Free Web NovelChapter 100: Chapter 94: Have to Wait 2.5 Years??
Seeing Si Cong lost in a reverie, Su Chen couldn’t resist kicking him a couple of times. "Hey, wake up! What sweet dream are you having? You’re about to start drooling!"
Snapping out of it, Si Cong looked at Su Chen, his eyes burning with intensity. "Old Su, what do you think of my idea?"
’Actually, Si Cong’s proposal had a lot of merit. The wine’s origin was traceable and its quality was top-notch. With just a little promotion back home and leveraging Si Cong’s network, he could probably get this wine company off the ground quickly. As for whether it could become an industry leader, that was harder to say.’
Su Chen stroked his chin, lost in thought. He still had some reservations. "Your idea is good, but how are you going to compete with a brand like Romanée-Conti on marketing? Their reputation is already deeply ingrained in the public’s mind. You can’t just shake that overnight."
"Besides, the domestic market is flooded with wine brands. It’ll be very difficult to carve out a path for yourself."
"Don’t you worry, just leave it to me. Give me a year, tops... and I guarantee I’ll blow you away!" Si Cong said, brimming with confidence.
Seeing Si Cong’s confidence, Su Chen shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright then, you handle it. By the way, Arno took some of the aged wine from the warehouse. You should go check how much is left when you get a chance."
"What? Arno came asking for wine? A guy with his status would even be interested in this stuff?" Si Cong shot to his feet. His whole plan hinged on that aged wine!
Su Chen shot him an annoyed look. "What do you mean, ’asking for it’? I gave it to him!"
Hearing this, Si Cong said no more. With a quick, "I’m heading to the vineyard," he rushed out the door.
Watching the frantic Si Cong, Su Chen shook his head with a helpless smile. ’Looks like he’s really serious about getting this wine business off the ground.’
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「The Paris Private Jet Air Show」
"Tsk, tsk. Put a cloth on your head and suddenly you’re the richest guy in the world. These Middle Eastern tycoons are loaded!" Si Cong muttered, watching several men in flowing white robes place an order for three Airbus private jets on the spot.
"Alright, enough of that. Do you have any recommendations for me out of these planes?"
Thanks to Si Cong’s VIP status, Su Chen had gotten straight into the air show. After a lap around the exhibition, he found that the private jets from only five manufacturers met his requirements.
They were Airbus, Bombardier, Boeing, Gulfstream, and Falcon.
The Falcon series was the brand of private jet that Si Cong himself owned.
"What’s your budget?"
"Budget?"
’Let’s see,’ Su Chen thought. ’When I went to the Imperial Capital, I had a little over 1.15 billion.’
’Buying that courtyard mansion cost 250 million. The car was 12 million. I invested 20 million in Si Cong’s club, another 50 million in that joint venture film investment company, and then there were daily expenses... All in all, I spent about 334 million in the Imperial Capital.’
’The system reward for November, 256 million, just came in a couple of days ago. So, all told, I should have around 1.08 billion right now.’
’Converted to US dollars, that’s about 160 million.’
"Hmm... anything under 160 million US dollars will do."
"One hundred and sixty million US dollars?!" Si Cong gasped. He never imagined that Old Su had that much liquid capital on hand!
"Old Su, let me put it this way: with that budget, you can take your pick of any private jet on display here, big or small!"
"Take my pick?" Su Chen hadn’t expected these large private jets to be so affordable.
In reality, Su Chen had the wrong idea. The private jets of the world’s top billionaires were so expensive mainly because of their lavish custom interiors. This was especially true for the filthy rich from the Middle East, whose jets were often decorated in dazzling gold and splendor. The cost of the decorations alone could buy a whole new plane.
A standard private jet only costs a few tens of millions of US dollars. Even the larger models don’t typically exceed eighty million. It’s only with a luxurious interior that the price breaks the one-hundred-million-dollar mark.
Ultimately, after a brief discussion, the two decided to check out Bombardier first. After all, Bombardier was considered the king of the private jet industry, and Si Cong had also mentioned that their jets had the most spacious interiors.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates’s current jet was a Bombardier Global Express, worth 65 million US dollars, or 420 million in RMB.
Bombardier certainly lived up to its reputation as the king of private jets. There were already four or five people in the exhibition area inquiring about aircraft, including the "cloth on your head" types Su Chen had seen earlier.
"Good day, sirs. How can I help you?"
A middle-aged man approached them as soon as they entered the Bombardier exhibit. To Su Chen’s surprise, the staff in the entire area seemed to be male; there wasn’t a single female salesperson in sight.
"I’m looking to purchase a private jet. A friend recommended Bombardier, so I thought I’d come have a look," Su Chen said, his gaze drifting toward the two aircraft on display.
Hearing Su Chen’s words, the middle-aged man sized them up, mentally assessing their financial standing. After all, both Su Chen and Si Cong were very young and dressed quite casually.
For a moment, the man couldn’t tell if they truly had the means to make such a purchase.
"Sirs, my name is Jack, I’m with Bombardier. Please, right this way." In the end, the man decided to welcome Su Chen and his friend inside.
He did it for no other reason than the calm, unhurried look on their faces. Jack had seen plenty of rich kids come to buy private jets—heirs from the Middle East, from Europe—and most of them weren’t as composed as these two.
Jack led the two to a circular sofa area. As they took their seats, another staff member brought them coffee.
"So, which of our Bombardier aircraft are you interested in learning about, sirs?" Jack asked, pulling out a tablet.
"The Bombardier 7500." Su Chen had seen it on a display on his way in and had taken an immediate liking to it among all the other Bombardier models.
"The 7500?" Jack was inwardly startled. He had assumed they were looking at smaller models, not the company’s latest and largest long-range private jet.
Jack gave Su Chen a long, hard look before asking, "If you don’t mind me asking, sir, what is your budget?"
"Over a hundred million," Su Chen said casually, leaning back in his chair.
"And would that be in US dollars, Pound Sterling, or...?"
Su Chen glanced at him and flatly uttered two words: "US dollars."
Hearing this budget, Jack’s eyes lit up, and his attitude became significantly more enthusiastic.
He immediately began his presentation on the tablet, and when he reached the key points, he led Su Chen directly onto the Bombardier 7500 on display for a personal tour.
After the presentation and the tour, Su Chen was quite satisfied with the private jet. The space was more than adequate, and the interior decor was very nice.
But when Su Chen asked about the delivery time after purchase, the answer left him speechless.
"Two and a half years."
That’s right. Two and a half years. The current order book for private jets was already filled well into next year. By the time it was Su Chen’s turn, it would be far too late.
"You don’t have any available now?"
"I’m very sorry, sir. But no matter which manufacturer you visit at this air show, you’ll get the same answer: a two- to three-year wait. Even if there’s a plane on hand, it’s already been reserved by another customer."
Su Chen shot a look at Si Cong. ’And who was it that said you could just buy a plane at the air show...?’
Si Cong hadn’t expected the private jet market to be this hot either. Catching Su Chen’s questioning gaze, he was momentarily at a loss for what to do.
"Mr. Su, what are you doing here?" a crisp, clear voice called out from nearby.
Su Chen turned toward the voice and saw someone who took him completely by surprise.
