amaotonovel Chapter 2522: Xiao Xiao Down (6)
Chapter 2522: Xiao Xiao Down (6)
Chapter 2522: Xiao Xiao Down (VI)
Nora quickly brought a sumptuous meal, a little too sumptuous in fact. The lady carried seven or eight packages, large and small, and it was obvious that it was not just enough for four people.
"That restaurant has officially closed down." Nora put down her things and said, "Because the two of us often eat there and have a good relationship with the chef there, he used the remaining ingredients to make us one last big meal. I guess it was about twelve servings."
"Go and call the students over." Victor said, "Before we moved, I saw many students in the cafeteria who only ate a sandwich. They probably haven't had a big meal in a long time."
Anna and Victor both started to take out their phones. Anna thought for a moment and said, "Isn't it a bad idea to call them over alone? What do you think, Schiller?"
"Just tell them to come over and clean up," Schiller said. "I'm afraid we really need their help, and it's normal to treat them to a meal after they help. It doesn't matter whether we eat before or after."
So they began to contact their students, and several familiar faces came. Schiller also called Lex, and Pamela was the last to arrive.
As soon as she rushed in, she waved her hand to ask for water. The temperature was only about 10 degrees Celsius, but she was sweating profusely.
"What's wrong with you?" Schiller asked, handing her the water.
"Don't mention it. The security guard's dog was not tied up and rushed into the hydroponic plant laboratory, breaking several jars. Those plants couldn't even survive for an hour without the nutrient solution. I packed them all up and put them in the same tank."
Pamela drank the water in gulps, let out a long sigh, sat down and said, "These plants will be used in Roy's inauguration as governor. There will be a live broadcast across the state. In order to build up our brand, we can't make any mistakes."
When Pamela calmed down, they realized that she was definitely very tired, with dark circles clearly visible under her eyes.
Although Pamela doesn't dress up much in normal times, her skin is still well taken care of. But now it is obviously greasy and rough from staying up late, and her hair is messy, obviously she has no time to comb it.
"Well, professor, I have to wait until the first batch of payments arrives before I can pay you back." Pamela said a little embarrassedly: "The previous batch of customers was a bit difficult to deal with, and it was not easy to get the money, but it should be no problem soon."
"Are you going to ask for it?" Anna obviously knew about this and was a little worried about her. She said, "The waters of the construction contracting group are very deep. You have to be careful."
"Don't worry, I've found the best use for my plants that hurt people." Pamela gave a thumbs up and said, "I'm going to set up a special debt collection company, and I'll get what I want."
"It's amazing, young lady," Schiller said. "Even after being pushed to this point, you still intend to make money through legal means. This can be called a miracle in Gotham."
As soon as he finished speaking, several other students looked at him with a slightly strange look. Schiller did not feel embarrassed, but asked: "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, Professor, but that was in the past." Pamela sighed and said, "Don't you realize that even though the economic situation is so bad, the whole of Gotham is still relatively calm and not in chaos?"
"I did discover it, but I don't know what happened. Can you tell me from your perspective?" Schiller said after taking a sip of water.
"Because the cost of committing a crime is too high." Pamela sighed and said, "We basically can't afford to buy a car, or we never thought about buying a car before. We rely on renting a car or public transportation to go out. Now that there are buses, basically no one rents a car, because taking the bus is much cheaper than renting a car, and you don't have to drive yourself."
"But all buses built by the Wayne Group require real-name authentication. If you want to take the bus, the bus's computer system will know who you are. Once you have a criminal record, the police will immediately get on the bus and hold you back. The same is true for the subway."
"Moreover, the newly built bridges are almost the only way to get through various regions. There are surveillance cameras on the bridges. Even if you are driving by yourself, once you are spotted, the police car will immediately turn on the lights to force you to stop."
"So it's very difficult to escape after committing a crime. If you are caught, there are no gangs to help you. Once you go to court, you won't just be sentenced to community service or something like that."
"And now most people have jobs. Even the lowest-level cleaners have a stable income. If you are arrested and sent to prison, you will definitely lose your job."
"Many people made a lot of money at the festival and then bought houses and cars. After they were arrested, they couldn't pay their mortgages. After they got out, they lost their jobs. The houses and cars that were still under loan will definitely be repossessed, so the down payment will be in vain."
"So did you buy a car and a house?" Schiller asked.
"No." Pamela shook her head and said, "Otherwise I wouldn't have borrowed money for the expensive rent. Fortunately, the rent is paid in full now. I moved to a smaller and cheaper house and can barely make ends meet."
"If you ask why I don't resort to criminal methods, it's mainly because I have other things I want to do. Going to jail would be a waste of time. If I'm locked up for a year or two, all the plants I raise would surely die, and the lab might even be taken back. Wouldn't that mean I've been working in vain for so long?"
Schiller nodded. He understood what Pamela said. The music festival had made many people rich. Although they could not be said to be extremely wealthy, their situation was much better than before.
Although some people will spend the money on wine and women, most normal people will still choose to make some investments, either buying a car or a house. Once they own these real estate, the cost of committing a crime will be too high.
