Mr. Tasha watched Charlie for a short while, then entered his office.
He knew very well that Charlie felt a certain heaviness, or perhaps a sense of inadequacy. To Charlie, Mr. Tasha must have appeared selfish.
A desire as a motive? Yes.
But that selfishness was not unjustified.
He had stated his request only because he knew Charlie would understand.
Mr. Tasha picked up several files and began reviewing them.
He paused at an important file Charlie had previously mentioned to him, one concerning a piece of land Mr. Tasha owned.
An offer had been submitted by a land investor to build a large commercial center.
Mr. Tasha neither accepted nor rejected the offer, He simply set it aside.
It was a tempting offer for anyone, but Mr. Tasha was not interested.
The investor saw the land as a major commercial opportunity due to its location. Mr. Tasha, however, saw it as land meant for purposes far beyond commerce.
Mr. Tasha did not frequently buy land.
His company's core business revolved around selling, buying, leasing, and sometimes acting as a broker. He also seized neglected opportunities, such as unfinished buildings, investing in them and either leasing them for passive income or reselling them as income-generating properties.
Now, the company was entirely privately owned by Mr. Tasha.
He had long since parted ways with investors.
In his early days, working with investors had been necessary. He would present ideas, design well-studied plans, and generate solid profits for both sides. At that stage, collective approval was required for every project. But now, Mr. Tasha alone was sufficient.
Once he began generating substantial profits, he bought out the investors' shares.
Mr. Tasha was well known in business circles, and once it became known that he owned the large plot of land, the investor moved quickly, submitted an offer, and Charlie added it to the file with the others.
Mr. Tasha did not see the land as an opportunity.
He saw it as a gift.
He envisioned building a full residential complex, including a private school and a hospital for orphaned and homeless children. He knew well the suffering of children in orphanages, having lived in one himself before fleeing to the streets.
Authority that crushed creativity.
Punishments that starved children simply for saying no.
Favoritism.
Abuse.
Continuous beatings.
Some children lived through all of this inside orphanages.
Endless suffering.
It was simple, really.
A corrupt adult imposing authority over children to feel a false sense of superiority and satisfaction.
Mr. Tasha rejected this ignorant and repulsive type of person, Their emotions were dark and unacceptable. On the surface, they appeared kind, but what lay beneath was far worse.
Mr. Tasha wanted to provide opportunities and support for those children, He wanted them to be free.
The investor's interest in the land was irrelevant to him, He intended to refuse.
Yet his intuition told him the situation might evolve into something else.
Perhaps nothing more than a minor issue.
Mr. Tasha picked up the phone on his desk and dialed the number listed in the file.
"Hello, this is Ronnie Dav, business manager for Mr. Core Sures. May I know who's calling?"
The man's tone was professional and precise.
"Hello, this is Tasha. I received an offer from your side regarding one of my lands for a large commercial center."
Mr. Tasha did not even need to mention his company, His name alone was sufficient.
"Ah, Mr. Tasha. I recognize you now. Yes, we did submit an offer for that land. Mr. Core is not available at the moment, so you may consider me his representative." Ronnie replied calmly.
"Very well, The offer is rejected. That land is my private property, and I have no intention of turning it into a commercial project."
Mr. Tasha delivered the refusal with absolute calm.
"But Mr. Tasha, it's a major opportunity, even for you. We could arrange a meeting to discuss.."
Tension crept into Ronnie's voice, He had not expected such a direct refusal.
"There's no need. I declined the offer calmly, so accept the refusal calmly."
The meaning was clear.
Ronnie understood immediately, Calm benefited both parties. Applying pressure through other means would only create unnecessary problems.
"Understood, Mr. Tasha. Thank you for your time."
Ronnie ended the call and sat quietly in his chair.
...
Later that evening
Inside a spacious office decorated in an elegant, classical style.
Ronnie sat in one of the chairs, looking toward the man standing beside a framed painting.
"Sir, Mr. Tasha has rejected the offer." Ronnie explained calmly, recounting the conversation.
"Very well, Ronnie. No problem. Mr. Tasha is a composed man and experienced in handling such situations. Do you remember the politician, Cyber. who once pressured him?"
Core's voice was deep and low, carrying an air of mystery.
"Yes. Cyber faced major legal troubles, He tried to pressure Mr. Tasha but failed to force him out of the project." Ronnie recalled.
"Exactly. Officially, the politician was arrested and taken to court for fraud and corruption, That's what the public saw. But many knew the conflict was between him and Mr. Tasha."
"Let's forget this land and look for another." Core said calmly.
For an investor, conflict with Mr. Tasha meant significant loss.
Ronnie nodded in understanding.
His master feared exposure, After all, not every wealthy man became so through clean means.
...
8:30 PM
Mr. Tasha prepared ramen for dinner, sat quietly, and enjoyed his meal.
He briefly thought about the land issue but was confident the investor understood his position.
He had done his research.
"I doubt they'll call again or apply pressure in any way. In the end, this is just a small issue."
Mr. Tasha was clear.
His approach was direct.
His manner calm.
To other businessmen, he resembled a bottomless swamp, enter with malicious intent, and there would be no way out.