Richest Man: It All Started With My Rebate System-Chapter 33: Such A Wonderful Morning

The next morning, Steven was at the dining table with a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of orange juice, looking out at the city in the early light.

He had slept well. Better than he had expected, considering what was sitting on his agenda for the day. The restaurant acquisition had been turning over in the back of his mind since he had made the decision, and he had half-expected it to follow him into sleep. But it hadn’t. The bed had done its job and his mind had, for once, left him alone.

He ate without rushing. There was no reason to hurry. The morning was his and he intended to use it correctly.

When he was done, he washed the bowl and the glass, dried his hands, and moved to the sofa.

He checked the time and saw that it was quarter past nine. Well within business hours. He picked up his phone and dialled Adrian’s number.

It rang twice.

"Good morning, Mr. Craig," Adrian said. The professional warmth was consistent. "How can I help you this morning?"

"Good morning, Adrian. I want to move on an acquisition," Steven said. "A restaurant. Single location, been operating for several years. I used to work there."

A brief pause on Adrian’s end, as he processed what Steven just said.

"Of course. Can you tell me more about what you’re looking to achieve?"

Steven had thought about how to phrase this carefully. He had turned it over more than once since the previous evening, working out the right framing. He couldn’t say what he actually wanted in plain terms, which was the restaurant, the due diligence, and Jason in handcuffs, in roughly that order. That wasn’t a conversation he could have with his private banker, at least not directly.

"I know the business well from the inside," Steven said. "And from what I know, it’s been mismanaged. Inventory irregularities, cash flow issues — the kind of problems that suggest something more deliberate than poor management. I don’t want to acquire those problems along with the business. I want everything reviewed properly before any offer is formalised. And if due diligence uncovers discrepancies, I want the person responsible held accountable before the deal goes through."

He said it evenly, without emphasis. That was the version of it he could offer that won’t make his intention too obvious. But he knew that Adrian would see through his intention with even how he phrased and framed the whole thing.

There was a short silence on Adrian’s end.

Adrian saw through Steven’s intention immediately, of course. A private banker at his level read people for a living, and what Steven had just described — inventory irregularities, cash flow problems, accountability before completion, coming from a young man acquiring a business where he used to work — painted a picture that required no interpretation.

The personal dimension was obvious. What was also obvious was that the stated objective was entirely legitimate. His job was not to comment on a client’s motivations. His job was to help Steven achieve what he had outlined through the correct channels.

"I understand completely," Adrian said. "This is exactly the kind of situation the concierge service is built for." His tone was smooth and entirely professional. "The first step would be connecting you with a commercial due diligence team. They’ll go into the business properly — financials, inventory records, cash flow, staffing, the full picture — before any offer is put on the table. That process is thorough and it’s designed to surface exactly the kind of issues you’re describing."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"In cases where due diligence uncovers evidence of financial misconduct, the findings are documented and passed to the appropriate parties as a matter of standard procedure. That isn’t something you would need to direct. It happens as a natural consequence of the process."

Steven said nothing, but something settled in him quietly at those words.

"For the legal side of the acquisition," Adrian continued, "you’ll need a commercial attorney. The concierge can introduce you to a firm we work with regularly. They handle transactions of this kind and they know how to move them forward efficiently."

"That works," Steven said.

"Do you have a figure in mind for the offer?"

"Around three million."

There was a brief silence, as Adrian did a quick calculation in his mind.

"For a single-location restaurant," Adrian said, "that figure would represent a significant premium above what the market would typically support for an establishment of that kind. That said, it has its advantages. An offer at that level, properly structured and presented, is very difficult for an owner to decline. It removes the negotiation entirely." He paused. "Did you want to open with that number, or would you prefer to come in lower and move from there?"

"Lead with it," Steven said. "I want the deal closed, not negotiated."

"Understood." There was something in Adrian’s tone that suggested he found this approach, if not surprising, then at least characteristic of what he was beginning to understand about this particular client. "I’ll have the concierge reach out before the end of the day with the due diligence team’s contact and the attorney introduction. Is there anything else you need from me this morning?"

"That’s everything. Thank you, Adrian."

"Of course, Mr. Craig. Reach out any time."

The call ended.

Steven set the phone down and looked at the city through the window for a moment.

It had taken less than ten minutes. One phone call and the pieces were already in motion. The due diligence team would go in, find what Steven already knew was there, document it properly, and the rest would follow as a matter of procedure. Jason wouldn’t see it coming from that direction, and when it arrived, there would be nothing to argue against.

