BEFORE THE WORLD FROZE, I BUILT MY OWN KINGDOM

Chapter 5: Investing in Freebies

Ethan had already planned to rent a car anyway, and he had a loan to pick up that afternoon.

So he decided to treat a flashier rental as an investment in the afternoon's payday.

The cash had come from the internet in the first place. Whether he squeezed out a little more that afternoon or not, he didn't really care.

On an online recommendation, he went to a well-known local car rental company.

A sales manager named Marcus Bell greeted him with a smile. "Good morning, sir. Looking to rent a car?"

"Mm." Ethan nodded.

"Any particular model in mind?"

Ethan shook his head. "I don't know much about cars. Can you recommend something?"

"What do you need it for? City driving or the countryside? And what's your budget?" Marcus asked pleasantly.

"The countryside, I suppose. I'm planning to invest in a farmstay inn, and I need to scout around the area," Ethan said, making up an excuse on the spot.

"Oh, is that so? Hehe."

Marcus gave a couple of small chuckles and began introducing the available models and their prices. He walked Ethan over to an SUV.

"How about this Trailmaster? It's $350 a day with a $5,000 deposit."

Ethan frowned. "Too cheap. Do you have anything more expensive?"

"The Ridgeback 300, then. $450 a day, $8,000 deposit."

Ethan shook his head again. "There's nothing wrong with the car. It's just too cheap. Not high-end enough."

Marcus's interest sharpened.

When he'd first heard the words "farmstay inn," he had assumed Ethan was bragging. And now, seeing a man who picked a car by price alone, he had made up his mind. This guy was putting on a show. He wanted to rent something flashy, drive it home, and flaunt his wealth.

"Ha, my mistake," he said smoothly. "These cheap cars hardly suit a man of your style, sir. Please, come with me."

He led Ethan over to the luxury section.

"Take a look at this BMW X3. $1,200 a day, with a deposit of [amount missing]," Marcus said with a smile. Renting wasn't like selling. He didn't have to worry about whether the customer could afford it.

Ethan still wasn't satisfied. "It's a bit lacking. Don't you have anything pricier? The kind of car that costs over a million. Something people can tell is a luxury car at a glance."

Marcus thought for a moment. "A Mercedes G-Class. $3,000 a day, deposit $30,000."

"Perfect. The G-Wagon it is," Ethan finally said, nodding in satisfaction.

He knew nothing about its performance. But even a man who knew nothing about cars had heard of the G-Class's reputation, so it had to be impressive. And most important of all, he needed a flashy ride to project the right image. This famous luxury car was the perfect choice.

He finished the paperwork quickly and drove away.

He had paid a $30,000 deposit and one day's rental up front, $33,000 in all. That still left $102,000 on his card.

Whether he would extend the rental depended on how much money he could make that afternoon.

Next, he bought a new set of clothes and a luxury mechanical watch, spending more than $30,000.

To make sure the afternoon succeeded, Ethan spared no expense.

After lunch, he arrived at the underground parking garage of the office building where the lending company was located, just as agreed.

He didn't go upstairs. Instead, he called the manager's number and pretended he was lost in the garage, asking someone to come down and meet him.

After all, he had spent a fortune on that car. He had to make sure the other side saw it. Otherwise, wouldn't it all be wasted?

A short while later, a young man found him in the garage.

When the man saw Ethan step out of a G-Wagon, he couldn't help taking a second look.

Following him, Ethan rode up to the twenty-third floor, to a company called Silverline Financial.

The young man led him into an office. A short time later, a manager named Brooks walked in with a stack of documents.

After a few polite exchanges, Ethan got straight to the point. "I need one million dollars. Any problem?"

Manager Brooks smiled. "Mr. Cole, don't worry. Silverline Financial has partnerships with major banks. We can approve not only one million but even ten million for you. Of course, a loan that large requires collateral. It depends on whether you have enough to put up. Please fill out these forms first!"

He slid a form across the desk.

Ethan glanced at it. It was nothing but basic personal information and a list of fixed assets, so he simply pushed it aside.

"A mortgage loan? If I wanted a mortgage loan, I wouldn't be here," Ethan sneered.

Brooks frowned slightly. He hadn't expected such a blunt refusal to offer collateral.

He gave a light cough, trying to smooth over the tension.

"Mr. Cole, you misunderstand. Our loans do require collateral to protect both parties. If you don't have enough, we can explore other options."

His tone was gentle and patient.

Ethan shook his head with a cold laugh, a flicker of contempt in his eyes.

"Manager Brooks, how dare a small company like yours talk to me about collateral? If I couldn't repay this loan, why would I be sitting here?"

Brooks felt a flash of displeasure. But he suppressed it and tried to persuade Ethan again.

"Mr. Cole, our company may not be large, but we work with major banks, and our credit is absolutely solid. On top of that, we have a professional team that will design the perfect loan plan for you."

Ethan looked at Manager Brooks, a sly glint in his eyes.

"Manager Brooks, you don't need to say more. I came here prepared. As you know, I'm in the building supplies business, and I recently took on a big project with a funding gap of exactly one million. Once I close this deal, how could I possibly owe you anything?"

Brooks gave a wry smile and thought it over for a moment.

Then, with a serious look, he said, "An unsecured loan can be done, but we'd need to run a strict review of your credit history and repayment ability. If you can provide additional documents or a guarantor, approval will be much faster and far more likely. And I understand you own a building supplies company. If all else fails, you could apply for the loan in the company's name."

Ethan did, in fact, own a building supplies company. It belonged to his old boss, Victor Hargrove, and Ethan was its legal representative on paper.

Victor had named him that for one reason, and it was certainly not kindness.

The company was drowning in financial trouble. In his past life, Ethan had nearly gone to prison because of that title. Only the apocalypse had saved him.

But though Ethan was the company's legal representative, he held no shares and no real power. A corporate loan through that company was completely impractical.

He shook his head in disappointment.

"That's too much trouble. You know how business is, everything changes by the day. I don't have the energy to waste on this. Forget it, I'll find another way."

He added irritably, "I shouldn't have come. This is keeping me from real business."

He stood up, ready to leave.

Brooks panicked. "Mr. Cole, please, wait a moment! We can still find a solution!"

He couldn't bear to lose a client this big.

"Mr. Cole, we can meet your needs, but the interest rate may be a little higher. I wonder if that would be acceptable?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow. He sat back down, took a sip of tea, and said, "Tell me about it."