Chapter 486: Episode 7 What Goes Around Comes Around

An ill-tempered wasp at a crossroads of life and death was not going to fall without resisting. Mustering up all its strength, it stabbed the harasser’s tongue with the dagger at the end of its abdomen. Its venom sack, which was 10 times bigger than a honeybee’s, pulsed like a pair of bellows. The venom flowed through the 7-mm long sting. A pleasant-sounding purring emanated from Dino’s large reverb chamber.

Humans enjoyed tobacco and alcohol because of their stimulation. The nicotine that stung the throat and alcohol that electrified the tongue made them seek them repeatedly, unable to forget the sensations.

Dino was the same way. The venom of a wasp or a scorpion was meager but still, the stinging sensation at the tongue was quite addicting. Within hours since Samdi and Dino’s arrival at Yoa House, the wasps with their nests in the trees in the garden and the scorpions hiding in the house were massacred.

A reddish-brown beast, as big as a rodeo bull, emerged from the ground out of nowhere. Everyone was surprised.

“A monster! Fire!”

Chairman Margerie flailed his hands and shouted. Only Edel, with her subjective taste, considered Dino’s external appearance cute. Margerie’s face paled at the advent of a beast that was unseen and unheard of.

“Crap!”

Ariba’s hand, reflexively buried into his jacket pocket. Mu Ssang raised his hand.

“There is no need to be surprised. Dino, stay outside.”

Dino, with an unsatisfied face, glared at Margerie and turned away. Its waving tail and giant backside filled the doorway of the entrance to the house.

‘I lucked out!’

Ariba let go of the holster and wiped the sweat formed on his forehead. Miguel, who was burned alive, was vivid in his mind’s eye. He lucked out not because the beast docilely went away. Because of Ariba’s shout, he was close to firing at Black Mamba’s pet. His heart pounded due to the shock.

Margerie’s mouth was agape.

“What was that?”

“My family.”

“A monster is your family! What a family you have.”

Margerie, placating his stunned heart, jested. He was the same kind of person as Sun WooHyun, who took importance in their reputation.

“Dino is not a monster.”

His flat response offended Margerie. A treatment with chicotte was due, for this precise reason, for the black-furred beast and yellow-skinned beast here. This beast was pretending to be a human, having received the advanced culture of Europe, but his beast-like nature was unchanging. Margerie compensated for his surprise with spiritual victory.

“Oh, well. Of course. For you, it is a family. A member of your family almost killed one of your guests. You could have warned me.”

Margerie, with an unfriendly face, blamed Ariba. In fact, he was blaming the inconsiderate host in a roundabout way.

“It’s his pet. The DGSE has no sufficient resources to make a list of each individual’s pets.”

Ariba, offended, grumbled. The atmosphere in the room cooled suddenly.

“This is incredible! I could never talk to the host comfortably like this. Mu Ssang smiled without saying a word. The old man was struggling to assert dominance. It was an ancient negotiation tactic: to erode the other party’s confidence so they won’t be so aggressive.

“Mr. Chairman. This place is safer than the presidential palace. Mu Ssang has more than one subordinate that can take the entire team of your bodyguards. I guarantee your safety.”

Ariba was dumbfounded. To be Total’s chairman was a notable status for sure but it was still nothing compared to Black Mamba’s. Ignorance became foolhardiness. What was he going to do by calling bodyguards in Black Mamba’s lair?

‘This rat is already bribed to the brim with Black Mamba’s money!’

Ariba’s guarantee made Margerie grind his teeth. Everyone considered each situation according to their own experience. Margerie firmly believed that Ariba was already Black Mamba’s supporter.

Because of what Ariba said, it was awkward for Margerie to keep talking about his bodyguards. Of course, he knew his bodyguards would be of no use. He could gauge the owner’s capacity and status by his pet. Black Mamba was not wishy-washy. He ruined his image trying to assert dominance.

“You are both very busy people. I suggest you conclude it quickly.”

