Chapter 166 The Bicycles (1/2)
Chapter 166: The Bicycles
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When Li Du came out of the bank, he handed a stack of green hundred dollar bills to Big Quinn.
Looking at the crisp dollar notes, Big Quinn had a startled expression. ”What’s this for?”
”I don’t think you will get your paycheck anytime soon, and your housing loan can’t wait that long. Use this to pay for that. Treat it as though you have borrowed it from me,” Li Du smiled.
However, there was no smile on Big Quinn’s face, instead he appeared to have his guard up. ”What do you mean, pal? Are you a loan shark?”
Li Du shrugged. ”You think I look like one?”
Big Quinn shook his head hesitantly while he took a good look at Li Du. ”You look scholarly, like a college student.”
Li Du placed the stack of bills on the dashboard of Big Quinn’s pickup. ”Well, you can think of me as Mr. Nice Guy. I just wanted to help.”
Big Quinn chuckled. ”You’re not Mr. Nice Guy, but rather, a real nice guy. I can see that from your eyes and your smile.”
”Of course I am. Besides that, if you don’t mind, I would like to know how much you currently earn each month?”
”I have a weekly pay of 800 dollars, and at the end of every month, I get a bonus. That’s 3,400 to 3,500 a month,” Big Quinn replied.
Big Quinn’s salary was considered decent in Flagstaff. Li Du continued, ”Okay, if I pay double your monthly salary, would you be interested in working for me?”
Although this was the first time Li Du had met Big Quinn, he was already impressed with Big Quinn’s character and temperament. He wanted to get Big Quinn to work for him.
After winning the three super-sized storage units in Phoenix, Li Du felt that he should consider scaling up, and attend bigger storage auctions like that. And if he could have another worker like Godzilla, they could work more efficiently as well.
Plus, he noticed there was now an increase in the amount of treasure hunters who felt animosity toward him. Godzilla’s candid aura was straightforward while Big Quinn’s aura was daunting and domineering. His savage smile would save Li Du a lot of unwanted trouble.
Big Quinn narrowed his eyes and pondered Li Du’s words for a while. As his thick, but short, brows wrinkled together, he had a menacing look on his face.
Shaking his head, Big Quinn turned down the offer: ”Sorry Mr. Li, I need a job with a stable income, as I have my housing loan, and my car loan to take care of as well.”
Big Quinn felt that being a treasure hunter was a job with an unstable income.
Li Du didn’t want to be deemed too pushy, so he shrugged and said, ”Oh well, that’s too bad.”
Big Quinn wanted to return the money to Li Du, but Li Du rejected the offer. ”That’s two different matters altogether—I am still willing to help you. Take the money.”
Big Quinn hesitated again. He slowly took the money and said, ”Thank you so much pal, I really appreciate this. The truth is, I am really in need of some cash right now.”
Two years ago, when the subprime mortgage crisis broke out in the United States, many people had lost their homes. There had been a sharp increase in poverty rates everywhere, and higher unemployment rates prevailed. There had been a significant shrink in the working class, and it was a much tougher time making ends meet, especially for the working class and below.
Therefore, Li Du was certain that Big Quinn needed, and would accept, his help, for the thought of losing a house was too terrifying for a family.
Big Quinn drove Li Du back to Pine Tree Tops. He also took out a small notebook and wrote out an IOU. ”Pal, I will return you the money to you as soon as possible.”
Li Du responded, ”Take your time, there’s no hurry. You want to come up for a coffee or something?”
Big Quinn looked envious when he saw that the houses of Pine Tree Tops had a surrounding wall as a boundary, making it a secure neighborhood.
”Maybe some other time. I’ve got something going on. Just a question though: is it nice living here?”
”In what aspect?” Li Du was surprised by the question.