Chapter 248: Airborne Purchases

Chapter 248: Chapter 248: Airborne Purchases

By Tuesday afternoon, Jake’s focus had shifted to global logistics of a different nature.

After reviewing the preliminary acquisition dossiers Samuel had left behind, Jake leaned back in his leather desk chair. The upcoming schedule Alice had laid out in the Maybach was dense—Geneva for the hypercar auction this coming weekend, followed by international travel demands that would only multiply once Golden Investments finalized its next corporate buyout. Relying on commercial first-class charters or third-party leasing firms was beginning to introduce unnecessary friction and scheduling constraints.

He picked up his desk phone and dialed Adrian Vance directly.

"Adrian," Jake said when the line connected. "Do you have a few minutes?"

"Yeah, what’s up," Adrian replied, his tone smooth, level, and entirely devoid of inflection, accompanied only by the soft, rhythmic rustle of legal documents in the background. "Unless this is about Marcus trying to get us to back Mult, then tell him I’m out of the country."

"It’s not about Marcus," Jake said, a brief smirk touching his lips. "I’m looking to buy a private jet."

There was a brief pause on the line. Adrian didn’t gasp or express surprise; his voice remained flat and composed as he shifted slightly in his chair. ’A private jet out of the blue,’ Adrian thought quietly, unbothered by the scale of the request. ’Typical.’

"What kind of specs are you looking for?" Adrian asked plainly. "Long-range, heavy cabin?"

"Ultra-long-range," Jake specified. "Something that can handle transpacific or transatlantic legs without refueling stops, with enough cabin space for full executive meetings, security personnel, and personal quarters."

"If you’re looking to order a brand-new, custom-configured flagship directly from the manufacturer—say, a Gulfstream G700 or a Bombardier Global 7500—you’re looking at a waiting list," Adrian noted, his voice steady and clinical. "The backlog for factory delivery right now is anywhere from eighteen months to three years, depending on the interior customization choices."

"I don’t plan on waiting three years," Jake said. "I can buy a low-hour asset on the secondary market for immediate deployment, and put in an order for a new build simultaneously."

Adrian let out a faint, dry breath that barely registered as a chuckle. ’He really has too much liquid reserves,’ Adrian reflected silently, calculating the raw capital sitting in Jake’s accounts. ’He literally treats intercontinental aviation like buying fleet vehicles.’

"Must be nice having that kind of liquidity sitting around where buying multiple intercontinental jets is just a matter of checking two boxes," Adrian said, his tone remaining cool and detached. "You really don’t do subtle, do you, Jake?"

"Efficiency isn’t about subtlety, Adrian. It’s about eliminating delay."

"Fair enough," Adrian admitted, maintaining his nonchalant cadence. "If you want immediate access to top-tier, off-market listings without navigating public broker noise, you need Mark Thompson. He’s the senior managing director at Royal Aviation. He handles private fleet liquidations for sovereign wealth funds, corporate restructurings, and ultra-high-net-worth estates. I’ll send his direct line to your terminal now."

"Appreciated," Jake said, ending the call just as a contact card chimed onto his screen.

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Five minutes later, Mark Thompson was sitting in his corner office overlooking the runway at Aurelia International Airport, reviewing quarter-end commission projections, when his private line rang.

He picked up smoothly. "Mark Thompson."

"Mr. Thompson. My name is Jake Rivers."

Thompson froze, his coffee cup hovering inches from his mouth. In the global financial sector, the name Jake Rivers had become synonymous with staggering liquid reserves and ruthless market execution. ’Jake Rivers,’ Thompson thought, his pulse hammering against his ribs as his mind immediately calculated the potential deal size. ’The man has virtually unlimited liquidity.’

"Mr. Rivers," Thompson said quickly, setting his cup down and sitting up straight, his voice instantly shifting into polished, high-end attentiveness. "It is an absolute honor. How can Royal Aviation assist you today?"

