Reborn in America, I am a legendary short seller on Wall Street.

Chapter 100 Farewell to Mr. Potter (Bonus Chapter for 5k words, thank you all for your continued support)

Wednesday, September 2th.

Today is the day Mr. Porter departs for New York. Larry arrived at the train station by horse-drawn carriage at seven o'clock in the morning to bid farewell to his most respected mentor.

On a spring morning, the gas lamps in front of the train station square had just been turned off, and the sky was slowly bathed in a pale red dawn.

Larry, with the gift for Mr. Potter tucked under his arm, stood in the square for a moment, figuring it would take some time for Mr. Potter and his family to arrive, before stepping into a coffee shop on the front street and ordering breakfast.

After breakfast was served, Larry touched the still-hot coffee, withdrew his hand, and casually glanced out the window.

Upon looking up, he saw Mr. K smiling at him through the coffee shop window.

His scarred face looked a little scary when he smiled.

Larry was a little surprised to run into Mr. K at the train station, but then he remembered that Mr. K was also a friend of Mr. Potter.

Larry smiled and waved to him, gesturing for him to come in.

Mr. K, with his hands in his pockets, turned and walked into the coffee shop. He sat down next to Larry and asked in a drawn-out tone, "Good morning, boss. Can I have breakfast?"

Larry nodded, pulled a dollar and three 25-cent coins from his pocket, and said casually, "Sure, I just earned one and three-quarters of a dollar yesterday, enough to buy you breakfast."

Mr. K grinned and then called the cook at the counter to bring him a coffee and sandwich with fried eggs set meal.

Larry smiled at Mr. K and asked, "How did your trip to Hartford go?"

"Oh, that couldn't be better!!" Mr. K gently lifted the collar of his old trench coat, revealing the bandage marks on his chest. The bloodstains between the bandages were a faint black, indicating that this was not the first time the dressing had been changed.

Then, he casually pulled his collar up and said, "But I got the money back, so it's worth it!"

As Mr. K closed his old trench coat, Larry noticed several jagged blade marks on it, indicating that he had been attacked.

Larry raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, though he couldn't help but ponder it.

Two of the three people who shared cigars together at the back wall of the old North Church that day had been attacked in the past week, and both attacks were related to them.

Mr. K went to collect debts, while Logan placed an order for himself.

Is it possible that I have some kind of "black-attracting" constitution, or is this the inevitable path for ordinary people to rise to the top, a long road that is always fraught with traps and daggers?
Will I ever encounter such a problem myself?
"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. K," Larry said simply in the end.

Mr. K grinned, a nonchalant expression on his face, and tapped his coffee cup with his fingers as he spoke.
"That's two thousand dollars. I'll step over even the hardest ice."

Larry nodded and continued, "Is the Moore gang issue resolved?"

"They're all friends, it was just a misunderstanding. I'll return the money to them, and that'll clear things up!"

As he spoke, Mr. K leaned forward and asked,
"Boss, what should we do from now on? Do you have some other brilliant idea that you need me to do, or do you just need my help occasionally? If it's the latter, then I'll choose a place to stay and then tell you my new address."

Larry looked into Mr. K's eyes and gave a faint smile. He didn't answer Mr. K's question but changed the subject first.

"Have you made arrangements with your family? I suggest you don't go back to Beigang District. It's too chaotic there. Why not come to the city and make a proper living?"

Mr. K frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"

“Selling alcohol and cigarettes,” Larry said, pulling a pack of “Bull Durham” cigarettes he had just bought yesterday from his pocket and placing it on the table.

Mr. K reached out and took it, glanced at it, and nodded, saying, "It's a small business with little capital, but not many people smoke this stuff. People are still more used to pipes or cigars."

Larry smiled faintly. "That's because you're in the Northport area, where cigars are cheap and people have plenty of free time. But if you go to the industrial area, or even here..."

Larry gestured around with his finger and continued, "You'll find that people who are in a rush are more likely to accept cigarettes because cigarettes represent a completely different lifestyle."

Mr. K was somewhat incredulous. He turned around, holding onto the back of his chair, and discovered that nearly 70% of the people waiting for their rides in the coffee shop were smoking cigarettes.

After reading it, Mr. K raised an eyebrow, picked up the pack of cigarettes again, and asked, "Is this stuff profitable?"

“A 40% profit margin—American Tobacco gives huge kickbacks to its distribution channels to promote their cigarette sales,” Larry said, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Mr. K, do you feel that something is missing at the train station? Gentlemen rushing to catch their trains lack strong liquor to help them fall asleep early on overnight trains, gentlemen leaving the station need cigarettes to relieve their fatigue, and women and children lack drinks, convenient food, and bottled water for emergencies.”

Mr. K's eyes lit up, and he said, "You mean, to open a special general store here?"

Larry laughed and said, "I prefer to call it a 'convenience store'! The store doesn't need to be big, it needs to have a clear sign, and it doesn't need to sell too many products, but it should focus on high-repurchase, daily necessities, and high-profit products such as tobacco and alcohol."

