Chapter 182

After Imperial Precinct Chief Bruce left, he returned to the bank with a somewhat grim expression.

The assistant was standing in a corner chatting with a young man. Seeing Mr. Jobav return, he quickly parted ways with the young man and walked over alone.

“I know his father and have some dealings with their family, but he refused to tell me what’s happening, only that they plan to make an investment.”

“An investment?” Mr. Jobav’s expression changed. He and his assistant returned to his office.

He wouldn’t leave here until this storm was over. After having his secretary bring coffee, he savored the fine brew and asked in a mocking tone, “What do they know about investing?”

During this time, he had witnessed some of the true faces of the Federation’s upper class. While it shocked him, it also made him feel fortunate to have finally entered this circle.

So now, although he was no different from before, his self-perception and his positioning in the social hierarchy had been newly defined.

This also made him somewhat scornful of the “common man’s investment” his assistant mentioned. Common people were merely God’s lambs; what could they possibly know about investing?

The assistant’s mood had also eased a bit. “It’s unclear. They said for one hundred dollars, after three months, you can get back one hundred and thirty, principal and interest included.”

A ten percent monthly return. Mr. Jobav’s first thought was that it was impossible, but then he thought it might not be.

Loan sharking and the financial industry were the two fastest-growing sectors right now. What was a ten percent monthly interest rate? In the financial sector, assets doubling overnight had happened before.

However, considering so many people were involved, he became somewhat interested. “What kind of investment? Is it reliable?”

This question was clearly the opposite of what he had just said. The assistant didn’t notice this. “Not too sure.”

No one knew how much money Mr. Jobav actually had, not even his assistant.

No one could guess a banker’s net worth based on some data. Even if Mr. Jobav was out of money now, he could apply for a loan from his own bank and then approve his own loan. As long as it followed procedure, the bank’s money was his… borrowed money.

His fingers tapped on the armrest. Since siding with the mayor last September or October, he had already spent hundreds of thousands, one way or another.

This sum had already made him feel the strain. The only reason he could still hold on was the bit of confidence the depositors’ money in the bank gave him.

If he couldn’t find a way to make money soon, and the mayor’s demands were endless, then even if he could barely maintain things, it would be difficult to last for long.

He had even been planning to get into the loan-sharking business recently. With the mayor’s protection, in this city, even if loan sharking wasn’t legal, it wouldn’t be illegal either!

But if possible, he would rather not break the law.

What he was actually more concerned about was the money-making method these people were talking about.

Time ticked away in this state of waiting. It wasn’t until after two in the afternoon that the number of people coming to withdraw money dwindled, and order in the bank returned to normal.

The assistant walked over with a tabulated form and placed it on the desk.

This document recorded the total amount of money withdrawn today and whose accounts they belonged to.

At first, he wasn’t too concerned. He felt that… even if a ten percent monthly return was indeed not low, such investments must carry risks, and these people shouldn’t be so blind.

But when he saw the neat “0.00” balances next to most of the accounts, his expression grew serious.

By the time he reached the bottom of the list, he was already looking grim.

“Two hundred and seventy thousand withdrawn?” His hand gripped the edge of the form so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The assistant didn’t notice this, but he too was shocked by the number. Just as he was about to say something more, someone knocked on the door and said from the outside, “Mr. Jobav, someone wants to take out a loan.”

Jinda Bank had its own loan department and office, as well as a “manager” specifically responsible for reviewing loans. This kind of matter didn’t need to trouble him at all.

He frowned and put down the document, gently smoothing the crumpled edge with his hand. “Tell him to go to the loan office. Hasn’t the manager arrived?”

“He’s here,” the person outside seemed to hesitate, and after three to five seconds, continued, “but there are too many people applying for loans, we can’t handle them all.”

“Many? How many?” He gave his assistant a look. The assistant opened the door, and the staff member outside had an incredulous expression. “About forty or fifty of them. It seems they came together.”

Mr. Jobav couldn’t sit still again. “Forty or fifty, came together, do they have any collateral?”

“Yes, their houses…”

The houses in the Empire District weren’t expensive, but they weren’t cheap either. Especially the apartments in good locations, which cost at least eighteen hundred to two thousand dollars.

Apartments in slightly more remote areas or blocks with poorer sanitation still cost around fifteen hundred.

It might seem unreasonable that apartments here cost seventeen or eighteen hundred, while Jonny’s (the bakery owner) detached house could only be listed for around twenty-two hundred.

This was actually related to location. Although Jonny’s house was detached, it was more remote and not as close to the bustling areas.

In contrast, the Empire District, despite being home to the lower class…

To its south was the developing new port district, to its north was the city center, and to its east was the Priliccia District, where the city’s middle class gathered.

