Chapter 2:
Mr. Fox was somewhat renowned on this street; he belonged to the category of people with 'ability'. He was willing to assist the poor by lending them money to tide over their difficulties.
Of course, he wasn't purely altruistic; he expected kindness in return from the poor, perhaps more than just the principal sum.
But overall, he was a good man, possibly, maybe, more or less.
In an underground office, Lin Qi met Mr. Fox, a man who appeared to be around thirty-six or thirty-seven years old, give or take forty.
He was dressed in this year's most fashionable deep gray suit with red and blue dots. The collar was adorned with a red and blue silk scarf, somewhat informal yet still quite elegant.
Before Lin Qi arrived, Mr. Fox had already heard from his subordinates about the young man's unusual nature, such as the words he had spoken earlier, which piqued his curiosity.
"Aren't you afraid of me?" He ordered his subordinate to push Lin Qi into a chair opposite the office desk. "There are very few people on this street who aren't afraid of me."
Lin Qi showed no trace of fear; such a situation was trivial to him. He shrugged and countered, "Mr. Fox, would you harm me?"
This question momentarily stunned Mr. Fox. He pondered seriously and then shook his head. "I usually don't actively harm anyone, but if you do something unfriendly first..."
Harming anyone without reason is foolish; it firstly tarnishes one's own image, and secondly, aimless actions like these attract the attention of investigative bureaus.
Most people were looking for money, not trouble, and Mr. Fox was no exception.
"That's right, then why should I be afraid?" Lin Qi's composed face and smile made Mr. Fox momentarily puzzled.
He glanced at his assistant and then refocused his gaze on Lin Qi's face. "But my people say you've been watching me these past few days. Perhaps you can tell me why? Are you from the Bureau?"
Before Lin Qi arrived, they had searched him but found nothing to prove his identity. Coupled with his attire, which didn't match the style of the Bureau, Fox didn't believe he was an investigator from the Bureau.
This was also what intrigued him. For some time now, this young man had been eyeing his business, that laundry shop. He had also inquired about the young man's identity out of curiosity and caution, resulting in this scene.
He really wanted to know what Lin Qi was up to.
He picked up the notebook from Lin Qi's pocket, flipped through a few pages filled with incomprehensible content. He asked his university graduate assistant, who also didn't recognize the symbols written inside.
The warmth of Lin Qi's smile on his face made Mr. Fox feel... somewhat uneasy. It was like... he didn't know how to describe it, it was like being cared for.
"It's like this, Mr. Fox, I noticed the business of the laundry shop and some of your minor troubles, and I believe you have investigated me and know the problems I am currently facing..."
Mr. Fox nodded, emphasizing, "Poverty!"
Lin Qi pointed to the ceiling, diverting Mr. Fox's attention and regaining control of the conversation. "You're right. That's why I need to get out of the financial crisis quickly. I want to do some business with you."
Suddenly, everyone in the office burst into laughter - Mr. Fox, his assistant, and two rather intimidating men, all laughed heartily.
Lin Qi, without embarrassment, looked at Mr. Fox. After they had laughed for about thirty seconds or so, he asked, "This isn't a joke."
Mr. Fox laughed again. While laughing, he asked, "But I don't see any business we could do between us..." His laughter naturally stopped, and then he frowned. "You want to borrow money?"
Lin Qi shook his head. "No, business, Mr. Fox!"
Mr. Fox had enough of laughter. His inherent curiosity and desire for knowledge urged him to continue the conversation, at least until he knew the answer or lost interest.
"So, what business do you want to do with me?" He asked with interest.
Lin Qi's confident and sunny smile easily garnered favor, "I can provide more loose change, nickels, dimes, quarters, and fifty-cent coins, all in coins, both old and new..."
Mr. Fox's face underwent a sudden change; a hint of something chilling emanated from his slightly narrowed eyes. If one were to interpret that gaze, it was undoubtedly menacing.
"Do you know what I'm doing?" he couldn't resist, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "You're quite bold!"
Lin Qi remained unfazed. "If I'm not afraid of being poor, why would I fear anything else?"
The two locked eyes for a moment. It seemed that this individual named Lin Qi was indeed audacious, and his words also sparked some genuine interest in Mr. Fox.
Certain industries operated in a gray area; for instance, the financial company he was currently managing wasn't entirely legal. Not only was he under scrutiny by the investigative bureau, but also the federal tax bureau.
He needed to legitimately declare the money he had through certain channels without attracting too much attention. The laundry shop served as a great channel for this purpose.
No one bothered about the origin of each coin, nor did they have a clue about their source. Essentially, all the laundry shops across the entire Baylor Federation() were controlled by these individuals.
However, they faced a common problem: it was too slow!
The middle and upper class had their washing machines; they didn't need to send clothes to the street for washing. Only the poor would do that.
But the poor would often accumulate a week's worth of clothes before coming to wash, and they would wash everything at once.
Therefore, people like Mr. Fox deliberately introduced a new charging standard based on weight, but it was still not enough. They couldn't force everyone to wash clothes every day; doing so would only attract the attention of the investigative and tax bureaus, which was Mr. Fox's biggest headache.
Despite having a safe full of money, he couldn't take it out. That feeling was just terrible!
Now, this individual in front of him claimed that he knew how to solve this problem, which has sparked some interest in Mr. Fox. "How do you intend to do it?"
Lin Qi didn't hold back and openly disclosed his method. He couldn't hide it, regardless of his current status and position. Mr. Fox's curiosity was unstoppable, so Lin Qi thought it'd be better to be forthright and show his sincerity.
"I'll gather a large number of coins to sell to you in exchange for a portion of the fee, and my income will be the difference between that."
Mr. Fox glanced at his assistant, who muttered something in his ear for a while. Then, with a furrowed brow, he asked, "How much do you want?"
Lin Qi's enthusiastic smile made Mr. Fox feel that inexplicable sensation again, like... he didn't know how to describe it, like being loved.
"Ten percent!" Lin Qi said firmly.
"Are you insane?" Mr. Fox couldn't help but exclaim. "I'd rather wait slowly!"
He couldn't accept ten percent. When the transaction amount was a buck, it was just ten cents. But when the transaction amount reached hundreds of thousands or millions, it would be a considerable figure that would make him distressed.
Lin Qi didn't immediately negotiate with him but raised a new question, "Mr. Fox, do you have the Trade Report() here?"
The Trade Report was one of the largest newspapers issued by the Baylor Federation, covering all seventeen states and regions. Its content mainly focused on national and international financial trends, as well as local economic changes.
During this series of "confrontations," Mr. Fox gradually lost his initiative. He glanced at his assistant, who nodded, indicating that they had it.
Although their business wasn't entirely appropriate, their work was indeed closely related to finance.
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