Volume 3: My days in a college fraternity Chapter 150 The weed clearing business
Paradise Club, Providence.
Jim Manz paid three dollars to the front desk, and then walked into the dimly lit and messy hall. There were no dancers performing on the stage, no ambiguous music playing on the speakers, and there was not even one guest in the entire hall. Empty bottles, cigarette butts and other garbage were scattered everywhere.
He sat on a high stool in front of the bar and signaled the bartender to get him a drink. While the bartender was pouring his drink, he asked, "Am I in the wrong place, buddy? It says outside that this is a strip club. Does this mean that customers need to strip naked and then climb onto the platform to shake their butts for their own amusement?"
"It's time to go to the party. You're too late, sir." The bartender pushed the glass to Jim and said.
Jim glanced at his watch. "Two o'clock in the afternoon, too late? Rhode Island was ceded to the Soviet Union? Now it's not Eastern Time but Moscow Time? What's more ridiculous is that the front desk charged me a three-dollar ticket even though it was too late. Are you planning to let me guard this garbage for you because you're worried that it will be snatched away by homeless people in advance?"
"No need. Someone will pick up the trash, but you have to wait one to two hours for other girls to come to work. The thirty or so girls who started work last night have been taken out now. They don't have time to have fun with you, sir." After the bartender said to Jim, he shouted to the back, "Big Faith, ask those two guys who are pretending to be rich in the champagne room to come out and pick up the trash in the hall! There are guests coming!"
"You two, go to the lobby and clean up the garbage first! When the bill is paid, you will finish your work. Don't force me to do it." A bodyguard walked to the champagne room area and shouted inside.
Soon, footsteps were heard, and Tommy and Dennis walked out. Dennis cursed Tommy as he walked:
"Tommy! This is what you call hospitality! The way you treat your friends after making money is to accompany you to work as a cleaner in a place like this? If I dare to refuse, the bodyguard will immediately show me his grapefruit-like muscles?"
"Found Pam. That idiot got drunk and went to see Carly wearing my coat! My money was all in the coat! My dad was drunk in the bar and no one at home answered the phone. Luckily I made an appointment with that idiot to meet here at three o'clock. By then, let... Hey! Jim! So nice to see you! I didn't expect you to come so early." Tommy saw Jim Manz, who was standing in front of the bar with a whiskey and looking at him. He immediately smiled with relief and walked towards the bar.
The bodyguard looked at Jim gloomily: "Sir, do you know these two?"
Jim looked at Tommy, then at the bodyguard: "I'm not sure. I'm worried that I'm the idiot he wants to see, so I have to depend on his attitude to decide whether I know him. The first question is, what kind of trouble did this Tommy get into here?"
"He booked the entire club last night to entertain his high school classmates, and when he woke up he had no money to pay the extra bill." said the bodyguard.
Jim looked at Tommy, who was smiling at him warmly, and asked cautiously, "How much is the extra bill?"
"One thousand three hundred." The bodyguard gave a number.
After hearing the amount of money, Jim immediately said, "Great, I'm sure I don't know him. Take him to pick up the trash, and buy me a Polaroid camera. I'll take some photos of him and sell them to newspapers. This will definitely make a lot of money."
"Take out the money and I'll pay you back. My friend took my coat and the bad thing is I don't know which hotel he and his girlfriend booked a room in." Tommy sat next to Jim and said to the bartender, "Give me a mint cocktail. I want to sober up. This guy will pay."
Dennis also sat next to Tommy and said to the bartender: "I want..."
"What do you want? Dennis! Fuck! It's because of you, you idiot, that I'm in such a mess. If you hadn't insisted on letting all the fucking dancers in this club give you a visual feast in the champagne room, I wouldn't have to pay the extra bill! And then you humiliated me in front of Mr. Jim Manz. Go find Pam quickly! Get my coat, the wallet in my coat, my credit cards, my car keys, and the fucking Trojan back!" Tommy roared angrily when he saw Dennis preparing to sit over.
Dennis comforted Tommy without any guilt: "Tommy, calm down, we were just having fun, there's no need to lose your temper. You promised to do it again next week, but you will keep your promise, right? In fact, I didn't have time to check the health of the other two dancers. I was so drunk that I couldn't lift my arms. I will definitely be able to do it next week..."
"Brother, if you can't find Pam and my wallet, I'm going to sell you to California next week to make a little movie with a guy named Jason to fuck Mexicans and make money for me!" Tommy glared at Dennis and cursed.
