The icy cold wind slapped mercilessly against Carter's youthful face.
The enthusiasm from the successful fund returns quickly dissipated under the double blow of being unable to afford the "spring snow" (AMD semiconductor) and the "tribesman" (ADM pig feed).
"Well, well, let's focus on studying hard and making progress every day!"
Feeling like a defeated dog as he stood by the window, Carter took a drag from his cigarette. He then cheerlessly retrieved his textbooks and notebooks, returning to his mundane daily routine.
Another month passed by uneventfully.
During this month, except for occasionally hearing the roar of motorcycles or a few gunshots in the evenings, everything else seemed normal. Even though gang members were fighting among themselves, it didn't affect the daily lives of the residents. They kept their conflicts internal and didn't drag innocent people into them.
Perhaps, Carter thought, it had something to do with Douglas being a small town. In a small city, everyone knew everyone else. When two groups were fighting, it was like a spectacle on the streets. Maybe when two gangs were in the heat of battle, a civilized bystander would sit on the roadside and watch. If they didn't like being watched, just as they were about to turn their guns on the innocent bystander, someone would shout, "This is the child of my third uncle's seventh cousin's elder sister's family." Oh, the irony! It was both hilarious and satisfying.
Although these were just Carter's speculations, it probably wasn't far from the truth. The gang fights at night didn't affect the normal lives of the residents during the day.
As November approached, his own KFC was about to open. The day before the grand opening, instead of going to the bank after school, Carter headed straight for Highway 23.
"Hey, Chris. How have things been lately? Are my sister and the others adjusting well here?"
"It's been alright. We used to be classmates with Joey and Anna, so it's easy to adapt. It's just... the new store manager is a bit difficult to deal with."
Walking alongside Carter, Chris quickly spoke as they walked. When they reached the door, Chris immediately fell silent.
"Those cabinets over there, give them another wipe! They must shine so brightly that not even fingerprints are visible!"
"Anna, Beatrice, go arrange the chairs. Joey, can you mop the floor a bit faster? You're slower than my 80-year-old grandmother!"
Hearing the commotion inside the restaurant, Chris shot a look at Carter and hurried away. Today, he was tasked with cleaning the external windows of the restaurant and couldn't afford to be caught by this new store manager.
"Hello, we're not open yet today. If you need anything, you can come back tomorrow!"
As soon as he heard someone enter, the store manager, without even turning around, refused the customer. But just as he finished speaking, he noticed that all the staff had stopped their work and were smiling at him.
"Hello, you must be Manager White? I'm the sole investor in this restaurant, also known as the boss."
"Are you Mr. Blake? Sorry, you look younger than them."
Surprised by Manager White's reaction, Carter quickly approached. It wasn't exactly currying favor; after all, he was just a temporary store manager brought in to support the construction and training of the franchise store, and his roots weren't here.
"Haha, indeed. Manager White, shall we chat in the back office?"
After taking a quick look around, Carter was quite satisfied. His KFC was naturally modeled after the future KFC with its red walls and brown tiles. Except for the lack of an electronic order number system at the counter and LED TVs for advertising, it was pretty much the same as the future KFC.
What was even better was that the hundred-plus red folding chairs he had bought before could be perfectly matched with KFC's red theme. After being used only once and sitting in the warehouse for a few months, they didn't show much wear and tear. After cleaning off the dust from the surface, they looked just as good as new.
The opening was scheduled for tomorrow, and all the equipment and display cabinets were already in place. Today, everyone's task was to clean the interior of the restaurant thoroughly. Carter hadn't participated because he didn't quite understand what the hygiene standards for a restaurant should be.
But on the surface, Carter was quite satisfied. At least everything was bright and tidy, and for Carter, that was enough!
"Alright, you guys keep working! Mr. Blake, please come with me!"
"Okay!"
Passing through the passage beside the kitchen, past the restroom, the washing area, and the staff changing room, the two entered the office.
"Mr. Blake, is this your first time opening a restaurant?"
As soon as they entered the office, Manager White didn't even wait for Carter to sit down before blurting out.
"Well, there isn't a restaurant where all the staff are acquaintances. I just found out they were all classmates before. It's not conducive to restaurant management, Mr. Blake!"
Hiss~
It seemed like that was the real issue.
Carter had a delayed reaction, feeling a chill down his spine. He had arranged for two girls to work here initially, then Chris, the boy who helped him sell cars, and later Anna and Joey.
In retrospect, Carter realized he had five employees, all of whom were classmates. Once they formed a clique, it would be easy for them to overshadow Manager White. No wonder Manager White seemed so aloof earlier! He was probably eager to establish his authority as the store manager!
"I understand your concerns, Manager White. But the people are already hired, and it wouldn't be right to dismiss them for no reason. Besides, there are some benefits to having the staff know each other. It can lead to better cooperation and reduced turnover rates, among other things."
"This was indeed an oversight during the planning phase, but what's done is done. Let's find a way to play to our strengths and minimize our weaknesses. I trust Mr. White from Salt Lake City can do that!"
With a smile, Carter motioned for Manager White to take a seat and continued, "Okay, you're the boss, so you call the shots. However, since there are these disadvantages, it'll take more time to integrate the restaurant's human resources. For the first two months, I hope you can refrain from setting profit targets and let me focus on training the staff. Is that alright?"
Manager White blinked, his eyes fixed on Carter. The change in his facial expression immediately made Carter realize what he truly wanted.
Forget about the staff all being acquaintances and the difficulties in managing them! This was the condition he really wanted! By not setting profit targets for the first two months, in simple terms, even if they didn't sell a single piece of fried chicken during these two months, Carter wouldn't hold him accountable. Or rather, if Carter agreed to this condition, he couldn't hold him accountable from the perspective of authority and responsibility.
"Alright, I agree. I trust you. A new restaurant opening will have a period of losses, and I understand that. I only have one requirement: I want to see an increase in revenue in the second month compared to the first. That's all I ask! As for other aspects, I leave them entirely to you. Except for financial matters, which are under my supervision, if any of the employees go against you during your three months in Georgia, you have the authority to fire them!"