Chapter 119 Lobbying Vader
An ordinary Buick car drove into the Vader community and drove all the way to the community office. Since there is no setting in the United States such as street offices and community management committees, the members selected by the community usually organize an autonomous group on their behalf as the grassroots management agency.
Omar was waiting at the door of the office. When he saw two Chinese faces walking out of the car, his eyes lit up immediately. Then Omar took a few steps: Mr. Zhou Ming, you finally came, I am very worried about you.
These two people are Zhou Ming and his bodyguard. When facing Omar's concern, Zhou Ming smiled and said: Thank you very much for your concern for me, but I don't think others would come back, so overall I am still very safe.
When Zhou Ming saw Omar wanted to say something, he said first: I think we should go to your office to talk about business more than these, and I think this place is more dangerous than in your office, because I remember that Councillor Brooke sent someone to follow me at the beginning.
When Omar heard Zhou Ming say this, he immediately became nervous: Is there such a thing? Member Brooke is like a big dictator. Mr. Zhou Ming, please enter the office.
As he said that, Omar took Zhou Ming into his office. The sign of Parliament Botb was still hanging on the office. However, Parliament Botb had been driven home to rest by Omar. Now, in the office, except for the signs and photos, it is Omar's exclusive space. Omar took Zhou Ming to sit down on the sofa in his office.
Mr. Zhou Ming, please forgive me for being direct. I know you have something important, but you can tell me to do it for you. You don’t need to take this risk by yourself. Omar looked at Zhou Ming sincerely and said, “You know that the Adams family is not a slutty family. Now it seems that they have lost their minds. If something happens to you in the Vader community, I will suffer for the rest of my life.”
Zhou Ming smiled and patted Omar on the shoulder and said: I have accepted your concern. The reason why I came here in person is not because of your distrust of Omar, but because I need to see the information I need on the front line. You must know that many things, if you don’t see them with your own eyes and just listen to others’ narratives, you will never be able to fully grasp them.
Zhou Ming thought about it at the end and said: And there is another thing, I have a feeling that if I come here by myself, there might be some unexpected gains.
At this time, Zhou Ming said this sentence just a joke, but in the end he unexpectedly thought of it.
Omar, I think we can stop other topics here. I need to know the situation in the Vader community. Zhou Ming said.
Although Omar was still worried about Zhou Ming's safety, he understood better the purpose of Zhou Ming taking the risk here, so he quickly made a choice, and then he introduced the situation of the Vader community to Zhou Ming.
In fact, Zhou Ming also knows a little about the situation in the Vader community. After all, he also organized an election campaign in the past. Although he failed in the end, he did not forget the information he learned at that time.
The Vader community is in the northwest corner of the Fenway District, a mid-range community with a backing to the Charles River. Although it is said to be a mid-range community, it does have independent villas and exquisite floors, due to some reasons such as publicity and location, many minority groups such as Chinese Latinos or African-Indians are living in. In Brighton, a city dominated by British and French immigrants, coupled with the natural sense of white people, such a community naturally becomes the lowest-level community in the hearts of mainstream Brighton people.
This so-called level is only in the eyes of traditional Brighton people, but in fact, the Vader community has a good geographical location and relatively high housing prices. It is very difficult for ordinary people to become owners here without mortgage loans, especially for these minority people who are discriminated against.
After receiving your call from Mr. Zhou Ming, I have investigated the information of community residents in the past two days. At least among the people I read, no one is not a loan. Omar said.
Zhou Ming nodded silently and asked: So are they all subprime loans they used to find loan companies?
Minorities are discriminated here, even banks, with very low credit ratings that make them unable to obtain normal preferential loans. They can only settle for loan companies. Omar said.
Zhou Ming could hear Omar's tone a little angry. He reached out and patted Omar on the shoulder to show comfort. Omar also reacted and smiled apologized to Zhou Ming. Then Zhou Ming asked again: So Omar, do you have investigated their main loan company?
Omar nodded and said: Yes, because they need to mortgage the property for loans, they have records on my information. According to my statistics, the one who handles the most subprime loans for residents of the Vader community is an investment company called Brooke.
Brooke Investment Company Zhou Ming said in surprise.
Omar said: I think you are not wrong with Mr. Zhou Ming. This Brooke Investment Company is the industry of the senior Massachusetts congressman.
Zhou Ming couldn't help laughing because he never expected this situation. Although he knew that Councillor Brooke had an investment company, the entire city of Brighton was so big, with so many investment companies and banks. At the same time, the Vader community is also a concentrated place for ethnic minorities. It is a piece of fat for subprime loans. How could he meet Brooke Investment Company?
