pjbooks Chapter 154: Buying and Selling Scrap Metal
Chapter 154: Buying and Selling Scrap Metal
Chapter 154 Acquiring a Scrap Recycling Station
The moment the pasta hit his mouth, the kid instinctively shuddered, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
I puffed out my cheeks and forced myself to chew a couple of times, trying to swallow it, but I found that no matter how hard I tried, it was all in vain.
Finally, under Max's murderous gaze, he vomited it back into the plate with a loud "whoosh".
Ma Jie thoughtfully handed him the milk, which he gulped down in one go, panting as he said, "Guys, I did my best, I really did my best. If possible, I'd like to sit at the same table as Hannibal."
"You mean you'd rather eat a human than eat my food? Do you believe I'll knock you out right now and sell you to Thailand as a male prostitute?"
Max was so angry at his exaggerated analogy that he trembled. Seeing this, Ma Jie picked up the plate in front of him and said, "Why don't you try it yourself before you draw your conclusion?"
"Tch, go ahead and try it!" She rolled her eyes dismissively, took the noodles, rolled up a large chunk, and confidently stuffed it into her mouth.
The handsome moment lasted less than two seconds before Mr. Trash Can was rewarded handsomely.
"Ptooey... ptooey... How can it be so salty? I don't remember putting in much salt, less than ten spoonfuls."
Less than ten spoonfuls? Is it an ear pick? Everyone was speechless and ran away while she was caught in self-doubt.
After leaving home, those who needed to go to school went to school, and those who needed to go to work went to work. As long as they could escape the clutches of the Salt King, they were willing to go hungry.
We drove the pickup truck out of the garage, picked up Jimmy, and went to Westgate Auto Shop to pick up the BMW motorcycle.
It cost $5000 to repair this flood-damaged car. The mechanics at the repair shop worked two sleepless nights to replace all the affected wiring and parts.
Ma Jie took it for a couple of test rides nearby and felt it was pretty good. After returning and settling the bill, he successfully unlocked his third personal vehicle.
It's hard to imagine that an idle, unemployed person could own a car, a motorcycle, and a helicopter.
However, how should I put it? Compared to a pickup truck, this thing is definitely not very practical, but looking cool is something you can do for a lifetime.
We sped all the way to the poor street and experienced what it was like to be a street thug, which made all the brothers drool.
Just as a group of people were taking photos and checking in, an old acquaintance walked over from a distance. It was none other than Sawa, the former boxing agent.
A well-made suit paired with an American-style slicked-back hairstyle, and shoes polished to a high shine so bright you can see your reflection in them up close—only Italian men would be so devoted to this traditional aesthetic.
"Hey Jack, long time no see."
"Long time no see." Ma Jie glanced at his watch. "You're five minutes late. That's not like you."
"There's nothing I can do, I missed the last subway," Sava said with a helpless smile. "You should know how terrible the morning rush hour in Los Angeles is."
Seriously, buddy? You're still taking the subway? Do you think you can't make money if I don't fight in the boxing ring?
Ma Jieke mentally grumbled a couple of times before saying, "I asked you to come here today because I want you to do me a favor."
"What kind of busywork?" Sawa asked curiously. Is there anything in the world that you can't handle?
"Get in the car first, you'll know when we get there."
Riding my motorcycle south along the map, in less than ten minutes, I arrived at the entrance of a scrap metal recycling station.
A wooden sign is stuck on the lawn at the entrance: Baoli Waste Recycling Station, business hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Below that is a line in bold: Low-price transfer, sincerely inviting cooperation.
When MaJack arrived on his motorcycle, Jimmy, who had been waiting there, jumped off the pickup truck.
"Hi Jimmy, it's nice to meet you."
"Hi, agent, me too."
The two greeted each other, and Jimmy couldn't help but ask, "Jack, the professional you told me about last night, is that Sawa?"
"Otherwise what?" Ma Jie chuckled. "A transfer contract worth $150,000, you don't actually think the two of us can handle it, do you?"
That's absolutely true. Signing a contract in the United States is a very troublesome thing, and it's also the easiest way to get ripped off. Even a small oversight can create problems for the future.
Sawa studied law and was proficient in contract law. Professional matters should be handled by professionals; it's a very simple principle.
