Hollywood Zenith

The financial world was buzzing with a strange rumor. It was not rare for such tales to float around in the market; their content was genuinely unbelievable.

The tech bubble was a minor incident factoring the losses compared to other crashes like the great depression, but it did make a blimp in the system.

An inconspicuous entity made the most of it, and its footprint was non-existent until now.

A leak was being shared online detailing some of the transactions and alleged profit the firm made in the past month.

Inside Wall street, people were also discussing the event. These people's life centered around the financial sector, and such topics were often brought up during their conversations.

Inside a large hedge fund office, two traders were discussing it.

" Did you hear about it? leak that cane from that new firm, I am forgetting the name."

" Achilles Investment, yeah I heard. I don't believe it though."

" But those documents looked pretty legit to me."

" And that's why you are a junior trader. Look, even if it's real we have nothing to do with it right?"

" Man, you are really uptight sometimes. Those profits were insane. Imagine how much the firm will be paying in comission."

" Comission? It will be in millions if you talk in percentage. But that will not be the case, they must pay a fixed amount to protect company's interest."

" Still that will be a hefty amount for people like us. I wish they open a branch here. I will apply in a heartbeat."

" Dream on! I have seen your skills, no one of sane mind would hire you after seeing it."

" Boss! He is calling you insane!"

" You two get back to work! Clear that position, I am not paying you to chit-chat here." After the manager's ' encouraging' words, both put their heads down, diving into their computer screens.

There was a buzz among the top players, too, the low-level executive would not notice, but these experienced people knew the market from the inside out.

A meeting was held on the top floor of an asset management company. AmericanRed, a medium size company established in the late 1980s, was gaining traction due to their recently released software, Aladdin.

Aladdin is a portfolio management software that provides investment professionals a way to view and manage daily investments.

The program came as a class platform that supports risk analytics and the complete investment process across equity, fixed income, FX, bank loans, derivatives, and alternatives such as real estate, commodities, and private equity.

This software was privately held before, but the founders decided to release it to the public for an exorbitant fee, and they would be properly vetted by the company before the deal.

For now, only a dozen or so deals were made. But the meeting was not about the software.

There were seven founding members, but currently, only four are present. They were arguing in front of the room.

" How many times did I warn you about this? Look what happened because you never listened to me." Rob Zaliy, the head of public relations.

" Don't blame me. I never told you to liquidate your shares. Besides, we don't know what the other party wants." Larry Hurlburt, the CEO said.

" Rob, Calm down. We still hold the majority of shares, this is not the time to be irrational." Sue Waner, head of the strategy department, tried to mediate the conflict.

" Seriously, you are taking his side? Someone definitely betrayed us. How else can you explain this?" Rob said.

" Have you talked to others? I am sure we can find some answers." Barbara, co-president of the company, asked. It was odd that others were absent from the meeting.

" Right, We must ask them. But do you know the identity of the person who is making the move?" Larry asked.

" We don't know. They are very careful about it but we are putting our best people on it." Barbara said.

" How much is it now?" Rob asked.

" A little over six percent. That makes them the tenth largest shareholder. I tracked some small shareholders who sold their shares recently but all their shares add up to two percent. We are still investigating who sold the other four percent." Sue informed the group.

" Great, just great." Rob was frustrated. They had to sell vast amounts of shares to institutions and other giants of the industry.

It was a necessary move to keep power. People don't understand that when you are an upcoming company, such deals must be made to keep the 'whales' happy. Without it, they would be crushed if they dared defy them.

" I know what you are thinking but I will not let anything happen to the company. Please trust me." Larry reassured them.

Just then, his cell started ringing, It was an unknown number, but only a few people had his personal number.

He picked up the phone and heard a child's voice from the other end.

" Hello. Who is this?"

" Hello, Mister Larry; I am disappointed you can't recognize my voice. Although our meeting was short, I left an impression during the ceremony.

Larry needed clarification. 'Who was this boy? Calling my number and speaking so frankly with me. Is this a prank?' These were his initial reactions.

But his ears perked up when he comprehended his words. A child speaking like an adult and left an impression during the ceremony--

His body tensed up when he realized the identity of the caller. There was no mistaking it. He unconsciously straightens his back before responding.

" Master Samuel. How can I forget? I am still a little hazy because I didn't have my morning coffee." Larry responded. He was a smooth talker; charming the client was his specialty.

His other three companions were also curious; seeing their friend being respectable was a rare occasion.

" I see. It's good that you remember me. I was calling to inform you that I have taken an interest in business recently. Hence, I bought few shares in large companies. AmericanRed was also on that list." Samuel said calmly.

" Umm, Does few shares mean six percent? You have become one of the largest shareholders." Larry was lost for words. Listening to Samuel talking about buying shares like he was buying candy from the store gave him a migraine.

Rob also heard the conversation and immediately made his way, putting his ears closer to the phone to listen to it.

" I made some money recently. Thinking about investment, I immediately thought of your company. I have heard good things about it." Samuel still played dumb.

" T-thats good. But other founder's are worried about hostile takerover. I-"

" I can assure you, I have no interest in such methods. If not necessary, I would have not made this move."

" What do you mean?"

" Aladdin. My firm was unable to obtain the software. So, we decided to own a part of the company that way I could get a copy of unrestricted version and I don't have to pay enormous fees for subscription right?"

" Firm? Subscriptions? If you were having trouble, you could have called me or mention your name. I am sure they would not have refused it." Larry was dumbfounded to learn his reason.

" I know but it would have blown my cover."

" I don't understand."

" Have you heard of Achilles Investment?"

" I see. No wonder that name has been making rounds lately. I assume the leak was intentional too."

" I needed some publicity without exposing my identity. We needed something flashy before opening up for public."

" Thank you for informing me. Do visit the States somewhere in the future, as a shareholder you have the rights to look at your investments."

" It have to wait. I have lot on my plate now."

" Yeah, I saw it. Congratulations on your first role."

" Thank you."

They talked for a few more minutes; Rob and the others were getting impatient. He was unsuccessful in hearing their entire conversation but only hearing Larry's side was enough to know the subject.

" So?" Rob asked.

" I know the identity of the mystery buyer. It is youngest heir of Rothschild Consortium, Samuel. He was on the other side of the call."

Larry told them about their conversation, which made them heave a sigh of relief. But they were also a little worried, what he didn't keep his word?

" Have you ever met anyone from that family?" Larry asked.

They nodded sideways, giving negative responses.

" That is why you don't understand. Institutions that you hate so much are all backed by someone like them. How can they increase their wealth without investing? That is why such venture capital exists." Larry explained.

" He is right. There is a obvious difference between new money and old money. Especially if you mention Rothschilds." Barbara said.

" Ok, now that the matter is settled. We should get back to work. I have several clients to meet today." Rob said. But Larry stopped him.

" Wait! I forgot to mention that firm that everyone is talking about is headed by Samuel. He is also the one who mentioned the discrepancy in tech market one year ago." Larry said.

" Really? I would love to meet him one day. He seems like a very wise man." Sue said. She admired intelligence above anything. As the person responsible for the theoretical side of the market, She studied some of the leaked data, which greatly impressed her.

The other three looked at her funny. They knew she was a hermit, but looking at her genuine expression was still amusing.

" Sue, He is just a child. No more than 12." Rob said. Even he was shocked by her lack of common knowledge.

" What?" She exclaimed.

Later, Larry brought her up to date. He also reminded her of the importance of trivial knowledge; in that way, she would look so dumb in the future.