Chapter 97: Everything is settled
After the shop opening, the stock on the shelves was completely emptied. Even though, they produced a lot, Sam didn't allow to keep all of them on the shelves. If the products are too many, the price will become lower.
So, he strictly regulated the flow of all the products. These fifteen days, he taught the assembly process to the workers from the artisan tower.
But the energy cells can only be made by him. He had already manufactured them in bulk. There are more than 500 of each type with him. After all, he just had to construct the energy veins and the positioning on the energy cores, the rest of the charging of energy will be done by the formation in the tower. So, he can relax for the time being and the business will be good.
Chaya is even more excited than him. The stock of weapons from the artisan tower are also sold out completely. She really felt glad that she decided to work with Sam.
Evening of that day, Chaya and Sam just discussed about the sales of the shop when she asked something.
"I heard from the artisans that you are opening a restaurant. I wanted to ask about it earlier but forgot. Do you have a chef?"
"No, I need to find one."
"Great, I have someone who is really skilled. Do you want to consider him?"
"Oh, who is that? If their skill is really up to par, I won't mind."
"He is son of an attendant of artisan tower. He used to have a restaurant in front of Zeke's restaurant. When Zeke's restaurant opened his business isn't that much effected. But that Zeke used some under-handed means to make him lose his business.
I haven't known earlier. By the time I have known this, everything is over. I wanted to help him, but he rejected it directly."
"Can I trust him?" Sam asked. For him, trust is more important than skill. Skills can be cultivated through time and practice, but trust is a matter of character and a person's character isn't that easy to cultivate.
"Of course, I can vouch for him."
"Sure, introduce him to me tomorrow."
The next day, Chaya came to Sam's mansion with a young man in his early twenties.
"Sam, this is the person it told you about earlier. He is Mackey. A chef."
Sam shook Mackey's hand as he sized him up. Mackey is an ordinary looking man and he has a lean figure. Most of all, he is level 1 Novice just like Sam.
"Are you a mage?" Sam asked when Mackey and lit a flame at the tip of his fingers. His flames are orange in colour and density of flames his high.
"Chaya recommended you to this job. So, I won't ask much. I need to see your skill. There are already ingredients placed in the kitchen, so make your best meal." Sam said as he pointed at the kitchen.
Mackey nodded and went to the kitchen.
Both Chaya and Sam sat at the table and made some small talk. After more than an hour, Mackey came back with four plates in his hands.
There are four types of dishes and each of them are piping hot.
Sam was very satisfied with look and fragrance.
When he tasted them, he was even more impressed by the taste. The texture of meat and the consistency of the flavour. Usage of the herbs along with the meat was completely complimentary and elevated the taste to new level.
Sam felt that this is the best meal he had since he came to this world.
After enjoying the dishes, he looked at Mackey and said.
"I am really impressed by your cooking. Take this book and practice the recipes. I will hire a team of people to work with you. But these recipes should not be leaked."
Sam passed a book which he prepared before-hand. These are some of the recipes from the spirit culinary. Even though, these are lowest level recipes and doesn't give much improvement compared to other recipes, he didn't want to let these recipes go to other's hands.
Mackey nodded and took the book. "I have a request." He spoke in a low voice.
"What would that be?" Sam asked.
��I will bring back my old team. Many of them are still jobless. Is it possible?"
"Sure. But the secrecy of the recipes will be your responsibility."
"Thank you so much." Mackey thanked him and went back to the kitchen and opened the book.
"He doesn't talk much; I hope you understand." Chaya said.
"Not a problem."
"Aren't you curious?" Chaya asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Even though, Novice at twenty isn't as good as your cultivation, he can still be considered a genius. Do you not want to know why he is settling to be a chef?"
At this moment Sam looked at her and said. "As far as I concern, all the professions are same, a person's worth is not decided by what they do, instead it is decided by how good are at what they are doing." He paused before continuing.
"If I am guy who is curious about anything, I would have been more curious about you. A person who can surpass grand realm at the age of 28 to 29 isn't someone ordinary as well. Then why would you be settling as a tower head in the marquis city? But, I didn't ask, right?"
He smiled and just sat there silently.
