[above is Justice Joslin as Ivan Guskov]
"Sometimes you meet someone, and it's so clear that the two of you, on some level belong together. As lovers, or as friends, or as family, or as something entirely different. You just work, whether you understand one another or you're in love or you're partners in crime. You meet these people throughout your life, out of nowhere, under the strangest circumstances, and they help you feel alive. I don't know if that makes me believe in coincidence, or fate, or sheer blind luck, but it definitely makes me believe in something." - Unknown
"Mr. Guskov, you are one of the youngest billionaires in the world. What do you plan to do with this money?" "Mr. Guskov! Mr. Guskov! What is your reaction to Mr. Nguyen's new product - the ePhone?" "Mr. Guskov!" The reporters chimed, abuzz with the latest news about the up-and-coming device, the ePhone, created by the talented Quan Nguyen, a man he had not met prior to this crashing blow to his company.
"Mr. Guskov -"
"Mr. Guskov will not be taking any questions at this moment. Thank you." His assistant, Amaka Ajiombi, stated sternly.
"Thanks Amaka," he said, gratefully.
"It's what I'm here for Ivan." Together, accompanied by 3 guards, they bustled through the hubbub of reporters, struggling to get into the stretch, ordered by Ivan to attend his first meeting with Mr. Nguyen, CEO of Banana.
Buckling his seatbelt, Ivan listened intently to Amaka's run down of the meeting with one thought on mind, do whatever it takes to save the company.
"Okay, so after the launch of the ePhone sales have plummeted, we are trying to create a deal with Mr. Nguyen to cushion the blow or easy sales back to their original value. In the file folder we put all the contracts and information to settle this deal. You can do this. Everyone is depending on you, and I think they are in good hands."
"Thanks Amaka. I could have never reached the point I am at now without you, but I got this from here," he replied, opening the door of the stretch, revealing a building towering hundreds of feet in the air, garnished with Banana logo. A cool burst of air conditioning welcomed him in as he made his way to the front desk, admiring the minimalistic design and professional semblance to the building. It was all so familiar.
"Mr. Guskov! My name is Harry Smith and I am here to welcome you to the Banana building and take you to Mr. Nguyen's office."
"He couldn't welcome me himself? What does he have more important business to attend to?" He joked.
"My boss gives his deepest apologies, he worked very hard to make this arrangement for you, so please, follow me," Harry replied, obviously not getting the joke.
Ivan followed Harry down a corridor and to the elevator, where they both embarked on a surprisingly long journey to the 60th floor, the penthouse office, belonging to Mr. Quan Nguyen himself. Ivan calmed his breathing and made a mental run through of all his major points and sources, ready to finalize a deal.
He remembered back t0 his years right after college, working hard with his dad to invent something that would matter, something that would change the world. They worked in his garage using his degree in computer engineering and creating some of the first televisions with amazing hd graphics and selling millions. With hardly any competitor's, profits were hardly a concern, but the responsibility of a whole company had all fallen on him three years ago, when his father suddenly died of natural causes. He vowed to do everything and anything for his company, and all that worked for him. The true MVPs were his employees who labor almost everyday of the week toward bettering their community, and he was forever indebted to them. The least he could do is try to save his company so he never has to force even one employee out of work.
