Chapter 54: We need to talk

"I think we need to talk."

Michael was quiet on the other end of the phone.

"About the price?"

"Yeah."

Michael sighed.

"I figured that was coming."

Damian leaned back in his chair.

"I’ve gone through most of the documents."

"And?"

"I like the company."

Michael laughed softly.

"That sounds like a compliment."

"It is."

"But?"

Damian smiled.

"There’s always a but."

Michael didn’t deny it.

"So what did you find?"

"Your customer base is stronger than I expected."

"That’s good."

"Your infrastructure isn’t."

"That’s less good."

"The biggest customer is coming up for renewal."

Michael was silent.

"And your operating expenses are too high."

"Fair."

"Your product isn’t bad either."

Michael chuckled.

"You sound disappointed."

"No. I’m actually more interested now."

There was a pause.

"Then what’s the problem?"

"The price."

Michael took a breath.

"What’s wrong with it?"

"I don’t know yet."

Damian looked at the documents spread across his table.

"That’s why I’m asking you to name your lowest realistic price."

Michael laughed.

"That’s not how negotiations work."

"Worth a try."

"You’re not as inexperienced as you were when we first met."

Damian smiled.

"I’m learning."

"So what are you offering?"

Damian didn’t answer immediately.

He had spent enough time looking at the numbers to understand something.

The company had value.

But he couldn’t afford to pay as if all the problems had already been solved.

"I don’t want to give you a number before I finish the legal and technical review."

"That sounds like you’re trying to delay."

"I am."

Michael laughed.

"Fair enough."

Damian continued.

"But if everything checks out, I’m prepared to make an offer."

"How much?"

"That’s what we’re going to find out."

The call ended.

Damian stared at his notebook.

He wrote:

Don’t overpay.

Then underneath:

Don’t let excitement make the decision.

He had almost five million dollars sitting in his account.

That number made certain decisions feel easier than they should.

If the company cost two million, he could technically buy it.

If it cost three million, he could still buy it.

But that wasn’t the point.

He needed enough money left afterward to actually operate the business.

Buying the company was only the beginning.

There would be salaries.

Infrastructure.

Marketing.

Development.

Unexpected expenses.

And if Meridian didn’t renew?

That could hurt badly.

Damian opened his banking app.

$5,099,924.32

He stared at the number.

Then locked the phone.

"Not touching all of that."

Later that afternoon, Damian met with Marcus and Maya again.

He placed the documents on the table.

"I want both of you to tell me what I’m missing."

Marcus looked at him.

"You’re still asking that?"

"Until I buy something, yes."

Maya smiled.

"Fair."

Damian pulled up the financial projections.

"If Meridian leaves, what happens?"

Marcus adjusted his glasses.

"The company survives."

Damian nodded.

"How badly does it hurt?"

"Badly."

"How badly?"

Marcus gave him the revised figures.

Damian’s expression tightened.

The business wouldn’t collapse immediately.

But the company’s cash flow would take a significant hit.

"And if Meridian stays?"

"Much better."

"What if they renew but demand better pricing?"

Marcus shrugged.

"Still manageable."

Damian nodded.

Maya opened the technical report.

"And if the infrastructure upgrade costs more than expected?"

"How much more?"

"Potentially twenty to thirty percent above our initial estimate."

Damian sighed.

"Of course."

Maya smiled.

"You wanted the truth."

"I did."

Marcus leaned forward.

"There’s something else."

Damian looked at him.

"The employees."

"What about them?"

"The company has a few people who’ve been there for years."

"Okay."

"They’re not expensive."

"That sounds good."

"But they’re carrying a lot of institutional knowledge."

Damian nodded slowly.

"So if I start cutting costs..."

"You could save money."

"And lose people who know how everything works."

"Exactly."

Damian wrote it down.

Don’t cut blindly.

He looked at both of them.

"Anything else?"

Marcus shook his head.

Maya thought for a moment.

"Maybe."

Damian waited.

"You’re looking at this like an acquisition."

"I am."

"But you’re going to inherit a business."

Damian frowned.

"What’s the difference?"

Maya smiled.

"An acquisition is paperwork."

She pointed toward the documents.

"A business is people."

Damian went quiet.

She continued.

"If you buy it, those employees wake up the next day with a new owner."

Damian nodded.

"And they’ll want to know what happens next."

"Exactly."

Damian leaned back.

That wasn’t something he’d forgotten.

But it was something he hadn’t thought about enough.

That evening, Michael sent him the number.

Damian was sitting on his couch when the message arrived.

Asking Price: $2,400,000.

Damian stared at it.

"Two point four."

He opened the financial model.

The number wasn’t ridiculous.

It wasn’t cheap either.

Considering the existing revenue, customer base and software, Michael had clearly priced the company based on what it could become.

Not what it currently was.

Damian typed:

Damian:Does that include the outstanding debt?

The reply came quickly.

Michael:No.

Damian closed his eyes.

"Of course."

He typed again.

Damian:Then we have a problem.

Michael called him instead.

"You were expecting the debt included?"

"I was hoping."

Michael laughed.

"You can’t blame me for trying."

"I don’t."

"Look, the company is still generating revenue."

"I know."

"And the debt is manageable."

"I know."

"But you’re right that it affects the price."

Damian nodded.