There is still fifteen days to the academy and he was almost done with his business things, there are only two things left to deal with. One of them is source of food and another thing is alcohol.
Alcohol can still wait because, he is quite confident in the recipes and their taste will be enough to gather enough customer.
After some pondering, he got an idea and immediately said to Chaya who is in some deep thought.
"I need you to do something for me."
"What is it?"
"I want you to prepare some special tokens. Make a deal with the customers at the shop. Those who sell their hunts to us, can get this token and they can get five percent discount on the special products. The offer is only valid for the traps and the grenades though. We will buy the hunts at the market price."
"Okay." Chaya said and went back to her own thoughts.
The recipes which Sam gave to Mackey are of the herbs and Beasts that are available near the area. He did his research and prepared them.
If he went to look for a middle-man who buys the hunts and then sell them to the restaurants, he would have to pay some high price.
Now, that he can get them from the people themselves, the five percent discount isn't that much of a high price to pay compared to the price he has to pay for the mediators.
After sorting this out, the restaurant can be opened as soon as Mackey mastered the recipes. So, he stayed in the mansion itself and Chaya left.
Sam went to the yard where Watt and Falck are training.
Watt stopped his training and went to Sam.
"Watt, I want you to do something for me."
"Yes, boss. Tell me."
"Do you still remember that there are still sixteen members remaining in the Zeke's lackeys?"
"Yes, boss."
"From today onwards, they are your targets. Right now, you are at middle stage Acolyte and they are near middle stage Novice. I will give you six months of time, not only you need to catch up to them, you also need to beat them. I don't care if you will do sneak attacks, one-on-one or even take them on at the same time. But I want you to make them suffer. This is a form of training to you. Take this." Sam said and gave him a rectangular metal box.
Watt opened it and saw two packs of metallic cards in it along with a pair of daggers. They are all made of rank 2 materials. Watt looked at the pack of cards and couldn't help but feel satisfied. This means, the Sam is satisfied with his style. He picked a which has vey sharp edges and threw it. He tore through the air and pierced into the tree trunk.
It didn't stop there, and went through it before getting struck in the wall. He improved a lot since the last time.
"These are only temporary weapons. If you finish this mission, I will reward you with one of the best set of weapons." Sam said and left the place.
Watt immediately became delighted and went to train.
Sam went back to Mackey and handed him another scroll.
"These are recipes which you also need to master. But they aren't for the restaurant they are only for our personal consumption. Send a portion of each to the mansion for every meal time. After the academy is open, I will inform where to send.
Don't mix up mine and Watt's dishes. If you perform well, you can do have this as well. As for the pay, you and your team will get twenty percent of earnings."
After Mackey nodded, Sam went back to his room to cultivate his soul. Yanwu and Sky are cultivating and he is determined to increase his level of mental power with Divine spirit soul cultivation. By the time, the academy opens, he wants to achieve Level 3 Novice stage.
This month, he wasn't able to cultivate at all, but Yanwu and Sky are completely concentrated on that area. Before this month, along with the help of two of them and the special dishes that Mackey will make will definitely help him reach the desired level.
Within three days, Mackey mastered the recipes. He is a very great chef that he was even able to master the special recipes Sam gave him separately.
And the fourth day, the restaurant was opened grandly and again the bigshots were invited to it.
This time, as there is a limited space in the restaurant, only the high-level people were invited for a free banquet.
The restaurant which was built by combining three normal restaurants is the biggest in the city. But the number of people that could fit in it are at most double the normal restaurant
They have ten tables in the open area and there are ten private rooms. The seating capacity of the smallest room is four while the largest is ten people.
There is another floor on top of this and there is the banquet hall which needs to be booked in advance.
The restaurant was instantly popular and the customer flow for the surrounding restaurants immediately took a great amount of damage.
Zeke could only sigh and do nothing. Even though, his restaurant didn't lose all the customers immediately, with time, he could foresee the losses he would gain and how did he know this?
Because, Sam specially sent an invitation to him and he couldn't control himself and came here to eat. When he tasted the dishes, even he himself didn't want to eat in his restaurant anymore.
Now, Sam is completely relieved of everything and all needs to do is to wait for the academy to open.