Week 17 – Monday
The frantic energy of the previous weeks had dissipated, leaving behind a residue of nervous tension and the cold, hard currency of Theo’s survival. Week 17 began not with a bang, but with the quiet intensity of calculation. Sixty grand felt like a fortune compared to the abyss he’d stared into less than two months ago, yet it felt perilously small measured against his vaulting ambition, especially now that the GPU cash machine had been so abruptly shut down. The ‘Tool Enhancement’ strategy, validated by the coffee trials and the chicken shop experiment, was the clear path forward, but the application required surgical precision. One wrong move, one poorly chosen venture, could evaporate his hard-won capital and leave him back at square one.
He spent Monday locked in his apartment, the space transformed into a war room dedicated to analysing his prime target: Maria's Charcoal Chicken. This wasn't going to be an impulse buy. It was a calculated acquisition, demanding the same analytical rigor he’d once applied to rooting out fraud at the bank. He dove deep, his enhanced laptop humming as he cross-referenced data streams, building a comparative financial model on a fresh spreadsheet.
First, the grim reality: Jono's Current Operation. He pulled up commercial real estate listings for similarly sized retail spaces in comparable suburban strip malls nearby, estimating Jono’s likely rent. Maybe $3000/month, translating to $700 per week, probably lower if his parents secured a legacy lease, but better to estimate conservatively. Utilities, gas for the rotisserie and fryers, electricity for the lights and fridges, water, likely ran $150-$200 a week minimum for a food operation, even a poorly run one. Packaging, cleaning supplies, POS fees, insurance, another $200-$250 a week, optimistically.
Then, revenue. Based on the trickle of negative reviews before the weekend anomaly and his own observations of the empty shop, Theo estimated Jono was lucky to be serving 25 customers a day on average. Maybe 175 customers a week? With an average order value around $16 (half chicken, chips, maybe a drink), that was a weekly revenue of $2800. Pitiful.
Food cost was the killer. For a place like this, aiming for 30-35% was standard. But Jono? With his apathy, likely inconsistent ordering, and probable high wastage from improperly cooked, dried-out chickens? Theo plugged in a pessimistic 45%. That meant $1260 a week just for ingredients.
He tallied Jono's estimated weekly costs: $1260 (Food) + $700 (Rent) + $175 (Utilities) + $225 (Supplies/Other) = $2360.
Profit before Jono takes anything? Theo typed the formula: $2800 (Revenue) - $2360 (Costs) = $440 per week. Less than minimum wage for running a business full-time, Theo scoffed internally. No wonder he’s desperate to sell and chasing crypto pipe dreams. He was essentially losing money from running the store.
Now, the critical part: Theo’s Model – Enhanced Operation. He duplicated the spreadsheet tab. The core difference: permanent +1 enhancements on the rotisserie and deep fryer. That the just the beginning, there was other +1 enhancements he could look into, but this formed the initial base. He hypothesized the effects:
- Reduced Food Waste: +1 Consistency on the rotisserie meant perfectly cooked chickens every time, minimal drying out, virtually zero waste. +1 Temp Stability/Recovery on the fryer meant consistently perfect chips, less oil absorption, less oil degradation. He adjusted the Food Cost down aggressively, aiming for 30%.
- Increased Throughput: More consistent cooking might slightly speed up processes, but the main driver would be reputation and repeat business.
- Revenue Growth: With restored quality matching (or even exceeding) Maria's original standard, positive word-of-mouth and online reviews should drive customer volume back up. He projected a conservative return to 55 customers a day average within 3-4 months – 385 customers per week.
He plugged the new numbers in. Revenue: 385 customers * $16/sale = $6160 per week. Costs:
- Food Cost (30% of $6160): $1848 per week.
- Rent: $700/week (assuming same lease).
- Utilities: $175/week (maybe slightly higher with volume, but efficiency gains might offset).
- Supplies/Other: $225/week (kept same for now).
- Labour: Initially, $0. Theo planned to run it himself, at least at first, maximizing profit extraction.