Hearing Tommy's words, Dennis asked in surprise, "Fuck Mexicans? Not bad, there are a few Mexican chicks in the community college who look pretty good. Are you sure you don't need to pay for it? And you can even make money?"
"I've been in California for so long that I forgot you're a fucking Warwick country boy like me. Yes, Dennis, if you find your wallet, you'll have a chance to meet Mexicans." Seeing Dennis's reaction, Tommy said weakly.
Dennis clapped his hands excitedly and walked quickly out the door, not forgetting to show off to the club's bodyguard: "Cool! Did you hear that? I'm going to California to fuck Mexican chicks!"
After Dennis left, Tommy took the cocktail handed over by the bartender and sniffed the mint leaves on the edge of the glass, letting the cool smell rush straight to his brain through his nose. Then he shook his head and said, "It's hard to imagine that I have made so much money and become a rich man, but I can only feel truly happy when I hang out with two stupid companions in this kind of club where only poor people come."
"You said you would introduce me to some congressmen. That's why I came to this rural place from New York. I know some congressmen have contacted you, especially those from Florida and Massachusetts." Jim looked at Tommy. "So, you're not going to introduce me to some congressmen in a place like this, right?"
"One thousand three hundred dollars, lend it to me first, and I will definitely return it to you. It's not a pleasant feeling to be watched by bodyguards all over the place." Tommy smiled at Jim.
Jim cursed, took out the credit card from his wallet and handed it to the bodyguard. After the bodyguard settled the bill, Tommy breathed a sigh of relief: "I contacted you mainly for a small business..."
"The main reason I'm willing to come here is because of the congressman. Only a fool would be interested in the small business you mentioned. Listen, Tommy, I have a good impression of you. You're young and smart, but the banking business is not something you can play with, do you understand? It's not a new thing like software. Those rich old guys don't understand the software industry, but they definitely know how to play the banking industry. Every banking business you're interested in is equivalent to stealing business from other banks. Since I'm telling you so sincerely why you can't do this kind of business, please introduce the congressmen to me. National Review needs them, and I need them." Jim interrupted Tommy impatiently and began to advise him.
Tommy nodded slightly at Jim's serious expression, "This idea makes me look stupid, right?"
"That's right. Before, you were a high-class lady that I found somewhat sexually interesting, understand? You were dressed sexy, fashionable, and skilled in moves. Now you're probably just a street girl. If you do it once, you might even have to worry about getting sick. You'll have to get injections of various anti-inflammatory drugs to protect your lower body." Jim took out a cigarette, lit it, and said to Tommy:
"You can certainly do whatever you like, but I won't. I just want to get to know more politicians and expand my network. You owe me one, remember? I helped you."
"I remember that you owed me one. I helped you create an opportunity for revenge. You should thank me." Tommy picked up the cocktail, took a sip, and said with a smile.
Jim sighed irritably, "Now I know how annoying I am in other people's eyes. Thank you, Tommy, you are like a caring mirror. Anyway, I am not interested in listening to your business. It is a shithole, and you don't have enough money to protect yourself. Why don't you talk about the chick you fucked when you called me? Maybe I will be more interested."
"I said, I didn't sleep with women. That was the sound of money mating." Tommy defended himself again.
Jim glanced at Tommy. "Then why did you pull up your pants?"
"Because I was sitting on the toilet with the radio on," Tommy said.
Hearing this guy's lame excuse that he couldn't even be bothered to make up, Jim exhaled smoke: "That's a good excuse, quite creative. Is there a woman's voice on the radio?"
"Bob, who helps me sell software, asked me to help solve a difficult problem. He has a toilet paper storage box with a radio function. The sales are very poor, but the manufacturer is willing to pay enough advertising fees. When he called to congratulate me on the sales of my new book, he asked me if there was any way to increase sales. I said it was very simple. Let the manufacturer set up an adult radio station, and then spread it covertly to the high school boys to help them masturbate in the toilet. Adults use the toilet much less than teenagers. We were all teenagers and we all know what we would do when we hide in the toilet. When I called you, I had just received the product sent by Bob and was sitting on the toilet to experience it." Tommy said, looking at the wine glass in his hand.
After listening to it, Jim nodded noncommittally: "It really is the sound of money mating. I guess you are not providing sales ideas for free."