Of course, in the past, in Gotham, you could still bet that you wouldn't be caught by the police, or if you were caught, there would be someone to help you deal with it, but now it's probably difficult.
On the one hand, with sufficient police force and technological advancement, it is basically impossible to escape from major crimes. On the other hand, the all-powerful gangs are gone. Without the guidance of the gangs, one or two ordinary people cannot handle those high-end black industries. If they engage in low-end crimes such as highway robbery, the income is not as good as doing a stable job.
Many young people who have no scruples are like Pamela. They still have their own ideals and careers. They are at the age when they should work hard for their careers. As long as their careers are getting a little better, they dare not gamble that their crimes will not be discovered, because once they go to jail, all their previous efforts and the future path will be wasted.
"I think the situation in Gotham is much better than that in Metropolis," Lex said. "Before the economic crisis, the situation in Gotham was much better, but this generation also went through the darkest years. Even with the economic crisis, their lives are much better now than before."
"But the Metropolis is different. They have been living a good life, even the best life in the world, but suddenly they were hit hard. Now public opinion is boiling everywhere, protesting non-stop, and even turning into looting and smashing. There are also many gangs organized in the name of parades that threaten the safety of ordinary people. Clark has been busy as hell recently."
Everyone was a little surprised. They didn't expect the situation in Metropolis to be so bad, but when they thought about it carefully, it was true. There were indeed salary cuts and layoffs in Gotham.
But now with salary cuts and layoffs, at least you still have a chance to find a new job. In the past, when the gangs laid off employees, you basically could only find a job in the underworld.
Gotham used to be not poor but unsafe, and now it is poor but safe. It is difficult to say which one is better. The former may be rich but without life to spend it, and the latter can only be said to be struggling to survive. But both are bad anyway, and there is no need to compare which one is worse.
The people of Gotham are used to being rotten. After the economic crisis, they did become poorer, and some people could barely afford to eat. But did they have it better before? It's better to say that in that era, they didn't even have the chance to eat, and they were killed while walking on the street.
So public opinion in Gotham is relatively stable in this regard. Most people just complain verbally and then go about their business, and the crime rate has not increased.
But the metropolis has really sunk from heaven to the abyss. They used to live a life of luxury, with all kinds of wealthy and famous people gathered together, financial elites dancing with their sleeves, and a life of feasting and revelry.
But the sudden fall has hit big companies hard. The wealthy people who used to have nothing to do every day have to worry about their careers. It is even more difficult for ordinary people. They used to be able to get a large salary after working for a few days, but now they can't earn half of the original money even if they work hard. Some people even lose their jobs and can't make any money. How can they accept this?
In fact, the entire United States, except Gotham, is basically in this situation. The United States has reaped the world for so many years, and the bottom line of its people is the highest in the world. They have no problem just eating and waiting to die, but suddenly they fall into hell, and there are wailing everywhere.
This leads to a vicious cycle. When social conditions are chaotic, businesses will have a harder time. When businesses are unable to save the market, the situation will further deteriorate. The more the situation deteriorates, the more chaotic public security becomes, and the more chaotic social conditions become.
And no one would have thought that Gotham, which has been rotten for years, could still stabilize itself by relying on this rottenness. On the contrary, the impact it suffered was not particularly great. Many people can still maintain a stable life. Apart from worrying about money, they can still survive. It can be said to be a blessing in disguise.
"Open a psychological clinic?!" Pamela, who was eating, put down her bowl in shock and looked at Schiller and said, "Really? Professor, people nowadays must have a lot of resentment to vent. I'm afraid they will be very difficult to deal with."
"Besides, it's not that easy to open a clinic." Lex frowned and said, "I have several nice villas in the South District. Wouldn't it be fine if you told me earlier and moved in directly? And even if the Wayne Group is facing a crisis, it won't be short of a house from you, right?"
Victor immediately nudged Lex with his elbow to shut him up. Schiller shook his head and said, "As an adult, I have to find a way to support myself. Even if I have a villa to live in, my current salary is not enough for me to pay the high property taxes, car maintenance fees, gas, insurance and various taxes. Do I have to rely on you for everything?"
At this point, everyone sighed again. Victor rubbed his temple and said, "This year's insurance has to be paid again. It will cost $3000 for me alone. Nora has a history of serious illness, so her medical insurance is also a problem. When I get back, I will call and ask which insurance company can take it on, but I estimate it will cost at least $3 to $4000."
"You only need 3000 yuan a year?!" Anna said in disbelief, "Which insurance company is so affordable? I have to pay 450 yuan for insurance every month!"
"His lab has a partnership with a health insurance company. Did you forget that?" Schiller reminded him. "I'm about the same as you, except that I only pay up to 4000. I have to pay again next month."
"Fortunately, student insurance is cheaper..." Pamela slapped her forehead and said, "Wait, haven't I submitted my doctoral application yet?! Doesn't that mean I have to pay the full price for insurance this month?!"
She screamed, immediately took out her phone and started editing an email, grabbing Victor like a lifeline and saying, "Professor! Please pass my application! Let me get a Ph.D. or I will have to pay an extra 500 yuan!!!"
American health insurance is extremely expensive
(End of this chapter)