Ariba, opening a file, hurried. Ariba had assumed the reason why Margerie was being callous. It was because the DGSE did not cooperate when Total attempted to purchase the Doba delta. Margerie had been furious but the director didn’t budge.

Bonipas, who was a secret supporter of Mu Ssang, was not going to help Margerie. He had repeatedly told Margerie to negotiate personally with the landowners. Margerie decided to break through.

“Mr. Gulbeig. I will cut to the chase. Sell the Samaria farm to me.”

“You must be aware that it’s not a cotton farm but an oil field? How many barrels of oil do you think there is under the Doba delta?”

Mu Ssang smiled. This old man was filled with greed up to his neck. He did not care for politeness when it came to people like him.

‘You sneaky bastard!’

Margerie swore internally.

“Total had been probing the Doba delta since 10 years ago. When we were temporarily absent, you took it.”

“Did Total own the Samaria farm? Do you have a probing contract with Lord Edel?”

“No, but…”

Margerie was struck speechless. He wanted to find a crack, or make one, but the other party was motionless like a rock. He was never going to sell the land. It was bad news for Margerie who wanted to profit without doing the hard work.

“The Samaria farm takes up half of the area of the delta. I plan to purchase the remaining half of the delta. My company’s land department had already set off to negotiate with the Chad government. If we each take half of the oil field, it will be to your detriment, Mr. Gulbeig. An individual could never rival a major oil corporation with great capital power.”

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Margerie smiled maliciously. It was true. For farmland, 50 square kilometers were a lot but for an oil field, they were not a lot. If two parties extracted from the same stratum, the one with more pipes were to win.

“It was good for nothing in the end.”

Mu Ssang imitated Margerie’s malicious smile.

“What?”

Margerie looked surprised. Something didn’t smell right. Ariba shook his head with pity. The director of the DGSE had suggested a solution for the national interest. Margerie dismissed the DGSE’s advice and jumped about like a Sifaka monkey.

Margerie was known to be a greedy brute. If the director hadn’t warned, he would have hired mercenaries to take over the oil field. Of course, had he tried, he would have been obliterated. Ariba was not motivated to help him if it were not for the national interest.

“Mr. Chairman, Mr. Gulbeig legally purchased the ownership rights of the 21 square kilometers in the Doba delta along the Pende river as of June 30th, 1985.”

“What? Why are you telling me this now?”

Margerie’s face yellowed.

“One of the roles of the DGSE is to monitor the movements of foreign assets. We are not obligated to report to you. I am aware that what the director talked with you about was the MOU regarding the oil probing and development, not about the land.”

‘I was fooled by a Saharan bumpkin. Is this why Bonipas told me that the game is over?’

Mu Ssang seemed to have prepared for everything. Margerie had underestimated him as some wacko pouring money into a desert. That was his undoing. Margerie felt his face flush. He lost his face big time.

Ariba handed the envelope containing the paperwork to Mu Ssang. Ariba didn’t like Margerie who only exhibited greed. This gesture was intended to rile him up.

“This is the contract for the handover of property rights. Mr. Gulbeig purchased the 21 square kilometers of land for 100,000,000 francs, thoroughly legitimately. The French government assures that the 50 square kilometers in the Doba delta is Mr. Gulbeig’s property and land leased to Novatopia.”

“Thank you. I owe you.”

Mu Ssang commended the result of Ariba’s frantic round trips between France and Chad.

“You are welcome. It is my duty as a public servant.”

Ariba’s face brightened up. Second to Bonipas, Ariba knew Black Mamba better than anyone. What Black Mamba said was at least 10 times more important than what the president said. He was thanked by Black Mamba and he even said he owed Ariba. It was like he acquired two insurances with good benefits.

Margerie subdued his frown with all his might. The DGSE, for some reason, was cooperating with the Saharan bumpkin. He didn’t know if there was an ulterior political motive or monetary transactions, but as Bonipas had said, the game was over.

Margerie was anxious. Total had just consolidated itself as a major oil company. Even if they acquired the whole Doba oil field, their rank would stay the same, but at least they could consolidate their current status.

