Two days later, the machine began moving. Offers had been accepted and contracts were signed. A.G.L Consortium now had all its executives in place. They signed 10-year performance-bound loyalty structured contracts and most importantly they all shared the same understanding that they were not joining a company, they were entering something larger, a sleeping giant.
On that same morning, inside the same Northern California café where everything important seemed to happen Alfred Lancaster waited again in a private meeting room. Today he was waiting to meet the face of his consortium. The private room was simple but elegant. It had a polished walnut table, muted lighting and soft jazz filtering faintly through insulated walls. Curtains were drawn halfway across the tall window beside them. Vince stood near the entrance, watching everything. Then, the door opened and Martin Antony entered. The man was tall, sharp-eyed and composed. At forty-three years old, Martin carried himself with the posture of someone who had spent decades negotiating outcomes instead of reacting to them. His gaze moved immediately to Vince, the scanned the room and landed on Alfred except it wasn't Alfred not in real sense though. Alfred wasn't in his normal casual wear instead Alfred wore a tailored black Italian suit and on top a charcoal coat, black gloves and a smooth matte mask that concealed his face leaving only his sharp eyes. When he spoke, his voice was deeper and deliberately slow and controlled. Vince closed the door behind Martin, then stepped forward slightly.
"Martin," he said calmly, "meet Ghost."
Silence filled the room, Martin studied Alfred carefully. He wasn't suspicious or frightened but just curious, respectfully curious. Martin extended his hand, "An honour," he said simply.
Alfred shook it once, firmly and measured. "Thank you for accepting the position," Alfred replied. Martin sat across from him and Vince remained standing near the wall exactly where a consigliere belonged, close enough to intervene and far enough to observe.
Alfred leaned forward slightly, "I'll speak plainly," he said. " You are going to be the face of my Consortium as for the vision I have, A.G.L Consortium should be stable enough to hold its ground against anyone in America within one and a half years."
Martin didn't react, his posture straightened and he simply listened.
"I want it strong enough to challenge anyone in five years," Alfred continued.
That statement made Martin pause, not visibly but internally. 'Five years, he wants to challenge anyone in America in five years' Martin thought. These weren't ambitions these were declarations. Martin leaned forward slightly himself.
"Well sir if I'm being honest, what you have said depends on coordination, structure and frankly capital," he replied calmly.
"Exactly," Alfred said, then he began outlining the framework of the company. Which company would take which building and so forth.
Martin's eyes sharpened slightly, while listening to Alfred's framework, he could tell that Alfred wasn't just allocating buildings and responsibility. This was part of his strategy as well as integrated positioning. Everything was independent and yet connected, reinforcing the others.
Then Alfred continued, "The central building will house all executive authority."
Martin understood immediately, it was the eighty-story building at the centre of A.G.L Campus. Alfred folded his hands together calmly and continued to explain:
"My office will be on the eightieth floor with restricted entry and it also has a private elevator. Each executive will occupy one floor which will serve as their office. It should have their personal assistants office and a meeting room as well. Security should be at its highest for all executive offices, no appointment no entry. And my executives shouldn't just meet anyone, have them send subordinates for small meetings and acquisitions Chairman included. Especially you the chairman, it will give us the upper hand in everything as well a prestige. I want the ground to shake when one of my executives arrives and there should be and earthquake when your name is mentioned."
Martin didn't interrupt or react, but he understood what that meant. Power and Authority. Then Alfred finished, "Lastly, all consortium-level decisions will be made inside the central tower."
Martin leaned back slightly and satisfied. This wasn't chaos or improvisation rather this was a sharpened corporate and power architecture.
"You'll hold a meeting with the executives immediately after this," Alfred continued.
Martin nodded once, "Will you come and explain our expansion direction?"
"No," Alfred said calmly, "You'll explain it."
Martin paused but understood. Alfred was already transferring responsibility to him, and this was going to be his first act as chairman of A.G.L Consortium. Alfred then went on to explain the immediate steps he wanted the consortium to take which was consolidation in America with the aim of international expansion in 6 years from today. Martin's expressions changed as the conversation continued again and again.
" Also allocate ten billion dollars to each company as operational and expansion capital. Have Alice handle it. Also let the executives know after this initial capital injection, capital will be allocated to them according to performance. 90% of all income generated profits and to be transferred to the consortiums account with the other 10% kept by each company. Furthermore each company can request additional funds as a loan form the consortium that is repaid at the end of the trading year free of interest. Failure to pay the loan will result in capital deductions on all operational funds for 5 consecutive years. The other minor workings of the consortium I'll leave to your discretion Martin."
After Alfred finished speaking, Martin couldn't blink. 10 billion each multiplied across seven companies that was 70 billion deployed instantly. Martin had negotiated deals worth billions before but never like this, this was fast, too fast actually. He nodded slowly, "It will be done."
Alfred leaned back slightly in his chair then his tone changed, colder and sharper for the final time. "After today," he said calmly, "we will most likely never meet again." Martin's eyes lifted surprised. "You'll run this show now," Alfred said.
Silence filled the room, Vince didn't move, speak or react. Martin studied Alfred carefully. "You trust me that much?" he asked.
"I hired you," Alfred replied simply. That answer was enough. "If you need anything," Alfred continued, "you contact Vince and if I need to see you, Vince will come looking for you."
Martin nodded once and understood. You just didn't see Alfred when you wanted instead he asked for you. This was how it was going to be, you don't seek the boss he seeks you. While Martin was in his thoughts Alfred added something unexpected.
"One more thing, there is a property auction taking place soon. Its for a mega mansion called THE ONE."
Martin's eyebrows lifted slightly, the most famous unfinished mega-mansion in America. A legend even before completion.
"You will instruct Property Management to send a representative to bid your ceiling is five billion dollars. So when you allocate funds to the company's give property management and extra five billion for this, any money left after the purchase they should use it to finish the mansion I want to move in in a year and half's time. I want this estate personally so make it happen."
Martin blinked and nodded once, "It will be done."
Alfred stood up signalling the end of the meeting. One final instruction remained.
"If anyone ever asks who you work for," Alfred said calmly, "tell them Ghost."
Martin smiled slightly but still listened, "And if they ask how to contact you?"
Alfred answered immediately, "Tell them Ghost is everywhere and when he wants to have a word with them," silence settled across the room again then Alfred gestured lightly toward Vince. "They'll see his right hand."
Vince didn't react but Martin understood immediately. Ghost remained unseen, and his right hand was reachable. Martin stood up as well shook Alfreds hand and opened the door for his boss, the meeting was over.
The Legend was beginning to take its form.