America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 140 Transfer of the Recycling Station

The next day.

Zhang Ailun got out of bed and found that Olivia was no longer beside him.

I feel the aftereffects starting to kick in; I'm not in a good mental state.

I took out my phone and glanced at today's intelligence.

[Daily News: The F3 private warehouse at the southern port of Los Angeles will be open for auction for a limited time at 18:30 PM. The green container, serial number S-266, contains a collection of World War II and modern military equipment, including camouflage uniforms, helmets, Thompson submachine guns, M24 sniper rifles, a sniper aiming system, and a Soviet-era replica of a US-standard BMW troop motorcycle.]

[Daily Intelligence: El Martin, the leader of the 7th Street gang, had a falling out with the owner of the Street Brothers Mods shop over the Kitz Jr. incident, leading to an internal conflict. He was shot and killed by five gunmen using AK-series rifles in front of the arcade at 3:16 AM last night, sustaining 96 gunshot wounds. Details: Before his death, he had hidden $4500 in banknotes and a fully magazineed Glock 17 in a rusty fuel line at an abandoned gas station in the suburbs [coordinates]. He also hid a USB drive containing videos of sex transactions and a notebook detailing the gang's drug trafficking operations under the floorboards of an old wooden house in a rural town.]

[Daily News: Old Carl's Alfred's Junkyard is up for sale.]

[Daily News: A homeless female celebrity who went bankrupt due to drug involvement will appear at the 24-hour convenience store on Loewe Street in Block 7 at 9:40 PM. She has appeared in several films and television shows as a supporting actress. She will only stay for two hours, charging $150 per visit. You probably don't want to miss her.]

Zhang Ailun: ...

I have to say something to you about this. Do you think I'm that kind of person? Don't try to slander me, a good citizen of Los Angeles!

What do you mean by sending me this information? Do you think I would like a C-list drug-using female celebrity?

$150 is indeed very cheap, a great value for money, but are you trying to take my money?

You're going to kill me!

The East Ukrainian sisters, Olivia, Reina, Jennifer—aren't they all more alluring than her?

But Old Carl's junkyard is actually planning to sell? Is it because it can't continue operating?

Looking at the intelligence report, Zhang Ailun was a little confused and decided to go check on the other side later.

If old Carl really intends to quit and sell the recycling center, that would be good news for him.

After all, they now have ample funds, and it's time for them to expand and strengthen their businesses and acquire some assets.

After getting dressed and walking out of the living room, Zhang Ailun saw Olivia preparing breakfast. He glanced upstairs again; the door was closed. The owner probably hadn't gotten up yet.

"You're up really early, or did you not get much sleep last night?" Zhang Ailun asked.

Anyway, he slept quite soundly. After the second battle, he took a shower and went to bed to rest.

I initially thought making money this way was somewhat despicable, but after experiencing it, I realized it's actually quite appealing.

When Olivia saw Zhang Ailun get up, she put the breakfast she had prepared on the table and shushed him, signaling him to speak quietly: "My new boss usually gets up around ten o'clock, so we'd better not disturb her. After you finish breakfast, leave. I'll drive you there."

"Didn't he take Craig's car?" Zhang Ailun asked, somewhat puzzled.

Olivia took out the spare key to another Lexus in the villa's garage, shrugged, and said, "Aren't you underestimating my job? Although I don't usually like driving the boss's cars, as his personal butler, I can use those private cars for transportation with his permission. I take care of the daily maintenance and refueling, as long as there are no traffic accidents."

"This Lexus has just run a few thousand kilometers and needs to be serviced. I'll drive over and pick up some freebies and gas cards from the dealership."

Olivia had no intention of hiding it, after all, this was extra income for people working in the housekeeping and property management industry, especially in wealthy areas.

Zhang Ailun was speechless. "Looks like you've got a pretty good boss this time. What does her family do? Does she live alone in this villa? Where's her husband?"

"The couple's relationship isn't very harmonious, so they've separated. You've seen this kind of thing a lot in the rich neighborhood, so you're used to it. Otherwise, why would I introduce them to any handsome guys and end up hooking up with you?" Olivia was already used to this.

"Isn't Catherine your boss too?" Zhang Ailun asked, somewhat puzzled.

"She went on a trip with a high school graduate she recently met who's interning at her boyfriend's company. He seems to be a basketball player?"

Olivia thought for a moment and said, "Otherwise, I wouldn't be developing new clients. Obviously, I have no future following Catherine."

Zhang Ailun nodded, showing little interest in the matter, and simply enjoyed his breakfast.