Its transportation was very convenient, whether for going to the city center, working in the port district, providing services to the middle class in Priliccia, or going further west to work in the industrial zone.

This place was very convenient; it was the “labor heart” of the city. Forty percent of its over one hundred thousand residents were workers.

In addition, the real estate developers in the early years had tried to sell a worthless piece of land and a villa area at a high price, hyping up the “New Bay Area,” which caused the housing prices in the Empire District to rise slightly.

Seventeen or eighteen hundred was a very reasonable price.

The assistant didn’t notice Mr. Jobav’s dilemma; he was thinking about making money.

“Did you hear how long they want the loan for?”

The staff member answered truthfully, “About three to four months.”

This answer made the assistant and Mr. Jobav realize that the purpose of their loans was for that “investment” they were unwilling to disclose.

“I think we can give them the money,” the assistant shared his thoughts. “Three months isn’t long, and we can add some processing fees.”

“Within the framework of Federation law, after three months, they can bring us a profit of about ten percent, which is one hundred and twenty dollars.”

Ten people would be twelve hundred, and forty or fifty would be about five or six thousand.

If anyone failed to repay the money, the houses in the Empire District weren’t hard to sell. Seventeen or eighteen hundred would be easy, and their profits would be even greater.

But what Mr. Jobav was thinking about was how much money was left in the vault!

Spending hundreds of thousands, tens of thousands, and thousands like this, his own money was actually almost bottoming out.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be considering getting into the loan-sharking business. Now, with such a large group wanting to borrow for investments, he was becoming increasingly curious about that investment project!

He gave his assistant a look. “Go and find out, but don’t commit to anything. I’m still a little worried. Maybe this is just part of a conspiracy.”

“Many Federation banks really dislike us. We can’t give them any opportunities!”

The assistant nodded, “I understand.”

Seeing that two hundred and seventy thousand had been withdrawn, Mr. Jobav was now starting to sweat.

It wasn’t that he was out of money, or that the bank was out of money, it was just that there wasn’t that much cash left!

He had to reserve three hundred thousand for emergencies and couldn’t lend any more out.

This unexpected turn of events forced him to consider whether to start the loan-sharking business as soon as possible. He knew this business was not easy, and he lacked the manpower.

But he could talk to Lance. If Lance was willing to partner up, he would provide the money, Lance would provide the people, and they would split the profits fifty-fifty. He believed Lance would agree.

After all, the mayor only gave him thirty percent, and he agreed, didn’t he?

Lance had no idea that his plan to get rich with everyone had nearly caused Mr. Jobav and his Jinda Bank to close down due to a bank run.

Even now, it was very unsafe. But even if he knew, he could only say he was sorry.

Everyone hopes to be the owner of a luxury car on the road of life, not a passenger riding in the trunk. Lance’s car was already refueling and about to start racing down the road of life.

At this moment, it was unlikely that anyone could stop him.

In the evening, a sales representative from Liji, one of the three major agricultural product distributors in the Federation, appeared in a high-end room of a hotel at the port. Lance was also there, along with a few people from the chamber of commerce.

Liji had an office at the docks, and Lance had found out that the manager of this office was himself a senior partner in the company and owned three-thousandths of the company’s stock, giving his words some weight.

So his first choice was the Liji Group, a business group that directly connected farmers and customers, handling all the intermediate processes.

They were once accused of being a monopoly because they internally graded the Federation’s agricultural products and then purchased them according to their own rules.

In the past, they had almost monopolized the agricultural products in most regions of the Federation. Farmers in some remote areas had no choice but to accept their unreasonable prices.

The situation improved slightly only after new, powerful competitors emerged, but only slightly.

There were also rumors that the core shareholders behind the three major agricultural distributors were the same group of people.

These three companies jointly set the standards for agricultural products and then continued to purchase them according to their standards. Although the farmers were still dissatisfied, it was much better than before, as they felt the current prices were fairer.

The capitalists and consortiums of the Federation loved to do this. Anyway, antitrust measures were just for show for the common people; as long as they could fool them, it was fine.

You say my rules are a monopoly and sue me?

No problem. Now I have two other selves. I will discuss with my two selves how much to pay you. This is democracy, right?

The Liji manager’s name was Lainey. His black hair, typical mixed-race features, clean-shaven chin, and sharp suit made him look very “elite.”

After a simple handshake, everyone sat down separately.

“Mr. Lance, I have long heard of your reputation. This is our first time meeting. You are younger and more imposing than I imagined.”

“Vice President Vaughn never spares his praise when speaking of you.”

This “big shot” was introduced by Vice President Vaughn. Although Vice President Vaughn was only the vice president of a dockworkers’ union, in the eyes of these business people who relied on the docks, he held a very high status.

