Coffee felt less like fuel right now and more like poison. He turned instead to the electric kettle (still reliably +1 enhanced), filling it with water. He rummaged in the back of a cupboard and found a dusty box of basic black tea bags. He brewed a cup, adding a splash of milk from the carton in the fridge, creating a weak, pale concoction. It wouldn't provide the laser focus he craved, not even close, but neither would it trigger the phantom jitters or the memory of pacing his apartment like a caged, over-caffeinated animal. It was safe. Tolerable. He took a tentative sip, lukewarm, bland, and turned back to the spreadsheets, the tea a poor but necessary substitute in his current state of coffee caffeine aversion.
The projected profit margins in Theo's Model were compelling. Not tech-startup billions, but a steady, reliable cash flow far exceeding what Jono was likely scraping together. Enough to live comfortably, cover operational costs, and, crucially, provide significant capital for future, more ambitious ventures. He spent hours refining the models, running best-case/worst-case scenarios. The numbers held up. The potential was undeniable, hidden beneath layers of Jono's apathy and incompetence. It was daunting, a world away from anonymous online sales, but manageable. Concrete. Grounded.
But was it the best option?
Week 17 – Tuesday
Tuesday, Theo forced himself to rigorously evaluate the alternatives, fighting the confirmation bias urging him towards the chicken shop. The Sarah partnership lingered in his mind. He spent the morning researching the wearables market, the bike computer industry, sensor manufacturing costs. The potential was definitely there, a +1 enhanced sensor could offer unparalleled accuracy or battery life. A bike computer manufactured using +1 enhanced tools might achieve superior durability or processing efficiency. The synergy with Sarah's data analysis software could be powerful.
He pulled up the notes he'd made after their bubble tea meeting. Her passion was infectious, her technical skills evident. But the cons stacked up quickly. Hardware development was notoriously expensive and slow. They'd need significant seed capital just for prototyping, dwarfing the likely cost of the chicken shop. It meant finding investors, unthinkable given his secret. It meant shared control, relying on Sarah's timeline and execution. And it meant managing a complex partnership where one partner held an impossible, unrevealable secret. The risk profile felt exponentially higher, the path to profit far longer and more uncertain. Too complex, too soon, his internal analyst concluded. Sarah remains a potential asset, maybe for a future project when I have more capital and leverage. But not now.
Week 17 - Wednesday
Wednesday, he took a long drive, deliberately exploring different suburban commercial strips, forcing himself to look at other potential targets through the lens of 'Tool Enhancement'. He stopped outside the 'Corner Perk' cafe. Marco was inside, serving customers, the line short today. Theo watched him pull an espresso shot, tapping the portafilter with practiced ease. Enhance the espresso machine? The grinder? Possible. But coffee shops involved more variables, bean quality, milk texturing skill, ambiance, customer service. Higher potential revenue than the chicken shop, maybe, but also more complex operations, more staff needed, higher initial investment likely. Something to consider later down the track.
He drove past a tired-looking laundromat in another neighbourhood. Half the machines had 'Out of Order' signs taped to them. Enhance the washers/dryers for +1 Reliability/Efficiency? Could drastically cut repair costs and maybe attract more customers with faster cycles. But a low-margin business, reliant on high volume, and how would he even acquire it or implement the enhancements discreetly? Seemed unworkable.
He considered a small, local bakery he sometimes passed, known for amazing pastries but inconsistent bread. Enhance the proofer? The oven for +1 Temperature Stability? Again, possible. But baking was an art and a science. Would enhancing one tool be enough? And bakeries required skilled labour, early hours… It didn't appeal to his desire for a relatively simple, controllable system.
Each alternative presented its own hurdles. By Wednesday evening, as he drove back towards his own less-than-glamorous part of town, the conclusion felt inevitable. The chicken shop, despite its current sorry state, represented the path of least resistance with the highest probability of near-term success based on his unique advantage. The experiment had proven the core concept. Jono's incompetence and desire to sell made acquisition feasible. The operation was simple enough, two key pieces of equipment were the heart of the business, with potential to expand into other areas as well. It was low-profile, neighbourhood-focused, unlikely to attract unwanted attention.
He parked his car, the decision solidifying as he walked towards his apartment building. The faint scent of frying onions from a neighbour's kitchen hung in the air. Maria's Charcoal Chicken. It felt right. Grounded. A tangible asset, a real-world test bed for his power, a stepping stone. Build the foundation, he told himself, unlocking his apartment door. Prove the model. Generate the cash flow. Then, the world.
The rest of the week was a blur, as Theo prepared how best to approach and acquire Maria's Charcoal Chicken from Jono.
Week 18 - Monday
Time to act. Theo knew Jono's fleeting weekend success wouldn't translate to sustained business. The negative feedback loop from the subsequent disappointment would likely drive customers away again quickly. Jono's frustration and desire to sell would be peaking.
Week 18 - Tuesday
Mid-afternoon on Tuesday, Theo walked back into Maria's Charcoal Chicken. It was, as expected, dead quiet. Jono sat behind the counter on a stool, phone held aloft, doomscrolling through some social media feed, the picture of sullen boredom. The air smelled faintly of old grease.
Theo cleared his throat. Jono looked up slowly, vague recognition dawning. "Oh. Hey."
"Hey Jono," Theo said, leaning casually on the counter. "Not gonna order today. Actually wanted to ask you something."
Jono raised a sceptical eyebrow but lowered his phone slightly. "Yeah? What's up?"
"You mentioned the other day you were thinking about selling this place," Theo began, keeping his tone light, exploratory. "Was that serious talk, or just letting off steam?" He added, layering in a plausible motivation, "Reason I ask... I've been looking into getting into the food business myself. Something established, turnkey operation I could maybe put my own spin on down the line."