Upon entering Baoli Recycling Station, Ma Jieke's first reaction was that the place looked even more dilapidated than before.
The basketball court, which serves as the main storage area, was only piled with a small amount of aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and corrugated cardboard; there was no non-ferrous metal at all.
Under the shed at the very edge of the site, it was completely empty and you couldn't see anything. I remember it used to be used to store old appliances, but I'm afraid they've stopped doing that business because it wasn't profitable.
The two rusty zombie cars were almost completely buried by weeds, with only the roof shells barely visible.
There was only one customer in front of the weighing scale, selling a bunch of bottles and jars. He was probably a low-income person living in the nearby community.
In Laomei, families who are relatively well-off throw away things like beer cans, beverage bottles, and tin biscuit boxes as household garbage; no one intentionally collects them.
After paying the other party, the black man in charge of weighing the items sighed helplessly, looking preoccupied.
"Sir, do you remember me?" Ma Jie took the initiative to step forward.
The elderly Black man looked him up and down a few times, then frowned. "Excuse me, young man, I'm old and don't remember who you are. May I ask what brings you here?"
"It's alright, I understand." Ma Jie smiled slightly at him and explained his purpose: "Do you still intend to transfer ownership of this scrap metal recycling station?"
"Ah... wait a minute, I suddenly remembered." Grasping this crucial information, the old man slapped his forehead, looked at him and then at Jimmy: "I know who you are. You came here once before, and this very pretty boy too. We talked about the transfer, and I even left you my business card."
"That's right, Mr. Bates. To be honest, I was short of money back then, but I'm a little better off now..."
"Ahem." Just as Ma Jie was about to continue, Vasa suddenly coughed twice and extended his hand, saying, "Hello, Sir, I'm Mr. Jack's business agent, responsible for negotiating with you regarding the transfer of this recycling center. Would it be convenient for us to talk in your office?"
The old man was clearly taken aback by this spectacle. Good heavens, if I remember correctly, weren't they homeless people? What the hell is this business agent?
However, they still warmly invited the visitors to the "office," a temporary prefabricated house used for lunch breaks.
The two sides sat down on the shabby sofa, and the old black man took out several cans of iced cola from the refrigerator and placed them in front of everyone as a gesture of hospitality.
"Sir, there's no need to be so polite." Sawa Chongma Jack gave him a wink, reminding him not to say too much, and asked directly, "How do you plan to transfer this scrap metal recycling station? Is it a sale of the whole thing, a lease, or a third-party management agreement?"
"Of course, it's sold as a whole," the Black man replied without hesitation.
Do you accept installment payments?
"I won't accept it." The other party shook their head. I've already sold it all in one package, why would I pay in installments? What's the point then?
After asking those two questions, Sava's eyes gleamed with a hint of cunning: "Forgive my bluntness, but both of your conditions are quite demanding for my client."
"Is it harsh?" The old man paused for a moment. "I don't think so. It's just that people nowadays like to overdraw their future wealth. A true old-fashioned businessman should be like me, one thing is one thing, two things are two things."
Hearing his didactic and old-fashioned remarks, Sava couldn't help but laugh and said, "Alright, Mr. Bates, just tell me, how much are you planning to sell it for?"
"150,000 US dollars, to be paid in full at once."
"How much?!" Upon hearing the quote, his voice rose two octaves: "Fifty thousand? Forgive my dullness, Mr. Bates, is this some kind of latest joke compilation?"
The old man's smile vanished instantly at his sarcastic attitude.
After pausing for a few seconds, perhaps sensing that this guy was not easy to deal with, he looked at the silent Ma Jieke and said, "Regarding the price issue, I already talked to this young man last time, and he didn't have the same objections as you did."
"You've talked about it, but making a final decision and signing a contract in black and white are two different things."
"Let's not talk about anything else, Mr. Bates." Sava stood up and pointed to the deserted window. "It's 1:30 in the morning. Look at your customer traffic, and compare it to the others. I'm not trying to offend you, but just stating an objective fact. Judging from how poorly this recycling center is doing, you probably haven't seen a profit in at least six months, right?"
