My Girlfriend Chose a Rich Man, Then My Money Started Multip

Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

After buying Maya’s building, Noah began looking for other properties to meet the system’s requirements. He needed three income-generating assets to unlock Level 3, but he had no intention of spending money just to complete a mission.

If he was going to buy something, it had to be worth owning even after the system deposited its reward.

His next opportunity came when he found an old commercial building in the city center. The location was promising, but most of the businesses inside had closed. Paint peeled from the exterior walls, several windows were cracked, and the sign above the entrance looked as though it hadn’t been replaced in years.

The asking price was $3 million.

Noah decided to inspect the property himself before making an offer. He met the owner, a middle-aged man who looked worn down by months of worry. After showing Noah the ownership documents and explaining the building’s condition, the man rubbed both hands over his face.

“I never wanted to sell this place,” he admitted. “But I’m running out of options.”

“Financial trouble?”

The man nodded. “My debts have piled up. If I don’t pay them soon, the bank will seize the building.”

Noah went through the documents carefully, checking for ownership disputes or anything else that might complicate the sale. Once he was satisfied, he stepped outside and took another look at the property.

The building needed work, but there was plenty of space to work with. In a location like this, it could still generate a decent income with the right management.

“All right. I’ll buy it.”

The owner stared at him, apparently unsure he’d heard correctly. “You’re serious?”

“You’re asking three million dollars. I’m willing to pay it.”

The man quickly contacted the people handling the sale. The paperwork was reviewed, the payment was processed, and by late afternoon, the building officially belonged to Noah Reed.

His phone vibrated.

[Purchase: $3,000,000]

[Reward: $60,000,000]

Noah checked the notification before dismissing it. Another sixty million dollars gave him considerably more room to expand his portfolio. Still, the balance in his account wasn’t the point. The building had to make money.

He turned to the previous owner, who was still standing near the entrance. “How long has this place been sitting empty?”

“Parts of it haven’t been used in years.” The man pointed toward a corridor running along the side of the building. “Especially the back section. There used to be a business operating there, but it closed a long time ago.”

“What kind of business?”

“A restaurant.”

That caught Noah’s attention. He asked the man to show him the way.

The corridor was narrow and coated in dust. Sunlight filtered through a small window at the far end. The former owner pushed open a wooden door, its hinges groaning as it revealed a spacious dining area filled with old tables and chairs.

Noah stepped inside.

Dust covered the tabletops and kitchen equipment. The chairs remained tucked against the tables, and a few empty bottles sat on a shelf behind the bar. Despite years of neglect, the layout suggested the place had once been busy.

Then Noah noticed the sign on the back wall.

THE GOLDEN PLATE

He walked closer, reading the name again.

It sounded familiar. He was sure he’d heard of the restaurant before, and not as some obscure little business that had gone unnoticed by the city.

He turned to the former owner. “Why did it close?”

The man hesitated before answering. “The owner went bankrupt.”

Noah looked back at the sign. If his memory served him right, there was more to the restaurant’s story than the rundown room in front of him suggested.

And if he was right, the building he’d just purchased might be worth far more than he’d initially expected.

---

Maya arrived a few hours after Noah called her. She assumed he wanted to discuss the building, but the moment she stepped into the old restaurant, she stopped in front of the faded sign.

“Golden Plate?” She moved closer to the wall, checking the name as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Where did you find this place?”

“It’s in the back of the building I bought. You know it?”

Maya turned to him, disbelief written across her face. “Ten years ago, people would wait hours for a table here. Golden Plate wasn’t just popular. It was one of the city’s biggest destinations for serious food lovers.”

Noah glanced at the dusty tables around them. It was difficult to imagine the room packed with customers. “What happened?”

“The head chef left. After that, the food went downhill. They tried replacing him, but nobody could maintain the same standard. Customers started going elsewhere, and eventually, the restaurant shut down.”

“One person made that much difference?”

“If you’d ever tasted his cooking, you wouldn’t ask that.” Maya gestured toward the kitchen. “He created the entire menu. Every dish had its own identity. When he left, the restaurant lost the main reason people came here.”

Noah studied the kitchen more closely. The building had more to offer than its location and floor space. Somewhere inside it was the remains of a business that had once built a reputation strong enough to draw customers from across the city.

He walked into the kitchen and examined the shelves along the walls. In the far corner, an old brown book lay among discarded equipment. Dust covered the cover, but the lettering was still legible.

Noah picked it up.

His phone vibrated almost immediately.

[Rare Asset Detected.]

[Historic Recipe Collection Identified.]

[Estimated Asset Value: $8,000,000.]

Noah opened the valuation details. According to the system, the book contained original recipes directly tied to Golden Plate’s former reputation. Its value came from more than its age. It was a rare collection with the potential to help restore the restaurant’s business.

“Eight million dollars,” Noah murmured.

Maya leaned over to look at his screen. “What could possibly be worth that much?”

He showed her the system’s assessment. She read the notification twice, then looked at the book in his hands.

“If that valuation is accurate, a collector might pay a fortune for it.”

His phone vibrated again.

[Asset Utilization Options]

[Option 1: Sell the asset.]

[Option 2: Use the asset to revive the restaurant.]

Noah considered both options. Selling the book would give him eight million dollars without requiring any additional investment. It was the sensible choice, especially with Golden Plate having been closed for a decade and no guarantee that its former customers would return.

But the book could also be the key to restoring what had once made the restaurant special.

He already owned the building. The location was still good, and the space was large enough to accommodate a serious restaurant. Now the system had identified a rare asset inside it. If Noah could find the right chef, he wouldn’t have to build a business from scratch.

He selected the second option.

[Correct Choice.]

[Restaurant Revival Mission Activated.]

[Time Limit: 30 Days.]

Noah dismissed the notification and slipped the recipe book into his bag.

Maya still looked uncertain. “You really want to reopen this restaurant?”

“I own the building now. It would be a waste to leave it empty.”

“That’s not much of a reason to pour money into a restaurant.”

“I know.” Noah met her gaze. “But we’ll never know if Golden Plate still has a chance unless we try.”

Maya sighed but didn’t argue. She knew better than most that a famous name didn’t guarantee a successful business. Still, opportunities like this didn’t come along every day.

“If you’re serious, we need to find Ethan Cole.”

“The chef who used to work here?”

Maya nodded. “If anyone can bring back the original menu, it’s him.”