The CEO of ‘Dennis Mine’ came to the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel himself. Seeing that the president moved after just one phone call, the matter seemed urgent.
“(I’m Levi Shutton, CEO of Dennis Maine.)”
“(This is Kim Jae-gu. I didn’t expect the CEO to come in person.)”
“(I heard that you are the CEO of J&H Co., Ltd.)”
Oh right. I was now the CEO of an American company.
I signed a contract for a house and bought the land, but since I hadn’t run a business like a manager, I still didn’t realize that I was a CEO.
Usually, when you think of a CEO, images of holding a meeting or giving a great presentation come to mind.
“(That’s right. Our CEO is reviewing the mining business this time.)”
Fred Balman made an immediate interception.
‘It’s comfortable because I act without talking.’
It was the first time I had an aide, but I really liked the fact that he spoke for me.
I couldn’t just stand here and talk, so I decided to move the location.
“(Let’s go to the lounge first.)”
I dialed my room number and entered the business lounge of the Bellagio Hotel. A good table for conversation was placed in the spacious interior space, and simple tea and refreshments were prepared on the side.
Several teams were already seated and talking. Seeing that he was wearing a suit, it seemed like he was talking about business, but the distance was quite far, so it was difficult to hear the conversation.
I took a seat in a relatively inconspicuous place. Levi Sutton continued to fidget with his bag, as if he was in a hurry.
“(Since you introduced yourself earlier, let’s get right into the contract.)”
“(Yes. Let me explain.)”
Levi Shutton opened the bag and pulled out a bunch of papers. It was thick enough to be two books.
He took out the first piece and unfolded it. There, the mining order of the mine was explained simply enough that even a beginner could understand it.
“(In order to find veins, you must first start with prospecting. We have prospecting experts in our company, so if there is something underground, we will definitely find it.)”
“(Are you a prospecting expert?)”
“(Yes. A person who uses various equipment to find and measure mines. He is one of the top 10 experts in this field.)”
I could see the pride in his expression.
“(60 acres is large, but I’ll try to find it ASAP.)”
60 acres. The acreage is 75,000 pyeong. It was clear that it would take a lot of time to explore that vast land, no matter how hurried it was.
But I had a treasure map that gave me the exact coordinates.
“(I want the branch to start from here. Let’s dig about 300m for now.)”
He handed over a piece of paper with the coordinates from the treasure map written on it. Levi Sutton made a serious face.
“(Are you finished with the prospecting already?)”
“(It’s just a feeling.)”
“(Ummm…)”
He made a troubled expression.
“(If the vein doesn’t come out, you have to pay for the cost of the prospecting. Would that be okay?)”
“(Of course. Shall we make separate contracts for prospecting and mining?)”
“(No. Let’s make a contract like this.)”
He hurried, lest he be deprived of his job. After the copper mines were exhausted, it was urgent because they could not find a special place to work.
Most of the profitable mines were owned by someone, so I heard that the employees are struggling to find a place to work.
So, even with such an uncertain request, it was a situation where he had to hurry up and grab it.
The family business that had been passed down for three generations was shaking.
‘If you look at Dennis Main’s capital status, if you can’t get a contract quickly, you’ll have to organize your staff…’
Levi Sutton was a nice guy. Even when the company suffered from a deficit, it took care of its employees without layoffs, unlike an American company.
The weekly Event Day event was even featured in the local newspaper.
But that was the problem. Compared to other companies, it did not accumulate much in-house reserves to improve employee welfare. The company has not laid off any employees, even as its profits have declined due to the recent decline in reserves.
It may be the worst company from an investor’s point of view, but it was not a bad partner as a partner as the employees were highly loyal.
‘It’s different from Gangmyeong Products.’
Was it because there was a time when I was an office worker? When I heard his information, I wanted to cheer him on.
So I decided not to use Levi Sutton’s urgency as an opportunity to gain my own advantage. Even if I bargained for a few pennies, it wasn’t a lot of money for me.
“(I see.)”
“(Then proceed with the prospecting first, and then modify the contract based on the size of the mine. Here is our unit price table.)”
Levi Shutton handed over a thick file folder and a USB. It matched the unit price table already obtained from Fred Balman.
Pretending to be polite, I turned around for a while.
“(Okay. Let’s do it this way.)”
“(Thank you. Then the lawyer…)”
“(My lawyer is staying here.)”
I called Harry Alexander.
“(Mr. Alexander. Are you busy right now?)”
“(No. I just finished my work.)”
“(Then please come to the business lounge for a moment.)”
After a while, Harry Alexander appeared. As always, it was a neat image.
He handed Levi Sutton his business card.
“(This is Harry Alexander, attorney at the law firm Sanctuary.)”
“(This is Levi Shutton, the president of Dennis Maine.)”
The two exchanged business cards and sat down.
“(Then let’s proceed with the contract.)”
With help from Harry Alexander, I completed the contract with Levi Sutton. After putting the final seal on the contract and depositing the advance payment, his face brightened.
“(I will do my best!)”
“(Please start construction according to the contract schedule.)”
“(I’ll start construction right away tomorrow.)”
