Chapter 372: Getting Money to Caroline
Marvin continued his investigation, while Ron, after another round of reconnaissance in the surrounding area, sent him backup—Joe Matheson, a stone-cold operator. Joe was once the most skilled infiltration specialist of the former CIA special operations unit.
With him providing support, Ron was confident he'd get the intelligence he needed soon.
Meanwhile, Ron was walking into the Williamsburg Diner. Because of the little incident at Howard's bachelor party, he hadn't seen his beautiful girlfriends for three days.
"Earl, good evening. I'm really curious, what's your secret to staying young? Every time I see you, you look better than the last time." Ron bumped fists with the old cashier at the front counter.
"Because I'm positive and optimistic, plus some good genetics from my folks, and I know how to take care of myself. I use essential oils."
Ron was just making small talk, but he didn't expect Earl to give him such an unexpected answer. Ron asked curiously, "Essential oils? What kind? Is it some special wellness product?"
If it's really effective, Ron thought he might as well buy some and give it to his veterans club as a perk. It's more thoughtful than giving cash directly, and more importantly, it saves money!
"No, it's a massage therapist named Essence. She comes to work her magic on me once a week."
"Alright then~" Ron gave up. He couldn't exactly give that as a gift to his employees, so he made his way to his usual booth and looked around for his two favorite people.
Max wasn't in the dining room; she must have been in the kitchen. Only Caroline was standing in front of the fish tank, absently scooping up debris with a small net.
"Good evening, Ron. Sorry, you'll have to wait a bit longer. Can you believe this? I've become a fish babysitter. Looks like I can add a line next to my Wharton degree on my resume: professional fish poop scooper."
Caroline said, casually dumping the contents of the net into the trash can. "Oh my god! There was a fish in there!"
"Wow Yeah, I saw it, a bright blue tang. If I remember correctly, those go for five hundred bucks each. Looks like you're in deep trouble" Ron said with obvious amusement.
"No way! The most expensive one!" Caroline's expression turned to pure horror. She steeled herself and reached into the trash can.
Just then, Max returned from the kitchen. "Caroline, I thought you wouldn't be dumpster diving until you were at least thirty~"
But Caroline didn't have time for Max's wisecracks. She frantically searched through the trash, finally feeling something moving.
"Thank God! It's still alive!" Caroline exclaimed excitedly as she pulled her hand out of the bin. She glanced at what she held in her hand, then screamed and threw it away: "Ahhh!!!"
Ron quickly dodged Caroline's projectile—a furry black rat with a small, bright blue fish in its mouth. It was undoubtedly the same one Caroline had just fished out.
The rat did a somersault in midair, landing smoothly with the entire fish in its mouth, only its tail sticking out. With one powerful gulp, it swallowed the last bit of tail, then squeaked twice defiantly at Caroline before scurrying away.
"Okay, that poor little fish is now the rat's dinner, so what are you going to do about it?" Ron asked, amused, arms crossed.
Just then, Han Lee spotted Ron and came over to greet him. Caroline quickly stepped in front of the fish tank to block his view, only relaxing after Han left.
"So all these little fish belong to Han? I was wondering when the diner got this thing. It's a saltwater tank—looks pretty high-end." Ron moved closer to examine the aquarium.
"A saltwater tank? Does that mean it connects to the ocean?" Max asked, confused.
"No, it's just what aquarium hobbyists call it. It's called saltwater because it houses marine fish."
"Hey!" Caroline interrupted. "This isn't the time for fish talk! What are we going to do? If Han finds out I accidentally killed his favorite little fish, he'll lose it!"
"If you're quick, buy an identical replacement before he notices. I don't think Han will be able to tell the difference." Ron took out his wallet and handed it to Caroline. "I happen to know a tropical fish store just two blocks east of here."
"No, Ron, I can't take your money." Caroline shook her head, refusing once again. "I know I've already taken too much from you. If I spend your money again, I'll never be able to pay you back."
"Silly girl, you know there are other ways you can repay me." Ron gave a devilish smile. Unlike Max, Caroline wasn't as uninhibited. Unless it was something like that time she messed up, she wasn't as open-minded as Max.
While the thrill of the chase can be enjoyable sometimes, it gets exhausting after a while.
Caroline's expression changed abruptly: "Absolutely not!"
Thwack
Ron flicked Caroline's forehead: "What are you thinking? I just want you to promise me that you and Max's cupcake shop will make some changes. As one of the investors, it's been driving me crazy that we haven't been turning a profit, okay?
Max, how's your training with that pastry chef Giuseppe going? Are you confident you can handle Italian desserts on your own now? Or, that idea you mentioned last time, combining European pastries with American-style cupcakes—that's actually brilliant. I think it could make serious money."
The amount of money Ron could funnel to Caroline through the crowdfunding website was limited; any more would attract scrutiny from regulatory authorities, so Saul had already shut that down.
But after taxes, a substantial portion of that money was still sitting there, and the amount that had actually reached Caroline was barely a fraction. So he had to find another way to get the money to her.
Originally, having different people buy cupcakes from the small shop was a decent idea, but transferring such a large sum that way was a bit far-fetched.
So Saul came up with a new scheme: have Max do something innovative with the cupcakes, use that as a hook to generate buzz, then set up a shell company to raise venture capital for Max's cupcake shop.
The rest could be left to the sharks on Wall Street. According to Saul, it might even allow him to make another fortune; Saul had even introduced him to a financier named Jordan Belfort.
Ron thought this was a solid plan. Sending Max to train with Giuseppe, the Italian pastry master, was part of laying the groundwork; now all that was left was getting Caroline's approval.
"You've already discussed all this?" Caroline glanced at the hopeful expression on Max's face and nodded reluctantly: "Okay, I agree."
(End of Chapter)
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