Tommy didn't continue talking about the radio, but directly talked about his own small business: "I don't want to rob the bank's business, I just want to pick up the business that the banking industry has abandoned. After the credit card abuse incident a few years ago, the government and the financial industry have improved the financial regulatory regulations. This has led to many poor people who don't pay back their credit cards being included in the high default risk blacklist. Banks will not open their accounts or issue them credit cards. Do you know how many groups of people are refused any services by traditional financial institutions? Millions of people, low-income people, alcoholics, drug addicts, bankrupts, homeless people, cheap prostitutes... These people were high-quality customers in the eyes of banking institutions. Those banks didn't even do basic audits. In order to increase the issuance volume, they sent them various credit cards like snowflakes. Then when they found that they were unable to repay the money after swiping the cards, they blamed the poor people and put them directly on the blacklist. These people... We want to give them a chance to be reborn..."
"Let's get to the point. I'm not one of those moms in Florida, Tommy. Just tell me how your little bank makes money from the poor." Jim interrupted Tommy and asked pointedly.
Tommy picked up a cigarette from the pack and put it between his lips and lit it. "Community Development Bank, Community Credit Union, Savings and Loan Union...or whatever you call it. It doesn't matter. I've checked the information. There is no such bank to help the poor in the United States. Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi professor at Tennessee State University, came up with this thing in his home country last year. He specifically lends money to the poor who are rejected by traditional banks. Then he divides the borrowers into groups of five, collects the loans lent to them every week, and then lends them more money than last week. The next week, he collects the money again, and repeats this cycle over and over again. If someone fails to repay the loan on time, the loss can be stopped immediately in a week, and the interest and loss will be evenly shared among the other four people. When the other four people borrow money again, the interest will be higher than before, and the amount will be lower. In this way, they can urge each other to avoid bad debts."
After listening to Tommy's introduction, Jim was silent for half a cigarette before he looked at the wine cabinet opposite and muttered, "NoNoNoNo~~ This introduction is totally wrong. It's just a superficial appearance, a superficial appearance to earn some reputation at most, just like when you announced that OSS was free. You definitely don't want just this much, because if that was all you wanted, you wouldn't have asked me to come."
Tommy put his arm on the bar, half turned his body and looked at Jim with a half smile. Jim put out the cigarette butt in the ashtray, exhaled the last puff of smoke and looked at Tommy, and continued his speculation: "Soldiers, poor people, black people... There is no need to distinguish between poor people and black people. Most black people are fucking poor. I can understand soldiers. Many soldiers have encountered troubles due to the abuse of credit cards. Although they are not blacklisted because of their military status, they don't like credit cards. I can understand poor people. They are tools for you to gain a good reputation, but why do you mention black people specifically? I haven't figured it out."
"There has been a wave of entrepreneurship among black people in California recently, and the entrepreneurship is mainly concentrated in hot industries such as cocaine and marijuana. I plan to focus my business on California, and will not expand into other states in the first few years. The main business outlets will be located near major black communities in California, hiring black employees and lending money to those black people who are interested in starting a business. Did you know that once they succeed in their business, they will become very, very rich. Everyone will drive a cool muscle car, wear shiny necklaces and rings, and even their fucking teeth will be inlaid with diamonds. It's such a waste of money in the hands of those people. How about we spend it for them? We can also gain a good reputation." Tommy spoke softly at the side, as if talking about something very beautiful.
Jim's eyes widened slowly. He stared at Tommy, the fat on his face trembling, and his eyes gradually sparkled as he spoke: "... lend money to black people, and then find a way to tell them how to find a place to launder money while avoiding getting into trouble, and then let them deposit the laundered money in a trustworthy bank, that is, our bank, and even trick those idiots into buying the junk pink sheet stocks or funds we have prepared long ago through our bank, and successfully turn his money into our money with a bunch of worthless waste paper. After that, the black man may die from another rival who has risen by borrowing money. Of course, it doesn't matter whether he dies or not. Death is the best. After he dies, it will be extremely difficult for him to withdraw his money again... The United States does not have such a financial institution, which means there is a lot of room for regulation. You just need to get some approvals at the California level, and then design the contract for non-personal withdrawals more complicated, and the money belonging to the black people will just lie in the account for our use... I get excited just thinking about it. There are so many black entrepreneurs in the United States who need help! This is definitely a great cause!"
