In the two years since Danika was kidnapped, Theo had learnt that Hsu had undergone some personal reorganizing. The last part of which, he found out was his own hiring. Not only was MacDonald preparing to hand over the baton of Security Chief and all the workings of his tech, but Andy’s colleague Marcus Johnson had retired to spend some quiet time with his young grandchildren. As far as the security men were concerned, Danika’s kidnapping and in particular the loss of three of their men, including a senior man as Lars Jespersen, had shaken them, and it was clear they were rebuilding. Having an Immortal be their commander was one step.
He also learned from things told to him or snippets that he heard and could put together, that his daughter’s kidnapping had caused Hsu to reevaluate much of his business and investments. The driving force of that was that despite being an extremely wealthy man, so much of that wealth was tied up, took time liquidate, which he just couldn’t do to if he was to pay any cash demand for ransom. Given what he already knew of his new boss, Theo didn’t think he was the type of man to give in to a kidnapper’s demands and revenge himself on them.
“The priority was to get Danika safe.” Andy explained to him over a working lunch when Theo brought the topic up. “If that meant paying up, the Boss was prepared to do it, if he’d had the liquid cash. After she was back with us, that’s when he would have gone after and slaughtered those responsible for taking her. As he didn’t have the cash -- and who does have five billion dollars in cash just lying around? -- we had to plan to free Danika and take out the bad guys at the same time.”
So Andy told him that Hsu had liquidated or reallocated a good amount of his personal wealth, selling off his collection of high-performance cars. “I think the only one that he had a hard time parting with was the Bugatti Chiron.” Theo whistled, impressed. That car was worth a cool two and a half million dollars alone. Andy continued. “He kept the Veyron as it was one of the first off the line and a favourite of his. A real collector’s piece now.” And nearly priceless as it cost well over a million dollars in the twenty years since it was made. “He hardly ever drove most of them anyway. Then back when the twins were teenagers, he bought an island just off the coast of Grenada for them to enjoy in private, he’s sold that now. And the one sale that really hurt him even more than the Chiron washis yacht, ‘The Edelweiss’, and he’d owned that since I first joined the organization. Other than that, he’s sold a lot of his real estate and other business interests he had a stake in. Of course, the bank and his Asian and Colombian businesses are still going strong. And he has expanded other stuff, like he’s bought three more planes now the twins are doing their own stuff now, another chopper, and he’s got more men on protection duty.” Andy shrugged. “Though that’s a bit of a waste as Danika tends to eschew them in all but a few occasions.”
“Yeah, I noticed that.” Theo nodded as he took a bite of his cheese and pickle sandwich. “I was surprised the Boss is okay with that, but I suppose with her and Sigurd together most of the time, it’s like she has a bodyguard. And Legrand and the other guys at the stud are there as well.” Danika’s stud manager and grooms were all hired and trained by Hsu.
“Dani didn’t give him much of a choice, but yeah it sits better with him that Sigurd’s there, and when he’s not, she’s usually hanging out with Danny, so his detail watches out for her.” Andy gulped down a mouthful of coffee. “And honestly, don’t tell the Boss, but I would put her up against any of our guys and have my money on her, too.” At Theo’s puzzled look, Andy explained. “After she came back from the Lothbrok’s, where she trained with them as well, she was determined to be able to be able not only to defend herself but fight back and win. You should see her in action.” He chuckled. “I’m sure she’d spar with you if you ask.”
Was it wrong that to Theo’s ears that sounded totally hot? With a silent sigh, he privately agreed that it was wrong indeed, and more importantly not something he should admit out loud. “Uhm, perhaps one day.” Andy’s answering grin didn’t make him feel much better.
“Anyway, back to the restructuring.” It was a working lunch after all. “Hsu’s also sold some of his real estate.” Including some property in San Francisco that he’d owned since the gold rush and the North Star estate on Long Island. Even though he had Danika and that property still stood rather than being razed to the ground as he had done Before, Hsu had always carried the memories of beheading his baby daughter and had never returned there or rented out what was an otherwise hot property. It was past time he got rid of it, so after retrieving the stone bench where he had killed his Before Danika and bringing it to Switzerland, the estate went on the market and sold within days for a sizable profit.
Theo nodded along. “So, really he just has the Ranch, the penthouse in Zurich, and that chateau I’ve heard about in the south of France?”
