Chapter 46

Small-scale capital turnover businesses are thriving.

Federals have no habit of saving, or rather, in the past few years of rapid economic growth, people have gradually adapted to a lifestyle of not saving.

In the past, Federals did save, but in recent years as the economy improved, experts constantly warned people that if money sat in banks, it would depreciate.

Five years ago, when people earned only twenty dollars a month, a bicycle cost fifteen dollars; now, a bicycle costs more than twenty.

Five dollars lost value in this process—the more money you saved, the harder it was depreciated, while timely spending helped preserve wealth.

A bicycle bought for fifteen dollars five years ago still sells for seven or eight dollars on the secondhand market—equivalent to riding it for a year at a cost of just over one dollar.

You can’t say the experts are wrong, because these are real cases: the better the economy, the more places money is needed, so the Federation prints more currency to meet market demand, and prices change accordingly.

But to say they’re right isn’t entirely true either, because in terms of purchasing power, three-quarters of a monthly income versus half of it means the actual value of the bicycle has dropped.

But people don’t care—they only know the bicycle got more expensive.

This instant gratification, along with the endless proliferation of financial companies offering installment plans and loans, has pushed people to spend money as soon as they get it.

This consumption habit has also driven rapid economic growth: factory products never lack buyers; experts believe this economic boom will last another ten years, or longer.

Everything seems perfect—except when sudden expenses arise.

Many workers at the port are also instant gratifiers: they go to bars daily for a drink, then watch strippers who work out of passion, giving them a few cents or dimes to applaud their optimism and energy.

At the end of each month, they have almost no money left; when they suddenly need cash, it becomes a problem.

Don’t expect to borrow from coworkers—they have no money to lend, because they’re all moonlighters too.

Borrow from the company?

The company doesn’t offer that service, and it easily leads to disputes.

Financial companies are a good option, but if the borrower has no real estate, no valuable assets, and earns only about thirty dollars a month, they won’t lend.

Add in exorbitant interest rates, and borrowers aren’t eager to take loans either.

So in the port district, within just a few days, “Wanli Financial Consulting Services” became a frequently mentioned topic among low-income workers.

For amounts under one hundred dollars, full payment is made the same day—cash or check accepted—and interest is not high, and they support installments.

Someone borrowed a hundred dollars and only had to repay one hundred ninety over six months—just thirty-eight dollars per installment.

This interest rate is far lower than ordinary financial companies; most importantly, they actually lend, and they aren’t worried about repayment.

Work cards are rising in price—now commonly eighteen to twenty dollars; if they take on extra jobs and rent out their work cards, even without working themselves, their monthly income is enough to repay the loan; if they work full-time, their income is even higher.

Many people do this—they anticipate their future life before making a decision.

Will this cause my life to become difficult? Will I be unable to repay?

But now it won’t, because even if they truly can’t repay, the company says they’ll simply seize their work card for a while—when they can’t pay, the company hires someone else to work and pay for them.

What possible worries are left?

Even some who aren’t short on money, but just have none in their pockets, went to borrow twenty or thirty dollars just to try it out.

Especially when some heard they could borrow money just by having a work card, even those unwilling to work went to borrow—compared to dealing with illegal immigrants, this seemed far better.

After all… the impact of the movement hasn’t faded; some typical “old Federals” believe renting work cards to illegal immigrants harms the nation and their own interests.

But if a work card is seized by the company due to unpaid debt, it has nothing to do with them—it’s becoming a solution for some.

In this process, Lans also considered starting a second company—a labor agency.

In just a few days, the company issued over two hundred loans—some for a hundred dollars, others as little as twenty.

These were all loans ignored by financial companies, too burdensome for people to bear their exorbitant interest—ultimately all benefited Lans, totaling over thirteen thousand dollars.

If calculated over three months, this thirteen-thousand-dollar loan pool could generate nearly nine thousand dollars in profit for him.

Meanwhile, the thirteen-thousand-dollar loans and documents enabled him to borrow sixteen thousand from the bank—the more money he lent out, the more cash he held; perhaps this is why people say “the rich get richer.”

Sometimes life is this fantastical.

