Week 24 - Tuesday

  Tuesday morning at Maria's. Theo arrived feeling a dark undercurrent of satisfaction beneath his usual operational focus. He greeted Henry and Olivia, who were already starting prep.

  "Morning boss," Henry said cheerfully. "Supplier called, potato prices are up five percent this week, something about transport costs. I told them we'd take the usual volume for now but want to lock in pricing for next month. They said they'd get back to me."

  Theo nodded, impressed. "Good work, Henry. Exactly right. Push back where you can, get commitments." He saw Olivia listening intently nearby. This was perfect on-the-job training for Henry's impending promotion.

  Later, during the mid-morning lull, Theo observed Henry showing Jenny, who had arrived for her shift, a more efficient way to portion the chips using the scoop, ensuring consistent serving sizes. "See? Like this," Henry demonstrated patiently. "Faster, and less chance of overflow." Jenny watched intently, then tried it herself, her movements becoming smoother under his guidance. Olivia chimed in from the counter, "Yeah, Henry showed me that last week, total game changer during the rush!" The easy camaraderie, the mutual respect, Henry naturally falling into a teaching/leading role. It was exactly what Theo wanted to see.

  Around lunchtime, Olivia flagged Theo over, pointing to her phone displaying the shop's Google review page. "Hey Theo, another weird one popped up."

  The review was three stars. "Food was great, chicken amazing, chips perfect. But the guy behind the counter (new owner?) seemed really stressed and maybe overcharged me? Felt a bit rushed."

  Theo frowned slightly. He remembered being stressed on opening day, but overcharged? Unlikely, the +1 POS was reliable. This felt less like sabotage and more like a genuinely flustered customer's perception.

  "How should I respond?" Olivia asked, looking uncertain.

  Theo paused. His instinct was to dismiss it, or write a curt correction. But he saw the opportunity. "How do you think we should respond, Olivia?" he asked, deliberately turning it back to her. "You're handling the front-of-house, the customer interaction. What feels right?"

  Olivia looked surprised, then thoughtful. "Well… maybe apologize if they felt rushed, acknowledge we were busy opening week, but gently correct the overcharge part? Reassure them the prices are on the menu and the register is accurate? And maybe offer a free drink next time as a goodwill gesture?"

  "Sounds perfect," Theo said immediately. "Professional, empathetic, corrects the record without being defensive, offers a small incentive. Handle it exactly like that." He met her gaze. "Part of me stepping back means trusting you guys to handle these things. You've got good instincts. Run with them."

  Olivia beamed, clearly pleased with the trust and empowerment, and immediately started drafting the reply. Theo felt a flicker of satisfaction. Delegating wasn't just about offloading tasks. It was about building competence and confidence in his team.

  Week 24 - Wednesday

  The store was mostly running itself on the less busy days, the team getting into a good rhythm. Theo was confident his plan to transition away was working, but he’d continue to monitor. There was a somewhat fulfilling feeling that Theo experienced, quite different to the dog eat dog corporate world he’d been use to. Seeing the team he haphazardly put together slowly grow and doing better was nice… for a change. However Theo tempered his expectations a little, he didn’t want another Tammy scenario. Ultimately relying on himself is best where possible.

  With a bit more free time on his hands, he decided to do a bit more recon at “Something Fishy” later that night after everything had closed. He lingered near the front window, pretending to tie his shoe while peering into the dim interior. He could just make out the large stainless steel deep fryers. Even in the low light, the oil sitting settled in the vats looked dark, used, definitely not fresh. Lazy, Theo thought with satisfaction. Doesn't even drain and filter nightly like he should. Definitely cutting corners. Perfect. He noted the exact position, filing it away. Target acquired. So, the plan is: Wait until Thursday midday, after their lunch service but before any end-of-day cleaning or oil change checks. Hit the already used oil itself with +1. Line of sight from across the street should work. Make that nearly-spent oil look golden, smell clean again. The owner checks it before the evening prep, thinks 'Huh, looks fine, good for another day,' and skips the change he should be doing. Then, set the Un-Enhance timer for... 28 hours. That puts the reversion point squarely in the middle of Friday's peak dinner rush, maybe 6 PM. Suddenly, mid-service, the +1 vanishes. The oil instantly degrades back to its rancid state, maybe even worse from the extra day's use. Every piece of fish, every chip coming out after that point tastes like burnt, chemical garbage. Imagine the chaos, the returned orders, the immediate bad reviews." Theo savoured the thought. "Beautifully destructive. Plausible deniability – 'bad batch of oil maybe?' – but guaranteed to ruin their busiest night." Evil. Absolutely EVIL! Don’t mess with the guy who has special powers!

