by myself?"
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