Mr. K lowered his head and thought for a moment, feeling that this new type of so-called "convenience store" was quite targeted.

After all, cigarettes, alcohol, food, and beverages are sold in different stores, which is very inconvenient for buyers; and Larry's newly proposed concept of "bottled water" should also be an interesting new concept.

“Good idea!” Mr. K nodded, looking at Larry and saying, “You want me to open a shop like this?”

“It’s our joint venture!” Larry emphasized the word and continued, “Mr. K, I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. We’re going to open these little convenience stores all over the United States.”

Mr. K smiled and said, "If we can work together, this thing called a convenience store will be incredibly promising."

Then, the two had breakfast together and discussed how to choose a store location and stock products for their new "convenience store." By the end of the meal, they had covered most of the basics of opening a convenience store.

Mr. K finished his coffee and calmly said, "One last question, boss. If, as you say, we are going to open various branches in the future, then we will need to hire a lot of people, which means that the company will incur a lot of additional costs."

Larry nodded. "I'm also considering whether to focus on company-owned stores or allow franchises in the future. However, that's not the priority right now. Let's open a flagship store first."

Mr. K nodded, tore open the cigarette pack, took one out, sniffed it, and said, "Now I have no other questions..."

Larry finished his coffee, a relaxed look on his face, and casually asked, "By the way, I've had a question for a while now: why is your last name De Niro, but they call you Mr. K?"

"My last name isn't De Niro..."

Mr. K chuckled, a happy expression on his face, and continued...

"To be precise, my mother's surname is De Niro. After my father died on the battlefield, he took me back to his hometown in Sicily. In order to integrate into my mother's family, I temporarily used the surname De Niro there. When we arrived in America, I changed it back to my father's surname."

Larry raised an eyebrow and continued, "So what is your real surname?"

“Capone! My full name is Gabriele Capone!” Mr. K said with a smile.

hiss! !

Larry gasped, feeling as if a series of thunderclaps were resounding in his head. In his eyes, Mr. K seemed to transform into the Godfather, dressed in a black tuxedo with a rose in his jacket pocket.

Could this be the Capone family, the infamous American mob bosses and the inspiration for the movie "The Godfather"?
Wait, something's not right! The age is wrong!

Besides, it's also possible that they just happen to have the same surname!
Larry remembered that the real mob boss was named Al Capone, not Mr. K's name, Gabrielle Capone. Feigning composure, Larry thought for a moment, then casually asked, "Isn't the word 'Capone' supposed to start with a C? Not a K. Oh, by the way, speaking of which, do you know anyone named Al Capone?"

Mr. K also looked surprised. He first answered Larry's first question, "In English, Capone's name starts with C, but in Italy, it starts with K... My fellow Italians call me Old K."

After he finished speaking, he squinted and asked, "The surname Capone is quite rare, but I do know this Al Capone you're talking about..."

"Who is it?" Larry asked hastily.

“My second son was born just twenty days ago!” Mr. K said with a smug smile.
.
At nine o'clock in the morning, Larry and Mr. K helped Mr. Potter and his servants put all their luggage in the first-class compartment of the train.

After Mrs. Potter had settled her two children, she politely bowed to Larry and Mr. K.
"Thank you both for your help, gentlemen. When you two visit New York again, please be sure to stay at my humble abode."

In front of Mr. and Mrs. Potter, Mr. K completely lost his usual arrogance and instead became as reserved as if he were Mr. Potter's little brother. He raised his hat to Mrs. Potter in a bow and then left the box.

Larry then took out his gift, a beautifully wrapped rectangular box, and handed it to Mr. Potter, smiling as he said,

“I saw this in a stationery store in Back Bay. It’s a Parker pen. It’s a very new pen brand, but its patented products are fantastic. It doesn’t leak or bleed ink. You’ll need it.”

Mr. Potter raised his eyebrows and smiled as he opened the exquisitely decorated gift box.

This is an oak gift box painted with a light red lacquer. When opened, it has a dark blue velvet lining, and the lid is inlaid with a brass gear pattern.

Inside lies a trendy short sword-shaped pen clip and a fountain pen, with a small natural sapphire inlaid on the top of the clip.

The pen's body is made of black hard rubber, but the cap ring is decorated with silver-plated embossed details.

"A nice pen! Is this a new brand?" Mr. Potter took out the pen, unscrewed the cap, and quietly continued to observe it.

The 14K gold nib is engraved with the Parker logo in the shape of a "P" and the iridium tip is coarsely polished, making it suitable for important occasions for signing.

After Mr. Potter finished looking at it, he screwed the cap back on with satisfaction, put the gold pen into his coat pocket, and turned to ask Mrs. Potter, "So, what do you think? Isn't this pen Larry gave me handsome?"

Mrs. Potter raised an eyebrow. "Perfect for you."

He turned to Larry, nodded and smiled, and said, "This is a very nice gift. Thank you, Mr. Livingston."

Mr. Potter patted Larry on the shoulder. "Come on, Larry, let's have a cigar together on the platform before the train leaves!"

The two arrived at the platform but did not see Mr. K, and did not know where he had gone.

