America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 251 The Billionaire

Upon hearing this, the Beggars' Sect disciples started the platform vehicle again and began to descend rapidly.

As expected, problems soon arose. At a depth of 400 meters, the amount of gravel decreased, and groundwater and a large amount of mud gushed out.

Old Karl couldn't help but dissuade him, saying, "We've drilled into the underground riverbed. If we continue, we might pollute the oil. Even if there is crude oil, the price will be greatly reduced."

Zhang Ailun remained unfazed and said, "Continue."

The Beggars' Sect disciples continued their work, and the drill bit penetrated 460 meters, 470 meters, and 480 meters underground. Soon, the amount of water and mud decreased.

The damp soil began to accumulate black substances, reaching a depth of approximately 510 meters. Large amounts of black mud, mixed with pitch-black crude oil, gushed from the pipe. Then, as if a bottleneck had been opened, crude oil poured out of the pipe in a torrent-like flow!

"Boss! It's crude oil!" Upon seeing this, the Beggars' Sect disciples couldn't help but cheer and jump for joy.

The knowledgeable Beggar Clan disciple analyzed the oil reserves and reported to his superior: "This underground oil reserve is not much less than that of the other oil field, containing at least 200 million barrels of crude oil. That's worth one hundred million US dollars!!"

Old Karl was completely numb watching this scene.

No, you actually have oil here?

On what grounds? Is this reasonable? Two oil fields on 400 hectares of land?

Moreover, each drill was accurate, reaching depths of approximately 160 meters and 512 meters underground, respectively.

You bastard, you've definitely opened fire!!

Zhang Ailun smiled, suppressing his excitement, and ordered, "Let the drilling platform rest and cool down, refuel it, and continue drilling in another location in half an hour."

He turned around, walked to the side, sat down in a chair, opened a bottle of Red Bull, and began his health regimen.

While the inexperienced underlings were still diligently digging and filling the pits, the more perceptive underlings had already come over to help the leader by fanning the flames and massaging his shoulders and back.

Old Karl had to admire the leader's luck and foresight. "These two oil fields are enough to make you a billionaire, and you'll be worry-free for the rest of your life. But I expect there will be quite a few troubles to come."

"It's only two million barrels of oil reserves; they wouldn't force a sale. Kansas and Texas are all privately owned oil fields, and we haven't seen any problems there," Zhang Ailun reassured him.

Old Karl, on the other hand, was somewhat conflicted and worried.

He's considering whether to sell the oil field contract to make a quick buck, or keep it and develop it slowly. This is probably a happy dilemma!

Who says self-made billionaires don't experience hardship?

"If someone offers a reasonable price, you could consider contracting out and selling a well. After all, oil extraction and monetization are slow, only a few million dollars a year. If the oil company can pay in full at a reasonable market price, selling to them isn't out of the question," Zhang Ailun pondered.

"I think you make a lot of sense," old Karl agreed.

The underling next to him was also numb.

Listen to what you're saying! It's only a few million! (Sound of a knife)

This is probably the source of the oil field owners' confidence.

Zhang Ailun also took out his phone to take some photos of the scene and sent them to his relatives and friends to tell them the good news that oil had been extracted here, and that becoming a billionaire was a certainty.

Everyone was stunned and sent congratulatory messages one after another.

Zhang Ailun didn't show favoritism: everyone gets a share! You're all my family!

These words brought tears to the eyes of many. If the Grand Master's position hadn't already been established, they almost would have wanted to acknowledge him as their godfather.

After about half an hour of site repairs, Zhang Ailun had the Beggars' Sect disciples continue driving the platform vehicles and move to another area.

Based on the geographical location indicated by intelligence, the mining area was marked on site, and drilling operations began at a depth of approximately 850 meters.

The Beggars' Sect disciples, who already had enough experience, began to work. The drill bit penetrated the ground, and soil flew everywhere. They quickly reached a depth of several dozen meters.

Old Karl had been rendered numb by the Grand Master's decisiveness and was simply waiting for the oil to be extracted. Although groundwater and mud gushed out during the process, everyone present remained calm and composed.

At 300 meters underground, we encountered underground gravel. At 400 meters underground, we encountered an underground riverbed.

The drill continued working without interruption until it reached a depth of 800 meters, by which time it was already past 2 PM. Zhang Ailun, holding a takeout box, ate fried chicken and drank beer, watching the drilling rig continue working with great interest. Soon, the Beggar Clan disciple on guard noticed the change in the pipe; a brownish-black liquid was gushing out from it.

He quickly shouted a warning: "Crude oil is gushing out!!"

Zhang Ailun put down the fried chicken in his hand and hurried over, only to see crude oil continuously spraying out.

The Beggars' Sect disciples also analyzed the crude oil extracted to determine the approximate amount contained within it.

