America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 265 Buying at the Bottom

"Take your daughter to play over there. I'm going to talk to Mr. Jin about some serious business." Mike gestured for his wife to take their daughter to the side, and then sat down next to Zhang Ailun, taking out a pack of cigarettes and offering one to him.

"I don't smoke," Zhang Ailun politely declined.

"That's a good habit. I don't actually smoke either," Mike smiled.

Zhang Ailun couldn't help but sigh, "How did things turn out like this?"

"It was probably because of bad luck. You've probably heard of the black gang at the Titan Arcade in the city, right? It was just because I had some contact with them and did a few transactions with them that they offended some people in the entertainment industry, which led to some of them being arrested. The police found out about the business they were doing in private, and based on the clues, they dragged other distributors down with me."

Mike was indignant. "I wonder which bastard did this."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ailun immediately sat up straight, his expression unchanged. "That was indeed unexpected."

Titan Arcade? What a coincidence! They just happen to have a grudge against the Grand Master.

"Mark said you don't seem to be planning to post bail. So where are you planning to run off to?" Zhang Ailun asked.

"Go to Brazil. I know some people there." Mike didn't reveal much. "I'm short on cash right now. If you want to buy my assets—a downtown recycling center, a modification shop, and a car dealership—you'll need at least $15. Of course, I'll also have Mark and Fury help you out here; they're professionals!"

"This price is reasonable." Zhang Ailun nodded, about to agree.

Seeing how beautiful your wife is and how cute your daughter is, I'll let it go.

"This price is unreasonable; $12 would be more reasonable," Mark said.

"Hey buddy, which side are you on?" Mike, the boss, was getting a little annoyed.

"I'm no longer your employee," Mark said irritably.

"But I'm still your cousin-in-law, right?" Mike laughed in exasperation.

Zhang Ailun looked at the two of them with some surprise.

"Fxxk! My youth has been wasted on you! You have the nerve to say that? If you hadn't stopped me from pursuing my dreams, I would definitely be living a better life now," Mark cursed.

"Who would hire a mechanic who doesn't even have a high school diploma?" Mike retorted.

"I have the skills, that's enough," Mark said.

"There are plenty of skilled people, but not everyone can repair airplanes and rockets. They're not even on the same level. You can't even get into the military industry; you can only repair cars!" Mike said dismissively.

"You've already amassed hundreds of thousands of dollars through loans and absconded with them, enough for your family of three to live a good life. Don't even think about swindling other people. I've had enough! You heartless miser!" Mark said angrily.

"My businesses are legal! Who have I cheated? The court hasn't issued an arrest warrant for me yet, and I could have easily mortgaged and sold my assets before that. You're your cousin's family, so you shouldn't be on our side!" Mike accused.

The two started arguing and blaming each other. Old Fu Rui watched with great interest as they argued and poked at each other's secrets, and he pulled up a stool and sat down to watch the show.

The two bulldogs were also so tense that they huddled together, trembling, and didn't dare to utter a sound.

The Grand Master had long since realized that these two dogs were cowards.

"You've never given me a raise," Mark said.

"I haven't even settled accounts with you for the money you made from selling the car privately! It's all because your cousin is protecting you!" Mike said.

"I'm stuck in this crappy place 24/7."

"That's because you're not used to interacting with people and only like to bury yourself in playing with machines. All the girls I introduced you to were scared away by your weird hobby! When someone asks you out on a date, all you can think about is fixing cars! Fxxkyou! You freak!! You should really go back to school and be reborn, to learn from those high school students whose minds are full of hormones and sexual impulses!" Mike said angrily.

"You went to find prostitutes on the street while my cousin was pregnant!" Mark accused.

"That's because your cousin allowed me to do it! She loves me, and I love her too."

"You two are really freaks!!"

"Fxxk! I won't allow you to talk about your cousin like that!"

"I knew it!!"

The two were hurling insults at each other, and even seemed about to come to blows. It was clear that they had long disliked each other.

"..."

Zhang Ailun hadn't expected that there was such a complicated relationship between them, and that it was a family business.

Their arguing gave me a headache, so I could only helplessly wave my hand and call for a halt. "Okay! Shut up! Stop arguing! $15, take it or leave it! I'll buy it! These three properties are definitely worth the price."

"You don't understand at all, it's completely not worth it. You'll lose out if you buy it!" Mark Hongwen said.

"Buddy, in my eyes, you're worth this price all by yourself. You think I came here for this recycling center and this run-down modification shop? No! I came here because of you!" Zhang Ailun said earnestly.

Mark was stunned for a moment.