“Yeah, he still has a few scattered properties, but none of them hold that much monetary value and he has his own reasons for keeping them. The Chateau de Revel he’s owned for centuries, the place is basically a museum with all the stuff he’s collected.” With their lunch winding down, it was time to turn back once again to going over the perimeter security measures for the Ranch.
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An Interlude [Final Part]
Date: 2018-06-19 06:57 pm (UTC)He also learned from things told to him or snippets that he heard and could put together, that his daughter’s kidnapping had caused Hsu to reevaluate much of his business and investments. The driving force of that was that despite being an extremely wealthy man, so much of that wealth was tied up, took time liquidate, which he just couldn’t do to if he was to pay any cash demand for ransom. Given what he already knew of his new boss, Theo didn’t think he was the type of man to give in to a kidnapper’s demands and revenge himself on them.
“The priority was to get Danika safe.” Andy explained to him over a working lunch when Theo brought the topic up. “If that meant paying up, the Boss was prepared to do it, if he’d had the liquid cash. After she was back with us, that’s when he would have gone after and slaughtered those responsible for taking her. As he didn’t have the cash -- and who does have five billion dollars in cash just lying around? -- we had to plan to free Danika and take out the bad guys at the same time.”
So Andy told him that Hsu had liquidated or reallocated a good amount of his personal wealth, selling off his collection of high-performance cars. “I think the only one that he had a hard time parting with was the Bugatti Chiron.” Theo whistled, impressed. That car was worth a cool two and a half million dollars alone. Andy continued. “He kept the Veyron as it was one of the first off the line and a favourite of his. A real collector’s piece now.” And nearly priceless as it cost well over a million dollars in the twenty years since it was made. “He hardly ever drove most of them anyway. Then back when the twins were teenagers, he bought an island just off the coast of Grenada for them to enjoy in private, he’s sold that now. And the one sale that really hurt him even more than the Chiron washis yacht, ‘The Edelweiss’, and he’d owned that since I first joined the organization. Other than that, he’s sold a lot of his real estate and other business interests he had a stake in. Of course, the bank and his Asian and Colombian businesses are still going strong. And he has expanded other stuff, like he’s bought three more planes now the twins are doing their own stuff now, another chopper, and he’s got more men on protection duty.” Andy shrugged. “Though that’s a bit of a waste as Danika tends to eschew them in all but a few occasions.”
“Yeah, I noticed that.” Theo nodded as he took a bite of his cheese and pickle sandwich. “I was surprised the Boss is okay with that, but I suppose with her and Sigurd together most of the time, it’s like she has a bodyguard. And Legrand and the other guys at the stud are there as well.” Danika’s stud manager and grooms were all hired and trained by Hsu.
“Dani didn’t give him much of a choice, but yeah it sits better with him that Sigurd’s there, and when he’s not, she’s usually hanging out with Danny, so his detail watches out for her.” Andy gulped down a mouthful of coffee. “And honestly, don’t tell the Boss, but I would put her up against any of our guys and have my money on her, too.” At Theo’s puzzled look, Andy explained. “After she came back from the Lothbrok’s, where she trained with them as well, she was determined to be able to be able not only to defend herself but fight back and win. You should see her in action.” He chuckled. “I’m sure she’d spar with you if you ask.”
Was it wrong that to Theo’s ears that sounded totally hot? With a silent sigh, he privately agreed that it was wrong indeed, and more importantly not something he should admit out loud. “Uhm, perhaps one day.” Andy’s answering grin didn’t make him feel much better.
“Anyway, back to the restructuring.” It was a working lunch after all. “Hsu’s also sold some of his real estate.” Including some property in San Francisco that he’d owned since the gold rush and the North Star estate on Long Island. Even though he had Danika and that property still stood rather than being razed to the ground as he had done Before, Hsu had always carried the memories of beheading his baby daughter and had never returned there or rented out what was an otherwise hot property. It was past time he got rid of it, so after retrieving the stone bench where he had killed his Before Danika and bringing it to Switzerland, the estate went on the market and sold within days for a sizable profit.
Theo nodded along. “So, really he just has the Ranch, the penthouse in Zurich, and that chateau I’ve heard about in the south of France?”
“Yeah, he still has a few scattered properties, but none of them hold that much monetary value and he has his own reasons for keeping them. The Chateau de Revel he’s owned for centuries, the place is basically a museum with all the stuff he’s collected.” With their lunch winding down, it was time to turn back once again to going over the perimeter security measures for the Ranch.
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