Chapter 73:
The two walked through the warehouse area, where goods were piled up like mountains. Mr. Fox, looking at the vast array of things, felt both happy and somewhat troubled.
These items couldn't be stacked together. They didn't have uniform specifications. If they were to be stacked, supports had to be built first frames for each item to ensure they wouldn't be crushed under the weight.
This would require a considerable amount of money, along with various labor and mechanical costs. After stacking them together, retrieving one item would also be a massive undertaking.
In the end, they could only be laid out flat in the vast warehouse space. At most, some smaller items could be placed on top of things that could withstand the pressure.
From tables and chairs to various artworks, oil paintings, and many other things, the warehouse contained almost everything a person might need in a lifetime. Lin Qi even saw a set of silver tableware with ivory handles, delicately arranged in a large box, giving a very pleasing aesthetic.
Perhaps noticing Lin Qi's gaze, Mr. Fox smiled and said, "This was brought in by an old woman. She said it was a gift from her son when she retired. However, this year, her son's business ran into some trouble, and he urgently needed money, so..."
Lin Qi nodded, not because he could understand, but because he knew that everyone that appeared here was in desperate need of money. Regardless of their reasons, their purpose in coming here was the same.
"I gave her 1,700 bucks for this set. If you like it, you can take it home," he added, sensing that Lin Qi seemed to be quite interested. Since it was just a couple of thousand bucks worth of items, he was generously offering a rare act of kindness.
Lin Qi shook his head. "You're offering a bit too high. Ivory isn't valuable, and silver isn't either. Combining two not-so-valuable things won't suddenly make them valuable."
In this world, the land area was broader, and many untouched areas remained unharmed by human and technological destruction, preserving the natural landscapes. Ivory, strictly prohibited in another world, might be a common material of medium to high quality here, not considered rare.
Mr. Fox was a bit puzzled. He had seen similar ivory and silver tableware in some shops, priced at two or three thousand, even five thousand. He felt that offering over a thousand for this set was already a bit devoid of conscience, but unexpectedly, Lin Qi still thought it was too much.
"That old woman must have gone to an antique shop before coming here," Lin Qi commented, lifting his foot to continue walking. As he walked, he spoke, "Mr. Fox, I don't know if you have other views on your work, but I believe that work is work, and personal sentiments are private matters. They shouldn't be mixed."
"Sympathy and pity for others is your right, but we can't turn such sympathy and compassion into economic value in our business. It will cause trouble for many people."
Many leaders, when they initially rose to power, were not mature enough. They would exhibit some childishness, unable to distinguish what could be openly expressed and what couldn't.
For Mr. Fox, he might only have pitied an old woman, overvaluing the pledged item she brought in. However, this pledge agreement might not get approval from the bank, blocking a loan of around a thousand bucks for Lin Qi, affecting his income of approximately one hundred fifty to two hundred bucks.
Rolling this money up, the losses would be even greater. Mr. Fox himself would also lose a significant amount, all triggered by an overflow of sympathy.
"Mr. Fox Junior seems to have a different opinion," Lin Qi noted the indifferent expression on Mr. Fox's son's face and casually asked.
Mr. Fox looked at his son, and Mr. Fox Junior pursed his lips. "We sympathized and helped an old woman. I don't feel ashamed; on the contrary, I'm proud."
Mr. Fox's eyes lit up slightly, nodding in satisfaction. In many cases, people like him, navigating the gray areas, had a peculiar mindset. They hoped their children would be stronger, ruthless, without any weaknesses, and fearless in the face of challenges. Yet, at the same time, they wanted their children to be kind, friendly, like angels.
Perhaps this was the complexity of human nature. Facing his son's words, Mr. Fox was satisfied and turned to Lin Qi. Not a provocation, he was just curious about how Lin Qi would respond.
Lin Qi smiled, "I respect your attitude toward the world, but first, we need to understand if this world is truly as we see it."
"First, a family that can afford such tableware won't be in trouble that can be solved by pledging a set of ivory and silver tableware. If one or two thousand bucks could solve their problems, they wouldn't need to approach a financial company."
This statement caught Mr. Fox and his son off guard. They had overlooked this small detail. A family able to afford several thousand bucks for tableware wouldn't be in a situation where they could only overcome difficulties by pledging something worth a thousand or two.
This was similar to the cooperation between Mr. Fox and Lin Qi. The reason why Mr. Fox was initially skeptical of their collaboration was because Lin Qi couldn't bring out money they knew Lin Qi had around a hundred thousand bucks, but this amount was meaningless to Mr. Fox.
Once Lin Qi pointed this out, the expressions of the two men changed.
Lin Qi continued, holding up two fingers, "Second, it seems you haven't had someone come to verify its authenticity." Mr. Fox and Mr. Fox Junior suddenly felt embarrassed and couldn't find words to respond, ultimately nodding in agreement.
They had been extremely busy recently, with no time to deal with these matters. Moreover, for a father and son whose assets were constantly expanding, even if the item turned out to be fake, the loss wouldn't be significant it might not even be considered a loss.
At least, from helping the old woman, they gained a kind of spiritual satisfaction. Their character and soul were elevated, and even if the money wasn't recovered and the item was fake, it didn't matter.
The problem was when Lin Qi exposed it, it generated an immediate sensation akin to a child who, having thought they did a good deed, actually triggered undesirable consequences, leading to a profound sense of being at a loss.
However, they were adults; so they could only feel embarrassed.
Lin Qi continued, "A pitiful old woman, a pledged item whose authenticity we don't even know, and a story full of flaws," a touch of mockery appeared on his face, and his gaze turned to Mr. Fox Junior, "Do you still feel proud of what you've done?"
There was a brief silence between the three. Mr. Fox Junior lowered his head, and Mr. Fox pondered. After giving them some time to think, Lin Qi sighed, "From a business, work perspective, if we encounter people who need help and have the capability, then we should help them."
"Remember, we help only those genuinely in need, not scammers. In the coming days, I believe there will be many scammers attempting to send worthless items here. You better find some knowledgeable people soon; otherwise, bank loans might be hard to secure."Please vote for this novel at /series/blackstone-code/
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