"It's more meaningful for us to lend the money to other people in need rather than letting it be spent by street blacks who only know how to inlay their genitals with gold. By the way, we are also helping California clean up the garbage. This is definitely a charitable cause. The United States and California should give us a Morality Award." Tommy said to Jim with a smile.
"Those niggers have relied on our bank to make their fortunes step by step, so they trust us very much. But they don't understand that, in fact, from the moment they make a lot of money, every sum of money we lend to other black people is constantly pushing them into death. If these black people can't resist the temptation, they will be like weeds, and we will cut them one after another, and then grow another batch after another. We don't need to do anything, just lend them money, in the name of helping black people. You, a guy, make me look at you in a new light, Tommy, you can always find some loopholes in the imperfect American system to show your skills." Jim also laughed:
"The fact that America has you is the fucking luck of the Soviet Union. Maybe after the Soviet Union occupies the White House, they will even award you a Soviet Hero Gold Star Medal."
Seeing Jim's expression, Tommy immediately said, "I'm responsible for the poor and the soldiers, and you're responsible for the blacks."
"Fuck! You should really look at your own face right now. I just got tempted and you poured a bucket of cold urine on me to wake me up!" Jim cursed immediately.
Tommy said frankly, "I am a member of SSD. SSD has very deep connections in the military. It is easier for me to deal with the military than you. I have also proved my charm among the poor. Moreover, I will provide installment loans to the poor to buy computers to ensure the initial business volume. The only problem left is the black man. You should thank me for helping you share your work."
"What have the poor black people ever done to you? Tommy, your methods are more brutal than what Hitler did to the Jews. Hitler only killed the Jews, but he didn't lend them money like this. The rising stars in the industry stepped on the corpses of the big bosses in the industry to replace them, killing each other, and then left their inheritance to you." Jim licked his lips and asked curiously.
Tommy shook his head. "Who knows? This kind of disgust is innate. Maybe it's because I was a happy rich man in my previous life. I was just shopping with my girlfriend, and I was shot to death by a black man for no reason."
"This reason is even more exaggerated than the one on the radio." Jim shrugged. "I think you must have been a poor white man born in Africa in your previous life, and you were fucked by black people many times, so you hate them so much in this life."
"I think so," said Tommy.
"I want a bigger share, Tommy." Jim was silent for a long time before he spoke seriously: "10% is not enough to overcome my guilt towards those black people."
"I only have 50% in total, and I have generously given you 10%. Do you think that only the two of us can do this kind of business? I also have a rich classmate who took the other 50%. Of course, he won't keep it all for himself. His grandfather was a New York gentleman and his father was a California gentleman. I need his family connections and reputation, understand? He is responsible for solving the problems when other banks or gentlemen see that we have grown stronger and want to cause trouble for us, such as transferring some shares and coexisting peacefully. On my side, I need to independently deal with some California politicians to cover us, and then bribe some powerful black people in California to help stand up for us, such as calling on Nobel to award us the Peace Prize. Maybe after we grow stronger, I may only have 20% left, and you can still have 10%, but 30% is enough to hold it firmly in your hands, as long as you don't betray Lotus like you did. 15% is my bottom line, no more, you are only worth this much in my heart now." Tommy gave Jim the final price he could give.
Jim first signaled the bartender in the distance to refill his glass. After the bartender took the glass away, he said to Tommy, "It's hard to say, Tommy. If you become an idiot like them one day, I will definitely do that."
"I can guarantee that even if I think with my butt, I would never do the same thing as they did," Tommy said affirmatively.
Taking the whiskey from the bartender, Jim asked, "Why don't you just do all this yourself? I mean, you don't need me. You can do it yourself and save 15%."
"I want to study, and I have always wanted to run a black TV station. I prefer to be kind to others. I want to help my black friends build a TV station that can enrich their entertainment lives. And if it succeeds, I can also advertise for banks for free." Tommy said with a smile.
Jim twirled his glass and laughed when he heard Tommy's words: "Black TV, if you hadn't told me what you just said, I would have thought you were a friend of black people, Tommy."
"Can I take this as an acceptance of my invitation?" Tommy turned around and asked, holding his glass.
Jim also turned around and looked at Tommy, nodding his head: "Of course, of course I fucking accept it. I can't wait to see the expressions of those financial gentlemen when this small bank enters Wall Street many years later."
"Cheers to those gentlemen." Tommy raised his glass and said to Jim.
Jim raised his glass and clinked it with Tommy's. "Here's to the weeds that make us money and automatically clean up the weeds."