"This oil field contains at least 5 million barrels of crude oil. Its market value is at least $2.5 million. Combined with the previous two oil fields, the total value of the three oil fields is approximately $500 million!"

Old Karl was taken aback. "So many?"

Zhang Ailun took a deep breath. Calm down, it's only five hundred million dollars. Oil tycoons easily earn billions of dollars a year; three oil fields stacked together couldn't compare to the wealth of a true oil tycoon.

However, if it really has that much value, most people probably wouldn't be able to grasp it.

Zhang Ailun immediately instructed his Beggars' Sect disciples to reinforce the oil well pipeline and strengthen the surrounding railings. The installation of the oil pump would take at least a day, so there was no rush. With oil resources in hand, there was no need to worry about making money. All they needed to do was wait for people from the refinery or oil company to contact them.

Zhang Ailun also directly gave $20,000 to each of the Beggars' Sect disciples present as a bonus, and also assigned more people to guard and maintain the ranch.

During this time, I also received a message from old George.

Old George: The private auction will be held around 3:30 pm. Your gold mask will be on display then. The attendees will be celebrities from all walks of life, movie stars, resource dealers, and company directors. Would you like to come and take a look? Maybe you'll find something you like. You probably don't lack the money to buy it, and you can also expand your network.

Zhang Ailun: How do you know that my Green Field Ranch has extracted oil?

Old George: ? ? ?

No, did I ask you?

Old George was taken aback: What's going on? You've struck oil?

Zhang Ailun: That's right. I'm still worried about how to deal with the oil from my three oil fields.

Old George: Don't tell me you're already a billionaire!! How much oil do you have?

Zhang Ailun: Not many, just a few million barrels.

Old George: ...

Damn it, you beast!

I've worked hard day and night to run my pawnshop business for decades, and the emotional bond I've built up is more than the oil field you've cultivated.

Old George was absolutely furious.

Watching a down-on-his-luck guest become a billionaire is truly a heavy feeling!

I still remember the first time the chief visited the pawnshop, he even mistook him for a homeless man buying something for free.

How long has it been? You're already a billionaire? Has your life been on a winning streak?

Old George, barely suppressing his envy and jealousy, immediately replied: "Then you absolutely must attend this auction! When people hear you have oil resources, they'll definitely ask for your business cards and try to sell you mansions, villas, and private islands. With connections and resources, you could change actresses every day!"

If you have rice in your hand, chickens will come knocking on your door.

Zhang Ailun: I do have plans to buy a private resort island. I didn't have much capital before, and I only have a little over ten million US dollars on hand now. Although oil is very valuable, it is a resource with continuous profit potential, which takes at least several decades to realize and cannot be converted into US dollars in the short term.

Listen to that, it's only a little over ten million US dollars. My entire fortune is only tens of millions of dollars in real estate, and I can barely scrape together a million dollars.

Old George, barely containing his resentment, said: "Then you can package it up and sell it to an oil company or a refinery."

Zhang Ailun: You're right, but wouldn't it be better if I had the money to directly acquire an oil refinery? I could make more money and save on the middleman's profit margin.

Old George: ...

You son of a bitch. Are you even speaking human language?

I'm having a serious discussion with you about how to manage the oil fields, and you're just throwing your money around wanting to buy this and that! Why don't you go buy a seat in Congress and sit there for a while?

Anyway, Los Angeles isn't without Chinese-American councilors. If you give them a few million dollars, they'll definitely be happy to make room for you. After all, you're a big spender. In capitalist socialism, money makes you God.

Anyway, the real reason they sit there is to make money. They might embezzle a few hundred thousand yuan a year at most, and if it's more, they'll have to pay taxes.

If you're so capable, you could just become the deputy mayor of Los Angeles!

Well said! But Zhang Ailun has no intention of entering politics.

All he needs to do is invite Los Angeles council members to serve as advisors under the name of the foundation, paying them tens of thousands of dollars a month to buy them off. What difference would that make from him being in power?

He chatted with old George for a few more minutes and they agreed to attend the auction and get to know celebrities from all walks of life.

They might have some dirty secrets that can be exposed, which would be another controllable resource delivered to our doorstep, without even costing us any money.

Zhang Ailun had the Beggars' Sect disciples install nodding machines here, preparing to head back to Los Angeles.

Faced with Old Karl's question, the Grand Master sighed helplessly, "There's no way around it, it's just social obligation."

Old Karl stared at him speechlessly.

You little rascal, you're putting on an act.

Just a few hours ago he was incredibly humble and low-key, but now he exudes the air of a nouveau riche.

However, if you had three oil fields worth $5 million each at home, you wouldn't be able to resist showing off.

If I don't pretend, won't everyone know I'm rich? There's no need to hide my wealth!

Compared to those high-income Black sports stars, athletes, and movie stars, the leader was still restrained.

