This is an authorized translation in English of a post in French by Vincent Le Roy (@vincentleroy): LE DOSSIER VALMY (Thriller) : Chapitre 8

^{As my primary language is not English, there are probably some mistakes in my translation.}

Remember that the person who speaks here is NOT me, Vincent Celier (@vcelier), but Vincent Le Roy (@vincentleroy), a French guy.

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Chapter 8: March 2006

My interrogation continues on the period leading up to the war. Their lawyer is searching and looking again. The trainee became transparent. She has lost her pride and is content to search for the documents that her boss asks her.

Alex is as tired as me. Already 5 days that I am telling the story of my life, that I answer silly questions, that I demonstrate that all this is only a bad trial. The day before we spent the time peeling the books of my company. Their lawyer is not good in accounting. It's not my case. I explain everything. So of course, at first I thought it was a strategy to make me say bullshit. Not at all. He does not even know the basic vocabulary in accounting. It's a little shocking at his level but hey ... I justify everything. At times, I feel like giving him a lecture.

So we are on the fifth day. And Saturday will be a day like any other, ie sitting, docile and responding. Outside, it is Indian summer and my lawyer told me he would take a walk with me on Sunday. After 5 days in this jar, I am delighted. The end of the day is long and my inquisitor spends more and more time turning pages of questions he does not want to ask me when he suddenly tells us:

• Counselor, Mr Le Roy, it is likely that we will finish tomorrow night.

Neither my lawyer nor I have had time to hit on our likely release that Alex leaped from his seat and yells at his lawyer:

• I pay you to ask him questions! It's me the Customer! You ask him questions!

The atmosphere has become surreal in an instant. The trainee is literally liquefied and while Alex, like a fury, red on the face, continues to insult his lawyer, the latter recovers and asks for a break.

From the jar, we hear Alex's vociferations in the hallway. My lawyer takes the measure of things and realizes that the problem today is no longer the company but a war between two men. The old man wants to kill the young man who will stand up to him. Initially, it was a money story. Today, it has become an ego affair.

Fifteen minutes later, our opponents return to the arena. Their lawyer remains imperturbable as if nothing had happened. He smiles at me. And goes back to looking for a question. Alex has calmed down but his black eye speaks volumes. Everything is in the mind. As in March 2006.

March 2006 precisely. This crucial month that preceded the war. Kojak asked to hear all the employees and that's good because in the laboratory nothing is working well. The schedules of the chemists are irregular and sometimes they don't come to work. I'm counting on him to put things back in order and prepare me for the planned production campaign in Poland. The interventions at CPCU were numerous. Sales become regular. It is time to organize and beef up the production as the construction site in Brussels is confirmed. Money is flowing and this is just the beginning.

The chemists are against this production in Poland. Nobody really knows why but as they refuse to go, it's me who sticks to it. I do not need them anymore at this time for this aspect of things. In their corner, they work on the high temperature program so that our products resist even better, all under funding from the ANVAR (Agence nationale de valorisation de la recherche: National Agency for the Promotion of Research). It's an innovative product so I put the case to ANVAR. I provided all the required documents. The first grant of 200,000 Euros should arrive soon ... Just like the classification "Young Innovative Company" awarded by the tax administration and offering us a tax credit of 110,000 Euros.

On the eve of my departure, Kojak calls me back. He wants a meeting with me, Denis and Alex at the Sofitel hotel in Roissy to solve the Canadian problem. It suits me well because this Alex cunt is sending me mails to resell his license to other Canadians. Totally out of contract and despite my permanent disagreement, he continues to talk with his customers and raises me each time. It's tiring. This one too, it's time to put it in step and that's what I expect from Kojak.

Traffic is dense in the Paris region and it is with a quarter of an hour late that I enter the main hall of the Sofitel. I see Alex and Mathieu at the bar, all smiles. And suddenly, I freeze. Denis and Kojak are near the elevators and Kojak grabbed Denis by the shirt collar, his hand raised ... I think I'm dreaming. My partners who fight! That is all we need!

I move towards them. Kojak looses Denis. He glares at me and tells me:

• Vincent, I'm sick of your behavior. The minimum with Alex is to have decency. When a guy puts a million on the table, the minimum is to say thank you and listen to it. I can not take any more of your methods. It's like with your chemists. They are not dogs!.

Denis is also angry. He's so calm usually. I do not have time to answer that he goes on:

• I cannot agree. Alex does not respect the contract, million or not. The chemists are no longer working and the only one who works and keeps the shop afloat is Vincent and ...

Kojak does not let him finish:

• Shut up Denis, or I am giiving you one ... I'm going to clean your bullshit that has been going for too long and you're going to Poland. You better make it happen. You asked me to lead the group, so it's an order.

All is said. Ite missa est. What I understand right now is that from two fronts we now have a third ... Alex, the chemists, and now Kojak. I understand above all that a demolition process has started. But at this point, I think it's just a psychological warfare: physically and psychologically using myself to get more. In a few days, what am I saying, a few hours, I will really understand that the war has begun. Without us unfortunately. Denis accompanies me to the terminal where I have to take my airplane to Poland. He is knocked down. For my part, I feel that I cannot control anything anymore. I am ready to board and he says to me:

• Listen, we have CPCU in our pocket, the technologies are top, go to Poland for the manufacturing. All the rest will be flattened. Only work pays. Good luck and keep me informed!

The production campaign in Poland is scheduled for 4 days. I just have to put a machine on the road and train my partner on the spot to make the products. Not very complicated in itself. Superficially...

Continue to Chapter 9

Introduction
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6
Chapter 7