"Hehehe, so what do you think about it, director? Do you think this supermarket can still be saved?" The young manager scratched the back of his head and let out a small, awkward laugh as he asked the question.
"Hmm…" Peter leaned back slightly in the chair he was sitting on. The manager was just starting to tell him what had happened to the store over the past years and why it was dead now.
"Well, I know the situation right now is not very good," the manager admitted before sighing. "Since we've been losing big money every month for the past year, we had no choice but to cut expenses wherever we could."
"Right now, we only have 6 employees working in the store. Aside from them, there's just me and 2 cleaners who come in the morning to clean."
Peter nodded slowly at that.
"Our monthly sales barely reach a few thousand dollars. After paying rent, electricity, supplies, and salaries… there's almost nothing left. Honestly, Sir, we're in the negatives right now." He sighed heavily.
"The biggest problem is that a large supermarket opened just a few blocks away 2 years ago. It's newer, bigger, and they have way more products than us. Most people in town go there now."
Peter nodded again with a serious face. Inside his mind, though…
'Good. Very good. Please keep going there, everyone.' He was secretly smiling.
The manager let out a sigh. He was worried. He knew that Peter must be feeling bad and pressured right now.
"So… I was actually thinking… should we reduce more staff, Sir? Our current income might not be enough to keep everyone for long—"
"No, no, no." Before he could finish, Peter quickly waved his hand.
"Huh?" The manager blinked in confusion.
"You want to keep them, sir?" he asked carefully, but when he thought of it, he suddenly nodded.
"Right… I understand, Sir. You must be worried about our employees. You don't want them to lose their jobs. You're really a good man, Sir. I respect you."
"…" Peter uncertainly smiled at that. "Yes, yes, you understood me too well."
But nope. It was because if they fire people, then their expenses in the next few months will go down! That means their losses will be smaller. That equals to him losing his potential money!
It's absolutely unacceptable.
Just then, a bright idea suddenly popped into Peter's head. His eyes lit up.
"You know what?" he said, snapping his fingers in the air. "I have a better suggestion."
The manager immediately straightened his back. He was ready to follow anything that Peter would say.
"What is it, sir?" His eyes were shining.
He had heard about Peter before. Of course, he did some searching when he heard that they will have a head in the supermarket.
He learned that Peter was one of the young directors behind several successful products in XYZ Tech. His decisions and strategies were famous inside the company and also on a few forums online.
'He must have a brilliant plan,' the manager thought excitedly.
Maybe Peter will say something about marketing strategy, or a partnership, or a few tips.
'I couldn't wait for it,' the manager thought.
"We need to hire more people!" Peter smiled confidently.
"Huh?" The manager's jaw dropped.
"You heard me right," Peter nodded proudly, completely serious about it.
"Think about it this way. If we hire more people, this place will become lively and customers will like a lively place."
"B-But… sir… we don't have the funds for that…" The manager looked like his brain had just stopped working.
"What do you think of me?" Peter waved his hand casually.
The reason he was so confident about this was because of his system.
The system explained that every month, it would automatically gave him a Business Development Fund that he can access in the system interface.
This money could only be used for business-related expenses. Things like buying equipment, renovating the space, running promotions, improving operations, and other company costs.
However, there was one very strict rule.
The money could not be donated, and he couldn't spend it on himself.
'Hey, MoniMoni. I just want to confirm that I can use the system funds to hire employees, right?' Inside his mind, Peter quietly called out.
[Of course, Host.] The familiar mechanical voice immediately answered.
'Good.' Peter smiled inside his head.
While Peter was doing that, the manager just stayed still and stared at him in surprise.
"Huh… sir? Are you sure about that?" he asked carefully. "Hiring more people means more salary expenses."
"Of course I'm sure. Just leave it to me." Peter waved his hand again, looking completely relaxed. "I'll personally fund them for the first month while were still losing money."
"You'll… personally fund them this month, sir?" The manager's eyes widened even more.
"Yes. For now." Peter simply shrugged as if it was nothing important.
For a moment, the office became quiet. Then suddenly, the manager's face lit up with admiration.
"Sir… you're really too kind!" he said sincerely.
'Our director is really a good man,' the manager thought. 'He just arrived today, but he's already thinking about the employees and the future of the store. He's even willing to spend his own money just to help us survive…'
The man felt a wave of respect rise inside him.
;I should really learn from him.''
He straightened his back and nodded firmly.
"If that's the case, sir, then I'll work even harder! I won't let your effort go to waste!"
Peter smiled calmly on the outside.
'Hehehe. Yes, yes. Work hard. You don't know that all of this will turn into my money later.''
But of course, none of that showed on his face.
"Good. That's the spirit." He simply nodded like a responsible and reliable leader.
The manager scratched the back of his head, and smiled.
'I guess the director's words make sense,'' he thought.
'Maybe the reason this place feels dead is that we barely have any staff. If we hire more people, the store might feel more lively.' After thinking for a moment, he smile even more.
"Alright then, sir! I'll immediately start finding the right employees."
But Peter shook his head.
"No worries. I got it."
"You… will manage it, sir?" The manager blinked in confusion.
Peter nodded confidently.
"Yes. Leave it up to me."
Hehehe
The manager hesitated for a second, but eventually nodded.
"Alright, sir." Peter smiled. Then suddenly, Peter remembered something.
"Oh right… I forgot to ask earlier."
"Yes, sir?" the manager quickly looked at him.
"What's your name again?"
The young manager quickly straightened.
"I'm Rocky, sir."
"Oh… Rocky." Peter repeated it slowly.
The young man smiled proudly.
"Yes, Sir. My name is Rocky Rode."
===
A/N: Just a note again that this novel will be full of randomness and absurdity. It's meant for a light read! But it will still make sense (hopefully)