Business Doctors - Management Consulting Gone Wild (23 page)

“Yeah, go on” said Alex. “We can pack our bags after we hear you. We thought WFB is dead now and there was no future in it for us.”

“Not yet. It has a new leader now. Woody’s wife, Angie. You are aware that WFB runs many businesses. Each of you will join one of them to begin with. Some of you will move across businesses depending on your existing skills and the new ones that you show a flair for during your rotations.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Jamal has a good memory. You guys may not know this, but his skill with cards goes back a long way. So it’s almost a no-brainer that his first stint would be at the casino. But I will also ensure that he gets to experience life in the other lanes, the other businesses. Similarly, I will also ensure that Mr. Krannert doesn’t come anywhere close to the adult movie business. He’d make a great customer. But we need
business
owners
too. Touchwood, we have enough customers for that business.”

Kenny shrugged his shoulders, “Hey, what can I do? I just come across as a pervert. It’s just my face…”

“…yeah and also your tongue that flips out halfway to the ground every time you see anything in skirts,” said Bullet.

Schneider continued with his proposal, “The rotation will give you a chance to understand how WFB, as a group, operates. At the end of the year, you will have the
opportunity of being placed permanently in one of these businesses. There are no guarantees at this stage. This is just the plan and much of what happens at the end of the year will depend on how you perform and how much your mentors are impressed with your performance. The good news is that they know what you have done in one week and are hoping you’d show your creativity when you join their teams.”

“What about me?” Bullet asked.

“Good question. You get to be part of the adult movie business…behind the scenes, of course. The guys have been running the show for all these years. It’s time we got a lady in there to crack the whip and teach them a thing or two. Gabriel has shown his talent for the kidnapping business. So that’s where he’d be heading. You’ll have Kruger’s company. He’ll use his negotiation skills to extort more money. Kenny can start with the drugs business. Chang gets to set up a new business in the area of technology fraud. Good way for you to brush up on your rusty hacking techniques. You went to jail for murder, but I know that your real talent is to make a killing in the virtual internet world. You will pick up where our previous hacker left. Hendrik will work with you. Jason and Ryan will help all of you stay connected. Jason will provide the contacts, and Ryan will keep a tab on how much money each business makes.”

Schneider knew his response would trigger more questions.

“I know you have more questions about your role. We will get into the details soon. So you guys game for it?” Schneider opened the floor to see if the group had bought into his proposal.

“Count me in,” said Jamal. “I am in too,” Emiliano added. All the others expressed their interest in continuing.

Schneider went up to Jason and asked in a softer voice. “You in, bro?”

“Yup” Jason replied

“By the way, you were talking about some invisible angel that you needed to be thankful to. What did you mean by that?”

“Don’t be so modest Mr. Schneider. While I was working on the list, the guard passed on your message to me. He said I could look up more on Stevie to see if he’d fit our list. And in case, he did, I could take credit for suggesting his name. You da man, dude!”

“What? I never - ” Schneider stopped short of completing his sentence. The guards wouldn’t take orders from anyone but him and Woody…and of course Angie. Schneider shook his head and smiled.

He turned back at the group and announced in a loud voice.

“Good. You’ll still need to pack your bags soon. You can’t stay in the guesthouse for too long. You aren’t guests any more.”

* * *

Acknowledgements

My wife Swati for giving me feedback and moral support throughout the writing process.

My daughter
Alisha for
not
giving me any feedback that might’ve turned this into another Enid Blyton book.

My talented and generous friends - Glancy Albuquerque, Manish Gupta, Amit (a.k.a
MBA Dropout
), Lavanya Shanbhogue, Clarissa – who played a key role in shaping the content, style, credibility, structure and presentation of this book.

I am saving the biggest thank you for my readers who appreciate and support all the effort that goes into successfully executing a book project
without
the backing and marketing muscle of the traditional publishing world.

If that hint was too subtle, what it means is this - Please take some time to go back to the website you got this book from and share an honest review. NOW.