Magyar Gold pt 2

Charles arrived at an office building just before 10 AM on the west side of the Danube river, overlooking the construction of the parliament building. The building itself had a sandstone brick first floor, topped with a beige structure above and a typical terracotta roof. The large wooden door looked like it had recently had fresh varnish of lacquer applied. He heaved the door open and walked in. The reception area was flanked by an attendant who immediately greeted Charles in Hungarian. Unsure of how to respond, Charles tried speaking French with the attendant.
 “Sorry, do you speak French?”
 “Ah! Yes, I speak French. How can I help you?” the attendant asked.
 “I’m here to meet some gentlemen from Austria. Mr. Steiner, Wolf, and Tersisch.”
 “Yes, they’re expecting you on the second floor. The stairs are over there. Once on the second floor, follow the hallway and enter the first door on your right.” the attendant instructed.
 Charles thanked the attendant and made his way up to the second floor. The walls of the hallway had a light cream colour that maximized the brightness. He took a moment to calm his nerves and remember the papers he had in his possession. Geological reports, maps, surveys, proposals, and finally the contract. His uncle had surely gone through much effort to procure this intelligence, now it was up to him to convince the Austrians to invest in his uncle’s venture. Charles had never met an Austrian before, perhaps he had seen some on the streets of Budapest without realizing it. He wondered if they resembled the northern German merchants he met once during a meeting his father held. Were there any particular customs that he needed to follow when greeting them? He’ll open with a handshake, he thought—a tried and tested greeting that hadn’t failed him yet.
 He knocked on the door and heard a voice from the other side but failed to understand what was said. He opened the door and was greeted by a room similar to the hallway. A room that utilized its colour and many windows to provide a bright atmosphere. The walls were adorned with various paintings, of what Charles was unsure. Above his head was a large chandelier affixed with lightbulbs and cheap quartz. The years of cigar smoking had left their mark on the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a large, wooden conference table. Next to the table were three older gentleman. Their hair was receded in spots, coated with streaks of grey, their beards trimmed. They each wore grey slacks and had a sharp black overcoat with a French vest underneath. They eyed him quizzically before looking at each other. One spoke out.
 “Where is Herr MacDonald? We were supposed to be meeting with him,” he said.
 Mustering his best French, Charles replied: “He had business to attend and I am here in his place. I am his nephew, Charles.”
 He took a step forward and reached out his hand to shake the one from the man who spoke to him.
 “Nice to meet you, Herr…?”
 “Herr Wolf,” he said, “and this is Herr Steiner and, this, Tersisch.”
 Charles moved through them, shaking their hands before being shown a seat by Mr. Wolf. He sat down and took out the documents from the briefcase his uncle had given him.
 “So, what do you have for us here?” asked Mr. Steiner.
 “Uh, so here are the geological reports my uncle gave me. As you can see, the report shows that the area is made of rocks that are typical for oil deposits. Here is the map of the proposed drilling site. Um, ah! Here is a copy of lease for the land.”
 The three Austrian gentlemen scrutinized the papers, passing them back and forth between each other. Charles removed the envelope from the bottom of the briefcase that contained the contract, but he thought it better to not present it just yet, in case it was deemed rude to be so eager. He laid it to his side and watched the Austrians in silence. After a moment they spoke up.
 “This all seems in order. However, this kind of venture is rather risky…” Tersisch said.
 “My colleague is right,” Wold spoke up.
 “Well, my uncle assures me this is a good investment. We are looking to acquire some funds for this first round of investment. We expect to produce around 100 barrels of oil per day; at the market price of 20 krone, that’s 2000 K a day in revenue. And, we still have the opportunity to expand the production later,” Charles said, trying his best to sound convincing.
 “Hmm, yes, all good points,” Wolf mused, “however, I’m not quite convinced just yet. What about you, gentlemen?”
 “Not quite.”
 “Indeed. I’m sure we just need a little more reason to agree…” Steiner hinted.
 Charles felt his hand reaching into the front pocket of his jacket where the bag of gold his uncle had given him lay. But then his hand stopped. He thought back to his father and how he conducted business. “A MacDonald is always honest,” he would say. He knew that his father would be disappointed in him if he was caught bribing. His father told him how bribery was essentially cheating and that it destroyed any trust individuals would have in each other since it could be bought for a price. It goes against the spirit of a business man who believed in the market and his intelligence. However, betraying his uncle’s trust had more immediate impacts on his life and he didn’t wish to disappoint his uncle, especially with his first important task.
 “I’m sorry, gentlemen, but if I haven’t convinced you with my words then I believe this investment is not for you; and, is perhaps better suited for someone else.”
 Mr. Wolf’s face went red. “You think you can just leave here without compensating us!? You naïve boy, you have no idea how the world of finance works!”
 Charles didn’t catch the rest of what he was saying because he slipped into his native tongue. Charles gathered the papers and stood up.
 “Gentlemen, I wish you a good day.” And with that he rushed out of the building before the Austrians could stop him.