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Chapter 37: Some People Have Pointed the Way for Us
In the morning, after exchanging more than seven thousand bucks in change, Lynch received a call from Mr. Fox. The latter wished to meet and discuss matters ahead.
After some consideration, Lynch agreed to Mr. Fox's invitation.
Shortly afterward, at a somewhat remote farm, Lynch met Mr. Fox. Today, Mr. Fox was not dressed in expensive attire; instead, he wore a set of blue-gray denim clothes and rubber overalls. When Lynch met him, he was just carrying a large stack of hay into the stable. The weather was getting hotter, and under the sun, the horse and cow manure, possibly from other animals too, emitted a strong odor, yet Mr. Fox showed no sign of discomfort.
After waiting for seven or eight minutes, Mr. Fox emerged from the stable, apologizing.
After the two walked to a shaded area behind the stable, Mr. Fox rinsed the dirt off his rubber overalls with a water hose, expressing some nostalgia, "Before I entered this industry, both my father and I believed I would be an outstanding farmer."
His face carried a reminiscing expression. More than twenty years ago, he wasn't the respected Mr. Fox that everyone knew now; he was just Fox boy from the countryside.
At that time, he had just gotten married, and the economic fruits of Baylor Federation's accumulation over many years began to explosively manifest. As every sector experienced immense growth, many extolled the virtues of the city, as if it were a place filled with money, where bending down a little could make one a big boss in no time.
The entire society was filled with this kind of sentiment. Mr. Fox also wanted a better future for his wife and child. After discussing with his family, he, along with other friends, embarked on a journey to the city.
Today, some had achieved fame and success, while others merely existed in people's memories.
Undoubtedly, Mr. Fox was counted among the more fortunate individuals. It's a common trait of human nature to reflect on the past after achieving some level of success. However, there are those who reminisce not out of triumph, but because their present lives are fraught with pain, yearning for the carefree days of yesteryears.
Yet, some reminisce about the past solely to highlight their current success.
As for Mr. Fox's nostalgia and his hobby of working on the farm, Lynch thought the latter might be more prevalent, a way to attain a certain satisfaction.
After rinsing off the overalls, with the help of others, Mr. Fox removed the stuffy attire. Alone in the pasture, he and Lynch aimlessly wandered, discussing some thoughts.
"Michael returned to Sabin City around four in the morning today. Be cautious; he has a bad temper and can be impulsive. Don't give him any chance." Mr. Fox said, chuckling. "Of course, this is just a small reminder. I believe you're smarter than him."
This was valuable information. If Lynch had encountered Michael without prior knowledge, it could have led to some minor accidents. Now, armed with this information, he had sufficient time to prepare for the forthcoming confrontation with Michael.
Lynch had never feared Michael, the licensed individual. If the other party hadn't tried to cause trouble three times in a row, he wouldn't have conflicted with an investigation team leader.
Seeing Lynch nod solemnly, Mr. Fox knew he had been heard. Then he continued, "There are two other things. Firstly, about what I mentioned before—everyone in the city, even in neighboring cities, knows how to legally deposit money in banks now. Do you think this might impact our business?"
"What I mean is, if everyone does this, will our source of income be cut off?" He spoke cautiously. During this period, his life had improved. He had "acquired" two more laundromats on his son's suggestion, raising their standards. He had even produced registered payment receipts. Everyone knew that those willing to pay tens of bucks for laundry at his shops were his people. However, until there was concrete evidence, no one could claim his actions were illegal.
Through certain channels, he even heard some higher-ups' perspectives on what was happening in Sabin City—those big shots considered it a good thing. At least those so-called financial companies also understood one crucial point: even if their business was illegal, they still had to pay taxes.
However, there were also some people who felt that such actions were somewhat inappropriate and those illegal activities shouldn't be allowed this way. Allowing them to continue in this manner could be seen as a form of condoning crime, ultimately impacting the ordinary people who sought help from them.
Some things could be said privately, but it was challenging for them to become reality. Eventually, efforts would be made to stop the constant emergence of "problems" in Sabin City and its surrounding areas.
"Besides that matter, there's another issue. How do you think I can legalize my business?" Mr. Fox paused momentarily. This was a problem he urgently needed to resolve. As long as the problem of his rate of return was significantly higher than the minimum standard set by the federal government wasn't solved, he wouldn't be truly at peace.
He looked at Lynch expectantly. Lynch merely smiled, took the lead, and walked forward. He was followed closely by Mr. Fox.
"You don't need to worry about the first issue. Unable to convert small changes, we have plenty of other ways to solve that problem. You know, pioneers always lead, and those who come later won’t be able to catch up. So, no need to worry about that," Lynch reassured.
"As for the second issue, there's currently no perfect solution. I believe it's not because the people born during these years are all idiots that there hasn't been a single process that could effectively resolve this problem for many years!"
"But you can adopt the banking methods temporarily to deal with the current situation..."
Initially disappointed, Mr. Fox suddenly became interested upon hearing of an indirect solution. "Banking methods... What method?"
"Mortgage." Lynch tapped the wooden fence at the edge of the farm. This wood had stood here for ten or more years, perhaps even longer, now rotting away. Although it looked unchanged from the outside, when Lynch's hand tapped it, it instantly fell apart.
Greyish wood dust settled on the ground. As Lynch stared at the completely rotten wood, his eyes seemed to lose focus, as if he were looking at something else.
Mr. Fox didn't interrupt but waited quietly. After approximately twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight, maybe thirty seconds, Lynch snapped back to reality.
"Apologies, I lost track. Where was I?"
"You were talking about using the banking method as a temporary measure to deal with the current situation!"
"Yes, that's it..." Lynch took control again, continuing forward. Mr. Fox followed closely. In the distance, Mr. Fox's son looked at the two men strangely. In his eyes, his father, the renowned Mr. Fox, seemed to have become an attendant to Lynch, following his lead.
Of course, the parties involved didn't feel this way. Lynch was still explaining the methods to Mr. Fox.
In fact, banks had long provided a practical method: they devalued items worth a hundred bucks to fifty bucks as collateral. It could be said that they were evading risks, but one could also argue that they were consuming wealth.
Shorter durations, lower valuations, coupled with seemingly reasonable interest rates—they merely disguised their gluttony quite well.
But for someone like Mr. Fox, who cared little about appearances, it was easier to solve.
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Oh my lord, will they pump a housing bubble?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the translations~