That evening, Richard was sitting in the living room of the London house in the company of his father. As tradition dictated, the boy and the man had settled into armchairs by the fireplace.
The Duke spoke first:
"Richie, you are doing very well. I am proud of you."
"Thank you, Father."
"Charlie mentioned that you called him and put in a word for a girl. Your little girlfriend?"
"No. She's the daughter of the dentists I visited today. Hermione wanted so badly to attend tea with Grandma Lizzie that I simply couldn't refuse to help her."
"Plenty of people want to attend the Queen's reception, but you're not going to help everyone, are you?"
"No, Dad. I wasn't going to help everyone. But why not do something nice for acquaintances? Who knows—next time I might get a discount on dental services. And even if I don't, having dentists among your acquaintances is always useful."
"Oh, son..." Gerald shook his head, "You've spent far too much time around my top managers. You're looking for profit in everything."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No, but you're still a child. Son, you should be making friends with other children, playing—not looking for advantages in your interactions with your peers."
"Oh!" Richie dramatically rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. "As if anyone would be friends with me just like that! And I'm not talking about the children of influential people like Bill or Justin."
"Ah…" Gerald sighed softly. "All right. I wasn't exactly an angel myself as a child. Let's move on to the most interesting part. Richie, you haven't given up on your idea yet?"
"No, Dad. I didn't study all the ins and outs of business just to slam on the brakes now, did I?"
Gerald smiled warmly at his son and said,
"Good. I thought so. That's why I opened an account for you and transferred ten million pounds into it. But how are you going to work?"
Richie thoughtfully ran the back of his right hand over his chin and replied,
"Well… I suppose I'll need a small office, a secretary, and a broker. But there's one problem: I was planning to put all the funds into circulation, and profits won't come for at least a year. Simply put, I have nothing to pay my employees' salaries with."
"Why do you need an office? Son, you can handle investments without one. But fine, I'll give you a small office. Don't worry about the broker—I've already taken care of that. Richie, you'll be working with Dan Silver, an investment department specialist. Alongside his main duties, he'll manage your investments through Grosvenor Group brokers. And John will act as your secretary."
"Well, that's not bad," Richard agreed. He interlaced the fingers of both hands over his stomach and thought for a moment. "But that's not enough. I need someone who will seek out new companies and talented startup entrepreneurs, so I can be the first to invest in their ventures and skim off the cream."
Gerald pondered this. He scratched his head, mentally sorting through people who might meet his son's criteria. Finally, he delivered his verdict:
"I have one person in mind. A former detective from Scotland Yard's economic crimes department. He's fifty-five now, recently retired, but still full of energy and eager to work. He doesn't want to return to the police because of a conflict with management."
"Dad, how do you know this person?"
"Scott is a member of my hunting club. He's the perfect candidate. And you know what, son?"
"What?"
"I'm going to give you a gift," Gerald said with a mysterious smile, pausing dramatically. "I'll pay Scott's salary myself until you come of age. That way, at least I'll be sure you won't be cheated by scammers."
"Thank you, Father!" Richard said sincerely. Then he added with ironic sarcasm, "You have a very original taste in gifts. Expensive—no doubt. But original"
Gerald laughed good-naturedly.
"So, Richie, there's one last question to settle. How are you going to continue your education?"
"Dad, I want to continue studying externally, taking exams for several grades each year."
"Richie, won't business interfere with your studies?"
"No. I'll have a clear schedule. Work before lunch, then club activities or lessons with an economics tutor, then studying. Besides, I don't plan on doing business every day. As you understand, I just need to keep up with the latest news and occasionally give orders to buy or sell securities. Even less often will I need to be in the office and meet with people."
"That sounds logical and reasonable," Gerald drawled thoughtfully. "Hmm… Richie, you have my full support. External studies it is—along with an office and tutors!
***
Two days after the conversation with his father, Richie was settling into his office. The room, as Gerald had promised, was small—one might even say very small. Two by three meters, windowless, but with good lighting.
There was barely any furniture: a desk with an office phone on it, a comfortable chair for the boy (tall enough so that the child's eyes would be level with those of adult visitors), and a single chair for guests—comfortable, but only one.
Apparently, the room had once been a storage space that had been hastily converted into an office. However, it was located on the first floor of the Grosvenor Group building. A plaque on the door read:
Richard Grosvenor
The first visitor to the office was Dan Silver. He was a thirty-five-year-old man of average height with short, spiky black hair. He had sharp cheekbones and a keen gaze from brown eyes hidden behind elongated glasses.
Mr. Silver wore a brown suit with leather patches sewn onto the elbows of his jacket, already slightly worn.
He sat on the visitor's chair and looked mildly nervous. He hadn't expected this addition to his workload and had no idea what to expect from a small boy.
"So, Mr. Silver," Richard began, "I've been told that you're well versed in investments."
"I dare hope that I am," the man replied dryly.
Richie decided not to beat around the bush and got straight to the point:
"What can you tell me about the Finnish company Nokia?"
(End of Chapter)
Hey! It's a new week! Don't forget, your support is very important.
Please donate power stones, write reviews, and leave comments. It will be a huge help!
🎁 Bonus chapter at 50 power stones!