“Who delivered this?”
“I don’t know, Khun John. It was here when I came on duty. Is there a problem?”
“No, no, it’s okay,” John smiled. “Thank you.”
Turning, he walked through the tropical garden to his cabin and unlocked the door. He kicked off his flip-flops and walked inside, throwing his towel on the bed, then sat in the cane chair by the window. With his thumb, he slit open the flap of the envelope and looked inside at the folded papers. He pulled them out and opened them. A news clipping fell onto his lap, and he picked it up to examine it closely.
Taken from the South China Morning Post from two days previously, the headline read: Pegasus Land reaches new heights in IPO. John read further: Shares of Pegasus Land have soared to eighty dollars on the first day of trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, a clear sign of the confidence the public has in new Chairman, Ronald Yu’s leadership. After the tragic suicide of the previous Chairman, Peter Croft, rumors abounded of the company’s dire financial condition, but under Ronald Yu, the company has pared back debts and already significantly increased cash flow. Chief Executive Officer, David Yu, in an announcement to the Stock Exchange, expressed his confidence for the future of the company and their intention to bid on several Government redevelopment projects in the future. A market analyst for Sino Securities commented, on the condition of anonymity, “Everything Ronald Yu touches turns to gold, so we are very bullish on this company’s shares.”
John chuckled to himself. “Ronald Yu, you wily old bastard.”
He folded the news clipping and turned his attention to the other pieces of paper. The top sheet held one line of text. With the blessings of Kuan Yin.
Puzzled, John turned it over and looked at the sheet of paper underneath. It was a share certificate issued in his name—a shareholding in Pegasus Land. John looked at the number of shares and did a quick calculation. Leaning back in his chair, he gazed out the window, the papers falling to his side. Based on the share price in the news article, he was now a wealthy man.
Also by Mark David Abbott
Buy Book 3 now!
A New Beginning: John Hayes #3
John Hayes is back…..
A chance meeting with a fascinating woman has the potential to change John's life. Could she be the one to bring him the happiness he lost after his wife was brutally murdered?…….. Will it be that easy?
Newly wealthy John Hayes is living an idyllic life in the exotic city of Bangkok. He spends his days keeping fit, exploring the city and enjoying the wonderful food but he is lonely,……..and when a beautiful woman walks into his life he thinks he has a chance to start afresh.
But with John life is never simple.
A penniless young girl desperate to start a new life……….a high flying foreign businessman with a murky past…….an alluring woman……. all come together to test John once again. Should he get involved and potentially risk his life and the lives of others? Or should he walk away and lose the woman he is growing to love?
What people are saying about the John Hayes Series:
“an exciting, intriguing adventure that holds your attention and does not let go!”
“I don’t read many thrillers, but this one had me hooked with the exotic locales descriptions and the characters. Highly recommended.”
“Liked this book very much. Read it in one sitting. Looking forward to reading more of the heroes adventures.”
“This book was a fast read because it was so well written and thought out."
“Very good book and I was pulled into the book like I was right there. This book is good enough to read again.”
"This was a wonderfully written book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more from this author. You should read it too!”
“The author keeps the reader captivated from page one until the very end. It is difficult to put the book down.”
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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the following without whose support this book wouldn’t have been possible.
My wife K, for encouraging me to continue writing and who frequently dragged me out from the pit of self doubt. My editor Sandy Ebel - Personal Touch Editing whose advice and input has made me “rite proppa”, Angie-O e-Covers for a rocking cover, and my Beta readers Sid and Ritz for always being helpful and encouraging.
Although I have spent a large portion of my life living in and visiting Hong Kong there were parts of the story where I needed the input of others. Christina Tang, without your help regarding the operation of Casinos, the first chapter would not have been possible.
Thank you Madhav Shankar for your advice regarding banking regulations, and thank you to Anil Daryanani, Thuan Forrester and Chau Kei Ngai for your help with Cantonese. Anil, your knowledge of Cantonese swear words is disturbingly encyclopaedic. A big thanks to Krish Gaurav for your help with Nepalese.
Anil D’Souza, thank you for your input on matters nautical, and Paul Schwerdt, your answers to my military questions were invaluable.
Thank you to my Advanced Reader Team, particularly Kathryn Defranc, Frances Sim-Higgins, Thomas Webb, Manali Rohinesh, David Roche and Terje Olsen. It’s your input that has helped make the book what it is.
But most of all, a big thanks to you, my readers. It is your support and feedback that make the task of writing a joyful experience.
About the Author
Mark can be found online at:
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A Million Reasons Page 15