C2 The Deal

"Hello." Dr Richard responded to the call.

"Good morning, sir." the caller said. "I'm Engineer Shaw from National petroleum council (NPC) Maryland.

l was a one time patient of yours some few years ago when I was serving in Jackson, Mississippi. l can't forget the way u handled my case and the kind attention that l received from you."

Dr Richard tried to quickly refresh his memory and recall the event that the caller was trying to resurrect but he could not remember.

"I'm not sure that I have the foggiest what was your case then." Dr Richard confessed to him sincerely and with honesty.

"Of course, you might not remember it now. You might also not know that I'm no longer in Jackson, Mississippi. l was transferred to our Depot at Baltimore, Maryland few months ago."

"Are you at NPC Baltimore, Maryland now?"

"Yes, since roughly half of the year now. l had even opted to come back to Jackson, Mississippi for a certain reasons but the company did not grant my request.

The refusal was like taking a horse to the stream and forcing it to drink. When I went to Baltimore, I found out that I was the most senior officer in my department and to take over from one Engr Harry Kennedy from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But do you know what happened Doc?"

"What happened?" Dr Richard asked,in a very deep tune.and waited for an answer.

"Engr Kennedy refused to hand over to me, damn it. I could believe that members of the management board allowed him to win their support and remain as head of department. Well Doc, that's by the way and know means the reason for calling you."

"I thought as much."

"The reason for calling you is, there is this product called Oil Pipeline Pit which has suddenly become like gold dust in the East side. NPC now wants to embark upon massive repair of most, if not all, of it's old ones across the East, following a directive from the Government.

The management has meet for a number of times in this regard and final reached a conclusive decision to buy some of these products.

My department has been assigned with the responsibility to buy them." Mr Shaw stopped to take a breath. "hope your still listening to me sir?"

"Yes, I'm listening. Go on."

"This morning, I learnt that a budget of two hundred and thirty thousand dollars per packet of the product was approved by the management."

Dr. Richard tried to imagine the size of a packet of the product that should cost up to two hundred and thirty thousand dollars.

There and then he thought that he did not not hear the amount stated by Engr Kennedy very well and took it for two hundred and thirty dollars for a packet.

"The so-called head of department is now preparing to begin a tour of the East side to search for the product. He has been scheduled to go to New York, Boston and Providence and finally Qatar and Kuwait in case the stock of the product is confirmed nil. What am saying is that I had been handling such job for NPC Depot in Jackson Mississippi. l use to buy the product from Shell and I remember having bought last from the company just last year at a price of one hundred and seventy. l called you because l know you as someone of integrity that can be trusted, someone who can get my share of the profit after the transaction and keep it intact for me without letting it go lost."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"That is how it is, Doc."

"Okay, What do you want from me?"

"l want you to find out from the store officer at Shell whether they have to the stock of the product, this is, the Oil Pipeline Pit A-10 and still sell it at a price of one hundred and seventy."

"A... what?" Dr. Richard asked ignorantly.

"l said A-10. You don't have to panic or brother yourself about the terminology. There are A-10, A-4, and A-2 type but the type that NPC wants urgently now is A-10.

If Shell has the product and still sells at one hundred and seventy, give me a call and I'll direct Dr. Kennedy to you so that you buy the product from Shell and sell to him.

There is huge gain to make from the deal. When you have found out the price at which the product sells at Shell and confirm that it's lesser than the NPC approved purchase price of two hundred and thirty.

Then call me to link you up with Dr. Kennedy, so that you can talk with him. l don't want him to have an idea that I'm involved in the deal.

He sees me as his rival in the office, probably an enemy of some sort. Call the the Shell store officer and let me know the outcome. I'll text his contact details to you."

"No problem."

"Damn it, Dr. Kennedy will leave for a tour soon, so you have to be fast about calling him."

"I'll do that that in no distant time."

"I owe you for this, Doc."

"For what it worth."

Thanks Engr Shaw was satisfied with Dr. Richard's promise to put a call across to the store officer before ending the call.

Dr. Richard, made a mug of coffee to drink and clam his nerves, and think through his conversation with Engr Shaw, and in his final analysis, he decided to call the store officer but not on the spot.

A half hour later after having lunch, Dr. Richard called the Shell Store Officer to inquire about the A-10 Oil Pipeline Pit.

He responded promptly. He had spoken seemingly reasonable words to Dr. Richard and had given him his name as Francis.

He'd spoken great length with Dr. Richard including making some efforts to thrill him with jokes and explaining elaborately the modus operandi of his company and Dr. Richard had taken all he said like french wine.

He was a complete novice at oil business, which is totally different from his wide knowledge about the workings of stethoscope, syringes and all that which have gained popularity in the medical field.

He was prompted to believe that Engr Shaw was up to something after all, if all what Francis had voiced out to him so far should be taken as truth.

"But I would like to know whether you're registered with our company as a contractor." Francis said.

"No, I have not registered with you yet."

"Then you may be required to register before you could be allowed to transact business with us."

Dr. Richard was somehow having the feeling of disappointment pinching him as his credentials to qualify for supplies from the company were as deficient as if they were non-existent.

He was in this kind of thought for a few moments without improving on the conservation any further.

"Hello Sir, What's up with the long silence, I may come to your help if you tell me exactly what you want?"

"I'm glad to hear you say that. I want to buy three hundred packet of A-10 Oil Pipeline Pit from you if your price is good and acceptable to me."

"We sell at one hundred and seventy five per packet."

"That means you have increased the price. I was told that you used to sell at One hundred and seventy per packet."

"Yes, the price was slightly increased to take care of inflation."

Dr. Richard made to hesitate but decided otherwise. "Anyway, I will still need the quantity in spite of the slight increase in the price."

"Three hundred packet will place you in the category of our major buyers. We may consider selling to you because of the quantity that you want to buy, though you may not have registered as one of our contractors."

"Thank you."

"Because we do not sell to individuals, you'll begin to commence your registration as soon as you have paid. We are only giving you this grace because of the large quantity being requested by you."

"I'm very grateful. I'll call you tomorrow to intimate you when I'll pay for the number of packets."

"Are you paying for the product tomorrow?"

Yes, of course." Dr. Richard answered in the affirmative.

"Good, you have to call me when you're ready for it."

"I will definitely do that."

"Do have a nice day sir."

The talks that he had concluded with him and Engineer Shaw appeared to bear some remarkable significance for him to consider taking them seriously.

He reasoned that there were quite a few people now doing business and making fantastic profit and his own should not be different.

But was there really money to be made from the deal?

He asked in a soliloquy.