American History 1988
Chapter 75 - 70 Jealousy

Chapter 75: Chapter 70 Jealousy

He pushed open the door of 1318 Charlotte Street, and the pungent smell of alcohol grew stronger.

Dean casually picked up an empty beer can from the floor and tossed it into the trash can, then got rid of the fly-infested pizza box on the table before finally finding his old man, Peter, behind the sofa.

"Hey~ Dad, wake up," Dean prodded the prone Peter with his foot.

However, other than a snoring sound, there was no response.

Shrugging his shoulders, Dean grabbed a cup from the table and whooshed the water over Peter’s face.

"Lena, quick! I need to hide in the closet!" Peter got up, instinctively seeking a hiding spot.

"Who’s Lena?" Dean leaned on the sofa with his arms crossed, watching the spectacle with amusement.

"WTF?!" After seeing Dean, Peter was stunned for quite a while before realizing he was at home. "Dean, is this how you treat your old man?"

After wiping his face, Peter grabbed another beer can from the table intending to take a swig, only to find it empty. Every beer on the table had already made its way into his stomach.

"Dad, I suddenly regret it a lot," Dean said.

"Ah?" Peter squinted, looking bewilderedly at his son.

"Maybe I never should have asked Wedner the lawyer for help. If you had spent a couple of years in jail, you might have given up drinking."

"Come on, I’m not driving trucks anymore." Peter threw the empty beer can into the trash and spread his hands helplessly. "Without a job, and without alcohol, I’m gonna go crazy."

"It’s still better than me opening the front door one day only to find you dead and alone in the house," Dean said sternly, looking at his father. "Keep going like this and you’ll end up just like the homeless on the streets, living off government welfare checks or food stamps. Is that what you want, Dad?"

Peter used to joke with Dean that if he ever had to line up like the homeless for benefits, he’d rather put a bullet in his head.

But looking at his current state, he wasn’t far from being homeless, the only difference being that Peter still had his own house to live in.

"Alright, I’ll go to work tomorrow." Peter rubbed his face, "There’s a construction company hiring to clear bricks from abandoned buildings, $6 an hour. I don’t know how long the job will last, but at least it’s something to do."

Peter initially disdained such temporary work, but seeing Dean’s serious expression and having nothing else to do recently, he thought maybe it was time for a change.

"Good, looks like I won’t have to worry about becoming an orphan then," Dean said as he set down his shopping bag and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Have you been in touch with Wedner the lawyer recently? I’ve got some things to discuss with him."

"Wedner?" Peter straightened up from cleaning up the trash. "Ever since the last negotiation with Packard Electric, he’s been vacationing in Florida. But he should be back by now. Have you gotten into some trouble again, Dean?"

"No, just some trivial matters." Dean put down his coffee, ready to pay a visit to his aunt’s. "Oh, and don’t let the people in the community know I’m back, I need to keep a low profile for the next couple of days."

"Mother F*cker, why do I get the feeling you got caught cheating and now you’re hiding out at home?" Peter was all too familiar with Dean’s evasive behavior, having seen it time and again.

Dean’s indifferent departure was his answer. Peter was underestimating his son’s charm. If he wanted, he could feast on seafood until he was stuffed every day.

...

"Kent, I demand a higher cut!" Rubin once again entered Kent’s rental office, located on the west side of town.

Kent wasn’t surprised by his arrival, as this wasn’t the first time. And like every other time, Rubin would leave without success. Kent believed this time would be no different.

Nevertheless, Kent was courteous on the surface and invited Rubin to sit down. "Rubin, I’m the one who showed you the ropes. Without me, you’d still be causing trouble with petty thugs. It’s me who ensured you didn’t have to go to the welfare office for checks, who provided you a place to live, who allowed you to afford drinks for ladies at $5 a pop. It’s all thanks to me!"

Standing up, Kent patted Rubin on the shoulder, "Without me, your computer skills, no matter how sharp, wouldn’t have attracted any business. I’m the president of the Real Estate Investors Alliance; I have plenty of resources."

"But $12 a job, and you take $8! All the work is done by me; it’s not fair!" Despite being young, Rubin wasn’t foolish. He bore a great risk, while the vampire Kent drained most of the profit.

"Rubin," Kent stared him down, "I can find anyone with computer skills to do this job; you’re not the only option. But do you know why I chose you initially?"