"I’m restructuring my private transport arrangements," Jake stated directly. "I want to acquire two readily available, ultra-long-range private jets on the market for immediate delivery, and I also want to place a factory order for a new build."

Thompson felt a sudden rush of warmth spread through his chest. ’Two immediate acquisitions plus a factory order,’ he analyzed internally, his fingers tightening around his pen. ’At standard three percent broker commission rates across two ultra-long-range assets, I might be ooking at two to three million dollars in pure commission on the secondary sales alone, before even touching the manufacturer referral on the new build.’

"That is a phenomenal strategy, Mr. Rivers," Thompson said, keeping his tone professional despite his racing mind. "Securing immediate market assets allows you full operational mobility today while your custom factory unit is assembled. What are your specific cabin and range requirements for the two immediate aircraft?"

"They both need to comfortably accommodate more than ten passengers—preferably between eleven and twenty—with dedicated executive workspaces and long-range capability," Jake instructed. "And the transaction needs to be clean."

"Understood," Thompson said, opening his master global inventory database on three screens simultaneously. "Give me one moment, Mr. Rivers. I currently have five premium, low-hour aircraft on our confidential global network that meet your exact seating capacity and ultra-long-range profile. Let me walk you through the specifics, including where they are located and why they are available."

Thompson cleared his throat, leaning toward his mic as he pulled up the first profile.

"Option one," Thompson began smoothly, "is a Bombardier Global 6000, listed at $38 million USD. It features a 13-passenger, three-zone cabin configuration with a dedicated crew rest area. Range is roughly 6,000 nautical miles. It’s currently parked in Dubai. The owner is a Middle Eastern real estate conglomerate liquidating non-core corporate assets to meet a debt maturity deadline. The airframe has under 800 total flight hours, and the maintenance logs are completely immaculate."

Jake listened quietly, taking a slow sip of his coffee. "Next."

"Option two," Thompson continued instantly, "is a Gulfstream G650, listed at $48 million USD. Seating for 14 passengers, finished in cream leather and dark walnut paneling. Range sits at 7,000 nautical miles, easily handling non-stop flights from Aurelia to Europe or North America. It’s located in London Stansted. The aircraft belonged to a hedge fund principal who recently restructured his fund into a family office and downsized his flight operations. It’s ready for immediate pre-purchase inspection."

Jake remained silent, allowing Thompson to proceed.

"Option three," Thompson said, swiping to the next file, "is a Dassault Falcon 8X, priced at $42 million USD. It seats 12 passengers, features an exceptionally quiet tri-jet cabin architecture, and has a range of 6,450 nautical miles. Located in Paris Le Bourget. It was owned by a French industrialist who passed away last quarter; the estate is liquidating the asset to settle inheritance tax liabilities. Excellent condition, very low airframe hours."

Thompson paused briefly before raising his voice slightly for the final two listings.

"Option four is an absolute masterpiece—a Bombardier Global 7500, listed at $68 million USD. It accommodates 19 passengers across four distinct living spaces, including a private master suite with a permanent bed and an en-suite lavatory. Range is a staggering 7,700 nautical miles, allowing true non-stop global reach. It’s currently located in Zurich, Switzerland. The seller is a tech founder who bought it last year but is currently tied up in a costly corporate division and needs immediate liquidity."

Thompson clicked on the fifth profile. "Finally, option five is a flagship Gulfstream G700, listed at $75 million USD. It is virtually brand-new, with less than 150 delivery hours on the airframe. Configured for 15 passengers, featuring the ultra-quiet cabin environment, twenty panoramic oval windows, and a range of 7,500 nautical miles at Mach 0.90. It is located in New York (Teterboro). The owner took delivery six months ago, but his primary firm was recently absorbed in a hostile takeover, forcing him to divest luxury capital assets immediately."

Thompson held his breath, letting the details settle before adding, "All five aircraft are held in off-market, private-treaty registries, meaning we can execute closing documents within days."

