Chapter 161: Explanations, Agricultural Products, and Going Abroad

In the room, everyone except for Ailike was looking at Lansi.

Lansi nodded slightly, "I understand."

Lawyer Aosen was a bit surprised, but he hid his expression well, "Since that's the case, then from this moment on, you are the manager of the Empire Night Nightclub."

"This is my business card. If you have any problems, give me a call. If you personally seek legal help, I can give you a discount."

He placed a gold-stamped business card on the table and then gathered up the other documents, "If you need to consult these documents later, you can also call me, but they won't be kept with you."

"Are there any other questions?"

Lansi shook his head. Lawyer Aosen reached out his hand quite politely, but behind this "politeness" hid a kind of "charitable" arrogance.

The two shook hands, and Lawyer Aosen let go quickly, "Until next time, Mr. Lansi!"

Saying this, he left with his little follower and Ailike, leaving behind only an accountant for Kailu.

Kailu looked to be about thirty-four or thirty-five, wearing brown-black round-framed glasses, her hair combed back into a braid, and she was wearing a relatively conservative dress.

According to some magazine and survey agency questionnaires, when people choose service personnel related to their own important interests, such as lawyers, doctors, and accountants, they tend to prefer those who dress formally and conservatively.

Especially for accountants, the more conservative the attire, the more they are recognized by their employers.

The two looked at each other for a while. There were no other emotions in Kailu's eyes; she was just an accountant sent from a firm. They paid her, and she worked here.

"Where is my office?" she broke the stalemate.

Lansi pointed to the corridor outside the door, "Any room you like can be your office."

"By the way, do you mind working in a room with others?"

Kailu pushed up her glasses, "I don't like being squeezed into a room with others. If possible, it's best to let me have an office to myself."

Lansi returned to his chair, "I understand."

Kailu left with her things. Actually, there was nothing Lansi needed to worry about right now; he only needed to renovate the place and hire enough staff to open for business.

Who would keep the daily money and which account it would be deposited into were all things for Kailu and Lawyer Aosen to solve. All Lansi needed to do was manage the place well and make it profitable.

These damn vampires...

He couldn't help but laugh at the thought. Half a year ago, he was being bled dry by Qiaoni; half a year later, he was being bled dry by the mayor and his nephew. It seemed he had been marking time all along.

But at least the people bleeding him dry were different now. Perhaps this was what they called "class advancement."

Renovating the Empire Night Nightclub was a big job, but Lansi didn't intend to do a complete renovation. The first floor only needed simple maintenance, and the second floor would have some rooms added so that more guests could enjoy a moment of peace here.

The third floor was a bit troublesome, but this trouble shouldn't be a major one. He would talk to Lawyer Aosen about it when the time came.

There were a few gambling tables on the third floor, and these tables had to pay taxes to the Keda family every quarter. If it were the mayor, perhaps he wouldn't have to pay taxes?

If he didn't have to pay taxes, thirty percent of the revenue brought in by these gambling tables might be able to make up for his losses in terms of benefits.

Like some other underground bars, there were no clear legal documents, nor were there employment contracts. They just arranged for an accountant to calculate how much money could be made every day.

How much was Lansi's, and how much was theirs.

Such places would never be legal, so they wouldn't leave any evidence behind.

The Empire Night Nightclub might also have illegal projects, but these were all personal decisions made by the manager, Lansi, and had nothing to do with its owner, Mr. Ailike—

At this moment, Lansi could already imagine that if they had to go to court for these matters, Lawyer Aosen would hold the contract Lansi signed in one hand while asserting his rights to the court and the prosecutor.

They had already fully entrusted the operation to Lansi. If Lansi couldn't produce proof that he had received "orders" to operate those illegal projects, then he would certainly have to bear full responsibility.

Lansi spent two days visiting all five bars. They didn't need much renovation and could be reopened directly.

Seeing that he was about to go to Xiang Yalan, Lansi gathered everyone together and held a family barbecue party in the evening.

Large chunks of beef and mutton were cut and placed on the grill. Although the weather was very cold, everyone was very happy.

This was the first happy New Year they had spent since coming to the Federation.

Having thick clothes to wear, beef and mutton to fill their stomachs, hot coffee and wine, and all kinds of wonderful food—perhaps these were the happiest days a person could have in this world.

As the sky grew dark and it got colder outside, they all returned to the house.

The dining room couldn't fit everyone, so they went to the living room. The fragrance of food wafted throughout the room.

Lansi sat in the very center of the living room, and everyone else surrounded him, sitting on the sofa, on shelves, on the coffee table, and even on the floor.

Everyone ate meat, drank wine, and chatted simply.

They chatted about many topics that they didn't even know where they came from. When the dinner gradually reached its end, Aierwen looked at Lansi, "Can I ask a question?"

Lansi gnawed off the last piece of meat on the lamb rib, "Of course, we are a family; there is nothing that cannot be asked."