Holy crap, what's the difference between this and confessing your love?

"I'm not gay," Mark said hesitantly.

"Get lost, I'm not one either," Zhang Ailun cursed.

Mike sneered, "It's rare to find someone willing to spend money on you, and it would be even better if it were a woman."

Mark's face darkened.

Damn, you old bastard, you're really sharp-tongued.

"Shut up too! Take this money, bring your wife, and get out of my sight! Take good care of the woman who's willing to give everything for you and your lovely child." Zhang Ailun raised his middle finger, pulled out several stacks of cash from his briefcase, and threw them at him.

"This is the transfer agreement, I've already signed it, I would have done it even without you saying so." Mike's expression softened, he counted the money, calmed himself down, and added, "This is my wife and children. They have nothing to do with you."

What do you mean by that?

I have absolutely no interest in your wife and daughter!

The leader felt his reputation had been damaged.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Ailun controlled his emotions, checked the contract, found no problems, and readily signed it.

Mike returned to the shed, packed his belongings, and got into an old, beat-up Ford with his wife and daughter. Before leaving, he left Mark with a message: "Good luck, kid. In the days without me, I hope you and your new boss get along better and better. Smile more and be more ambitious! No boss can tolerate your attitude."

"You don't need to tell me," Mark said stubbornly.

Watching the car drive away, Zhang Ailun sighed, "Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes."

Fortunately, he has money, so he can solve 99% of his troubles by spending money.

"Aren't you going to take me to see the shop?" Zhang Ailun turned around and looked at the old man and the young man.

"All the vehicles have been sold off, leaving only empty land and buildings under construction. What's there to see? Do you think I'm not doing my job well?" Mark said irritably.

"You troublemaker. I'm your boss!" Zhang Ailun said immediately with a stern face. "Perhaps these two dogs can lead the way for you!" Mark pointed to the trembling bulldog.

"Then I might as well just pay them both to work," Zhang Ailun said irritably. "I was even thinking of asking you to help repair that A10 attack aircraft."

"Sorry, I don't care... Wait, what did you say?" Mark's expression changed instantly. He leaned closer and said incredulously, "An A-10 attack aircraft? Is that the Warthog? Boss, you want me to repair fighter jets? Where did you get these?"

"No. You must have misheard," Zhang Ailun said calmly.

"Impossible! I absolutely couldn't have misheard! Fury heard it too, you must have said A-10 Warthog attack aircraft! WTF!! You actually have a fighter jet? And you want me to repair it?" Mark was incredulous and became agitated.

Zhang Ailun calmly said, "Considering your attitude towards me, I might change my mind."

"Boss, please don't be like this. It's my fault. I was too young and impulsive. I can take you to familiarize yourself with the facilities and the modification shop right now! Where is your A10 stored? Is it in a hangar in the suburbs? Can I go there now?"

Mark couldn't stop talking about the Warthog attack aircraft; it was clear that his desire to modify it had reached unprecedented heights, a stark contrast to his previously listless personality.

Zhang Ailun nodded: "It's in a hangar in the suburbs, the place you went to last time. But not all the parts have been transported here yet. My people have only just started to assemble and repair it. We happen to be short of some skilled people to help, so I thought I'd ask you to go and lend a hand."

"When I was ten years old, I could already perfectly assemble the A10 realistic toy model!" Mark immediately assured him seriously, "Leave it to me! I can definitely handle it for you!"

"Okay, you'd better not disappoint me. If you don't understand anything, you can ask the professional ground staff." Zhang Ailun readily agreed.

It would probably be quite difficult for this kid to switch careers, but it's still a dream come true for him.

Over the next few days, Old Fu Rui also took Zhang Ailun to visit the modification shops and car dealerships in the suburbs. He had been here before when he bought his hiking RV, and there were basically no changes.

Zhang Ailun also inquired about revenue and work-related issues.

"Several modification shops in the suburbs have closed down and been taken over by others. They should be open again in a few days. Every day, a steady stream of abandoned vehicles are transported to the car graveyard. In the past, Boss Mike would outsource the procurement. Many scavengers would search for recyclable parts in the car graveyard, and we would buy them from them at low prices. There was also the street channel, where parts were cheaper, but that channel has now been cut off."

Old Fury said, "The profit of a modified car is about $200 to $8000. There is no shortage of buyers for high-performance cars, but some ordinary vehicles are basically only bought by poor people who don't have money. The profit is relatively low, but the revenue is stable."

"I also have a car repair shop in the city, so I know how this industry operates. Nothing else needs to be changed; we can just continue with the old model. I don't really care too much about how much profit I make, because I have more profitable channels and businesses. I will also bring in more people to help and try to expand the scale further," Zhang Ailun pondered.

