Chapter 188: 4.8 Million Big Macs
"You, you...you,"
Quinn kept stammering "you" for a long time, and Ron was getting impatient, so he asked directly: "You want to ask me why I have such an unreliable army buddy, right?"
Quinn nodded. Ron turned around and leaned against the railing to look at the old apartment where Tommy's mumbling came from: "Tommy has serious potential as an investigator. That's not just me saying it - our drill sergeant said the same thing."
"Just...just him?"
"Of course, if he changed his name to John Wick and actually focused," Ron patted Quinn's shoulder: "Get some sleep, kid. Sweet dreams."
After that, Ron turned and left. Quinn was confused by his cryptic words: "You, you...aren't you coming back...to sleep here?"
"Hell no," Ron grimaced: "I don't want to crash in this dump. I've got money. I can definitely afford a decent hotel."
"By the way, don't forget to tell him he doesn't need to wait for me for breakfast. I'm going to find some real fun, and you guys can just work your case."
"Okay, okay," Quinn stammered, and Ron had already disappeared into the Miami night.
After leaving Tommy's crappy apartment, Ron didn't go far, but instead found a nearby hotel to stay in. From his hotel window, he could just watch Tommy's building.
Did you really think Ron came to Miami just for fun?
Actually, that was exactly what he'd planned, but he hadn't expected to stumble upon what looked like a major heist operation. What could he say? It was like hitting the jackpot!
Even though it had been a long time since his government work started, he still remembered clearly that five men had stolen a full 100 kilograms of cartel cocaine!
At the current street price of cocaine, which runs around $60,000 per kilogram, that meant those 100 kilograms were worth about $6 million wholesale!
It doesn't sound like much, does it? But don't forget, this was 2009! Prices weren't nearly as crazy as they would later be. Back then, a Big Mac that Ron loved from his college days only cost $3.50.
In other words, those 100 kilograms of coke could have been traded for enough cash to buy 4.8 million Big Macs. By 2021, before Ron's current assignment, the price of a Big Mac had risen to a ridiculous $11!
$6 million became nearly $19 million in value - in twelve years, fast food prices had nearly tripled.
Even cocaine, known for holding its street value, was only around $80,000 per kilo by 2021, barely more than doubling. In other words, the price of blow couldn't keep pace with the Big Macs Ron enjoyed in his college days.
Unfortunately, Big Macs can't be stored permanently and lack the properties of a stable commodity. Otherwise, Ron would have simply bought millions of them and stored them in a freezer as an investment.
Ron's original intention was, of course, to vacation, but making a decent chunk of change while on vacation was also appealing. The drugs were stolen by these five idiots, and he had nothing to do with it. At most, his actions would just be asset forfeiture.
Can you call it theft when you seize contraband from criminals? Absolutely not!
No, I didn't steal it. I discovered it during an investigation! Yes, that's right, even if the DEA came asking, that's my story.
As for why he didn't just grab the stash first... well, Ron didn't know where it was.
Back then, he'd only caught glimpses of similar operations during briefings, not paying attention to the specific details. He had no choice but to follow the investigation.
He had plenty of time anyway, so at most he could just stick with it for a few more days. With this thought, Ron lay down on his bed and fell into a deep sleep.
...
The next day, their actions were pretty boring. Seeing that they were always chasing leads, Ron stopped following them and went to the Vizcaya Museum alone. If he had followed that disaster Tommy, who knows when he would have had the chance to see some real Miami culture~
Ron remembered that until the end of most stakeouts, Quinn didn't have time to actually see any of Miami's attractions.
It must be said that the Vizcaya estate is indeed quite impressive. Of course, this is only relative to Florida standards. In terms of artistry and grandeur, it can't even compare to the Metropolitan Museum of Art; it's not even in the same league.
The only thing worth mentioning is that Tommy's landlady is quite attractive. That morning, when Tommy was spying on her sunbathing, it was Quinn who got caught. Poor kid!
It wasn't until the third day that things finally got interesting.
Just as Tommy was getting coffee on the street, he suddenly received a phone call. He looked around with a panicked expression. Ron followed his gaze.
On the street, unmarked cars were already surrounding him from all directions, forming a perimeter. From their body language, Ron knew without even thinking - they were cops.
In the lead car, a man who looked like a Miami Vice reject shouted, "GO!"
The officers, receiving the signal, immediately accelerated and sprinted towards Tommy.
However, Ron hadn't expected the Miami-Dade cops to be so incompetent. With over twenty officers trying to capture Tommy and Quinn, they still managed to let them escape. The lead detective was even knocked down several times by his own men.
"Damn it!" the detective cried out in frustration.
Ron followed the pursuit team, watching the farce of the chase until they lost them and retreated after searching Bayfront Park in vain.
But this didn't faze Ron. He had already spotted a tall, stupid-looking guy in the crowd. If he remembered correctly, he was one of the four drug thieves.
Soon after, Ron recognized Miguel and Carlos, two other key players.
Just think, wouldn't it be great if this guy could act in action movies? The money comes just as fast as a drug heist, so why bother with this life-threatening business?
Ron quietly followed the trio, getting closer and closer to a narrow alley.
Outside, Miguel gave an order, and the big guy went around from the other side to cut off escape routes. He and Carlos moved in from this side. Inside were the comedy duo Quinn and Tommy.
"You, you should turn yourself in," Quinn suggested as they walked.
"What?"
"You should turn yourself in. There's no death penalty in Florida anyway. You can just do a couple decades in prison and then get out."
"Listen, listen to what you just said - is that even human?!" Tommy caught up with Quinn angrily: "Just do a couple decades in prison? I'm your cousin, your actual cousin!"
"Bullshit," Quinn called him out mercilessly.
"Blood is thicker than water!"
"Who told you to kill someone?"
"I didn't kill anyone!"
"Go tell the cops."
"Do you think they'll listen to me? I don't even have proper documentation to begin with. If I don't commit any crimes, it's fine. But if I do, they'll railroad me. I don't want to spend my whole life in prison!"
(End of chapter)
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