Justin took the glass from in front of Jimmy and poured him another whiskey, "No matter where you go after this, since everything is fine now, just take a good rest tonight."
Jimmy: "Yeah, I've got a few days of holiday left, need to really rest up."
Justin gestured to Jimmy toward the lounge, and Jimmy picked up his glass, left the bar, and walked directly into the adjacent lounge.
After a while, Justin ca in and got straight to the point, "Jimmy, still interested in continuing our cooperation?"
Jimmy: "I'm not even in Little Rock anymore, what's there to cooperate on?"
Justin: "No, I'm talking about higher-level cooperation. I've told you before that we are just partners with the Continental Hotel, providing services for them. And in New York, there happens to be a Continental Hotel, right in the Manhattan Financial District."
Jimmy: "That's pretty close, tell more."
Justin: "The New York Continental Hotel is the largest gathering place for organizations on the east coast of the United States, and it's also the safest place. Only mbers of the Organization can enter and use the services there. They have various channel service providers offering all sorts of services, covering everything from clothing to food, accommodation to transportation, and you can get weapons, intelligence, and dical services at the Continental Hotel. If you're interested, I can put you on the list to be reported to the intelligence providers, and if they approve, you'll be like ."
Jimmy was sowhat surprised, "You're saying the service providers at the Continental Hotel offer all kinds of services, including clothing, food, shelter, and transportation?"
Justin: "Of course, the Continental Hotel is much stronger than my little bar. Everything you can find here, they have there, and they also have what I don't have."
Jimmy rubbed the sparse stubble on his chin, looking at Justin, "I rember last ti you said you had a top tailor in Ro, I was actually planning to ask you for his contact this ti I ca back."
Justin: "Then you don't need to co back to Little Rock to find him. Over there in New York, the partner can provide it, absolutely top-notch handcraft, and they have British, Italian, Arican, French styles—you na it. How could soone I know compare to them?"
Jimmy: "Can you give the contact of the service provider over there? If you can, that would be the best. I don't want to join the Continental Hotel just yet. I just got assigned to the FBI, and nothing should go wrong at this point. But I think I might need their services, it's ti to improve my life. I..."
Justin cut Jimmy off, "Wait, what do you an it's ti to improve your life? Weren't you already sitting on several hundred thousand in assets a long ti ago? I was the one who found people to help you handle the corporate structures, and that money should've been laundered into your account by now. Don't tell you haven't been spending it and you've been keeping it in the bank all this ti? You're not really doing that, are you?"
Jimmy leaned on the couch, looking at the ceiling light, "Hmm, I had planned on buying a house in Little Rock last year, but then 9/11 happened, and I joined the FBI, so I gave up on that.
Right after that, I spent six months training at the FBI, and I've only just been transferred to Manhattan in New York for a re two weeks, I've had no ti to look for a house in New York; as of now, I'm just renting a bachelor apartnt.
As for daily necessities, co on, I used to wear a uniform every day, and now that I've switched to suits, I've realized I really don't have any decent clothes or accessories.
So this ti I ca back wanting you to introduce to that top tailor in Ro you told about before, planning to fill out my wardrobe a bit."
Justin pointed at Jimmy, tapped a few tis, and then gave up on scolding him.
Justin: "You are... never mind, let's drop it. You already have enough money to splurge. New York real estate is expensive, but an average apartnt in a regular building costs around 300,000, and a nicer location won't exceed 500,000. You could pay it off in full any ti, and yet you're still renting? Are you out of your mind? Do you not realize that your behavior is practically writing 'Grandet' on your face for everyone to see?"
As for clothes, even if you don't have custom-made high-end clothes, suits that cost a few thousand dollars each are available everywhere. Even if you don't know which tailors are good, you could easily find out and get sothing decent just by asking around.
Look at the clothes you're wearing now, your watch, your shoes. I initially thought you dressed this way for an FBI case. Who would've guessed you simply haven't bought anything better?
Please, even if you hate to spend money, you can't be like this. Can you at least try to match your appearance with your net worth, or at least not make it look so low-class?"
Jimmy looked askance at Justin, lips twisted, and didn't utter a word of retort, because what Justin said was indeed the truth.
When he was notified to go to the office in Manhattan, Jimmy specifically chose a mid-range watch costing a few hundred dollars to present himself as an ordinary person. But during this undercover operation, he inquired about various brand prices and suddenly realized he was actually very rich. Updating all of his belongings to mid-to-high-end products wouldn't cost much, especially in cash—he had hundreds of thousands that could be spent directly via card, and more clean funds continuously flowing into his account.
A small idea gradually expanded, which led to Jimmy seeking Justin for contacts, planning to stock his wardrobe with a few top handcrafted suits, purchase so accessories in New York like hats, sunglasses, watches, belts, lighters, and such to put himself together properly.
Jimmy: "I just hadn't thought of it, you know how I was always just scraping by, I didn't consider all that."
Justin: "My God, I'm not your nanny, you can't expect to teach you everything.
Earning money, enjoying life, enjoying your career, enjoying everything—that is our goal. You make seem to have poor judgnt, okay? How could I have picked soone like you, a Grandet, as a collaborator? My brain must've been having issues then."
Jimmy: "Alright, alright, I've realized the problem, and I'm trying to solve it now. Just give a contact, and once I'm back in New York, I'll be busy with these matters."
Justin: "Forget it, I don't have their direct contact. You'll have to go to the Continental Hotel and ask them or consult with a local service provider in New York."
Jimmy: "So what do I do?"
Justin: "I'll try contacting the New York Continental Hotel. Or, there's another way. Rember that card you have? Bring it along. When you see a shop with a shield emblem, they're usually within the system, and they might be willing to accommodate you because of the affiliation."
Jimmy: "Alright, got it. But don't register just yet; I really don't have ti to deal with a part-ti gig right now."
The two left the lounge, and after finishing his drink, Jimmy went out to look for a hotel.
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