A Return on Your Investment

Has everyone found a seat? Can you all see this in the back?

Good, good…

We will begin.

I want to thank you all for coming in at what must be a very busy time of the year for you all. We do appreciate that you are all important members of the business community and that this last financial quarter was quite a difficult one for many in this room. Not for all of you, of course, but for enough of you that perhaps this meeting may improve your own outlook on the upcoming year.

Again, we must state our deepest regrets over the loss of Mr. W_________. We knew him as a proud member of your community for many years who had often invested with our clients and other members. Of course, we have not forgotten the unpleasantness of his last ten years when he seemed determined to destroy everything he had built over a lifetime of sound financial practices. Many in our company still cannot understand the reasons for the multiple divestments he made in that time, or why he chose to reveal all of the financial practices of his fellow business colleagues to the press. He simply remains a confused mix of the expected and the unexpected. And I am sure that all our thoughts are with his friends and, most importantly, family now. We hope the courts do rule in their favor and that they are allowed to have at least a regular portion of that lifetime of sound investing and hard work.

Now, turning to other matters: the reason why we contacted you all is that we do understand how recent financial developments have upset your plans for the future expansion of your many business ventures. We do sympathize and hope that the government learns that it cannot stand in the way of the wishes of the business community and try to fix a problem that they are obviously responsible for. But, as we all know, time is most definitely money. It is also an unfair master of events and pays no attention to those who ignore it. It simply keeps moving along despite our best intentions.

Yes, best intentions… To put it simply, gentlemen, we would like you to accept our proposal for a particular investment that could create an excellent return for anyone willing to provide the funds necessary to make it work. Mr. W________ was an early contact made by our management team, but, as mentioned, he was becoming more and more unstable as a potential investor. Again, our condolences…

How many of you recognize this first site? Ah, I see… No one wants to say that they have heard of this particular zone. I do understand your sense of discretion and will try to be just as polite. This “site”, as you can see here in the first photo, was well known to many of us for quite a long time, and yet it was not possible for us to follow through with any of our plans for the development of the region. As Mr. W_________ knew, the government of that region was not one that was sympathetic to the interests of the business community. For the last twenty years, a government with barely a majority of the population’s support managed to keep us and our clients from fulfilling the country’s true potential. Granted, as stated in this next visual, they did have sustained trade in the natural fruits of their environment with other nations also resistant to the presence of big business. However, as they say, the only constant in life is change.

In the last month, perhaps due to changes unforeseen in the world economy, instability has returned to the region. The government has not been able to appease the complaints of a population now desperate for economic strength. Simply put, an opportunity has arrived on our collective doorsteps and we must step in to take advantage as soon as possible.

From our contacts in the country’s military, it is clear that they could take over the region in the next few months. We have spoken to several generals and field commanders in their army and navy, and it is clear that they simply need a little push to make things work toward our interests; a guiding hand to get things done.

For a nominal fee, more tactical support can be provided to the military advisors we’ve contacted on the ground. We have made a study of their available weaponry and it is, forgive the term, quite “primitive”. Our tactical support would involve new weapons and better training for direct combat.

There only lies one other problem. As of late, there are rumours of a leader coming directly from the populace who has been stirring up trouble in the poorer parts of the country. This figure, still unnamed, has also made it clear that he understands who wants instability to come to their homeland, and who stands to benefit the most from it. Do not worry, gentlemen: we are aware that he is just guessing his way through the financial papers and news of the last year. There is no way that he could possibly link anyone in this room with our plans. And, even if he does exist, it will not be too difficult to hunt this individual down and remove him as a potential threat to our interests.

That is all we have to share with you at the moment. Please take the sealed envelopes in front of you and review the contents in your own free time. When you have done so, I am sure that you will want to invest in the very detailed plan we have put forward. It may be the best return on your investment that you will ever know.

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

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