"I hate to admit it to you, but you are absolutely right!" upon hearing Keith's words, Lucio slouched into his chair, accepting defeat.
The truth of the matter was that with the way the restaurant was going, its likely it would not survive another month.
"My wife and I opened this restaurant twenty years ago. She was expecting Daphne, my daughter at the time…"
Lucio let out a huge sigh, not out of relief but as a result of mental fatigue— having to sustain a failing restaurant while crippling in debt was exhausting.
"So, you're telling me that you are willing to invest in this sinking ship?" Lucio gestured around the restaurant's broken down appearance.
"Believe it or not, I'm quite experienced in culinary activities myself. And I can tell from the aroma coming from your kitchen that your food taste authentic and outerworldly."
"The reason why your business is failing is bacause of the lack of promotion and the location. I believe I can help you with that… so, I want you to look at it this way: Rather investing in your business, I am investing in you." Keith answered as professionally as he could.
Ti-tiring.
[Business Proposal Detected]
[Business Partner Loyalty Panel> ]
[Subject> Lucio Nagelsmann]
[Partner Loyalty> 50%]
Lucio relented. Keith could see it in his eyes that more than anything, he wanted to save the restaurant.
"Alright, what is your secret plan to turning this place around?… I wanna hear it, so we can begin forging the contracts" Lucio asked.
"The contract can wait…" Keith smiled awkwardly. "We'll get to that part later on…"
"What I hope to do is this: We are going to sell a two-course meal with drinks at a special discount of one dollar."
Lucio's eyebrows knitted ruggedly upon hearing what Keith had to say, only his facial expression was enough to know that Keith's proposal would be met with objections.
"What?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Are you tyring to run my business down to ashes?"
Ti-tiring.
[Business Partner Loyalty Panel> ]
[Subject> Lucio Nagelsmann]
[Partner Loyalty> 20%]
'Shit, he's crashing. If I don't do or say something quick, his loyalty will plummet to zero percent and I'm sure that's not good news for me.' Keith's mind raced as he searched for an exist strategy to reel Lucio into a business deal with him.
"Tch! This is a complete waste of my time…" Lucio was about getting up from his seat when Keith suddenly stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Let's forge a contract! We will use my business strategy, if we don't get our desired results… then so be it and you can keep the 70% shares, it's my money we are investing remember…" Keith said with a confident smile.
***
"Hey genius, my eyes are up here…" Daphne pouted her lips seductivly while staring down at Keith. "How do I look?"
They were inside a clothing store, Daphne was standing outside the fitting room dressed in a white t-shirt fitted with a black tie while her lower half was covered with a black apron.
Instead of covering her body lines, the typical waitress attire she was wearing further accentuates the sleek curve of her body so much so that Keith was caught staring at her.
"It… you look amazing…" Keith answered honestly, blinking his eyes without any ulterior motive.
"I don't think I've met someone as crazy as you. Throwing half a million away in a seven day promotion event like this..."
"Providing a two course meal consisting of an entree followed by a main course, just for the ridiculous price of one dollar? All that in seven days straight?"
Keith blinked. "That essentially it, yeah".
"Tch! It's either you're crazy rich or just stupid…" Daphne scoffed.
Although she was really good at not displaying it, Daphne believed in Keith's business idea, or more so she believed in him. And, Keith knew this because her business partner loyalty percentage was at a whopping 80%.
He found it ammusing because he was sure it was as a result of physical attraction and a spike in his Charisma Core Stat.
Of course, it goes wihout saying that he did not have half a million to fund the massive marketing event. However, as long as he could earn an income through the restaurant, it would be possible to come up with half a million with the income multiplier effect skill of the system.
Or so he thought.
He had spent $5,000 of his money to print and employ people to give out fliers on the streets. Another $30,000 to buy food ingredients and furniture. After paying for the waitress uniform for Daphne and her college friends who had agreed to help out, he was officially broke.
Beside all that expenses, he needed to hire new chefs and waitresses to handle the potential crowd of people that the promotion event might entice. Fortunately for him, salaries are payable only after a month.
Working as an employee would not net him enough income, it was clear that he needed to become an owner of a Food Industry establishment.
However, with only eight days left to complete the quest, it would be impossible to set up a business in such a short time.
Thus, his only option was to find a failing business and turn it around with his money. And The Pine Cone was the perfect choice for him!
It was a huge gamble to make. But it was a gamble that was necessary. There was no other way he could achieve the target profit with only eight days left in the month.
The final shaowdown of the mission will depend on the eighth day, when the promotion event ends and prices of the food return back to normal.
He wasn't sure how many customers would return after the discount had ended, but his life would depend on the outcome.
"what if your marketing stunt does not work?" Daphne sighed.
"Let's trust your dad's cooking" Keith replied with a smile.
A smile, that was all he could do, because he couldn't gurantee success and niether could he give false hope.
"You know what… if you save my dad's restaurant from bankruptcy, I will grant you a wish. Any wish!" Daphne said with bright red cheks, avoiding Keith's gaze.
Keith's eyes narrowed to a slit, he saw an oppurtunity here. One that even Daphne herself could not detect.
"Really?" Keith exclaimed. "If we do survive this… odeal, when I get my 70% shares, I automatically become the owner of the establishment, then I'll hire you as the manager of Pine Cone!"