American History 1988
Chapter 85 - 80 Good Things Come in Pairs

Chapter 85: Chapter 80 Good Things Come in Pairs

"Ophelia, have you changed your diet recently?"

"What’s up, Dean?" Ophelia struggled to control the shaking of her body, and she glanced curiously at the figure behind her as she tilted her head slightly.

"I feel like your figure is getting better. Look, I can hardly bring myself to let go of my hand." Dean, who was exercising his lower back strength, slightly increased the grip of his hands.

"This... maybe... is your credit~" Ophelia gritted her teeth and endured.

"That’s right!" Dean straightened up one last time, "Oh~ I love this feeling, do you? Ophelia~"

"Hey~" Ophelia, lying on the bed, lifted her arm and playfully slapped Dean’s chest, "That question is too rude, Dean."

"OK, our cello prodigy is not suited to answer that question." Dean pulled out some papers from the bed’s headboard and handed them to Ophelia, who grabbed the tissues and casually wiped the sweat off her forehead.

Under the crystal chandelier, Ophelia’s pale back shimmered. It was proof of the battle they had just fought side by side, the sweat left from their unrestrained youth.

In Dean’s mind, flashed Ophelia wearing a red long dress, playing in the concert hall. At that time, she was so elegant that it made one reluctant to speak out loud.

Looking at Ophelia now, Dean felt a fierce satisfaction in his heart. The more pristine the beauty, the greater the thrill of defiling it.

"Dean, what are you thinking about?" Seeing him staring blankly at her back, Ophelia’s intuition told her that this guy was satisfying his bad tastes again.

"I was thinking about what I should do after you return to your country. These past two months have been the happiest of my life, especially being with you like now. That feeling as if the whole world is shaking, every cell in my body screaming, I’m sure there will never be an experience like this again. Oh~ I simply can’t imagine the moment we part~"

"Dean~" Ophelia’s heart was almost crying out in compassion, she had never seen Dean so sad.

The furrowed brow, the melancholic blue eyes, and the handsome face that made Ophelia unable to pull herself away...

"Oh~ No, Dean, don’t do this, you know I can’t refuse you." Ophelia, seized by a maternal instinct, pulled Dean into her embrace and tenderly kissed his face.

Feeling the touch of car headlights rubbing against his face, Dean savored the moment and squinted his eyes. "Go ahead, Ophelia, to pursue your dreams. The Paris Conservatory is the place for you to showcase your talent, and at least we have one more month to enjoy our final happy moments."

Unable to bear seeing him upset, Ophelia bit her lip. "Dean, I promise you. In the last month, I will try my best to fulfill all your requests."

Suddenly, Dean opened his eyes. "Ophelia, I knew you loved me."

The spirited Dean once again took control of singing.

Ophelia was set to return to Europe after this semester and seeing that there was less than a month left. Dean Price, who had not yet achieved his three goals, naturally had to employ a bit of strategy.

See, kind-hearted Ophelia, just couldn’t stand his persistent nagging.

Taking advantage of Miranda’s absence, Dean decided to use the time to improve his skills on Ophelia.

...

As time entered late May, after almost half a month of toil, Dean finally found a suitable office space on Franklin Street in the city of Ohio through Jerry’s cheap rental.

"This place was originally a small private insurance company, but they hit three large claims in a row this year. So just last week, they went bankrupt." Jerry pushed the door open and kicked aside the empty cardboard boxes in the hallway. "Look, desks, carpets, everything is here, even the refurbishment is taken care of."

"Looks good," Dean and Simon walked into the office, casually surveying the surroundings. Though not large, it had two separate compartments. The basic facilities were also very complete, and for Dean, Price’s List could even start working there the same day.

"You’re satisfied, good, places like this are considered prime in cheap rent. Five minutes’ walk eastward downstairs takes you to the West Market, where you can solve all your dining and shopping needs. This area’s security is among the top three in the entire Cleveland. And this building we’re in now," Jerry pointed to the limestone-colored Byzantine dome outside the window, "impeccable Italian style. Working in such a place is a pleasure in itself."

"Ok, Jerry, we’ve been friends for a long time. I can recite all the ads for the various buildings you’ve pitched to me even with my eyes closed. So, for the sake of our friendship, make me an offer."

"Good!" Getting a confirming response from Dean, a crafty look of a businessman flashed in Jerry’s eyes. "$1,200 a month, rented for a minimum of six months."

