The Last Successor

16. The Mud and the Briefcase

The rain over Pier 14 grew heavier as midnight approached, turning the ground near the main iron gate into a sea of cold mud.

Outside the fence, Raymond Sterling stood under a small umbrella bought from a nearby gas station. His expensive leather shoes were completely ruined, soaked through with muddy water. His loose jaw bandage hung near his chin, and his arms trembled as he gripped a heavy black briefcase containing two hundred thousand dollars in cash.

For three long hours, Raymond stood outside the gate in the cold rain. Every time he tried to shout at the booth, the two dock workers inside simply turned up their radio, ignoring him.

"Open the gate!" Raymond screamed, his voice hoarse from the wind. "I am Raymond Sterling, CEO of the Sterling Group! I have your money!"

Finally, the heavy iron gate clicked open with a loud metallic groan.

Director Thomas stepped out, wearing a thick raincoat over his faded blue uniform. He carried an old flashlight, casting a bright beam across Raymond’s pale face and soaked clothes.

"You're making a lot of noise for a man who owes us money, Mr. Sterling," Thomas said calmly.

"You think I want to stand out here in the rain?" Raymond spat, stepping forward. "I've been waiting for three hours!"

Raymond rushed forward, almost slipping in the mud, and shoved the leather briefcase toward Thomas’s chest. "Take it! Two hundred thousand dollars in cash! Now sign the release form for the limestone quarry so my trucks can move!"

Thomas caught the briefcase cleanly without opening it immediately. He looked down at Raymond’s ruined shoes, then up into his desperate eyes.

"Six months ago, Mr. Sterling, our drivers stood in your office lobby for four hours begging for this exact payment," Thomas said softly. "You had security throw them into the street and called them uneducated beggars."

Raymond’s jaw twitched violently as he glared at the old man. "That was a business delay! I'm paying you now, so give me the signed release!"

"Is that what you call it?" Thomas asked, unzipping the briefcase to check the thick stacks of bills under his flashlight. "A business delay while our workers couldn't buy medicine for their children?"

"Just sign the damn paper, Thomas!" Raymond snapped, shivering in the cold. "You have your cash!"

Thomas zipped the briefcase closed, his face remaining neutral. "The debt is cleared, Mr. Sterling. However, the quarry lien cannot be lifted tonight."

Raymond froze, his eyes bulging in pure terror. "What?! Why not?! I just paid you!"

"Because our legal clearance department operates during official business hours," Thomas replied, turning his back to walk toward the office. "Come back tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock, and if our legal advisor approves the paperwork, we will consider releasing the lien."

"Tomorrow afternoon?!" Raymond shrieked, trying to run after him. "My site will lose fifty thousand dollars by noon! You old fool, I will ruin you!"

Two heavy dock workers stepped into his path, blocking him with their broad shoulders. "That's far enough, CEO Raymond," one of them growled.

"Go home, Mr. Sterling," Thomas called back without turning around. "The mud is getting deep."

High on the second floor, behind the glass window of the office, Adrian stood in the shadows. He watched Raymond stumble back toward his sedan in pure humiliation while his father's old mechanical watch ticked steadily on his wrist.

He thought money could erase six months of arrogance in five minutes, Adrian thought quietly. He still doesn't understand that respect cannot be bought on credit.