Chapter 221: The Bait (4)
John Lau's private jet, which was usually a party venue filled with clinking champagne glasses and music, was now silent—transformed into a temporary office en route to New York.
John Lau sat, anxiously staring at his phone.
Documents were scattered messily across the table.
The Prime Minister’s voice, which had just blasted through the receiver moments ago, echoed again in his mind.
—Handle it. Immediately.
The attitude of the Prime Minister had changed ever since whistleblowers from the sovereign wealth fund, MDB, began exposing financial irregularities and the fund's mismanagement surfaced.
‘Just a few months ago...?’
A bitter smile passed Lau’s lips.
He recalled the Prime Minister’s once-confident tone: ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the media.’
But now, things had changed. With international media, including those from Singapore and the UK, covering the scandal, even the Prime Minister could no longer intervene.
"Are you unaware of the uproar from the opposition?"
The recent default on an $1.1 billion interest payment was particularly damning.
Critics questioned how mismanaged the fund must be to not even cover interest payments, and Malaysia's opposition was demanding full disclosure of MDB’s transaction history.
“The media reports are inaccurate. It’s just an overblown interpretation of a temporary liquidity issue…”
—Then just disclose the documents. What’s so hard about that?
Lau clenched his teeth.
He wanted to explain that it wasn’t that simple—but he couldn’t.
He couldn’t confess that more than $4 billion of the $6.5 billion in fund capital had already been funneled into his own offshore accounts.
“Disclosure is impossible, Prime Minister. All current transactions are classified... but once they’re finalized, every suspicion will be resolved.”
—And when exactly will that be?
“Very soon.”
Barely managing to make that promise, Lau ended the call and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
‘At this rate... everything will collapse.’
The power and wealth he enjoyed stood on thin ice—founded entirely on the Prime Minister’s trust.
If that trust was broken, everything would turn to dust.
“Any new investment targets?”
There was only one way to survive.
He had to quickly improve the fund’s performance by securing a promising investment.
But the secretary, lowering her head, looked uncomfortable at his question.
“There’s been nothing new since yesterday’s report.”
“You can’t even do that properly?!”
Frustration flickered across the secretary’s face.
Lau’s definition of a ‘target’ was extremely narrow—limited strictly to energy and mining development projects.
“If we expand into other sectors, there are many decent options—”
“You fool! Do you even know why I insist on sticking to that sector?”
Lau’s obsession with energy and mining investments had a clear reason.
They were easy to inflate in value using vague criteria like ‘potential reserves.’
“What about Zahir? Have you reached him?”
Khalid Al Zahir.
A high school classmate and Saudi royal, Zahir now ran a major energy company in Saudi Arabia.
All Lau had to do was attach MDB’s name to one of Zahir’s development projects to escape this crisis.
He had even made a personal request.
“There was an email reply... but it said that due to all the attention right now, it’s too risky...”
A rejection.
All the luxury yachts and lavish villas Lau had lent Zahir over the years meant nothing now.
Lau’s face twisted in anger.
“That ungrateful bastard...!”
But the fury didn’t last long.
He didn’t have time to waste on anger.
‘Whatever it takes, I have to find something.’
Solving the scandal required immediate results.
All he needed was to announce a single decent deal.
‘If even Zahir is out of reach...’
If even one of his oldest contacts was turning his back, then it went without saying that others would too.
Even if he found a promising investment, it would likely be rejected due to the scandal—or, if accepted, would involve intense due diligence.
But with MDB’s books, passing any kind of audit was out of the question.
That’s when his secretary urgently spoke up.
“There’s something new about EGSH.”
“EGSH? The company supposedly founded by Andorra’s third son?”
A mining development company reportedly founded by the third son of the Andorra Group.
It was also why Lau had rushed to New York.
“If this company successfully develops the lithium mine in Sonora, it could be valued at around $15 billion.”
Just announcing a joint venture with EGSH could cause the fund’s value to soar—on paper.
It might be a one-shot solution.
“But there is a risk.”
“Risk?”
