He carried the mug over to his small table, actually sitting down to drink it, a stark contrast to his usual hurried consumption standing over the counter. He looked around his messy apartment, then thought of his bank balance, steadily climbing back towards $70k even after accounting for the estimated $30k 'Something Fishy' acquisition commitment. This, he thought, savouring another sip of the extraordinary coffee, this is a tangible result. Not just the number, but the feeling, the absence of gnawing financial terror, the ability to afford small luxuries like truly excellent coffee (made impossibly excellent), the freedom to structure his own day. He idly opened his laptop, maybe browse those listings for nicer apartments again...

  Not with serious intent, not yet, but with a burgeoning curiosity. He looked at one-bedroom apartments in slightly nicer, quieter neighbourhoods closer to downtown, places with modern kitchens, maybe a small balcony, in-unit laundry. The rents, typically $3000-$4000 a month, were steep, nearly double what he paid now, but... technically feasible. He then found himself looking at used car listings, reliable, late-model sedans or small SUVs that wouldn't attract undue attention but also wouldn't scream 'struggling ex-banker'. Prices ranged from $20k-$30k.

  The temptation was there. To upgrade his surroundings, shed the last vestiges of his enforced poverty. To live somewhere that didn't constantly echo with sirens and the sounds of neighbours arguing through thin walls. To drive a car that didn't threaten to break down every time he hit the freeway, though to be fair, he was confident the +1 enhancement he had done, would make it continue to hum along.

  He pulled up his current bank balance. Just shy of $70,000 after Maria's estimated profit from Week 26 cleared. Then he mentally subtracted the $30,000 he'd earmarked for the 'Something Fishy' acquisition, plus at least another $10k-$15k he anticipated needing for its immediate gut renovation and initial operating costs. That left him with maybe $25k-$30k liquid buffer. Enough to cover several months of personal expenses, but not enough to justify doubling his rent and buying a new car while launching a second business.

  Focus, the cold voice of pragmatism asserted itself. Secure the second asset. Get SF operational and profitable. Build the cash reserves significantly higher. Then consider lifestyle upgrades. He couldn't afford vanity projects, not yet. Comfort was a luxury earned through overwhelming financial security, not scraped from thin margins during expansion.

  He did, however, make one concession. He went into his budgeting app and increased his personal 'Weekly Living Expenses' allocation from $500 to $800. It wouldn't cover a new apartment, but it meant less stress about grocery bills, the ability to order takeout occasionally without guilt, maybe replacing some worn-out clothes. A small acknowledgment of his improved status, a sustainable upgrade that didn't jeopardize the larger plan. He closed the real estate and car listing tabs decisively.

  His attention drifted back to the news feeds. The tariff war continued its nonsensical dance, threats one day, concessions the next, industries whipsawing in response. He saw tech stocks surge on rumours of relaxed chip export restrictions, then plunge when different geopolitical tensions flared in Asia. The broader market remained volatile. Good thing Maria's relies on local suppliers, he thought. Domestic chicken, potatoes, oil... insulated from most of this direct tariff chaos. Another point in favour of the simple, grounded business model. And food is a simple business, people have to eat!

  He skimmed headlines about the ongoing war in Ukraine, the fragile ceasefires and renewed clashes in the Middle East. Abstract conflicts, geographically distant, yet he knew they had concrete economic consequences, energy prices, supply chain disruptions, shifting global alliances. War is bad for people, obviously, his cynical side observed. But damn profitable for certain sectors. Defence contractors, energy speculators, disaster capitalists... Big money thrives on chaos. He wondered, briefly, about the billionaires whose fortunes were truly global. Did they worry about these conflicts? Or did their vast wealth allow them to influence outcomes, hedge against instability, even profit from it? The scale of that kind of power felt dizzying, reinforcing his own ambition. Sixty grand, soon maybe a hundred… it was nothing on that stage. He needed more. Much more.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Week 27 - Wednesday

  Wednesday afternoon. Theo was reviewing the specs for the luthier's block plane he'd ordered when his encrypted work phone buzzed. Mr. Parker.

  "Mr. Sterling," Parker's voice was crisp. "Movement on the 'Something Fishy' front. As anticipated, Mr. Davies' broker contacted us this morning. Their client is prepared to 'revisit discussions' and has presented a revised asking price."

