Friday afternoon. The closing at the downtown lawyer's office was tense and brief. Mr. Davies looked physically ill – pale, sweating slightly despite the air conditioning, avoiding eye contact. His broker looked weary. Theo, represented solely by Mr. Parker and the lawyer handling the paperwork for 'Plus One Investments', remained a detached observer. The documents were signed with minimal discussion, Davies’ hand shaking slightly as he initialled pages detailing the transfer of broken freezers and greasy fryers. Theo authorized the electronic transfer of $30,000 from the LLC account. Moments later, Davies’ broker handed Mr. Parker a small, sad keychain holding two keys. Parker, in turn, passed them discreetly to Theo. It was done.
Davies practically bolted from the conference room, muttering something about needing air. Theo watched him go, feeling not sympathy, but the cold, clean satisfaction of a predator securing its kill. You shouldn't have messed with me, he thought simply.
Theo walked out of the sterile downtown office building into the bright Friday afternoon sunlight, the small, greasy keychain from 'Something Fishy' feeling both heavy and ridiculously light in his jacket pocket. He resisted the urge to jingle them, a childish impulse born from a surge of pure, unadulterated triumph that momentarily eclipsed his usual calculated reserve.
Done. Thirty thousand dollars. He mentally pictured Davies’ pale, sweating face, the defeated slump of his shoulders as he signed away his failed business. Parker’s dry assessment echoed: Circling the drain. Theo had simply accelerated the inevitable, and positioned himself perfectly to pick up the pieces for scrap value. Less than scrap value, probably, considering the equipment likely needed permanent +1 enhancements just to function reliably after his sabotage and Davies' neglect.
A fierce, almost giddy sense of victory coursed through him. Serves you right, you backstabbing idiot, he thought, a vicious grin threatening to break through his neutral expression. Tried to sabotage Maria's with fake reviews? Tried to kill my business before it even launched? Look who's bankrupt now. He'd not only weathered the attack, he'd turned it around, used the rival's aggression as justification for his own ruthless counter-offensive, and was now poised to profit directly from the wreckage. It felt like checkmate in a game his opponent hadn't even realized they were playing on Theo's terms.
The elation sparked a sudden, powerful desire to celebrate. This wasn't just another profitable week at Maria's, this was conquest. This was a significant step up, acquiring a second asset, proving his ability to manipulate events, to win. He deserved a reward. That high-end steakhouse downtown? The new cocktail lounge with the city views everyone was talking about? He mentally scanned options, picturing a perfectly cooked steak, an expensive single malt scotch...
Then the familiar question intruded, deflating the celebratory mood like a popped balloon: Celebrate with who?
He ran through the short list of people he interacted with regularly. Henry? Olivia? Jenny? Good employees, yes. Developing trust, maybe. But he couldn't exactly raise a glass with them and toast to the calculated destruction of another local business owner, however much of a prick Davies was. Parker, the broker? Strictly professional. The man would probably send him an invoice for the celebratory drink.
His thoughts inevitably landed on Sarah. Her easy intelligence, her flashes of shared humour during their bubble tea meeting, her genuine helpfulness with the cameras and marketing... She was the closest thing resembling a friend he had right now. Could he call her? "Hey Sarah, incredible news! That distressed asset I mentioned? Just acquired it! Let me buy you dinner to celebrate!" He imagined her likely positive reaction to the acquisition, then her probable probing questions about how it became so distressed, why the owner sold so cheap... Questions he couldn't answer honestly. Sharing the cold, vindictive satisfaction of this particular victory with someone like her felt impossible, dangerous even. She was... helpful. An acquaintance. A valuable potential future associate. Not someone privy to the darkness underpinning his success.
The desire to celebrate fizzled out, leaving behind the familiar, cold residue of his isolation. The win felt undeniably good, a validation of his power and ruthlessness, but sharing it, amplifying the feeling through connection, remained impossible. He shoved the keys deeper into his pocket, the metal digging slightly into his thigh. Celebrate later, he decided, the familiar pragmatic voice taking over again. Celebrate when the numbers are bigger, when the empire is undeniable. When I don't have to hide the methods behind the success. For now, the quiet, solitary knowledge of his victory would have to suffice. He walked towards his car, his mind already shifting from the concluded acquisition to the practicalities of Project Neptune and the shop waiting for its transformation.
Week 27 - Saturday
Saturday morning. Keys in hand, Theo approached 'Something Fishy' not as a customer or a spy, but as its new, invisible owner. He let himself in. The air inside was thick with the smell of stale grease, dampness, and failure. Water stains marked the ceiling tiles near the back sink area. The floor felt sticky underfoot. Equipment sat unplugged, surfaces grimy. It was worse than Maria's had been under Jono. Perfect. A blank slate for optimization.
He spent the next few hours walking through methodically, phone in hand, taking photos, making detailed notes for his "Project Neptune" plan. Gut entire front counter area. Replace damaged flooring near plumbing burst. Professional deep clean and sanitization, everything. Full service/repair check on ventilation hood. Assess walk-in freezer seals after +1 failure. Then, the core: Permanently Enhance +1: Both deep fryers (Temp Stability/Recovery). Walk-in freezer & display fridge (Temp Stability/Efficiency). Main exhaust fan (Airflow/Durability). New POS system (Reliability/Speed).
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
He started sketching menu ideas – simple, high-quality fish (cod? haddock?), hand-cut chips (using techniques learned at Maria's), maybe a couple of classic sides. Rebranding was essential – 'Something Fishy' was dead. He needed a name that screamed fresh, clean, reliable. 'The Daily Catch'? 'Crisp & Current'? He made a note to consult Sarah.
