Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

Saturday.

Luke had the day off.

He slept in until ten in the morning.

After getting up, he drank a pot of green tea, which brought him close to eleven o'clock.

He drove out to eat.

Luke drove to a fairly well-known hot pot chain restaurant nearby called "Shuan Tian Xia."

The reasons Luke came to this hot pot restaurant were twofold. One, he felt like eating hot pot—the kind of food you might crave if you don't have it for a week, even though eating it for two consecutive days could easily lead to an imbalance in the body.

Additionally, Luke wanted to evaluate the restaurant to see if there was potential in opening a franchise.

Luke now had over eight hundred thousand in cash, which was sufficient capital to start a business that, if stable, could provide long-term revenue.

Of course, this was still an immature idea, and he understood that starting a business, especially one in an unfamiliar sector, would be challenging.

It could involve financial losses.

Accordingly, he would not invest hastily without careful consideration.

"Shuan Tian Xia" offered Sichuan-style hot pot with a signature beef tallow broth and came with four side dishes: duck blood, bean curd skin, beef tripe, and quail eggs.

Patrons could choose their own seasonings. There were oil dipping sauces popular in the south and sesame paste favored in the north.

Lamb, beef, tripe, seafood, and seasonal vegetables were among the extensive selection of items available for hot pot.

They also had unique dishes like crispy meat.

With an interest in opening a franchise, Luke observed very carefully, considering customer flow, staff, the menu, décor, and other aspects.

After the meal, he generally felt quite satisfied with the experience.

His favorites were the tripe and the crispy meat.

Luke even spoke with the restaurant owner about the possibility of franchising. The owner shared details about the process, including franchise fees, site selection, decoration, chefs, and other related policies.

There was an annual franchise fee.

There had to be a certain distance between any two outlets.

The décor had to follow a uniform style.

For the chefs, experienced ones would provide onsite assistance initially, and the central corporate office would supply the seasoning mixes.

Luke estimated that the initial costs would primarily come from three sources: franchising fees, rent, and décor.

Starting a hot pot franchise would likely require an investment of nearly three hundred thousand US dollars upfront.

An additional major expense was the staff salaries, which wouldn't be less than forty thousand US dollars a month.

With eight hundred thousand US dollars as his financial safety net, Luke had more than enough to invest in a hot pot franchise.

But he faced many issues.

First, he lacked experience.

Second, it was uncertain how quickly the business would start making a profit.

After enjoying his hot pot meal, although his stomach was content, his mind was filled with even more doubts.

He considered investing in the hot pot business partly because he liked eating it.

Another reason was that, compared to other types of catering, hot pot seemed relatively straightforward.

What surprised Luke the most about the hot pot restaurant was the thoughtful smell-removal machine inside, allowing customers to quickly eliminate the odor of hot pot from their clothes.

After a comprehensive evaluation, Luke gave this investment opportunity a B.

Upon finishing his meal, Luke went straight to his next potential investment project.

A car wash.

Los Angeles is spread out and nearly every household has a car, with many families owning more than two.

The car wash industry is, therefore, quite essential.

There are mainly two types: the first one is a manual car wash.

Compared to Hua country, manual labor is more expensive in the United States; a car wash could cost around fifty US dollars after purchasing a membership card.

This premium service, if managed well, can be very profitable.

However, since Luke's intention was to build a side business, not a main one, he didn't have the luxury of managing a large staff.

Therefore, he was more inclined towards self-service car washes.

His car needed cleaning, so he took the opportunity to try out a self-service car wash.

Soon, Luke arrived at a self-service car wash featuring a row of washing bays separated by walls, each equipped with washing tools.

Before washing the car, customers had to go to the central area to exchange cash for tokens, which was also self-serve.

One US dollar bought one car wash token, granting one hundred seconds of use.

Beyond the spray gun for washing, there were vacuum cleaners, towels, and more, all of which required additional fees.

Luke quickly cleaned his car, spending about ten US dollars.

The experience was pretty good and certainly cheaper than a manual wash.

After washing his car, Luke waited outside for a while. A few cars came in to wash, but not too many.

This sort of business relies heavily on customer flow, which is greatly affected by location.

Luke did some quick calculations. A single washing bay operating non-stop for twenty-four hours could potentially bring in eight hundred US dollars in revenue.

Obviously, that's almost impossible. A daily income of one hundred US dollars per bay would be considered high.

With ten bays, that would be one thousand US dollars a day and thirty thousand US dollars a month.

Roughly speaking, the figures were promising, but customer flow was the key.

From what Luke could tell with his experience, the "Detective System" reserves could be monetized by increasing the customer traffic for the self-service car wash.

The main concern was the initial investment.

Ten washing bays would require significant space and a substantial upfront investment.

His biggest worry was a poor choice in location, which could lead to no customers and a failed business.

All things considered, he rated this investment as an A.

It seemed somewhat better than the hot pot restaurant.

The third project Luke evaluated was an antique shop.

Although the United States does not have a long history, Americans are fond of collecting a wide array of items, seemingly everything imaginable.

Antique shops could be the easiest way to turn the "Detective System" into cash.

Moreover, Luke had another purpose for visiting the antique shop, which was to select a birthday gift for his grandfather.

Being a tourist city, Los Angeles boasts numerous antique stores, with the actual value of items relying on luck and skill.

