"Send someone to get in touch with Shawn," Raul said, closing his eyes after a momentary pause.
He had to admit that he had lost this round!
However, this was only the beginning!
Raul and Simon walked out. Immediately, the residents who were selling purslane to Raul looked at them gratefully.
How could they not be grateful?
Purslane was everywhere. It was almost like picking up money.
Compared to this, going to work was much worse!
It would be a miracle if they could get $50 for a day of hard work.
On the other hand, selling the purslane could easily earn $100 a day.
Seeing the two of them come out, everyone revealed sincere smiles.
"Master Raul, you're such a good man to buy these vegetables at such a high price. You're so much better than Shaun."
"Isn't that right? It's a good thing that Mr. Raul is in this town. Otherwise, I don't know how Shawn would've exploited us!"
"He only gave us $1 per kilogram while selling it at $7. He's simply not worthy of being a human. If it weren't for Mr. Raul, we would still be foolishly trying to reap benefits for him!"
"Mr. Raul is our great benefactor. He would rather earn less for himself in order to give us benefits. We want to give Mr. Raul a silk banner."
"I will definitely vote for Mr. Raul if he vies for the position of mayor!"
"That's right. Only Mr. Raul can lead us to becoming rich!"
"There are only so few good people like Mr. Raul in the world. He's the hero of our community."
"Mr. Raul's son, Simon, is also a talented person. Shawn is far inferior to him."
"If I had a daughter, I would marry her to Mr. Simon!"
....
News of Raul's high-priced purchase of purslane quickly spread.
Many reporters who heard the news swarmed over.
When they saw Raul and Simon coming out, they quickly went up to interview them.
"Mr. Raul, may I know why you are willing to spend so much money to buy purslane?"
"Mr. Raul, many people say that you are a great good man. What do you think?"
"Mr. Raul, you must have made a lot of money by keeping such a huge stock of purslane, right?"
"Mr. Raul, what do you think of Shawn? I heard that both of you collected purslane. He paid $1 while you offered $3."
"Mr. Raul, may I ask if I can sell the purslane in other districts to you?"
"Mr. Raul, I heard that you single-handedly supported the entire New York City market. How did you know about this beforehand?"
"Mr. Raul, I heard that you are a popular figure for the next district mayor. May I ask if it has anything to do with your good deed?"
"Mr. Raul! Mr. Raul!"
Looking at the swarm of reporters and the residents of the district, Raul and Simon's faces turned black.
If he could start over again, he would not have done this no matter what.
But now, he could not open his mouth no matter what.
Simon looked at his father and wanted to say something.
If he did not stop them, other districts and farms would come to sell purslane to them.
They could not even take it anymore in their own district. If stock was to come from other places, they would not be able to take it even if they sold all their properties!
Raul looked at Simon, how could he not know about this?
But could he turn back now?
Once he admitted defeat, not only would he be unable to sell the purslane in the warehouse, but his hard-earned reputation would also be gone!
Therefore, he had no choice but to bear the brunt of the loss. He had to make sure that Shawn would give in, and that Jeffrey would not be able to withstand the pressure.
With that thought in mind, Raul coughed and said with an extremely ugly expression, "Ahem, everyone, I'm honored to contribute to my hometown. My hope is that even if I earn less, everyone can earn more. I hope to help everyone become rich and live a comfortable life."
Raul said it all in one breath.
Everyone was excited when they heard his words.
Everyone, including the reporters, could not help but clap.
Many emotional people even started crying.
"As expected of Mr. Raul. He's too kind. May God bless him."
"That's right. I'm honored that we have Mr. Raul in our area. If it weren't for his generosity, I wouldn't even be able to afford food right now."
"That's right. I think all businessmen should follow Mr. Raul's example. This is a true businessman, a businessman that everyone supports and loves!"
"Buffett, Zuckerberg, and Jobs can't compare to Mr. Raul at all. He's the only businessman that everyone loves."
"Who said that Raul is a bully here? We've all wronged Mr. Raul. Only he is a good person, a true good person!"
....
It was not just the residents of the district. Even the media outlets that came to interview Raul had sold the purslane that they had collected along the way to Raul.
After the successful sale, everyone was grateful to Raul.
Hence, all of them returned to their respective companies gratefully.
Very quickly, the news articles were written.
'The Legendary Story of the Kind and Great Raul, the One Who Led the Residents to Become Rich.'
'A True Businessman Like Mr. Raul Deserves to Be Studied by All Businessmen in the World."
'That Is the Way of Business, See Mr. Raul's Noble Values.'
'Why Mr. Raul Is Willing to Spend $3 to Buy the Purslane? This Is the Reason Behind It.'
'A Bad Person Who Has Been Wronged by Everyone Actually Did Something so Noble. This Is Truly Admirable.'
...
At the same time, on the Internet, every town began to develop the story.
"I'm so envious. Why isn't Mr. Raul in my neighborhood?"
"Sigh, he is a wealthy person from another place. Look at our own rich people, they are so stingy and want nothing more than to gain benefits from everyone."
"I'm so envious. Is it too late to buy a house there?"
"His integrity is really admirable."
"I hope the New York Times interviews more of such famous people. They're the only ones who can bring more positive energy to the country."
...
At that moment, Shawn could not help but laugh when he saw Raul on the TV.
Others might not know about Raul's current situation, but he was very clear about it.
The market for purslane in New York City had already been distributed among the major players.
The prices were also controlled by the big shots.
Raul, who could not find a way to sell his stock, could only say such pretty things on TV.
However, this was fine. Those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.
.....