"The total for the first batch of payments is over eighty million US dollars." Ethan's voice trembled. "If we sign this, we'll have to immediately pay a forty-eight-million-dollar cash advance."
"Leo, this is a power play. They're using their excess capacity to hold our cash flow hostage."
Leo sat in his chair, looking at the invoices, his face devoid of expression.
He knew what Smith was doing.
'Those old foxes. Once they realized they couldn't jump ship, they decided to pile all its cargo right in the captain's cabin. Either the captain deals with it, or everyone goes down together.'
"Sign."
Leo uttered a single word.
"What?" Ethan thought he had misheard. "Can you even use this much steel? Our warehouses are already full. Are we supposed to stack the steel in the hallways of City Hall?"
"We'll use it all."
Leo stood up.
"I'm going to build a second elevated highway. I'm going to tear down and rebuild all the old warehouses in the South District."
