In the morning, Richard sat somewhat uneasily in an office that still smelled of fresh paint.
The spotlessly clean bright windows didn’t hide a single ray of sunlight, illuminating the entire room brightly.
A while ago, when Lynch and Michael’s situation first emerged, the FBI and the Federal Tax Bureau almost immediately found Richard.
Richard, as one of Lynch’s key "henchmen," was bound to hold an important position in the Lynch and Fox combination, but both the FBI and the Federal Tax Bureau were mistaken; he was just a pitiable fellow who couldn’t even be considered part of the outer circle!
After a series of law enforcement operations by the two powerful agencies, he was released after paying a bail fee, and finally, Lynch proved himself innocent, though his bail fee remained unsettled.
If you thought Richard would abandon his collaboration with Lynch after this soul-stirring ordeal, then you’d be very wrong.
The thrill brought about by huge profits had already nurtured Richard’s courage to trample the law; as long as there was enough profit, there was nothing he wouldn’t try.
He also tried seeking a new job at employment centers, but whenever he saw those jobs with guaranteed hours and additional hourly wages, along with their meager income, he lost any desire to try.
Working like a piece of decaying wood buried in a job, earning just enough to barely support oneself each month—this wasn’t work, but an assault on oneself, a murder of one’s life!
Just as he contemplated taking a risk, Lynch called him, and in an instant, he felt light returning to the earth.
The next morning, Richard arrived at Lynch’s warehouse half an hour early, seeing the boss dressed in more upscale clothes, he expressed his confidence in Lynch’s return and his courage to continue working with Lynch in a very humble manner.
Once you’ve gotten used to quick money, no one is willing to bend down again. This is also one of the reasons why many criminals find it hard to break free from criminal behavior—they’re accustomed to destruction, violence, and quick money. Work honestly for others?
"Seeing you is like seeing the sun, dispelling darkness and clouds, Boss!" Richard’s eloquence and quick-thinking were why Lynch chose him.
Of course, he was bold enough that when Lynch called, he didn’t immediately say "sorry" and hang up like some would, and instead came here early to meet.
Lynch patted him on the shoulder, "Work hard, we will have a future filled with light. Later, some more people will come, and you will be their half-teacher, helping to guide them for a while."
Richard acted very humbly. As Lynch spoke, he slightly bowed his head, showing a listening attitude, nodding occasionally to acknowledge or agree with Lynch’s words; his performance made Lynch very satisfied.
"Can you tell me in advance what we’ll be doing next, so I can prepare myself?" As he asked this question, Richard’s pulse raced, and his heartbeat accelerated; he feared Lynch would propose a job he couldn’t be pleased with.
Luckily, Lynch could easily see through this young man and the greed deeply hidden within him, so he quickly gave him an answer, "A new job with no base salary, but your commission will increase this time; as long as you have enough ability, you can earn much more than before!"
Speaking of earning money, Richard became very invested, patting his chest to guarantee he would fulfill Lynch’s instructions and strive to do his work the best.
By ten-thirty in the morning, most of the people Lynch was waiting for had arrived.
Among these people was a group of older kids, the oldest being about thirteen or fourteen and the younger ones about twelve or thirteen; they were the kids left behind by the newspapers.
With Lynch’s financial support, they didn’t need to worry about being left destitute and taken away by Guardians, thrown back into new pits of exploitation; they greatly cherished such an opportunity, as except for Lynch, no one else was willing to give them a proper job and proper pay.
These kids donned clean old clothes; in some of the more secluded streets of Sabin City, there were many stalls selling old clothes, and most stall owners were not people who looked very pleasant.
These clothes were usually stolen from various parts of the city, sold here at a low price.
Initially, there were only two or three small stalls, but now there are more and more, not just clothes but also some furniture amongst them.
The Sabin City Police Station issued an announcement last year, stating that break-ins were becoming more frequent, and these people were not just stealing money anymore; they wouldn’t let go of furniture and appliances either.
The Police Station reminded all local residents to be sure to lock their doors and take protective measures before leaving home.
Richard stood like a proud little rooster in the middle, also the most independent; on his side, there were more than twenty young people, these were also the employees Lynch entrusted the employment center to find.
Lynch glanced at his watch, motioned for a kid to close the door, and then began talking to these people about their future work.
"I know some people here might still have doubts, wondering what our job is about..." As he spoke these words, the kids, including Richard, turned their gaze to the group of "new employees."
This made the new employees inexplicably anxious, as though... they were different from the others, focusing their attention.
"It’s actually quite simple, what I want you to do is sales; I have many products here..." He called over a few kids and asked them to hand out manuals to everyone, "The items in the manual are what you need to sell!"
Though referred to as manuals, they were actually more like albums; opening the first page showed four color photos with some descriptions of the items, and their prices in stores.
The prices were collected by the kids running all over the place during this period, contributing a significant amount of effort.
Richard was also seriously looking, somewhat unclear, but he knew how to maintain the dignity of those in higher positions, and didn’t ask, instead playing along as if "I see, I understand now."
"I want you to go door-to-door to pitch, telling them your purpose and showing them the products in the manual, explaining how good these things are..."
"I know some of you might think this is a difficult task, but trust me, it’s much easier than you think!"
"All product prices start at forty percent of their original prices, and we split anything above that half and half."
Instantly, everyone drew a cold breath, even those planning to leave showed some shock; nowhere in Sabin City, the whole state, or the Federation had such a commission rate.
Even those who felt it couldn’t be done started to develop some thoughts, why not try it?
After waiting a little while for them to accept this information, Lynch continued, "If you think this job isn’t suitable, don’t worry, I have another job you can do."
"Every Saturday afternoon, there will be a second-hand goods auction held here, a large number of second-hand items will be auctioned, I’ll give each of you a hundred seats, and your job is to find people to fill them!"
"During the transactions within your seats, you can earn a five percent commission on the total transaction amount. Note, gentlemen, as long as the people you bring engage in transactions, you have income!"
"I have several million worth of items waiting for buyers, and these items will only increase in number; you don’t need to worry about me having nothing to offer."
"I can even give you a guarantee, every month, here, at least three people will earn more than ten thousand dollars. If no one’s income exceeds ten thousand dollars, I’ll personally make up for it."
"The top three in sales performance will receive supplemental pay if I can’t make their monthly income exceed ten thousand, applicable to everyone!"
For a moment, even Richard’s breathing became disordered...
They don’t need to do exceptionally well, just better than most. In this era where the average salary is two to three hundred, a monthly income of over ten thousand is truly tempting!