Vitus Page #4

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- Looks like the roof will fall in.

l had to take a loan. The bank

more or less owns the house now.

- Just to fix the roof?

- No, l can do that myself.

l have calculated it'll be only five

more years till my money runs out.

Why don't you ask dad?

l'm sure he'll give you some!

Your father lives on credit himself.

What he is currently spending, he

will earn six months from now.

Hi, Leo. Now you're too late.

Vitus is on the train.

l know. l wanted to see you again.

- Really?

- Yeah.

Are you clearing things out?

Yup!

- Do you have time?

- l always have time.

Hold on.

How are you?

The annual report came out yesterday...

How are you, Leo, not the company?

Well, everything is...

much worse than expected.

- ls there only one rabbit left?

- Yes, l've eaten all the others.

People think that Phonaxis is booming,

when in fact, we're in deep, deep sh*t.

- Would you like a coffee?

- Yes, I'd love one.

You look tired.

There is an internal list of

who is going to be fired.

Next week the figures will be released.

What does Helen say?

She has enough problems with Vitus.

Still?

She doesn't talk about it,

but l think she still hopes

that Vitus will get back to normal

again. The way he used to be.

- Like another?

- Yes.

Watch your suit.

Haven't you noticed anything?

Did he play piano at yours?

Or chess?

Well, my dear Leo...

l'm afraid to disappoint you.

- Spaghetti?

- Yup.

Catastrophy!

- Why?

- l just need a beer right now.

Have you eaten anything?

l had spaghetti at my father's.

l have bad news.

The annual report is an absolute disaster.

l'm pessismistic.

What's that?

A new game?

No, the stock market prices.

Cool, a stock market game!

Maybe.

The stock market is a bad thing.

Not at all, the stock market is great.

You can stand to make 1000 percent

profit, but only lose 100 percent.

l know from a reliable source that

Phonaxis shares are going to crash.

To take advantage of our insider

knowledge, we'll buy put options.

There'll be no risk for you at all.

l thought that was illegal.

We'll reinvest the profits into

Nasdaq technology shares.

Or into Chinese red chips shares.

Or into hedge funds.

We'll make a fortune in no time!

You just have to sign here.

l've prepared everything already.

l didn't know that any idiot

could speculate via the internet.

What exactly am l signing here?

l need your signature to

access the stock market online.

Our codename is "Dr. Wolf."

"Dr. Wolf?"

That would be all my savings,

my house, my pension...

Everything I own.

lf you lose the money, l'll be

out in the street in "no time".

Planes are safer when they

stay on the ground.

But they are meant to fly.

Well, there's no point reading it.

l wouldn't understand it anyway.

lt's 2 o'clock!

lt should come out now!

What time is it?

l can't stand this any longer.

l may go to bed or for a walk. Or both.

l'm going to have a heart attack.

Now!

lt's dropping and dropping!

That's good, grandpa. That's what we want!

You're a millionaire now!

You're late.

- Grandpa sends his love.

- Thank you.

- Did you have a nice time?

- Yes.

Today was a catastrophic day.

- What happened?

- lt's too complicated...

lt's all to do with the stock market.

The company's worse off than ever.

l'm trying to avert the worst,

even though l don't know how.

Sometimes you have to cut the

tree, in order to save the fruit.

What's the matter?

Can l help you?

No. l was just thinking.

Can you recommend a CD?

What do you like?

Spice Girls, that kind of stuff.

We'll have to go that section.

Spice Girls are out. l'd have to order it.

Why don't you try this one?

Or, l'm sure you'll like this one.

lt's one of the tops at the moment.

And listen to No. 4 on this one.

Grandpa?

What the heck is this?

Come in.

Cool!

l've just been to the bank...

Look! The Lake Constance.

There are 3 million, 271 thousand and

a few more francs in my account.

Thanks to you, l was able

to buy this flight simulator.

Wow!

Look! The Rhine runway.

We're going to land there.

For God's sake! No...

l won't make it, OK,

let's touch-and-go!

l shouldn't talk during the touch-down.

l've made some calculations:

l can become 130 now.

- Super!

- Super.

Can l have a go?

Yes, as long as l'm co-pilot.

l was able to convince managment

that it can be an opportunity, if the

share-price is rock bottom.

My boss got up and said, "Thank you,

Leo. Your plan sounds convincing...

But l won't be making any

decisions. My successor will."

"35 years ago l took over my

father's company with eight people.

Now it's time to hand things over."

Everybody was looking at me, except Nick.

Don't keep us on tenterhooks.

Then he let the cat out of the bag.

"l've decided to hand over the

business to my son, Niklaus."

But that's a paradox!

Yes, indeed, it is a paradox.

Later my boss came to me and said,

"Thanks, Leo. You showed style and

grandness. Let's drink to Phonaxis."

And l said, "Phonaxis...

To your son? Why?"

"There's the family and there's the

firm. What would you have decided?"

l answered, "l would have decided

in favour of my son as well."

A company needs liquidity

like the brain needs oxygen.

lf it lacks oxygen, the brain dies.

That's why l see this

as our only chance.

That means full surrender!

lt won't change much for us.

They'll let us do our work.

But Nick, that's completely naive.

They'll be giving the orders!

They just want to invest their money.

Verena, gentlemen. Now

that it's worth nothing,

it would be absolutely, utterly crazy

to sell the company to the Americans!

What's the matter? No comment?

Everyone, except you, has realized

that Phonaxis has to slim down.

We all have to pull together.

One member of the managment,

Leo von Holzen, hasn't been

doing that for some time now.

lt would be better, Leo,

if you went your own way.

What do you mean?

You're fired.

Yesterday, l was at the bank.

Last time I checked there was

And now there is 5,736,000.

How come?

Maybe it's the interest.

lnterest?

How can you earn so much

money without working?

lt's dead easy.

Let the money do the work.

ls it yours?

No, his!

Mine!

- Can l?

- You can do anything.

Except fly.

- Where's the battery?

- Next to the the controls.

And then the starter.

And your father's on a business

trip? Did you say Beijing?

Exactly!

He told me to choose something

nice for him. He'll be delighted.

Sure.

And what about the interior design?

You can leave that to me.

You already have the money.

A year's rent in advance.

You have to press the red button.

- Hello.

- Hi.

What's all this then?

Classical music?

Are you fed up with Hip Hop?

- lsa, what has happened?

- Forget it.

- Come on, tell me!

- lt's over.

- What?

- Yes, he has another girl.

l knew it...

- l knew this would happen.

- Oh, forget it.

Hey, listen to this.

lt must be a bootleg. l've never

heard anything as cool as this.

Do you know the Russian piano school?

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