America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 253 Member of Parliament

"26 once, 26 twice, 26 three times! Sold! Congratulations to buyer number 59 for successfully bidding on the consigned Bentley Flying Spur. Please wait for our staff to contact you after the auction." The auctioneer brought down the gavel, beaming with joy, and another round of bidding came to an end.

Zhang Ailun watched the whole thing without changing his expression.

He then handed a piece of fruit to old George next to him, saying, "This jackfruit is good, eat more."

Old George looked speechless. "I have no appetite at all."

Soon it was the Grand Master's turn to consign his collection.

"This is a collectible diamond and gold mask from Old George Pawnshop's consignment auction. It was once a ballroom mask worn by Elizabeth Taylor and has been certified by a professional jewelry appraisal company. The estimated price is $55 to $65. The starting bid is $20, and each bid must be at least $5000."

"50 million!"

As soon as the auction started, someone made a high bid. Zhang Ailun glanced at it and saw that it was a wealthy couple who seemed determined to get the item.

56.

The auctioneer congratulated the other party again.

The wealthy woman smiled contentedly.

Next up was an apartment building located in eastern Los Angeles. It was also the private property of the owner of Parker Company. It had three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It was fully furnished and included a balcony and a parking garage. The estimated price was $120 million, but in the end, not many people showed any interest in buying it, and it unfortunately failed to sell at auction.

This made matters worse for Parker's already struggling family.

I'm completely numb.

"The item up for auction this time is the Cafu C36 luxury flybridge private yacht. The cabin features two beds, wooden doors, and multiple lockers, offering a comfortable and private environment; the hull's portholes ensure ample natural light. Four portholes and a spacious foredeck allow guests to enjoy the sea breeze. The estimated price is between $320 million and $390 million."

Fortunately, the yacht owned by the Parker Company owner did not fail to sell at auction and was bought for $400 million.

His complexion had also softened considerably.

The Grand Master slapped his thigh, secretly regretting that he might not sell the company once he caught his breath.

Old George gasped. "Why are you taking pictures of me?"

"Accidental touch." Zhang Ailun said calmly, cracking nuts on his face.

Old George: "..."

I'm already so old, what if I mess up the shot?

"The next item up for auction is a collectible 17-carat pink diamond ring from Old George Pawnshop, certified by a professional jewelry appraisal company. The estimated price is $990 million to $1200 million."

Round after round of auctions, various collectibles and villa assets were showcased, and the auction quickly came to an end. The pink diamond ring that Old George and his friends had invested in fetched a price of $1460 million! The four of them truly made a fortune.

Old George beamed with joy, glossing over the physical harm he suffered from being accidentally touched by the Grand Master.

Of course, the Grand Master was not to be outdone. He managed to sell a golden ball mask, which was originally only worth about $50, for a high price of $82!

After deducting the 2% auction fee and George's consignment fee, he can still earn around $79.

After the auction ended, many people began to leave. Zhang Ailun and Old George found the staff, completed the relevant procedures, and after deducting the commission fee, $795,400 was deposited into the shower bank's savings card.

I was planning to leave right away, but unexpectedly someone came to my door halfway through, heading straight for the leader.

"Hello, sir, please wait a moment."

Zhang Ailun turned to look at the middle-aged man in a suit and asked with a puzzled expression, "Is there something you need?"

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Juankin, the owner of Green Field Ranch and an investor in the Hamburger Foundation?" the middle-aged man greeted politely.

When Zhang Ailun heard him say that, he understood why he had come.

He smiled and said, "That's right, it's me."

"Hello, Mr. Jin, please allow me to introduce myself. I am the manager of Les Refinery. I heard that your ranch has extracted oil reserves of over 10 million barrels. Are you interested in cooperating with the refinery to develop this resource? We can sign a 20-year long-term contract, guaranteeing to buy back the oil at a high market price. All you need to do is sell the crude oil to us steadily during this period," said the manager of Les Refinery.

Before Zhang Ailun could say anything, a middle-aged white man rushed over and, with a smile, extended his hand, saying, "Hello, Mr. Jin, I am a department head at Huasen Oil Company. After our company's evaluation, we believe you are qualified to become our VIP high-level client. We are interested in discussing matters related to oil extraction and recovery with you. If you are willing to sell your oil fields, we can buy them back at the highest market price! We guarantee you will be satisfied with the price."

"Hello, Mr. Jin..."

A group of people swarmed over and introduced themselves to Zhang Ailun.

The leader of the chaotic sect didn't hear it clearly either, but anyway, they were all talented people who spoke nicely.

Besides people from oil refineries and oil companies, there are also many speculative investors and foundations who want to collaborate with the Hamburg Foundation to discuss stock market trends.

