Chapter 89 The Real Die-Hard

"Yes, I received a message from a friend at the police station, telling me about your visit. They also warned me that if I lay a hand on you, I won't be able to stay in Douglas."

With just a simple statement, Carter made Truffaut realize that he had exposed his intentions.

Upon realizing this, Truffaut didn't try to hide it anymore. His cheerful expression turned somewhat bitter, and he continued candidly:

"I also noticed your license plate. You're much stronger than I imagined, at least financially. But that's good news. I know you've come to talk to me about getting me to run a repair shop on the other side of town."

"Getting people, no problem! They're willing too. But the problem now is, we don't have the money to open a new shop. Those hospital vampires have sucked me dry of my savings over the past two years. I want to work with you. You put up the money, build the shop, buy the equipment, and I'll provide the manpower and the expertise. I just want forty percent of the profits. Don't worry, I'll send over the best hands from the shop. Is that acceptable?"

After Truffaut finished, he looked expectantly at Carter, and the others seemed somewhat nervous at this moment, facing a situation that could determine their future.

In reality, talk is cheap; you can't survive on principles alone. Seeing the repair shop's business dwindling due to the economic downturn, Truffaut had to face the harsh reality that he needed to find alternative sources of income.

"First, tell me how much it'll cost to build a repair shop."

Carter, looking at Truffaut's sincere expression and the others around, sighed and took a few sips from his beer bottle, feeling somewhat impatient.

He wasn't interested in the details of the commercial district's shops. They didn't bring in much money, and investing in a KFC already made him feel regretful. It was better to invest in Peter Lynch's fund where he wouldn't have to worry about anything.

"I don't want to hear the details; I wouldn't understand anyway. Just tell me the minimum amount of money we'll need."

Carter set down his beer bottle, somewhat impatiently.

It wouldn't make sense for Truffaut to go into detail; Carter knew nothing about car repairs. If Truffaut had any malicious intentions, there were plenty of ways to deceive him. At this point, Carter could only invest his money upfront. He didn't care about the repair shop's profits; as long as there was foot traffic and he could lease out his land, it would be enough.

"Thirty-six thousand dollars!"

Truffaut nervously shouted out the number, without any intention to deceive. After all, this matter concerned his own interests and the future of his brothers.

Even though he didn't know how the business on the highway would turn out, any glimmer of hope was worth seizing in such bleak times.

Despite his efforts to minimize costs, Truffaut still needed a significant amount of money. He was worried that the number might scare Carter, so he hastily added:

"Carter, please believe me, we can definitely make this money back for you. There are many trucks and large vehicles on the highway; repairing them would bring in more profit because they charge higher prices. For example, a tire here might sell for the same price as three or four tires for smaller cars, compared to the profit from one tire for a large vehicle."

"If things go well, we can recoup the thirty-six thousand dollars in a year!"

"Let's say two years, I don't want to pressure you too much. Come back to me at the bank, and I'll have the contracts drawn up for you."

After swallowing another piece of meat, Carter gritted his teeth.

This dinner was a blood loss.

Roast meat, corn cakes, beans, cheese with side dishes, oh, and a bottle of cold beer. By star-rated hotel standards, it would be worth thirty-six dollars. He ate thirty-six dollars worth of food, but now he had to cough up thirty-six thousand.

This was beyond belief!

Fuming, he returned home with a full stomach. The next day, he went to see Mike Jones again. Before long, Carter's face darkened once more.

Because this "poor man" was the true hardliner who refused to budge; Truffaut, on the other hand, was just a paper tiger, easily pierced. The real die-hard was Mike Jones, who not only couldn't be persuaded, but also left Carter speechless.

"My dear Carter, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that no one has ever done this kind of business before, and none of us knows how profitable it might be. Plus, with the international crude oil prices going up because of Iran's two-month oil supply cut earlier this year, you must be aware, right?"

"Originally, the price of crude oil was already high at thirteen dollars a barrel at the end of '78, and now it's risen to over twenty dollars a barrel. And think about the purchasing price for refined oil that we get from Mobil."

"Don't be fooled by my three gas stations in Douglas; this year, the profits from all three stations combined aren't even as much as one small restaurant. It's barely enough to break even, and if the oil price continues to rise, fewer and fewer people will refuel, and my profits will decrease even further."

Mike Jones shook his head vigorously, leaving Carter speechless no matter how he tried to persuade him. Despite Carter's attempts to paint a rosy picture, Mike Jones remained firm in his refusal to invest in opening a fourth gas station.

"I can't even say if my three gas stations will break even in the future. In such times, how could I possibly agree to use my cash reserves to expand to a fourth gas station? This isn't a good year, Carter. If this were two years ago, and you wanted to develop the commercial district, I wouldn't wait for you to come to me; I'd come to you, hoping that you would remember the time when I carried you and let you pee on my head."

"But now, I'm sorry. I have to take responsibility for my employees and my family. I can't invest in this gas station. If you really need a gas station on that side of town, I can help you. I can give you the contact information for Mobil over there. When you negotiate the franchise, mention my name, Jones, and you should get some discounts, as there probably aren't many people franchising gas stations this year."

"Also, if you need help with operations and management, I can lend you three people to help you set up the gas station. But other than that, I'm sorry, my boy!"