As they exited the shop, the cool afternoon air hit them. David glanced at Noah with a raised brow, curiosity clear in his expression. After all, this shop visit had gone far smoother than the last time he had dealt with Stacy.
David cleared his throat and asked, “So, what was the price you agreed upon? She was quite troublesome to deal with the last time I came here. She didn’t even mention the price, saying that it can be negotiated later.”
Noah paused for a moment, a subtle smile tugging at the corner of his lips before he replied, “We agreed on 10k for ten months’ worth of rent, including the deposit.”
David stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide in disbelief. “Ten thousand? For ten months? That’s… that’s simply impossible in this location! You’re telling me you managed to haggle it down to that?”
Noah chuckled lightly, shrugging his shoulders. “Hehe, I didn’t do much. It’s probably all thanks to Emily. She’s so cute the landlord must’ve given us a discount.”
David gave his son a knowing look, rolling his eyes in mock disbelief.
“You’re not going to tell me, huh? Fine, keep your secrets.” He thought.
Emily, who had been skipping along next to them, beamed up at Noah. “See! I told you guys to bring me along. If you didn’t bring me, you would’ve had to pay so much more!”
Noah grinned and ruffled her hair.
“Yeah, you’re right. Guess we’ll have to thank you properly. I’ll treat you to the funfair and ice cream for that.”
Emily’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Really?! Yaaayyy!” She jumped up and down, bubbling with joy, her earlier role as a “key negotiator” clearly boosting her mood.
Soon, they arrived home, greeted by the warm scent of the house and the sight of Caroline coming into the living room. She immediately noticed the energy in the air and asked, “How did it go?”
David, still reeling from what Noah had pulled off, couldn’t hide his excitement as he responded. “You wouldn’t believe it. Noah got the rent down to 10k for ten months for the store at …”
Caroline’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Ten thousand? In that prime location? Noah, that’s incredible!” She gave her son an impressed smile, her eyes beaming with pride.
Noah rubbed the back of his neck, smiling modestly. “It wasn’t that hard. Like I said, Emily probably helped soften the landlord up.”
Emily grinned widely and chimed in, “Yep! I’m the reason we saved so much!” She skipped around the living room, clearly basking in the praise.
Caroline laughed softly, shaking her head. “Well, whatever the reason, you did great.”
David turned to Noah with a question that had been on his mind since their earlier discussions. “So, Noah, when is the machine you were talking about going to arrive?”
“It’ll arrive right after we sign the contract. Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll have it delivered the same day, so everything will be set up smoothly.”
David nodded, visibly relieved. “That’s good to hear. The sooner we get the equipment in place, the sooner we can get things moving.”
Noah leaned against the doorframe, his expression taking on a more mischievous edge. “But, there’s more. I’m planning something for the grand opening that’s going to blow people away.”
Caroline raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
A sly grin spread across Noah’s face as he continued, “I’ve got a marketing plan that will shock the entire place. I want the grand opening to go viral, and blow up on the internet. That way, people will be talking about our teahouse even before they set foot in the door.”
David frowned slightly, still trying to wrap his head around how marketing had evolved since his days. “Go viral? You mean, like on social media?”
Noah nodded. “Exactly. We need to make the opening so unique that it catches everyone’s attention. Once the buzz starts online, people will flood the place out of pure curiosity.”
Caroline crossed her arms, intrigued. “And how do you plan on making that happen? What’s your idea?”
Noah’s eyes glinted “It’s still in progress, I will let you guys know beforehand.”
David blinked, his surprise evident. “You’ve really thought this through.”
Noah shrugged, though there was a fire behind his casual demeanour. “Tea is quite difficult to take off, so we need to advertise in a smart way that will catch attention to kick start our business. From there, our reputation will only soar and we will dominate the market.”
Caroline’s smile widened, clearly impressed. “It sounds ambitious. But knowing you, I think you can pull it off.”
Noah’s grin returned, more confident this time. “I’ve got some good connections that can help make it happen. Plus, with Emily’s help, how can we fail?”
Emily, ever the enthusiastic little sister, stood tall and puffed out her chest. “I’ll make sure everyone knows how cool we are!”
David chuckled and patted Noah’s shoulder. “Well, son, it seems like you’ve got everything figured out. I’ll trust you to handle it. I just want to see this place up and running. You’re right, it’s not just about selling amazing tea. It’s about getting it out there.”
Noah nodded, his expression serious now. “Exactly. We’ll make it something people won’t forget.”
As the conversation wound down, the family settled back into their usual routine, but there was an underlying buzz of excitement.
The next few days would be filled with contracts, preparations, and planning. The idea of the teahouse opening was no longer a distant plan—it was becoming a reality.
And Noah knew that once the grand opening was done, once the world saw what they were capable of, there would be no turning back. This was just the beginning.
With a small, satisfied smile, Noah headed up to his room, already planning the next steps in his head.
It was time to step into the world of business.
“A cruel world that the kind cannot survive in, and the ruthless strives in.”
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
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