To put it bluntly, isn't this just a scheme to get the top leader to invest money in them to set up a scheme, buy low and sell high, and profit off retail investors? The money from retail investors will be split 30/70, while the money from the wealthy will be returned in full.

Of course, there are also many risks involved.

There are no manipulative tactics whatsoever; it's all about large sums of money coming in and out quickly, striking hard, engaging in underhanded and despicable schemes, and colluding with each other.

If the leader is truly greedy for profit, he might end up being the one left holding the bag.

Despite the temptations and offers from all sides, Zhang Ailun remained steadfast in his principles and bottom line, showing no sign of wavering.

He simply said tactfully, "Your information network is truly impressive. I will consider it. If your price is right, I am indeed interested in selling my oil field. Perhaps you should also reconsider and offer a more sincere price."

Oil company and refinery executives all said they had acted rashly.

I wasn't prepared this time, but next time I will definitely bring generous gifts to visit and discuss related matters.

It just goes to show how different having resources really is. Within minutes, the leader had received over thirty business cards. A quick glance revealed they were all pitches for luxury homes and villas, yachts, banks and funds, and even offers from unknown actresses offering to deliver their services. One of them was strikingly beautiful, with a voluptuous and alluring figure, and her "headlights" were practically flashing. The leader even got a taste of her own medicine, her business card slipped into her waistband.

"Honey, remember to call me. I'll always be available whenever you call."

After saying that, he boldly pulled out the Evil Hand and summoned the Undying Grip.

Zhang Ailun took a deep breath.

Fortunately, he had great self-control and was well-informed, which prevented him from being seduced by the other party.

I glanced at the address and phone number on the business card.

Karen? Good name.

She dared to approach the Grand Master despite societal norms and even mustered the courage to invite him to her home. Was it all just for a little rice?

It must be to gain access to resources and ways to make money. Such a hardworking and diligent girl who earns money through her own labor is truly hard to find even with a lantern.

Many people stopped to watch curiously as the elite group surrounding the sect leader gathered together. A shareholder from an entertainment company nearby asked in bewilderment, "What's going on here? Why are so many people gathered together? Is there some exciting program?"

"I heard it's someone from an oil company who wants to buy a private oil field. They have oil resources worth several hundred million dollars."

"It seems to be the oil field near Green Field Town." Many people started gossiping.

"..." The entertainment company's shareholders turned green after hearing this.

The person next to him exclaimed in surprise, "Boss, isn't this the plot of land we saw last time? I didn't expect there really was oil there. What a pity!"

"Stop talking." The shareholder took a deep breath. Before the other party recognized him, he should leave quickly. If he stayed any longer, his reputation would be ruined!

After all, he inexplicably received an anonymous message in broad daylight containing explicit photos of himself at a lesbian party, with close-up shots and blatant threats!

Look how terrifying this is! Is this still a society governed by the rule of law? Is there no justice left? Is there no law at all?

They slunk away, leaving without a trace.

After Zhang Ailun finished entertaining the salespeople, he left the scene with Old George.

"I told you, you'd be very popular. After all, you're a newly minted billionaire, and they'd love to leech off you. Their favorite customers are nouveau riche, the kind who are most likely to spend lavishly on assets. If they're not careful, they'll get into bad habits and go bankrupt, then have to sell their real estate at a low price," Old George joked.

"They've really misjudged me. I'm not your average nouveau riche," Zhang Ailun said dismissively.

"Haha, alright, if you ever plan to sell your assets, remember to contact me, and I'll definitely give you a reasonable price!" Old George laughed heartily.

After exchanging a few more words, old George left with a few of his colleagues.

Zhang Ailun also drove away from the street where the auction was taking place. As he passed through a traffic light, he received a message from Reina.

I opened it and took a look.

Reina: Hello, billionaire. Cooper, the director of Green Letter Asylum, wants to meet with you. You should have time, right? After all, your current status is quite extraordinary; there are plenty of people eager to come to your door.

Zhang Ailun: When? Now? What's up, Cooper?

Reina: I'm not entirely sure either. It's probably his boss who wants to see you. He has something to discuss.

Zhang Ailun: Okay, it just so happens that I was also thinking of meeting with the city councilors. I've been here for so long, but I still haven't gotten to know them. How much do you think they earn each year as city councilors?

Rena: Los Angeles has fifteen boroughs, each with a city councilor. Their salaries are relatively high, around $180,000 a year, higher than the salary of the governor of California. In reality, no one knows exactly how much wealth they have; online speculation suggests they might earn an extra $200,000 to $300,000 annually. The 5th Borough councilor is Cooper's superior.