Whether you make money doesn’t depend on how hardworking you are, nor on whether you possess noble qualities—it’s perhaps the greatest irony of striving to live!

On the weekend, Lans arranged to go out with Patricia; the girl was shy, quite different from the “heretic girl” others imagined.

In this era, most normal Federals still valued “chastity”; conservative women still dominated the female population.

Even holding hands made them blush.

Lans booked their date at Jincheng Amusement Park, where giant rides filled the place with laughter from youths and children.

While imperial outcasts still struggled to survive, Federals were already riding roller coasters.

But in a way, everyone was really the same—

Hearts pounding wildly!

“Too thrilling!” Patricia clutched her chest and leaned on Lans, “My legs are weak—I swear I’ll never ride this again!”

Clearly, she was terrified.

Actually, the roller coaster at Jincheng Angel Park wasn’t especially intense, yet it still brought joy—and shadows—to many.

The signs reading “Please Do Not Vomit Here” showed that those who disliked it were probably as numerous as those who loved it.

Patricia’s upper body leaned heavily on Lans; her legs trembled constantly. Though separated by clothing, he could still feel her scorching warmth.

“I thought you’d like it—you see, most visitors here are young,” he helped her sit on a nearby bench.

Patricia’s heartbeat finally slowed a little. “I… this is my first time on a roller coaster, Lans. When I was a girl, I told my father.”

“He said it wasn’t something a lady should do. You don’t know him—he’s as rigid as a stone.”

“So…” she pouted, took a deep breath, “even though I was terrified, you made my life complete.”

“If it were up to me, I’d never have dared to ride this.”

“Thank you, Lans.”

Lans smiled. “You’re my angel; I’m your genie in a bottle, able to fulfill all your wishes.”

“Then my angel, what’s your next wish?”

Patricia burst into laughter—her radiant smile dimmed even summer’s brilliance. “So sweet, Lans—I sometimes wonder if this is a hallucination!”

Lans gazed into her eyes, slowly leaning closer; their distance shrank. Patricia’s face flushed hot, her gaze flickering away.

When she felt his breath, a dizzying sensation overwhelmed her.

Too fast!

Her inner voice warned her: she wasn’t some slut who’d sleep with a man on first meeting; her upbringing kept her tied to traditional values.

“Your collar’s messy—I’ll fix it,” Lans adjusted her hair and collar. She exhaled in relief, yet felt a strange emptiness.

Just as she opened her mouth to say “thank you,” Lans suddenly kissed her.

Her mind went utterly blank.

Patricia had always attended church-run girls’ schools—where only female teachers and nuns existed—with strict rules: they told every girl this was only permitted after marriage!

Perhaps precisely because of this repression of natural urges, the women’s rights movement surged across the Federation; they organized nationwide campaigns for voting rights, gaining massive momentum.

But for Patricia, this kiss contradicted everything she’d been taught—she didn’t know how to react.

Fortunately, Lans’s kiss was brief, no tongue—just a simple touch. What stirred her most was the warmth of his skin pressed against hers, the subtle tremor it sent through her heart.

The feeling was like yesterday’s weather—damp, sticky.

“I couldn’t help myself—forgive me,” Lans stepped back. “So I’ll grant you one extra wish.”

Patricia cupped her burning face, half-resentful. “I didn’t agree to let you kiss me.”

Lans scratched his head. “You’re too beautiful. How about you kiss me back?”

The girl, still pouting, couldn’t help laughing. “You’re the most brazen man I’ve ever met!”

Lans felt no embarrassment or shame. “If you see a beautiful girl you like and dare not express your feelings, that’s the real shame.”

The girl rolled her eyes—she had to admit, every word Lans spoke made her feel like she’d swallowed honey.

“How many girls have you fooled?” she asked.

An easy question. “You’re the first.”

“I don’t believe you!”

For this kind of softball question, Lans never held back.

“I never treated girls like this before—but since I met you,” he suddenly opened his fists in a gesture of explosion or blooming, “God opened a window for me—I have endless sweet words to say to you!”

He gave her no chance to reply, grabbing her hand. “Shall we ride the carousel?”

She didn’t refuse—it was every girl’s favorite.

As for wrapping arms around the waist?

That’s the move of a virgin!