Aierwen's voice wasn't very loud, and his articulation was slow, just so he could stop at any time, "About the nightclub and... those few bars."

Lansi took a hot towel from a girl's hand and wiped his face and hands, "You mean it's a loss that we can only get thirty percent, right?"

He said thank you and returned the hot towel to the girl.

Everyone else looked over at him. He knew this was also the thought that everyone had been bottling up for the past few days, "You thought I would persuade you to accept this unreasonable distribution?"

"No, I won't persuade you, and I won't persuade myself. This is an unreasonable distribution method, but we have no way to resist."

"Because the person we are facing is not just an Ailike, but also his uncle behind him, the ruler of this city, our Mayor!"

Mo Lisi interjected, "I heard he is an illegitimate son born to the mayor and his mother, and his father is actually his cousin..."

The young men and girls burst into laughter. The private affairs of such big shots were popular everywhere.

For example, the story between the Emperor, the Empress, and the Prince of the Blood—even if there was nothing between them, under the rumors, there had to be something.

People were keen on these things; they would discuss them, process them, and then spread the variant versions.

Lansi raised his hand to press down, and the laughter quickly subsided, "We are strong; we can easily kill a person, but we are also weak; we are isolated and helpless in politics."

"Maybe you think, at worst, we'll risk our lives and shoot him a few times; can he still eat us?"

"Without considering whether doing so can succeed, even if we succeed, then what?"

"The entire federal political scene, from the President to the municipal councilors, they will all become our enemies."

"The police will no longer take our money, but will shoot bullets at us."

"Pedestrians on the road will scream and go to a phone booth to report us because each of us has a large bounty on our heads."

"In this country, and even in places within its power's reach, there is no room for our survival."

"We will be expelled, those Imperial people will also be expelled, and it might even trigger a new anti-Imperial movement. They might even push for legislation, bringing discrimination and differential treatment to Imperial immigrants."

"I hope our compatriots can live a good life, and I am unwilling to let them become worse off because of some of my selfish actions."

"So, I won't persuade myself to think this is a reasonable result, but I will accept this result and keep this unfairness in my heart."

"I have been thinking, I am still very young, nineteen years old. If I can live to be sixty, I still have forty years."

"Forty years, how long is that?"

"Then in these long forty years, do I have a chance to return the humiliation they have inflicted upon us back to them?"

Lansi looked at these young people, nodding continuously, "Yes, there is a chance. I believe I have a chance."

"The humiliation they gave us today will eventually become the bullets shot at them, but this requires time and patience."

When he said this, Aierwen nodded, "I understand."

Lansi smiled and shook his finger. He couldn't help but take out a cigarette. If he could drink a cup of hot tea after eating greasy food and then have a cigarette, it would be extremely comfortable!

Hai Lamu quickly took out a match and leaned over to let Lansi light the cigarette.

He knew Lansi didn't like the smell of kerosene, so he never used a kerosene lighter.

Lansi patted his hand, took a deep drag of the cigarette, and exhaled slowly, "Actually, we didn't get nothing."

"We got a backer that doesn't belong to us but can be utilized by us—the Mayor!"

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"That Ailike doesn't look like a smart person at all. I have plenty of ways to deal with such a fool."

"Besides, the portion we were supposed to give the police can also be lowered. After all, this is the Mayor's business!"

"Not only can they not come to suddenly inspect our business, but they also have to find ways to protect it well. This relates to whether the Mayor's money bag can be filled."

"And...", he sat in the crowd, holding the cigarette between his index and middle fingers, his thumb pressing against the filter, his arm slightly propped up diagonally. The rising blue smoke added a bit of mysterious haziness to his face, which wore a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

"They didn't stipulate that we cannot operate our own business!"

Those who were a bit smarter had already opened their mouths slightly, and then excited smiles appeared on their faces!

Yes, no one stipulated that Lansi could only own one nightclub and five small bars in the Imperial District.

He could completely go and open other nightclubs and other bars himself. These were not things Mr. Ailike could interfere with, and Lansi wouldn't allow him to continue interfering in this regard either.

But soon Aierwen had new doubts, only now, compared to just a moment ago, he seemed a bit more active, "If these few can't compete with our own business, will they...?"

Lansi shook his head, "I can withdraw and let them manage it themselves, or whatever else is fine."

"Isn't that Ailike quite arrogant?"

"Let him manage it, or let him find someone else."

"We might not be able to say no to them, but there isn't only one way to say no."

Seeing that everyone seemed to gradually understand, or were told by those around them, and smiles appeared on their faces, Lansi then showed a satisfied smile.

"Continue recruiting people, recruit fifty more, and then veterans, recruit thirty, recruit them from back home."

"Maintain it at around two hundred people. We don't need too many people for now; what we need are elites."

"Haile had so many people, weren't they still scattered by us?"