- Total Costs: $1848 + $700 + $175 + $225 = $2948 per week.
Projected Weekly Profit (Theo's Model): $6160 (Revenue) - $2948 (Costs) = $3212.
Theo stared at the number. Over three thousand dollars a week. Net. From a rundown neighbourhood chicken shop. Just by ensuring the two core pieces of equipment performed flawlessly, consistently, every single time, overcoming the operator's indifference. The leverage was immense. The profit potential, even with conservative estimates, was enough to rapidly rebuild his capital and fund much larger ambitions. There was even room in the numbers to hire help, to take the load off things, and then eventually let them run it on Theo’s behalf, which is the long term gameplan. The risk felt disproportionately low compared to the GPU venture's nerve-shredding exposure.
His eyes began to blur, the columns of projected operating expenses swimming together on the laptop screen. He stretched back in his chair, feeling the need for a boost, a jolt of focus to push through the final stages of analysis, researching licenses, health codes, supplier contracts. His hand automatically reached towards the counter where the coffee grinder sat. The muscle memory was strong. But then, the sensory ghost of the coffee trials from earlier assaulted him. The phantom taste of six vastly different, yet equally potent brews mingling on his tongue, the memory of staring wild-eyed at his ceiling at 4 AM while his heart hammered like a drum machine against his ribs. He physically shuddered, pulling his hand back as if the grinder itself radiated unpleasant energy. No. Absolutely not. Coffee felt less like fuel right now and more like poison. He turned instead to the electric kettle (still reliably +1 enhanced), filling it with water. He rummaged in the back of a cupboard and found a dusty box of basic black tea bags. He brewed a cup, adding a splash of milk from the carton in the fridge, creating a weak, pale concoction. It wouldn't provide the laser focus he craved, not even close, but neither would it trigger the phantom jitters or the memory of pacing his apartment like a caged, over-caffeinated animal. It was safe. Tolerable. He took a tentative sip, lukewarm, bland, and turned back to the spreadsheets, the tea a poor but necessary substitute in his current state of coffee caffeine aversion.
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The projected profit margins in Theo’s Model were compelling. Not tech-startup billions, but a steady, reliable cash flow far exceeding what Jono was likely scraping together. Enough to live comfortably, cover operational costs, and, crucially, provide significant capital for future, more ambitious ventures. He spent hours refining the models, running best-case/worst-case scenarios. The numbers held up. The potential was undeniable, hidden beneath layers of Jono’s apathy and incompetence. It was daunting, a world away from anonymous online sales, but manageable. Concrete. Grounded.
But was it the best option?
Week 17 – Tuesday
Tuesday, Theo forced himself to rigorously evaluate the alternatives, fighting the confirmation bias urging him towards the chicken shop. The Sarah partnership lingered in his mind. He spent the morning researching the wearables market, the bike computer industry, sensor manufacturing costs. The potential was definitely there, a +1 enhanced sensor could offer unparalleled accuracy or battery life. A bike computer manufactured using +1 enhanced tools might achieve superior durability or processing efficiency. The synergy with Sarah’s data analysis software could be powerful.
He pulled up the notes he’d made after their bubble tea meeting. Her passion was infectious, her technical skills evident. But the cons stacked up quickly. Hardware development was notoriously expensive and slow. They’d need significant seed capital just for prototyping, dwarfing the likely cost of the chicken shop. It meant finding investors, unthinkable given his secret. It meant shared control, relying on Sarah's timeline and execution. And it meant managing a complex partnership where one partner held an impossible, unrevealable secret. The risk profile felt exponentially higher, the path to profit far longer and more uncertain. Too complex, too soon, his internal analyst concluded. Sarah remains a potential asset, maybe for a future project when I have more capital and leverage. But not now.