But it seems nothing strange to think about it carefully. As an important member of the Adams family, Brooke may be the benefits he sent to him.
Unexpectedly, if enemies don’t get together, Zhou Ming sighed and asked again, what are the suggestions for bankruptcy and breach of contract in these minorities?
Regarding this issue, Omar's face showed a hint of dismay for the first time: Mr. Zhou Ming, I think this problem is a bit troublesome, because the Vader community is not a new community anymore. Many people have lived here for more than a year, and even for three years. It is not easy to make them give up their real estate without any reason.
Zhou Ming nodded: This is what I expected. I came today for this matter. Omar, please prepare it for me.
Omar also nodded and said: If Mr. Zhou Ming, you insist, I will take you there immediately.
Zhou Ming spread his hands: Of course, I am always ready.
After getting Zhou Ming's answer, Omar immediately picked up the phone and called a page. After about a quarter of an hour, someone knocked on the office door, and then a fat black man walked in.
Johnny is worthy of being from the original school team, and his running speed is very fast, although you have become a fat man now.
Omar first stood up and greeted the black man, and then introduced to Zhou Ming: This is Johnny, the manager of the African-American group in the Vader community. You can get the most accurate answers to some questions about my African-American compatriots from him. In a sense, he can represent the other 350 compatriots.
Hey I said Omar, although I know you have a good eloquence, you can't say that to me, I'm not that strong, I just lived here for a long time, and have been in contact with them for a longer time, knowing their ideas better, and that's all.
After Johnny finished speaking, he turned to Zhou Ming: This is Mr. Zhou Ming, right? What do you want to know?
Zhou Ming said to Johnny: I am very happy to know you, Johnny. Maybe you don’t know what I do yet. Let me introduce myself first. I am an insurance company. My company will always have assets of hundreds of millions of dollars.
When Johnny heard hundreds of millions of dollars, his eyes suddenly glared at the boss, Omar explained to him: That's true. Johnny, don't you always doubt where my money came from? Can I tell you that it was all Mr. Zhou Ming who helped me.
Omar's words made Johnny gasp, and he then said to Zhou Ming: Mr. Zhou Ming, I hope I can help you.
This time Johnny's tone was obviously much more sincere than before. It seems that tinted glasses are really everywhere.
Zhou Ming felt a little helpless, and then he said: Because the industry I am in has let me know some news about subprime loans. I know that many people in the Vader community have applied for subprime loans, right? Is it right to borrow money from loan companies, such as Brooke Investment Company.
When Johnny nodded when he heard something related to him, his expression became serious.
This made Zhou Ming feel a little more relaxed. Zhou Ming said it on purpose, with the purpose of making him pay more attention to it. It seems that the effect is pretty good now.
So Zhou Ming continued to continue, but his continued question was a rhetorical question: It's like this Johnny, do you know how Brooke Investment Company's loan came from
Didn’t you borrowed from the bank? Johnny said uncertainly.
That's right, Brooke Investment Company's money was indeed borrowed from the bank. Zhou Ming then changed the subject, but do you know how he borrowed it?
Johnny shook his head, and Zhou Ming told him: He used your property as mortgage to make a loan from the bank.
But isn't this very normal because we cannot get enough discounts from the bank. Johnny said puzzledly.
If it's just like this, it's understandable. Even if he charges you high interest, it's a business rule, but do you know how much he borrowed? Zhou Ming paused and said, "Billion US dollars."
Johnny was surprised at the time: Why are there so many things? Isn’t it almost exceeding the value of our community?
Here we talk about something called financial leverage. This explanation is quite complicated, but simply put, it can rely on your mortgage to make excess loans. Zhou Ming said.
But with so much money, if something happens to Brooke Investment Company, the bank will collect loans, and even if all the mortgaged property in our community is sold, it will not be able to pay for it. Johnny said.
So in order to avoid his own risks, he sold all the mortgage contracts to others. Zhou Ming said.
This surprised Johnny even more: Can these contracts be sold to others? But these contracts are inflated, so how can you make money? Whoever buys them will not become a fool?
You can rest assured that Johnny, because those people are not fools, on the contrary, they are very smart. Zhou Ming said that it is still the same thing called financial leverage, and others also gain benefits through this and then sell them to others. In this way, they are falling back and forth in front of many companies. Johnny, you are so smart, I believe you can guess the final result.
No matter what leverage is not leveraged, but the value remains unchanged, there will always be people who can't bear it in the end. Johnny guessed.
Zhou Ming nodded and said: That's it. At that time, your property will be taken back by the bank and then auctioned off, and you will become homeless people.
How could this happen? This is our home, what should we do? Johnny asked in panic.
Chapter completed!