The Art of Wealth: I Became a Billionaire
Chapter 50: Lessons from Thomas Finch [1]

Chapter 50: Lessons from Thomas Finch [1]

The board meeting was over. The tension had left the conference room, but not Alex’s chest. His mind was racing, full of questions and curiosity. He hadn’t been in the meeting, but he knew something big had gone down.

And now he wanted answers.

He walked briskly to the office of Thomas Finch. When he got there, the door was slightly ajar, but he knocked anyway.

Tap. Tap.

A voice from inside responded, smooth and calm.

"Ah... here comes the young greatness."

Alex smiled a little at that. He pushed the door open and stepped in.

Finch was behind his desk, removing his glasses and setting them down with care. His face didn’t show much, just that calm, unreadable expression he always wore.

Alex didn’t waste time.

"So..." he asked, sliding into the chair opposite him, "how was the meeting? Did they accept your proposal?"

Finch looked at him for a second, then let out a short laugh. "You won’t believe it," he said. "They accepted it."

Alex blinked. "Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"No arguments?"

"Not one," Finch replied. "Not even a question. No counter suggestions. Just a simple nod, and it was done."

Alex’s mouth opened slightly. "That’s... weird."

"Exactly," Finch said, pointing at him. "That’s not how board meetings are supposed to go. Something felt off. It was... too easy."

He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and stared at the ceiling momentarily as if replaying the meeting in his mind.

"Boardrooms are supposed to challenge you," he continued. "They’re supposed to poke holes in your ideas, ask uncomfortable questions, and test your confidence. But today... they didn’t. And I understand why."

Alex leaned forward. "Why?"

Finch smiled faintly. "They’re playing a quiet game."

Alex raised his brow. "What kind of game?"

Finch shook his head slightly. "One of perception and power."

Alex sat back, trying to take it all in. "Wow. So they just accepted everything you said?"

Finch shrugged. "Pretty much. Signed off on it like it was routine. But trust me, it wasn’t about the project alone. It was about me. Or rather, their lack of familiarity with me."

Alex frowned. "I don’t get it."

Finch leaned in, "These board members don’t know me. I’m new. A mystery. And that scares people. You don’t know how to fight what you don’t understand."

Alex nodded slowly.

"And," Finch continued, "they probably expected something more traditional, maybe because of my age. But I walked in with something fresh and smart, so they didn’t know how to respond."

Alex thought for a moment, then said, "But they weren’t this soft with Philip."

Finch looked up. "Philip?"

"Yeah," Alex replied. "The previous analyst. The one who betrayed ADIG Group. He was brilliant, but they used to tear his ideas apart. Every meeting felt like a battle."

Finch let out a short laugh. "Of course they did."

"Why?" Alex asked.

Finch leaned back again. "Because Philip was one of them. A familiar face. Younger. That makes him easier to criticize. He didn’t have the mystery factor. They felt comfortable checking him."

Alex tilted his head. "So... age really plays a role?"

Finch nodded. "More than you know. It’s not just about age, it’s about hierarchy, familiarity, and perception. When someone close to your level challenges you, it feels personal. But when a stranger walks in with a sharp idea, you’re careful. You don’t want to embarrass yourself. You don’t know his next move."

Alex exhaled, almost in disbelief. "I never knew board politics was this deep."

Finch chuckled. "Not just deep, it’s also a game. You learn it, or you get played."

There was a long silence between them after that. Then "Mr. Finch," Alex called, with a curious face, "this e-commerce project... I mean, how did you come up with it? How did it even begin? How exactly does it work?"

Finch looked up from his desk, a bit surprised.

A brief smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Well now," he said, leaning back in his chair, "that’s the first intelligent question I’ve heard all day."

Alex smiled, slightly embarrassed.

Finch continued, "Can you believe the board didn’t even ask that? Not one person asked how the idea would work.

No one asked why I chose this path. They just approved it like it was already perfect."

He shook his head slowly.

