Chapter 24

Sunday morning, as Rio awoke from his slumber, he prepared himself for his workout and then proceeded to call Sarah to discuss implementing the new recipe he had acquired: 'Cloud Bread,' a popular bread for those looking for a low-carb and gluten-free alternative.

Since the cafe was closed on Sundays, Sarah had relatively free time. After a few rings, she picked up her phone. "Good morning, Sarah. I hope I'm not disturbing you on your day off," Rio greeted her. Sarah chuckled in response. "Good morning, Rio. No, you're not. We've been so busy with the store that now that it's officially open and running smoothly, I have no idea what to do on my day off. Anyways, what did you call me for, Rio?"

"I wanted to know if you're free right now. We can have breakfast at Harmony Bites, and I can share what I thought of yesterday," Rio replied. They agreed to meet at 10 am, which was just an hour away. Rio returned to his office to start finding a suitable shop lot in Sakura Mall, the most popular and largest mall in the city and country.

After a while, he found a shop lot that wasn't big but sufficient for his bubble tea store, with seating arrangements for only four tables. However, Rio's plan was to prioritize customers buying and enjoying their drinks on the go, just like in his world. He called the agent and scheduled a meeting for 2 pm that day, to discuss the rental details.

Rio then proceeded to shower and get ready for his meeting with Sarah. Arriving at Harmony Bites, he noticed that Sarah was already there, even though it was only 9:40 am. Rio sat down at the table and chuckled.

"Someone's really free. Maybe I should assign more work to you," he said jokingly. Sarah replied with starry eyes, "Would you really do that?" Rio realized that Sarah was a workaholic, and they both laughed.

They began discussing Rio's ideas, starting with the implementation of cloud bread into the menu by Tuesday, followed by bubble waffles on Wednesday, matcha tiramisu on Thursday, dragon fruit smoothie bowls on Friday, and salted egg yolk croissants on Saturday. Rio wanted to arrange it in this way to attract new customers every day and gradually build a loyal customer base.

After discussing the menu, they moved on to the topic of membership cards. Sarah shared that she had a friend in the printing service business who offered a discount of 15% for bulk printing. They agreed to use PVC material for durability and left the design up to Sarah, incorporating their logo. Initially, there would be one type of card, but Rio expressed his plans to introduce another type exclusively for high-spending customers in the future. They decided to order 1,000 cards by the next day when the cafe reopened, and if all went well, they would purchase 10,000 cards per week. Sarah eagerly noted down the details, happy to have more work and the prospect of a new store.

After enjoying breakfast and concluding their meeting, they bid each other farewell, and Rio drove to Sakura Mall for his meeting with the agent. After handing over his car to the valet and entering the mall, Rio realized he had two hours to spare before the appointed meeting time of 2 pm.

He strolled around the mall, browsing various stores and occasionally making purchases at luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Prada, acquiring shoes, clothes, and belts for different occasions. With just 20 minutes left for his meeting, Rio retrieved his shopping bags from the valet to place them in his car, as he wasn't sure where the valet had parked it.

Upon reaching the shop lot where he planned to open his first bubble tea store, Rio found the agent waiting for him.

The man, Adam, appeared to be around 40 years old and exuded a professional and confident demeanor. He wore a well-tailored charcoal gray suit with a crisp white dress shirt, perfectly fitting his well-maintained physique. A patterned tie added a touch of personality, and his polished leather dress shoes reflected his commitment to a polished appearance. Behind sophisticated rectangular glasses, his warm hazel eyes conveyed trustworthiness and experience. A well-groomed beard added a hint of ruggedness to his overall polished look.

As Rio approached him, the agent naturally recognized him as the man he was meeting. They shook hands, and the agent introduced himself as Adam. They engaged in a lengthy discussion about the rental cost, initially set at $4,000 per month.

However, using his newfound negotiation skills and knowledge, Rio managed to negotiate the price down to $2,500 after Adam called the store owner. Satisfied with the agreement, Rio signed the contract presented by the agent, who had his office on the top floors of the mall dedicated to office spaces.

Rio transferred the rental payment for the next six months, totalling $15,000. After bidding farewell and receiving the keys, Rio checked the time and realized it was already 5 pm, feeling quite hungry.

He decided to have an early dinner at Domino's since he was craving pizza. After satisfying his appetite, Rio retrieved his car from the valet and drove back home. He went to his office to review his plans for the week and brainstorm ideas for the theme of his bubble tea store. After finishing his tasks, Rio prepared a light dinner and went to bed, ready for the next day's endeavors.

[Status]

[Name: Rio Esgrus

Level: 2

Level Benefit: $5,000,000, Knowledge Absorption, Cloud bread Recipe

Experience: 17,600/100,000 (Host must earn money to accumulate experience)

Shop: Open

Balance: $7,021,103.00

Accumulated Profits: $17,600 -> Will be placed in Rio's business bank account

Assets Value: $5,200,000]