Even with money, he never thought about buying a luxury mansion or sleeping with female celebrities, because compared to spending money for excitement, the leader preferred getting things for free.

Zhang Ailun greeted the Beggars' Sect disciples, handing over the ranch to them to manage, and then drove away from the ranch, returning to downtown Los Angeles.

Based on the location coordinates sent by Old George, they arrived at the private auction in the city center, parked in a nearby parking lot, and sent a message to the other party. Old George quickly arrived with several colleagues.

After exchanging warm greetings and introductions, Zhang Ailun realized that these were the big shots of the antique street and experts in running pawnshops.

He wielded the Dragon Slayer Saber with exceptional skill; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to build such a large fortune from scratch, possessing a net worth of nearly $100 million.

The bespectacled, bald, middle-aged man owned three pawnshops in Las Vegas, but he dealt only in high-end businesses, buying only the resources of the wealthy, such as diamonds, jewelry, and movie props. The risks were high, but the profits were also substantial. The people he interacted with were either company directors, CEOs' wives, retired athletes, or celebrities.

Basically, they are all down-on-their-luck people who are short of money. They are either in debt, getting divorced and dividing their assets, or on the verge of bankruptcy.

People who are not short of money would not ask him to sell them things.

He's profiting from the suffering of others.

He also owns several private properties in Clark County and has tens of millions of dollars in cash on hand. He was the one who spearheaded the operation to acquire the 17-carat pink diamond.

Clark County! It's a breeding ground for Superman and billionaires.

The little antelope that the Grand Master had just bought was immediately sold to a rich guy from Clark County without even blinking an eye, which left a deep impression on me.

The slightly overweight man next to him also owned two pawnshops in Las Vegas. He had brought his son in a private jet to attend the auction, but compared to the bald middle-aged man, his business was more low-end, similar to Old George's, accepting all sorts of things.

From toys with profits of tens of dollars, bizarre human body art photos, and animal limbs, to gold, fossils, porcelain, and jewelry with profits of tens of thousands of dollars.

Another old man looked gloomy, as if he hadn't slept well. Upon inquiry, it was learned that he owned five pawnshops in San Francisco, but business had been bad recently, and one of his pawnshops had even gone out of business.

In comparison, Old George's industry advantages seem to have vanished. He didn't open a store in Las Vegas, and his income wasn't very high. It's very likely that it's because he wasn't as adept at wielding his "dragon-slaying sword" as the other three, nor was he as ruthless.

Zhang Ailun, always asking questions, wondered, "You already have assets approaching tens of millions, yet you're still interested in a diamond ring business worth just over ten million dollars?"

"The profit isn't much, but it's definitely something we can earn," said Andrew, the slightly overweight man. "It's stupid not to make money when you can. The main thing is to meet more people at the party, so if anyone is planning to sell their assets, we can take them over."

"That guy recently bought a Qing Dynasty gilded Guanyin statue from a friend in Chinatown. It was supposedly a collection of Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and very valuable. The color and condition looked exquisite, but it turned out to be a fake. He spent over two million US dollars on it and lost everything." Old George couldn't help but gloat.

Zhang Ailun asked doubtfully, "Are you sure it's a gilded statue of the Ten-Faced Guanyin Bodhisattva?"

"That's right." Old George nodded. "That stuff is too complicated; I don't even dare to touch it. Anything like blue and white porcelain is unreliable. But he thought he was confident enough and bought it, only to have it become a complete disaster!"

That's alright then...

Isn't that Master Ye's stuff?

Zhang Ailun still vaguely remembered this. He and Sieg retrieved it from the sewer and returned it. It was Master Ye who swindled his friend out of his fake antique. He never expected Master Ye to be so ruthless, changing the packaging and selling it for $200 million!

This is absolutely divine intervention!!

A friend of a friend is a sucker. They'll give you small favors first, then say their friend has something good, and then they'll lure you in step by step.

They sold themselves out and are still counting the money for the other party.

Old Ethan, overhearing old George's whispers behind his back, couldn't help but retort angrily, "How can you blame me? Who would have thought that a good friend of seven or eight years would cheat me out of two million dollars! Fxxk! I will never buy any antiques from Eastern countries again! They're all liars! All fake!!"

I couldn't help but feel sad and shed tears.

Two million dollars! How many unscrupulous deals would he have to make to earn that much?

"Let's go find a seat first," said Coulson, the bald, middle-aged man, adjusting his glasses. "I also have an appointment with a female celebrity, Katharine Newton. I heard she and her agent are also attending this auction, preparing to sell a piece from their private collection."

Zhang Ailun was somewhat surprised. Katherine Newton? Wasn't that the actress he'd seen on the private island last time? The actress from *Ant-Man 3*?

Her business must be incredibly busy; she's constantly meeting people and searching for resources.

Making money doesn't have to be stingy.

The group readily agreed and went to the auction together.

(End of this chapter)