That evening, Richard sat in the living room of the London house with his father. As usual, the boy and the man sat in armchairs near the fireplace.
The Duke said:
- Richie, you're doing great. I'm proud of you.
- Thank you, father.
- Charlie said you called him and asked for a girl. Your girlfriend?
"No. The daughter of the dentists I saw today. Hermione was so eager to have tea with Grandma Lisa that I couldn't resist helping her."
- Many people want to attend the Queen's reception, but you won't help everyone, will you?
"No, Dad. I wasn't planning on helping everyone. But why not do something nice for my friends? Maybe I'll get a discount on my dentist next time. And even if not, it's always beneficial to have dentist friends."
"Oh, son," Gerald shook his head, "you've been hanging out with my top managers too much. You're always looking for an advantage."
- Is that bad?
"No, but you're still a kid. Son, you should be making friends with other kids, playing, and not looking for advantages in communicating with your peers."
"Oh!" Richie rolled his eyes dramatically. "As if anyone would be friends with me for no reason! I'm not talking about the children of influential people, like Bill or Justin."
"Eh..." Gerald sighed sadly. "Okay, I wasn't much of a kid myself. Let's get to the fun part. Richie, have you given up on this idea yet?"
"No, Dad. It wasn't for nothing that I learned all the intricacies of running a business just to put it in reverse."
Gerald smiled warmly at his son and said:
- Okay. I thought so. That's why I opened an account for you and transferred ten million pounds into it. But how are you going to make it work?
Richie ran the back of his right hand across his chin with a thoughtful expression and said:
- Well... I suppose I need a small office, a secretary, and a broker. There's just one problem: I was planning to invest all my funds, and I'll only see a profit in a year at best. Simply put, I don't have the money to pay my employees.
"Why do you need an office? Son, you can manage your investments without one. But be that as it may, I'll give you a small office. Don't worry about a broker; I've already taken care of that. Richie, you'll be contacting Dan Silver, the investment specialist. He'll be handling your investments through Rich Group brokers, in addition to his regular duties. John will act as your secretary."
"Well, that's not bad," Richard agreed. He crossed the fingers of both hands over his stomach and paused thoughtfully. "But that's not enough. I need someone who will seek out new companies and talented aspiring entrepreneurs so I can be the first to invest in them and reap the maximum rewards."
Gerald paused. He scratched his head, mentally running through people who would fit his son's criteria. Finally, he reached his verdict:
"I have someone in mind. A former detective in Scotland Yard's Economic Crime Unit. He's fifty-five now, recently retired, but still full of energy and desire to work. He doesn't want to return to the police because of a conflict with his superiors.
- Dad, how do you know such a person?
"Scott's in my hunting club. He's the perfect candidate. And you know what, son?"
- What?
"I'll give you a gift," Gerald smiled mysteriously and paused dramatically. "I'll pay Scott's salary myself until you come of age. That way, at least I'll be sure you won't be scammed."
"Thank you, Father!" Richard said sincerely. Then, with a touch of irony and sarcasm, he added, "Your gifts are very original. Expensive, no doubt about it. But 'original'!"