1057 The Specialty
Porter bought these expensive comics not only for his own collection. He only wanted
one of them for himself. Most of them would be used to create gimmicks and sold when
the right offer came along.
These comics, therefore, were an investment.
Li Du gasped in amazement when he found out about Porter's future plan. America was
truly worthy of being the center of global economy and finance. Anything here could be
marketed and used to make money.
Porter now had a different opinion about Li Du and Hans. He accepted them as true
friends because they had helped him.
Therefore, when he found out that they did not understand the investment in the comics
industry, he simply explained it to them.
Investing in comics to make money could be very complicated. After all, to balance the
return on investment, the value of the comics collection had to be high.
"While it's important to pay attention to the imaginary, artistic and humorous nature of
the work itself, the historical background and specific age of the work also has its value.
These factors affect the significance in collecting the comics.
"A comic does not only hold value in the entertainment industry. A comic has two major
values, age and symbolism.
"For example, Superman's symbolic value is in creating a new era of superhero comics.
Another example is Captain America, whose greatest symbolic value is that he
represents the rise of American culture around the world."
When Porter talked about comics and investments, it totally changed his image of an
introverted shy boy. His speech flowed freely and effortlessly.
He has been in this field for a long time. Now that he had opened a comic shop, he was
ready to use this as a starting point and eventually enter the big screen and the
animation industry. DC and Marvel were his goals.
After learning about the industry from Porter, Li Du and Hans were ready to leave after
they had collected the money.
Li Du wanted to fly back to Phoenix at once, but Hans stopped him. "Wait, we have not
had a chance to appreciate the local culture yet."
Li Du looked at him suspiciously. "Appreciate the culture? Do you by any chance mean
exotic dancers or anything?"
Hans looked indignant. "What do you mean? Am I such a person in your eyes?"
Li Du nodded firmly.
Hans gave him a slight, resentful shove. Then he said, "Don't go in a hurry. There is
actually a warehouse auction here. According to my information, there will be some
good stuff at this auction."
This was his job. Li Du had nothing to say against that and decided to stay to participate
in the auction.
In addition, he was not too eager to leave, as he had not tasted the local specialty foods
yet. A foodie like him found it hard to leave without sampling the local cuisine.
Because of the large number of immigrants in the area, Miami's food and beverages
had a multi-national character. There were authentic Cuban, Haitian, Brazilian and other
Latin American gourmet restaurants.
The authentic Cuban cuisine was especially hard to come by and could not be found in
Phoenix. Cuban food combined the flavors of the Caribbean, Africa, and Latin America,
creating countless delicious combinations.
Li Du had decided his choice of dinner would be Cuban cuisine.
When Porter found out that they would stay in Miami to participate in the auction, he
enthusiastically invited the group to continue staying in the villa. At the same time, he
could tag along to the warehouse auction.
Of course, he was not trying to make a profit. He just wanted to see something new.
However, Porter usually stayed in California, so he was not familiar with the food,
beverages and dining places in Miami. Therefore, they had to count on Hans on this
one.
Hans shook his head and said, "Don't waste your time. This is a good opportunity for
you to improve your relationship with Ariana. Go and tell her that you are going to
entertain us but you are unfamiliar with the area and need her help."
Porter hesitated and said, "But this would put her to trouble, wouldn't it?"
Hans rolled his eyes. "Making love is even more of a trouble, so would you guys not
have sex then?"
Porter muttered in embarrassment, "We are just friends now. It's not like you think."
Li Du believed that, as Ariana was not a type of girl to turn heads. If Porter was attracted
to her, it was not due to her beauty or sex appeal.
Hans had a good point, though. Porter called Ariana, who happily agreed to be their
guide, and told them to come to a restaurant called Italian Latino.
This time, Ariana was dressed in her normal casual style. She was gentle and cultured,
which were rare qualities. Perhaps this was what attracted Porter.
Ariana arrived at the restaurant some time ahead and booked a table in the southwest
corner. It was relatively quiet, with large floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides with the
great view of the beach and greenery.
After they sat down, Ariana introduced them to the unique food in Miami. She obviously
did her homework in advance and it was very interesting to get to know the local dining
customs.
"The restaurant I chose is not one of the large ones, but if you want to taste authentic
Cuban cuisine, you have to go to a Cuban snack bar," Ariana explained.
Li Du glanced around and said, "It looks great."
Ariana asked about their preferences in food and, together with Porter, helped them to
place their order.
Li Du chose two large French baguettes. It was more than just plain bread. There were
ham, roast pork, and cheese, along with mustard and pickles to complement the dish.
The waiter repeatedly confirmed, "Do you want two portions? Two?"
Li Du nodded and the waiter said, "One portion weighs five pounds, sir. So are you sure
you want two?"
He nodded again. This was for Godzilla. Ten pounds of food would be Godzilla's
appetizer at most.
Ariana ordered a classic ropa-vieja. "This is a signature of Cuban cuisine, cooked with
chopped steaks, tomatoes, and peppers, and served with fried plantains, black beans,
and yellow rice."
Other orders were marinated fried pork, fragrant roast chicken, Cuban barbecue, red
bean rice, Cuban meat noodles, and curried goat meat.
Li Du wanted to order a salad. Ariana smiled and said, "No, the boss will send us a Latin
American fruit smoothie. It's refreshing and appetizing. I think you guys will be very
pleased."
When the waiters started serving them, Ariana asked for two more bowls of soup, spicy
pumpkin and signature cornmeal.
Cuban dishes had a unique flavor that Li Du had not tasted before.
Although someone else made this food, he still gave it a try. However, in his heart, the
most delicious food was always what he cooked himself.
The ropa-vieja tasted good. The soup was very rich and mellow. It had a sourish taste,
which was refreshing.
Li Du ate this dish of soup together with the red bean rice and enjoyed the combination.
Ariana was very friendly and spent dinner telling them about the food and beauties of
Miami. When the dinner was finally over, she asked, "Do you have a tour plan for these
two days?"
Hans shook his head.
"Then I will arrange for you guys, okay?" Ariana asked kindly.
Hans shook his head again. "Thank you, but we have some business to handle."