Top Notch War God

Chapter 86

The business leaders present were all visibly shaken. Even though Ralphy wasn't the mayor, his influence far surpassed that of the mayor, making him someone they couldn't afford to offend. Especially since there were rumors that Skysoar Group was behind the South City land investment—land they had all come for. How could they not be shocked?

As they were thinking about it, Ralphy walked into the meeting with someone, scanned the room, and smiled, "Ah, everyone's already here! Perfect, saves me the trouble of notifying you all one by one."

Grady respectfully stood up and said to Ralphy, "If Mr. Hill needs anything, just give me a call. I can personally report to Skysoar Group myself."

Ralphy nodded at Grady, then turned his attention to the Willis family, smiling. "Lord Willis, we meet again."

Mateo stood up, greeted Ralphy with, "Mr. Hill, hello there," but didn't look him in the eye. Skysoar Group had caused a lot of trouble for the Willis family. If it weren't for Ralphy's high status, Mateo might have taken action against him already.

But now, Mateo wasn't scared at all. No matter how powerful Skysoar Group was, could they really stop the combined forces of the 24 companies present? In the past, this might've been unthinkable, but now Mateo considered himself their leader, ready to rally them all together.

Ralphy ignored Lord Willis's coldness and looked at Alvin. "If I'm not mistaken, this must be Ms. Willis's father?"

Alvin had heard from Norah that Ralphy was just an employee, so while he was polite, he didn't stand up. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Hill. I've heard much about your talents, and it's great to finally meet you. I'm curious, though, what brings you here today?"

Ralphy chuckled. "It's nothing too serious. I'm here to talk about three things. The first is about the city's development, and it involves making everyone here a shareholder. What do you think?"

"Wait… what do you mean by that?" Alvin was taken aback. He'd been trying to attract investments for the city, so how did Ralphy know about it? And what did he mean by making everyone a shareholder?

The other business leaders were also confused, wanting to figure out what exactly Ralphy was getting at.

Ralphy remained standing, hands behind his back, and said, "No need to be puzzled. Let me explain. There's a plot of undeveloped land on the outskirts of the city. A few years ago, the city authorities wanted to develop it, but the funds required were too high, so the project got delayed."

"Are you talking about Skinthall Range?" Grady asked, furrowing his brows.

Ralphy nodded. "Exactly, Skinthall Range. We inspected the site a week ago—it's a beautiful area, perfect for a residential district. The land covers over 3,000 acres, and we believe it could be developed into a high-end vacation resort, combining tourism and leisure."

Alvin's eyes lit up. Skinthall Range had always been the city's trickiest project. The city had wanted to develop it for a long time, but no one was willing to take it on. If he could get it developed while being deputy mayor, it would be a huge accomplishment.

Grady cautiously asked, "Developing Skinthall Range would require a lot of money, wouldn't it? We're talking about over 3,000 acres, not just 300."

He added, "I don't think any company in Philadelphia could handle that. If we calculate all the necessary investments, it could exceed 20 billion… and that's a conservative estimate. Mr. Hill, as a businessman, I must say—even if you build it, the chances of recouping the investment are uncertain. It's a high-risk project."

Ralphy smiled knowingly at Alvin. "What if the land was free? Ms. Willis, what do you think about a government-business partnership?"

Alvin immediately stood up, looking puzzled. "A government-business partnership? Mr. Hill, I've been in politics for a while, but I don't really know much about business. Could you explain how this partnership would work?"

Ralphy chuckled. "Since you've asked, I won't beat around the bush. We've had the land appraised, and its current market value is about 8 billion. If Ms. Willis contributes the land as capital, then based on a 20 billion investment, she would hold 40% of the shares. Once the resort is built, after deducting operational costs, Ms. Willis would receive 40% of the net profits. What do you think, Ms. Willis?"

Alvin quickly calculated in his head. The land was only worth 8 billion, but that value depended on someone actually developing it. If no one touched it, it was just sitting there.

Using it as capital was a better option. Even if they made no profit, the infrastructure would still be there. But if they did make money, and if the resort earned 1 billion a year, Alvin would add 400 million to the city's finances annually—that's a great achievement for a politician.

Excitement made Alvin's voice shake as he said, "Yes, I agree! Absolutely! We can sign the contract tomorrow if possible! Finally, Skinthall Range can be developed. On behalf of the city's citizens, thank you, Mr. Hill!" Alvin quickly straightened his clothes and gave Ralphy a small bow to express his gratitude.

Ralphy waved his hand. "No need to thank me just yet, we're not done. Since Ms. Willis is leading the project and contributing the land, the Skinthall Range project will be officially overseen by the government. Skysoar Group will take no more than a 30% stake. The remaining 30%… any takers among you?"

Alvin quietly pinched his leg, scolding himself for being too hasty. Even if he provided the land, there was still a huge funding gap. The remaining 30% would require 6 billion—were these business leaders really willing to invest in such an uncertain project?

After a long pause, someone finally spoke up, "Well… Mr. Hill, I think we should be cautious. Skinthall Range's terrain is tricky, and it's uncertain whether large construction equipment can even access it. And building a residential area means you'd need to pave roads to the site." He added, "We have to take all this into account. As for 6 billion… that's not like a few million. Moving billions of dollars around isn't easy. I doubt anyone here has 6 billion just sitting in their accounts."

Ralphy was unfazed, laughing lightly. "No need to be anxious. I'm not forcing anyone to invest. My investors see developing Skinthall Range as a public benefit project. If you want to participate, feel free to buy in. If not, Skysoar Group can fund the whole thing ourselves. You all should know that if it weren't for the fact that this is a government-backed project, Skysoar Group would have taken it all by now."

Grady nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes, we all know Skysoar Group has deep pockets. But our company is struggling to free up even 500 million. Most of our funds are tied up in development projects. How about… I contribute 200 million?"

In reality, Grady could easily come up with 6 billion. He was only pretending to be short on cash because he didn't want to invest in this project. If contributing 200 million helped him build ties with Skysoar Group, he could live with that.

The other business leaders saw his play and followed suit, each claiming their companies were in tough financial situations. Those who pledged more offered 300 million, and those who offered less pledged 100 million. But they were still 3 billion short of the 6 billion needed.

Watching them perform, Ralphy suddenly smiled. "I appreciate everyone's generosity, and I'm sure Ms. Willis does too. But I think I forgot to mention—each share costs 2 billion. We're still short three shareholders. I understand things are tight for you all, so I won't push. Skysoar Group will just invest the remaining 12 billion. Ms. Willis, what do you think?"

Alvin nodded repeatedly. He didn't care if it was government-led or if he was the majority shareholder. All that mattered was getting Skinthall Range developed.

Just as Alvin was about to speak, a woman's voice suddenly came from outside the room, "Hold on. I'll take all the remaining shares for the Skinthall Range project. The 6 billion will be available immediately. But I have one condition—I'll be the chairperson, and Ariya will be the vice-chairperson. Do we have a deal?"