America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 17 Pawn Shop

"Hey, isn't this our legal pioneer, the French cannon, Mr. Dave Snake?"

Zhang Ailun greeted him and took the opportunity to tease him a bit, noticing that Dave was impeccably dressed in a suit and shiny leather shoes.

He also had a briefcase tucked under his arm, making himself look nothing like a homeless person.

It felt like all the props that were usually saved up were put to use today.

Zhang Ailun was somewhat surprised. "Dude, are you sure this is for a charity event?"

"Why do you call me Snake?" Dave was puzzled.

He further explained, "Through my tireless efforts, I obtained a pro bono commission from the court. A Black family of six living in the slums of Sixth Street had filed a complaint with the local community and needed me to act as their free lawyer to advocate for their right to have their basic water and electricity infrastructure repaired."

"If they win the case, they'll put a '√' on my resume and credit record!"

"If I can gather more positive feedback from the public, I can reapply to the court for a credit assessment, regain my lawyer's license and eligibility to open a firm, and have a formal job!"

Dave was full of confidence, saying, "They also paid for my meals while I was working."

In American humanitarian law, if you can prove that you are a useful member of society, have a special profession, possess a special skill, do a lot of public service, and are well-liked, the court may consider giving you a chance to turn over a new leaf.

This is also something that the old Manchu people are most happy to see.

Many celebrities who commit drug-related crimes are forgiven when they confess to the public, and some even become more popular, demonstrating the high level of public tolerance.

The most important thing is being "popular and well-liked"; everything else is secondary. Traffic and votes are paramount.

If you were to pursue another profession, such as a capitalist, a pest control specialist, or an engineer, it would be difficult to gain respect and admiration.

When a rich person falls to rock bottom, others would be more than happy for them to die.

Give people in special professions a chance, and you can also help solve problems at the grassroots level. You can give them jobs that no one else wants to do. Why not?

Americans know how to make use of waste, and the homeless are a similar concept.

The belief that "it is better to guide than to block" and that "what exists is reasonable" should be upheld to the end.

"Dave, I think the fact that your law license wasn't revoked is the biggest misfortune for that family." Zhang Ailun had already begun to mourn for that family.

"Hey! How could you say that! Can you give me some encouragement, buddy?!"

Dave was a little unhappy.

"I wish you all the best!!" Zhang Ailun immediately encouraged him and cheered him on.

"I will definitely win the case."

Dave left with the confident air of a returning king, head held high and chest puffed out.

For a legal pioneer who has appeared in the High Court multiple times, winning a community public interest defense is a piece of cake!

Zhang Ailun remained skeptical of this.

Someone who can get himself into trouble even while defending himself... really.

He simply couldn't bear to think that if the other person experienced another failure, they might become so despondent that they might commit suicide!

……

The No. 4 sewer outlet of the Kakin Bridge.

Zhang Ailun searched for a long time using Google Maps before finally finding this run-down place.

It felt strangely familiar. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an arched bridge with similar terrain to one in GTA!

"No wonder I felt like I'd been here before... Turns out I used to race cars here and even set up a human mound here."

Because he crashed into road infrastructure and overturned, he was discovered by the police and given a half-star warrant. In a fit of rage, he became a five-star good citizen and bombed and massacred half the city.

Zhang Ailun began searching at the sewage outlet, and a stench of dead rats and fishy seafood hit him.

The wire mesh at sewage outlet No. 4 is rusted and has long since stopped discharging sewage; the wire mesh has also been pried open.

Bending down to go inside, I used the light from my phone to see that there were bedding and a pile of abandoned junk inside. This should be considered the other party's temporary residence, right?

I found a box, opened it, and discovered a roll of loose 5, 10, and 20 dollar bills. There was also an unopened plastic wrap with a blue and gold label, containing three cigars of an unknown brand, each retailing for 15 dollars.

That's really cheap.

Of course, the most eye-catching item was a bright silver bottle with a mermaid and skull design and a silver label. The liquor inside was a deep blue, like the azure sea. Zhang Ailun had never seen this brand of tequila before and admitted that he was not very knowledgeable.

I took out my phone and searched for information about 1800 Sirena Del Deseo (the Siren of Desire).

I stared wide-eyed at that string of numbers.

A wine bottle, $2000.

Upon closer inspection of the anti-counterfeiting label and comparison with the information and bottle, I instantly lost interest; it was a counterfeit.

But it should be worth some money.

Zhang Ailun couldn't stand the stench around him, so he packed his things and left in a hurry.

People were coming and going on the street, and traffic was increasing, but no one paid any attention to a homeless man carrying a bag on the roadside.

Zhang Ailun arrived at a slightly busier street in the fifth block, where there were pawn shops and antique stores.

"Welcome to George's Pawnshop. How can I help you?"

Upon entering, the white boss greeted me without even looking up.

The pawnshop owner was a thin, hairy white old man dressed in a retro style from the last century, with a wide-brimmed hat, a curled mustache, and a brown briar carved pipe in his mouth.

Sitting in a chair behind the counter, wearing a magnifying lens over his left eye, he was carefully wiping the movement of a watch with a square blue handkerchief in his hand. The table was covered with disassembled mechanical watch parts.

The room was filled with a dazzling array of items: javelins, forks, blue-ribbon badges, gold, silver, and bronze coins, snuff bottles, glass cabinets, blue-and-white porcelain plates, and a Winchester M1885 lever rifle hanging on the wall. There were also Cartier watches, Vantini necklaces, wallets, and sunglasses.

All sorts of modern and contemporary things are here.

Zhang Ailun didn't speak immediately, but instead examined the collection in the room. One row was marked as "collateral," another row as "non-saleable" items for visitors, and yet another row as "currently for sale."

Most of what's being sold are items that can be bought in department stores in modern times. Many of the collateral items are also from the last century, less than a hundred years old—things that would be considered antiques or artifacts by Americans.

If this were placed in a major pawnshop or museum in China, it wouldn't even qualify to be displayed on a shelf.

There's no way around it; the historical foundation is too strong, and the historical records are too thick.

Boss George didn't hear the sound, so he looked up and saw that Zhang Ailun was dressed rather inappropriately, his sneakers were covered in mud, and he was carrying a bulging black bag, looking around and assessing its value.

Without making a sound, he put down the movement in his hand and reached under the cabinet with one hand.

He spoke calmly, "Buddy, do you want to pawn your items, or buy them?"

"I'm here to sell something. I have a bottle of silver label tequila, a replica of the 1800 Siren Collection. I don't know how much I can sell it for. I also have three cigars."

Zhang Ailun glanced at his sitting posture and knew that the boss had already skillfully taken the bait. If he didn't explain now, it might be too late.

He took out a bright silver bottle and three cigars and placed them on the table.

It was obvious that the pawnshop owner's muscles tensed up the moment his hand reached into his pocket, and he only relaxed again after seeing the large, shiny silver bottle being pulled out.

"Oh, then I'd love to welcome you, sir." The pawnshop owner's expression softened instantly, becoming friendly and approachable.

I glanced at the three cigars and didn't look at them again, since they had brand anti-counterfeiting labels and prices on them. I could just buy them back at 20% of the original price, and they would sell quickly in the discount section, so I could make a profit.

He wiped his hands and looked at the gleaming silver bottle. "Mind if I take a closer look?"

"Whatever you say." Zhang Ailun nodded.

(End of this chapter)