2 Chapter 2: The Moneyman
[The Moon Mansion, Fraser’s Hill]
The woman’s fingernails dug into Bob’s muscular back, arching her back and pushing maniacally against him. As she reached a frenzy, she pulled him close and whispered breathlessly in his ear, *“Sayang, I’m… I’m....”*
Her body quivered as she wrapped her long, slender legs around his waist and kissed him passionately.
Bob grunted and quickened his pace, then felt the spasms fill his partner. They laid there panting, spent yet satisfied, languishing in a tender embrace and enjoying each other’s warmth.
It was a while before he finally got out of bed for a shower. When he returned, he glanced over at the nude figure reposed on his bed, her long flowing hair covering her slender back. She knew how to please a man, and he felt an urge to lie with her again.
He went to her side, leaned over, and kissed her lightly. When he heard a soft wheezing snore, he smiled to himself. They had been at it for an entire night. He decided to let her continue sleeping.
*She’s something else… Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever find the right one to settle down with.*
He looked away and took a deep breath.
*Nah, not sure if I’m ready for a serious relationship… But to have kids, just like Muz and Sharifah – that would be a dream come true!*
He glanced wistfully at the sleeping woman once more, then dressed and quietly let himself out of the room.
*Will I ever find the right woman? Well, just have to wait and see, I suppose.*
* * *
He pressed the start button on his Lexus, and the engine instantly purred to life. He put his vehicle in drive as he gazed at the “Moon Mansion” with a lingering smile. It was a gem of a home, except it was in a very isolated part of the country.
He often visited his off-the-track getaway for peace of mind. Undoubtedly, the best memories he had from his childhood were all from this hilltop bungalow -- its name signified peace and harmony.
As he descended the winding hill road, he reminisced the happy times he spent with his parents in Fraser’s Hill.
Robert Tang, Bob to his friends, was a successful businessman and scion of a notable family -- the Tangs.
He was an adopted child. There was not a day that his parents regretted their decision, for he turned out to be the son every parent would be proud of.
He grew up in a home filled with love and kindness. His father, Dato [1] Charles Tang, had inherited this country home and rebuilt it for his mother. Bob still had fond recollections of her spending hours tending to her garden.
He remembered his mother fondly, a gentle *Nyonya* [2] from the southern state of Malacca, and recalled how she always doted on him. He loved how kind she was to the servants, and they adored her. *Auntie, they used to call her*. But she died when he was thirteen, and things were never the same again.
He grew up to be a dashing, well-rounded man and was never the quintessential rich kid with neatly coiffed hair and branded clothes. He was trim, muscular, and had a rugged handsomeness that gave him a manly appeal.
He usually wore jeans and linen shirts and wasn’t into the bling culture. He didn't wear any jewelry -- no fancy ring, chain, or bracelet. Just a practical smartwatch. That was Bob.
It sometimes seemed he took pains to appear middle-class and never had the inclination to show off his wealth. But try as he did to appear ordinary, he exuded *pure class*.
Bob had a stoic personality and was a man of few words. He usually preferred to listen before he spoke, if at all. He never felt the need to prove anything to anyone -- if he had to make a statement, it’d be through his performance.
* * *
When he reached the bottom of the hill, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen.
*Ah, it’s Tengku! [3]*
He immediately hit the answer button and put it on speaker.
“Hello, Bob, are you still up north?” came a cheerful voice.
“Hi Muz, on my way to Penang.”
“We are meeting on Monday night, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, we’ll meet on Monday. I’ve got several meetings lined up in the earlier part of the day. So I’ll see you at Ramada Plaza in the evening,” Bob replied.
“Alrighty. And what time did your brother say he was coming? 8.30, right?” the caller asked.
“Yeah, thereabouts… You know him.”
Bob then changed the subject, and asked, “By the way, what are your views on the MYStack Systems proposal?”
“The software development company?”
“Yes. I like them, Muz. I think these boys have great potential. IoT is the future, and I’ve been on the lookout for such a tech start-up for a while now.”
“Well, the numbers look decent enough, and I’m confident we can muscle the public sector accounts… if we invest, that is. But, how will they fare against the established solution providers in private sector industries like, say, manufacturing?”
“Don’t see a problem. They’ve got a modular, cloud-based solution. The architecture allows a great deal of flexibility for adoption in various industries,” Bob replied confidently.
“Okay, I see your point, but what’s stopping the next start-up from coming up with a similar solution?”
“Nothing… but isn’t that why they’ve come to us?” Bob responded tongue-in-cheek.
A chuckle filtered from the speaker.
“You’ve got a sporting streak; I’ll give you that,” said the caller.
“I think it’s worth the investment on this one, Muz.”
“Alrighty, you’re the boss... Let me run through a few scenarios with you when you get back. Drive safe.”
“Yeah, I hear you, Muz. We’ll talk. Catch you on Monday. Cheers!”
When Bob left the family business to embark on his own career, he teamed up with Tengku “Muz” Muzaffar, a man highly regarded for his corporate experience. Together, they founded a boutique venture capital firm.
A decade older, Tengku was his polar opposite. Born to an affluent family with a royal bloodline, he was accustomed to the good things in life and was a man of the world.
Bob had always considered him as a brother and regularly sought his advice on financial and legal matters. Tengku naturally became his partner and took care of corporate affairs in their new company, Tech Venture Capital.
They were an “odd couple,” but they made a fabulous team. One, an experienced corporate man, and the other a commercially savvy entrepreneur -- a man who loved challenges, and had the innate ability to filter out the chaff. That was Bob.
Endnotes:
[1] “Dato” - Dato Charles Tang was conferred his title by a state ruler in the south.
[2] “Nyonya” - an honorific for the female member of a Straits Chinese family, commonly referred to as Baba-Nyonya.
[3] “Tengku” - a hereditary title used for members of the royal family who were appointed as the Sultan or Raja, the crown prince, and those among the ruler’s immediate government.
* * *
