Clatter clang!
Thump thump thump!
Bang!
"Hurry up! I can't hold it anymore, get out!"
The familiar war for the bathroom, accompanied by Carl's howling, woke Shane from his dream.
He wriggled under the covers a few times, yawned, and struggled to sit up.
In the dim light of the basement, he caught a glimpse of several sheets of calculation paper he had written on yesterday on the desk.
On them was his planned "Quick and Safe Transition Scheme."
Now, the plan was set.
Shane reached out and grabbed those pages, crumpled them into a ball, and threw them directly into the trash can in the corner.
His transition plan was simple: doing "catering." Of course, not the kind of "360-degree turnover" restaurant, but a more convenient mobile vendor stall.
This business had obvious advantages in the South Side.
The United States doesn't have the terrifying profession of "Chengguan" (Urban Management Officers). Management is relatively loose; usually, only patrol officers or officials from specific departments occasionally check.
As long as you have some situational awareness, don't occupy a spot that is too conspicuous or obstructive for too long, and don't get targeted and reported by competitors or annoyed neighbors, you can basically live in peace.
If a situation really arises, the mobility to pack up and run is high, and it's safe. Just selling breakfast shouldn't attract trouble.
The most critical thing is that the profit margin is very good.
In the international version of Temu, about 100 RMB can get you 50 spicy chicken burgers.
Or 60 individually packaged chicken rolls or 40 sandwiches, all semi-finished products that can be sold after heating.
There is also a one-kilogram pack of cheap coffee powder for only 50 RMB! Enough to brew several large buckets of "South Side Special" coffee.
Even if he only sold the most basic "Coffee + Spicy Chicken Burger" combo in the morning, priced at $2 (a very competitive price in this neighborhood), there would be profit.
Because the cost of a single combo is calculated to be about $0.3. Perhaps this isn't intuitive enough, so let's convert it to RMB.
The cost of the combo is about 2.1 RMB, the selling price is 14 RMB, a net profit of 11.9 RMB per serving, with a gross profit margin as high as a terrifying 85%!
This doesn't even count other higher-profit combo packages.
As long as he could sell out smoothly on the first day, the initial investment cost would be basically fully recovered, and everything after that would be pure profit!
As for the vehicle?
He had his eyes on Kevin's van parked behind the Alibi Room.
Use it to haul goods and drive directly to subway entrances, bus stops, or near factory areas to set up a stall—places with high traffic and strong demand for cheap fast food. He could open the trunk and start business.
He wasn't stupid enough to sell directly from a food truck; regulations for food trucks in the US are much stricter than for mobile stalls!
Shane didn't want to stage a real-life version of Grand Theft Auto with the police on the streets of the South Side.
---
After running through these thoughts in his mind again, Shane got up and went up the stairs.
After washing up, he quickly finished breakfast and greeted Fiona, who was feeding Liam mush, and Lip, who was staring out the window.
"I'm heading out."
Walking out the door, Shane didn't go to the Alibi Room immediately to discuss the plan of borrowing the car with Kevin. at this time, Kevin was either still sleeping at home or hugging the toilet fighting the hangover from last night's alcohol.
He had a more "urgent" personal itinerary.
Shane walked straight toward Karen's house.
These past few days, busy with the renovation of that broken warehouse, he had been so busy he hadn't touched the ground, neglecting his little girlfriend.
In Gallagher terms, this had "wronged" the young and vigorous "Little Shane" for several days.
Now, he had to go to Karen's house for an in-depth "academic make-up lesson" to make up for the "homework" missed these past few days, with interest.
...
Before long, Shane arrived at Karen's door. Today was Saturday, so Karen would be home.
But Shane couldn't walk in through the front door. Entering through the front door meant Eddie, that old guy, would occasionally pretend to pass by Karen's bedroom door inadvertently, his suspicious attitude making one feel uncomfortable all over.
Right now, inside Karen's house, Sheila was busy in the kitchen baking those pies that always tasted a bit strange.
Eddie, having finished breakfast, was sitting on the sofa, holding a leather-bound Bible in his hands, brows furrowed, looking like he was fighting against the evil of the whole world.
And Karen was lying on her bedroom bed out of boredom, texting her girlfriends on her phone.
Knock knock knock—
A faint tapping sound came from the window.
Karen turned her head; outside the window was Shane's smiling face.
She immediately jumped up with joy and opened the window. Shane climbed in skillfully.
Before Shane could stand firm, Karen was already cupping his face and kissing him fiercely.
These two young bodies were now dry wood meeting raging fire.
Their clothes were skillfully removed and scattered on the floor. Soon, only rapid breathing and the slight creaking of the mattress remained in the room.
... (1000 words omitted)
After the clouds and rain, it was already more than half an hour later.
Karen lay on Shane's chest, her cheeks flushed, asking with a satisfied nasal voice:
"Sigh, what are you planning to do today? Still going to work on that warehouse of yours?"
As she spoke, her slender fingers drew circles on Shane's solid pectoral muscles.
Shane grabbed her restless little hand directly, brought it to his lips for a kiss, and answered:
"No, the warehouse is mostly done. I have a new idea. I plan to pull Kevin in to do a little business together."
He stated the plan directly, "I plan to use his broken van to sell breakfast burgers and coffee on the street."
"Selling burgers? On the street?"
Karen lifted her head, her long blonde hair draping down. "Whoa, that sounds really unappealing. Are you sure this has more of a 'money' future than writing homework like before?"
Shane smiled confidently, tightening his arm to pull her closer:
"Trust me, baby. The profit here is higher than you can imagine. When I make money," he deliberately dragged out his tone, "I'll give you a gift."
"A gift?" Karen's eyes lit up, and she kissed Shane hard on the cheek.
Mwah—
"Really? What gift?"
Shane enjoyed Karen's excitement and kept her in suspense: "A gift... if I say it, you won't look forward to it. I have to maintain some mystery."
Just as the two were cuddling, Eddie's roar came from downstairs, breaking the romantic atmosphere in the bedroom:
"Karen! Get changed before ten! We're going to church! Don't be late! The pastor is specifically talking to you teenagers about 'Chastity and Self-discipline' today!"
Eddie's voice penetrated the door panel, incredibly clear.
Shane and Karen looked at each other, both showing disappointed expressions on their faces.
And amidst Eddie's urging about "purity and self-discipline," their just-concluded "impure" behavior seemed particularly ironic.
Karen wailed, buried her face in the crook of Shane's neck and rubbed it, then rolled over to lie flat on the bed, rolling her eyes.