The Second Regret

The two children, dining at a roadside Cafe for the first time, were a little reserved. They patted their clothes more than once before sitting down to make sure they wouldn't get the seats dirty.

Lin Qi did not stop them, but just watched quietly. People's awe of the world will not disappear in an instant. If a person can lose awe of everything in an instant, that person will soon perish.

Arrogant people who lack reverence will not live long; they will either be destroyed by others or by themselves.

Watching them sit so cautiously and with their heads slightly bowed, you could tell that they still had some reverence in their hearts, even though they had done something that many adults wouldn't dare to do—murder.

After the waiter brought over three cups of coffee along with three biscuits and sincerely wished the three of them a perfect afternoon tea, Lin Qi began to talk about the work he could offer them.

"I recently started an Auction House, but I don't have anyone working for me yet. I will have a lot of work to do in the coming period of time, and I can't completely isolate myself there. I need some people to do things for me."

The two children, who had been exchanging glances, immediately straightened their backs. Lin Qi nodded noncommittally, holding a saucer in one hand and a coffee cup in the other, taking a small sip. "My first job is to have someone go to all the Trade Market in Sabine City every day to inquire about the daily prices of various goods, including raw materials. It's a simple but meticulous job that requires someone who can ask questions, knows some words, and can write some characters."

Mr. Fox is unaware of the trouble that mortgage agreement, representing his finances, will bring him. A large amount of various odds and ends will fill his warehouse, things that are not like gold or jewelry that can be easily sold.

People who actually have these things wouldn't bring them to Mr. Fox; they would just send them to antique shops or similar places to sell. In many cases, antique shops are also known as pawnshops.

What Mr. Fox received were essentially items that were difficult to get rid of immediately and were closely related to his life.

Unable to sell in a short time, yet unwilling to give it up, and consuming a lot of energy and physical strength, Lin Qi would then discount these items according to the price on the mortgage agreement and contract them at a lower price.

In this way, he actually made money twice from one deal, and the second one might have been even more, but that doesn't matter because they weren't connected, and it wasn't even Mr. Fox who asked him to handle it.

Market prices are fluctuating, and a budget needs to be made for how much each item should cost. Lin Qi could clearly feel the atmosphere of an impending storm.

The economic downturn has changed the consumption habits of many ordinary people, who are starting to try buying second-hand goods to reduce unnecessary expenses in their lives, making pricing a skill in itself.

As for raw materials... sometimes there are some confusing behaviors in the market, such as the price of a certain product falling below the price of its raw materials after being broken down. The most common example is the used car market.

Sometimes an old car can only be sold for two or three dollars, but if you dismantle it into raw materials or even some parts, you can sell it for much more.

People may have avoided this method in the past because of high labor costs, but an economic downturn is coming soon, labor will become worthless, and people will fight tooth and nail for a job they used to look down on.

This will be a feast for capitalists who are already prepared and have ideas, after all, in the past, labor costs have been the largest part of the overall cost composition!

The two children nodded vigorously. The younger child seemed to be silenced, and it was the older child who spoke the whole time. "Mr. Lin Qi, we can all read and write. We are very hardworking and fast."

Lin Qi nodded. "Secondly, I need some people with good speaking skills, and they should be somewhat cute. We have some products that we need to sell door-to-door..."

Kindness and compassion often emerge after people achieve financial freedom and begin to pursue their spiritual needs.

A person who is so poor that they can barely afford pants won't think about "helping others today" or "how to make themselves happy by helping others." They just want to make money and fill their stomachs.

Only those who have nothing better to do want to prove their superiority through their past efforts; sometimes, charitable acts towards others are a sign of superiority.

I use a pittance of money to earn your gratitude, even to the point of kneeling down. That sense of superiority that rises from the inside out, from the soles of my feet, the pleasure of being above others, and the need for spiritual self-satisfaction give people a feeling of "my soul has been elevated."

This group, which is easily gratified, is often the Middle Class. They are always a very interesting group of people. Once you reach All Forms of Life Upper Class class, you have already seen and experienced all kinds of life. Charity, compared to spiritual pursuit, is more like a disguise for your own ugliness.

Using vulnerable children to knock on the doors of the Middle Class is a very effective method. This group of Middle Class people, who are striving for progress and seeking greater participation in social change and taking on more responsibility, will pay for the children's education.

This was a good deal; it saved some people, satisfied others, and most importantly, Lin Qi himself made money.

"Maybe I'll have other jobs for you in the future, it depends on how well I do here..." He took out a cash checkbook from his pocket, wrote a cash check for two hundred dollars, and placed it on the table.

"Take this and buy some decent clothes, make yourself look..." He gestured with his hand, "Look neat and tidy, and come find me in the Warehouse District tomorrow."

He finished his pancake and coffee in a few bites, then stood up. The two children also stood up nervously. "I think we're done talking?"

"Yes, Mr. Lin Qi!" the older child said, bowing his head. He was behaving very docilely, which was good.

"Enjoy your afternoon tea, and see you tomorrow, children!"

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Lin Qi!"

The two children were very excited after Lin Qi left. They drank their coffee, their faces contorted with bitterness.

"Damn it, why do adults like to drink this stuff?" The younger children shuddered as if they had just peed. Sorry, girls and ladies probably don't feel that way. That's the second disappointing thing.

He looked at the residue in the glass with lingering fear and couldn't help but say, "I prefer sweeter juice!"

The older child also had a bitter expression on his face. He grimaced and muttered a low scolding to shut up, then wrapped the two pancakes in paper and put them back in his bag. These were meant to be taken back and shared with everyone. They had become one, so they should share them together.

They wouldn't have drunk all the coffee if they could have taken it back with them.

Before leaving, the two children carefully wiped the chair with their sleeves, even though they hadn't actually dirtied it. Their cautiousness and care were heartbreaking to see.

But this is the world. Some people frequent prestigious and luxurious places, casually spraying filth and vulgarities. Their servants leech off the Federal and even the entire society.

Some people, like these children, live cautiously and constantly contribute to society, yet they struggle to even maintain their most basic dignity.