“Sonora is a tough region to get development rights in. The land is owned communally, and locals are fiercely opposed due to environmental concerns. No company has managed to secure rights there so far.”
“That won’t be a problem. Isn’t he from the Andorra family?”
Surely Gonzalez, the third son, would receive some “help” from his family.
Lau knew such “help” well.
His own sovereign wealth fund had come this far with similar “assistance.”
What interested Lau more, however, was something else.
“What did you find out about Gonzalez?”
Lau always ordered thorough background checks before meeting someone.
This time was no exception.
“He’s been a troublemaker since childhood. In middle school, he once bribed the entire student body to boycott school for a week because he didn’t like a teacher.”
Gonzalez, who had recently made waves with bold moves on Wall Street, had clearly been making headlines since youth.
“He didn’t change after entering society either. While at Goldman, he bought a managing director’s house just because he didn’t like him...”
A pattern was clear.
Gonzalez was a wealthy playboy who caused trouble whenever bored.
Ordinary investors would avoid him.
‘Not bad.’
But Lau smiled instead.
What others saw as red flags, he saw as green lights.
‘This could actually work.’
MDB was now a pariah.
Any respectable businessman would steer clear.
But what if the other party was a loose cannon?
If that one madman could be convinced, the deal would go through.
He was, in fact, the perfect target.
“But...”
Just as Lau was growing hopeful, the secretary hesitantly spoke.
“There is one odd thing.”
“Odd?”
“About EGSH. According to contacts on Wall Street... despite getting constant inquiries from investors, Gonzalez has rejected every single one.”
“Rejected?”
Lau rested his chin on his hand and fell into deep thought.
He needed funding, yet was turning away investors?
Why?
The answer came to him quickly.
“There must be conditions.”
If it were only about money, Gonzalez could’ve pushed the business forward alone.
The fact that he was looking for a “partner” suggested he wanted something more than just capital.
Lau could instinctively guess what that was.
He had dealt with plenty of madmen like Gonzalez before.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of that.”
#
A high-rise building on Park Avenue.
As Lau entered EGSH’s office to meet Gonzalez, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
‘So flashy.’
A top-tier premium office building in Manhattan, interiors furnished with Hermès pieces, and Jeff Koons’ artworks proudly displayed throughout.
Every detail in the space gave off the message of overwhelming others with wealth.
Lau let out a small chuckle.
He wasn’t unfamiliar with such a showy strategy.
After all, he too had flaunted his wealth in similar ways.
However, this display could also be interpreted differently.
‘Must not hold much sway within his family.’
Showiness can often be a cover for deficiency.
Perhaps Gonzalez was trying to compensate for his lack with money.
If Lau’s hunch was right, the man might actually be easy to handle.
But just as he stood before the CEO’s office door with such hopes, an unexpected demand came his way.
"Before you enter, we’ll need to conduct a bug sweep."
A man who appeared to be a security guard approached with a detector, announcing he would check for listening devices.
Naturally, this was an extremely rude act by normal standards.
"Our CEO sometimes says things that could cause issues. It’d be a problem if they got out. If you won’t comply, you’re free to leave."
But the guard made it clear there was no room for compromise.
Normally, Lau would’ve turned away in indignation.
But now was not the time for pride.
This project was critical to him.
At the same time, a thought crossed his mind.
‘This is a good sign.’
Such paranoia could be taken as a positive signal.
It meant something would be said inside that outsiders mustn’t hear.
With a sly grin, Lau pulled a fountain pen from his pocket.
It was equipped with a voice recording function.
“I usually use this to record meetings. Of course, always with consent.”
That was a blatant lie.
He had a habit of recording important meetings to use as “insurance.”
Still, in this case, it was better to appear cooperative and eliminate suspicions.
"You won’t be able to use that today. We’ll hold onto it."
“That’s a bit difficult. It could contain sensitive information. I’ll leave it with my assistant.”
Handing the pen to his assistant, Lau entered the CEO’s office and saw a young man.
A young Latin man sat leisurely with his feet on the desk.
From head to toe, he looked like the embodiment of a spoiled rich heir.
