“Show some gratitude?”
Bernard Elnor’s heart sank. Though he guessed Ye Chen’s motive, he still asked nervously, “How would you like me to show it, sir?”
Ye Chen said, “You figure it out.”
Bernard Elnor began to fret, thinking to himself, “Ye Chen’s leaving it to me, but how do I handle this? Surely I can’t give him a billion or two as a thank-you fee? He’s already made so much from selling me the Rejuvenation Pill, where would I even find that kind of money?”
Then it hit him, “Once this incident goes public, White Horse Island’s prospects will likely be grim. Dozens of people died here, who’d come without weighing that in their mind?”
So, he steeled himself, gritted his teeth inwardly, and said to Ye Chen, “Mr. Ye, White Horse Island was built with a seven-billion-dollar investment from our group, taking years to complete, and it hasn’t been operational for long. Since you and your family enjoy vacationing in the Maldives, I’ll just give you this island! As a small token of my appreciation!”
Fearing Ye Chen might find it insufficient, he quickly added, “Rest assured, this island has a 99-year lease with the Maldives, and I’ll pay the full 99-year rent upfront, plus invest another hundred million dollars as a maintenance and upgrade fund for White Horse Island, ensuring you and your family can enjoy the best vacation experience here anytime. What do you think?”
Ye Chen chuckled, “Mr. Elnor, you’re quite generous, aren’t you? An island where dozens died, soon to be infamous worldwide for a terrorist attack. Giving it to me, is this your idea of recycling waste?”
Bernard Elnor was instantly embarrassed.
Ye Chen hit the nail on the head. Though the island cost seven billion dollars, most of that investment was immovable.
For instance, the land reclamation to expand the island’s size, that money was gone for good.
And all the hardware facilities on the island, though costly, had no recoverable value. Dismantling and relocating them from the Maldives would be as absurd as spending a hundred dollars to make a one-dollar counterfeit bill.
Once news of today’s events spread, White Horse Island would lose nearly all its economic value.
Even if they slashed prices to attract tourists unfazed by the incident, profitability would plummet.
So, it was practically a piece of scrap.
Gifting it to Ye Chen seemed valuable on the surface, but Ye Chen was sharp enough to see through through the ruse.
So, Bernard Elnor gritted his teeth and hurriedly said, “Oh, Mr. Ye, there’s also a seven-star island in the Maldives, JD Island, owned by a Dubai consortium. How about I personally buy that island and give it to you?”
JD Island, recently up for sale, was among the top three in the Maldives, valued at over five hundred million dollars.
The international high-end tourism market had been sluggish lately, and JD Island’s revenue had dipped, prompting the Dubai consortium to sell and pull out.
In a down market, few had both the means and willingness to take on JD Island, and Bernard Elnor was likely the only one.
