[Chapter 48: Bank Robbery]
"Mr. Leighton, someone from the asset management department will be coming over shortly with detailed information. You can take a look and make your choice," Billy said with a smile after hanging up the phone.
"No problem. I still have a few things to ask you about. I might need help from your Citibank financial experts," John replied. "Well, likely around August, the company where I hold shares will be going public. After the IPO, I may want to cash out some of my stock. I need your team's financial wizards at Citibank to help with the process. I'm not exactly sure how to handle this, which is one reason I came today."
"Oh, I see. Congratulations in advance! Hopefully, the stock price will surge. As for the process, since it's a large volume, you'll need professional stockbrokers and traders to manage it. Citibank has a dedicated stock management team. You'll have to discuss the details with our securities brokers and managers."
"I am just giving you a heads-up. When August comes, I'll reach out. I hope you can help connect me with the right professionals. To give you an idea, I have about 3 million shares, valued around 300 to 400 million dollars. I want to cash out within a week, but ideally without impacting the stock price too much. So, I'm looking for a solid plan to work together."
"Alright, I'll wait for your message in August. Meanwhile, I'll talk to the securities department and prepare everything for you." Billy responded excitedly.
He thought to himself, 'I never expected John, aside from buying a house, to have such a big business opportunity come my way so quickly.'
Knowing such financial services usually come with fees, with a deal worth over 300 million dollars, Citibank would make a tidy profit. Maybe a promotion and raise weren't far off.
With the serious talk done, they started chatting casually.
---
As they chatted, a knock came at the door. Probably the real estate agents from asset management.
Sure enough, after Billy opened the door and greeted them, he introduced the two visitors.
There was a man and a woman, both dressed professionally. Citibank had clearly put effort into appearances. Both were good-looking -- the man handsome, the woman attractive.
The woman, Anna Baker, was the property manager, about 30 years old, accompanied by a 20-something assistant, Charlie Hanks.
"Hi, Miss Baker. I guess Billy has briefed you on my situation. Do you have any good recommendations?" John got straight to the point after some pleasantries.
"Mr. Leighton, based on your request, we've selected some properties near Hollywood, mainly in Beverly Hills and surrounding areas. This is the best neighborhood in Los Angeles. Let me give you a quick rundown."
Hearing the introduction, John became interested. Beverly Hills was famous, after all.
From the details, John learned there were three properties available: two in the flat area south of Sunset Boulevard, priced around 2 million each -- relatively affordable -- and one, a two-and-a-half-story villa north of Sunset Boulevard at the foot of the Beverly Hills hills, going for around 4 million.
Though not as grand as the hillside mansions or those at the summit, it was still impressive. If this was before the subprime mortgage crisis, the place wouldn't have fetched less than 10 to 20 million.
Luckily, real estate was at a low point, so the price was reasonable, making it a safe investment without inevitable losses if sold later.
John was basically satisfied, especially with the house at the foothills. It had a small garden and a pool, with a building area of 3 to 4 hundred square meters, sitting on a plot over a ten thousand square feet, featuring five bedrooms and surrounding walls -- pretty nice.
He arranged with Anna to visit the properties the next morning before making a final decision.
After business wrapped up, everyone exchanged casual small talk. Noticing the time was noon, John said he had to leave.
---
John, accompanied by Zach, Bob, Billy, and Anna, left the room. As they stepped out of the elevator into the lobby on the first floor, they were met with a rare scene of hustle and bustle for a bank.
Sure enough, the lobby was filled with people -- bank employees trying to calm things down, regular customers complaining, and security guards positioned all around to prevent incidents. It was quite lively.
John watched the commotion with interest.
After standing a while and listening to the loud chatter, he finally got the story. The trouble was caused by a large white man standing there.
Apparently, a bank robbery had occurred yesterday at a branch next to the Citibank center.
Thanks to the excellent security guard on duty in the lobby, two robbers were easily subdued, and no property was lost.
Initially, everyone thought the guard would be rewarded or recognized by the bank for his heroics. But the next day, upon returning to the bank, he was handed a termination letter.
As the guard was about to leave, he chatted with former coworkers. A customer who had been present during the robbery overheard this and felt grateful toward the guard.
After learning he'd been fired, the customer spoke up in his defense, escalating the scene.
Billy explained the situation to John, who found it somewhat baffling -- really no one could blame the bank's policy.
...
In the U.S., gun violence was rampant, leading to frequent bank robberies.
Billy said in the 80s and 90s, Los Angeles saw bank robberies almost every day. Because of this, every bank had insurance. As long as no one got hurt, the insurance company covered losses.
Many robbers were just regular people down on their luck, sometimes just one or two with a handgun walking into a bank.
Usually, they'd hand over a note demanding money, and most tellers complied.
Yesterday's incident was just like this, except the security guard was a recently retired special forces veteran.
He got the robbers when they were distracted, subduing them on the spot and earning praise from onlookers.
The guard was proud after a successful job and the crowd's praise, even if some bank employees looked at him weirdly.
But the next day, he was called to the bank center and faced his termination.
According to the manager, the job was to keep everyone safe. If the robbers got away with money, no problem -- insurance would cover it.
But if a gunfight broke out during pursuit and someone got hurt, the bank would be liable.
Since the robbers escaped without harm but the guard's intervention risked lives, they deemed him unfit, leading to his dismissal.
John thought the bank wasn't wrong. After all, the money was insured. The guard's brave act could have sparked violence, leading to injuries and big trouble for the bank.
The customers, upon hearing the guard's story, sided with him, which fueled the noisy scene in the lobby.
*****
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