America 1982-Chapter 204 - 74: Black Humor_4
"Don’t be like that, show some compassion to the poor; after all, they are the majority in this country." Tommy said to Stephen with a smile:
"However, in addition to providing these low-interest loans to those aspiring to change their fate, to ensure the bank’s income, I plan to use my SSD connections to start another business called payday loans, mainly targeting the brave soldiers of the United States. The interest and penalty fees will be much higher, since we’re not worried about these American soldiers not being able to repay the loans. We just need to use the future-dated checks issued by the national treasury for these soldiers, and deduct our loans and interest on payday. This way, we manage their accounts, and they just need to repay their debts every month and then continue to borrow from us while issuing the next month’s future-dated checks."
Stephen was dumbfounded. Although he was a wealthy man and had never been short of money, he was certain that not one soldier could resist Tommy’s "Temptation." Where had this sinister idea popped up from:
"What about after they retire? No national treasury salary, temporarily no job..."
"If the United States Government doesn’t want to pay, then the bank will just take his house and car with the bill, let him go bankrupt, or introduce them to become mercenaries, which pays more. But that is not for the bank to consider, you understand? My helping the poor is my kindness, but I won’t help the United States Government. It’s the government’s fault that these brave soldiers go bankrupt. Obviously, it’s because their salaries are too low that they need to borrow money. The country just needs to raise their salaries. What does that have to do with my bank which lends them money?" Tommy looked innocently at Stephen:
"I never earn money off the poor."
"You indeed don’t earn the poor’s money, but you are robbing the wallets of American soldiers..." Stephen could no longer find an appropriate expression to convey his feelings at the moment.
Tommy shrugged: "We start small, like starting from a California military base, gradually expanding to nearby Texas, New Mexico, and eventually all military bases across the whole United States will have our branches. SSD has been working with the Veterans Association for so long, doing good deeds, and it’s about time to get something back."
"Besides, I’ve always believed that loans, rather than pure charity, are more effective at eliminating poverty. Loans encourage the poor to take initiative. We’ll encourage them to go from being borrowers to savers, and then use their savings to lend to more people in need or invest in more businesses that need help. You don’t know, there are many great companies in the United States worth investing in, worth helping, but I don’t have money, so I have to use everyone’s money to do this."
Stephen rubbed his forehead: "But you’re not going to share the money you make from investments with everyone."
"The money I work hard to earn from investments is mine. If they didn’t do anything, why should they take my money?" Tommy said, justifying himself.
"They can’t do anything. Not only can’t they take your money, they still have to shoulder the damned loans." Stephen, massaging his forehead, said: "I have Jewish ancestry, but now I feel you are more of a Jew than I am."
At that moment, Sophia turned on the TV in the living room, and the live news just happened to show a middle-aged woman who, with her loudest voice, shouted at the camera:
"The United States needs young people like Tommy. He has all the virtues; he will make this nation better; he will surely win! God bless the righteous!"
Stephen closed his eyes, leaned back on the sofa, and quietly said: "Tommy Hawk, possessing all virtues, this is definitely the most ironic piece of dark humor I have ever heard."
