Super Spender

“Mr. Lewis, you’re not kidding?” Matthew Chan found his mouth dry, his voice somewhat hoarse, a hint of excitement colouring his face.

Sitting by him, Fishy Wells and Julia Parker were equally startled. They knew that Finn Lewis was wealthy, but they didn’t imagine just how rich. 30 billion Federal coins? Converted to Flame Nation coins that amounts to a mind-boggling 1.8 trillion! It’s counted in the billions! This thought made them look at Lewis differently.

No wonder he could afford to spend so generously just to hire a female assistant. They had thought him a spendthrift, but considering his vast wealth and their wages, it all seemed insignificant. Even if this 1.8 trillion Flame Nation coins just sat in a bank, it would generate an annual interest in the billions!

They couldn’t calculate the exact interest amount, but the shock of all this was enough to stun them. They were coming to terms with the reality that the sum of their salaries over a hundred years wouldn’t even equal the yearly interest on Lewis’ wealth. How dejected should one feel about that?

With a crisp snap, Lewis took out the transfer document from his bag and placed it on the table. Matthew Chan didn’t waste any time and immediately began reading the agreement, frozen in surprise when he realized the document he was holding was not a photocopy, but the original! Damn it! This document was worth billions of Federal coins and it was just sitting on the table?

Even though Chan was a branch manager at one of the world’s largest banks, he found his composure wavering. His gaze fell upon Lewis, a man from the Flame Nation, and a question sprouted in his mind. When did someone from the Flame Nation manage to secure shares in a North Federation company?

And such a significant amount at that?

During a previous economic crisis, hadn’t a company from the West Swallow tried to acquire the vehicle brand, Hummer, from the North Federation, but failed? The failure was not solely due to other factors, but mainly because the North Federation’s official policy didn’t allow foreign entities to purchase such assets, since Hummer, apart from being a car brand, also supplied a lot of military armor vehicles to the North Federation Army.

It was the same with the company Apple. The world’s top valued company doesn’t just let anyone purchase their shares, let alone a significant stake that includes a position in their board of directors. Matthew Chan had no idea how Lewis managed it. He could only conclude that Lewis was extraordinarily impressive.

After quickly scanning the document, Matthew Chan was convinced of its authenticity. As a bank executive, it was easy for him to verify such documents. Now, all he had to say was, “Mr. Lewis, a 300 million Federal coin loan won’t be a problem.”

“However, I have one question,” Chan hesitated before saying.

“Go ahead,” Lewis nodded.

“It seems from this document that your shares cannot be transferred?” Chan enquired.

“Indeed, these shares cannot be transferred, but they are in my name. So I wonder, will you offer me a loan or not?” Lewis replied with a smile.

Matthew Chan began to contemplate. Collateral loans, like the one involving share collateral, would usually involve signing a contract with the bank. The contract stipulates that if the borrower fails to repay the loan within the agreed-upon term, the collateral shares would fall into the bank’s ownership. Every banking conglomerate has stakes in numerous companies, some as part of their investment portfolio, others due to defaulted collaterals. So it’s common knowledge that Floral Wealth Group, one of the top ten financial groups in the North Federation, is not just the Red Flower Bank.

Red Flower Bank comprises less than one-twentieth of the group, yet the group has expanded significantly due to the bank. Similarly, ICBC is moving along the same trajectory. Indeed, every bank inevitably faces this process. However, the shares in Lewis’ possession were special, they couldn’t be transferred.

That means the bank couldn’t sign the usual collateral contract because they couldn’t take over Lewis’ shares. This raised a problem for the bank; it seemingly lacked any security. The way Lewis asked the question was interesting; would you give me the loan? Lewis was offering no collateral to the bank. Even the shares he held couldn’t be used as collateral since they were non-transferable. Tossing the transfer document to ICBC made no difference. Without Lewis’ signature, the bank couldn’t claim the shares.

In simple terms, Lewis was asking for a loan based solely on his reputation. And surprisingly, banks feed off such situations. They are aware that the client has the ability to repay. The shares could not be transferred, but the client’s repayment capacity was beyond doubt. The question now was, would they lend money to such a high-quality client? We are not just talking about this loan; it’s a matter of future collaborations!

Moreover, Matthew Chan was well aware that if the loan application were presented to a Rhine Kingdom Bank or Red Flower Bank, it would certainly get approved. The approved amount would even exceed the 300 million Federal coins. This was the difference between domestic and foreign banks!

“I need to report this first. However, Mr. Lewis, you can rest assured, we will respond to you as soon as possible. We should have an answer by this afternoon. But I need to make a copy of this document,” Chan finally said after much thought, standing firmly..