Olivia washed and put away the dishes, grabbed her car keys, and drove the Lexus out of the garage.

Zhang Ailun got into the car and sat in the passenger seat, saying, "Just drop me off on Aitou Street if you're going that way. I have some things to take care of."

"OK!" Olivia started the vehicle and drove away from the Crown District.

Zhang Ailun also sent a message to Dominic: Did you know that old Karl is planning to sell his junkyard?

Dominic: Is that so? He didn't tell me. I sold him several hundred dollars worth of jars yesterday. But he does seem a bit out of sorts these days. Maybe he's just getting old?

Zhang Ailun: I helped him settle things with Modern Brothers a while ago, and I felt he might be thinking about retiring, but I didn't expect him to actually do it. If he wants to transfer ownership, we might be able to take over his scrap metal recycling station.

Dominic: That's what I think too. If you have enough money, you could definitely take over a recycling center. After all, can recycling machines only sell a few hundred dollars' worth of cans a day, and many communities and wealthy areas can't be contracted out. I'll ride my bike over there now to see old Carl and ask him what he thinks.

Zhang Ailun: Okay, I'll be there in a bit.

After passing countless intersections and traffic lights, it took some time to arrive at Aitou Street.

Olivia parked the Lexus on the side of the road.

"Darling, see you another day."

"Goodbye." Zhang Ailun unbuckled his seatbelt, kissed Olivia goodbye, got out of the car, and she stepped on the gas and drove away.

After walking half a block, Zhang Ailun arrived at the recycling station. As soon as he entered the yard, he saw Old Karl chatting with Dominic.

The piles of cans and cardboard boxes that used to be there were gone, leaving only the beat-up pickup truck and the Trek bicycle that Dominic had ridden.

Zhang Ailun walked over and greeted them.

"What's the occasion that you two have gathered here today? I paid you well for the jars I sold yesterday, didn't I?" Old Karl was still a little puzzled.

"Of course, there's something else I want to talk to you about," Zhang Ailun said. "I saw the news online that you were selling your recycling center. What's going on? Are you really planning to retire and go back to the countryside to farm and raise chickens?"

"Hahaha, you guys are really well-informed! But I'm not a Texas redneck. Even if I go back to the countryside and start a farm, I'm not going to farm it myself. I've saved up some money, and maybe I'll buy a couple of plots of land. If I'm lucky, I might even strike oil on my own land!"

Old Karl laughed heartily.

"It's still daytime and you're already dreaming?" Zhang Ailun teased.

Although the West Coast is the land of freedom and gunfights every day, it must be said that land privatization is relatively well done. Even though people have to pay expensive property taxes every year, they still enjoy a certain degree of privacy and sovereignty.

If you dig up antiques, gold, or oil on your own land, it's yours.

If you actually find oil in your own backyard, then all the major oil companies will definitely rush to sign contracts with you, drawn by the scent.

If oil were discovered in the Middle East or elsewhere, I can only say it would attract mold, but in the US's own territory, it still has some dignity.

The profits from oil are not actually that high. The profits from small oil fields are far less than those from drug trafficking. A barrel of oil sold to an oil company might only fetch a few dozen dollars. Your private oil field may not have much in reserve. The initial investment in drilling and extraction requires a lot of money, and it is easy to lose everything. It is a high-risk, high-reward job similar to gold prospectors and treasure hunters.

The cost of investing in a leaf is at most tens of thousands of dollars, and with a little processing, you can earn hundreds or thousands of times the profit, but you can easily end up in jail.

"Although I may never become an oil tycoon, I still want to pursue my dream in my old age and enjoy a free life. If nothing unexpected happens, this scrap metal yard will only be open for another week or two at most," old Karl said with a sigh.

Dominic asked, "You really don't plan to do it anymore, Carl? Is it because business isn't doing well?"

"No, my family heard about the recycling center being robbed a while ago, and also found out about the ongoing gang fights in the area. They were worried about my safety, so they came to talk to me about retirement. They've already sold their house in the city and are preparing to go back to the countryside to live. They even tried to persuade me to go back with them, and after thinking about it, I agreed."

Old Carl explained, "After all, life here is indeed very boring. There are also many ignorant young people on the streets who like to cause trouble. I'm getting old, and a quiet life in the countryside might be more suitable for me."

"I've lived in this city long enough, and there's nothing I miss about it except for this junkyard and those beautiful 18-year-old girls."

Old Carl remarked with deep emotion, "Actually, there are quite a few hot girls in the countryside, and they're easy to pick up!"

That old lecher.

You might as well just die in an 18-year-old girl's bed; you've really had your fill of fun in this life.