"This is none of your business!" The old man, feeling like he'd been stabbed in the back, immediately broke down and said, "I'm only selling for 150,000. If you can afford that, then we can continue negotiating. If not, then goodbye."
Ma Jieke couldn't hold back anymore and gave him a reproachful look. "No, I asked you to talk, why did you get so worked up? Are you even capable, buddy?"
"Okay, okay, don't worry, Mr. Bates." After trying to calm him down, Sava continued, "I don't know what special meaning 15 has for you, but I want to tell you that this amount of money is a huge sum for my client, and he simply can't come up with it."
By the end, the old black man was so angry he almost had a heart attack. "You have no money, yet you're chatting with me so animatedly? Are you trying to make fun of me?"
"Don't be angry yet, Mr. Bates. Please allow me to finish what I have to say."
Before the old man could break down again, Sava quickly explained, "You should know SkidRow, right? It's the place where a lot of homeless people live. My client used to live there, making a living by collecting cans every day. Now his luck has turned around, and he plans to team up with everyone to start a small business. But after a long time of fundraising, he has only managed to raise about $100,000. You have to understand, this is the hard-earned money of hundreds of homeless people. They scrimp and save, just so they can own their own scrap metal collection station and earn a little more money to survive in this cold city."
"But with just one sentence, you negated their dreams. Among these people are homeless young people, single mothers struggling to raise their daughters, and elderly people as isolated and helpless as you."
At this point, Sava wiped his eyes without any pretense: "Forget it, I don't want to say any more. Anyway, you're just like those cold-blooded animals on Wall Street, you don't care about anything but money. Let's stop here, Mr. Bates. Compared to your principles, what do the livelihoods of hundreds of people matter?"
After he finished speaking with great emotion, Ma Jieke was dumbfounded. There wasn't a single lie in his words, but it sounded so awkward coming from his mouth.
"Sorry, sir, we've bothered you today. We'll be leaving now," Sawa said, preparing to get up and take his leave.
"Wait a minute." No sooner had he sat down on the sofa than the old Black man suddenly said, "How can I believe what you just said?"
"I swear to God, what I just said is absolutely true. I am Italian, I was born in Florence, and my whole family—no... my ancestors for three generations—have been Catholics!"
Speaking of this, Sava excitedly pulled a silver cross pendant from his shirt collar: "Look at this, it was passed down from my grandfather to my father, then from my father to me, and I will pass it down to my son in the future. If I lie, it would mean I'm letting down my son, letting down my father, and letting down myself..."
"Alright, alright, that's enough. I understand what you mean."
Bates quickly interrupted his rambling, his expression becoming complicated.
Ma Jie secretly glanced at his family heirloom and almost burst out laughing. What kind of family heirloom is so new?
It doesn't even have a patina or outer layer; it's obviously something you picked up from a street stall.
The old man hesitated for almost two minutes before reluctantly saying, "Well, what you just said was indeed very touching, and I really want to do some good for the brothers and sisters who are homeless. But 100,000 is really too little. I need at least 120,000 to accept it."
Huh? That's a saving of 30,000?
Ma Jieke was a little confused. Did the nonsense he just said have such a great impact?
What does the livelihood of homeless people have to do with me? The government doesn't care, do I owe them anything?
This was Ma Jieke's true thought, but he soon discovered a wooden altar in the corner of the room, with a statue of the Virgin Mary on it.
This refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus in Catholicism, and the infant Jesus she held in her arms was Jesus as a child.
This detail precisely illustrates that the Black man was a devout Catholic.
Because the Virgin Mary holds a much higher position in Catholicism than in Protestantism, where she is merely regarded as an ordinary mortal.
When a person is old and has such a devout faith, with the merit of helping hundreds of people right in front of them, what is a little bit of loose silver?
Holy crap... You stole this chicken, you really dare to do that, bro.
However, after receiving this offer, Ma Jie remained silent. He then looked at the guy next to him, who was looking at him with a troubled expression: "Sir, can you accept 120,000? If it's really not possible, I can try to help you get a bank loan. There are policies now that support and encourage young people to invest and start businesses."
"Of course, buddy, you're the agent, you're in charge."
"
Ma Jieke spread his hands, indicating that with his son Fengxian here, what was there to worry about in achieving great things?