Chapter 406

Lance knew how to deal with “small characters” like Arthur; you just had to give them a little respect. Lance gave him respect, and Arthur f

Lance knew how to deal with “small characters” like Arthur; you just had to give them a little respect.

Lance gave him respect, and Arthur felt respected, so the matter was naturally agreed upon.

He would give Jack a time, and they would sit down and talk together. Some things could then be settled.

Jack left with a face full of joy, and the others also began to approach. Whether they could engage in certain “enterprises” with Lance now or not, at least they could get their faces known first.

Before long, Jack’s parents also took the initiative to come over. After a simple exchange of pleasantries with Lance, they thanked him for his efforts on Jack’s behalf.

They knew very well that for Lance to handle this matter might just be a matter of making a phone call to James and Arthur.

But the real difficulty of this matter lay in these two phone calls.

People without the qualifications wouldn’t know the phone number, and people without enough weight couldn’t get through even if they knew the number. It seemed like a simple little thing, but in reality, it was not simple.

Favors, relationships—perhaps next time they would also call Lance and ask him to do something.

These things were very difficult to measure directly in terms of value. Besides thanking him and assuring him that if Lance needed them, he could call them anytime, they didn’t say much more.

This was enough.

Luca, who had chatted with Lance before, also took the initiative to come over, holding an empty wine glass. “You’re too popular. I waited over there for twenty minutes and had two glasses of wine before I got this chance.”

Lance extended his hand and shook his. “Perhaps it’s because everyone is still very unfamiliar with me and wants to get to know me more.”

Luca placed his wine glass on a nearby table. “You’re a smooth talker…” he paused, “Actually… I don’t know how to begin.”

He placed his hands on his hips, which made his upper body look a little stooped, even slightly hunched, looking a bit guilty.

Lance tilted his head, signaling him to continue.

He took his hands from behind his back, spread them open, and then let them fall, looking very dejected. “Alright, it’s a bit difficult to say, but they actually wanted me to come over and ask if there’s any suitable work for me.”

“Are you looking for a job?” Lance said with a laugh, “You are the first job seeker today. Tell me what you want to do.”

Luca’s father ran a small supermarket. Of course, the agricultural products in the supermarket all came from their farm. The business was okay, but just okay.

The kind of situation where it was better than the bottom but not as good as the top.

Compared to those at the bottom of society who could only earn thirty or forty dollars a month by working themselves to death, they could earn one or two thousand a month, sometimes a little more. This was indeed not a small sum.

But compared to the real big enterprises, the upper class, they still had a big gap.

They couldn’t even see the ceiling of the middle class.

And Luca’s father believed that this job had “no future,” because a supermarket would still be a supermarket in the future, and they had no real competitiveness against those super chain supermarkets.

They might have some competitiveness in agricultural products, but there were also many people in the family who relied on this part for their livelihood, so the part they could get was not enough to support them in becoming a super chain supermarket.

They hoped that Luca could find a more promising job, instead of just taking over their supermarket in a routine manner. That kind of life, you could see the end at a glance, was tedious and boring.

When asked what he wanted to do, Luca was also a bit confused. “I don’t know, I don’t seem to be able to do anything…”

Lance considered for a moment, “Are you very familiar with the operation of a supermarket, including sourcing and everything?”

Luca nodded. “If you’re talking about that, I am indeed very familiar. Although from my perspective I don’t really like this job, but yes, I’m very familiar.”

A smile appeared on Lance’s face. “I’ve already thought of it. There’s a job that will definitely suit you.”

“Come to my company then, and we’ll talk about this matter slowly. You will definitely like it.”

“It’s a bit exciting, you can make big money, and it’s a righteous cause!”

Hearing this, Luca’s face was already covered with smiles. “You’ve spoken to my heart. I will definitely find you as agreed!”

After Luca left, Lance chatted with many other people, including Barbara.

“About last time… I still have to thank you, Lance. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what my future would have become.”

According to social etiquette, since Barbara was not yet married, Lance could not casually shake her hand, unless she took the initiative.

When a lady extends her hand to you and you refuse to shake it, it would definitely be a terrible scene. But Lance also didn’t expect that once he held her hand, he couldn’t let go.

The way she looked at Lance was clearly a bit off. Lance could only explain, “No one could just stand by and watch you get hurt. Besides, you are Patricia’s sister, which makes you my sister too.”

The smile on her face looked even redder under the afterglow of the sunset. “You’re really good with words. No wonder Patricia is so crazy about you.”

Lance put his other hand in his pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes. “Do you mind if I…”

Only then did Barbara let go of his hand. You can’t smoke with one hand. The way she looked at Lance was a bit sticky.

Handsome, rich, with social status, and most importantly, when she was in despair, he had saved her soul, which was about to fall into darkness, like an angel.