Zhang Ailun: Tell Cooper that I have time to go and meet with them now.

Reina: Okay. I'll pass it on to him. The agreed meeting place is at a specialty restaurant in the city center.

Zhang Ailun checked the location and immediately sent another message to Blitz.

Zhang Ailun: Help me check the background of the city councilor from District 5.

Not long after, Blitz sent a message: Jason Jackson, 39 years old, graduated from the University of Los Angeles, self-taught in law and legal affairs, a member of the Democratic Party. He failed in running a law firm at the age of 26, and at 32, he conceived the idea of ​​running for city councilor of the Fifth District. He sold his assets and struggled for four years for this cause. During this time, he engaged in many charitable activities, married the youngest daughter of a water company director, solved the temporary water and electricity problems for the people in the slums, gained the support of the people of the Fifth District, and successfully won the election.

Blitz: He owns a gourmet restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, two mortgaged condominiums, a Chevrolet, and a Cadillac. He is a tennis member at the Badminton Club, has connections with directors of the water company, has investments in the Green Letter shelter, and has approximately $27 in his private bank account.

Zhang Ailun: That's all the assets he has? He's been in power for over three years and hasn't embezzled anything? Where did the tens of millions in revenue from the Green Letter shelter come from?

Blitz: A city councilor's annual salary of $18 is already quite substantial. His actual profit from his gray-market business is only around $20 per year. And cash flow doesn't represent real income; it's just a facade. But recently, he's been going through a divorce, facing a lot of troubles, and his relationship with his wife isn't good. The city councilor has to worry about media scrutiny, appease his financial backers, help his father-in-law with development approvals, and pay his mortgage and car loan. If his approval rating drops and he gets fired, he'll definitely go bankrupt.

Zhang Ailun: Okay. I wonder if he would be willing to accept a position as chairman or advisor at the Hamburg Foundation with a monthly salary of $4?

Blitz: He must be ecstatic! After all, his father-in-law has been fretting over the groundwater pollution issue recently and may even face criminal charges. He's also unwilling to be overshadowed by his wife and is frantically searching for a financial backer.

Zhang Ailun: Hahaha, that's really terrible. No wonder he was so eager to ask me out.

Blitz: You don't need to get too close to them; they're just tools for getting paid. He's also a senior member of the Los Angeles Badminton Club, which includes several other city council members. On the surface, it's just a badminton club, but it's basically a place for facilitating the transfer of benefits and dealings with other wealthy patrons.

Zhang Ailun: OK.

I put my phone away, waited for the traffic light to turn green, then stepped on the gas and drove to a local restaurant in the city center.

After about ten minutes, they arrived at their destination, parked the car on the roadside, and Zhang Ailun got out to send Cooper a message. He quickly saw Cooper emerge from the restaurant.

Upon seeing the leader, Cooper quickly walked over and greeted him warmly.

"Hey! Hamburger, oh no, Mr. Kim, it's really an honor to invite you here, I'm sorry to bother you." Cooper was very polite.

Zhang Ailun smiled and said, "Not at all. After all, I'm an employee of the Green Letter Containment Center. If my superiors need me, how can I not come?"

"Don't say that. I wouldn't dare call myself your boss anymore. We've always been business partners," Cooper quickly clarified. "I invited you here because a good friend of mine wanted to meet you."

"I understand, a friend of a friend is a friend," Zhang Ailun said with a slight smile.

After glancing at the restaurant's sign and the number of customers, he exclaimed, "This restaurant has a really great location!"

"The restaurant's signature dishes taste even better; you'll know once you try them," Cooper chuckled, and beckoned the Grand Master into the restaurant.

We went straight up to the second floor and arrived at a private room.

Pushing open the door, they saw a middle-aged white man in a suit sitting on the sofa. Upon seeing the two enter, he immediately stood up to greet them warmly, "Hello, Mr. Kim."

"Mr. Congressman?" Zhang Ailun feigned surprise.

"There are no congressmen here, and it's not working hours now. You can call me Jason," Congressman Jason said humbly. "I think we can become friends privately."

"I think so too." Zhang Ailun nodded with a smile, then glanced at the fine wine and food on the table. The packaging of the wine bottles looked so familiar.

Holy crap. A thatched hut?

Wait, you guys on the West Coast are doing this too? That's pretty modern of you.

Not to mention, there were two blonde, blue-eyed, long-legged waitresses in cheongsams standing by, ready to serve you at any time.

"Excellent, Your Excellency, you're a seasoned veteran of the bureaucracy. This was handled brilliantly."

I am very pleased.

(End of this chapter)