The contract clearly said to go in this week, but is it possible to start construction tomorrow instead?
I decided to think it was just a show of motivation.
“(Please call before construction begins.)”
Since it was my first mining project, I wanted to see how it was progressing with my own eyes.
He nodded his back.
“(Of course I should contact you. Thank you for choosing Dennis Main.)”
Levi Shutton left the business lounge with light steps. It made me smile because it looked lively like a girl.
I turned my head to Harry Alexander.
“(Has the mining rights side been resolved?)”
“(Fortunately, it’s not a protected area, it’s been resolved. You can start mining right now.)”
“(That’s good.)”
It was one-of-a-kind.
“(If a mine is discovered, we need to report it to the authorities, so please let us know the size of the survey.)”
“(I’ll let you know right away.)”
He could trust Harry Alexander to take care of the legal process. Fred Balman handed Harry his business card.
“(This is President Kim’s aide, Fred Balman. Please contact me for information requests.)”
“(This is Harry Alexander from the law firm Sanctuary.)”
After exchanging business cards, Harry Alexander asked me.
“(President Kim. Can I contact Fred Balman from now on?)”
“(Yes. Please.)”
If it’s something that requires decision-making, Fred will report on it. It relieved a lot of burden just by not having to worry about minor chores.
‘I should have hired them like this a long time ago.’
I thought that I should also find a Korean aide.
‘I think Benjamin Chung is the right choice…’
Rather than asking over the phone, I thought it would be better to ask face to face.
***
‘Still, I didn’t expect it to be this fast.’
The very next day, Dennis Mine’s construction equipment arrived at the coordinates I designated. When I got a call from him and went to visit him, the land was already ready to be sold.
“(I thought it would be good for the boss to open the first historical shovel.)”
Seeing even the cutting ribbons prepared for the opening ceremony made me feel sad. I didn’t have to go this far, but it felt good.
“(Then shall we dig a shovel?)”
“(I’ll take a picture.)”
Fred Balman took out his cell phone consciously.
“(We should take pictures of Mr. Balman together. Do you have anything that can be used as a tripod?)”
Everyone here is a living witness to this historic moment, so they had the right to be photographed if they wished. An employee of Dennis Mine raised his hand.
“(I’ll take a picture.)”
“(The boss is holding a shovel like this…)”
Levi Sutton put the shovel in his hand.
“(Let’s eat together.)”
I grabbed a shovel and took a digging stance with him. The people around us settled down around us.
“(Take it. One. Two. Three!)”
click. The flash went off with a sound.
“(The flash exploded and it came out weird. I’ll take it again. One! Two! Three!)”
click! click! click!
The staff took several pictures with craftsmanship.
“(Check it once.)”
The confirmation he handed over contained the images of everyone smiling brightly. For some reason, my smile felt awkward, so it was funny.
‘Why did you film this?’
But when it passes, all that remains is the picture. The day will come when I will look at this and recall memories.
“(It came out well.)”
he smiled brightly
“(Now! Now! Then, let’s start construction right away!)”
Levi Sutton cheered the atmosphere by clapping. After everyone evacuated to a safe area, the excavator started digging.
Gee ying! bang! My heart pounded at the sound of heavy machinery.
Levi Sutton handed out drinks.
“(Do you want to go see it? Or would you rather let me know the results?)”
“(I’ll go see it.)”
This project was also a historic event for me.
‘This is the first chance to find out what the treasure map means.’
There is no way that ancient relics are buried in the middle of a desert like this, so I thought it must be a resource.
‘I’m a little concerned about being small.’
Still, it was better than the upper limit, so it was clear that it would bring at least a few tens of billions of profits.
***
It was hot in the Mojave Desert, but we took a seat under the tent Levi Shutton had set up and waited.
‘I thought it would be very hot because it’s a desert, but it’s not much different from Korea’s early summer.’
Perhaps because of the low humidity, it was tolerable if I sat still.
I checked the current situation on my cell phone while drinking the cool drink he brought. The program was running properly as always, and Dokgo Group indiscriminately spread entertainment news to ask for their own articles.
‘I brought in all the celebrities who had an affair.’
They’re just doing what they normally do, but it’s clear they don’t think it’s going to be a boomerang any time soon.
When infidelity is hot, how much hotter will it be if you explode an affair of a single person.
My mouth was salivating.
“(CEO Kim!)”
Levi Sutton hurriedly ran and fell to the floor. Before the people around him could help him stand up, he jumped up and ran away shaking off his clothes.
“(Are you okay?)”
“(Look at this.)”
He had a stone in his hand. To the naked eye, it was just an ordinary gray stone.
“(It’s a stone.)”
“(It’s silver ore!)”
‘If you look closely, it seems to be a bit flashy…’
To an outsider looking at ore, it appeared to be nothing more than a slightly shiny gray stone. But if the expert says it’s right, then it’s right.
His eyes flashed with hope.
“(I’ll start sizing right now.)”
“(Please do so.)”
He shouted loudly at the staff and ran back to the scene. It was more of a cheer than a shout.
“(Start surveying now!!)”
＜Take a look at this＞ End