Every girl, no matter what she was like in the past or what she is like now, their inner world was once full of fantasy and romance.

Lance fulfilled all her imaginations of a man, but unfortunately, he belonged to Patricia.

In so many years of “competing” with Patricia, she had never lost, whether it was in looks, figure, studies, or the employment environment after graduation. She was always at the center of people’s pursuit, under the spotlight.

But now, she was willing to trade a lifetime of victories for this one victory.

Lance lit his cigarette. Barbara was a little too enthusiastic, which he found a bit amusing.

“How is that case going?”

At the mention of the case, Barbara’s teeth itched with hatred. “The money is not coming back. Those people and their money have all disappeared.”

“The bank said the money has been transferred overseas. As for how the overseas banks handled it, we don’t know. And no one is willing to go to many foreign countries to investigate these things for this matter.”

“It’s very likely that it will just drag on like this until no one is willing to bring it up anymore, and then it will be over.”

It was a very common practice. In this era, if you wanted to handle a case across borders, and across multiple countries, it was indeed not that easy.

Not to mention that the situation overseas was not very stable. The flames of war were raging on the Tanfit continent. What if it got involved there? Would the investigators go or not?

So from the very beginning, they had no intention of continuing to investigate. Although it looked like they were investigating, everyone knew they were just going through the motions.

“What do you plan to do next?” Lance asked.

Barbara also took out a pack of women’s cigarettes. Working in a financial company, you could never do without the stimulation of these things.

She would drink, and she would smoke, but that didn’t stop her from being a good girl.

“I don’t know. I have to consider changing jobs now, but I also don’t know what to do. I’m a bit lost.”

“They want me to become a civil servant. I’m not saying that kind of work and life is bad, but…” She held one hand across her chest, the other holding a cigarette, and shook her head slightly. “I’m afraid it will be difficult for me to adapt.”

Having gotten used to the exciting money-making model of a financial company, she certainly couldn’t stand the dull work of a civil servant in a government unit.

Her past life and experience also wouldn’t allow her to do so.

Lance looked her up and down. She was indeed very beautiful, in line with all the aesthetic standards of the Federation people of this era.

People were not yet pursuing buttocks wider than shoulders, so her figure was very well-proportioned, and her face was also very beautiful.

“Are you checking me out?” She blushed a little.

Lance rolled his eyes. “I have a production company. Are you interested in being an actress, a big star?”

“My God, I didn’t know you also had a production company. Pat never told me.”

“You have very good conditions!” Lance first affirmed her appearance. “And acting is also very interesting. You can play different lives, go to different places, and come into contact with many stories and endings.”

“You will appear on the big screen, you will have many supporters screaming for you, and you can also make big money!”

Hearing these descriptions, Barbara’s smoking speed also quickened. “It sounds like a very outstanding job. I can give it a try!”

Lance nodded. “I don’t have time for the next few days. I’ll take you to the production company in a few days. You can be the lead actress then…”

Perhaps seeing her sister constantly clinging to Lance, Patricia still had some vigilance and alertness. She came over from her family’s side and linked her arm with Lance’s. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Barbara wants to change jobs. I recommended her to act in movies, a fashionable and desirable job.”

Patricia showed a surprised expression. “My God, you’re going to be a star, Barbara!”

“At that time, I will tell my colleagues that you are my sister, and then take them to the cinema to watch your movie, and then sell your signed posters to them!”

Patricia laughed as she spoke. “I’ll sell them for five dollars each.”

Barbara looked at Patricia’s appearance and wondered if Lance just liked this type.

She flicked her long hair. “Alright, I’ll sign a bunch for you.” She looked at Lance as she spoke. “See you in a few days then?”

Lance nodded. “See you later.”

Watching her walk away, Patricia said with a bit of a huff, “You have to stay away from her.”

Lance asked teasingly, “Are you that unconfident in yourself?”

Patricia’s face immediately flushed a little. “It’s not that I’m not confident in myself, it’s just… don’t you think everyone likes Barbara?”

They had discussed this issue before. Barbara had an outstanding appearance, a family background that was not so prominent but not ordinary either.

She was highly educated, beautiful, had a good personality, and was also very charming, in line with the aesthetic of the Federation people. Who could refuse such a girl?

Looking at Patricia’s serious expression, Lance said with a laugh, “But I only like you.”

Patricia’s originally somewhat serious face was instantly filled with surprise and shyness. She originally didn’t want to show a smile, but she couldn’t hold it back after a while.

“You’re so sweet, just like honey.”

Before long, dinner was ready. Everyone sat at the table, with Lance still at the main table.

This time, Barbara’s father had intended for William to sit in the main seat, but William refused.

It had always been arranged this way. If he were to sit in the main seat just because he was running for municipal councilman, then it would be a departure from the realm of kinship.