"Then you'd better find some hardworking and reliable people, and also some who are a bit daring. After all, the security here is not as good as in Los Angeles. People often have conflicts over parts and business deals," Old Fu Rui said.

"Isn't one RPG enough?" Zhang Ailun retorted.

Look at my current street rank, my equipment inventory is full of high-level gear.

Do you really think this is my first time here? I don't even have a pistol, and I'm utterly shocked by the outlaws' behavior here.

Now, after only three days apart, we should look at each other with new eyes. I even have fighter jets now. What can these people use to fight me?

A dimensional reduction attack!!

"That's enough..." Old Fury was speechless.

After briefly explaining what was going on here, Zhang Ailun sent a message to Qibatu, informing him that he had found him a helper to quickly assemble the A10.

Qibatu did not refuse, after all, many hands make light work. One person with several assistants would have too much work to do, and even with the help of professional machinery, it would not be possible to complete the task in a short time.

He was exhausted after staying up all night.

I also sent Zhang Ailun a photo.

It consisted of modules for the A10's turbofan engines and generator set wiring, as well as control circuit boards for the cockpit. The wiring had basically been pre-routed, and the densely packed circuits left the chief engineer completely bewildered, unable to understand what they were used for.

To be honest, even if you had the parts and detailed aircraft blueprints right in front of you, most people couldn't put them together properly. It takes professionals to do professional work. The worst thing would be missing a couple of screws – that would be a disaster!

Zhang Ailun: Well done. It has to be you!

Qibatu: This is an incorrect example; the correct way is like this.

Another picture was sent.

Zhang Ailun: ...?

Why are you standing here?

He couldn't see any difference either.

Zhang Ailun: I may not understand it, but I can deduct your salary.

Qibatu: Boss, I was wrong! If you don't understand, I can teach you!

Zhang Ailun: No need. If I can't learn it, how many years will I live? This skill is useless to me anyway. I'll learn it when brain-computer interfaces are invented and information can be transmitted with a single click.

Qibatu: That's such a pity. I guess you'll have to wait until your next life. You'll never experience the charm of machinery and the sense of accomplishment from assembling it! It's getting late, I need to catch up on my sleep. There are still so many parts to assemble.

He left the chat without giving the leader any face.

Zhang Ailun silently put away his phone. "While I can't experience the allure of mechanics, I can appreciate the joy of driving. I'll get a license sometime."

You haven't experienced the charm of this woman yet! It's fragrant, soft, warm, and smooth.

What are you pretending to be, you stinky sheet metal worker! You're so annoying!

The leader also informed Dominic that he had received news about Mike's recycling station and asked him to find outstanding Beggar Clan disciples to take over the work.

Dominic was used to this, after all, the Grand Master had money and could buy whatever he wanted.

Zhang Ailun: If the police come to inquire about the situation, just say that we already reached a deal with the former boss yesterday and don't know much about his current situation or whereabouts. It would be best to spray our graffiti outside; that would also avoid a lot of trouble. Maybe the loan companies on the street will also come to inquire about the situation.

Dominic: OK.

The graffiti by Louis-Louis XIX is quite significant in the 19th arrondissement, given that the homeless people seen everywhere on the streets, apart from those who are alone, are mostly members of the organization.

After arranging his affairs, Zhang Ailun drove away from the suburban modification shop and headed to downtown Los Angeles. He returned to Los Angeles around 10 p.m.

During this time, he also received a message from Parker's boss, informing him that the whale auction was about to begin and many people had already arrived, hoping to see him.

Zhang Ailun: Don't worry, I will never break my promise to others. I am in the city right now and can bring people over to participate at any time.

Parker: I've got the tickets ready.

Seeing his enthusiasm, Zhang Ailun understood his difficulties and drove to Old Pick's Auto Repair Shop. He parked the Wrangler in the backyard, found the technical supervisor, and retrieved the keys to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

We got into a luxury car and headed to the location of the whale auction. We stopped at the entrance and saw Mr. Parker looking around, having been waiting for quite a while.

Zhang Ailun got out of the car and greeted him. Boss Parker was overjoyed and rushed over to greet him, "Hello, Mr. Jin, I've finally waited for you."

"Why do I feel like I'm the sucker? Rushing to give you money?" Zhang Ailun joked.

"Not at all, I just think you have a better chance of winning my company. I treat everyone at the auction equally!" Mr. Parker said earnestly, though it was a completely insincere answer.

(End of this chapter)