Page 104 of One Indian Girl
‘Your countryisstunning. It was evident even in the short journey from the airport to here,’ Neel said to Marcos.
‘You have to see the resorts. This is nothing,’ Marcos said dismissively.
‘Yeah?’ Neel said.
‘You are staying at one tonight, right?’ Marcos said.
‘We had actually booked a hotel in Manila on our way back. Our Hong Kong flight is tomorrow,’ Neel said.
Marcos waved a no with his hands.
‘Forget Manila. Crowded and polluted. You stay at my resort.’
‘But...’ Neel said before Marcos interrupted him.
‘I insist. My seaplane will take you there.’
‘Sure,’ Neel said. Apart from being gracious to our client, we wanted to see the quality of the resorts anyway. Marcos told his secretary to arrange two rooms at the El Casa Pengalusian Island.
‘Now let us talk business,’ Marcos said after he delegated our travel arrangements.
‘My colleague Radhika here has prepared some numbers,’ Neel said.
I passed out copies of the financial model.
‘I have tried to value each resort,’ I said. Over the next ten minutes I walked him through my assumptions and projections. After I finished, Marcos took a deep breath.
‘What now?’ Marcos said.
I looked at Neel. It was time for him to speak.
‘We need a new buyer. However, nobody will buy a company with a fifty-million-dollar loan on it. We have to settle the banks at a discount first.’
‘They will settle,’ Marcos said.
‘But we want them to settle at a low price. We have to paint a terrible scenario for the banks. Say the business is worth almost nothing. You will have to play along,’ I said.
‘Really?’ Marcos said.
‘Yes. So they will sell the loans to us cheap. We will then find a new buyer. From our profit, we can give you 20 per cent,’ I said.
Marcos’s eyes widened. He looked at Neel.
‘She’s good,’ Marcos said.
‘Only my best people for you. Any other issues, Marcos?’ Neel said. Marcos turned to me again.
‘Will the new buyer fire people?’ Marcos said.
‘Depends on the new owner,’ I said.
‘I don’t want that. No firing people. They are my people,’ Marcos said.
I looked at Neel. We had a deadlock. The value of the company would drop if the new buyer had a no-layoffs clause.
‘No firing anyone for five years. Okay?’ Neel said.
Marcos looked at me. I pursed my lips.