This was a family gathering, not a gathering of government officials.

Although he refused, it could be seen that he was in a good mood. After all, everyone was saying flattering words, not bickering and satirizing each other.

Dinner was very rich. Most of the food ingredients came from the farm, produced and sold by themselves, green and healthy.

However, in this period, there was no concept of green, environmentally friendly, and healthy. Society had not yet developed to this stage. People were still pursuing relatively low-level enjoyment.

Being able to eat their fill, wear warm clothes, and release some stress at night.

Only when society as a whole entered the next stage, when people were no longer limited by these most basic living conditions, would they consider whether what they ate was exquisite and healthy.

At the dinner table, everyone was talking about the recent changes in Golden Port and also guessing about the councilman election that was about to begin and end next month.

And what kind of changes these councilman elections would bring to this city.

Lance was also often asked for his opinion. The growth of the Lance Family made people have to respect his attitude.

The men, especially the civil servant men, often chatted very diffusely when they talked, with nothing particularly core.

They talked from the recent changes in Golden Port to some future developments.

“Recently, there have been reports that the domestic economic development has been in a slow growth environment. Will the outbreak of the Tanfit war possibly bring some momentum to the somewhat sluggish Federation?”

As they were chatting, someone brought up this topic.

Slow economic growth was a particularly obvious problem in recent years. Although everyone had become richer and science and technology had become more advanced, for some reason, it always gave people a very strained feeling.

Some believed that this was a “plateau period” that the Federation had entered after a period of rapid development.

“The wages of workers have never been raised much. The consumer power of the market cannot be activated. And the prices of goods are so expensive now. Who can afford to consume?”

“I heard that the dock strike was because there had been no wage increase for two years. One can imagine how many economic problems exist behind the seemingly prosperous facade of the Federation now.”

“If the presidential palace does not solve these problems, even if he continues to issue orders, he will certainly be in a very sorry state.”

Others also began to express their own views. Lance, watching this scene from the side, found it very interesting. It seemed that people everywhere loved to discuss these things.

Before, when he was bored in his small room, he would also discuss international affairs with everyone and even argue.

It seemed that no matter where, what era, what cultural background, people always maintained a high degree of concern for power.

After going around in a circle, William suddenly asked, “Lance, what do you think?”

Lance was playing with the beef cubes on his plate. The beef cubes from the farm’s calves were very tender, and the fat content was not low.

One bite was really full of juice and rich aroma.

“Domestic consumption power is continuously declining, but prices are continuously rising due to some things that have nothing to do with our lives, especially the outbreak of war.”

“After the war breaks out, the prices of goods all over the world will experience a round of growth. After all, most or even all of the countries on the Tanfit continent will be affected.”

“Production will enter a slow, semi-stagnant state. The consumption of materials will be greater than the output, entering a seller’s market, and prices will soar.”

“But our income will not increase due to the outbreak of war. This will lead to more and more people being unable to afford the basic necessities of life.”

“It’s impossible for all enterprises to do import and export business. In the end, this will enter a vicious cycle.”

“The common people at the bottom spend most of their income on purchasing the necessary materials to maintain their survival. They have no extra consumption power.”

“The goods produced by so many factories in the country will not be bought by anyone. The more goods that are backlogged, the faster the market will collapse.”

He picked up his knife and fork, chose the fattest piece of beef, speared it, put it in his mouth. When he chewed, juice even splashed out.

He quickly covered his mouth with his hand. “Sorry!”

“The quality of this beef is too good.”

Someone couldn’t help but ask, “If it develops as you say, won’t the economy collapse?”

Lance retorted, “Why can’t it collapse?”

He picked up a napkin and wiped the grease from his lips. “The Federation of Labor just wanted to hold a large-scale strike, which attracted the attention of many industry unions. This shows that the conflict does indeed exist and is still building up pressure.”

“We don’t have that much foreign trade, and domestic consumption power can’t go up. The funds can’t circulate. It’s only a matter of time before the economy collapses.”

Listening to Lance’s words and thinking about some of the things happening in the Federation, everyone was also very worried, but not yet desperate.

Because the situation was not as bad as he said, but Lance believed that it was not far off.

The recent rise in food prices was the most obvious example. Don’t look at the fact that a pound of bread only rose by two cents, but in fact, this was close to an increase of more than fifty percent.

In other words, the expenditure people put into maintaining their basic living expenses, in terms of food, had increased by fifty percent.

So what about in the future?

Other aspects?

Now, about twenty percent of a family’s income is used for food. Then soon it will occupy thirty percent, forty percent, or even half.

The less money people have in their hands, the more they dare not spend casually, and the less the funds will flow.

If the funds don’t flow, they can’t generate value, and in the end, they will become a pool of stagnant water.

(End of chapter)

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