This is an authorized translation in English of a post in French by Vincent Le Roy (@vincentleroy): LE DOSSIER VALMY (Thriller) : Chapitre 4

^{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 4: the wolf is in the sheepfold

The next day, everyone is on time to resume the interrogation. I swear anew. From the outset, their lawyer hands me a document:

• Mr. Le Roy, do you recognize this document?
• Yes, Sir.
• Do you want to read it and tell me what it inspires you.

This is the famous document that I sent by email to Mathieu in May 2004 to read in the airplane. I do not need to read it again. I remember perfectly well that the email stated that the document was drawn up by an Arcelor investment fund in 2003 and that it was therefore not very up-to-date from a company point of view. I also told him that it was important to focus on the technical part and that I will update it soon.

And Mathieu flew with this famous document. He read it. In June, he calls me back. He has good news. A financial group could be interested in my project. It would be best to see each other at lunch and talk about it. No sooner said than done. I never knew how to arrive late so I am the first. Installed at the back of the room, I can see the silhouette of Mathieu. But he is not alone! His father Alex accompanies him. It was not planned ... 20 years that I had not seen it. He has aged. We did not even order the aperitif that he starts the subject. Mathieu remains behind; he smiles and lets his father explain their approach.

• Here Mathieu told me about your company and your project. It's very interesting. We are ready to follow you. Of course you will have to tell more and Mathieu will audit.
• No problem. At the moment, we are launching industrial manufacturing to have them certified at LNE (National Testing Laboratory). We will pass the tests in September. But how do you want to help, concretely ...?
• Listen, when the grandfather died, we discovered that he had companies in Quebec. He had bought a lot of careers without being attached to the group in France. We did not know everything about his activities. Of course, the French tax authorities did not know either. So I restructured everything, sold the careers one by one and my role is to grow the Canadian treasure. Also, we could finance you but the ideal would be to install the company in Quebec where we know the distribution networks.
• Ah ... settle in Quebec? But it's a little hasty as a first step. And then my chemists are over 50, I do not see myself sending them abroad. We would rather seek to install a lab in France. My shareholders have committed to this, and if the tests are as good as expected, we should recapitalize to install the lab and market the products.

Their lawyer listens to me telling the story and is dumbfounded. He realizes that everything I say is now public and that his client was not very careful in telling me all that. Alex makes a face. He explodes:

• It was you who approached us to invest!

My lawyer stops him net:

• Sir, this is not your questioning. I will ask you questions soon. For now, you have the right to be there but in silence. Please continue Mr Le Roy ...

So I continue my story. In August 2004, Mathieu came with me to Holland where I made my first panels. He also came to Hagondange where I finished developing the machine to project the product. There are two categories of product. Foam blocks and projected foam. It is also a world exclusive. Nobody had done it before.

Mathieu met the chemists. Visit the labs. The raw materials are made by TOTAL who is delighted to play a nasty trick on his English rivals. He saw everything. I have no doubt that he must keep his father informed of developments as Alex begins to make concrete proposals by email.

At the same time that I tell the facts, their lawyer takes note of the mails that I give him one by one. He is obliged to admit that his client insisted, because of several emails per day and that it did not happen as he told the Court. The more he asks me, the more he shot himself in the foot. But now he has no choice. I continue my statement of facts.

My lawyer who feels comfortable has slouched in his chair and savor this little moment of truth. Highlight of the show, I leave the little notebook where Mathieu has recorded everything. During the war, he will forget it in an office and I have kept it preciously. I continue:

• In mid-September, the products arrived at the LNE. Alex, Mathieu and the chemists were there. Once installed, the tests start. This involves exposing them to a fire and observing the behavior for 30 minutes.

And for 30 minutes, the flames attack the products that remain unruffled. No smoke, no spread, no toxic product ... The products are certified. They obtained the highest degree of fire protection possible according to the European standard. The guy at theLNE who has tested construction products for 20 years tells us:

• Do you realize what you have in your hands? It will not make everybody happy!

Of course everyone takes the measure of things. In Europe alone, the insulation market is a billion Euro a year. And that is without the derivatives. My shareholders are rubbing their hands and want to continue investing. The tumble will be juicy. I am proud of myself. My small company is valued at 2 million Euros and I have 80% of the shares.

In the evening after the tests, at home, a little tired I discover my emails. Among them, there is one from Alex. It's a draft contract. He wants an exclusive license for the entire North American continent. His idea is to create a trading company from Montreal and develop the Canadian and American market. The contract speaks of numbers, volume commitment and the price of the license. In total, it involves a commitment of $ 4.5 million annually. Not too bad!

I hand the famous mail to their lawyer who obviously is not happy. All his theory that technology was just wind and that his client had been a victim of a scam is crumbling. The interrogation does not really go according to plan. For him at least.

Faced with Alex's proposal, I admit that I did not remain inert and negotiated hard the final contract. He is in demand and I have the product in his hands. For 15 days, we will exchange emails, he will come to see me several times at home to negotiate. I will let go of nothing.

In fine, the contract is fabulous and I send it to all my shareholders, to the chemists too. Everyone is euphoric and on December 1, 2004, we sign all the documents. Canadian society is created the same day. We have 50 percent. More than one million Euros in cash for the parent company in Luxembourg that arrives two days later. Life is beautiful. I almost won my bet. But the reality is much more cynical: by signing this contract, the wolf has entered the sheepfold.

-- Vincent Le Roy

Continue to Chapter 5

Introduction
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3