The launch was followed by a visit.

Bigelow, a self-made billionaire, knows that humans tend to trust eyes more than ears, so if you want to get more investment, a visit is the main thing.

He led media reporters, investors and potential investors from all over the world to visit the company's R&D team's work area, assembly area, testing area, model area, computer demonstration area and clean workshop.

Along the way, more and more people exclaimed and nodded.

I have to say that the strength of the R&D team of Bigelow Aerospace is still very strong. This was thanks to the 2001 U.S. Congress's drastic cuts in funding for NASA's inflatable space station, TransHab, which led to Bigelow's opportunity to recruit and quickly take shape as his private space hotel research and development facility.

In the warehouse, there are models of inflatable activity bases on the surface of the moon, as well as real inflatable capsules of Genesis I and Genesis II, which are 7 meters high and 6 meters wide, and have been sent into space.

Bigelow walked in front and explained: " Compared with the current popular aluminum capsule, our company's new inflatable capsule has many incomparable advantages: first, the interior space is twice as large but the weight is greatly reduced, and second, the inflatable capsule is small before launch, which can reduce the number of rocket launches from the ground, thus greatly reducing transportation costs, and our latest BEAM capsule, which can be expanded in just four and a half minutes, covers an area of 110 square meters。 ”

A potential investor asked, "How much will the space station cost when it's built?"

"So far, you've seen $200 million in projects, and more than $600 million will be invested in the future," Bigelow said. When our private space station is completed, each customer will pay $25 million to stay on the space station for 30 days and enjoy a free shuttle. If the lease is extended to 60 days, it will only require an additional $3.75 million. In addition, the company will offer long-term customers a 'preferential package' that will allow any country or company that signs a four-year contract to pay $400 million a year for everything including free transportation and space station rentals at one-sixth the usual cost. ”

A German female journalist asked: "When will the new inflatable capsule be sent into space?"

"We still have about two years to test the material's longevity in orbit, especially for several properties that affect astronauts' health, such as radiation and heat conduction, and to test the level of protection of the inflatable module against space debris and trace pollutants," Bigelow said. If the inflatable capsule can pass the two-year test on the International Space Station, it will open up the possibility of building space stations on the Moon and Mars in the future. If the tests pass, we will build a lunar base in 2020 with a manned module consisting of an inflatable space station module. ”

After stopping and looking around, Meng Yinyun said to Zhu Zhichun: "Very interesting project, if it is really successful, it is equivalent to opening the era of private aerospace." ”

Zhu Zhichun nodded and said: "The concept of a space hotel is not new, but Bigelow is the one who really works, and the pathfinder is the hardest, but once there is a harvest, it is also amazing." ”

Meng Yinyun said: "I think there are two hurdles for them at the moment, one is the policy and attitude of the US government, and the other is transportation. The first decides how far they can go, and the second decides how fast they can go. Bigelow is in his 60s, and once he dies, the company will not necessarily find a man at the helm who has such a persistent and dreamy personality. Also, it's hard to say when this project will be profitable. ”

After visiting the warehouse area, Meng Yinyun took a photo with the inflatable space capsule, and the three came to Bigelow's office.

The office is small and the layout is simple, which shows that the "space hotel" project has brought a lot of financial pressure to Bigelow.

Because it is an additional investment, the two parties have already had a detailed agreement, so the agreement for this $30 million investment was signed quickly. The two sides agreed that after the completion of Bigelow Aerospace's first private space station, Triumph Sky will invest an additional $50 million.

When signing the agreement, Bian Xuedao proposed a supplementary clause: waive the preferential liquidation right and increase the preferential investment right.

Bian Xuedao's proposal surprised Zhu Zhichun, but seeing Bian Xuedao's eyes, Zhu Zhichun couldn't help but speak.

Contrary to Zhu Zhichun, Bigelow was overjoyed when he heard this proposal.

What does this mean, it shows that this young rich man surnamed Bian is very optimistic about his space project.

Bigelow was ambitious and lively, but by the end of June 2008, there were very few people who had actually invested money in his project. Even if some friends give Bigelow face, most of them invest tens of thousands of dollars, and before "Triumphant Skyrim", there was only one investment of millions of dollars.

The reason for this is very simple, the policy is unclear, it burns too much money, and the profit is far away, and everyone thinks that Bigelow's space program must be anticlimactic, and it will not be able to continue, and the investment will be wasted.

The richer the person, the more they pay attention to investment returns, and Bigelow's project is a bit hanging, so quite a few people are still waiting and seeing.

For hundreds of millions of dollars in projects, Bigelow was really difficult to support alone, and he was forced to have no choice, so he contacted Zhu Haishan and Ma Chengde several times, wanting to find a large investment to relieve his pressure.

