Chapter 89 Ferrari (1/2)
Chapter 89: Ferrari
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The news of the treasure hunters joining in an auction for the welfare home was aired that night.
Hans and Li Du drank beer while watching TV. Both of them had been shown on the television; Li Du had even been interviewed twice.
”I don’t think I performed very well there. I was too nervous,” Hans smacked his lips.
Li Du threw him a sideways glance. ”Do you think that’s a valid reason for staring at her chest? If not for the camera, I bet that she would have given you one hard slap.”
At this, Hans grew excited. ”F*ck, that girl’s chest was really large…”
Li Du beckoned to Ah Meow. Petting its fur, he said, ”Drop it. You can’t touch them, no matter how large they are. Come on, let’s talk business. Are there any units up for auction?”
Hans wasn’t satisfied. ”Are you a workaholic? We just got a big catch. You really are hardworking.”
”Working hard is a Chinese virtue.”
Ah Meow turned comfortably in Li Du’s lap, nuzzling into his soft belly. Ah Meow gurgled, its large eyes half-closed. It was really enjoying itself.
Hans said, ”If we didn’t make this a charity, we could have made a lot! Twenty-three thousand dollars! You could have used it to meet the requirement for joining the Hundred Thousand Club!”
Li Du, too, had considered this when donating the twenty-odd thousand dollars. But he knew that if he had taken the money for himself, the other treasure hunters would have killed him.
Speaking of this, he asked, ”Won’t the association investigate this? A scam of people stuffing counterfeits into the storage units and auctioning them off?”
Hans explained, ”No, they won’t, because they can’t. Someone who bought a storage unit like that can only blame their luck. Treasure hunting has always been about observational skills. If you’re not sharp enough, then woe on you!”
Li Du stopped and pondered this. ”What a tough, cruel job to be in.”
Ah Meow patted Li Du’s hand with its furry little paw in dissatisfaction: Go on. I was enjoying myself back there. Scratch this place, too. It’s itchy.
Hans nodded in agreement. ”It is cruel, but I think that you’ve adapted to it quite well…”
At this, he stopped talking and frowned in contemplation.
”What is it?”
Hans took a swig of his beer. ”It’s nothing. I was just thinking of the way we split our profits. Frankly, I don’t contribute much. The main reason we’re earning so much is you. Maybe I shouldn’t be taking forty percent.”
After a moment of silence, he went on. ”How about we change our arrangement? I’ll just take twenty percent. How about that?”
Li Du looked closely at him. ”Are you for real?”
”Yes. I’m serious.” Hans wasn’t smiling anymore.
Li Du understood. His scamming the other treasure hunters had frightened Hans after all. Akkalou Benidito had said that he was a frightening fellow. Perhaps Hans thought so too.
He thought about this for a moment. Slowly, he said, ”No, Big Fox. Our old arrangement is just fine. The information you provide is very important. So are your contacts to sell everything.”
”You could find contacts on your own. Let’s drop the forty-sixty profit splitting arrangement. Honestly, I don’t feel at peace taking the money. In the long run, you won’t be happy about it either.”
Li Du said, ”How about this: I have a suggestion. Under normal circumstances, I’ll get half of the profits. But if there’s anything in the storage units that I like in particular, I can take it after discussing it with you.”
Hans was right. Even without him, Li Du would make at least just as much as he had been. Li Du had been thinking this for a long time, but had held his tongue, as he didn’t think that it was fair to point out—and Li Du didn’t want to do that. The idea made him feel like a sleaze. He had his own moral standards to uphold.
Hans finished his iced beer in one large swig. Heartily, he said, ”No problem.”
Li Du sealed the deal cleanly. ”Then we’ll do that from now on.”