‘So this is Gonzalez.’
The man glanced at Lau and spoke with disinterest.
“Oh, one more guest. Take a seat.”
Then, even before Lau had fully sat down, Gonzalez lowered his feet and asked bluntly.
“So, what can you offer me?”
It was not just direct—it was downright rude.
A textbook loose cannon.
“That’s quite abrupt.”
Lau responded calmly, to which Gonzalez casually shrugged.
“If you’ve come all this way, I assume you’ve done your homework. You’ve weighed the risks and returns of my business, decided the profit potential was worth it, and know that I’ve turned away countless investors. Right?”
His tone and attitude reminded Lau of Hollywood stars.
Top stars don’t bother explaining the films they’ve been in.
They assume everyone already knows.
That same sense of self-importance—like the whole world should be watching—was apparent in Gonzalez.
“So let’s skip the mind games and get to the point.”
Gonzalez tapped his fingers on the desk like he was playing piano and continued.
“What can you offer me?”
He added the question with a mocking expression.
It was clear he wasn’t really recruiting investors.
“As you can see, I’m not short on money. So if I’m choosing a partner, they need to bring something of real value.”
He wasn’t wrong.
But before answering that question, Lau had to address a more pressing matter.
“Before that, I need to confirm something. Can you actually secure the Sonora mine development permit?”
He could play along with the brat’s antics.
But only if the project had a chance of success.
Gonzalez scoffed, as if it was an obvious question, and answered.
“I can. That’s why everyone’s coming to me.”
“How do you plan to do it?”
“I’m going to bribe key figures.”
“I’ve already wrapped up negotiations with the community leader. The environmental ministry will approve it quickly.”
Lau was speechless.
Bribing officials was outright illegal.
But Gonzalez laid out such a plan casually, as if it were nothing.
‘So that’s why they checked for bugs...’
“You came here expecting this, didn’t you?”
Instead, Gonzalez asked the question without batting an eye.
Wasn’t this exactly what Lau had anticipated?
True, Lau had assumed Gonzalez wouldn’t play by the rules.
He just hadn’t expected him to admit it so openly.
Gonzalez clasped his hands and urged him on.
“So, what can you offer me?”
Lau gave the answer he’d prepared.
“Influence. There are many mining opportunities in Malaysia. By working with me, you could expand into those areas.”
“Is that so? Then why haven’t you expanded into them?”
For a moment, Lau was at a loss for words.
The truth was, mining projects in Malaysia were off-limits to him.
Large-scale mining often triggered environmental backlash from the public.
If the sovereign wealth fund, supported by the Prime Minister, got involved in such projects, it could impact approval ratings.
That was why they’d stayed away from domestic mining until now.
But none of this could be revealed to Gonzalez.
As he hesitated, Gonzalez spoke again.
“Honestly, influence sounds appealing. But looking at you...”
He smirked on one side of his mouth.
It was blatant mockery.
Then, instead of finishing the sentence, he pivoted completely.
“I had a secretary I recently fired. Turns out she was going around saying she ‘met the president.’ I mean, technically she did. She was standing next to me when I met our country’s president. But if she calls that her influence, that’s a scam, isn’t it?”
Lau’s face slowly turned red.
He realized Gonzalez was reducing him to just another “secretary who happened to be standing nearby.”
“And you, too—turns out you don’t hold any official position. Just like her.”
At this point, it was no longer rudeness—it was outright ridicule.
Yet Gonzalez wore an expression of pure delight.
He was clearly enjoying this.
“So yes, influence sounds nice. But I’ll decide after testing your influence.”
“A test?”
Lau couldn’t hide his disbelief.
He was offering to invest, yet now he had to “pass a test” just for the opportunity?
Only a lunatic could come up with something like that.
“If you’re not interested, feel free to leave. I’ll even cover your trouble.”
Gonzalez casually opened a briefcase on his desk.
Inside were stacks of $100 bills.
“One hundred thousand dollars. That should cover your travel expenses.”
Then, twisting his lips into a smirk, he added—