For over an hour I had an indoor meeting with the minister for oil and gas, who introduced himself as Mr. Nicholas Ridge. He was sent by the government to negotiate with me over the ten billion dollars loan I granted them.
Smiling cheek to cheek, Mr. Nicholas intoned, “The world richest man, indeed we can’t thank you enough for the ten billion dollars you gave us when the Chinese government was on our neck.” He stood on his feet stretched his hands to have a hand shake with me.
I forced a smile, clenched his hands to his in a warm handshake before adding, “You see, minister, I am not called the world richest man for nothing. I have amassed enough money that could sustain this country. Rather than go to other countries to borrow, you can call on me and I will answer. What is ten billion dollars? That is a chicken feed to me!” once I said that I could see the delegates from the ministry raise a furrowed brow and smile in shock that I referred to ten billion dollars as chicken feed.
The minister’s jaw sagged before he cleared his throat to speak yet further, “The ministry has come to get into an agreement with you as regards the repayment of the loan…”
While he was yet speaking I sat up and flashed my expectant gaze at him, “Exactly minister, I was coming to that. You know it is an indefinite loan and the ministry needs to service it, so that when you come tomorrow sourcing for another loan, I would be thrilled to grant it.”
The minister gave a firm nod and sounded coldly, “Um, Brian Patrick…” he called me..
And I quickly interrupted him, “Excuse me , minister, I was Brain Patrick but today I am Mike Don, so if you don’t mind I would love you to call me by my rich name, Mike Don.” My chin held a contagious smile.
The minister smiled back, apologized and bowed, “Pardon me the world richest man. It never occurred to me. Okay Mike Don, the ministry has reached an agreement with Mr. President as regards the loan they borrowed from you, yesterday , we got the memo from the presidency and the government is requesting to pay you back the ten billion dollars by granting you an official license to explore the oil well for a period of two years after that the loan would be written off…”
The minister was yet speaking when I I sat up and raised an anxious brow. My eyes winked in shock as I gazed upon Nicholas Ridge, thinking he was bluffing. But he wasn’t bluffing. He handed me the memo and some agreement papers which I was to endorse with my signature.
“This is a welcomed idea, minister,” I said, nodded my head in total agreement and smiled from cheek to cheek, “I am very much interested in this. After two years of using the oil well. I would officially write off the debts…”
I couldn’t finish my words as I choked on it. I lowered my gaze and almost shouted for joy. This was a golden opportunity to triple my net worth; exploring the government’s oil well for a period of two years wouldn’t just make me richer but it would make me the god of wealth.
This was the opportunity every Croesus was looking for and by my calculation I was about to become super rich. The Saint Don Group was about to amass so much wealth that would shock the entire world.
***
Fanny Luis’s jaw sagged as he stared at the cheque for two hundred thousand dollars in his hand.
Lisa Bake and Melissa could see the fury building up in his eyes and tension accumulating in his trembling hands . “This is maddening, Melissa!” Fanny who had been barking yelled at her before he dimmed his bulged eyes at her sweating face, “How could you sell twenty expensive cars for two hundred thousand dollars? This is outrageous!” he snorted and raised his gaze at the ceiling.
Lisa Bake cast a striking stare at Melissa through her conical glasses before trudging to Fanny to have a look at the cheque, “This is indeed outrageous.” She wrinkled her nose at the sight of the cheque before gazing upon Melissa with an inspective look on her face , “Were you held at gun point when the buyer paid you this chicken feed, uh? Do you know how much one of those Lamborghinis is worth?” she stared, gaping at Melissa, before tossing the cheque on the table.
Melissa gulped her coffee. She had been at the fire place where she warmed up her body yet she felt cold and exhausted after failing to source for a potential buyer that could afford a substantial amount for the cars.
“The poor economy has taken its toll on everyone. Nobody could afford twenty million dollars for the cars. I got wary of bargaining with eligible buyers. The least they could afford was two hundred thousand dollars. Although I was indecisive yet I knew that amount of money could go a long way to pay staffers’ salary…”
Fanny Luis interposed her by stamping his feet on the floor , “Can you listen to yourself, daughter?” his jaw set and eyes flinted at her, “For chrissake we are talking about ten Lamborghinis five Ferraris and five Masaratis. These are exotic cars that are meant for moneybags who know their worth…”
Lisa Bake sighed, sniffed and forced back tears, “Of a truth Melissa, you are impossible and a cast away. Each of those cars he just mentioned doesn’t even sell for two hundred thousand dollars and here you are selling all of it for that peanut. Are we so poor now that we are moved by two hundred thousand dollars?” She shook her head and snorted, “You have ruined us Melissa. This is our end!”
Fanny Luis who had been pacing up and down with his arms folded clicked his fingers in irritation. “This is the climax of our failure. You have ruined us, daughter. What can two hundred thousand dollars do in our lives? Do you realize…”
Melissa interposed almost arrogantly, “We are faced with dare-devil bankruptcy. Besides it can sort out the staffers salary and let us have some fresh breath…”
“You keep shut!” Lisa Bake yelled at her and her jaw sagged the moment she inflated her cheeks and rolled her eyes at her.” staffers’ salary is not the only problem we have. Do you realize we don’t even have a decent meal in this house anymore, let alone a solid means of survival? Do you realize we have lost our only company, the Fanny Group to that bastard Brian Patrick, who thinks he has got wealth and power? Right now all we have is this mansion and you stand here to sound like some broken records..”
Melissa broke done in tears...
Fanny clenched his teeth and stared at the ceiling in pain, before yelling, “I can’t wait to see the asshole that bought those cars. I need my cars back. To hell with his two hundred thousand dollars!” he flung the cheque to the floor.
Lisa Bake shook her head in loss.
“Greetings the world richest man. I hope you had a wonderful trip?” Zion greeted me once I climbed down from my private jet.
I gave a nod and smiled briefly in response.
“How was your meeting with Mr. President and the ministry, boss?” he asked softly, and remained bowed as he paced behind me.
“Great!” I replied and kept walking to my convoy which had my security and aides all well suited and in rows, waiting to welcome me.
“The world richest man, I am fascinated to inform you that we just bought the twenty exotic cars from Fanny Luis at the sum of two hundred thousand dollars…”
I halted, shook my head and couldn’t stop smiling…