Chapter 43
“Uh…” Marcus was really on edge, like he had a secret he didn’t want to spill.
“Quit stalling.” Zachary said, irritation clear in his voice. “We’ve been at this for years. You think I’m going to fire you for speaking your mind?”
“Mr. White, you wouldn’t, I know, but they said some stuff that was pretty harsh. I didn’t want to be the one to, uh, deliver the bad news,” Marcus hesitated, clearly uncomfortable.
The more reluctant he was to speak, the more Zachary needed to know,
As they rode the elevator up and walked into the office, Marcus finally cracked under the pressure, saying honestly. They uh, they insulted you. Said they’re done with your nonsense and don’t want to work with you. They said a bunch of really
off–the–wall things
“Which company pulled this stunt?” Zachary thought these guys had no class. He got heated right away, wondering why they had to hurl so many insults if they just wanted to back out.
“There are three, but the biggest one had the harshest words, Marcus said, his face a mix of embarrasstuent and worry.
Zachary had a sinking feeling when he heard this. “Is it Vanguard Capital?”
“Yes, Marcus said.
Vanguard Capital, a big–league venture capital firm in Vellonia, was no joke. The founder, who they called “Oracle” had golden touch. Every project she backed was a smash hit. Lots of small companies hit the big time with her cash.
Zachary used to be able to get funding just by giving Vanguard Capital a call. Even when things went south and they lost money, they never threw him under the bus. Other companies, seeing how Vanguard Capital barked him, figured he had some serious juice and treated him with respect, Zachary was baffled, wondering why they didn’t want to play ball with himi
anymore.
“Dude, what was the last thing when we got money for with Vanguard Capital?” Zachary just couldn’t recall.
“Mr. White, two months ago, you snagged 17 billion from Vanguard Capital to grab lurie,” Marcus said.
Jurie dealt with these super cool tech mirrors. When people stood in front of the mirror, no clothes were needed, and they could try on the whole store just by tapping the mirror’s screen
The White family hit it big with clothes, owning the factories and the shops. Zachary wanted Jurie smart mirrors in every shop, so folks could try more threads and buy more stuff..
“But the thing is that the try–on in the lurie smart mirror is not the same as the real deal. Big dillerence, Marcus lamented.
Plus, the lurie smart mirror needed high upkeep and was picky about its spot. Too much sun, it could crack and catch fire. Too damp, it was a no–go, and sometimes, the image got all wonky
So, Zachary had a huge project to put in all these lurie smart mirrors and then another to take them out. He lost the investment money, 1.7 billion dollars, plus his own 67 million dollars.
Zachary asked, “Is that why Vanguard Capital’s not playing with us anymore!”
“Nah, that’s not it,” Marcus said hastily. “Remember? You took 300 million dollars from Vanguard Capital for that garment
all thing, tanked, and lost another 100 million dollars, Vanguard Capital still hooked up with us.”
Zachary thought if Vanguard Capital was out, they would’ve bailed sooner. “Did they say anything else, or just roast me?”
14:35 Fri, Nov 1 B.
Chapter 43
“Nope,” Marcus said.
Vanguard Capital’s boss stayed hidden, leaving it all to Vance Wyatt, the CEO in Clusia.
“The guy who called and threw shade was Theo, Vance’s secretary, Marcus said and then stopped short.
“Come on, spit it out. What’s the deal? Zachary was fed up, loosening his tie and looking all restless..
“It’s just… Guys from Vanguard Capital seemed kinda relieved, happy even, about not working with us. I heard them chuckling at the end of the call.”
Zachary was puzzled. “I gotta hit Theo up and find out what’s up
Marcus quickly snatched the office phone.
68%
Zachary dialed Theo first. That dude usually picked up his phone quickly, but all he got was a frosty “Sorry, the number you dialed is switched off. Zachary, not the type to give up easily, kept trying, his mood souring with each ring. It hit him–he’d been blocked.
He loosened his collar, frustration oozing out, and tried to call Vance, the bigwig at Clusia for Vanguard Capital. To his surprise, Vance had sent him to voicemail jail, too. The automated message was the last straw. Zachary clenched his jaw, barely keeping his cool, and dialed two more firms. In the next hour, no one answered his calls.
Marcus hovered nearby, looking like a leaf in the wind, when he got a text. “Um, Mr. White,” Marcus stammered, his hand shaking as he waved his phone.
Ain’t you got eyes? I’m in the pits. Pipe down. Give me some peace, Zachary barked, his fuse getting shorter.
Muted, Marcus grabbed a notebook, jotting down a reminder. [The board’s calling for you.]
Zachary scanned the note, his heat rising. “What’s with the note when the board calls for me? Can’t you spit it out?”
“But Mr. White, you just told me to can it.”
“These old–timers are all grins for the cash cow, but the second there’s a hiccup, they’re ready to throw me under the bus,” Zachary fumed, rising and snatching his jacket. “Keep them on hold, Get the car. I’m paying Vanguard Capital a visit.”
“Mr. White, what you are…
“I’m gonna get some straight talk from Vance.”
Meanwhile, Yvonne rolled up to a building that looked like it was made of glass bricks, thanks to the address her mother had texted her. It was a skyscraper, reaching up to eighteen, maybe nineteen floors, and wide enough to take up the space of five shops side by side. A massive rock by the entrance had “Dawn Garment Co., Ltd” chiseled on it. Yvonne thought to herself, ‘Didn’t they mention it was a really small company?”
Stepping inside, Yvonne spotted the receptionist catching some 2’s. She whispered, “Excuse me.
The receptionist, jolted awake by the sight of a girl who looked straight out of high school, blinked the sleep away. “Um, hi? Miss, I think you’ve got the wrong spot. This is Dawn Garment Co., Ltd.”
Im Yvonne, here to start my job,” she said with a nod.
Hearing that, the receptionist’s sleepiness flew out the window, and she sprang up. “Ms. Owens, this way, please,” she said.
Yosef had dropped a heads–up yesterday that a new boss was coming in. Since Yvonne’s role was still under wraps, the staff was told she was dispatched from the main office.
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