The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 153: The Shadow King
"Everything is right here. It is hot off the press, practically still warm to the touch. Take a look."
Lying on the polished wooden surface of the table was the complete dossier for the business registration, accompanied by a stack of related legal documents that smelled faintly of fresh ink and ambition.
Julian Sterling reached out, his hand steady as he took hold of the file. He opened it, flipping through the pages one by one. The crisp, rhythmic rustling of the paper was the only sound in the quiet, expansive room, punctuating the silence like the ticking of a clock. He read with meticulous attention to detail, his eyes scanning every line, from the corporate charter and the articles of incorporation to the list of founding shareholders and the registered scope of business activities.
On the cover page, a line of bold, capitalized text struck his vision with the force of a revelation: Imperial Caine Analytics.
Julian’s long, slender fingers traced the black letters gently, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. This was it. This was his first spiritual child in this world, the tangible manifestation of his plans. It was a company specializing in Big Data and Business Intelligence, a field that was still relatively novel and uncharted territory in the current market, filled with immense potential but also fraught with significant challenges.
The dossier stated clearly and unequivocally: Lucas Hill was the General Director and the legal representative of the company. Two other shareholders appeared on the official paperwork: Vincent Vaughn, a brilliant expert in network infrastructure whom Lucas had managed to poach and recruit, and Tristan Mercer, Vincent’s cousin, who was instrumental in securing the premises and handling administrative relations.
As for Julian Sterling? His name was nowhere to be found on the business license. He was a ghost in the machine, the boss behind the curtain, the silent investor who poured in the capital and dictated the strategic direction without ever stepping into the light.
Julian scrutinized the clauses carefully, evaluating the structure and the safeguards. He felt a surge of approval. Lucas had done a thorough and cautious job. After a long moment, he finally closed the folder, looked up at Lucas Hill, and let a satisfied smile bloom on his face.
"Congratulations are in order, General Director Hill." Julian said, his tone warm and teasing: "From now on, I suppose I will have to address you respectfully as President Hill."
Lucas chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with a hint of embarrassment, though his eyes shone with undeniable pride: "Stop teasing me. What President Hill? At the end of the day, I am just a glorified employee working for you."
Julian pushed the business registration file back across the table toward Lucas: "Keep this safe. This right here is our rice bowl, it is the golden goose that will feed us."
Lucas nodded solemnly, carefully placing the file back into his briefcase as if it were a fragile artifact. Then, his demeanor shifted. He took a deep breath, the air filling his lungs as his expression transformed, becoming unusually grave and serious. He reached into his bag again and pulled out a different document envelope. This one was thinner, sealed with meticulous care.
"I have already signed it." Lucas said, his voice dropping an octave: "Read it over. If there are no issues, sign it, and we will each keep one copy."
Julian furrowed his brows in confusion, accepting the envelope. He broke the seal and pulled out the single document inside.
The title of the contract hit his eyes instantly: Investment Trust and Share Ownership Transfer Agreement.
He skimmed through the content, his eyes widening slightly as he processed the legal jargon. The document stipulated in crystal-clear terms that the entire amount of capital contributed under Lucas Hill’s name was, in reality, the personal asset of Julian Sterling. Lucas Hill was merely a nominee, a placeholder standing in for the true owner. It granted Julian the irrevocable right to demand that Lucas transfer all or part of the shares back to him at any time he desired. Furthermore, Lucas committed to waiving all economic rights arising from those shares, agreeing to receive only a salary and performance-based bonuses for his management work.
In other words, this was a contract affirming that Julian Sterling was the absolute, undisputed owner of Imperial Caine Analytics.
Julian snapped his head up, staring at Lucas with a complicated gaze: "What is this? What are you doing? I told you that I trust you."
Lucas did not dodge his gaze. He met Julian’s eyes squarely, his expression devoid of his usual playfulness. He explained seriously, his voice steady and devoid of any joking tone: "I know you trust me. But black and white is always better than vague verbal agreements. This company belongs to you. The money is yours, the ideas are yours, the algorithm is yours. Whenever you want to reveal your identity, or when the time is ripe, you just need to take this contract to a notary or execute the transfer procedure, and it is done. At that point, no one can argue or dispute your ownership." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
"But this says you do not receive any shares at all?" Julian pointed a finger at a specific clause, his voice rising in disbelief: "Are you crazy? You are the one directly operating the business, sweating blood and tears to make it run. I am just contributing capital and pointing my fingers from the sidelines. You should receive at least twenty percent... no, thirty percent of the technical shares. That is standard."
Lucas shook his head vigorously, rejecting the notion immediately: "No. That will not work. I have already calculated everything. Just sign it. Remember to share a percentage of the profit with me, and that will be enough. I will take a fixed salary and a bonus based on revenue. That is already a huge bargain for me."
Seeing that Julian was still hesitating and clearly disagreeing with the unfairness of the arrangement, Lucas sighed. He leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the table, and looked deeply into the eyes of his best friend.
"Julian, listen to me." Lucas said, his voice earnest.
"You know perfectly well what I want. My goal is to build influence and financial standing to back my own family. I have an uncle working in politics. Owning a few percentage points of shares does not really help me in that regard. You understand, do you not? I just need the superficial power, the title. And by letting me be the executive operator, you have already provided me with exactly what I need."
Lucas’s voice lowered, carrying a note of mature, contemplative thought that seemed beyond his years: "Business is business. Friendship is friendship, and money is money. The core database of the company is based on your ideas and parts of your algorithms. The capital is one hundred percent from your pocket. I am just contributing my labor and this glib tongue of mine."
"Right now, I am grateful to you. I am passionate, and I am certainly ready to work like a horse or an ox to repay this kindness. But I am afraid..."
Lucas paused for a moment, his gaze dropping to the cup of cooling tea on the table, as if he were staring into the reflection of his own soul.
"Human beings all have greed, Julian. I am a human being, too. I dare not pat my chest and claim that I am a saint who is immune to temptation. I believe our company will be successful, I believe it will become a major force in the data industry. But the more I believe in that success, the more afraid I become. When the money we earn turns from a few spare coins into billions, hundreds of billions... what if one day I am blinded by that money? What if I am corrupted by the power, and greed sprouts in my heart? What if I want to seize everything for myself and deny your value?"
The room fell silent as Lucas’s words hung in the air, heavy and raw. He looked back up at Julian, his eyes swimming with a mixture of determination and vulnerability.
"I do not want to bet on my future humanity, Julian. I value our friendship too much to let money destroy it. So, let us lock this down now, while my head is still clear and my heart is still pure. Sign the paper. Let me work for you without the temptation of ownership clouding my judgment. That way, no matter how much money we make, I will always remember who the real boss is."