"So having many people isn't necessarily good. If everyone cannot be united, with hearts together and strength together, the more people, the more of a burden."

"I'm going to Xiang Yalan in two days. The matters here...", he looked at Aierwen, "Your mind is more flexible; you make the decisions. If there are decisions you can't make, discuss them with everyone."

"After I arrive there and settle down, I will call you. If there are any emergencies, you can contact me directly."

"Also, Hai Lamu and Lao En, you two prepare yourselves; you're coming with me to Xiang Yalan."

Hai Lamu flicked his hair, slightly raising his chin, "No problem, Boss."

Lao En just nodded without speaking.

In the evening, Lansi found Aierwen alone and asked him to find a suitable place near the outskirts of the city to build a brewery.

Along the way, he asked him to call Nike over to set up the stall together, what equipment to buy, what preparations to make, all should be done first, so as not to be too late when the time comes.

Also, he needed to order some grapes, corn, potatoes, and barley as soon as possible; these were all things that would be needed for brewing later.

Take advantage of the fact that the price hasn't risen yet, and stock up first.

He told Aierwen to make sure to find legitimate distributors, preferably large companies or listed companies, sign guaranteed contracts, and order fifty thousand worth first.

Aierwen showed an expression of disbelief, "Fifty thousand?"

"Is that too much?"

Lansi didn't think it was too much at all, "We have a lot of money that isn't easy to take out right now, otherwise I would only want to buy more."

"When the time comes, go find Lawyer Luo Ben, let him accompany you to sign the contract with them. If they breach the contract, at least pay compensation according to fifty times the liquidated damages..."

"Remember, we are not paying all the payment at once; this part is the deposit."

"At most, we cannot pay more than ten percent as a deposit. I need you to use this fifty thousand to leverage five hundred thousand worth of grapes."

He didn't talk about the issue of futures and spot goods; Aierwen couldn't possibly understand this, "Order them on average for this summer, autumn, next summer, autumn, and the summer and autumn of the year after next."

Aierwen calculated and nodded, "No problem."

Aierwen often ran to the port side, where there was an agricultural product trading center. Calling it a center, it was actually a free trading market, with a large group of people standing together shouting quotes.

There was a large sign that would record some information about sales or acquisitions.

Currently, the price of ordinary grapes was seventy-six yuan per ton!

He didn't read it wrong, seventy-six yuan, per ton, two thousand two hundred pounds, equivalent to three point five cents per pound.

This was the wholesale price; the retail price was about six cents to seven cents per pound. It seemed quite cheap, right?

In fact, it had already started to rise!

With the comprehensive implementation of Prohibition, the easiest thing for home brewing was wine. It only needed to be fermented; it didn't need distillation or the addition of some flavorings, antioxidants, etc., to make "intoxicating beverages."

This new term also appeared recently because some beer manufacturers protested to the federal government, arguing that beer was fermented wheat juice and did not belong to the category of alcohol.

And the very low alcohol content was just a fermentation style of this wheat juice, not representing subjective addition. Beer was just a common name; this word, when broken down, didn't have a single letter related to "alcohol" in it.

But the Congress rejected their protest, and the newly introduced Prohibition ushered in its first amendment. Alcoholic beverages became "intoxicating beverages."

As long as it was a beverage that could make people produce an effect similar to drunkenness, whether it was drunk or had alcohol, it would be prohibited.

This made many beer companies very angry, and they had already started to form groups to prepare to sue the federal government.

Sometimes these capitalists really couldn't figure out the situation. You sue congressmen in Congress, and it's still judged by the congressmen themselves?

Hope they succeed!

It is said that tobacco merchants are also contributing behind the scenes because some people say that water soaked in tobacco will also make you drunk if you drink it...

In short, the raw materials that can be used for brewing have already started to rise in price.

Perhaps it won't be long before it ushers in the first outlet caused by Prohibition after it came into the world: crazy agricultural product speculation!

Lansi currently hated that he didn't have much money in his hands, otherwise...

He suddenly thought that there were still hundreds of thousands in debt claims in his safe, but this would have to wait until he returned from Xiang Yalan.

The next morning, he went to see Patrishia. The girl finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although she heard from William that Lansi was safe and sound, she was still very worried.

Fortunately, he finally came to find her, which put the girl's hanging heart at ease.

The two said some quiet, sweet words for a while, and Lansi said goodbye. He really had too many things to do.

During this time, he also went to see Mr. Qiaobafu, intending to cooperate with Mr. Qiaobafu to bottom-fish, but Mr. Qiaobafu had gone out of town temporarily.

Although he didn't know what he went to do, Lansi knew it definitely wasn't anything good, so he didn't bother him for the time being.

On January 10th, Lansi and Aierbeituo took a cruise ship to Xiang Yalan. They would stay at sea for three days and then arrive at the first stop of Xiang Yalan, the Republic of Aierdeluo. ===== CHAPTER 162 =====