My Income Multiplier System

Chapter 3

“Ring!”

The next morning, Liam arrived in a tiny Italian restaurant located deep inside an alleyway, some distance away from the main street.

If it wasn't for the wooden sign depicting a chef with a cheesy mustache, he would have never noticed that a restaurant was opened in such a desolate place.

Entering the door with a nervous expression, Liam proceeded on with careful steps.

He was here to propose a business proposition to the owner of this establishment and he could not afford to fail. The system was his only hope.

There were only eight more days until the end of July to complete the mission given by the system. 

And after some calculation from him, he had figured that there was no way he could achieve the target profit by continuing as a food delivery driver with the limited time he had.

Furthermore, with his entire body still hurting from the beatings he suffered, it was impossible for him to carry out physical labor. Several cuts and bruises on his face were still visible on his face.

“Welcome to Olive Park! How may I help you, sir?” The moment Liam stepped foot into the restaurant, he was immediately greeted by a young waitress.

The waitress appeared to be around the age of early twenties, and looked absolutely gorgeous. Unique to only her, her peach blossom eyes were strikingly charming, but the most attractive feature of hers was her contagious smile. 

With a single glance at her smile, Liam could feel that the world had become much brighter and his injuries seemed to be healing by itself.

“Right. May I speak with the owner of the restaurant? I’m here to discuss business with him. I want to invest in this restaurant.” Liam smiled with his teeth revealed, presenting himself as professionally as he could.

“You?” The young waitress hesitated as she looked at Liam from top to bottom, sizing him up.

Rather than an investor, Liam was looking more like a student with how young he looked and the cheap clothes he was wearing wasn’t helping him much.

“I’m so sorry. The owner is not in…” After taking some time to contemplate, the young waitress made up her mind. The possibility that Liam was a scammer was far greater than him being a legitimate investor, especially when his face was looking so swollen.

However, before she could finish her sentence, Liam’s words shocked her.

“I’m going to invest half a million dollars.” Liam said.

“H-Half a million dollars!” The young waitress visibly gulped as the menu in her hand dropped on the floor. “Dad! Come here immediately!”

***

“Is it true that you want to invest in my restaurant?”

Seated across Liam was the owner and the chef of the restaurant, Giorgio. After Liam was led to a table by Penelope, he came out to greet Liam from the kitchen.

Normally, a chef would be busy in the kitchen preparing food for the customers, especially the case with Olive Park where the place was solely run by the father and his daughter. 

However, with how empty the restaurant was, he could afford the time.

“Yes, that is true. I intend to invest a total of half a million dollars into your restaurant for 70% shares of your restaurant.” Liam explained his business proposal.

“There’s no way I will do this deal! 10% shares or the deal is off. I’ve spent more than a million myself to open and run this restaurant. Giorgio argued in an agitated tone.

“And yet, your business seems to be failing pretty hard.” Liam shrugged and looked around the empty restaurant. “Furthermore, with how run-down this place looks, and the lack of staff, I think you are already knee-deep in debt to maintain your usual operation.”

“You! You are absolutely right…” Upon hearing Liam’s words, Giorgio slouched into his chair, looking defeated. 

The truth was the restaurant would not survive another month with the way things were going.

“My wife and I opened this restaurant twenty years ago. She was expecting Penelope at that time. Our intention was to provide a safe harbor for Penelope. Things were going great until my wife had passed. Since then, the restaurant has been going downhill. I tried borrowing to keep the place afloat, but it’s not enough.”

“Tell me. After listening to what I’ve told you, are you still willing to invest in this sinking ship?” Giorgio asked as he stared into Liam’s eyes with slight tears. The outcome of his decision will depend on what Liam says next.

“Your Italian food tastes authentic and otherworldly. The reason why your business is failing is because of the lack of promotion and the location of your restaurant. I believe I can help you with that. But, most importantly, eating your food gives me a warm fuzzy feeling of home which I had never experienced before. Rather than investing in your restaurant, I’m investing in you.” Liam answered with sincere eyes.

"... Alright. I trust you. Let's sign the contract now." After a long pause, Giorgio relented. More than anyone, he wanted to save the restaurant. Besides, the answer Liam had given was perfect.

"The contract can wait." Liam smiled awkwardly. As an inexperienced newbie in the business world, he had totally forgotten about drafting a contract.

"That can wait, but tell me. What's your actual plan for the restaurant?" Giorgio asked.

"We are going to sell a two-course meal with drinks at a special discount of one dollar." Liam answered with a confident smile on his face. 

However, his answer was instantly met with objections from Giorgio and the eavesdropping Penelope.

“What! Are you mad?”

“What nonsense are you spewing? I knew you were a scammer the moment I laid my eyes on you!”