radicalducati Page 210
Page 210
Ivana, a woman from Eastern Europe who has established herself in New York's high society with her stunning beauty and equally astonishing ambition, is no ordinary person.
She enjoyed the passion and excitement that Victor brought, a passion completely different from that of her husband who was currently overwhelmed with problems, but she was also well aware of the risks and costs involved.
After their lovemaking, Viktor didn't act tenderly as usual. Instead, he sat up abruptly, his tone carrying a barely perceptible chill:
“Ivana, why haven’t you fully delivered on your promises? The list of Trump Organization’s prime assets you gave me is incomplete. There are some core, hidden, high-quality collaterals that you seem to have ‘forgotten.’”
Ivana, wrapped languidly in a velvet sheet, lit a slender cigarette, exhaled a perfect smoke ring, and did not directly answer his question.
“Victor,”
Her voice was accented, yet unusually calm. "I remember we were partners, weren't we? Not superiors and subordinates. I provided information, and you took action. But how much of your scope of action do you tell me? You're like a spider, only showing me a corner of your web, yet expecting me to commit everything?"
The debate erupted instantly.
"A collaborator?"
Viktor sneered, his eyes sharp as knives. "Without the funding I provided and those 'just right' media offensives, would you still be sitting here peacefully, enjoying the last bit of dignity that the title of Mrs. TLP brings?"
Your husband is like someone sitting on a volcano, and I'm the one controlling the eruption! You need to show more sincerity, Ivana, otherwise, what is the basis for our cooperation?
"Sincerity? You even need to calculate the time you spend up there."
Ivana retorted without backing down, her blue eyes gleaming with shrewdness, "My sincerity is to lie here at the risk of being disgraced and losing everything! Victor, you want more than just to make TLP suffer, you want to devour him, don't you?"
But how do you plan to divide things? Will you treat me as a foolish mistress who can be appeased with a few sweet words and thrilling adventures? Or as a true 'collaborator'?
She stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the dazzling, artificial night view of Atlantic City. "I know you've calculated everything perfectly. But you also need to understand that I know the Trump Organization as well as I know my own bedroom."
Which assets are bait, which are the truly valuable core assets, which debts are traps, and which are the key? Without me, even if you can bite him, you won't swallow the entire empire; you'll only have a bone stuck in your throat.
Viktor stared at her silently, assessing the weight of her words.
He knew she was telling the truth.
Ivana is not only TLP's wife, but also his important business assistant, especially in the Atlantic City casino business, where she is deeply involved in operations and management.
Her value goes far beyond whispered words and scattered information, and it cannot be simply categorized by women like Emily.
The atmosphere in the room shifted from ambiguous lust to a tense standoff in business negotiations.
Both were testing each other's limits and calculating the final price.
After a long silence, the stern look on Viktor's face gradually faded, replaced by a cold, almost cruel honesty.
“Okay, Ivana,”
He spoke slowly, his voice low and clear, "You're right. We're partners. So, let's be frank. I plan to use the $120 million IOU he signed with me, which I believe he won't be able to pay me back in the second half of the year."
Ivana turned around abruptly, a look of shock flashing in her eyes.
She knew about the IOU; it was a huge loan Trump had made to Victor during a period of extreme confidence for a certain project, using his group's shares and assets as collateral.
As agreed by both parties, the settlement will be made at the end of the year.
After Black Monday, the destructive power of this debt was amplified many times over.
"Now its value far exceeds its face value, and the collateral is worthless."
Victor continued, as if stating a given fact, "I will use it as a weapon to force him to restructure his debt or default outright."
At that time, I will have the right to demand the core of his mortgaged assets—especially the Atlantic City casinos—at an extremely low price. The Taj Mahal, the castle, the squares… I want his entire casino empire.”
"This is everything he's accomplished in the last few years! You're insane!"
Ivana took a deep breath, trying to process this massive and ruthless plan.
This was indeed a "robbery," a precise plunder that exploited the financial crisis and insider information.
Ivana quickly regained her composure and reverted to her strong businesswoman persona. "What do I need, Viktor? I'm not working for you. I provide crucial information to ensure you have the upper hand, rather than being bitten back. At the same time, I need to keep what I deserve after we completely sever ties."
"what do you want?"
Victor looked directly at her: "What should I give you so that you won't have to be an actress to make a living for the rest of your life?"
Ivana stated clearly, "Whether you ultimately get the Trump Atlantic City casino business, one or all of it, I want 5% of its future annual net profits. Not revenue, but profit."
Furthermore, I need a position, a respectable and powerful advisory role, to help with a 'smooth transition'—which would also better ensure the success of your investment, wouldn't it?
Viktor's lips curled up slightly, revealing a cold smile.
A 5% net profit margin is a huge number, especially in an industry like casinos where cash flow is enormous.
But rather than paying a huge sum of cash or splitting equity, this is more like a long-term commitment that directly links Ivana's interests to his future business success.
She is indeed a smart woman.
Victor countered, "Add the title of Executive Vice President, responsible for customer relations and brand image—that's your forte. But the final decision rests with me."
Ivana thought for a moment, then held out her hand: "Deal. But my lawyer needs to confirm the details of the agreement."
"How can you ask a lawyer about something like this?"
Victor took her hand, but it felt more like a cold alliance: "Of course. Details matter."
There were no kisses, no hugs.