“Total will take care of all the probing, development, and sales of the Samaria oil field in Doba. The ownership share would be 50 to 50.”

Margerie cut to the chase and gave his offer. When Total was the only party investing, giving Mu Ssang a 50 percent share was an unconventional offer. That is to say, if it is a common oil field. Bonipas’s warning, that excessive greed leads to ruin, had already evaporated in Margerie’s head. He was a merchant after all. Merchants were a kind that cut out a piece of their own flesh for the most meager of profit. If it was someone else’s flesh, it was all the better.

“Mr. Ariba, Director Bonipas’s negotiation skills are not up to his patriotism. He would not have a lot of employment offers after he retires from public work. This doesn’t bode well for further talk.”

Mu Ssang complained. He was not a type to negotiate. Instead, he showed the other party all his cards and sought mutual benefit. It enraged him to continue to negotiate with an old man that was greedy to no end. If it weren’t for his friendship with Bonipas, he would have kicked out Margerie long ago.

“Mr. Chairman!”

Ariba looked at Margerie with accusing eyes. Margerie didn’t budge. To his standards, the share he offered didn’t seem absurd.

“Mr. Ariba. The share of 50 percent was very yielding on our part. Total plans to plant 500 drilling pipes for the next 10 years in the Samaria oil field in Doba. The development cost is estimated to be 2,000,000 dollars. Total’s technological department deemed Samaria as P2 and estimated the reserve to be 300,000,000 barrels. By current oil prices, it converts to 9,300,000,000 dollars. If we invest 2,000,000 dollars for 10 years, the maximum profit we can derive from it is 4,600,000,000 dollars. Mr. Gulbeig doesn’t invest a penny in the development of the oil field. Cotton farming would yield 9,000,000 francs per year, that is 3,000,000 dollars per year. Deducting labor and equipment costs, the net profit would not exceed 2,000,000 dollars. By simply handing over his 50 percent of ownership, he gets 500,000,000 dollars per year. No one has ever been this lucky in the history of oil development.”

Margerie said it out loud for Mu Ssang to hear and crossed his arms. It was to pressure him, that it didn’t matter for him anymore that if they made an agreement or not. The oil cartel had a concrete defense matrix. They competed with each other fiercely within it but didn’t let any new competitor in it. With Total’s interference, Mu Ssang wouldn’t be able to buy any drill or a barrel of washing liquid. Margerie decided that he would make use of the available Blue Water mercenaries to obliterate Mu Ssang’s forces.

“Margerie, I am Sbard Gulbeig. It means ‘the one that seeks gold in a world of darkness.’ You are too corrupt to be my partner in my pursuit of gold. You must first shed that dogma that the world revolves around you. This concludes today’s talk.”

Mu Ssang concluded. Oil was a resource that had no replacement. Maybe it will be more cumbersome, but he didn’t need to worry about the future when he had a unique asset. What Margerie threatened him with only applied to normal human beings. Mu Ssang was not interested in tiresome negotiation at all.

“Wait, Mr. Gulbeig. What I meant…”

A knocking on the door interrupted Margerie. Samdi entered pushing a coffee cart.

“What?”

Margerie’s eyes widened. The man’s stature dwarfed the coffee cart. He never knew a human being could grow to this size. Indeed, colored people had beast-like genes.

“Thank you!”

As Margerie was about to take the coffee mug from Samdi, his hand hit the ceramic mug. It was because he was in a confused state at Mu Ssang’s unexpected, bold response. The mug fell.

“No!”

When Margerie was registering surprise, Samdi moved like a flash of light. His feet took the falling coffee mug. His body was massive but his movements were featherlike. The feet, supporting the mug, moved about in the air.

The falling coffee liquid was back in the mug in no time. The movement surpassed that of an acrobat. Samdi placed the mug on the table as if nothing had happened.

“It was Yirgacheffe, dripped by the mistress of Yoa House herself.”

“It is magic!”

Margerie’s mouth fell agape. The mountain-like body moved like a feather, ignoring gravity. He could discern the black man’s power from just that movement.

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