Jake looked out his window over the city skyline, evaluating the operational footprint. ’The Global 7500 gives us an active, heavy-capacity long-range platform stationed in Europe right now,’ Jake reasoned silently. ’The G700 in New York secures our transatlantic route flexibility immediately. Buying both covers every global flight requirement without waiting on build queues.’

"We’ll take option four and option five," Jake said calmly. "The Bombardier Global 7500 in Zurich and the Gulfstream G700 in New York."

Thompson’s eyes went wide as he stared at his monitors. ’Sixty-eight million plus seventy-five million—that’s one hundred and forty-three million dollars in immediate sales,’ Thompson ran the math rapidly in his head, his hands trembling slightly. ’At a standard three percent brokerage fee, Royal Aviation takes $4.29 million. My direct personal cut from this single phone call is $1.28 million. That’s 10.28 million marks.’

"A—an exceptional choice, Mr. Rivers," Thompson stammered slightly before quickly catching his composure. "The Global 7500 and the G700 represent the absolute pinnacle of business aviation."

"Here is the condition, Mr. Thompson," Jake’s voice cut in, sharp and uncompromising. "I am traveling to Geneva this coming Friday. I need at least one of those two aircraft—preferably the Global 7500 currently sitting in Zurich—fully pre-inspected, legally cleared, re-registered, and sitting on the tarmac ready for departure by Thursday evening. If you can coordinate the escrow transfer, aviation authority clearances, and flight readiness by Thursday night, I will personally add a fifteen percent bonus to your broker fee."

Thompson felt a surge of adrenaline hit his bloodstream. *A fifteen percent bonus on top of my brokerage fee,* Thompson thought, ecstatic. *That adds another six hundred and forty-three thousand dollars directly to my payout. I’ll move mountain ranges to get that plane cleared by Thursday.*

"Mr. Rivers, consider it done," Thompson declared with fierce certainty. "Since the Global 7500 is already in Switzerland, we can deploy an expedited international inspection crew to Zurich within three hours. With Golden Investments providing immediate escrow funding, we can bypass the standard two-week banking delay completely. I will personally oversee the registration filings tonight."

"What about crew deployment?" Jake asked, moving to the next operational bottleneck. "I won’t have my flight schedule delayed by staffing logistics."

"That is the best part about acquiring top-tier assets from active private sellers," Thompson explained eagerly. "Both the Global 7500 in Zurich and the G700 in New York currently have fully certified, type-rated flight crews and dedicated cabin attendants under third-party management contracts with global private aviation firms—specifically Luxury Jet Management. If you choose, we can immediately assume their existing management contracts. The Zurich crew is already fully vetted, holds European and international flight clearances, and can be on standby at Zurich or positioned to fly to Aurelia to pick you up by Thursday."

"Assume both crew management contracts immediately," Jake instructed. "Double their retention bonuses to ensure absolute loyalty and seamless transition."

"Understood, Mr. Rivers! I will handle the contract assignments alongside the title transfers," Thompson said, his pen flying across his notepad. "And regarding the third aircraft—the new factory build?"

"Place a formal order for a brand-new, fully customized Gulfstream G700 directly with the manufacturer," Jake said. "Coordinate with Alice at my office for the interior specifications and deposit structure tomorrow morning."

"It will be handled with the highest priority," Thompson promised, his voice practically trembling with satisfaction. "I will have the preliminary purchase agreements for the Global 7500 and the G700 sent to your legal team within the hour."

"I’ll have Samuel review them as soon as they arrive," Jake said smoothly. "Make sure that Global 7500 is ready for Friday."

"You have my word, Mr. Rivers. Good day."

Jake ended the call and set his phone on the glass desk. Outside, the afternoon sun reflected off the sleek towers of the financial district. With two intercontinental jets secured and his European flight logistics sorted in under fifteen minutes, the path for the weekend was clear.

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