The Get Rich Quick Club Read Free Page B

said. “The company didn’t exist ten minutes ago.”
    â€œLook,” I told Quincy. “Just because your mom’s calling doesn’t mean you have to leave.”
    â€œBut she’s my oldie!” 3 Quincy said. “Besides, I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse and chase the jockey.”
    â€œDon’t you know anything about negotiations?” I told her. “When your mom says to come home, it doesn’t necessarily mean now . That’s just her first offer . Tell her you’ll be home in ten minutes.”
    â€œTen minutes, Mum!” Quincy called fearfully.
    â€œGood,” I said. “You gotta be tough to succeed in business.”
    â€œQuincy! I need you home in five minutes!”
    â€œSee?” I pointed out. “Your mother didn’t need you home now . Tell her you’ll be home in eight minutes.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œTell her!”
    â€œEight minutes, Mum!” Quincy yelled.
    â€œSix minutes!” Quincy’s mother hollered. “Or we hop into the grub without you!” 4
    â€œSee,” I explained to everybody. “You’ve learned the first lesson in business negotiations. Never grab the first offer they put on the table. Okay, I propose we adjourn this meeting. That means we go home and eat.”
    â€œI have a question,” Eddie said, raising his hand as if he was in school.
    â€œYes, drone number one?”
    â€œWhat is the GRQ Club going to do ?” Eddie asked. “Doesn’t a company have to do something or sell something? How are we gonna make money?”
    â€œAn excellent question,” I told Eddie. “Now I seewhy we gave you the responsibility of being chief drone. Let’s meet back here tomorrow afternoon. Put on your thinking caps. We’ll come up with a master plan to make a million dollars.”

5
A Million-Dollar Idea
    T here’s an old, weather-beaten gazebo out in the field behind my house. I thought this would make a good office for the GRQ Club. Of course, once we got rich, we would buy a real office building.
    I brought along a stapler, some tape, paper clips, pens, a ruler, scissors, and a calculator. An office needs office supplies, right? I had a big metal box with a lock on it to keep all the stuff in. I also brought along a photo of Bill Gates, my hero and inspiration.
    â€œWho’s the nerd?” Quincy asked when she saw me taping the photo up to the post.
    â€œBill Gates,” I told her. “He’s the richest man in the world.”
    â€œLooks like a nerd.”
    Quincy had made a couple of signs to put up too. The first one was a logo she had designed for the company. It looked like this:

    I told Quincy she had done beautiful work. The second sign said:

    â€œPiranhas live in water, gumby,” Rob said as he pulled up on his bike. “Not gazebos.”
    â€œI know that,” Quincy explained. “But this will get them thinking, won’t it? Nobody can steal our company secrets.”
    â€œWe don’t have any secrets,” Rob said.
    â€œNot yet we don’t,” I told them. “But soon we will. Good thinking, Quincy.”
    Finally the Bogle twins showed up, carrying their silly box of dust. I sat everybody down on the benches and stood up to address them.
    â€œI would like to call to order the first official meeting of the GRQ Club,” I began. “If any of the members are opposed, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”
    Everybody just sat there. The Bogle twins picked their noses.
    â€œWhen we last met,” I continued, “we formed our company. We came up with a company motto. We established bylaws and assigned positions. Someday, when we’re all multimillionaires, we’ll think back to that lazy day when we started this whole thing. But for now, we need to come up with the way we’ll make a million dollars. Does anybody have any ideas?”
    Everybody still sat