10x Cashback: Your Wealth Is Mine

39  That's A Grave Mistake

My boots clicked off the floor of the Red Phoenix Bank's lobby as I walked in. I was here for the last important thing I needed to do before zooming off to Monaco. Get my loan.

I walked up to the receptionist who greeted me with a rehearsed smile before pointing me to the appropriate floor where Mr. Smith's office was located.

Mr. Smith was the commercial loan officer I would be meeting today.

I gave her a polite nod before moving to the elevator. As it climbed upward, I checked myself out on the reflective surface in front of me.

Right now, I look like one of those spies from Hollywood movies. I had come dressed in a fitted suit and had a briefcase with me. Inside the briefcase were all the documents I'd prepared for this meeting.

I had the Cooper Real Estate's financials, my proof of collateral, Sunset Inn's business plan and some more. Everything was in order. All I needed was the cash I needed to turn Sunset Inn from concept to concrete.

I reached Mr. Smith's office floor and walked in to find his secretary working at her desk.

"Ah, Mr Voss. Welcome." His secretary greeted me. "I'm afraid you'd have to wait a bit before the appointment. Mr. Smith is in an urgent meeting."

"Of course." I smiled at her. "I'll wait."

"Thank you, sir. You can have a seat." She said, gesturing to the waiting area. I sat, checking my watch. I had indeed arrived a few minutes early. At least their seats were very comfortable.

I waited patiently till the scheduled time for my meeting ticked by. Still no Mr. Smith. I glanced at his office door frowning while wondering what this urgent meeting could be about.

Before long it was five minutes. Then it was ten, then fifteen. I don't know about you but my patience was gradually wearing thin. It wasn't like I was here for a routine visit. I was here to bring my ideas to life, to bring Sunset Inn one step closer to reality. I glanced at the secretary, clearing my throat. "Is Mr. Smith available yet?"

She looked apologetic and on her face was the exhaustion of someone who'd had to deal with questions like mine all morning. 15:31

She looked apologetic and on her face was the exhaustion of someone who'd had to deal with questions like mine all morning. "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Voss." She said. "Mr. Smith's meeting is running longer than expected. It's a very urgent matter. I'm afraid he'll need you to wait just a bit longer."

I clenched my fist, holding back my irritation. It was unprofessional, yes, but I'd give Smith a final chance. I settled back, deciding to wait a little longer. But as the minutes dragged on, fifteen minutes turning to thirty and thirty turning to forty, my patience dried up. My time wasn't meant for sitting in lobbies, waiting to be remembered. This wasn't how business was supposed to be conducted.

I stood up to cancel my appointment. It would be better to take my business elsewhere. But then I paused. What if Smith had actually been in a meeting where his job was on the line?

My mind went back to a day I'd had a meeting with an investor but had been delayed by a bug that threatened to end my app before it even began. I had sweated to fix it but by the time I got to the meeting, the investor was gone.

That day, I'd lost both users and investors, leading to the failure of my app. Due to my experience, I decided to give Smith the benefit of the doubt.

Just as I was about to tell the secretary to reschedule, the office door opened. Smith walked out, laughing jovially with none other than Wang Tae Bin, the rising tech sensation and founder of Walk Shop. I recognized him instantly. It would be hard not to when the man's face was plastered in every business magazine worth their salt.

His company, Walk Shop, was pioneering the AI scene, dominating markets with algorithms that crafted personalized recommendations for every corner of the web, be it shopping, news, holiday hotspots, etc. His company was currently valued at twenty-three billion and climbing while his net worth was currently a whopping seven billion dollars.

Smith and Wang shook each other's hands outside the door laughing like they were close buddies. "You made the right choice, Mr. Wang." Smith said. "Red Phoenix Bank is honored to finance your new private jet. You get to keep your cash liquid for your other business opportunities plus the tax benefits from accelerated depreciation on business aircraft."

Wang grinned, his voice carrying easily over the secretary's desk. "Nothing like having the best of both worlds, eh, Roy?"

I exchanged an incredulous stare with the secretary who kept her face blank.

Roy Smith noticed me then and his eyes widened in realization. "Oh, Mr. Voss." He said, checking his watch. "We had an appointment didn't we?" Wang noticed me, too, looking me up and down before dismissing me. Unlike me, he was wearing casual clothes. Hoodies and jeans. He smirked, his eyes narrowing in smug amusement. "Well," he chuckled, giving Smith a playful nudge, "it's not a bad thing for him to wait, is it? After all, we both know where the real priority is."

Smith laughed along with him but I could see a flicker of discomfort in his eyes as he looked my way. But he didn't disagree. That laugh grated against me like sandpaper.

At that moment, I was actually impressed with my self control. It took everything I had to stay composed. I felt a fire ignite in me, burning hot beneath the calm face I was putting on. I had been ignored, cast aside because a billionaire wanted a private jet and needed a loan for tax benefits?

My fists were clenched painfully tight, my nails digging into my palm. At this point, I don't think the anger was just because of this.

No. It was an accumulation of the anger I felt from being deemed as being of lesser importance my whole life. Not just this life of being Nico Voss but also the life I've lived back on earth.

"Mr. Smith." I said. Both Smith and Wang took a half step back from the look in my eyes.

"If this is how Red Phoenix Bank treats its customers, then I'd rather take my business elsewhere. No customer, not even a homeless person, should be kept waiting because of a misplaced sense of importance."

Wang stared at me for a moment before laughing as if a man like me speaking up in the presence of a billionaire was some sort of personal joke. He smirked and he gave Smith a look that practically screamed, 'Who does this guy think he is?'

But Smith didn't argue. He didn't apologize, either. He simply looked at me with a passive expression, one that told me everything I needed to know about my standing in his eyes.

I gave him one last look then turned on my heel and walked out of the office. The fire inside me kept burning, reminding me of why I was here in the first place. One father and seven step sisters. I had to climb over them.

I mentally added Wang Tae Bin to the list. One day, I'd make him realize that the one who laughs last, laughs best. He'd learn firsthand that underestimating someone on their way up was a grave mistake. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om