Richest Man: It All Started With My Rebate System-Chapter 59: An Unexpected Call
"Hey. Good afternoon," Lena said.
"Hi. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon," Steven said, as he walked to the kitchen.
"Same here," she laughed.
"So, how is work going on a Monday?" Steven asked, with a mischievous smile on his face.
"Well, work is going well. I just finished the papers on the last deal I closed."
"That’s good. Another win to you and more to come, of course."
"Thank you. Though, now, I have to start looking for another client. Tell me, do you have any property you want to acquire?" Lena asked in a joking voice.
"Besides the restaurant acquisition I told you about, nothing. But I will definitely call you up if I plan to in the future. I will need the service of the best acquisition professional in Houston," Steven replied.
"At this point, you’re definitely teasing me. But thank you," she chuckled.
"It would only be teasing if it wasn’t true. And from what I saw last night, if you aren’t the best acquisition professional in Houston, then nobody is," Steven smiled.
"You really are teasing me. But thank you for the kind words," Lena chuckled.
"As for Drew, I actually reported him to HR when I got to work today. It was the first thing I did. I just couldn’t let it slide. He was forced to make a public apology to me but it didn’t have a shred of sincerity in it. I simply acknowledged it."
"He really apologised to you publicly? Wow. I’m sure he was fuming on the inside," Steven laughed.
"It was actually very obvious from how white his hand was from clenching it, and that almost imperceptible sinister smile on his face. I feel that he’s planning something and it will definitely involve getting back at you. He won’t be able to do anything to me because he will be immediately suspected and linked to it. So, you have to be careful, Steven," Lena said.
"How very predictable of him. Thanks for the warning, Lena. I’m quite curious about what he plans to do," Steven said.
"I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s going to be bad. And Steven, please really be careful. I would be really sad if anything happened to you because of me."
"While that might be true, we both know that someone like Drew will always find trouble with anyone and anything. So, don’t blame yourself. And I promise to be careful. I don’t want to see your beautiful face taken over by sadness," Steven said.
There was a brief pause, as the two of them said nothing.
"I really want to thank you, Steven. Talking with you last night was the best casual conversation I’ve had in a very long time," Lena said, with warmth in her voice.
"I could say the same. It was my first true conversation with someone in what feels like forever."
"So, what are you doing at the moment?"
"I’m preparing lunch for myself."
"You know how to cook?" Lena asked in genuine surprise.
"Why do you sound so surprised? Yes, I can. While my cooking isn’t at the level of a high-end restaurant chef, it’s still very delicious," Steven said proudly.
"Bragging now, are we? Well, I hope I get to taste your cooking one day."
"Of course. Trust me, you will ask for seconds," Steven smiled.
"Is that so? I love the confidence."
"So, what are you doing? Taking a break?" Steven asked.
"Yeah. I decided to come out for some fresh air and also call you. I will return to work soon though. I have a few properties I have to go through. Hopefully, one or two of them will have significant value."
"I’m sure of that," Steven said.
"Alright then. I should leave you to finish cooking. I will talk to you later. Bye, Steven."
"Actually, before you go," Steven said. "The offer you made last night. About the acquisition."
"What about it?" Lena asked.
"I want to take you up on it sooner rather than later. The due diligence report should be back within the next week or so. When it lands, I want to move quickly."
"Then call me the moment it does," she said. "I meant what I said. There are ways to structure a cash offer at that premium that most people don’t think about until after the deal has already gone sideways."
"I’ll call you first," Steven said.
"Good." A brief pause. "Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead," Steven said.
"Why that restaurant specifically?" Lena asked.
"I used to work there."
"But the offer is three million on a five hundred thousand dollar business. That’s not just an investment. It’s like there’s emotions involved."
Steven was quiet for a moment.
"It’s both," he said. "The business has good bones. The problem is the management layer, and that’s solvable. But yes, there’s a personal dimension to it."
"The manager," she said, as if saying that it was obvious.
"Yes," Steven said.
Lena was quiet for a moment.
"I’ve seen acquisitions driven by personal reasons go wrong," she said. "Not because the motivation was wrong but because the emotion got into the structure. That’s what I want to help you avoid."
"I appreciate that," Steven said.
"Okay. Go finish making your lunch," she said, and he could feel the smile returning. "We’ll talk properly when the report comes in."
"I’ll be waiting. Have a nice," Steven said.
"You too. Bye, Steven."
"Bye, Lena."
Steven dropped the phone on the countertop and turned his attention fully to the meal he was cooking.
The smell coming from the pan had shifted while he was on the call, moving from the clean heat of oil to a richer one.
He turned the heat down slightly and checked the pan.
Still good. Close, but still good.
He had been making a simple pasta. Garlic, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and prawns he had taken out of the freezer that morning. It was nothing complicated.
He finished it in the next ten minutes, moving through the final steps without rushing. The tomatoes had broken down properly into the oil, the prawns were pink and just firm, and the pasta had gone in with enough of its cooking water to bring everything together without making it heavy.
He plated it without overthinking the presentation, carried it to the dining table, and sat down.
The first bite confirmed what the smell had suggested. It was good.
He enjoyed his meal, thinking about his progress so far and what he was going to do next.
