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Chapter 55: New Business, New Shares
Half a month ago, Lynch didn't anticipate everything that was happening at this moment today. He hadn't considered that things related to Michael would occur.
Lynch wasn't omnipotent; he was just an ordinary person. Although his considerations and calculations were broader than those of most people, he couldn't stand at the starting point and foresee the endpoint; that was not human, that would be god.
A series of events triggered by Michael disrupted his initial plans. Originally, his plan was to make a profit and leave without even considering registering a legitimate company. But to deal with Michael and his associates, he had to register a company to make himself as invulnerable as possible.
His plan had undergone a series of changes, but sometimes a wrong turn could also lead to the right path as he believed that there wasn't just one way to reach the destination; there were multiple paths to success. Besides, his current plan wasn't too bad after all.
Mr. Fox hesitated for a moment and asked, "Isn't 10% enough?" He felt that 10% was not a small amount, but it seemed insufficient.
Lynch shook his head, "If you only want to exchange loose change, 10% is enough because that's what my business is worth. However, if you want to take money from me for operations, 10% is not enough."
He continued without giving Mr. Fox a chance to retort or question, "Not to brag, but right now, in the whole Sabin city, I'm the only one who can quickly gather a large amount of cash for you. I have a way to get legal money, and you also need money..."
Mr. Fox nodded noncommittally, feeling a bit of a headache. After realizing Lynch's wisdom, he constantly felt a bit foolish himself.
Many called him a cunning fox, but only in front of Lynch could people understand that cunning wasn't intelligence but mere street smarts. He didn't want to beat around the bush with Lynch because the one who would end up dizzy and confused would be himself. So, he straightforwardly asked Lynch how much he wanted.
"10% of the principal and 5% of other profits, and I won't bear any other costs."
Mr. Fox knew how to write each word in this sentence; he knew their meanings and the common variations of them. But when combined, it left him a bit… bewildered.
He pondered for a while, not to let Lynch discern his true intentions. Although from the beginning, Lynch knew that he might not necessarily understand what he said. After half a minute, he furrowed his brow slightly and asked, "What does that mean?"
Lynch's facial expression suddenly became lively. He approached every customer or, one might say, every benefactor, with ample patience, displaying more sincerity than anyone else. His smile was a manifestation of that sincerity.
"It's simple, Mr. Fox. Suppose you lent Tom a thousand bucks... Let's just assume this as an example. He pledged something worth a thousand bucks to you, but he was overdue or defaulted. Eventually, you recovered the principal along with the interest, each totaling a thousand bucks."
"In this deal, your principal is a thousand bucks, and the profit is two thousand bucks..."
Mr. Fox interrupted Lynch, "I’m sorry, I didn't understand. Shouldn't my profit be a thousand bucks?"
Lynch, without any hint of impatience, explained, "The agreement I had you draft stipulated that in case of default, the borrower automatically forfeits ownership of the collateral, while the loan and interest remain valid... Do you understand? Essentially, you've gained a thousand bucks in interest, plus an item worth a thousand bucks as collateral."
Seeing Mr. Fox's sudden realization, Lynch found the old man somewhat endearing and continued, "10% of a thousand bucks and 5% of the profit add up to a total of two hundred bucks."
This was actually a rather primitive contract involving a guaranteed minimum plus profit-sharing in business. While not very common, it was not entirely rare, especially in a few hedging contracts, where similar or analogous clauses existed to safeguard the maximum benefit for one party.
Mr. Fox took a while to comprehend. His expression was a mix of amusement and frustration. "Actually, if we partner up, it wouldn't be this complicated. I can offer you 20% to 30% of the shares, which is much simpler than these complex calculations."
His suggestion might be a resolution, but it wasn't what Lynch liked. After all, although Mr. Fox's business, with his assistance, no longer appeared to contain any illegal activities, being non-illegal didn’t equate to being legal; it was a gray area. As long as Mr. Fox remained dominant and no one dared to challenge him, then what he was doing would be considered to be operating within the bounds of the law.
But if someone decided to challenge him or societal development sought to eliminate him, once such a need arose, his businesses would become illegal.
The gray area might signify huge profits, but it also harbored immense risks.
Just look at those recently imprisoned or those who had already fled. One could understand that the risks involved in this business had surpassed the majority of businessmen's perceptions of risk.
Moreover, this business wasn't foolproof. What if someone borrowed money and never repaid it, or worse, absconded?
Of course, the collateral would barely manage to cover the principal, but in doing so, one would also incur losses from the potential profits generated by continually rolling over this capital. Additionally, the process of debt recovery could at times be less than straightforward. In summary, Lynch had no intention of entering this industry.
If he did decide to enter, he wouldn't discuss these matters with Mr. Fox; he'd just start this business somewhere else directly.
He discussed cooperation with Mr. Fox with the aim of maximizing profits within the broadest legal boundaries possible. That was why Lynch always regarded Mr. Fox as a benevolent and kind-hearted person.
He decisively shook his head and politely declined Mr. Fox's repeated invitations in a non-confrontational manner, "It's not that I'm unwilling. If you want to obtain this money or even more, we cannot have obvious, direct contact. We must remain as independent entities. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I don't understand." Mr. Fox shook his head. He felt Lynch's explanation was too complicated, and he couldn't grasp it. "But that doesn't prevent us from continuing to work together. I can agree to your terms. So, what's your plan?"
Mr. Fox's tone carried some curiosity. He knew Lynch's current situation; he only had tens of thousands of bucks on hand. He didn't quite believe Lynch could produce the hundreds of thousands or even millions as he claimed.
Lynch smiled, "Normally, I wouldn't disclose business secrets before signing a contract, but since we're friends, and I trust your integrity, I don't mind telling you..."
"Wait a moment!" Mr. Fox suddenly stood up, walked to the glass wall of the office, closed all the blinds, and locked the door. Only then did he relax. "You can tell me now. I'm very curious."
In Lynch's confident smile, he slowly revealed his solution.
If one were to talk about where in Sabin City one could gather millions of bucks in a short time, undoubtedly, it would be the banks.
The six major private banks were immensely wealthy and could access countless funds at any time. Lynch's plan was to obtain this money through the banks, and how to do so related to the contract he had urged Mr. Fox to modify earlier.
The borrower needed collateral when borrowing money from him, and this collateral was crucial for obtaining loans from the bank. In other words, as long as Mr. Fox had enough audacity, he alone could take over the entire private and public financial aid business in the entire Sabin City!
But within this, there needed to be a third party to act as a bridge, and that was Lynch.
This was precisely why Lynch dared to tell Mr. Fox the truth.
The entire Sabin City was cracking down on money laundering and financial crimes. At this point, if someone like Mr. Fox, who was "on the list," wanted to borrow from a bank, even if his procedures were legal, the bank wouldn't dare lend him money.
Who knew what the nature of this money might ultimately become or if it would attract the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or Federal Tax Bureau due to its potential implications.
But if there was a third party involved who had demonstrated credibility in the media and even secured friendship with the tax bureau chief, unless the actions were too egregious, why would a bank refuse a big client like Lynch?
It was like a region with strict access controls prohibiting any strangers from entering. Mr. Fox was that stranger; he didn't have an access card, nor was he an insider, so the guards wouldn't let him in.
But if someone led him, someone considered a low-level leader, and was willing to take full responsibility for Mr. Fox's actions, then why would the guards want to offend others for someone else's matter?
Hence, Lynch didn't mind saying it outright: if Mr. Fox wanted to act alone, he would not only find himself without any gains, but he might also end up losing a lot!
In this world, besides parents and relatives, there hadn't been anyone who could take advantage of him!
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