Cashflow was tight, every dollar we spent on te projects we only mange to collect 50cents, thing are not going well as planned. A another 2 months like this we will be underwater...
Tension was building up with the suppliers and subcontractors who have supported us so far. Some have been patient while some were merely hand to mouth, any delay of payment due to them was a big no no.
The subcons and suppliers wrere always lingering around the office, waiting for me to show up to chasae for payment. I began to evade office, always on the pretext of meetings outside of office or site visit. Sometimes I would just hide at home, waiting for a miracle to happen.
Something did happen, when all hell break loose what do you expect? Hell send his darkest demon to hunt me down.
One fine day, I decided to drop by the office late, having made sure noone was at the office waiting for me. 15 minutes in the room 2 guys barged in, 2 guys I ave never met, one introduced himself as Gan, a middle aged plump man wearing long sleeve and slacks, normal office attire. The other guy (can't remember him name, was scary looking, with a scar over his face and tatoo on both his arms, someone you know is up to no good.
Gan introduce himself as a representative of a debt collection agency engaged by one of our subcontractor. SHIT! Debt collection agency are basicaly run by ah longs who will help you hunt down people who owe you money and beat the hell out of them so they pay up.
I tried to explained that we are also chasing payment from our client, who owes us in the tune of RM1mil while we only owe Gan's client Rm50k. I ask him not to worry that he has my word that we will payment once we collect the money from our client.
Gan was one cool cat (at least that was what I sense in our first encounter), he calmly told me he believed every single word I said but he need to produce result and I can help him by showing intend to pay by issuing a post dated chack for him to bring back to his client. (notice the other guy never utter a single word)
I was not sure when we can get paid and I was not willing to risk a bounce check by issuing a PD check to this guy whom I just met. I tried to explain that I can't issue the check without my MD around. He quickly said : nevermind I will deal with your partner, you just need to preapre the check and sign your part. FXXK he was quick to corner me. Running out of excuses I told him the checkbook is in a locked drawer and I dun have access. Hearing that Gan calmly turned his head towards the goon loking fella and said in Hokkien: it seems today we can't avoid seeing RED... and pulled out a dagger from his pants and gently placed it on the table.
He said it very calmly, but the tone and expression on his face was as if he had just signed my death warrant and the goon was going to get me any a bounce. I quickly changed my tone and stood up, the goon stood up immediately in front of me, showing off his tatooed biceps. I told them I will try to look for the keys to the check drawer.
It turns out that the key to the drawer was really not in the office and I told myself :SHIT I am going to die!!! quickly I grabbed a screw driver and broke the drawers lock and got the checkbook out and issued Gan a RM50k post dated check.
Before he left he told me : nice doing business with you, hope we will meet again. I was telling myself who the Fxxk want to meet you again?
And we did meet, and we became associates for almost a year later, all because he called me and made me an offer I can't refuse the second day after our first encounter...
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