Larry took out a cigar, cut off the end, handed one to Mr. Potter, and lit it for him.

Mr. Potter took a deep drag of his cigar, savoring the cocoa-infused smoke in his mouth, then held the cigar in his hand and asked with a smile,

"Larry, my son, if you have any questions, ask them now."

Larry laughed, feeling that he was still the same kid he was when he first joined the company in front of Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter already knew that he had questions he wanted to ask him.

“Mr. Porter, to be honest, as my abilities have grown and my money has increased, I have felt the joy of growth. But with it comes worry. I am afraid that my wealth will become the object of others’ covetousness, and I am also afraid that in the process of growing stronger, I will inadvertently touch the interests of many people.”

Mr. Potter nodded, took another puff of his cigar, and waited quietly for Larry to continue.

“I remember you said that if I am much better than others, they will naturally respect and fear me. But if I am only slightly better than others, they will be jealous of me and try to harm me. I think I may be entering this stage, but I am not sure how to deal with the hostility from others.”

After listening, Mr. Potter smiled. "Son, you're not afraid of other people's hostility; after all, you haven't truly faced threats from the outside world yet..."

Larry thought about Logan, who was attacked last week, and Mr. K, who encountered danger while collecting debts. Their experiences were indeed something he was very worried about encountering.

But as Mr. Potter said, he has not yet encountered any real threat aimed at him.

Mr. Porter continued, “You may be doing something that harms others, or you may be willing to deal with the world with kindness. But you have to understand one thing: kindness without power is not a virtue; it is essentially a fear of conflict with the outside world. What you lack is power, or rather, the transformative process that can turn your wealth into power.”

Larry paused, then quickly nodded and said, "Yes, sir, that's exactly what I'm worried about. What should I do?"

Mr. Porter held up two fingers and said calmly, “There are two ways! First, you can expand your power, such as by moving into industry, hiring more people, running for senator, and having influence in the real world. But this is still a dead end, because your sharp edge will only suppress the opinions of your peers, and may even arouse the suspicion of those in power. After all, our United States of America is a special country where even the president has been assassinated several times.”

Larry was silent, then nodded almost imperceptibly.

“The second path is to attach yourself to a powerful figure, let him protect you and shield you from those covetous eyes, until you become a towering tree. At this point, you wait for the powerful figure to step down or pass away, and then you take his place. But this is a long and unpredictable path, and it is not necessarily easy to walk.” Mr. Potter said, holding up his second finger.

Larry's lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't.

Mr. Potter smiled at his silence, put the cigar in his mouth again, and took a deep drag.

At this moment, a bright whistle sounded from the locomotive, signaling the last passengers to board.

Larry asked with some hesitation, "...Mr. Potter, what if I don't want to choose either of these paths?"

Mr. Potter had already prepared his answer. He smiled, patted Larry on the shoulder, and said seriously,
"Then remember my next sentence: the one who puts you in a dangerous situation always comes from the superiors when you are weak. Therefore, you must learn to share the benefits with your superiors and know how to hide from your subordinates, thus secretly strengthening your own power."

Make foolish mistakes in public from time to time, letting those in power see your obvious flaws and ridicule your failures. When you rise again, those big shots will no longer see you as a threat…

As he spoke, a sly smile appeared in Mr. Potter's eyes, and he continued, "Accumulate strength, avoid making enemies, and if you attract attention too early, remember to appropriately expose your weaknesses. When you can conceal yourself from those who were once in a superior position, they will already be your subordinates and no longer pose a threat to you."

Larry was startled. He couldn't immediately grasp the deeper meaning of Mr. Potter's words, but he felt that Mr. Potter's words were similar to the idea of ​​"build high walls, store up grain, and delay declaring oneself king."

At this moment, the locomotive whistle sounded again, signaling the passengers to board.

Mr. Potter extended his hand to shake Larry's hand in farewell, but Larry looked up and earnestly continued to ask,
"Could you please tell me more directly what I should do?"

Mr. Potter smiled, took Larry's hand, and whispered in his ear,
"If you really feel like you're being watched by someone in a higher position, remember, 'bankruptcy' is a very good strategy! Even if you make a comeback, they won't see you as a threat!"

Larry's pupils dilated dramatically as he gripped Mr. Potter's hand and murmured,

"Bankruptcy? You mean... a survival strategy."

“Yes, remember how I kept reminding you to ‘spend’ half of your profits? That’s your real fortune.” Mr. Potter said with a smile, then turned and boarded the train, waving goodbye to Larry.

Larry watched as the train left the platform, disappearing into the distance in white steam, before turning his gaze away.

Mr. Potter's words still echoed in his mind: "Share the benefits with those above, remain hidden from those below, accumulate strength, and show weakness appropriately."

After thinking for a while, Larry's lips curled up slightly, and he unconsciously whispered to himself,

"Alright, now it's time to seriously spend that extra money... that's where my power lies."

　It will be available for purchase tomorrow. I'll add an extra chapter before it goes on sale. I wish everyone good luck and lots of money.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)