50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 316 Everything Will Be Fine
"Wait, what do you mean by incomplete? Is it damaged?" The lieutenant quickly stepped forward to check.

He didn't suspect that the store had broken it for him; he just assumed that the item was already broken when he received it.

"No, no, it's intact, but not complete."

"What I mean is, there should be two of them, one male and one female."

"Your lion's left forepaw is resting on a cub, so this is a lion cub design."

"There should also be a male lion, whose right forepaw will be pressing down on a ball."

"If both were intact, they could probably sell for around $5000 together."

The lieutenant was a little excited when he heard the price of 5000; he was quite satisfied with the price, but unfortunately, he only had half of it.

“But I only have one,” Lieutenant Milan said somewhat dejectedly.

"Lieutenant, if I may ask, could you tell me where you got this lion? Perhaps it will provide clues to the other one."

“This was given to me by my grandfather. I’ve played with it since I was a child. I’m sure there isn’t another bronze lion like this.”

'It seems his grandfather was a member of the Eight-Nation Alliance when he was young, and he should still have many things he brought from the Old Summer Palace,' Sun Zhiwei thought.

"Oh, I see. Well, there's nothing I can do about it then. You should keep it safe and keep it safe. Maybe you'll find another one someday."

The lieutenant dejectedly stuffed the bronze lion into the wooden box.

Belinda smiled and said at the opportune moment, "A sincere offer of $100."

The lieutenant scratched his head slightly upon hearing this, then hesitated before asking, "Do you take in lions here?"

"Is this because they don't have money to prepare blank tickets?" Belinda's face fell; this was the first time she had ever encountered a customer offering blank tickets.

Belinda replied coldly, "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, we are only responsible for the appraisal here. If there are any problems with the appraisal, we will be responsible for compensation."

This was awkward. The lieutenant had thought the item was very valuable, so he hadn't paid much attention to the high appraisal fee. He didn't even have $100 on him.

It's clear that the lieutenant used to be a respectable man, but recently he seems to have run into some financial problems.

This situation is very common now, because middle-class families are prone to financial difficulties if they do not have savings.

Seeing the lieutenant's face turn bright red and he remain silent, Sun Zhiwei could only step in to smooth things over.

“Lieutenant Milan, I know you live nearby, and I know you are an upright man.”

"If you came in a hurry and didn't bring any money with you, that's okay. You can bring it next time you pass by."

Sun Zhiwei's words resolved the situation.

"Thank you, Mr. James. You're a good man." The lieutenant gave him a grateful look, then glanced at the box in his hand.

“I could tell just now that you really like this bronze lion. If you want to buy it, I can sell it to you at a lower price.”

"If you don't want it, I can leave it here as collateral, and I'll bring the money next time."

Sun Zhiwei really likes this bronze lion. Although there is only one, it is quite nice to place on the table as a paperweight.

Moreover, he also knows the whereabouts of the other lioness in the future, so there is a possibility that they can be paired up in the future.

If he remembers correctly, the other lioness was in Paris and later appeared in a small museum.

He hesitated for a moment before saying to the lieutenant, "Okay, I do like it a bit. I'll pay $800 and waive your appraisal fee. What do you think?"

This price was basically the maximum it could fetch at the moment. Lieutenant Milan immediately agreed and quickly put the box back on the counter.

Sun Zhiwei asked Belinda to write an acquisition contract, and then counted out $800 from the cash box on the counter and gave it to the lieutenant.

Belinda looked at Sun Zhiwei with displeasure, as if he were a spendthrift. This was two months' salary of hers, and he had bought such an old bronze item.

Sun Zhiwei rubbed his forehead speechlessly. "You kid, why aren't you getting to work?"

Seeing that he wouldn't change his mind, Belinda had no choice but to go and write the contract.

Sun Zhiwei then called to the lieutenant, "Lieutenant, come sit down and have a cup of coffee. We'll be preparing the contract paperwork in a bit."

"Thank you, Mr. James."

Sun Zhiwei poured him a cup of coffee, and the two sat down at the small coffee table next to him and chatted.

"It's clear that you've encountered something rather unpleasant recently."

Lieutenant Milan sighed and gulped down a mouthful of coffee:
"Yes, my wife lost her job, and my salary is very low. Various expenses are piling up. If the economy doesn't improve, I'm afraid I'll have to move to the suburbs."

Sun Zhiwei understood him perfectly; the American army was like an unwanted stepchild, with very low wages.

In peacetime, a lieutenant earns about $1000 a month. They have to pay for their own uniforms and rent for accommodation in the barracks. It's a miserable existence.

With his salary, it's simply impossible for him to live in a middle-class neighborhood like Georgetown and support a family.

His wife originally had a decent income, which is why the two of them were able to live here. But with his wife losing her job, their lives will plummet.

The lieutenant wasn't very old, around twenty-four or twenty-five years old. Being able to reach the rank of lieutenant at this age meant he still had the potential for promotion within the army.

Young people of this age are usually quite shy and unwilling to ask their parents for money to get through difficult times, which is why he appears so embarrassed.

"Lieutenant, your situation is very dangerous, and moving won't solve it."

“I know you don’t want your parents to know what’s going on with you. I have a suggestion for you: go talk to your grandfather.”

"The fact that he is willing to give you this bronze lion means that he loves you."

"Don't reject the love and care of your elders. Even if you think you're saving face, you're also rejecting your grandfather's affection."

"When people get old, they always hope that their children and grandchildren can visit them often. They don't have much time left to live, and every visit is one less time to see them."

Sun Zhiwei's words seemed to evoke memories in the lieutenant, and a touch of warmth gradually appeared on his face.

Sun Zhiwei didn't disturb him, but just quietly drank his coffee.

Soon after Belinda completed the acquisition formalities, Lieutenant Milan finally came to his senses.

He quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve: "I'm sorry, what you said reminded me of things from when I was a child."

"That's normal, child."

"You're still young, don't let a little difficulty defeat you, life will always get better. And accepting help from relatives is nothing, just be nicer to them in the future."

Sun Zhiwei took the contract and money from Belinda and handed them to Lieutenant Milan.

The lieutenant didn't even look at the contract, signed it directly, and then stuffed the money into his pocket.

Then he got up and straightened his clothes and collar, looking much more energetic, as if he had figured something out.

(End of this chapter)