Chapter 7

Meanwhile, Josh was setting up his stand. When factory workers came out for lunch, they found total chaos. Gary's face was totally swollen. He was standing there trembling hard, while yesterday's "diseased pork seller" was pulling fresh buns from his grill. "What's going on here?" someone asked. "This bastard spread lies about my meat being diseased. We brought a whole pig to slaughter right here. See for yourself if it's diseased! Hey, you! Tell them how you made up those lies!" One glare from the butcher had Gary nearly wetting himself as he confessed everything. The workers weren't totally convinced. They figured he was just scared into confessing. But a live pig slaughter did catch their attention. They watched how the butcher skillfully cut the pig's throat to bleed it, used the scalding water to remove hair, and then gutted it. Everyone could clearly see that this was a healthy pig. Fresh meat landed on Josh's cutting board. It was cut into precise portions and dropped into his secret marinade to stew. The meat would take hours to cook properly, which would be too late to sell for lunch. That was when Josh called out, "Look, this guy was trash for spreading lies to steal business, but beating him up messed up everyone's lunch plans. Today, anyone who needs food can come get two buns, pickles, and a bowl of soup from me. All free. It's my way of saying sorry." Everyone froze. Free food? Even the butcher's crew was surprised. He couldn't help but say, "Kid, what are you doing? We're the ones who beat him up, so why are you paying for lunch?" Josh smiled at them and said, "I'm planning to do business here long-term. I can't have everyone going hungry on my watch right after I arrived here. If I hadn't brought you here about the meat, you wouldn't have beaten him. So it's partly my fault, and I have to take responsibility." "Aren't you worried about losing money?" the butcher asked curiously. "Every business loses money sometimes. Money you can earn back, but your conscience? It's gone forever when you lose it. These workers have been busting their backs all morning, so we can't let them go hungry and mess up their afternoon shifts. "Come on. Everyone grab some buns! Bowls are over there for soup. If we run short, we can order from nearby restaurants. I'll cover it!" "That's cool of you!" The butcher gave him a thumbs-up, then whispered to his crew, "This young man's being so generous. We can't let him take such a big loss, can we?" They got his meaning and nodded. The butcher shouted, "Everyone who gets buns, come get some pork too! It's not much, but it's our way of proving our meat's good!" The workers had been hesitant about taking free buns, but they got excited when they heard they could even take free pork too. They rushed forward and were almost fighting over it. Not everyone had witnessed yesterday's incident. Those who got the free food today naturally sided with the generous Josh and spat contempt at Gary. "A young guy like him is just trying to make an honest living. That can't be easy, yet you pull this shameless stunt on him for better business! Can't believe I used to buy his lunch boxes." "If you ask me, he got greedier after making more money. Maybe he's the one using diseased pork. That's why he accused others!" Gary was destroyed by all the criticism from everyone. He couldn't even cry anymore, and his guts were twisted with regret. He never expected Josh to turn the tables like this by using others to get his revenge. If he had known, he would have shut up and said nothing yesterday. The whole lunch break was buzzing with activity. Even the security guard, Maximo, came for buns and pork. He apologized to Josh, "I was too harsh yesterday. That rat fooled us all. Sorry about that." Josh laughed it off and said, "Come on, don't say that. How can anyone know what's true or false? I understand you were fooled, so no hard feelings. Just come to my stand anytime you're hungry. You can have all the sandwiches you want!" Maximo's eyes lit up. Sure, sandwiches might get boring, but who wouldn't love free food? "You're great, kid! If anyone gives you trouble from now on, I'll kick their ass! Hey, you freeloaders! How can you let this kid take such a loss? Everyone better buy a sandwich after work. Don't embarrass our factory!" As a retired factory worker, Maximo had great influence. After he called them out, people felt guilty about taking freebies and promised to support Josh's business that evening. "Keep at it, kid. I see good things ahead!" Maximo patted Josh's shoulder and left with his buns and meat. When the factory shift started and things quieted down, the butcher prepared to leave. Josh then called out, "You should set up a stand here from now on." "Huh?" "Look, these factory workers make good money, so they're willing to spend it. There are at least 300 to 400 workers. Even if only dozens buy meat each day, plus what I need, that's a minimum of fifty pounds of meat. "Monthly, that's 1500 pounds, and 18 thousand pounds a year! At one and a half dollars per pound, that's 27 thousand dollars! One year here, and you'll be super rich!" The butcher was stunned. Daily sales didn't impress him because his current stand would sell more. But the idea of selling 1500 pounds of meat a month and 18 thousand pounds each year got his attention. He got so excited about these numbers he forgot about costs and timeframes. 27 thousand dollars! In this era, that was an unbelievable sum! The butcher could barely breathe. He exchanged excited looks with his crew. "Your slaughter show today really impressed them. They know your meat's good, so they'll buy it. If you don't take this spot, someone else will grab it tomorrow, and that 27 thousand dollars will be split with strangers." "Who dares take this spot? I'll chop them in half!" the butcher roared immediately.