New York, 1907: The Banker Begged Me

New York, 1907. The financial panic. Depositors crowded the teller windows. A banker offered Arthur four hundred thousand dollars for control of his trust, with a job working for the new owner thrown in.

Arthur had awakened six weeks early with memories of the modern world. He could count the cash and spot the opportunities hidden in the crisis. He turned down the buyout and wagered his own five hundred and twenty thousand instead. While others sized up the machinery, ready to dismantle the factory, he planned to keep the factory, its skilled workers, and the next order.

From a payment that had to be collected to a foothold in the automobile supply business; from asking the bank for more time to making capital come knocking with conditions of its own. His rivals had money and clients, and knew how to turn convenience into a shackle. To win, Arthur would have to pay in hard cash and protect the rights that were truly his.

And the female reporter who dared to challenge him to his face wouldn't write glowing reviews just because he was getting richer.

He wanted more than a way to survive this crisis. Next time, someone else would be making the offer.