<h4>Chapter 201: A Wastnd</h4>
Trantor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The crestfallen Freddy went inside the old house; it seemed that he did not n oning out until all the treasure hunters were gone from the front porch.
Li Du had finished his beer too and gestured for Hans to leave. “Let’s go back while it’s still early.”
But Hans was indifferent about it. “No hurry, let’s tease him some more.”
Li Du said, “What’s the point?”
Hansughed, “You see buddy, the weather is so warm, and he hides in there like a mouse hiding in its tiny hole. He’s going to suffer from the heat and stiff air inside, but he won’te out if we are all here. This is why I want to stay here for a while more.”
It was afternoon; the sun was still zing hot. The treasure hunters took off their shirts and stayed under the cooling shade of the trees, drinking their cold beers.
Staying inside a dusty house in such warm weather would be torture.
But Li Du held a different view with regards to Freddy. He never took Freddy as an opponent. To Li, he was a fellow treasure hunter, but a rather scheming one.
And when Freddy chose to stay inside the stuffy house to avoid theughing treasure hunters, he had revealed that he was not someone with great wisdom.
Li Du tried to persuade Hans: “Remember my n? We need to go back earlier to look for a ce.”
Troy, who was nearby, overheard what Li said and asked, “What n?”
Li Du then told him about Hoffman’s Old Goods Market and his idea of leaving the second-hand goods on a piece ofnd.
Anyone who took a liking to any item could get it for free, but on the condition that they would help clear the trash that was bundled with it.
Troy shook his head after hearing that. “This is a loss-making n. Why don’t you rent a storage unit to store those unsold items first? After you sell them, you can use the cash earned to clear the remaining trash.”
“But too I’mzy to do that,” Li Du replied.
Li Du did not reveal his goal of having his own flea market, as he was not sure if he would be able to achieve it.
Godzi cleared out the entire house. He even took the windows and doors.
Li Duughed when he saw the barren structure of the house. “Hey, you don’t have to do this, they’re not worth much anyway.”
Godzi replied in a muffled voice, “Put them somewhere. Someone will want them.”
Li Du was surprised; he hadn’t expected Godzi to be the one who supported his idea the most.
Hans was put in charge of looking for a piece ofnd to house the goods as he was good at sourcing and liaising work.
In just two days, Hans called up Li Du for a viewing of the ces he had shortlisted.
“You’re sure fast!” Li Du hopped onto Hans’s motorcycle.
Hans snorted, “Of course—this is Big Fox you’re talking about!”
Li Du grinned at Hans’s reply. Hans’s serious attitude toward work never failed to impress him; Hans always made sure toplete the work given to him in the fastest time possible.
The first ce they went to was situated in the bordering suburbs, just outside gstaff, near Pine Tree Tops. It was the warehouse of a factory that went into bankruptcy.
Hans gave his opinion on the ce: “The ce is fully-enclosed and quite close to where you live as well. You could walk home when you finish your work here.”
“How much is the rent?”
“One hundred thousand dors a year.”
Li Du quickly shook his head. “Gosh, that’s too expensive! We could build a new warehouse with a colored, steel roof on a piece of wastnd with a hundred thousand dors!”
Hans waved his hands and said, “Okay, let’s check out the next area.”
The second plot ofnd was situated in the suburbs to the east; the location was rather far away from where they lived. The journey took 30 minutes.
The scenery along the way was pleasant; there were lush grasnds and hills filled with tall trees. There were even farmhands with herds of cattle and sheep grazing on the grasnds.
“Isn’t this a bit too out of the way?”
“Well, I bet you’ll like the ce.”
Hans stopped beside a deserted farm, and pointed. “That’s the one.”
The farm was situated next to a hill; the wildflowers on the hill were colorful and vibrant as the morning rays shined on them. The entire farm was bathed in the gentle rays of the early morning sun, making the whole ce look picturesque.
Li Du was awestruck. “Uh, are you sure about this? A farm to house our second-hand goods?”
Hans shrugged his shoulders. “This farm is a wastnd now. The previous owner was an idiot who knew nothing about agriculture. He used so much fertilizer and urea on thend so that in no time, the soil quality was ruined.”
A farm that could not grow crops was no different from a wastnd.
Li Du walked toward the entrance of the farm, thend barren and lifeless; hardly any weeds could be seen. The deserted farm looked like it was cut-off from the bustling world.
“How much is the rent?”
“Eighty thousand dors a year,” Hans replied. “This is a small farm with about 60 acres. It’s big enough, right?”
Li Du already seemed to like the ce. “It’s really nice here but it’s so far from where we stay.”
Hans had an idea. “That’s easy: we can move here and just rent the farmhouse inside the farm.”
“You mean the 80,000 dors does not include the farmhouse?” Li Du asked.
“Of course not—if we add the farmhouse, that’s another 80,000 dors,” Hans said matter-of-factly.
Li Du shook his head vigorously. “That’s too expensive! Is thendlord crazy? 80,000 dors per year? I could buy a country house for the same price if I rented the farmhouse for two years, right?”
“Come on, buddy, 160,000 dors for a country house? This is gstaff!”
gstaff was a small city located in northern Arizona; the weather was less unbearablepared to the rtively hot southern cities of Arizona. It had a lower temperature in the summer season, which made it a more popr choice among citizens.
Furthermore, the Grand Canyon National Park was just beside gstaff; the beautiful scenic views and the slower pace of life made gstaff a good choice for the wealthy people of Arizona. The price of country houses in gstaff was very high.
Currently, Li Du paid a monthly rental fee of 800 dors for a room. In Phoenix, he could rent a very nice apartment with a second bedroom for the same amount.
That was gstaff: a good ce for the retired as well as a popr vacation spot.
Hans went on to exin the 80,000 dors was not only for the farmhouse, but all the other structures as well, like the warehouse and the granary.
A yearly rental that amounted to 160,000 dors was uneptable for Li.
He would rather continue with the current amodation arrangement: a reasonable rental fee, and glimpses of beautiful long legs in ck stockings, provided Rose was in a good mood.
Hans brought him to another two locations, but Li Du wasn’t happy with them either. He felt embarrassed as there were none he was satisfied with.
“Nevermind—let’s go back and discuss our options, and choose one among them.”
Hans put on his helmet and said, “No hurry, there’s another ce you haven’t seen yet. This time you might really like it!”
The motorcycle cruised along going northwest, toward Grand Canyon National Park.
Not long after, the scenery on both sides of the road changed to big areas of farnd. There were even horse carriages on the road!
Watching the Amish buggies cantering leisurely along the road, Li Du asked, “This area belongs to the Amish?”
Hans nodded. “Yup.”
Li wanted to continue asking about the rural-loving group of people, but Hans slowed down as the road entered the woods. Shortly after, they reached a piece ofnd surrounded by barbed wire fences.
“That’s…the ce?” Li Du was caught off-guard; he hadn’t expected something like this.
Hans stopped the motorcycle and said, “Yup. Nice environment too—I think you’ll like it here.”
Thisnd was situated in the woods; it felt like someone had deliberately cleared this piece ofnd for its quiet environment.
Li Du checked the map; he noticed that this area was near Hoffman’s Old Goods market, which meant that he would not have to worry about getting treasure hunters toe to his flea market.
The only thing that stopped Li from epting right away was that it would be inconvenient to live here—there weren’t any houses or buildings on thisnd.