This is an authorized translation in English of a post in French by Vincent Le Roy (@vincentleroy): LE DOSSIER VALMY (Thriller) : Chapitre 16

^{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 16: The survival instinct

While my associates are worried about the upcoming Canadian reimbursement, I am going round in circles in Amiens in late August 2006. There is nothing to do. The account is in order. Everything is tidy. I told Patrick to stay at home. What's the point of having him come for nothing? My secretary continues to come to work. Everyone in their office. The days are long when there is nothing to do and you know that next Monday, you go to the Commercial Court to file the cessation of payment.

When suddenly on Wednesday, I have a bright idea. In France, we have a vague competitor. Let's say he uses the same products but differently for the mining sector. Beautiful company that runs well. We tried to work with them, but each time, it did not work. Conservatives who wanted everything for them. If it is not possible to get along with them and bring them the certified technology portfolio, however, their German competitor might want to take advantage of it.

So I call the Germans: Minova. The secretary passes me Detler, whose name I do not know. We discuss in English. Without any agenda. I am very clear. We will file for bankruptcy very soon and we are selling for nothing. My interlocutor remains calm and tells me that I must send him an email. No sooner said than done. And I say to myself that it is a good attempt but that this kind of big company will take its time and time, I do not have any.

Error! The phone rings again two hours later. From Germany. I get little hope. My interlocutor introduces himself. His name is Archibald. He has a charming voice, sweet, although showing plenty of experience. He asks me to repeat my story. I repeat it. The company has financial problems and a shareholder dispute, we have two certified products and in my team, I have the former technical director of their competitor. The guy pauses and says:

• Can we meet tomorrow at ten o'clock at your place?

I am more than surprised but I confirm that we could. They are in Düsseldorf. There are 750km away and they plan to be there at ten o'clock ?! And I understood that they would be several. I call Patrick back. I need everyone on deck. The goal is to impress them. I do not know why but I feel good. I call my Polish guy.

• Minova arrives tomorrow.
• How did you do that? … OK let me know. But tell me quickly what I become in this story, because there, I'm still cleaning up CPCU shit.

If I understand his point of view, I also pay for it, so that's fine! And anyway, I never let anyone down, so he will not accuse me of anything like the others!

10:00. The next day. Patrick and I are waiting for our guests. Febrile. We checked our stocks, we only have old resins out of date and if we need to perform miracles in these conditions, it is not won. But we have no choice, it must work! Suddenly, the all-option Peugeot 406 wagon arrives. They are three men and one woman. I recognize Archibald among them. 1.90 m, the handsome kid who is just a doctor and incidentally the No. 2 in a group that weighs 1 billion and a half Euros. No. 2, I should rather say the gray eminence of the group because its official title is just Dr. R but everyone says Archibald, from the porter to his colleagues in the board. All this I will discover in the coming months, but I positively sense the man from the outset.

My secretary has prepared a coffee with instructions: light coffee! These are Nordic, the coffee should be light and milk if possible. In the big meeting room, we discuss, I explain everything in total transparency. I answer all the questions. Patrick lets me do it but follows everything to the letter. We play maybe our survival ... And then the Germans have heard enough, they tell us they want to see products.

The day before, I told Patrick that we would be demonstrating to them. We take the risk. We play it cool in front of the labs, we cast the products live. They are allowed to leave with samples if they wish. In short, we do what is never done in this type of business: getting naked. With Archibald in front of me, I know it was the right option. A guy who has consideration for others, especially those who work with their hands. The question is very simple: do the technologies interest them and if so, are they able to buy the company in a few days, on the understanding that if not, we file for bankruptcy.

Everyone was careful not to talk about money. And in this electric atmosphere, Patrick and I are activating to show what we have in reserve. And although our performance is not bad, we feel that they are only moderately hooked. We all have lunch on site, sandwich and fries in the large meeting room. Archibald continues and asks the right questions. He asks me to take my time to answer and to send him by email a maximum of information. He tells us that he will come back to us very soon.

Around 15:30, they take the road without telling us more. And we look at Patrick with the feeling of having tried everything. Without more conviction but professionally, we send the requested documents by email. Then we went back home.

On Friday, Archibald sends me an email around 10:00 to thank me for our reception and acknowledgment of the documents that I sent him the day before. Nothing more. It's cold. It's German. Patrick came despite my advice to stay at home. I told him I'll clean away. My secretary, still idle, gives us a hand. If we file for bankruptcy, everything will be clean.

Around 5PM, when we think we have lost everything, we are with Patrick in the office of the secretary who does not really know what to say when the phone rings. It is Archibald's secretary who politely asks us if we can be in Düsseldorf on Sunday night for a meeting scheduled for Monday morning. We feel at the same time that everything is not lost, that the Germans have understood the urgency and that the calendar is not negotiable. I confirm and the secretary sends me a fax with hotel reservations. The Germans chose a very very good hotel with two luxury rooms. By hand, in English, Archibald added this little word on the fax:

You are our guests. See you Monday at 7AM.

A ray of sunshine has just pointed his nose. And I inform all associates who have remained faithful to me: Denis and Jeannot. The survival instinct is here again, and I'm getting back on the beast at a time when mathematically my opponents think it's the last days.

Hey guys! I did not say my last word!

Continue to Chapter 17

Introduction
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6
Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12
Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15