A seller?!
Mrs. Amanda froze.
Almost instinctively, she asked-
"If I wanted to sell goods at your Exchange, what would I have to pay?"
"Right now, it's all free!
Everything is free!
Once it all becomes a habit, I'll start charging-
Security deposits, service fees, and any necessary fines."
Arthur spoke with complete candor.
He had no need to hide anything from Mrs. Amanda.
Not only did she share his position and allegiance, but Arthur also believed she couldn't replicate his model.
Because-
She was in South Los.
There could never be another Mr. Five Exchange in South Los.
It wasn't simply a question of scale.
Nor was it simply a question of getting there first.
It was because Malinda, his lover in name, controlled more than enough supply channels.
It was because Mrs. Susan, his grandmother in name, was the head Steward of the House of South Los.
If anyone dared to muscle in,
He would pull their teeth.
Mrs. Amanda knew none of this.
She was merely surprised by Arthur's candor-and his ideas!
"A habit? A habit!"
Mrs. Amanda murmured under her breath.
The more she repeated it, the brighter her eyes shone.
Although she hadn't worked out some of the key details, she could already say for certain that Arthur's Mr. Five Exchange would never go bankrupt.
In fact, it wouldn't merely avoid bankruptcy.
It would flourish.
Because Arthur's Mr. Five Exchange was changing the way the people of South Los lived.
"You really are full of surprises, Arthur.
I'd love to see the looks on those mockers' faces in a year... no, in six months!"
That was what Mrs. Amanda said.
She was quite certain.
With Arthur's model, it wouldn't take long to see initial results.
And when that time came...
It would cause an uproar.