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Week 24 - Thursday

  The final piece of operation rancid oil required daylight precision. Around 2 PM on Thursday, Theo parked his car across the street from 'Something Fishy', far enough away to be inconspicuous but close enough for a clear line of sight through the front window to the fryer station, which was quiet after the main lunch rush. He pretended to be checking messages on his phone, angling it slightly. He focused his gaze past the window reflections, locking onto the large, stainless steel fryer vats within. He visualized the dark, used oil currently sitting in them transforming – becoming clearer, lighter, losing its stale odor, regaining a semblance of freshness. Used Fryer Oil (Both Vats). +1. Ping. He felt the charge connect. Immediately, he set the condition. Un-Enhance Timer: 28 Hours. Thrum. (Uses one of Thursday's charges). Done. The trap was set. He imagined the owner checking the oil later that afternoon, deciding it looked surprisingly good, postponing the messy, expensive oil change for another day. Oblivious. Theo allowed himself another cold smile before driving away. The Friday night dinner service at 'Something Fishy' promised to be... memorable.

  Later that afternoon, Jenny provided her own moment of initiative. Theo was in the small back office area, reviewing supplier invoices, when Jenny poked her head in hesitantly.

  "Uh, Theo? Sorry to bother you," she began, twisting her apron slightly. "But I noticed we're running really low on the specific brand of cleaning spray we use for the stainless steel? It's the only one that gets the fryer hoods really clean without streaking. There's only like, half a bottle left, and the delivery schedule says the next supply order isn't until Friday."

  Theo looked up, surprised. He hadn't even realized they were low. "Good catch, Jenny. Seriously. I completely missed that."

  "Well," she continued, gaining confidence, "I remembered seeing the same brand at the big supermarket down the road when I was shopping for my family yesterday. If it's okay… maybe during my break later, I could run down and grab a couple of bottles? Just so we don't run out before Friday?"

  Theo stared at her for a second, genuinely impressed. She hadn't just identified a problem; she'd proactively proposed a solution. "Jenny," he said sincerely, "that's fantastic initiative. Absolutely. Here," he pulled out his wallet and handed her a twenty-dollar bill. "Grab three bottles if they have them, keep the change for your trouble. And thank you. Seriously, that's exactly the kind of thinking that helps us run smoothly."

  Jenny flushed with pleasure, took the money with a grateful nod, and hurried back out front. Right attitude, Theo thought again, feeling a surge of vindication for hiring her despite her lack of experience. Skills can be taught. Initiative like that? Priceless.

  Week 24 – Friday

  Another busy day. All Theo could think about was operation rancid oil, but it would be odd if he just stalked outside “Something Fishy” the whole night just to watch the show. Theo concentrated on his own business as best he could, but wasn’t really doing a good job. The team noticed Theo was a little different today, an odd smile somewhat evil looking here and there, also making more mistakes than usual. They didn’t think too much of it though, there was plenty of work to keep them busy.

  Week 24 - Saturday

  Saturday night arrived, typically the busiest night of the week. Theo felt a nervous energy, but this time it wasn't just about sales volume. It was about testing Henry. Sarah was due to arrive around 6 PM to finalize the security camera plans. Perfect timing for a live-fire exercise.

  Sarah arrived punctually, navigating the already bustling shop with a friendly wave. "Wow, busy again!" she commented, joining Theo near the less-crowded back prep area.

  "Tell me about it," Theo said. "Okay, cameras. What did you find?"

  Sarah pulled out her tablet. "Right. Based on your layout, budget, and desire for easy access, I strongly recommend going with Amazon Ring. Their PoE (Power over Ethernet) stick-up cams are solid, good resolution, decent night vision, and the app is super user-friendly for remote viewing. Plus, you can integrate a Ring doorbell cam for the front entrance easily. Less complex than some pro systems, but reliable and perfect for this kind of setup." She showed him images, specs, estimated costs for a 4-camera setup plus the doorbell.

  "Looks good," Theo agreed quickly after a brief review. Simple, reliable, big brand name. "Let's do it. Can you arrange the install with that contractor you mentioned?"

  "Already reached out," Sarah confirmed. "He can do it Tuesday morning if that works?"

  "Perfect."