Recruitment (2)
[Master, Jacob and Arthur are arriving soon.]
"Faster than I thought. I figured traffic would hold them up."
[We got lucky—no major jams. Did you go over everything I sent?]
"Yeah, memorized it all."
I'd reviewed Athena's rundown on how she'd tracked down Arthur, his skills, and his background. "This Arthur guy—is he trustworthy? Distant relative of Victor's, right?"
He's a distant relative of Victor's, but he's also a victim who got scammed by him, so no credibility issues.
Just being a scam victim of Victor's cleared any moral hang-ups.
If you get stuck in conversation, just pass it to me.
"Nah, it's our first meeting—I gotta handle the talk myself. Not like with Jacob, where I was bleeding out from a bullet wound."
This guy's gonna be working with us long-term, so morally, I should be the one dealing with him.
As I reviewed Athena's info on Arthur one more time, the office door opened. Jacob and Liam walked in with the man I'd only seen in documents.
I stood, extended my hand to Arthur, and offered a shake.
"Nice to meet you. Kwon Hyuk."
Following Jacob and Liam inside, Arthur spotted just three people in the spacious office.
A guy staring at his monitor, a hulking man perched on the desk next to him watching Arthur, and a sharp-suited guy in his early twenties.
Men giving off the same vibe as his escorts, plus one young-looking Asian guy.
Hmm... that must be my new boss.
Arthur's guess proved spot-on as the young Asian approached with a handshake.
"Yes, Arthur J. Sullivan."
Shaking hands, Arthur glanced around the office.
It looked less like a mega-capitalist's lair and more like a college clubroom.
Can't get a read on this place.
Nothing like this in his long career. He couldn't tell if this lifeline he'd grabbed was gold or rot.
Hiding his confusion, he noted the young man's grip was firmer than expected.
But Arthur's eyes drifted past him to the delivery containers and game console hooked to the TV—out of place in a big office.
The more I see, the weirder it gets. Eccentric tastes?
Success symbols from his decades in New York were different: polished wood desks, multimillion-dollar art, fresh flowers. Those dazzled clients and flaunted wealth.
"Have a seat. Must've been a long trip."
The young man named Kwon Hyuk gestured to the sofa. Arthur's inner turmoil grew, but experience masked it as he sat.
If this was an elaborate con, his last-shot gamble was bust.
"Mr. Kwon. Straight to the point: Who are you? And is that proposal to hand me nearly $7 billion real?"
The young man smirked, sipping from his cup.
"A bit impatient, huh? I get the suspicion. This looks more clubroom than office, right?"
Chuckling, he placed a tablet in front of Arthur.
"Take a look."
Skeptical, Arthur swiped to unlock. Up popped the corporate asset dashboard from BNY Mellon, the world's top custodian bank.
Available Balance:$6,731,740,154.83
Arthur's eyes trembled faintly. After 30+ years on Wall Street, spotting a faked webpage versus a real-time secure bank feed was child's play.
Swiping sideways revealed ironclad proof.
"This is..."
"What you're thinking. MT799 (funds confirmation) and MT760 (payment guarantee) issued during the transfer from Ether Global to Black Ridge Capital."
Arthur was dumbfounded by his young boss's calm explanation.
Exhaling held breath, he checked the signed bank officer names. One was a famously conservative chief underwriter he knew.
At this level... no way it's faked.
Hell, if someone could forge this, maybe just let 'em have it.
Curious for more, he navigated to forms for private fund registration with Korea's Financial Supervisory Service and Fair Trade Commission.
"If you accept, we'll file immediately."
The evidence screamed legitimacy. Still, he needed time to process.
"If it's not rude, could I have a moment?"
Hyuk agreed readily.
"Of course. You must be beat from the flight. Rest up, then we'll talk. Hotel's booked—Jacob'll drive you."
...Did I slip up anywhere?
Nerves had my throat parched; I kept sipping water.
Nice acting, Master. You could go pro if you wanted.
Shut it. The docs all processed clean?
I trusted Athena, but the sum had my heart pounding.
Of course. Sources laundered spotless—no hooks for anyone to grab.
Your take—will the old man bite?
Logically? 100%. Passing on this means a bullet to the brain.
True—offer anyone free rein on that cash, and they'd drool.
Should've just copied money into my account when we first met.
...Master. To explain that, I'd need to break down the modern financial system...
Joke hit a nerve—she was off on a rant.
Sorry.
Hmph, whatever.
Ignoring pouty Athena, I eyed Eric, still glued to his monitor.
"Eric, you'll get sucked into that screen."
Too focused to hear me.
"Give it up, Boss. Called him a few times—no dice."
Carlos, lounging on the desk, chuckled.
"Man, you talk good. Politician material?"
Liam, who'd stayed behind, snickered at Carlos's jab.
"Yeah, better than the Defense Minister back in the day."
They piled on, roasting nonstop.
"...Cut it out. Pick dinner instead."
Jacob was back.
"Already?"
"Yeah, traffic's clear today—like it's a holiday."
Mr. Traffic-Hater was lucky.
"How'd Sullivan look?"
"Pretty rattled. But the good kind, so he'll take the deal."
Jacob's sharp eyes meant good news soon.
"Work's done—dinner, then home?"
Early quit fired everyone up; they prepped to bounce.
Grub at our usual spot, heading home—then Athena pinged.
Master.
"...What."
Bad vibes.
Arthur Sullivan left a message. He's accepting the offer.
"Aw, almost home."
One more turn to my place. But nope—back to the office.
"Tell the guys to turn around. Back to work."
"Explained to my wife on the hotel phone—she chewed me out for hesitating."
Arthur's words cracked me up.
Worlds apart, but dodging the wife's wrath was universal.
"Smart lady. Good call. We'll register under your name, Mr. Sullivan."
"Yes, Boss. What's next for me?"
No more confusion—just serious resolve.
"Start by hiring fund staff. Negotiate your salary too."
Arthur smiled faintly, pulling a fountain pen and paper from his briefcase.
"Salary per industry norms. Considering my situation and Korea's market size, base of $2 million plus 10% of AUM as performance fee..."
"Let's make it simple. Base 5 billion KRW—about $3.3 million. Performance fee straight 20%, no cap. Make a trillion, you pocket 200 billion."
Arthur's eyes bulged.
Base was huge, but uncapped perf fee meant billions yearly on his skill.
"Plus, I'll clear your money troubles. Good enough signing bonus?"
Arthur was speechless, flabbergasted.
Wall Street vet, but this madlad was new.
...Loyalty bought?
A bit wasteful, but not bad.
"Boss—no, maybe Master fits now."
The 50s white guy beamed with emotion.
"No hobby of old guys calling me Master... Contract's set. Arthur, pick reliable ex-Wall Street colleagues. I'll vet 'em."
"A few come to mind. Call now?"
"Yeah, start by next week latest. I'll lease the floor below for your office."
Was gonna give him this one, but we needed our play space.
Arthur stepped aside for calls.
"...Boss. No bonus for us?"
Liam sidled up, grinning.
"Want one?"
"Kidding. Base pay's plenty—no need for bonuses. Repaying favors is full-time."
"If base ain't enough, say so. I can up it anytime."
Liam shook his head.
"$10 mil a year? Can't even spend it all."
I covered all their expenses anyway.
"Still, speak up if short. I'll raise it."
Athena aside, these were my most trusted—no sum too much.