Therefore, with the previous $20 million and the current $30 million, Triumph Skyrim Investment Company has firmly become the second largest shareholder of Bigelow Aerospace.

Before leaving the office, Bian Xuedao suddenly said to Bigelow: "If the project really advances to the construction stage of the lunar base, or even the construction stage of the Mars base, Triumph Skyrim, which has the right of first refusal, can provide greater financial support." ”

Bigelow is a man of understanding, he said: "I have been through business all my life, and the spirit of contract has been integrated into my life. Of course, in the long run, Triumph Skyrim can avoid some unnecessary troubles if there is an American nationality surrogate. ”

……

……

Coming out of Bigelow Aerospace, the trio wandered around the city of North Las Vegas, which is much more depressed than bustling Las Vegas.

In the last decade, North Las Vegas has grown rapidly and is the second fastest growing emerging city in the United States, and by early 2008, North Las Vegas was the fourth largest city in Nevada with a population of 210,000.

Unfortunately, the city on the rise suffered a subprime mortgage crisis that swept across the country, with the housing market collapsing and the city government nearly bankrupt.

Passers-by don't care if the city government is already poor, the three of them look at the customs of one side.

Coincidentally, the yellow Lamborghini drove past the three of them again, looking at the direction, it was back to Las Vegas.

As Lamborghini drove by, it slowed down slightly, and the girl in the car glanced at the three of them, then stepped on the accelerator and roared away.

Zhu Zhichun saw it, looked at Bian Xuedao and said, "No, no, there is definitely something, explain it honestly." ”

Meng Yinyun also looked at Bian Xuedao with a funny face, the two of them were in Europe last time, and they had already learned the skills of Bian Xuedao's journey.

Bian Xuedao didn't answer and asked, "You tell me what she does first?"

Zhu Zhichun said: "I don't know, when you asked Yinyun, Yinyun recognized it." ”

Meng Yinyun said: "Her name is Elizabeth Jagger, and she is the eldest daughter of Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the Rolling Stones. I can recognize her because I'm a Rolling Stone fan. Lead singer Mick Jagger is the soul of the Rolling Stones, and in December 2003, he was knighted at Buckingham Palace. Jagger is on an equal footing with Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney in the pop music world. ”

Daughter of the lead singer of the Rolling Stones......

Bian Xuedao really didn't expect it.

He likes music, but most of them are pop music, and the blues rock style of Rolling Stone is not his thing, so naturally he will not pay attention to who the lead singer is, and he will not pay attention to who the lead singer woman or daughter is.

Meng Yinyun had a smile in her eyes, and then said, "As far as I know, she has a boyfriend, the public kind." ”

Hearing Meng Yinyun say this, Zhu Zhichun's eyes looking at Bian Xuedao became interesting.

Meng Yinyun continued: "Her boyfriend's name is Sean Lennon, the son of John Lennon, the lead singer of the Beatles, and by the way, Sean's mother is Yoko Ono, who is Japanese. There is a classic photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono hugging Yoko Ono like a baby......"

Seeing that Meng Yinyun was going to continue to popularize the family history on both sides, Bian Xuedao hurriedly stopped and said: "Two, I confess, I played a table with the two of us in Texas last night, I went out to breathe, she stopped and asked me where to go......

Zhu Zhichun listened, ignoring that Meng Yinyun was beside him, his eyes were shining, and he urged to ask, "Then what?"

Bian Xuedao said: "Qi Sanshu said that the security of Las Vegas is rarely found in the sky and on the ground, and I thought that there was no danger, so I got in the car." ”

"And then?" Meng Yinyun asked this time.

"And then ......," said Bian Xuedao, "she drove me to a bar, like Fleur-de-Lys." ”

Zhu Zhichun nodded and said, "I know, Iris Bar, and then what?"

Bian Xuedao said: "Then we drank two glasses of wine......"

"And then?"

"Then I went back to the hotel. ”

Zhu Zhichun: "......"

Meng Yinyun asked, "What are you two talking about?"

Bian Xuedao spread his hands: "I didn't say a few words in total, I just drank, and then glanced at each other a few times." ”

Meng Yinyun: "......"

Zhu Zhichun pulled Meng Yinyun and said, "Don't ask, this kid doesn't have a word of truth." ”

Bian Xuedao protested: "What I said is true. ”

Meng Yinyun said with a smile: "It's okay, there will be a drinking party in the evening, and she will come if nothing else, and then you will know if it's the truth." ”

Zhu Zhichun patted Bian Xuedao's shoulder and said: "Just look at your eyes and know that this girl is not an ordinary rebel, be careful that she will run away when she takes sperm, then you will be famous." ”