"That’s either blind trust... or something else."

Then he straightened up and looked directly at Alex.

"But you asked. That means something."

Alex was quiet.

Finch nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, I’ll walk you through it."

He stood up and moved to the whiteboard beside his desk, picking up a marker.

"You see, e-commerce is nothing new. At its core, it’s simply the buying and selling of products online. People don’t like stress these days. Nobody wants to walk into twenty shops looking for one item. Everyone wants convenience, click, pay, wait, and the item appears at your doorstep."

He wrote the words:

Convenience. Speed. Trust.

"These three," he said, underlining them, "are the heart of what we’re building."

Alex nodded, taking it all in.

Finch continued, pacing slowly, "Now here’s the thing, people buy almost everything online now. Clothes, gadgets, groceries, and even food from local restaurants. And that got me thinking... why not position ADIG right at the center of this massive movement?"

He paused, turned, and looked at Alex.

"We’re entering this game from two major angles."

Alex leaned forward.

"First," Finch said, raising one finger, "we’re coming in as the middleman, the bridge between sellers and buyers. We’ll have our own transport system. Delivery bikes, vans, and riders. Stores in key locations. A proper dispatch network."

He walked back to the desk, picked up a document, and tossed it in front of Alex. It was a rough flowchart.

Order > Collect > Dispatch > Deliver.

Alex studied it carefully.

"People will visit our platform," Finch said, pointing at the first step, "search for a product, and place an order. The company selling that item will send it to us. Then we move it to the buyer. Fast and efficient."

"So... you’re building a logistics network too?" Alex asked.

"Exactly," Finch said, lighting his eyes up. "We won’t just be a website. We’ll be a system. A complete, full-circle solution. Not just linking people, but physically moving their goods. That’s where most e-commerce platforms fail, they rely on third parties. But when we control the movement, we control the trust."

Alex nodded slowly, clearly impressed.

"But wait," he said, "you said two angles?"

"Yes," Finch said, raising a second finger. "The second is internal. ADIG owns several subsidiary companies. Many of them sell their own products and items."

Alex blinked. "Really? I didn’t even know that."

"Exactly," Finch said. "And that’s the problem. Great products gathering dust, because we don’t have the right channels to move them."

He leaned forward, with a more intense voice now.

"But with our own e-commerce platform, we can easily promote and deliver our in-house goods directly to consumers. No delays. Just ADIG to the people. And when customers realize how fast, reliable, and consistent we are, they’ll keep coming back."

Alex was quiet for a while.

Then he said, softly, "This is genius. You’re solving two problems with one system. You’re helping others sell, while pushing ADIG’s own brand at the same time."

Finch smiled. "Exactly."

Alex stood up, hands in his pockets, pacing now.

"This is... incredible. I mean, I never even thought of e-commerce from this angle. Everyone talks about selling online, but no one talks about creating the system behind it."

Finch nodded. "And that system, Alex, is where the real power lies."

Alex was still stunned. He sat back down slowly.

"You know," he said after a moment, "you make it sound so clear and solid. But I can’t lie, coming up with something like this... must’ve taken time."

Finch let out a breath. "It did. Weeks of thinking and planning. Studying how others failed and how we could do better.

Alex’s eyes dropped to the table. He was quiet.

Finch noticed. "What’s on your mind?" he asked gently.

Alex looked up, frustration written across his face.

"It’s just... I don’t even know what to build. I’ve been thinking for weeks now, ever since Mr. Raymond asked me to come up with a personal project. But I’ve got nothing. No ideas or direction. It’s like my brain shuts down the moment I sit to think."

Finch leaned against the desk and crossed his arms.

"Ah. The famous blank slate problem," he said. "That part is always the hardest, starting. Coming up with something original. It messes with your confidence, makes you question yourself."

Alex nodded silently. "Exactly."

Finch smiled.

"Well... don’t worry. I’ve been there. And I’ll help you."

"..."