Chapter 104: Birthday

On Thursday night and into Friday morning; I was deep into researching energy sector stocks.My monitors were cluttered with charts and graphs, previous contracts and revenue streams, earnings reports and related articles.

Apache Corporation was one of the companies that caught my attention.

They weren't a huge name in the energy sector, but in the last few years, they have secured contracts with China to explore and develop oil and natural gas fields in regions that are still largely untapped.

Mostly the South China Sea, which would become a place of new discoveries of oil and gas fields.

Just the fact that energy demand in China will definitely rise is reason enough for me to invest in them and since the US and China are getting closer, this could give them even more chances to generate revenue.

As I sat at my desk, I thought back to the theory that had been floating around the internet for a while: the idea of a massive gas pipeline stretching across the Pacific.

To be honest, it felt like a colossal waste of resources.

The cost of building and maintaining such a pipeline would be astronomical.

Plus, it's the last thing I could see China and the U.S. aiming for, especially considering the increasing influence of environmental organizations.

With the way things were headed, it was hard for me to imagine it ever getting greenlit.

Instead, I found myself thinking that maybe, just maybe, China and the U.S. were looking at a different kind of energy exchange—something more practical, like liquid natural gas.

That's when another stock grabbed my attention, Teekay Corporation. They were in the business of moving energy resources, especially liquid natural gas. Lately, they've been expanding their fleet to meet the growing need for transportation across the Pacific.

In my previous timeline, there has never been a long-term contract for liquid natural gas between the governments of China and the USA, but if such a contract got finalized, this company would be in a position to benefit massively.

Teekay isn't some tiny player; their market cap is close to a billion dollars, and their stock price has already jumped from $11 to $14 in the last couple of months. Clearly, I wasn't the first one to have those thoughts.

After carefully reviewing the stocks and their potential, I settled on a distribution plan.

I have decided to allocate $112 million between Axon Enterprise and Anika Therapeutics.

As for the remaining $100 million, I would split it between Apache Corporation and Teekay.

The exact distribution would hinge on how my accumulation would go and on any new shifts in the market.

Peeling my eyes off the screen for a while, I went to the gym, and while I was deep into my barbell squats, my phone rang.

I carefully re-racked the weights and reached for my phone.

It was an unknown number; thankfully, I knew that it was from Immortal Investments.

I coughed a few times and tried to adjust my voice slightly.

I picked up the call. "G'day, who's this? " I spoke in a husky voice, changing my accent.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Somnus. This is Derec Johnson from Immortal Investments. I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time."

"Nah, not at all."

"That's great... I'm reaching out because we've been quite impressed with your recent work. We're currently looking for a headhunter to lead our investment fund and trading division. We think that you would be the perfect person to take that position on."

"Ah, I had a hunch someone might call me... No worries, mate; I got the nudge on this already. Just let me know when and where for the interview, and I'll be there." I said, grinning.

He seemed a bit taken aback by the casual tone, but he quickly recovered. "Sure thing, we'd be happy to arrange that. How does next week look for you?"

"Next week is ace. Preferably early in the week, though—I might be heading off on a cruise later on. But yeah, nah, for sure. Just forward the specifics."

"Great. We'll get those details over to you soon. Thank you for your time, Mr. Somnus."

"No worries at all. Catch you soon," I replied before hanging up.

The smirk was still on my face as I ended the call. 'He must be confused,' I thought.

I set my phone down and turned back to my monitor to find a cruise.

I did not want something too long—7 or 8 days seemed like too much.

A quick 3 or 4-day trip seemed just right.

I browsed through options and found a VIP cruise package. It was a 4-day trip starting in Tampa and cruising through the Gulf of Mexico to Cozumel, Mexico. A few hours on land to explore Cozumel, followed by a sail back to Tampa.

The Sea Islander ship had bars, a club, and several swimming pools. Plenty of onboard fun.

The earliest departure was on Friday next week. I quickly checked with Charlotte and she said that she was free.

With her "yes," I finalized the booking for the cruise.

...

On Saturday morning, I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, adjusting the collar of my classic charcoal gray Havana suit, when I heard honking from outside.

I glanced at my watch—right on time.

I went outside and saw Sam's limousine parked in front of the house.

The bodyguard got out of the passenger seat and opened the back door for me.

"Good morning, Sir," he said politely.

"Morning," I replied, stepping into the car.

I glanced over at Sam, who was already seated inside. "Hey, Sam. I don't need any presents, do I?" I said, settling into the seat next to him.

"No... My father would just toss them out the window."

"Right..."

The limousine smoothly made it's way to the airport, it was guided past the usual terminals and onto a restricted area reserved for planes and duty vehicles.

We came to a stop in front of a sleek, private jet with a white front and a beautiful blue tail.

We stepped out of the limousine, joined by Ricky and one of our bodyguards and went up the stairs into the jet, where another bodyguard was already waiting.

After relaxing in our seats, within ten minutes, the plane was airborne.

In just an hour, we touched down at Miami International Airport. After a brief security check, we transferred into another limousine that awaited us on the tarmac. Sёarch* The Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The limousine drove us to Johnson's residence.

The residence was just a stone's throw from the beach, with stunning views of the clear blue water.

After a brief stop by the security, we passed through the sizable gate, which was flanked by tall, polished pillars.

The gate closed behind us and we glided up the long driveway, lined with tall palm trees and tropical flowers.

We rolled past a collection of luxury cars parked in the driveway and the limousine came to a stop.

As we stepped out, I took in the masterpiece of a mansion. Large balconies and terraces extending out from multiple levels; grounds around the house meticulously landscaped with manicured gardens and elegant stone pathways.

As I admired the mansion's grandeur, a black BMW 745i came to a stop a little way from where I stood.

The car door opened, and a man stepped out. He had a sharply groomed beard and a chiseled look.

The one and only... Derec Johnson.

He was looking around; as if a bit depressed.

When he finally saw me, his eyes widened comically, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

He let out a startled gasp and nearly choked on his own breath.

I raised my hand slowly and put a finger on my lips, signaling him not to say anything stupid.