Week 17 - Wednesday
Wednesday, he took a long drive, deliberately exploring different suburban commercial strips, forcing himself to look at other potential targets through the lens of ‘Tool Enhancement’. He stopped outside the 'Corner Perk' cafe. Marco was inside, serving customers, the line short today. Theo watched him pull an espresso shot, tapping the portafilter with practiced ease. Enhance the espresso machine? The grinder? Possible. But coffee shops involved more variables, bean quality, milk texturing skill, ambiance, customer service. Higher potential revenue than the chicken shop, maybe, but also more complex operations, more staff needed, higher initial investment likely. Something to consider later down the track.
He drove past a tired-looking laundromat in another neighbourhood. Half the machines had ‘Out of Order’ signs taped to them. Enhance the washers/dryers for +1 Reliability/Efficiency? Could drastically cut repair costs and maybe attract more customers with faster cycles. But a low-margin business, reliant on high volume, and how would he even acquire it or implement the enhancements discreetly? Seemed unworkable.
He considered a small, local bakery he sometimes passed, known for amazing pastries but inconsistent bread. Enhance the proofer? The oven for +1 Temperature Stability? Again, possible. But baking was an art and a science. Would enhancing one tool be enough? And bakeries required skilled labour, early hours… It didn’t appeal to his desire for a relatively simple, controllable system.
Each alternative presented its own hurdles. By Wednesday evening, as he drove back towards his own less-than-glamorous part of town, the conclusion felt inevitable. The chicken shop, despite its current sorry state, represented the path of least resistance with the highest probability of near-term success based on his unique advantage. The experiment had proven the core concept. Jono's incompetence and desire to sell made acquisition feasible. The operation was simple enough, two key pieces of equipment were the heart of the business, with potential to expand into other areas as well. It was low-profile, neighbourhood-focused, unlikely to attract unwanted attention.
He parked his car, the decision solidifying as he walked towards his apartment building. The faint scent of frying onions from a neighbour’s kitchen hung in the air. Maria's Charcoal Chicken. It felt right. Grounded. A tangible asset, a real-world test bed for his power, a stepping stone. Build the foundation, he told himself, unlocking his apartment door. Prove the model. Generate the cash flow. Then, the world.
The rest of the week was a blur, as Theo prepared how best to approach and acquire Maria’s Charcoal Chicken from Jono.
Week 18 - Monday
Time to act. Theo knew Jono’s fleeting weekend success wouldn't translate to sustained business. The negative feedback loop from the subsequent disappointment would likely drive customers away again quickly. Jono’s frustration and desire to sell would be peaking.
Week 18 - Tuesday
Mid-afternoon on Tuesday, Theo walked back into Maria’s Charcoal Chicken. It was, as expected, dead quiet. Jono sat behind the counter on a stool, phone held aloft, doomscrolling through some social media feed, the picture of sullen boredom. The air smelled faintly of old grease.
Theo cleared his throat. Jono looked up slowly, vague recognition dawning. "Oh. Hey."
"Hey Jono," Theo said, leaning casually on the counter. "Not gonna order today. Actually wanted to ask you something."
Jono raised a sceptical eyebrow but lowered his phone slightly. "Yeah? What's up?"
"You mentioned the other day you were thinking about selling this place," Theo began, keeping his tone light, exploratory. "Was that serious talk, or just letting off steam?" He added, layering in a plausible motivation, "Reason I ask... I've been looking into getting into the food business myself. Something established, turnkey operation I could maybe put my own spin on down the line."
Jono’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. He tried to play it cool, shrugging nonchalantly, but a current of eagerness pulsed beneath the surface. "Uh, yeah, man. Serious. Definitely serious." He sat up straighter on the stool, attempting a business-like posture that didn't quite fit his stained apron. "This place… yeah, got potential, you know? Solid bones. Just needs someone with… uh… vision. And time. Which I don't have, 'cause of my other ventures."
"Right, the tech stuff," Theo nodded gravely, playing along. "So, if someone was interested, what would that look like?"
"Well, uh..." Jono floundered slightly, clearly having put zero thought into the actual process. "Guess you'd wanna, like, see the place? Check the numbers?"
Perfect. Stage two: the due diligence charade.