Luke arrived at a street famous for its antique shops.

Unlike the priceless treasures of his home country that are out of reach, Los Angeles' antique shops sell items with historical and artistic value, ranging from kitchenware, ornaments, jewelry, clothing, books, photographs, to paintings, sculptures, and gardening tools— a veritable feast for the eyes and brimming with variety.

Luke had the illusion that he had entered a second-hand furniture market.

After just one lap, Luke dismissed the idea of opening an antique shop.

The industry was too deep for a layman like him to play around with, and even with cash available from the Detective System, the business would be a losing proposition.

Having abandoned that plan, he began to select a birthday gift for Robert.

Luke browsed through several stores and, in an antique shop named 'Time,' he took a liking to an old-fashioned black vinyl record player.

It was a Mustang-brand record player that, from its appearance, conformed to the Mustang car's design, all in red, very cool.

Luke thought that Robert would certainly like the record player that had a sense of the era.

Noticing Luke constantly gazing at the record player, the owner came over and asked, "Sir, you have great taste. This is the first commemorative edition record player released by Ford in the new millennium, and it's worthwhile for collecting.

If you like it, you can have a listen."

Luke glanced at the owner, a forty-something Caucasian chubby guy, walking through the narrow aisles of the antique store, and Luke worried he might knock over the collectibles, "It's been over twenty years, can it still be played?"

"Old lady cars from decades ago can still run on the road, let alone a record player?"

The chubby owner opened a black box beside him, took out a black vinyl record, and placed it on top of the red Mustang player.

Soon afterward, a tune began to play. Luke didn't know who was singing, but the song was pleasant to listen to, with a unique charm.

After a while, Luke asked, "How much?"

"One thousand US dollars."

Luke didn't speak and simply walked away—this was already beyond his budget for Robert's gift.

He had money, but he was no fool.

"Hey, buddy, don't rush off. If you like it, we can keep talking."

Luke made an offer, "200 US dollars."

The chubby owner, "At least 800 US dollars."

"I'm not interested in this, it's a gift, and it exceeds my budget. I'll have to pick another gift."

"Who are you planning to give it to?"

"My grandfather."

"This gift couldn't be more appropriate. I believe your grandfather will definitely like it, 700 US dollars, take it."

"250 US dollars."

"600 US dollars, I really can't go lower."

"300 US dollars."

"500 US dollars, and you can take it," the owner backed down another step.

Luke looked at the red record player again. Its exterior resembled the Mustang car quite a bit, and knowing Robert as well as he did, he believed the older man would really like this model of the record player.

He glanced over at the black box next to it, which housed several black vinyl records.

"I can pay 400 US dollars, but in addition to the phonograph, I want the black vinyl records next to it."

"There are four vinyl records in this box, each of them a collector's edition. Many people are willing to pay a hundred US dollars for each. I would even lose money selling them at this price to you,"

"Five hundred US dollars for the record player and the black vinyl records, take it or leave it.

That's the highest offer I can make."

"Oh God, you're the best haggler I've ever seen, but considering the love for your grandfather...

OK, I'll sell them to you.

Five hundred US dollars, and the record player and black vinyl records are all yours."

The owner's words were to be taken with a grain of salt.

No matter how shrewd the buyer is, they can hardly outsmart the seller, and it's reasonable to let them make some profit.

Besides, the gift was indeed very suitable for Robert.

...

That night, when he got home, .

Luke lay in the lounge chair, listening to the black vinyl record playing on the record player.

This kind of thing had long been phased out in China, but it was still quite popular in Los Angeles. Many people liked it for the atmosphere it created when played.

While listening to the music, Luke reflected on the three projects from the day.

The more he thought about it, the more discouraged he became, feeling that he might not be cut out for business.

Making money was possible, but losing money seemed more likely.

He wasn't short on cash. He had already saved over twenty thousand US dollars working as a police officer, so why bother with other businesses?

Some things might be good, but not necessarily right for oneself.

One man's honey is another man's poison.

After the song ended, Luke got up to change to a new black vinyl record.

Luke opened the black box, which was made of wood with a moisture-proof coating on the surface.

Luke took out a new black vinyl record from inside and placed it on the phonograph.

He examined the remaining records, which had the names of the songs and the artists printed at the center.

Since it was intended as a gift for Robert, should he wrap it?

The black box's lining was somewhat damaged, and Luke wanted to replace it with a new one.

As he studied the black record box, he noticed something was off about it.

The box was nearly ten centimeters high, but the actual space for storing records was narrower. Most people might not notice, but with Luke's extraordinary Observation skills, he thought there was a problem with the design.

There was likely to be a hidden compartment.

After further investigation, Luke became more certain of his hypothesis.

He dismantled the bottom of the black record box and indeed found a layer tucked inside. Upon opening it, he found a wax-sealed paper bag, very well preserved against moisture.

Luke smiled, figuring that anything hidden in a secret layer must be something valuable.

He hadn't expected to find a surprise.

He opened the bag to find another black vinyl record inside, with the record's title and the band's name printed on it.

The record was titled, "That'll Be The Day/In Spite of Anger."

The band, the quarrymen.

Luke was baffled, having thought it might be some valuable record, yet he hadn't heard of either the song or the band's name.

Was an obscure band's record really worth hiding so secretively?