At the very least, Vaughn could make them lose a lot of money with just one phone call. They were unwilling to offend Vaughn.

So even though Manager Lainey was not very willing to meet with a family leader, he still came.

Lance raised his hand and waved it slightly. “I must thank Vaughn for his praise. This time, I entrusted him to help me arrange a meeting with you because I have a business deal I’d like to discuss with you.”

Manager Lainey maintained his demeanor. “May I know what it is now?”

“I hope no one else finds out about our conversation today, regardless of whether we reach a cooperation.”

Lainey showed a slight smile. “No problem, please trust my professional integrity.”

Actually, Lance didn’t believe him, but he had to say it.

It’s like when you encounter someone who is testing you. He pushes you, and if you just step aside and walk past him, the effect is completely different from saying, “Don’t fucking touch me!”

Since he agreed, Lance no longer held back. “I want to buy the first season’s grapes.”

Manager Lainey kept his same expression. “No problem, how much do you need?”

“Is ten tons enough?”

He thought that these people would probably only need that much, and this was with the added reputation of Lance and the Lance Family.

If not for that, he might have even asked something like, “Is ten catties enough? You won’t be able to eat any more than that.”

Lance shook his head. “At least ten thousand tons.”

Manager Lainey still looked as if he hadn’t heard, but he didn’t follow up on Lance’s statement, just sat there blankly for a moment. “Just now, did you say, ten thousand tons?”

Ten thousand tons wasn’t actually a huge deal. They handled tens of millions of tons of various agricultural products every year.

But this was different because he was not facing a chain supermarket with distribution points all over the country, nor a capital giant that monopolized the fruit import and export business of a small country.

This was just a… gang from Golden Port?

When did they start doing fruit business?

Has the competition among gangs become so fierce now?

“The price of grapes is rising quickly. The company expects the price of the first batch of grapes this year to exceed one hundred and ten dollars,” he said slowly, choosing his words carefully.

Lance offered a different perspective. “We all know that the price will plummet when grapes are concentrated on the market each season. Even if you can sell at that price in the first week before then, after they hit the market, it will be at most in the eighties.”

Manager Lainey was silent for a moment. “May I know how you plan to pay?”

Lance nodded. “Cash, cashier’s check, transfer, all are fine.”

This confirmed for him that Lance was not joking. He pondered for a moment. “The bottom price the company gave me is ninety-seven dollars, but I can’t give you that price because you are not one of our ‘senior partners.'”

“But my relationship with Vice President Vaughn is very good. How about this, if you can accept a price of one hundred and three, I can give it to you.”

Lance considered it. In fact, the price he had mentioned to Elvin before was around this figure, but he also had his own conditions. “No problem, but half of my payment will be in cash.”

Cash wasn’t a sensitive issue for the lower class because, in their perception, cash was probably just three or five dollars.

But for a large company, it might be slightly more sensitive.

However, Manager Lainey only hesitated for about a second, which couldn’t even be considered hesitation. “No problem.”

For a group company like Liji Group, which covered the entire Federation and had transnational operations, getting rid of a few hundred thousand in black money was too easy!

Lance then made a new request. “This batch of grapes is very important to us. We need to sign a formal contract, including compensation for breach of contract.”

“If you fail to deliver our goods due to your reasons, causing us losses, you need to compensate us at least five times the total value of the goods.”

Manager Lainey shook his head directly. “That’s not reasonable. The most we can compensate is one time.”

“What if we can pay a deposit of at least forty or even fifty percent?”

The deposit for agricultural products was generally small, a few percent, and what Lance said was indeed very true: the price of any product plummets when it hits the market in large quantities.

From Manager Lainey’s perspective, this deal was a sure win for them!

When the time comes, they could just find an excuse to delay, buy a batch of grapes when the market price is low, and sell them to Lance. They would make a profit of two to three hundred thousand in an instant.

Manager Lainey looked deeply at Lance. “I need to make a phone call.”

Lance indicated that there was a phone in the room. “Please, go ahead.”

Spring was coming soon. The farmers protested in the fall, and they would protest in the spring too. They protested every day.

For companies that faced various crises, cash flow was very important.

After Lainey had a brief conversation on the phone with the director on duty, he came out.

“If you can pay a seventy-five percent deposit, then we can sign this contract.”

“Also, I must say, if you cannot pay the subsequent bill, we will not refund the deposit, and there will be no grapes.”

He was afraid that Lance and his men didn’t quite understand, so he had to make things clear.

Lance didn’t care about this, because even if he really didn’t have the money, the bank would help him take this order, not only paying the money for him but also giving him a large sum on top of that!

However, before finalizing this deal, there was one last small problem.

“Do you mind a little more cash?”

(End of this chapter)