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

Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

Two days later, Noah and Maya tracked Ethan down at a small restaurant on the outskirts of the city. There was no expensive decor or spacious dining room. Most customers sat at simple wooden tables, and the smell of freshly cooked food hung in the air.

They waited until the lunch rush died down before approaching him. Ethan was checking the kitchen inventory when Maya introduced herself and mentioned Golden Plate.

His expression hardened. “I’m not interested.”

Noah hadn’t even explained why they were there, but Ethan had already returned his attention to the inventory sheet.

“We haven’t asked you to come back and work there,” Noah said.

“Then you don’t need to waste your time coming here.”

Noah took the recipe book from his bag and placed it on an empty table nearby.

Ethan stopped what he was doing.

His eyes settled on the worn brown cover. He put down the inventory sheet and picked up the book carefully. After opening it, he examined several pages filled with handwritten notes.

“Where did you find this?”

“In the Golden Plate kitchen.”

Ethan turned a few more pages. His finger stopped beside a note in the margin of one recipe. Then he closed the book slowly.

“That restaurant died ten years ago. Why would you want to bring it back?”

“I just bought the building.”

Ethan looked up. “And you think owning the building means you can bring Golden Plate back to life?”

“No. That’s why I came to see you.”

For a moment, Ethan said nothing. The skepticism on his face remained.

“You don’t know what happened there,” he said. “The restaurant didn’t fail simply because one person left. The owner kept pushing the kitchen to cut costs. They replaced quality ingredients with cheaper ones and fired experienced staff. Eventually, customers noticed the difference. I won’t go back just to watch the same thing happen all over again.”

Noah understood his objection. Ethan wasn’t simply a chef who had walked away from an old job. He wanted nothing to do with a restaurant that sacrificed its standards for short-term profit.

“I didn’t buy Golden Plate so I could sell cheap food under an expensive name,” Noah said. “I want to restore the quality that made people come here in the first place.”

“Anyone can say that.”

“True. You have no reason to trust me yet.” Noah slid the recipe book back toward him. “So don’t take my word for it. Come see the place yourself. If you think I’m just trying to cash in on the Golden Plate name, you can walk away.”

Ethan studied him for a long moment before putting the book into his bag.

“I’ll look at the place,” he said. “That’s all. Don’t take it as a commitment.”

“That’s enough for now.”

---

Renovation began the following morning.

Noah decided to preserve Golden Plate’s original layout as much as possible. The restaurant needed repairs, but he didn’t want to strip away everything that gave it character. The kitchen took priority. Ethan wouldn’t agree to work there if the equipment fell short of professional standards.

Maya handled operations and contacted suppliers. Noah managed the budget, making sure every expense served a purpose. After inspecting the kitchen, Ethan agreed to help prepare a list of equipment that needed replacing and ingredients required to test the old menu.

He still hadn’t agreed to become the head chef, but at least they had a chance to prove the restaurant deserved another shot.

The next three weeks passed faster than Noah expected.

When Maya brought him the latest expense report, the total renovation cost had already reached $800,000. Once the old equipment was removed, the contractors had uncovered additional damage. The ventilation system also needed a complete replacement to meet the kitchen’s operational requirements.

“If we keep adding expenses like this, we could go well over the original budget,” Maya said. “We can postpone some of the less urgent work.”

Noah reviewed the breakdown before shaking his head. “Not the ventilation or the kitchen equipment. If we cut corners there, Ethan won’t be able to do his job properly.”

“Then we’re moving ahead?”

“Pay the invoices.”

Maya watched him for a moment, making sure he wasn’t rushing into the decision. Once Noah confirmed the payment, she contacted the renovation team and told them to proceed with the remaining work.

His phone vibrated.

[Purchase: $800,000.]

[Reward: $16,000,000.]

A second notification appeared moments later.

[High-Quality Asset Improvement Detected.]

[Bonus Reward: $5,000,000.]

Noah checked his account balance. The additional twenty-one million dollars far exceeded the renovation cost, but he refused to let the reward distract him from the work still ahead.

Maya glanced at his phone. “I still can’t get used to watching you spend that kind of money without hesitation.”

“I’m not spending it without a reason.” Noah slipped his phone into his pocket. “If this restaurant succeeds, we’ll have an asset that generates income. If it fails, the money we’ve spent won’t come back just because we wish it would.”

Maya gave him a faint smile. “At least you understand the risk.”

“I do. That’s why we need to make sure this place is worth visiting.”

By the end of the third week, most of the renovation was complete. The kitchen was ready for menu testing, and Ethan had started working through some of the recipes that had once made Golden Plate famous. Maya handled the operational preparations while Noah reviewed the schedule and outstanding expenses ahead of the opening.

His phone vibrated again.

[Restaurant Revival Mission.]

[Completion Deadline: 30 Days.]

[Days Remaining: 7.]

Noah read the notification, then looked around the restaurant. It was finally starting to resemble a functioning business rather than a building abandoned for years.

The renovation was nearly finished, but that didn't guarantee customers would return just because Golden Plate had its old name back.

He opened the launch schedule on his phone.

“Seven days,” he told Maya. “We need everything ready by then.”

Maya closed her operations report. “Including the marketing?”

“Especially the marketing. We need to give people a reason to come here, not just announce that we’re open again.”

From the kitchen came Ethan’s voice as he called one of the staff over to taste the next dish.

Noah turned toward the sound.

Golden Plate finally had a chance to come back. Now they had to prove it still deserved a place in the city’s dining scene.