But Zhang Ailun also felt that he didn't seem to have much right to judge Old Karl, as he himself was quite unruly.

Dominic, though reluctant, still offered his blessings: "I hope you can live the life you want in the countryside, Carl. Don't mess around anymore; maybe you can live a few more years."

"Thanks for your blessing, kid. But in this world, only beautiful women and wine are worth cherishing! I also hope you can leave the streets soon and live a normal life."

Old Karl smiled contentedly; he had played so much in his life, he had long since had enough.

Even if one day I really take too many kidney tonics and suddenly pass away, I'll still leave with a smile on my face.

It's so good it's unbelievable.

"Karl, how do you plan to sell this junkyard? Will you use online opportunity networks to find customers?" Zhang Ailun asked.

Old Karl replied, "Of course, although we haven't found a suitable buyer yet, this acquisition station has all the necessary qualifications. I've already filled out the information and put it up for sale online. Many people have inquired about it, but they've mostly just looked into it and haven't shown any interest in buying."

"So, at what price are you planning to sell this recycling station?" Zhang Ailun asked again.

Old Carl, Old Zhang, and Allen were all very enthusiastic, which surprised me a bit. "What, you want to take over and buy it? Don't forget I warned you, the price might be beyond your imagination. It won't be much cheaper than buying a street bar."

Not cheaper than a bar?

That's roughly forty or fifty thousand US dollars?

Holy crap, how come a broken recycling station with nothing in it costs so much?

Zhang Ailun said, "I do intend to go into this line of work, not just for myself, but also so that Dominic can have a legitimate career. Although I can come up with tens of thousands of dollars right now, that money has other uses. You still have at least two weeks before you move, right? Give me a little time, and I can get enough money."

"For me?" Dominic was surprised.

"You don't want to spend your whole life picking up cans on the street, do you?" Zhang Ailun answered frankly, "I plan to start a resource recycling company in the future. The projects involved are not just as simple as picking up cans. They also include waste electronics and even military waste. But for now, we have to start from the most basic can work. I'll register a company using your identity and name and make you one of the project managers for recycling. After all, you know my situation. If I were the registered owner of the company, it would probably be very difficult to develop the business in the future."

Dominic was taken aback. "Really? You trust me that much?"

Zhang Ailun chuckled: "What's the big deal? Aren't we already partners? Buddy, to be honest, if even you lie to me and try to hide things from me, then I might as well not stay on the West Coast."

He pulled out a few bills and waved them in front of the other person. "Right now, even if I do nothing, I get at least $400 in dividends every day. If I invest in and open a scrap metal collection station, contract out the business in wealthy areas, or even open a chain of collection stations, and earn profits from other scavenger teams in various areas, wouldn't I be able to earn thousands of dollars a day just by lying down?"

People fear becoming famous, just as pigs fear growing fat. Rather than struggling on the front lines and enduring the difficulties posed by those white elites, it's better to lie behind the scenes as a shareholder, receive dividends, and offer advice on the company's strategic development.

You'd better not mess with me. If you anger me, I'll make you suffer for at least two hundred years, and at most, the death penalty.

"Haha, young man, your idea is good. I started out by recycling scrap! But this business isn't that easy. You think you can raise $45000 in two weeks?"

Old Carl chuckled and said, "Although this scrap yard isn't large and is located on a relatively remote street, it contains property ownership certificates, operating licenses, environmental permits, a resource recycling company contract, and a 1982 Toyota Hilux pickup truck. These are all assets of Alfred Recycling Company."

Despite its small and dilapidated appearance, the recycling center has a formal company name and qualifications, which can be verified online.

Aside from the land, the recycling station isn't worth much. The main costs are the permits and licenses. These days, obtaining environmental permits and operating licenses is quite troublesome, and even getting in through connections requires back channels.

Instead of opening a new recycling station, it's better to take over an established one, as you can inherit its reputation and stable customer base.

"If it were anyone else, I definitely wouldn't lower the price, but if you're really interested, I can offer a discount. $45000, and this recycling center will be yours," said old Carl.

$45000 is still a considerable sum, and many families even need to take out loans to raise it. If Zhang Ailun had just arrived on the West Coast to collect cans, he wouldn't have dared to even imagine the amount of money involved.

But now the leader has $50295 in cash, $1500 in debt, $50,000 worth of gold for sale, a Jeep Wrangler worth $60,000 to $70,000, a GMC hiking RV worth $7500 registered under Dominic's name, and a Trek bicycle.

Their total assets are already terrifyingly abundant!!

(End of this chapter)