A "robbery" agreement targeting Ivana's husband was formally reached in a hotel room, with the illusory prosperity of Atlantic City visible outside the window.
Chapter 177 Sharpening the Knife to the Pigs and Sheeps
In his penthouse office in the TLP Building in Midtown Manhattan, Donald TLP stands before the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the ant-like stream of pedestrians and cars below.
Once upon a time, this perspective of looking down on all living beings gave him an unparalleled sense of control.
But now, what is reflected on the glass is his furrowed brow and barely concealed anxiety.
The phone on the table kept ringing, but he ignored it.
Those once-enthusiastic bankers are now calling with only more bad news and harsh, almost humiliating, conditions.
An invisible yet increasingly heavy pressure permeated the air, as if the building itself, named after him, was groaning under the weight of the burden.
"They can't do this to me!"
He whirled around and growled at the empty office, his voice hollow in the luxurious yet spacious room: "I am Donald Trump!!!"
However, the market doesn't believe in slogans; it only recognizes cash flow.
Cash flow is precisely what TLP Group currently lacks most.
Meanwhile, Victor, the instigator who caused everything to happen ahead of schedule, is sitting in an inconspicuous private club outside Atlantic City.
In stark contrast to TLP's anxiety, his face displayed a cold calm.
In the two weeks following the agreement, his actions were as precise and efficient as a fine clock, each strike hitting his opponent's sore spot with pinpoint accuracy.
On the blackboard opposite him, financial news and data streams were constantly being updated, one after another, updating every half hour.
There are six Chinese operators here, who come from bankrupt Wall Street and are very professional.
A report about "TLP Group's real estate project facing renewed scrutiny, with pre-sale revenue potentially unable to cover maturing debt" has quietly surfaced.
Although the language is carefully chosen, it is highly suggestive.
"I don't understand, the force isn't enough,"
Victor whispered to Blair's assistant, his voice flat, "It's time to tell our 'friends' that it's time to be more explicit about the possibility of a 'liquidity crunch' and a 'technical default.' Those bondholders and bank credit committees need a stronger stimulus."
Blair nodded and noted it down, then silently left and dialed a number.
Victor picked up the vodka on the table and took a small sip.
The media storm was just the first wave of his multi-front offensive. Its purpose was not to destroy directly, but to create panic, drive up financing costs, and break down already strained nerves, thus creating space and opportunity for other actions.
While the media noise drew all eyes on both sides of the Atlantic, Victor's real killer move was quietly unfolding underwater.
Through a series of shell companies registered in the Cayman Islands, Luxembourg, and Cyprus, and a few absolutely loyal, clean-backed agents, Victor's capital began to infiltrate the secondary market like a ghost.
TLP Group’s various bonds, especially those senior bonds guaranteed by high-quality assets (such as rental income rights of some core real estate projects), were once highly sought after due to their high yields.
Currently, bombarded by a barrage of negative news, prices have plummeted, trading volume has slumped, and holders are living in constant fear of being stuck with their shares.
Victor's agents are hunting quietly in this quagmire of panic.
They never buy in large quantities to avoid alarming the market and causing a price rebound. Instead, they break it down into smaller amounts and patiently and gradually acquire these "distressed assets" at 70%, 60%, or even lower prices through dozens of different trading seats.
With each debt acquisition, Victor consolidates its creditor position in the TLP Group.
These scattered, discounted claims, like scattered chips, are being silently collected and consolidated by an unseen hand.
Victor even went so far as to acquire some debts personally guaranteed by TLP, which will be one of his most lethal weapons when he "forces a change of government" in the future—not only against the company, but also against TLP himself.
This work requires immense patience and secrecy.
Traders only know that there are mysterious buyers accumulating shares at the bottom, but they have difficulty tracing the ultimate source of these shares.
The market interpreted this as some vulture funds betting that TLP Group could survive by chance, preparing to earn huge profits, unaware that they were actually nailing nails to the coffin of the TLP empire.
Meanwhile, Viktor's third front is also advancing simultaneously—aiming directly at the jewel in the crown of the TLP Empire:
Casino and hotel assets in Atlantic City.
Atlantic City Plaza Hotel and Castle Casino Hotel were once symbols of TLP's glorious era in the gaming industry. Although their glory days have faded and they are now heavily indebted, their strategic location, brand recognition (for better or worse), and potential for renovation still make them valuable assets.
More importantly, they have strong symbolic significance for TLP. Taking them away would be tantamount to publicly slapping them in the face, which would severely damage their morale and reputation.
Viktor's strategy was very clear:
First the periphery, then the core.
He assigned another team to specifically contact small shareholders, retail investors, and some early investors who held minor stakes in the two hotels.
These people were already disappointed with TLP's management and the hotel's declining performance, and under the shadow of the group's overall crisis, they were even more eager to cash out and leave.
Acquisition offers are typically slightly higher than the current dismal market price, but far below their intrinsic value.
For minority shareholders who see no future, this is undoubtedly a good opportunity to sell.
The transactions were completed one by one, and the shares quietly changed hands through different holding companies, eventually ending up in Victor's hands.
This process is slow yet determined, like mercury seeping into the ground, silently permeating everything.
TLP Group was not unaware that its assets were being coveted, but it was overwhelmed by the surging tide of debt maturities and was unable to cope with these sporadic equity acquisitions.
They can only increase surveillance, but they can't stop it.