Ethan woke up to the warm glow of the early morning sun filtering through his bedroom window, feeling a sense of calm for the first time in days.
It had been a hectic few weeks with the Ridge Rovers FC takeover, the looming threat from the Great Families, and the many moving parts at NovaTech.
But somehow, things had been relatively quiet lately. Anton Petrova or any of the Great Families had not moved against his family or NovaTech, giving him some breathing room.
“I can’t let my guard down. Who knows if there are spies in NovaTech feeding information to them?” mused Ethan.
He stretched his arms, took a deep breath, and mentally reviewed his daily tasks. His top priority was still awaiting updates from Mr. Halen about the Ascendants he wanted to hire for protection, the equipment, and the supplements he had purchased.
“Maybe I can ask Mr. Halen if there’s any equipment designed to elevate normal humans to the level of the Ascendants. I could use it to train the players.”
In the meantime, he had other plans to implement. He had tasked Jessica with finding new properties, though he hadn’t revealed why he needed them.
He got ready for the day, and downstairs, a car was waiting to take him to NovaTech. For now, he had hired an agency to manage his transportation. The chauffeurs were on standby for him and his family twenty-four hours.
It was a smooth ride to NovaTech. He stepped into his office, sipping a cup of coffee as he skimmed over the list of properties Jessica had already sent him.
She had reached out to some of his ex-colleagues in the real estate industry, and they had come through quickly. Ethan needed ten more properties in Crescent Ridge—five large houses and five mansions.
The five houses were intended as gifts. Ethan decided to give them to the people who would become instrumental in this journey—Jessica, David, Charles Weston, Theodore Graves, and Jordan.
He wanted to ensure that the people closest to him were well cared for and had a place in one of the most prestigious areas of Novan City. They had earned it, and it would help keep them close to him as NovaTech grew.
As for the five mansions, those had a different purpose. Ethan planned to use them as housing for the Ascendants he would soon hire. He had already considered dividing the two hundred Ascendants into five groups, each led by the strongest among them.
These leaders would oversee their respective teams, and the mansions would serve as their base of operations—a place for them to rest and regroup when they weren’t on missions.
For training, Ethan realized he needed to secure a large warehouse or facility to create a proper training ground for the Ascendants. A place where they could hone their skills and be prepared for any threat that came their way.
The logistics were still being worked out, but he was already mentally drafting plans to equip the facility with the best gear and technology. Once Mr. Halen has finalized the number of Ascendants and sent the purchased goods, he can proceed with this part of the plan.
He also had Ridge Rovers FC to think about. The team might not be playing right now since it was the offseason, but there was no time to waste.
Ethan was lucky since most players came to training daily to maintain their fitness and sharpness. The pre-season would start soon enough, and Ethan wanted everything ready before the first whistle blew.
Ethan had mentioned to Theodore that he was offering him the CEO position. Without hesitation, Theodore accepted the offer. Ethan then instructed Theodore to contact the top contractors and architects to improve the club’s facilities.
The pitches needed a complete overhaul, the stadium’s infrastructure needed modernization, and the training grounds had to be redesigned with cutting-edge technology.
The timing was perfect—since it was still early summer, the pre-season hadn’t begun yet. This was the ideal window to make these improvements without disrupting the team’s preparations.
With the advanced technology available today, construction projects moved at an accelerated pace. Ethan was confident that the stadium and training grounds would be ready in time.
The Board of Directors for Ridge Rovers FC was now officially set. Everyone Ethan had in mind—David, Jessica, Charles, and Jordan—had agreed without hesitation.
They all saw the project’s potential and were eager to contribute however they could. Jordan, in particular, had been over the moon about his new role. Ethan could still hear the excitement in his voice from their last conversation.
“Man, this is a dream come true,” Jordan had said. “I’ve been waiting for something like this my whole life.”
Ethan couldn’t help but smile as he remembered the moment. He was glad to have his best friend onboard, especially someone as passionate about football as Jordan.
His knowledge and the board’s backing gave Ethan confidence that Ridge Rovers FC would soon rise from a mid-table team to a top contender in the National Football League of Arland.
Ethan checked his watch, realizing Jessica would soon arrive at NovaTech. He needed to go over the next steps for the properties, the Ascendants’ accommodations, and the continuing development of BiteWave and the other apps.
Ethan had no doubt that today would be another busy day, but he was ready. There was too much at stake now, and he had no room for mistakes with everything he was building.
As he leaned back in his chair, Ethan’s thoughts briefly turned to the future. He knew that despite the current lull, the Great Families wouldn’t stay quiet forever.
