Goldie Thorne nodded vigorously. "People will definitely buy these. The patterns are great, and you don’t need ration coupons. Anyone who doesn’t buy them is an idiot. Can we make a profit selling them for seventy cents?"

"Haven’t you done the math? This fabric costs forty cents a foot at most. If I sell it for seventy cents, I can still make a good profit. Of course we can make money."

Goldie Thorne scratched his head in embarrassment. He was completely useless at arithmetic. At that moment, he was filled with boundless admiration for Adrian Hawthorne. Whether it was brains, guts, or financial resources, he was no match for this kid.

"So, how much should we sell the radios for?"

"The cheapest radio at the department store is fifty yuan each, and you need a coupon for that too. The quality is about the same as these. So we’ll sell them for fifty yuan each. We’ll sell them in the city. A lot of people have money but no coupons right now."

Adrian Hawthorne already had a plan. Right now, demand outstripped supply. He wasn’t worried about being unable to sell the goods, only about not having enough people to do it.

Goldie Thorne and his nephew felt their hearts race as Adrian spoke, and they rubbed their hands together in excitement. By their calculations, earning a thousand or so yuan a month would be a piece of cake. It was a shame they didn’t have the initial capital, or they could have gone all-in themselves.

"Uncle Goldie, if you have time, you could help me with distribution. I’ll give you an eight-cent commission for every foot of fabric you sell. The more you sell, the higher the commission. What do you think?" Adrian Hawthorne dangled the bait.

Goldie Thorne excitedly started doing the math. Eight cents for one foot, eighty cents for ten feet, which meant eight yuan for a hundred feet. He could definitely sell at least a hundred feet a day. That was eight yuan a day, making it two hundred and forty a month! With that kind of income, he’d be among the top earners in Vessaria.

But then he thought about how Adrian Hawthorne would be earning several times that, and he grew indignant. "You’ll be making a lot more."

"That’s not right, Uncle. He’s the one putting up the capital and taking all the risk. It’s only right that he earns more."

Jim Thorne retorted, then looked at Adrian Hawthorne excitedly. "I’m willing to help sell! I don’t mind the low commission."

’This is way more profitable than selling movie stills. Once I save up enough, I’ll get a bag of this stuff to sell back home too. The money will just keep multiplying, like a hen laying eggs. I might even become a ten-thousand-yuan household one day!’

"You still have to go to school," Adrian Hawthorne reminded him.

Jim Thorne scratched his head. He really wanted to drop out. What was the point of school when he could be doing business? School cost money, while business made money. It was a no-brainer. But his sister would be furious if he quit school. *Sigh*.

"Summer vacation is starting soon. You can sell during the break," Adrian Hawthorne suggested.

Jim Thorne’s eyes lit up. Summer vacation was two months long! He could earn several hundred yuan.

Ace took them to the guesthouse and offered a kind tip. "If you need to get to the train station, you can go down that alley and find someone to help. Just give them one yuan for their trouble."

"Thank you, Ace," Adrian Hawthorne said gratefully.

Ace smiled again. "If you have more goods in the future, the boss has connections to get you a freight car. That would make things a lot easier."

"How much would we need for a freight car?" Adrian Hawthorne asked.

"At least ten bags. You only have five, that’s not nearly enough."

Adrian Hawthorne made a mental note. After a few more trips, his capital should have multiplied several times over. Ten bags wouldn’t be a problem. A freight car would make things much simpler; he would only need to come and pick out the goods, then have someone else load them onto the train.

After seeing Ace off, Adrian Hawthorne and the others stared at the goods in the room. It felt like they were floating on air; none of it seemed real. Goldie Thorne suddenly remembered something and asked, "Why did you pick the lighter bags?"

Adrian Hawthorne picked up one of the lighter bags and emptied the fabric onto the floor. It wasn’t all whole cloth; quite a few scraps and remnants were mixed in. He then emptied a heavy bag, which contained even more scraps.

"The scraps are heavy, so the heavier bags are actually worse than the lighter ones." A smile played on Adrian Hawthorne’s lips. His guess had been right.