"Exactly."

"So what do you think it’s worth?"

Damian looked at the documents.

"I don’t know yet."

"You really like that answer."

"It’s honest."

Michael sighed.

"Then give me a number you’re comfortable with."

Damian hesitated.

This was the first real negotiation.

He could throw out a number.

But once he did, the conversation would revolve around it.

He thought about the risks.

The debt.

The infrastructure.

Meridian.

The employees.

The customer base.

The potential.

Finally, he spoke.

"Two million."

Michael went silent.

Then laughed.

"That’s quite a cut."

"I’m taking on the debt."

"Not all of it."

"Enough of it."

"You’re also getting a company with hundreds of customers."

"Customers who could leave."

"Fair."

"And I’m going to have to spend more money fixing the infrastructure."

Michael didn’t respond.

Damian continued.

"I’m not saying the company isn’t worth two point four."

"Then why offer two?"

"Because I’m the one taking the risk after the sale."

Another silence.

Michael finally said,

"Two million is too low."

"Okay."

"Two point three."

Damian shook his head.

"Still too high."

"Two point two."

"Closer."

Michael laughed.

"You’re enjoying this."

"A little."

"Two point fifteen."

Damian thought.

That was interesting.

He hadn’t expected Michael to move that quickly.

"What about the debt?"

"Still yours."

Damian frowned.

"Then no."

Michael sighed.

"Two million one hundred thousand."

Damian didn’t answer.

Michael waited.

Finally—

"Two million."

"You’re really sticking to that?"

"Yes."

Michael was quiet.

Then:

"Two million, one hundred thousand, and I cover the legal transfer costs."

Damian considered it.

That wasn’t bad.

But he wasn’t ready.

"I’m not agreeing today."

Michael sighed.

"I knew you’d say that."

"I still need the legal review."

"And the technical audit."

"And I want to speak with more customers."

"Fine."

"If the numbers change after those reviews, the offer changes."

Michael nodded.

"Fair."

"And I want a written agreement that the company won’t take on new debt or make major expenditures while we’re negotiating."

Michael paused.

"That can be arranged."

"Good."

The conversation ended there.

No handshake.

No celebration.

No dramatic agreement.

Just a tentative number sitting between them.

$2.1 million.

Damian placed his phone on the table.

He looked at the figure again.

If the deal happened at that price, he’d still have roughly three million dollars left before accounting for the company’s debt and any immediate operating costs.

That was significant.

But it wasn’t the kind of money he could afford to treat casually.

He opened his notebook.

Under the acquisition title, he wrote:

Potential purchase price: $2.1M

Then:

NOT FINAL.

He underlined it twice.

His phone buzzed again.

This time, it was Emily.

Emily:Hey love.

Damian:Hey babe.

Emily:What are you doing?

Damian:Negotiating.

Emily:Already? 😂

Damian:Had to.

Emily:And?

Damian smiled.

Damian:Might have a deal.

Emily stared at the message.

She was sitting in the passenger seat of Adrian’s car.

He was driving.

She quickly typed.

Emily:That’s good love. I’m happy for you.

Damian replied:

Damian:Thanks babe.

Then:

Damian:What are you doing?

Emily’s fingers stopped.

She looked through the windshield.

Adrian noticed.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah."

She looked back at her phone.

Emily:Just out for a bit.

Damian:

Damian:With who?

Emily’s heart skipped.

She didn’t answer immediately.

Adrian glanced at her.

"You don’t have to tell him if you don’t want to."

Emily looked at him sharply.

"Don’t."

Adrian returned his attention to the road.

"I’m just saying."

Emily stared at the screen.

She typed:

Emily:Just with a friend.

She sent it.

A few seconds later:

Damian:Okay. Have fun.

Emily’s chest tightened.

She put her phone down.

Adrian didn’t say anything.

But his expression changed slightly.

Emily noticed.

"Don’t."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You were about to."

He smiled faintly.

"Maybe."

Emily looked out the window.

She didn’t want to have this conversation.

Not now.

Not in the car.

Not with Adrian.

That night, Damian sat alone in his apartment.

The potential acquisition had moved from an interesting idea to something real.

A real price.

Real risks.

Real people.

Real money.

And for the first time since the System appeared, he was about to make a financial decision where the cashback wasn’t the most important part.

If he spent $2.1 million on the acquisition, the System could potentially turn the transaction into something enormous.

But that wasn’t the reason he wanted it.

He wanted to build something.

Something he actually owned.

Something that could grow without him constantly needing to spend money just to get a return.

He opened his notebook.

At the bottom of the page, he wrote:

If I buy it, the first goal isn’t profit.

He paused.

Then continued.

Stability.

Fix the foundation.

Keep the customers.

Keep the right people.

Then grow.

Damian looked at the list.

A small smile appeared.

He was starting to understand the difference between having money and building wealth.

The System could make him richer.

But it couldn’t run a company for him.

That part was still his.

His phone buzzed.

A new notification.

[FINANCIAL DECISION UNDER REVIEW.]

Damian looked at it.

Then another appeared.

[MAJOR CAPITAL ALLOCATION DETECTED.]

He waited.

Nothing else came.

Damian smiled.

"Yeah."

He closed the System window.

"I’m still deciding."

And for once, the System had nothing to say about it.