There is only one day at Christmas, and time does not stand still just because someone is the birthday of the Son of God who created the time of heaven and earth. The next day, Link went to Las Vegas again early in the morning.

He came to Las Vegas this time to sign up to learn how to fly an airplane, and by the way, to see if there was a small plane for sale that he wanted.

Paul's Flying Club is a club that provides flight training, rental of small planes, business jets, and flight sightseeing services.

Link is not well-known in Las Vegas, but for a flying club that caters to the wealthy, he is a key target, so he is recognized as soon as he arrives at the club. Knowing that he wanted to learn to fly, a manager worked for him and helped him fill out the registration form.

After paying the tuition, Link asked when he could start learning to fly. The manager said to him, "We will send you some instructional videos and some instructional texts about flying." Once you have passed the theory test, we will arrange flight instruction for you. ”

"Do you have to fly at least 100 hours to take your driver's license test?" He didn't think he could come and fly for hours every day.

The manager smiled and said, "We understand your expectation, Mr. Hans, to fly freely in the sky as soon as possible. But flying is very different from other means of transportation, and safety is paramount. Therefore, we have strict requirements for the assessment of students. Of course, if the instructor thinks that you have met the assessment criteria, we will also apply for you to take the assessment in advance. ”

They are just clubs, and of course they can't issue driver's licenses themselves, so they can only help students sign up for the test. Of course, that can also bring great convenience to the students.

The manager added: "Our main teaching aircraft is a Seth 420. Maybe you can watch the instructional video to be more focused on the operation of this aircraft. ”

Link nodded and said, "Thank you for the reminder." He paused, then added. "I've heard that you have ties to aircraft manufacturers. I want to buy a PA-42-720, can you help me contact the aircraft manufacturer?"

"Of course. In fact, we are the designated maintenance center for many aircraft manufacturers in Nevada. Piper is one of them. We can communicate your requirements to their company, and through the orders we place, you can get priority. You can get an aircraft that matches your wishes in less time. ”

"I only ask for a maximum of seven passengers besides the driver. In addition, the seat inside is required to be leather seats. Others can be left untouched. ”

The manager jotted down his request and said, "Anything else?" and saw Link shake his head before he said. "Okay, I'll communicate your request to the manufacturer. We will notify you as soon as we receive the receipt of your order. "They just introduce customers to manufacturers and charge a certain commission. Of course, if it's a modified aircraft, they can recoup more of what they get.

The most important thing is that after the aircraft they buy, customers will be more willing to choose them to provide maintenance services for the aircraft in the future. That can be a long-term business. Therefore, they are happy to provide customers with such an intermediary service that is not very profitable.

Link finally asked a question: "Then when can I apply for the theory test?" ”

"After signing up, you should accumulate at least 24 hours of study. You can make an appointment to come to our club and we have a different schedule every day. You can refer to the timetable to arrange your study time. Of course, you can also teach online through online real-name registration. Regardless of which approach you plan to take, I would recommend that you focus as much on the study as you can during your lessons. Because once the assessment is not passed, the student must wait another two weeks before taking the test again. ”

"Thank you for the suggestion!"

Link leaves the private flying club with a few books and a few CDs. His car hasn't been out of the club for long. His phone rang.

It was an unfamiliar call, and he answered, "This is Tommy Cockline." Link, do you have time now?"

He knew that the other party had called to talk to him about the gambling game. But he didn't want to act like he wanted to help them in that game. "I still have some things to deal with right now," he said. Is there anything wrong with you?"

Tommy Cockline seemed to be silent for a moment before he said, "It's about what I talked to you about yesterday." I think we'd better meet in person. If you are in no hurry, I hope you will come to my office as soon as possible. ”

Link thought for a moment and said, "OK! I can push off the appointment for the next two hours." I'll be there in twenty minutes. ”

He was not far from the MGM Grand Hotel, and twenty minutes was plenty of time. He doesn't even have to drive fast in a hurry.

When he arrived at the MGM Hotel, he was taken to the president's office by Tommy Cockline's secretary.

Tommy Cockline was smoking a cigar behind his desk. As soon as Link sat down, the secretary poured twice as much coffee, which was freshly brewed, and presumably had been prepared a long time ago.

Link took a sip of the fragrant coffee and asked, "Tommy, you asked me to come because you wanted to tell me what you agreed to me?"

