Chapter 265 – Short-Term Planning
“The first goal will be to prepare the shop for its opening day, which should be in one to two weeks. As you can see, there’s plenty of time, so you’ll also be able to familiarize yourself with the products.”
Poitr was the first to ask a question.
“Doesn’t that still leave a lot of time? We don’t need one week for that, much less two.”
It seemed I had hired the right person, or at least he was trying hard to appear like he was. What employee would be unhappy to take it easy on a high-paying job?
“You’re right. If you feel like you’re ready, then please advertise the store opening. I know it’s not really in the job description, but this will only be a one-time thing. Plus, you’ll be properly paid until the opening even if there’s no work to do.”
A couple of the employees looked like the deal was too good to be true, and one of them soon asked the next question.
“What are we going to sell here?”
“That’s what I was going to talk about next. Have any of you heard about selnic items?”
The four of them tried to think hard, as if not answering the question would affect their ability to keep the job. Eventually, only the manager carefully opened his mouth.
“I think I’ve heard of them. Those are a new type of enchanted items, right?”
“That’s correct. To be exact, they’re better than enchanted items from all points of view. I expect them to become mainstream sooner or later. Anyway, selnic items are going to be the main product in the store, and also the main attraction. That’s why they’ll be put on the third floor, to force people to check whatever else we have on their way up.”
Another employee asked.
“Who’s the supplier?”
“It’s a talented enchanter I have a deal with. Selnic items are going to sell for a lot of money and attract a lot of attention, so I won’t give any more details, for safety purposes. You won’t need to worry about the supply since others will take care of that.”
Everyone nodded.
“What about the two other floors?”
“One will be for food products: vegetables, fruits, and cooked food. I’m thinking of having those on the first floor, so that the good smell can attract hungry passersby. The second floor will have a lot of different goods like raw materials, refined ore, and books, too, maybe. It might change later if we find better products or we can get a good deal from somewhere.”
“Aren’t the items too different from each other?”
“That’s the point. Overall, most of the profit will come from the third floor, with the other two floors’ objective being to have products that can attract the eye when people are going up and down. Perhaps eating some food on the first floor when they’re done buying what they need on the third floor, or a similar idea.”
Poitr hesitated and then asked again.
“Forgive me for asking, but isn’t this whole concept assuming that people will want to buy the selnic items? How can you be certain of that?”
“That’s the least of our concerns. I understand your question since you haven’t seen the products yet, but you’ll change your mind once you do. I’ll bring a sample of the three items we’ll be selling for the time being tomorrow, and you’ll be able to see for yourselves. Our only issue is getting the people to know about the shop. Trust me, there’s no escaping once they’ve set their eyes on the goods.”
The factory hasn’t started producing yet, but we still had the prototypes that Minsto built, which would serve perfectly as training material. My employees didn’t seem very convinced, though. It made sense considering the reputation of enchanted tools. Just like the one that was used to make houses hover in the sky, they were known to have limited use, be very expensive, and not very popular among the population.
“I think that’s all I wanted to talk about for now. Do you have any other questions?”
They all shook their heads, thus concluding the short meeting.
The following day, I met with Liv again after having finished her book. I knocked on her door, and she gave me a big smile as she realized it was me.
“Tila, good morning and welcome. Come in.”
“Good morning.”
I sat on the same sofa as the previous day, and she offered me the same snacks.
“I came to give you back the book.”
“Did you finish it already?”
“That’s right.”
She paused for a moment to observe me closely.
“What… did you think about it?”
“It was great. I enjoyed it.”
“…Really?”
“Really.”
She relaxed, moving around in her seat to get into a different position.
“That’s unexpected. I didn’t think you’d like something like this.”
“Why did you recommend it to me, then?”
“Well… I had nothing to lose. And I’m used to being… disliked.”
“Because of your face?”
She sighed.
“Because of my face. Because I’m a bunny. Because of my tastes.”
“I don’t know about other people, but I wouldn’t dislike someone because of these reasons. And I’m more open-minded than I look.”
“Is that… true?”
She gulped and carefully continued.
“I mean… Are you interested in those acts?”
“A little.”
“Interested, as in… wanting to do those things to me?”
I chuckled.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m asking just in case, but you didn’t find anyone to be a good partner for you?”
She exhaled as if letting out her frustration.
“Of course not. Far from it.”
“I see. And just to be clear, I’m not looking to start any serious relationship right now. I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding.”
“What about Kuini?”
“I told her the same, and she was fine with it. I prefer that those matters be acknowledged from the beginning. It’s not my goal to build any resentment later.”
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