It felt manipulative, stringing her along while hoping to redirect her passion towards his own needs. But wasn't that just business? Aligning interests, leveraging assets? He pushed the ethical qualms aside. Play it by ear, he decided. Keep the connection open. Gather more intel during the bubble tea meeting. See if an opportunity presents itself naturally.
He checked his phone. Almost time to head out. He sent Sarah a quick ping confirming the bubble tea place – a popular chain, 'Gong Cha', situated in a busy plaza roughly equidistant between his apartment and the sprawling campus of her tech giant employer.
Theo: Hey, heading out soon. See you at Gong Cha @ 1?
Sarah: YES! Leaving now! So ready for bubble tea and a break from reality! See ya there!
Her eagerness was almost palpable through the screen. She was definitely keen to talk.
The Gong Cha was bright, loud, and packed with a mix of students and office workers on their lunch breaks. Cheerful pop music thumped from hidden speakers. Theo found a small table near the back, slightly away from the main crush around the ordering counter.
Sarah arrived moments later, weaving through the crowd. She looked tired, her usual bright energy dimmed by visible stress. She slumped into the chair opposite him.
"Okay," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Do not ask me about work. Seriously. The restructure announcement is Friday. Rumour mill is working overtime. My team is basically toast, everyone's updating their resumes. It's… bleak."
"Sounds rough," Theo said, feeling a flicker of genuine sympathy, overlaid with the memory of his own unceremonious exit from the corporate world. "Been there. The uncertainty is the worst part." He decided to offer a sliver of his own experience, carefully edited. "When I got pushed out of my old job at the bank a few months back, it felt like the end of the world. Total blindside." He shrugged. "But honestly? Looking back? Best thing that ever happened to me. Forced me to figure things out on my own. Sometimes one door closing just forces you to find a better one."
Sarah looked at him, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. "You got pushed out? From a bank? Wow. Sorry, that sucks. But… yeah." She managed a small smile. "Maybe you're right. Maybe this is the kick I need to actually do something with my cycling idea." Her momentary optimism faded slightly. "If I don't end up completely broke first."
"Let's order," Theo suggested, diverting before she could ask more about his past. "My treat."
They navigated the complex menu. Theo opted for a standard Pearl Milk Tea, sticking to the basics. Sarah, perhaps needing comfort, went for a vibrant purple Taro Milk Tea with pearls. They chatted about trivialities while waiting for their numbers to be called amidst the cheerful chaos of the shop.
Their drinks arrived, sealed plastic cups filled with milky tea and dark, chewy tapioca pearls. As they sat back down, Theo watched Sarah stir her drink, her expression still clouded with worry about the looming announcement. She needs a pick-me-up, he thought. A small, inconsequential application of his power. A gesture? An experiment? Both. While she was distracted, looking at the menu board again, Theo casually rested his hand near the base of her cup on the table. He focused on the drink itself, the tea, the milk, the taro flavour, the pearls. Taro Milk Tea. +1 Overall Quality/Flavor. Ping. The enhancement flowed, invisible, undetectable.
Sarah finally picked up her drink, took a long sip through the wide straw, sucking up a few pearls. Her eyes widened dramatically. "Whoa." She took another sip, longer this time, a look of pure, surprised delight spreading across her face. "Okay, this is AMAZING! Seriously, this might be the best bubble tea I've ever had. The taro flavor is so… taro-y, and it's perfectly creamy, not too sweet, and the pearls are perfectly chewy! How is this Gong Cha? Usually they're just okay." She beamed at him. "Maybe this is my lucky day!"
Theo chuckled, a genuine, brief sound. "Must be. Maybe they got a new supplier, or just made a perfect batch." He deflected easily, enjoying her momentary, enhanced happiness. It felt… good, in a small way. And it was another data point, enhancing other beverages worked just as well as with coffee and other food.
Feeling buoyed by the drink, Sarah dove back into her venture idea. Theo steered the conversation, expressing cautious interest, asking probing questions disguised as curiosity.
"So, any potential backers yet?" he asked.
"No," she admitted. "Haven't even looked. Wanted to get the prototype further along."
"And the prototype? Is it something tangible people can test?"
"Not yet. It's mostly back-end algorithms and a basic web interface for visualizing the data right now. Needs a lot more work before anyone could actually use it."
"Right. And the hardware side?" Theo asked, subtly shifting focus. "You mentioned Garmin, Fitbit… but are you planning any physical product yourself? Custom sensors? A dedicated bike computer using your analysis?"
Sarah's eyes lit up again. "Eventually! That's the dream! Imagine a bike computer that doesn't just show data, but actively interprets it in real-time using my models! Or maybe even lighter, more accurate wearable sensors specifically for cyclists. But the hardware development… that's way down the line. Huge costs, manufacturing challenges…"
Hardware, Theo noted internally. Wearables. Bike data systems. So there was a potential physical component eventually. An angle where his +1 could genuinely, significantly add value, enhancing the durability, accuracy, or efficiency of sensors, or the tools used to manufacture them. Interesting.
He leaned back, adopting his pragmatic advisor persona again. "Okay, look. It's a great long-term vision. But right now?" He held her gaze. "Focus on survival. Keep the Meta job as long as you can, stack cash. Work on the software prototype evenings and weekends. Get that solid first. Prove the core concept. The hardware angle… that comes later, maybe with investment." He added, carefully planting a seed, "It definitely sounds like it has legs, though. I'd be interested in hearing how it progresses. Maybe… maybe there's even a way I could get involved down the track, once you've got more concrete plans, especially if hardware becomes a bigger piece. I'd need to do some research myself."