ch. 40 - new project

CHAPTER 40
NEW PROJECT


Inside some large basement, Jerry and a group of three guys all wearing dark gray T-shirts and black leather jackets that barely reached their waistline were sitting on large wooden boxes, two of them facing the other two. One of the guys, Tanaka, was a Samoan wearing shades. The second of the three was a white dude with spiky yellow hair named Mondo as he was lighting up a cigarette with his lighter. The third and last guy was a Vietnamese named Hokai, and he was the tallest of the other two especially Jerry.

Jerry: Yo, dudes! I found this… (as he shows Erich’s broken phone and separate SIM card to the guys) on the ground in front of a bar.

Hokai: Yeah? What’r we gon’ do with that?

Jerry: Well, if one of you is willing to sacrifice your phone for this one, I’d appreciate it.

Mondo: What brand is it? Ya know?

Jerry: It’s a Nokia 7000.

Tanaka: Cool. I’ll take it, and you can have mine for 50 bucks.

Jerry: 50 bucks, for that cheapass phone of yours?

Tanaka: Yeah, why not? You’re fuckin’ rich anyway!

Jerry: I have a better idea.

Narrator: Jerry approached Tanaka, took his phone, and threw it hard on the ground loud enough for a crash to occur. Tanaka looked at him in deep shock, his mouth wide open.

Tanaka: What the hell, dude? That was a fuckin’ joke!

Jerry: Heh, like I can take any of your useless joke crap.

Mondo: Yeah, it ain’t nice ta break people’s phones, ya know.

Jerry: (points at Mondo) Yeah, and you’re next if ya don’t stop talking. (changes subject) Peoples, don’t ya realize we have a building to take care of?

Hokai: What’s it supposed to look like anyway?

Narrator: Jerry took out a piece of paper from his pants pocket, unfolded it, and showed a full-size image of an enormous four-story red building to his three friends.

Jerry: Now you’re all wondering what a factory would look like if it were inside this fancy $500 hotel.

Mondo: Dang, ya serious about that?

Jerry: I know, hard to believe. But look, the factory we’re gonna own will not actually be INSIDE that building itself.

Tanaka: Where’ll it be?

Jerry: In the underground.

Hokai: Cool.

Jerry: It will be our private factory, one where we invite people to prove they will never live again!

Mondo: Huh?

Jerry: Don’t you get it? We can make millions and millions of dollars for our own sake! Don’t you guys want the economy to look friendly again?

Tanaka: Sure, but what exactly are we supposed to do?

Jerry: We are known… as the underground human hatchets! We are known to kill! That’s… our job!

Mondo: So all we do is try ta get other people to get into our factory so we can do our thang?

Jerry: Exactly. We’ll post a buncha ads out on the streets, and we’ll make sure they pay a good price.

Hokai: How much, like 200 bucks?

Jerry: Make that 300!

Tanaka: Oooh. I betchu not even the poor people can afford that much, so I mean who gives a fuck if they don’ give a fuck ‘bout our price? Ya know…?

Jerry: Foo… we’re talkin’ bout the rich! Ya know like 90% of em’ don’ give a shit ‘bout anyone but themselves! They’re users, I tell ya! Even the girls!

Mondo: Yeah! True!

Jerry: So why should we let em’ raise their pride when all they do is try to own the world?

Tanaka: Hey! Aren’t ya rich too?!

Jerry: You’re asking ME if I’m rich?!

Tanaka: (standing up) Yeah! Ya own a mansion, don’t you?!

Jerry: Look, buddy! (approaching Tanaka as he grabs tightly on his shirt collar) Just cuz I own a mansion don’ mean I’m rich! I had that mansion before I lost all my money in a strip club! So call me Richie Rich, and you will become the next (as he shows fist at Tanaka) knuckle brat on my list! Ya GOT that?!

Narrator: Tanaka nodded, and Jerry threw him on the ground. He took out a handgun from his jacket pocket, pointing it to his other two friends.

Jerry: You guys feel like saying the same thing?!

Narrator: Hokai and Mondo shook their heads, remaining silent.

Jerry: (puts gun back in his jacket) We’re gonna start this factory as soon as possible, and we gonna make sure we earn lotsa money, ya understand?!

Hokai: Hell yeah! I’m in!

Tanaka: I’m in! (gets back up on floor)

Mondo: Same here!

Jerry: Then get the hell goin’ n’ don’ waste your time!

Narrator: So Jerry’s friends ran up the stairs before himself. Jerry grinned, laughing evilly again.