Reborn with the wealth system

Chapter 7: The New Owner

The entrance fell silent.

The two security guards stared at Manager Lewis in disbelief.

One of them blinked several times, thinking he had heard wrong.

“Manager… did you just say he’s the new owner?”

Manager Lewis’s expression hardened.

“That’s exactly what I said.”

He turned to Ethan and bowed again.

“My name is Lewis Carter.”

“I’m the general manager of Golden Spoon Restaurant.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Cole.”

Ethan nodded.

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

The two guards looked at each other.

Cold sweat formed on their foreheads.

Just a minute ago, they had mocked this young man because of his cheap clothes.

Now they found out he owned the entire restaurant.

The taller guard hurried forward.

“M-Mr. Cole…”

“I’m sorry.”

“We didn’t know.”

His voice shook as he spoke.

Ethan looked at him calmly.

“In this world, do you judge every customer by their clothes?”

The guard lowered his head.

“No, sir.”

“I made a mistake.”

“I hope you can forgive me.”

The other guard also apologized.

“We’re really sorry, Mr. Cole.”

“We promise it won’t happen again.”

Ethan remembered something.

In his previous life, people had looked down on him everywhere he went.

Restaurants.

Hotels.

Shopping malls.

Even banks.

Nobody cared about his character.

They only cared about how much money they thought he had.

He looked at the two guards for a few seconds before speaking.

“Everyone deserves respect.”

“Whether they’re rich or poor.”

“If you remember that, you won’t have this problem again.”

Both guards nodded repeatedly.

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Manager Lewis smiled.

“Mr. Cole, please come inside.”

“The management team has been waiting for you.”

Ethan followed him into the restaurant.

The moment they entered, several employees stopped working.

Waiters.

Chefs.

Receptionists.

Everyone turned to look at the young man walking beside the manager.

Some whispered quietly.

“Who is he?”

“He looks so young.”

“Is he a guest?”

Manager Lewis clapped his hands.

“Everyone, gather here.”

Within a minute, nearly thirty employees stood in the main dining hall.

Manager Lewis looked at them with a serious expression.

“I have an important announcement.”

“As of today, Golden Spoon Restaurant has a new owner.”

The employees immediately started whispering.

“What?”

“The owner sold the restaurant?”

“I didn’t hear anything about this.”

Manager Lewis raised his hand for silence.

He then turned toward Ethan.

“Allow me to introduce…”

“Mr. Ethan Cole.”

“The new owner of Golden Spoon Restaurant.”

The entire hall became quiet.

Every employee looked at Ethan in shock.

They had expected an older businessman.

Someone in his fifties.

Not a young man who looked no older than twenty-five.

A few seconds later, everyone applauded.

“Welcome, Mr. Cole.”

“Congratulations, sir.”

“We’re happy to work with you.”

Ethan smiled politely.

“Thank you.”

“I hope we’ll work well together.”

Just then, a loud voice came from the back of the hall.

“I don’t accept this.”

Everyone turned.

A man in an expensive gray suit walked toward them.

He looked to be in his forties.

His face was filled with arrogance.

Manager Lewis frowned.

“Mr. Barnes.”

“What are you doing?”

The man stopped in front of Ethan.

He looked him up and down before laughing.

“This kid is our new owner?”

“You’ve got to be joking.”

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Manager Lewis spoke in a cold voice.

“Mr. Barnes, watch your words.”

Barnes ignored him.

He continued staring at Ethan.

“I’ve worked here for twelve years.”

“I know every part of this business.”

“And now you’re telling me I’ll be taking orders from a boy?”

Some employees lowered their heads.

They knew Barnes.

He was the restaurant’s operations director.

He was good at his job, but he was proud and difficult to work with.

Barnes folded his arms.

“Tell me, Mr. Owner.”

“Do you know anything about running a restaurant?”

Ethan remained calm.

“I’ll learn.”

Barnes laughed loudly.

“Learn?”

“This isn’t a classroom.”

“This is a business.”

“One mistake could cost millions.”

Several employees looked nervous.

Nobody expected Barnes to challenge the new owner on his first day.

Manager Lewis stepped forward.

“That’s enough.”

Barnes shook his head.

“No.”

“If he’s really the owner, then prove he deserves it.”

He pointed toward the dining area.

“This restaurant’s biggest problem is Table Twelve.”

“We’ve had a VIP customer sitting there for nearly an hour.”

“He’s angry because his food hasn’t arrived.”

“Our head chef walked out this morning.”

“None of the replacement chefs can prepare his favorite dish.”

Barnes smirked.

“If the new owner is so capable…”

“Why doesn’t he solve it?”

The employees exchanged worried looks.

Everyone knew the customer at Table Twelve.

He was one of the restaurant’s biggest investors.

If he left unhappy, Golden Spoon would lose an important business partner.

Manager Lewis looked embarrassed.

“Mr. Cole…”

“I’m sorry.”

“I was planning to tell you after the meeting.”

Ethan stayed silent for a moment.

Then the familiar voice of the system echoed inside his head.

[New Mission Activated.]

Mission: Save Golden Spoon Restaurant’s reputation.

Reward: Master Chef Skill.

Bonus Reward: $500,000.

Ethan’s eyes lit up.

A slow smile appeared on his face.

He looked at Barnes and said calmly,

“Take me to Table Twelve.”

Barnes smiled coldly.

“Good.”

“Let’s see what our new owner can do.”