Jayden had spent the entire night glued to his laptop, scrolling through lists of business ideas... local rentals, mini-marts, cleaning services, and even provision wholesales...
He continued the next morning after failing to reach a conclusion the previous night, but still, none of the ideas felt promising enough to hit the $100,000 target in just a week. The pressure mounted. Every seemingly good idea had some flaw... either slow growth, high risk, or market saturation.
"It's just a $500,000 reward task... I can just skip it, right?" Jayden couldn't help but ask the system, placing his hand on his forehead.
> [Failure to complete any quest would result in the loss of 20% of the next five cash rewards you get.]
"AHH! Scratch that! I will find a way," Jayden's face turned red as he stared at the interface.
He now realized that he wouldn't even get the reward for creating the local business before the auction. The auction would be on Wednesday, which was the next day, and there was actually no way a miracle could happen.
The realization hit him hard as he exhaled deeply, then decided to check his account balance.
{V-Trust Bank}
{Account Balance: $1,275,000}
Jayden doubted this would be enough to outbid the millionaires expected at the auction. The talks of Mr. Jordan and Luka Vane's uncle made it pretty clear.
Luka Vane's uncle, Kurtis Vane, might not be as rich as his brother, who was the Director of the Vane Group, but he wasn't a small figure in any way.
He was a retired soldier who used the Fourth World War to gain great wealth and built a vast business foundation... Though nowadays the rising tycoons were doing double the expected as their net worths skyrocketed like aviators, he was still someone to respect in Cloudbridge City.
Jayden thought about the possibility of running into this man at the auction. If he happened to face him, there was no way he would win against someone worth more than 700 million dollars. He was just a mere millionaire who had started from nowhere...
Jayden had to rest his brain after some hours and left his apartment. The renovation team had already begun their work when he got outside, and Mr. Collins was supervising them as ordered.
He only greeted them, gave a glance at the progress, and zoomed off, driving aimlessly through the city...
At one point, he eventually stopped at a modest café tucked in one corner of the street. The café was a big one—not really big, but old.
He didn't come here for inspiration, actually; he just needed coffee... something to calm his brain.
Inside, the place was cozy but worn-out. Faded paint, outdated menus, and few customers. The café was clearly not living up to the potential of its size, which clearly indicated something was wrong.
Settling in one corner, he ordered a cup of black coffee. Jayden savored the aroma for a few moments before taking the first sip, and while he enjoyed himself, three men dressed in black suits suddenly dashed into the café with stern looks on their faces.
They didn't appear to be customers, as they went straight to the manager, who suddenly flinched the moment she saw them, her face tightening as she dropped the cup she held.
"Mr. Graves," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I... I was just about to call. I'm working on the payment..."
Graves raised a hand, silencing her.
"You've been working on it for two months," he said flatly. "The bank doesn't operate on promises, Melinda."
"I just need a little more time," she said quickly. "Sales have been picking up a little, and I've reached out to a few friends about a possible loan. If you give me till the end of next week—"
Another man, younger and sharper-eyed, scoffed.
"There is no next week. You've defaulted on the terms twice. The paperwork's ready. One call, and they'll come seize the property. And you know how that ends."
Melinda's hands trembled as she reached under the counter to grab a folder. "Look, I have partial payments ready. I can give you something now, and the rest in a few days. Just don't... please, don't do this."
Graves leaned forward, his voice growing colder.
"This isn't about partial payments. It's about broken trust. You borrowed against your grandfather's property, and now you're about to lose both it and your freedom."
Melinda flinched, pain flashing in her eyes. "Please… this café is all I have."
"You've got forty-eight hours, Melinda. No delays, no calls. Just the full amount. Or we call the DA's office. At that point, even the café won't be yours to lose," the third man, silent until now, finally spoke.
With that, they turned and walked out.
Melinda stood frozen behind the counter, one hand clutching the folder, the other balled into a fist at her side. Her eyes burned with frustration, fear, and quiet defiance.
And from his corner seat, Jayden watched everything... He couldn't help but shake his head after noticing her hopeless reaction. However, he wasn't trying to show interest—until the system voiced out.
> [New Business Opportunity Detected.]
> [Purchase recommended: Mel's Grounds Café – $35,000.]
> [Recommended Investment: $65,000.]
> [Expected ROI: $150,000 in less than 7 days.]
Jayden's heart kicked into gear.
Jayden's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" he muttered under his breath.
> [This café is located in a strategic urban midpoint with untapped delivery potential. You will introduce:
-Statewide delivery service via partnered bikers and drivers.
-Exclusive coffee blends sourced from rare suppliers.
-A rebrand with high-speed service and local targeting.
-Daily viral marketing campaigns.]
Jayden flinched repeatedly... The last system suggestion hadn't brought any good feedback since he bought the VIREX Coins, and now it was advising him to risk his money again?
Though Jayden didn't hesitate... After all, he was actually helpless in finding a good local business to create.
He stood up and walked to the counter, the floorboards creaking slightly under his steps.
"Rough day?" he asked gently.
Melinda blinked and looked up, clearly surprised someone had spoken. She quickly forced a small smile. "You could say that. Sorry about… all that. Hope it didn't ruin your coffee."
Jayden shook his head. "I didn't come for the coffee."
That made her pause. "Then why are you here?"
He glanced toward the door the suited men had exited through, then back at her. "I saw what happened. Do you owe them a lot?"
She hesitated, then let out a breath. "Thirty-five thousand. I took a business loan last year. It was supposed to help me expand and update the place. But the pandemic hit, costs doubled, and my backup plan fell through. Now I'm… drowning."
Jayden leaned forward, his voice steady. "What if I told you I could help?"
Melinda narrowed her eyes. "Help? Look, I appreciate the concern, but I'm not looking for a handout. This is my mess."
"I'm not offering a handout," Jayden replied calmly. "I want to buy the café."
Her mouth parted slightly, noticeable dark glints appearing in the corners of her eyes.
"What?!"
"I'll give you $35,000 so you can pay the debt, right now. But I'm not shutting the café down or flipping it. I'll invest another $65,000 to rebuild it properly. And I want you to stay on as manager."
Melinda stared at him like he'd grown a second head.
"You… you want me to sell the café and still manage it?"
"You built this place," he said simply. "You know it better than anyone else. But you need help. Let me provide that."
She shook her head slowly. "Why would you do this? You don't even know me."
Jayden smiled faintly. "I don't need to know you to recognize when someone's fighting for something they care about. I saw the look in your eyes. And I believe this café has potential."
Melinda was really hesitant to sell the café. It had been owned by her grandfather, who had passed away a year ago. Selling would feel like a disrespectful let-off, and it was the only source of memory she had of him.
However, she had no choice... She would get jailed if she didn't pay up, and this young man here was literally helping her out. Plus, she would remain here as the manager, so why wouldn't she embrace his offer?
Melinda looked down at her hands, quiet for a long moment, and then finally agreed. "If we're doing this," she said finally, voice thick with emotion, "you'll want to sign the paperwork today."
"We'll get it done before sunset," Jayden said. "Starting tomorrow, we're not just surviving, we're building something incredible."
.
.
.
[A/N: Drop a comment after reading. This is the first ten chapters, I'd like to here your opinions about this story before we move on. Gift your power stones too, thanks!]