As an investment advisor expert, Sanders was hired by Laila to help her research investment matters in the East.
In reality, Laila had already made up her mind about what to invest in. Bringing Sanders along was not to have him choose investments for her or advise against them; it was simply because he was a professional who knew more about related matters. Even though she trusted Yao Yingxia's assurances of policy support, she couldn't forget the saying, "In business, one must consider business."
If she went in circles and was deceived "at home," she would be extremely frustrated.
After more than ten hours, the plane safely landed at the capital's airport.
In 2000, private planes, especially very large ones, were still relatively rare. If a group of foreigners disembarked from such a plane, it would certainly draw curious glances.
Foreigners' knowledge of the East had mostly begun with the 2008 Olympics. Before that, the majority of foreigners had unimaginably stereotypical impressions of the East, often picturing people with long braids. This was a conspiracy orchestrated by Western authorities in collaboration with the media, always trying to portray Eastern countries in a negative light.
At this time, let alone ordinary people having misconceptions about the East, even elites like Quentin Sanders were taken aback when they saw the vastness of the capital airport.
Laila enjoyed the astonishment of the foreigners, which made her feel proud from the bottom of her heart. But when she realized that she was also a foreigner among them, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of melancholy.
"Welcome! Welcome to the ancient land of the East!" Yao Yingxia had been notified in advance and knew they would be coming today. She arrived at the airport early with others and warmly greeted them as soon as they disembarked.
"Thank you." Laila introduced the people accompanying her to Yao Yingxia one by one with a smile.
After the introductions, they got into cars and, led by Yao Yingxia, checked into the most luxurious hotel in the capital.
The formal meeting was scheduled for the next day; Laila didn't want her team to make any mistakes due to fatigue. She knew that what she was about to do might involve millions of dollars, and there was absolutely no room for error.
Yao Yingxia also attached great importance to Laila's arrival. Not only did several well-known figures attend the formal meeting the next day, but even officials from government ministries were present.
In her previous life, she couldn't have dreamed of having conversations with such people, and who could have thought she would have the opportunity to sit on an equal footing with them?
"As for the investment matters this time, I have entrusted Quentin Sanders to handle them." Laila was no longer the same as she was in her previous life. Having seen many influential figures like her grandfather, and even having princes shooed away like flies in her presence, she was no longer in awe of important people.
The purpose of this meeting was clear: to establish a film distribution network. According to Laila's plan, she wanted to start with first-tier cities because the people there were the wealthiest and more likely to pursue entertainment. This was one of the reasons behind the booming box office in the East before her rebirth – more affluent people were willing to spend money on entertainment.
First-tier cities could consider building several distribution centers, and then gradually expand to second and third-tier cities. Her goal was to have her distribution network cover the entire country in the shortest possible time.
Of course, such an ambitious plan required financial support. Before coming, she had a lengthy discussion with Grandpa Oswald in his study and received his promise of financial assistance. However, the money wasn't something she could simply take; she had to present a substantial business proposal to impress him.
Initially, Quentin suggested that she consider renting space for the distribution network instead of buying everything outright. In suitable locations, she could rent and renovate a few floors of a building, which would save a considerable amount of money. This way, she could invest more in building additional distribution centers.
But he underestimated Laila's determination. Even if the construction process was slower, she wanted to take it one step at a time and secure all the territory herself. Nobody understood future real estate trends better than her. If she didn't buy the land now, what if the prices skyrocketed to the point where she couldn't afford it later? Moreover, even if the distribution plan failed, she could recoup her investment. It was a more secure and profitable investment than anything else!
Laila had confidence in this trip, and Yao Yingxia's side was equally excited. From Yao's perspective, the project was not something that could be completed with a few million dollars. The cost of construction and renovation at this time was still relatively low, and they could start by laying out the groundwork with a relatively small investment.
In simple terms, if she wanted to build houses on a piece of land, she didn't have to pay all the money upfront. Payments could be made in stages, with funds provided by the construction party, and Laila would pay after the work was completed.
Laila's status and resources gave many qualified entities confidence, and they weren't worried about her reneging on payments. So, according to the standards of this time, even if she invested several million temporarily, it was enough to accomplish a lot.
Before being hired by her, Quentin had already done some research on the Eastern film industry. Perhaps because there wasn't much exchange between the two sides at the moment, he couldn't investigate as thoroughly as he could in the West. However, based on the information he had obtained, he could confirm that Laila had chosen a promising investment direction.
The rise of the East was undeniable, and even a fool could see that by catching a ride with this wave, one could make a fortune. This made him more interested in the East, and he even had the idea of shifting his focus toward this region when providing investment advice to clients. This meant that he might recommend Eastern projects to clients when suggesting investment opportunities.
Laila understood that professional matters should be handled by professionals, so once everything was settled, she handed the rest over to Quentin's team. They would negotiate with Eastern counterparts and discuss the terms of cooperation, while she eagerly set off to visit the Great Wall.
In her previous life, she had been to the Great Wall a few times, but it was usually for work-related reasons. She had never visited it purely for leisure or relaxation. Now, returning to the Great Wall, she couldn't help but feel a strange sensation.
Although she saw the same scenery as before, her emotional response was entirely different. In the past, she had been there for work, coming and going hastily. But now, she felt like she was returning home in splendor. Unfortunately, this feeling of returning home in splendor could only be felt by herself; others couldn't possibly know what she was hiding in her heart.
This time, Zhao Ze, the young translator who had accompanied Yao Yingxia to Hollywood, was Laila's tour guide. This somewhat rebellious young man had taken on the mission and decided to show this "foreign devil" the beauty of his country, hoping to touch her deeply enough that she would return to Hollywood immediately to make a film about the Eastern nation.