Kent tapped the back of his head, "Because you’re obedient. But your current behavior makes me doubt my decision. Maybe I should call the landlords and tell them to be cautious about who they collect rent from?"

Rubin’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, his defiance deflating. He dared not oppose Kent, nor did he want to return to his old thug life.

"Good boy," Kent was pleased with Rubin’s submission. Having affirmed his absolute dominance, he casually handed a fax to Rubin from the table.

"This is a new deal, 180 names in total. Same rules, I want my cut within three days."

Looking at the list in his hand, Rubin’s eyes flashed with a mix of greed and caution, "This is a lot more than before."

"Ha~" Kent scoffed, "It’s only going to increase as long as there are poor souls in Youngstown. Business will never stop. I’ve told you, as long as you follow orders, the US Dollar will come knocking on your door."

"But Kent, is it really okay for us to do this? I always feel like it might be a bit improper," Rubin, not well-versed in law, felt a great risk involved intuitively.

"Come on! Ever heard of excessive rent? If they can operate above board, why can’t we?" Kent tossed a document to Rubin, "I have consulted a lawyer, and it’s completely legal in Ohio. We are simply expanding the public’s right to know, without any legal risk."

Rubin casually flipped through the document and indeed saw the content that had been highlighted. It was exactly as Kent had said, fully legal.

"Ok! Three days later, the money will be transferred to your account on time."

"Go, we will have an endless stream of business from now on."

Watching Rubin’s retreating figure, Kent silently lit a cigarette for himself.

Whether there was a legal risk, he didn’t know, but Kent was aware this was a very lucrative business.

That greenhorn Dean, and that Susie, who clung to her former partner by selling her looks. According to Kent’s estimate, they had made at least tens of thousands of US dollars in recent months.

As the head of the association, by simply inquiring with the landlords, Kent could work out the rough data.

Mother F*cker! He owned property and warehouses, but he couldn’t collect as much rent in two months!

Why them! Just because they understand so-called computer technology and tap a few keys?

Ah ha, yes, he was jealous.

To amass what he had, Kent had put in over ten years. But all of this effort was surpassed by others with a flick of their fingers.

What was more humiliating was that he, the head of the association, didn’t enjoy any preferential treatment with excessive rent. That bitch Susie didn’t even give him a discount.

During an eviction case hearing, he accidentally learned of the existence of DCAP from the Youngstown court records. After a closer look, Kent only had one question: wasn’t this the same as excessive rent? Even though the details were different, the principle was the same.

Right then, Kent understood that the source of excessive rent’s data was Youngstown court, only Dean had added some packaging. Being cautious, he inquired around and confirmed Dean had no special connections with the court, except for developing a so-called office system.

So, a savvy Kent set his sights on this tempting piece of cake, especially in a place like Youngstown.

If it’s all business, then don’t blame others for entering the fray. This is America, where only profit is the everlasting truth.

Even though Kent didn’t understand computers, he could find someone who did to complete the work, and Rubin was the "lucky one" chosen.

Kent instructed Rubin to get the data from the Youngstown court. Then, by mimicking excessive rent to produce a similar report, they would get paid.

He proved the scheme worked, especially once Kent had the contact information of hundreds of landlords at his fingertips. The market for tenant credit inquiries was rapidly expanded by him multiple times.

Dean and his group didn’t have such resources, and although Susie had some, there was no way she could compare to Kent.

Now it was harvest time; Youngstown’s large urban population of several hundred thousand was enough to satiate him.

As to whether Dean would come back to settle accounts with him, truth be told, Kent didn’t care much.

All’s fair in business. With landlord resources in his grasp, how could he possibly lose?

...

"I have a hunch that you’re here for no good," Wedner said, devoid of any joy of having a client upon seeing Dean at the door.

"Hey~ I am your client, we have had some very pleasing collaborations, haven’t we?" Dean confidently walked to the desk and sat down.

"To be honest, it’s better to steer clear of risky business like that. I worry that one day, it’ll land me in jail," Wedner put down the pen in his hand, offering advice to Dean, or perhaps to himself.

"This time it’s legitimate business," Dean placed two reports in front of Wedner, "And I am the victim here. As a lawyer of justice, shouldn’t you show a bit of righteous indignation?"

Wedner picked up the two reports to inspect them, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "Interesting. Tell me, what is this all about?"

"I need your help to check on the ’Computer Communications Act.’ We may need it real soon."