"Jerry~ you know what I do for a living, many of your slogans were written by me, so... do you need me to make you a counteroffer?"

"OK~ OK~" Jerry signaled for Dean not to get worked up, "Mother F*cker, all this time, it’s you who’ve been making money off me. Now, just when it’s finally my turn, I find I have no room to haggle."

"So we should communicate honestly, and then quickly close this deal." Dean had taken so many rental ads; he knew the market rates, of course.

"In the name of our friendship, I’ll lower the price by 200, but the lease has to be for at least one year. Moreover..." Jerry stretched out his finger and pretended to tap twice in the air, "You have to pay a full year’s rent in one go. I know your Price’s List has made a big chunk of money recently. You can afford it, Dean."

"Jerry, you’re a real vampire! I haven’t even had the chance to warm up the money that Price’s List has made," Dean grumbled, but he still signed the contract with Jerry.

This price was actually not expensive for Franklin Street, and Jerry was right—Price’s List had indeed reaped a considerable harvest recently.

Due to the cheap rental, real estate agents flocked to Price’s List. In the just-ended April, including other advertising revenue, Dean’s total income finally broke through the ten thousand US Dollar mark.

Based on this month’s situation, Price’s List’s revenue was expected to continue to grow in May. And because his wallet had gotten fatter, Dean confidently signed a lease for an entire year.

However, due to too much cheap rental advertising, Dean even had to divide the housing section according to Cleveland’s community map into many blocks.

Otherwise, he couldn’t ensure that each page only showed five ads. To make money and ensure a good user experience, Dean and Simon racked their brains trying various experiments.

"Dean, I’m looking forward to the day you come back to me to help you find a new office in the central district." After signing the contract, Jerry was ready to leave the place to Dean.

They were old friends; once Dean transferred the money to the Cheap Rent account, their deal would be officially completed.

"If you’re willing to give me a discount, I will," Dean waved at him and then continued discussing the office layout with Simon.

The place was rented, but people had to be recruited quickly. With Price’s List’s current operating income as a reference, it might be time to hire full-time employees.

Oh right, there was more than one piece of good news for Dean recently. With his completion of a de facto monopoly in Youngstown, plus Susie becoming the president of the Real Estate Union, the income of Multi-Rent for the recent month had also doubled.

The combined monthly income from Multi-Rent and Price’s List was roughly equivalent to Dean’s entire fortune before coming to Cleveland. Including the revenue from DCAP, Dean’s account now exceeded seventy thousand US Dollars.

In consumerist America, Dean, to some extent, had already surpassed most middle-class families, and this was only the result of half a year’s work.

Although Simon didn’t know exactly how much money Dean had made, he could tell from the commission he received this month that it was not a small amount.

Of course, Simon wasn’t envious because in addition to his commission, he had also received a promise of 3% equity options in Price’s List.

Though right now their site wasn’t worth much, and the 3% equity dividend was negligible. Even if they sought financing later, his shares would be further diluted, but Simon was already very satisfied.

He was just a country boy from Akron. Before he met Dean, even tuition was a heavy burden.

But now, the money he had saved was enough to pay for the next year’s tuition. Additionally, Dean hinted to him that Price’s List would later accept venture capital investment.

A website that would be invested in by venture funds—Simon knew even without thinking too hard that the future of Price’s List wouldn’t be bad.

Maybe he’d even become one of those legendary company founders mentioned by the media.

Energized, Simon took the initiative to take care of the cleaning of the new office. Even though it was already clean, except for a few empty cardboard boxes.

But Dean didn’t disturb him. After leaving the place to Simon, Dean got busy recruiting staff. Along with his own Price’s List, some human resources companies had also received his commission.

In Dean’s plan, Price’s List needed at least three to five full-time employees for the site’s daily maintenance.

For some positions requiring more specialized skills, such as finance, legal, and professional managers, Price’s List didn’t need them for now. Even if they were needed, he wasn’t planning on recruiting on his own; seeking external aid was the best option.

As busy days flew by, it was almost the end of May. Just as Dean was preparing to move the office to the already tidied Franklin Street, Miranda, who had been away for a while, finally returned to Ohio from Connecticut.

Dean, whose skill level was maxed in technique, couldn’t wait to test drive Yale’s luxury car. However, before he could call Miranda, the phone in the dormitory rang first.

"Is this Dean Price? There’s a package for you downstairs."

Great, Dean had a feeling that more good news was on the way.

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PS: Explosive updates tomorrow, at least twelve thousand plus.