Week 27 - Sunday
Sunday evening. After confirming Maria's had another smooth, profitable weekend under Henry's command via a brief check-in call ("Yeah boss, hit 195 Saturday, looking like 190 today, all good!"), Theo texted Sarah.
Theo: Hey Sarah. Quick question for the branding guru... Remember that struggling fish & chip shop? Well, long story short, my investment LLC ended up acquiring it for pennies on the dollar today. Place needs a total overhaul + rebrand. Any chance I could pick your brain sometime next week about potential new names/concepts? Happy to pay your consulting rate this time, obviously.
Sarah: WHOA! You actually bought Something Fishy?? That place was a disaster zone! Bold move, Theo! ?? Yeah, definitely happy to brainstorm branding! Forget the consulting fee for now, this sounds like a fun challenge! How about that bubble tea place again Tuesday?
Theo: Bubble tea Tuesday sounds good. Thanks, Sarah. You're a lifesaver.
He put the phone down, feeling the pieces clicking into place. Maria's generating cash. Something Fishy acquired, ready for transformation. Next venture research underway. Sarah engaged, potentially integrable down the line. It was working. The climb was steep, fraught with risk and moral compromise, but undeniably upward.
He leaned back, the aggressive energy of planning the 'Something Fishy' takeover slowly receding, replaced by a cooler assessment of his current standing. Maria's Charcoal Chicken, humming along profitably under Henry's management, was the engine driving everything else right now. He did some quick mental math based on the average weekly profit figure they’d established.
Nine thousand dollars a week… approximately, he calculated. Fifty-two weeks in a year… carry the one… that’s over $468,000 a year. He paused, letting the number sink in. Nearly half a million dollars in projected annual profit, after taxes which was already estimated for, generated from a single, rundown suburban chicken shop transformed by two permanent +1 enhancements and competent management. The return on his initial $38k investment was almost obscene.
And the shop's value now? Small businesses often traded on a multiple of earnings, maybe 2x, 3x annual profit for a stable, simple operation like this? Could Maria's actually be worth close to a million dollars already? Maybe even more on paper? He’d bought it for an absolute song thanks to Jono’s spectacular incompetence and desperation. The thought brought a fleeting, smug smile.
Which brought him back to the System. He checked his current liquid cash balance – around $44.5k after the $30k payout for Something Fishy cleared. But his total net worth, if he conservatively valued Maria's at, say, $750k based on earnings potential, plus the $30k he just paid for the Something Fishy assets… that pushed his theoretical net worth well over $800,000.
So why am I still Level 1? The thought brought back the familiar frustration. The System had triggered 'Level 1 – No Longer Dirt Poor' when his cash reserves first crossed $50k back before he bought Maria's. Did subsequent levels also trigger only on liquid cash holdings? Did assets not count towards progression? Or were the thresholds exponential? Maybe Level 2 required $250k cash? Or $500k? Or a million? And what about the 'New Ability Unlocked'? He knew it was the Un-Enhance function now, but the System hadn't confirmed it, hadn't explained its rules, he'd had to figure those out himself through tedious, caffeine-fuelled experimentation.
"Damn it!" he muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. The lack of information was maddening. How was he supposed to optimize his progression, understand his full capabilities, or even know what goalposts to aim for if the rules were completely opaque? He felt like a player dropped into a complex video game with no tutorial, no status screen he could reliably access. "Need a manual! A system interface! Something!" He sighed again, the frustration bubbling uselessly. Complaining wouldn't change anything. The objective remained clear, even if the mechanics were shrouded in mystery: Earn More Money. That seemed to be the only reliable key to unlocking answers, and abilities, within this bizarre reality he inhabited. Fine. He’d just have to keep climbing, keep accumulating, and hope the System revealed more of itself along the way.
Theodore Sterling - Financial Ledger (End of Week 27)
- Starting Balance (Beginning Week 27): $69,218.00 (Carried over from End of Week 26)
- Income (Week 27):
- Maria's Charcoal Chicken (Avg Weekly Profit): +$9,072.00
- Total Income: +$9,072.00
- Expenses (Week 27):
- Personal Rent Paid (Week 27): -$450.00
- Personal Living Expenses (Week 27 - New Rate): -$800
- Business Acquisition ('Something Fishy' - Assets/Lease): -$30,000.00
- Legal/Broker Fees for Acquisition (Est.): -$2,500.00
- (Note: Maria's shop expenses are factored into Avg Profit)
- Total Personal/Acquisition Expenses: -$33,750.00
- Net Change (Week 27): +$9,072.00 (Income) - $33,750.00 (Expenses) = -$24,678.00 (Significant outflow due to acquisition)
- Ending Balance (End of Sunday, Week 27): $44,540.00 ($69,218.00 - $24,678.00 = $44,540.00)
- Assets:
- Maria's Charcoal Chicken (Business Purchase Price): $38,000.00
- 'Something Fishy' Assets/Lease (Business Purchase Price): $30,000.00
Status: Second Business Acquired. Successfully executed strategy to acquire distressed competitor 'Something Fishy' via shell company ('Plus One Investments LLC') for $30k + fees, leveraging sabotage effects and broker negotiation. Maria's Charcoal Chicken continues stable, high profitability (~$9k/wk avg) under Henry's management, freeing Theo. Team empowered to handle staffing. Theo increased personal living budget slightly. Began initial assessment and turnaround planning for 'Something Fishy' (Project Neptune). Maintained contact with Sarah, seeking her branding input for the new venture. Capital depleted significantly due to acquisition but now holds two business assets. Focus shifts to renovating/relaunching 'Something Fishy' while maintaining oversight of Maria's and continuing research for next high-margin venture. Ending cash balance ~$44.5k.