This is an authorized translation in English of a post in French by Vincent Le Roy (@vincentleroy): LE DOSSIER VALMY (Thriller) : Chapitre 12

^{As my primary language is not English, there are probably some mistakes in my translation.}

Remember that the person who speaks here is NOT me, Vincent Celier (@vcelier), but Vincent Le Roy (@vincentleroy), a French guy.

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Chapter 12: Patrick

On April 27, the day after the putsch, I called Patrick. I made it brief, clear and precise.

• Patrick, if I call you, it's because I have the feeling that you've been badly treated and that now it's my turn.

My confession works. And I follow:

• Listen, Patrick, I'll be frank, the formulation I master, the machines too. I need resin and somebody to master this aspect. I need you and you are the only one. You have the right to send me to pasture.

He is not surprised. He even confesses that he was waiting for my call. I propose to him to have lunch together the next day. We agree. Lunch on April 28^th. It's Friday. I have finished recovering from the lawyers all the necessary acts to clear Kojak, the letters to send to Alex, the way to lay off the chemists. Everything is ready so that I can take back my business.

I explain to Patrick what I expect from him. Without ambiguity. His role. His mission. And as he has a revenge to take and he has not reached its number of trimesters to retire comfortably, the deal suits him!

I give a report to Denis who confesses:

• Your chemists, they were garbage. But you have the skills and now, with the Pole and Patrick, you will solve the problems ...

Saturday morning, I print all the documents sent to me by the lawyers. And I send them. The first of May is a Monday and I am going to Amiens to hang a memo.

All is said. Mathieu and Alex no longer have access to the premises. The chemists must write down their work, stop all communication with Alex and now any request goes through the secretary to be submit to me. War is declared. The only boss at Valmy is me.

Kojak also receives his missile. He is disembarked. And the board of directors is unequivocal: we will seek its responsibility. I took control of my business. What I refuse to understand is that the steamroller is already on the road and I am going to take it in the mouth like a tsunami.

David against Goliath, it's a fable. It's mine, I'm the David of modern times, and the war is unequal. And confident in justice, I am convinced that the law is there to protect me and to prove me right. You may be virtuous, but the justice has been working for Goliath for a long time. It will take the VALMY file to convince me.

On May 2^nd, Kojak calls me. He knows. His lawyer informed him of the missile. The chemists probably warned him of the new rules that are posted in the lab. He is not even pissed off. He looks serene. He says to me calmly:

• I've never seen a guy so stupid and stubborn as you. It's up to you. Do you know what's coming next?

And he hangs up without further ado. The secretary of Amiens gives me a report through a private message. The two chemists are furious. Mathieu is on site as well. Everyone is braying and agitated. They photocopy files too.

At first glance, this reaction seems normal to me. They had the idea that after three months of psychological warfare, I would give in. From this point of view, they have underestimated me.

Me too, I underestimated the mutineers. I do not know that the week before they have already hijacked the trademarks, the websites and seized the prud'hommes. I also do not know that the highest fiscal brigade has received a thick file on my so-called shenanigans and that I will be entitled to a particularly muscular treatment. I still do not know that lawyers have been working for weeks to prepare the judicial roll all over the place. On May 2^nd, I am far from suspecting that there will be 17 lawsuits, some in Quebec, others in France or Luxembourg. That in some cases they will pay more for my lawyers to annihilate me.

The real problem with Alex is that his good nature and his age make people listen. His financial power is such that lawyers are inventive. Very inventive. While I'm slow. I am young and insolent. My only chance will lie in his lack of professionalism and my ability to work.

However, you are never prepared for that. You can not consider it. In adversity, you stay on course with your engine. Everyone has their own. I have two. First, I hate to be wrong. The second is more pragmatic. I am not only shareholder and director, I am also a personal surety of the banks. If the company sinks, I owe them 300,000 Euros. And besides, I tell myself that I would have done better to repay them with the million of Alex in 2004 than to spend money on the two chemists ... But you cannot changed the past. I believed in it and I bet everything on the development of my company...

The analysis of the future is quite simple. I can forget the investment banks. I know that all too well, with a wage dispute, shareholders disagreeing, a Canadian contract in big trouble, the company is worth nothing for a financier. Damn, within three months, I missed 10 million Euros. That's the issue. They all hoped to get the millions instead of me. And I know exactly how Alex did it with the chemists. He took them by feelings and gradually attracted them by the lure of gain. And for them, it's a boon because they are at their technical end, but Alex did not understand that while on the other side the young one is only bawling. It was time for them to change horses. And try to pick up some money quickly.

In short, banks are forgotten. Or it will have to play smart and keep a low profile at the beginning. No, there is only one solution left, completing the current contracts. Take advantage of CPCU, finalize development for other customers and sell, sell again...

The priority for now is to manufacture the raw materials and send them to the Polish guy and to invoice CPCU.

Continue to Chapter 13

Introduction
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6
Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11