"Is that for real?! He's really something, $200,000. Even $20,000 feels like a distant dream to me."
Upon hearing Carter's remark about needing $20,000 just to meet someone, Lisa subconsciously doubted it.
Was this the God of Wealth? Just to meet him once, you need to offer $200,000?
In an era where the average monthly income is only around $600, $200,000 would take almost 28 years to save up even if you didn't eat or drink. Even the famous Buffett lunch in history didn't cost that much. The lowest winning bid for Buffett's lunch was only $18,000.
However, recalling the conversation she overheard at Carter's house earlier about lending out $3.2 million, maybe it was true after all.
Lisa's eyes lit up. Birds of a feather flock together, they say. Carter's friend, who could command such a sum, seemed to have even greater potential than she had anticipated. That meant she could invest more.
With a glint in her sky-blue eyes, Lisa pretended to marvel at Carter's friend's wealth while gritting her teeth. She then casually propped her legs up on the glove compartment in front of the passenger seat:
"Um, can I rest my legs like this for a while? They feel uncomfortable if I keep them down."
"As long as you're happy!"
Carter's eye twitched. Sure, do as you please, as long as those legs are involved.
Carter wasn't bluffing earlier. While it's true you need to go through a brokerage firm to open a stock account, expecting a dedicated stockbroker to provide personalized service to a small retail investor like you? That's wishful thinking.
They'd just assign you a broker, and with hundreds, even thousands, of clients under their belt, they wouldn't remember your name if you didn't remind them each time you called without identifying yourself.
Only if you have over $200,000 to invest would you possibly be assigned a broker like Julian, who would provide personalized service.
But that was getting off track. As Lisa let her imagination run wild, their conversation became more diverse. Carter couldn't help but look at Lisa's legs from time to time, unwilling to refuse such a sight.
Casually chatting and admiring Lisa's legs, Carter and the others arrived at the outskirts of Atlanta without realizing it.
"Let's check into the hotel first and then go out to play, okay? What do you think, Carter?"
As they parked in a nearby parking lot, they gathered to discuss their plans. It wasn't until then that Carter confirmed the number of people traveling with him: besides himself and Lisa, there were two other boys and three girls.
Without him, Lisa, as the cheerleading captain and "goddess," would undoubtedly be the leader of this group. However, with him in the mix, Lisa's leadership was somewhat diminished.
"I'm fine with that. You guys decide, and I'll follow. But I need to make a call to arrange something."
Since it was Thanksgiving, the banks were closed, and Carter hadn't faxed the subscription certificate for the fund yet. He'd have to call and ask Goodman or someone from the bank to fax the documents to New York.
"Alright, let's go to the hotel first. I found one before we left, so let's check it out."
With their plans set, they continued on their way. Following Lisa's guidance, Carter drove into the courtyard of a motel. These motels were similar to small hotels in his previous life. Apart from accommodation, don't expect much else.
Carter didn't mind. Times were tough, and the fact that these people could afford to travel was already a sign of privilege. Expecting them to stay in a hotel would be asking too much. Besides, it was just for one night, and Carter didn't want to waste extra energy finding a hotel room to stay in alone.
Entering the motel, Carter found out where the phone was, made arrangements, and returned to find the room already open.
"Are you sure you want to share a room with me?"
Three minutes later, seeing Lisa walking into the same room with him, Carter couldn't help but feel a bit strange. Even though the room had two beds, wasn't she being a bit too forward?
"Don't overthink it. It's just... There are four girls and three boys, and there was only one triple room left before the double rooms. So..."
So why couldn't I share a room with the other two boys? Why did you girls need two rooms for four people?
Seeing Lisa's ears turning red, Carter didn't have the heart to ask that question. Well, it's not like he was a last-straw-picker; it's just that he wasn't good at math! Yeah, Americans aren't good at math, and that's the truth.
"Okay, let's go. Do you need to change clothes or anything? If not, let's go downstairs to meet the others."
"No, I'm good. Let's go!"
Side by side, they quickly headed downstairs and out of the motel.
"Hey, don't just chat, see if there are any job postings too!"
As the seven of them drove into the city and parked in a parking lot, they walked along the streets of Atlanta. Apart from Carter, who didn't talk much due to his unfamiliarity with the area, the others were excitedly chatting all the way.
It was Lisa who finally broached the subject, bringing the conversation back on track.
"It's not that we're not looking, I've been keeping an eye out. But on this whole journey, we haven't seen a single job posting. If we want to find a job in Atlanta, we might have to try our luck at a factory."
One of the boys frowned upon hearing this.
"But I don't want to work in a factory. It's hard and dirty. Even being a waiter in a restaurant is better. After a few years of work, there's still hope of becoming a manager."
"Ah, I don't want to be a waiter either. I want to work in those buildings."
The skyscrapers of Atlanta and its bustling streets filled these young people with hopes for a bright future. But in the corners they rarely paid attention to, Carter saw another scene.
Homeless people! More homeless people!
It hadn't even been six months since his last visit to Atlanta in June, but Carter keenly observed a noticeable increase in the number of homeless people on the streets.
They were unkempt, huddled in corners, hoping that the occasional passerby might give them a few coins. As Carter and the others walked past them, some lowered their heads even further, while others suddenly looked up, a glimmer of hope shining in their eyes, hidden beneath their tangled hair.
But it quickly vanished as they sighed deeply, lowering their heads, which had once stood as high as Carter's and the others'.
The wave of unemployment was coming.