It was like we were long-ti bros.
I jumped on the Sunshine full of confidence and carrying an infectious smile.
Too bad there was no one actually worth influencing.
For a second, the ard n beca confused at the situation, slightly turning to the three approaching n for confirmation. Their guns lowered a little, but that was all. While the possibility existed that I was friends with their bosses, the clear age difference between us nearly sank that thought instantly.
The ard n let board the yacht, but that was it. Their tight expressions warned against any further approach.
They stood a few ters away, their forms shielding Nicholas who was approaching.
"Open up," a powerful voice said from behind them.
The n didn’t hesitate. They imdiately parted for their boss, and Nicholas, along with not just his two partners but a woman and another group of ard n marched forward.
Sothing to keep note of was that the old man stood at the head of the group, fearlessly walking towards ... then again, he already knew .
Nicholas moved until he was about five ters from and ca to a stop.
"This is Marcus Lawson," Nicholas said for the benefit of his two colleagues, his hands going into his pockets.
"Boy, what do you want?"
Nicholas’s reaction to my actions was quite ta compared to what I expected from him, and with a smile, I faced away from the man.
"Mr Takken, Baron Schonfield, it’s a pleasure to finally see you both."
Takken stood to Nicholas’s left, a black hat on his head, and he wore a black suit with brown strips. He held a black cane in his left hand and kept his right in his pocket.
As for Baron Schonfield, the man looked older than all three n as he was also the oldest. Unlike Nicholas, his head was completely bald, the wrinkles on his forehead held strong, and he was quite slim. Schonfield made for a tall, slim elderly man, one with a seemingly kind heart.
After I spoke, both n looked at with confusion, then realization quickly dawned on them, their faces souring and their heads bending down.
The introduction of hydraulic fracking into the mining of oil had brought about a revolution, greatly enhancing Arica’s oil production ability and making it a top major power in the industry globally. The revolution had seen the country’s economic might take a massive step forward, but its most direct impact had been on those who owned the oil wells and fields.
So companies and individuals saw a massive rise in fortune, while others saw all they had built in the last decade crumble.
SAWOIL had been a household na in the oil industry. They ate up a major share of the market, their influence vast, yet when the revolution ca, they crumbled to dust.
That didn’t make sense.
The revolution had been a ga changer, but it hadn’t just co in a day, a year, or even a decade. With the company’s reach and influence, despite their shortcomings, they should have been able to cut off their limbs, contract, and weather the storm. By all ans, SAWOIL should have survived—even if only to be acquired by another company, or simply downscaled.
An internal catastrophe was the only way such a total collapse could have hit them; there had to have been a wrong plug in the machine, and Baron Schonfield and Takken were those plugs.
SAWOIL was a major player in the industry, but did it accomplish that alone?
Eighteen years ago, SAWOIL had tead with Takken Limited and GOLG, the oil companies ran by Takken and Schonfield respectively to form a joint venture.
Nicholas wanted to leverage more power, his hunger for growth massive, but at the sa ti, he wanted to keep his company in-house, exclusive to the family. The old man’s desire to avoid bringing in foreign devices was the reason he had opted for a joint venture, and for a ti it had worked.
Though only SAWOIL got the praise and worship, profit was no issue for the other two partners of the collaboration. All was right with the three partners, their upward mobility seemingly set in stone.
Sadly, humans were not robots. In the calst and most peaceful of situations, the apex species could. and would always find a way to stray away from logic.
Already from a prideful ho, after achieving heavy success, Nicholas threw his weight on those around him, his partners in his ventures not excluded. One didn’t even have to look at Takken, a glance at Schonfield and the incoming trouble could be spotted miles away.
Nicholas had pride, but so did other n. While the three n greedily chased profits, what was a man without his pride?
Schonfield might love the money, but how could he comfortably keep his head bent, following around a man much younger than him like a servant?
At least Schonfield was suffering from wounded pride. Takken was just outright greedy—he thought himself a young wolf.
The two n’s desires didn’t prompt them to sabotage the venture; no, they still loved their money dearly. Flush with cash and in favor with all, their desires pushed them to take on so risk, working behind the back of their partner. They wanted fast money and, amongst other investnts, had looked in the direction of tech.
Suffice to say, their attempts had fallen woefully. That, along with other attempts, like their joint purchase of a massive oil field, one which turned out to be contaminated, cost money. Real serious money. Money the two n did not have swimming in their accounts. They had gone to the bank for help, and following their failures, were now billions in debt.
The information on the two n’s failures wasn’t sothing readily available to the public. Before I ca to Nicholas, I looked into his entire fra, not just seeking holes to get the man to invest in my hedge fund but also curious why such a power had fallen.
Finding and connecting the dots had been quite novel.
Making out the entire picture, my own greed was stoked; I saw a chance to strengthen and fortify my foundations.
Takken Limited and GOLG were in serious trouble, so as a good Samaritan one very flush with cash, I bought out their debt.
Reviews
All reviews (0)