  "Which is?" Theo asked, leaning forward.

  "Forty-five thousand," Parker stated flatly. "$45k, 'as-is', quick close."

  Theo almost laughed. Still delusional, but a significant drop from $60k. "Your recommendation, Mr. Parker?"

  "Hold firm on principle, counter slightly higher than our original feeler to feign reasonableness while still being insultingly low given the circumstances. I suggest we counter at eighteen thousand. Cite the confirmed water damage requiring extensive remediation, the recent closure impacting any remaining goodwill, and the distressed nature of the equipment."

  "Eighteen," Theo echoed, savouring the ruthlessness. "Perfect. Proceed."

  Week 27 - Thursday

  Thursday evening. The negotiation played out via Parker over the next 24 hours. Davies' broker came back at $40k. Parker, on Theo's instruction, held at $20k. Another agonized silence, then a counter at $35k. Parker countered at $25k. Finally, late Thursday, Parker called again.

  "Mr. Sterling. We have a final number. Mr. Davies, via his broker, has agreed to thirty thousand dollars. $30k. That's his absolute bottom line, take it or leave it, wants to close by end of day tomorrow."

  Theo considered it. Could he push lower? Probably. Could he squeeze the man into accepting $25k, maybe even less, driving him closer to absolute ruin? The vindictive part of him wanted to. But the pragmatic part weighed the risks. Pushing too hard might spook Davies, make him irrational, maybe even attract unwanted attention if he complained loudly about being strong-armed. And $30k was already a phenomenal deal, less than the original purchase price of Maria's for a similarly equipped space, albeit one needing more work. Getting the deal done, quickly and cleanly, had value too.

  "Alright, Mr. Parker," Theo said, making the decision. "Thirty thousand it is. Instruct the lawyers to draw up the final Asset Purchase Agreement and Lease Assignment for Plus One Investments LLC. Ensure the 'as-is, where-is' clause is ironclad. We close tomorrow afternoon."

  Theo hung up the phone after instructing Parker to accept the $30k offer and finalize the closing for Friday. A deep, almost serene sense of satisfaction settled over him, colder and more profound than the simple thrill of profit. Parker's strategy, the tactical withdrawal, the calculated silence, letting Davies stew in his self-inflicted disaster fuelled by Theo's subtle sabotage, had worked flawlessly. It yielded a price far better, far cleaner, than Theo might have achieved through aggressive, impatient haggling alone.

  He leaned back in his chair, staring unseeingly at the acquisition plan document still open on his laptop screen. Patience. Timing. His natural inclination, the ingrained habit born from years of clawing his way up, fuelled by ambition and a constant, gnawing fear of falling behind, was always to push, to accelerate, to force the outcome now that the target was weakened. He’d felt the urge earlier in the week to instruct Parker to counter sooner, to close the gap faster just to secure the asset before something unforeseen happened.

  But Parker's cool detachment, his clinical confidence in letting the rival's desperation become the primary negotiating tool, had been a masterclass in leverage. It reminded him, unexpectedly, of an old manager he worked for back at the bank, the deceptively mild-mannered Senior VP in Risk Management who always seemed three steps ahead, navigating treacherous corporate waters with unnerving calm. rarely seemed rushed, yet deals always seemed to fall his way, on his terms. Theo recalled his old manager once advising a junior analyst after a negotiation went sour: "Never show your hunger, let their desperation dictate the pace. Apply pressure indirectly. Sometimes the most powerful move is patient silence. Time is your most effective weapon, if you know when to deploy it and when to simply let it work for you." At the time, Theo had dismissed it as overly cautious corporate manoeuvring. Now, seeing Parker execute the same principle with such devastating effect on Davies... he finally, truly understood.

  It's a life lesson, Theo acknowledged grimly to himself, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards slightly. A costly one if learned the hard way. He made a conscious mental note, branding it into his strategic thinking. Don't always charge ahead at breakneck speed just because you think you have the advantage. Sometimes, waiting for the perfect moment, letting the opponent self-destruct under pressure, pressure you may have subtly applied earlier, is far more effective. Smarter. More profitable. He wouldn't forget this. Control the impatience. Timing, he realized, wasn't just important. When wielded correctly, it was everything. This acquisition wasn't just adding an asset, it was refining his approach to the entire climb.