Chapter 4 SIX HUNDRED MILLION AND A SMILE

Mr. Linton stormed into his office, his face red with annoyance. "Eric, I've just received word that GreenTech Inc. has filed for bankruptcy," he thundered. Eric, his assistant, looked up from his computer, concern etched on his face. "I'm sorry to hear that, sir. What happened?" Mr. Linton slammed his fist on the desk. "The EcoPulse was a disaster. It never worked as promised, and now the company is bankrupt." Eric nodded sympathetically. "I know how much you invested in the company, sir. I'm sorry it didn't work out." Mr. Linton waved his hand dismissively.

"It's not just about the money, Eric. It's about the principle. I was convinced by Jenkins that the EcoPulse was the future of energy." Just then, the phone rang. Eric answered it, listened for a moment, and then turned to Mr. Linton. "Sir, it's the other investors. They're suing GreenTech Inc. and Mr. Jenkins for fraud." Mr. Linton raised an eyebrow. "I'm not surprised. What do they want me to do?" "They want you to join the lawsuit, sir," Eric replied. Mr. Linton shook his head. "I don't think so, Eric. I'll leave it to the others to pursue." Eric looked surprised. "But, sir, you were the largest investor. You lost the most money." Mr. Linton shrugged. "Six hundred million dollars is just a change to me, Eric. It's not worth my time and effort to pursue. "Eric's eyes widened in surprise. "A change, sir?" Mr. Linton nodded. "Yes, Eric. And besides, Mr. Jenkins is an old friend of mine. I'm not going to sue him." The next day, the news of the lawsuit against GreenTech Inc. and Mr. Jenkins was all over the papers. The other investors were shocked and surprised that Mr. Linton, the largest investor, was not joining the lawsuit. As the news spread, reporters and camera crews descended upon Mr. Linton's estate, eager to get a statement from him. Mr. Linton smiled calmly as he faced the cameras. "I'm not interested in pursuing the matter," he said. "As I said, six hundred million dollars is just a change to me." The reporters gasped in shock, and the camera crews scrambled to get a shot of Mr. Linton's reaction. As the media frenzy died down, Mr. Linton turned to Eric and smiled. "I think that went well, don't you, Eric?" Eric nodded, still looking a bit stunned. "Yes, sir. You certainly made a statement." Mr. Linton chuckled. "I just told the truth, Eric. Six hundred million dollars is nothing to me." As the two men walked out of the estate, Mr. Linton's phone rang again. He answered it, listened for a moment, and then turned to Eric. "It's Mr. Jenkins," he said. "He wants to meet with me to discuss the situation." Eric raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do, sir?" Mr. Linton smiled. "I'll meet with him, of course. He's an old friend." As Mr. Linton walked out of the office to meet with Mr. Jenkins, Eric couldn't help but wonder what had just happened. Six hundred million dollars was a staggering amount of money, and yet Mr. Linton had dismissed it as "a change."

Mr. Linton walked into the office, He spotted him sitting in his chair, nursing a cup of coffee. Mr. Linton made his way over, his long strides eating up the distance. As he approached, Mr. Jenkins looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and anxiety. "Linton, thanks for meeting me," he said, standing up to greet his friend. Mr. Linton smiled warmly and clapped Mr. Jenkins on the back. "Of course, Jenkins. What's going on?" Mr. Jenkins led Mr. Linton to the table and they sat down. "I want to apologize for what happened with GreenTech," Mr. Jenkins said, his voice filled with remorse. "I know how much you invested, and I feel terrible that it didn't work out." Mr. Linton waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Jenkins. Like I said, it's just a change for me." Mr. Jenkins looked at him incredulously. "A change? Linton, you lost six hundred million dollars!" Mr. Linton chuckled. "I know, I know. But what are friends for? I'm forgiving you, Jenkins. Let's just move on from this." Mr. Jenkins' face filled with relief, and he reached out to clasp Mr. Linton's hand. "Thanks, Linton. You're a true friend."