But this would only be possible if the restaurant’s owner agrees to sell.

He stood up, allowed himself a quiet moment of satisfaction, and then let it go. There was nothing to do now but wait for the concierge to call, and waiting was not something he planned to do passively.

He had training outfits to buy. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He picked up his car key fob and key card from the side table, pocketed his phone, and headed for the door.

***

Twenty minutes later, he parked in the Galleria’s parking structure, stepped out, and walked to the entrance.

The mall was quieter than it had been on his previous visit. The midweek morning crowd was thinner, with more space in the corridors and an unhurried feel to the whole place. He walked through the ground floor without stopping, heading for the level where he had seen the sports and activewear stores on his last visit.

He found Lululemon without difficulty.

The store had the clean, considered feel of a brand that took its product seriously. The layout was open and well-organised, with clear sections for different categories and display walls that showed the full range of each piece. Steven walked in and a salesperson approached almost immediately.

"Welcome to Lululemon. Is there something specific I can help you with today?"

"Full training set," Steven said. "Everything I’d need for the gym. Best quality you have."

She nodded and moved without hesitation, leading him through the store.

She started with the shorts. She pulled two styles — a five-inch training short in a lightweight, four-way stretch fabric, and a longer version in a slightly heavier material that she described as better suited for lower-body work. She explained the difference in construction briefly and without condescension, letting him make the decision.

He took both styles in two colourways each.

From there she moved him through the joggers — a tapered training cut in a technical fabric that moved with the body rather than against it — and the t-shirts, which she showed him in both the standard and the slim training cut. He chose the slim cut across the board, four of them in neutral tones that would work with everything else.

The long sleeves came next. She showed him a half-zip training top that she said worked well as a layering piece and a fitted long-sleeve base layer in a moisture-wicking fabric. He took two of each.

For the hoodies, she pulled a full-zip in a heavyweight French terry and a pullover in a lighter knit that she described as better suited for post-training when the body was cooling down. Both were well-made and clean-lined without logos plastered across every surface, which Steven appreciated.

By the time they reached the counter, the pile was substantial. The salesperson compiled everything without comment, folding each piece carefully and working through the stack with efficient hands.

"That comes to $1,200," she said.

Steven handed over his card. The transaction cleared immediately.

[You spent $1,200. A 2.5x rebate was triggered.]

[You received $3,000. The money has been transferred to your account.]

He glanced at the notification briefly. The multiplier was on the lower end, but the amount spent was modest. He noted it without dwelling on it.

She finished packaging everything into two clean bags and handed them across with a smile.

"Thank you. Good luck with the training."

"Thanks," Steven said, picking up the bags and heading for the exit.

He found the Nike store two floors down, on the same level as the sports section he had passed through on his last visit. He pushed through the entrance and a salesperson approached as he moved toward the footwear section.

"Good morning. What can I help you with today?"

"Training shoes," Steven said. "Two pairs. Best you have for gym work — lifting, general training, that kind of use."

The salesperson nodded and led him to the relevant section without unnecessary preamble. She moved along the wall display with the ease of someone who had answered this question many times and knew exactly which answer applied.

"For general training and lifting specifically," she said, pulling two boxes from the shelving, "these are the ones I’d recommend. The Metcon 9 is our current benchmark for gym work — flat, stable base for lifting, enough flexibility for conditioning work. The second is the Air Zoom SuperRep, which is better if you’re doing more circuit-style training. Both are at the top of what we carry for that purpose."

She set both boxes on the low bench and stepped back.

Steven picked up each shoe in turn, turned it over, looked at the differences. The Metcon was noticeably firmer underfoot. The SuperRep was lighter. Both were well-made and looked like they meant what they were for.

"Both," he said, setting them down.

She nodded, confirmed his size, and went to retrieve a fresh pair of each from the back. She returned within two minutes, packaged both pairs, and brought them to the counter.

"Total comes to $300."

Steven handed over his card.

[You spent $300. A 9x rebate was triggered.]

[You received $2,700. The money has been transferred to your account.]

He looked at the notification for a moment and smiled. The lowest single spend of the morning had landed the highest multiplier. The system’s randomness had never stopped being quietly absurd.

"Here you go," the salesperson said, handing the bag across.

"Thanks," Steven said, collecting it and walking out.

Steven walked back toward the parking structure, unhurried, with the quiet satisfaction of a man whose day had started exactly the way he intended it to.

"Such a wonderful morning," he smiled.