Chapter 57: Loan with Labor

"It's me, Mr. Blake. Is there a problem?"

A tall, thin, and somewhat haggard-looking young man raised his hand tentatively, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"You've done a great job with the records, very detailed. I'll give you an extra $20 bonus, and I want to thank you all for your hard work these past few days. I noticed you guys don't seem to have your own cars yet, right? See all these cars here? They're all repossessed vehicles from the bank. If you guys need one, I can sell them to you cheap, consider it a perk for working for me."

Smiling and nodding approvingly at the young man, Carter pointed to the cars parked in the backyard. There weren't many, but it would be more than enough for these five kids.

"Really? Mr. Blake, can we buy these cars cheap? How much of a discount are we talking about?"

Not one of the boys could resist the allure of a car, even the girls seemed to be intrigued by Carter's offer. Their eyes widened with excitement as they waited for Carter to continue.

"At least $50 off, depending on which car you choose."

The temptation of $50 off was irresistible, especially considering the average price of the cars was less than $1000. The kids were eager to seal the deal right away, but then they realized they didn't have enough money.

"Mr. Blake, thank you for your generosity. But we don't have enough money right now. Can we get a loan?"

"But you guys don't have jobs right now, what would you use to repay the loan?"

Carter shook his head, he was already scaling back on loans, and selling cars cheaply was meant to recover funds. Providing loans to these students, even if it would increase the selling price of the cars, would go against his objectives!

But maybe there was a way after all?!

Seeing the kids looking dejected and preparing to leave, Carter quickly spoke up to stop them.

"Wait a minute, perhaps there's a solution. You continue working for me for a while longer, and then you can use your wages to offset the loan. How about that? In the future, I plan to build a commercial area on the south side of Douglas City. When we lay down water and electricity lines, we'll need a lot of workers. If you're willing to lend a hand, I can let you take the cars back now, and you can work for me then, with your wages directly offsetting the purchase price of the car. What do you think?"

"What about us? Is there any work suitable for us?"

Going to construction sites to work as laborers might not have been appealing to the boys initially. But now, facing the temptation of cars, plus the fact that it was short-term work, they all nodded in agreement. However, the two girls were unhappy.

Why were all the good opportunities for the boys? They had also worked hard these past few days! Since it was a benefit, they should also have a share, right?

"You."

Carter looked at the two girls, who seemed hesitant. Organizing work for them wasn't difficult, especially since the restaurant would need staff once it opened. But hiring them now might be premature?

From Douglas City to the middle of Highway 23, there was a distance of at least 20 kilometers, and the project would take at least a month. Hiring them now would mean paying them a month's salary for nothing.

But looking at the two girls, maybe it wasn't impossible?

Seeing their hesitation, Carter quickly made a decision.

"Would you like to work at the restaurant? It pays $600 a month, and if you're willing, we can sign the contract now. Until the restaurant opens, you can help me run errands, and I'll pay you as agreed."

"Is it as waitresses? And is it long-term?"

The two girls' eyes lit up. Originally looking for part-time work, now it turned into a long-term opportunity. Where else could they find something like this?!

Douglas was a small town, and job opportunities were very limited. Plus, the economy wasn't doing well, and many jobs were already closed. Even being a waitress was a good opportunity. And the salary wasn't low, especially compared to other waitress jobs.

"Carter."

As the saying goes, it's not poverty that's the problem, but inequality. Just as Carter nodded in agreement, the boys started to voice their opinions. Compared to the girls, their job prospects were harder to come by. After all, Carter knew that pretty girls could attract customers, and what other businessmen wouldn't know that? Even if they couldn't attract customers, seeing pretty girls every day would still lift one's spirits.

But before the two boys could voice their opinions, they were stopped by the boy who had done a great job with the data recording earlier. Carter observed this scene quietly.

A loan with labor ultimately was still a loan. After deducting the promised discount, plus interest, Carter calculated that selling the five cars would bring in over $5600, a small profit indeed.

Seemingly without any cash inflow, he actually saved on future wages that he would have had to pay out. That in itself was a gain. As for the remaining four cars, Carter planned to do the same, selling them to these students and having them work for him to pay off the loans.

"All right, the contracts are signed. Chris, stay behind, I have something to discuss with you."

After collecting the loan contracts signed by several people and having a staff member take them to get the car keys, Carter stayed behind to talk to the boy who had performed so well with the records.

"I noticed you just stopped McKinsey and Raymond. I can tell you had some influence in school, right? When you spoke, they shut up."

Carter chuckled, not minding Chris's slight dissatisfaction. In fact, he admired the guy's candor. If something bothered him, he said it, and Carter appreciated that.

"I want to leverage your influence, or shall I say credibility. See those four cars over there? They're $1000 each, $1100 with the loan. I'll give them to you to sell, and I won't interfere with the price. You don't have to pay me upfront, just sell them to your classmates. But I only want boys, understand?"

"Oh, and one more thing. Sell them within three days! Are you up for the task?"

"Yes! Mr. Blake, you said you wouldn't interfere with how much I sell them for. But what about the difference?"

Chris realized there was no reason to refuse. Even if he didn't know why, passing the test would surely have its benefits. And the difference in the selling price of the cars would be the most immediate benefit, right?

"I won't tell them the difference. You tell me the amount in advance, and I'll fill in the contract according to what you tell me. I'll privately compensate you for the difference!"