At Luke’s suggestion, an interim construction team had been set up, with Foggy and the others supervising and inspecting it every now and then. Unexpectedly, in these two months, it started looking like an actual renovation company.
Based on Luke’s understanding from his previous life, this team was already showing signs of developing into becoming an official contractor.
Foggy, Karen and the veteran renovation workers were responsible for different parts of the work.
Foggy and Karen had good management skills, and the veteran workers were very experienced. Coupled with the donations from Luke, the interim team had a good environment to work in.
Now, this ad hoc team had inexplicably taken the form of a fledgling renovation company, and was operating well. Some people were moved.
At the tail end of the community reconstruction, the old workers and a dozen “temp” kids found Foggy and seriously consulted him on whether or not they could set up an official renovation company.
A renovation company with more than twenty people could already take on professional work for ordinary homes.
Foggy was stunned by the unexpected proposal.
After carefully considering it for two days, he and Karen helped the old workers analyze the feasibility of such a plan.
Their final conclusion was that it was possible.
But any newly-opened business would always have a problem, and that was making a loss in the early stages.
Few businesses didn’t lose money the moment they opened. The only difference was for how long and how much.
For a company like theirs, the best opening development would be to get a huge order.
With the profits from this large project, the new renovation company would be able to win the hearts of its employees, and the profits would last for a period of time. Then, they could use this buffer period to expand the business and grow.
Luke immediately understood. “But it’s hard to open for business with a large order. It’s very likely that it’ll be very hard for the company at the beginning. After toughing it out for a month or two, people might give up and the company might collapse.”
Foggy said, “I thought as much, but the competition here in New York is too intense. If they butt in rashly, they might…” He mimicked a swan-dive with one hand.
Luke smiled. “Actually, you’re not worried about the old workers, but about the kids, right?”
Foggy nodded subconsciously. “That’s right. Those old workers can continue working as laborers without the company; that life isn’t too bad and they won’t suffer too much. However, it wasn’t easy for these dozen or so kids to get the chance to participate in the community reconstruction, and they didn’t quit in the last two months. If the first venture fails, I’m afraid they’ll think that their efforts were all for nothing. Ultimately, they’ll only be able to join gangs, sell weed, and wind up dead on the streets or in prison.”
Luke understood this worry.
A setback wasn’t a problem for someone in their thirties or forties.
However, the half-grown kids on the streets of Clinton were just starting out.
These young teenagers who grew up in a harsh environment were sensitive. If they did all they could but still failed, it would be very easy for them to think, “Since working hard didn’t get me anywhere, why bother?”
At that time, they would choose a road of no return, and might be doomed to suddenly die before they turned thirty.
Thinking for a moment, Luke looked at Foggy. “How do you want me to help?”
Foggy chuckled. “Well, you’re well-informed. If you can find homes in need of renovation, I can send them to offer their services right away…”
Stumped for a moment, Luke got a strange expression on his face. “Are you saying that you want me to give you information on places with more severe damage, and you’ll get them to go tout their services?”
Foggy nodded. “Like couples quarreling, unexpected fires, burst pipes, natural disasters – these sorts of homes. It wouldn’t affect you too much.”
Luke was amused.
Foggy’s idea wasn’t bad.
The organization with the most information in New York was NYPD.
It wasn’t easy for a small company with twenty people to operate. They would have to run around in circles doing small jobs every day.
On the other hand, something like this couldn’t be considered a secret. Residents wouldn’t be able to hide any accidents that happened in their homes from the neighbors, while NYPD was the one who had all this information.
Luke wasn’t in a hurry to give an answer. He simply said, “Let me think about it. I’ll give you a reply tomorrow.”
He was about to get up, when he remembered something. “Right, who are the dozen or so kids who want to work for the company?”
Foggy looked at him strangely. “Charlie, Raqael, Hudson, Moby, Dito… Hm, you’re familiar with most of them.”
Pleased, Luke smiled and stood up. “Well, I’m glad that they’re willing to walk the right path. It seems that all my hard work wasn’t in vain.”
Seeing Luke leave the office, Foggy couldn’t help but remark in a low voice, “Wasn’t your hard work just bribing their mothers with money to force these brats to go and carry bricks?”
He then shook his head in amusement. “Forget it. At the very least, these kids have hope.”
There were close to 150 teenagers and young adults participating in the community reconstruction project, but only 16 of them wanted to continue with the renovation company, which was around 10%.
Luke had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars all up, and had given these dozen or so kids a chance to choose a different future; he couldn’t be fussy about this good deed.
Of course, Luke could hear what the fatty said behind his back. Fortunately, he was pretty much upfront about it.
He went downstairs with a smile and told Selina about it in the car.
After listening to him, Selina thought for a moment, before she nodded. “It doesn’t seem hard, right? It isn’t hard to screen information that isn’t related to private affairs, and they don’t need a lot of work.”
Luke nodded.
When she said it wasn’t hard, she was referring to the smart program.
Both Little Snail and Sponge could carry out the screening.
As for news on the police radio, that was already under Little Snail’s surveillance.
“It really isn’t hard,” Luke said casually. “So, I’ll use the shell company to invest some money and buy some of its shares.”
Selina: “Huh?”
Luke chuckled. “Do you remember why I set up the community reconstruction project?”
“To make those brats carry bricks until they throw up,” Selina replied without thinking. She then understood. “Holy sh*t! You want them to carry bricks for you forever?”
Luke nodded matter-of-factly. “Of course. That’s a stable, blue-collar job that many people in New York would want to do.”
Selina: “…As long as you’re happy.”
It didn’t cost much to start this company. After these two months, everybody was well aware of how good those old workers were; the repaired homes were proof.
Along with adopting Foggy’s suggestion that they went to the door to tout their services, the company absolutely wouldn’t make a loss.
The only problem was that it would be a little more difficult at the beginning for these ten or so “temp” apprentices to solicit jobs.
But was that a bad thing?
As the saying went, if you wanted to do something big, you had to eat dirt first.
After eating this dirt, the dozen or so kids from the Clinton area would become part of the “old cadre” of the renovation company. They still had a long road ahead of them.