Coklein was holding a cigar, the smoke making his face look a little hazy, making it impossible to see what he was thinking. Instead of answering Link's question directly, he asked, "Did you read those materials last night?" ”

Link certainly wouldn't say he hadn't finished reading it. He nodded and said, "Look." If the other party sent that person, I'm 80% sure. ”

Hearing this, Cockeline straightened his upper body slightly, and said, "What if I lose?"

"That's all you have to blame for your bad luck. Link said with a smile.

Coklein stared into his eyes, as if to remind him, "Link, this gamble is at stake!"

"I know. It's about whether or not your Cockline family can continue to gain a foothold in Las Vegas. But nothing is absolute, is there?"

"But you're asking too much and you're not willing to take any risks. ”

"It's not like I'm not willing to take the risk, isn't it?" Link sneered. "If I lose, will you Cockline really let me go so easily?"

Coklein was silent, apparently admitting that if Link lost, he would bear the wrath of their family's loss of the casino.

Link continued to sneer and said, "I won, just get the money and a little share, and if I lose, I risk losing my life." I don't think I'm taking advantage of this deal. ”

Coklein was silent for a long time before he said, "1%. You win, we can sell you 1% of the shares. We agreed to all the other conditions. ”

Link laughed and said, "You mean MGM Grand is worth 50 billion? Do you know that Wall Street is so confident?"

Cockein was not offended by the sneer in his words, and said, "You can't buy a stake in MGM Casino, even if you have money." You have to admit this fact. ”

Link knows that what he says is the truth, but he doesn't think it's a fixed fact, and in the face of interests, the truth can also be changed.

"As I said, 5% is a good and necessary condition for me to participate in your game. You can choose to agree, or choose someone else. ”

Coklein stared at him and said in a deep voice, "2%." ”

“5%。 I'm going to win at least a billion, and I'm going to give you 500 million. ”

“2.5%。 This is the highest percentage we can accept. ”

With a hint of sarcasm on his face, Link said, "I didn't plan to bargain with you. ”

Cockeline's face was gloomy and he said, "3%. ”

"Yes, but I'll only give you $300 million at most. "The 5% and 3% MGM shares are not much different in practice. "Also, I had to be on the board of directors. ”

"3% of the shares, in exchange for half of the money you win. "Cocklain certainly wouldn't agree to his terms, because as long as Link wins, it's definitely more than a billion. "Don't forget, the gambling money is provided by our casino. ”

Link smiled and said confidently, "That's just for the time being." It will be back to your account in eight hours. ”

Coklein's face grew darker, and he said in a warning voice, "Link. It's not good for people to be too greedy. He paused and continued. "Exchange 40% of the winnings for 3% of the shares. ”

Link lowered his gaze, as if seriously considering Cockline's latest condition. But he didn't plan to say yes. He knew that the most important thing for the Cocklain family right now was to keep a stake in the MGM Grand Hotel. Everything else can be discussed. He really shouldn't be too greedy, but he felt he could be a little greedy.

He looked up again and said, "Exchange 40% of the winnings for a 4% stake in the MGM Grand Hotel." That's my last condition. If you can't agree, I'm not going to waste your time looking for someone else. ”

Cockeline took two puffs of his cigar, puffed out the smoke from his mouth, and said, "I promise your terms." But you have to win. ”

Link also put away his smile and said, "I know the consequences of losing. ”

He does know. If he loses, the Cockeline family will never let him go. And in the short term, he can't confront a capital aristocrat like the Coklein family head-on. Even if he could save his life, his life would be in trouble.

He smiled again and said, "That's why I don't dare to ask for too low." ”

"You do ask for a good price. Tommy Cockline muttered. If he wins, the benefits are almost all taken by Link alone.

But if he can keep the MGM Hotel this time, it will be considered a success. Moreover, if 800 million US dollars are exchanged for 4% of the shares of MGM Grand Hotel, their Coatline family is actually not a loss. The actual value of MGM Grand is only $10 billion at most.

Link didn't want to get into too much trouble with the Cocklain family, and he didn't want to keep an eye on the hotel shares he got after the deal.

He made a promise: "As long as you don't trouble me, I will always support you Corplain family control of the hotel." And if I'm going to sell those shares, you can buy them at a 10% premium to the market price. ”

Although he only made completely unreliable promises, Tommy Cockline felt that it was slightly better than nothing. Eventually, they revised and signed the agreement in the presence of lawyers from both sides. Of course, this is confidential.