Chapter 131: The Incident

Millhaven’s commercial district was smaller than Kenvale’s by some obvious margin. More concentrated. The businesses that operated in it were mostly established. The kind that had been there long enough to become part of the city’s fabric. But underneath the established surface two things had been registering in his peripheral awareness since they’d passed through the commercial area on the way from the market to the river street.

A logistics company. It was smaller than Gerald Obi’s had been. Operating out of a building on the commercial district’s eastern edge. Three vehicles visible in the yard when they’d passed. Contracts with what looked like two or three local distributors based on the signage.

And a printing company. Similar to the one he’d acquired in Kenvale. Narrow frontage on a commercial street. The particular signage of a business that had been operating for a while and hadn’t updated its presentation in longer than that.

Both undervalued, he thought. I can see it from the street.

He spent forty minutes researching both properly. Business registry searches. Local commercial property records. Whatever public information was available on Millhaven’s business landscape.

The logistics company, he noted. Registered twelve years ago. Single owner. Revenue profile consistent with a healthy small operation. Current valuation based on comparable sales. Significantly below what the contracts and vehicle fleet suggest it should be.

The printing company, he noted. Eight years operating. It had two owners and a partnership that had been filing inconsistent accounts for the past three years. Which meant either the business was struggling or the accounts weren’t reflecting the actual operation. He suspected the latter.

Both of them, he thought. Sitting in a city I’ve been in for less than a day.

No USB document, he thought. No Vincent network. No pre-validated targets. He leaned back in the chair. Just my own eyes and the pattern recognition that four months of acquisition work has built.

The system dropped a $3,000,000 spending mission in Millhaven, he thought. And within one day I’ve found two acquisition targets.

Almost like it knew, he thought.

Almost like it always knows.

He picked up his phone. Called Vincent.

Vincent answered on the second ring.

"Xavier," he said.

"Vincent," Xavier said. "I’m going to need a few more days in Millhaven."

A brief moment on the line.

"What did you find," Vincent said.

Of course, Xavier thought. First question. Not how’s the vacation or how’s Selene. What did you find.

"Two acquisition targets," Xavier said. "Small businesses. Logistics and printing. Both undervalued relative to their actual operational profile."

"In Millhaven," Vincent said.

"Yes," Xavier said.

"You’ve been there one day," Vincent said.

"I know," Xavier said.

A longer pause this time.

"Send me what you have," Vincent said. "I’ll run a parallel check through our network. Millhaven isn’t our primary district but we have contacts there."

"Good," Xavier said. "I’ll send it tonight."

"Xavier," Vincent said.

"Vincent."

"Does Selene know you’re turning her vacation into a business trip," Vincent said. The particular dry tone he used when he was making an observation dressed as a question.

Xavier looked at Selene asleep on the sofa across the suite. Hair slightly loose from the day. Flat shoes on the floor beside her. The version of her that existed when nobody from Hale & Associates was watching. Which was ironic given that her employer was currently on the phone forty five minutes away.

"She’s asleep," he said.

"That’s not an answer," Vincent said.

"She’ll know when she wakes up," Xavier said.

Vincent was quiet for a brief moment.

"A few more days," he said. "The analyst is managing. But Xavier.."

"I know," Xavier said. "Vacation first. Business second."

"Good," Vincent said. And hung up.

Xavier set the phone down.

Looked at Selene on the sofa.

She’s going to wake up and I’m going to tell her we’re staying longer, he thought. And she’s going to look at me with that expression. He almost smiled. And then she’ll say okay.

Because Millhaven, he thought. She’s been gone for three years. Why not allow her reminiscence with the environment before leaving.

He went back to the MacBook. Sent Vincent everything he’d compiled on both businesses. Then opened his banking app and cycled the evening donations while the city outside the suite windows turned from gold to the particular deep blue of a Friday evening settling into night.

[ REBATE SYSTEM ]

Transaction Detected: $600,000 spent on donation — Global Education Trust

Base Multiplier (Tier 2): 2x

Total Return: $1,200,000

[ Net Balance: $17,871,733.00 → $18,471,733.00 ]

[ Millhaven Mission: $1,321,145 / $3,000,000 ]

[ REBATE SYSTEM ]

Transaction Detected: $600,000 spent on donation — Rural Healthcare Initiative

Base Multiplier (Tier 2): 2x

Total Return: $1,200,000

[ Net Balance: $18,471,733.00 → $19,071,733.00 ]

[ Millhaven Mission: $1,921,145 / $3,000,000 ]

$19,071,733, he noted. Past nineteen million.

He looked at that number for a moment.

Past nineteen million, he thought. In a hotel suite in a city I’ve been in for one day.

He checked the mission tracker.

$1,921,145 of $3,000,000, he noted. $1,078,855 remaining.

Tomorrow, he thought. One good day of cap and the mission closes.

Selene stirred on the sofa at 7PM.

She sat up slowly. Looked at the window. The city outside is now fully dark, the river lights visible below. Looked at the dining table where Xavier was working. Looked at the MacBook open in front of him.

"How long was I asleep," she said.

"About an hour and a half," Xavier replied.

She processed that. Pushed her hair back. Looked at the window again.

"I haven’t napped in the afternoon since university," she said.

"Millhaven’s doing," he said.

She almost smiled. Stood up. Walked to the window and stood there looking at her city at night. A different version from the morning version, the evening light doing something different to the river, the downtown buildings lit up against the dark.