Lucas, whose face was already red from humiliation and anger, suddenly took quick steps forward and grabbed Jeremy’s shoulder roughly.The pull was strong enough to jolt Jeremy’s body slightly, but Jeremy immediately freed himself with a smooth yet firm movement.“Don’t touch me,” Jeremy said quietly, but his gaze was cold.However, Lucas, blinded by rage, didn’t care at all. Instead, he raised his voice even more, deliberately causing a scene.“Security!” he shouted while raising his hand. “Hey! Over here! There’s someone who can’t afford anything trying to make trouble in front of this expensive restaurant!”A few guests who were stepping out of their cars turned their heads curiously. A security guard who had been standing watch quickly walked toward them.Jeremy remained silent, showing no reaction whatsoever, and that only made Lucas bolder.Lucas pointed at Jeremy and his group arrogantly, speaking loudly so everyone could hear.“He’s got no money. None at all. The people he bro

Michelle looked at Lucas with a cold gaze that even the restaurant lights couldn’t soften. There was class in the way she looked someone up and down, an elegant kind of disdain unique to a rich family’s daughter trained to remain proper in public spaces.But her upbringing also made her inhale slowly, holding herself back from responding in a way that would cause a scene.“If you’re calling him poor…” Michelle glanced briefly at Jeremy, then back at Lucas, her eyes now sharper, “then what does that make you?”Lucas scoffed, feeling attacked, yet too shocked by her boldness to immediately retaliate.Michelle opened her mouth, clearly intending to say something bigger, something about who Jeremy actually was. But Jeremy, without much movement, touched Michelle’s arm lightly. A subtle warning.Michelle turned to him. Her eyes said, Why? This is your chance.Jeremy simply shook his head slightly, his expression steady.Michelle held her breath, then exhaled softly, giving in to her brothe

The employees who had come with Jeremy still looked awkward as they stepped into the main dining area, its lighting soft and elegant. They followed Jeremy to a large table by the window, where the night skyline spread out like a sheet of black glass scattered with stars.Once everyone was seated, a waiter approached carefully, carrying a thick leather-bound menu. His smile was stiff, whether from nerves or from knowing who he was serving tonight, no one could tell.“Here are the menus, sir… please,” he said, distributing them one by one.Some employees touched the menu covers hesitantly, as though afraid to leave fingerprints on them.Before the waiter could explain the specials, Jeremy spoke in a calm, steady voice, neither arrogant nor overly humble, but completely assured.“Order whatever you want. Don’t worry about the price.”The employees lifted their heads at the same time. One froze. Another blinked rapidly, as if checking whether he had misheard.“R—really, sir?” one asked, v

By late afternoon, the headquarters had begun to quiet down. The neon lights on the ceiling flickered softly, as if they too were exhausted from a long day. But Jeremy, unlike everyone else, was just getting started.He sat at his desk in the analysis division, laptop open, a blank document waiting in front of him. No music. No coffee. Only the rhythmic, precise tapping of keyboard keys.In less than two hours, he finished his report.Just two pages.Concise, dense, and straight to the point.Those two pages contained a diagnosis of the root issues rotting deep within the store’s operational system, a list of quick actions that could be executed the next day, and an outline of long-term strategies to revive sales that had long been in a coma.No sweet words. No polite fluff usually written to please superiors.His report was cold and honest.Just like his audit.After reviewing it one last time, Jeremy printed two copies, slipped them into a clear folder, then tidied his desk before g

Jeremy drew a short breath before speaking.It wasn’t a nervous breath, but one filled with calm and a faint spark of anticipation. After all, he had already arranged every word in his mind long before he was called into this room.He stood, resting his fingertips lightly on the edge of the table, and began.There were no slides splashed with flashy colors. No excessive jargon. No bombastic promises about “dramatic sales surges” or “revolutionary transformations.”Jeremy spoke like a professional explaining a patient’s condition to a medical team.Calm. Systematic. Realistic.He started from the core, not the symptoms, but the source of the illness. Leaking distribution channels, purchasing decisions not driven by data, store layouts that killed customer flow, and a work culture accustomed to merely “surviving” instead of “fixing.”Every point came with a reason. Every reason was backed by audit data they had already reviewed.Not a single sentence sounded like it was trying to sell a