He needed to stay vigilant and prepared for anything coming his way. But for now, things were falling into place, and he intended to make the most of this calm before the inevitable storm.
The door to Ethan’s office opened quietly, and Jessica stepped in, her arms full of neatly organized reports and files. Ethan looked up from his desk, his mind still running through the plans for Ridge Rovers FC and the training facility for the Ascendants. Jessica’s arrival brought him back to the present.
“Morning, Ethan,” Jessica greeted, her voice crisp and professional. “I’ve got the updates you requested, including everything about the properties and the other projects we’re working on.”
Ethan gestured for her to sit as he glanced over the reports in her hands. “Morning, Jessica. Let’s hear it.”
Jessica quickly sat and began laying out the reports on his desk, her eyes scanning the notes before she began the briefing.
“First off,” she started, “regarding the properties. I’ve already contacted the real estate agents and developers you mentioned. We’ve managed to secure options for the five houses and mansions in Crescent Ridge. They’re all top-tier properties, ready for purchase, and I’ve included the specs and pricing here.”
Ethan nodded as he glanced through the details. “Good. Proceed with the purchases, and I’ll make the necessary payments today. Make sure the transactions are completed by the end of this week.”
Jessica noted his instructions and nodded, “Will do.”
“Next,” she continued, “the development of the apps is going smoothly. We’ve made significant progress with TaskSwift and ParkEasy. The beta testing for TaskSwift is starting next week, and ParkEasy will begin testing a little later in the month. I’ve already gotten feedback from some of the local freelancers, and they’re excited about TaskSwift. It’s filling a real gap in the market.”
“For the other two apps, I’m still waiting for the report from the teams. It seems these two teams needed more monitoring,” Jessica added in a worried tone.
Ethan smiled and said, “Do that. We can’t let the progress be delayed.”
Jessica flipped through another report and brought up the next point. “Now, about the restaurants you mentioned before—the struggling ones you wanted to help. We’ve narrowed it down to twenty different restaurants across Novan City. We worked with the data analytics team and our research department to find places on the verge of shutting down or facing significant financial challenges.”
Ethan leaned forward, his interest piqued. This mission from the system was as much a challenge as it was an opportunity. Helping these struggling restaurants thrive could elevate BiteWave’s brand significantly.
“Have you visited any of them yet?” Ethan asked.
Jessica shook her head. “Not yet. We’ve gathered the initial data but haven’t had the chance to do on-site visits. We thought you’d want to check them out yourself.”
Ethan stood up from his desk, setting his tablet aside. “You’re right. I need to see how well each restaurant fares before we move forward. I want to assess their food quality and operations and get a feel for the places.”
Jessica raised an eyebrow slightly but quickly smiled. “Alright, I’ll set up the schedule. Do you want anyone from the operations or marketing team to come along for the visits?”
Ethan considered it momentarily before replying, “No, not yet. This first round of visits will be informal. I just want to see what we’re working with before we bring in a larger team. You’ll come with me, and we’ll take it from there.”
“I got it,” Jessica replied. I’ll finalize the schedule and make sure everything’s ready. If you’re free, we can start this afternoon.”
Ethan nodded. “Let’s make it happen. I want us to start turning these places around as soon as possible. If we can help them succeed, it’ll show everyone what BiteWave can really do.”
Jessica gathered her reports and stood, determined. “I’ll organize everything and meet you in the lobby in an hour,” she said.
As she left his office, Ethan returned to the mission ahead. The task wasn’t just about throwing money at these restaurants—it was about understanding their challenges and using BiteWave to solve them. He needed to see the state of their operations, taste their food, and figure out how to boost their visibility and success.
It was a hands-on approach, but that’s what was needed. The restaurant industry was cutthroat, and if BiteWave was going to stand out, it had to show it could help the ones struggling the most. Ethan knew this could be the edge they needed to establish their brand.
He glanced at the system notification again, the rewards still lingering in his mind: 15,000 EXP, Business Strategy Skill Unlock, and the BiteWave Expansion Kit. It was a significant boost, and completing this mission would put BiteWave ahead of any competition.
The next steps were clear. It was time to assess the situation and make the changes necessary to turn these struggling businesses into success stories.
Ethan took a deep breath, ready to tackle the day ahead. This was just the beginning, but with each step, his vision for BiteWave—and NovaTech—became clearer.
An hour later, Jessica was waiting for him in the lobby, ready for their first visit.
“Ready to turn things around?” she asked with a smile.
Ethan smiled back, his determination unwavering. “Let’s get started.”
