The steady hum of a ceiling fan was the loudest sound in the room.
It was a quiet diner and Maximus sat in a table near the window, his coffee cooling in front of him.
This was a rare moment of peace after a whirlwind of a week. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his messages, scanning the responses to the ads he had posted the previous day.
The week had been a turning point. After making over $7,000 in seven days, he knew it was time to expand as the system advised— and to do that, he needed help.
Running a single truck had nearly tapped him out physically, managing multiple trucks would be more than impossible alone.
So, the system pulled through for him again. It had highlighted the qualities to look for in potential employees, which were: adaptability, reliability and the love for good food.
He glanced at the stack of printed serving vest sitting to the right beside him. They were simple, with the logo of his mobile kitchen. The logo was also on the trucks he refurbished and the first one he owned, he had done all of that the previous day.
He had paid for them yesterday, eager to make his new hire feel like part of something real.
The interviews were swift and enlightening. Each candidate had brought something unique to the table, some traits were desired, others were not.
The first was a woman in her thirties named Fara. She had a no no nonsense demeanor and years of experience working in different restaurants. She had a sharp wit and it caught Maximus off guard, but her practical nature and experience was valuable to him.
Hired.
Then there was Diddy, a fresh out of college dropout with a passion for cooking. He had intentionally dropped out of school to pursue a career in the culinary art and this stood out to Maximus.
Hired.
Finally, there was Lucio, a middle aged man with a calm presence and a background in logistics. He had worked as a delivery driver for years and seemed unflappable, which Maximus appreciated.
Hired.
Each of them had been recommended by the Investment God System and so far, it hadn't steered him wrong.
He scrolled through his notes on each candidate, nodding to himself. Remembering how he'd handed each of them a printed recipe sheet at the end of their interviews.
Now, as he sat in the diner, Maximus let out a small sigh of relief. It felt good to have a plan, to feel like he was finally taking control of his life.
The diner's waitress approached his tabe with a jug of liquid in hand. "Need a refill son?" she asked and gestured to his half empty cup.
"Yeah, thanks," Maximus replied, sliding the mug gently towards her.
She filled it easily as she stared at him inquisitively.
"You seem to be in deep thought," she said raising an eyebrow.
"Just thinking about work… a young man's gotta eat," Maximus said with a shrug of his shoulders.
She took a startled step back. "On a Sunday? that's rare dedication son."
"You could say that," he replied, taking a sip of the fresh drink she just poured for him.
As the afternoon wore on, Maximus kept going over his plans. Tomorrow would be the start of someething new, not just for him, but for the people he had hired.
Already assigned each of them a truck to manage, the system had highlighted the best locations for the trucks to operate, and maximus had spent the better part of the previous day mapping out routes and schedules.
It wasn't just about selling food anymore. It was about expanding his brand and making it a steady business.
By the time maximus left the diner and arrived back to his apartment, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting the streets in a warm golden glow.
"Time to make this official," he mutterd sitting down on his wornout couch.
He spent the next hour carefully writing out instructions for each of his new hires, detailing everything from food schedule to customer service.
»»»«««
On the course of the next few weeks, Maximus and his new employes took the mobile truck business by storm.
While he continued to work at Orchard Street Market, the rest of his employess sold at various locations and brought in consistent cash flow into his investment.
His brand grew in popularity so much so that his mother and ex girlfriend reached out to reconnect with him but he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of his attention.
He and his employees formed a social media group chat where they would connect and build chemistry between eachother, and that helped the business thrive even further.
Even after hiring employees, the physical strain of running one mobile kitchen on his own was still immerse and he still fought through the pain, determined to rebuild his life from the ground up.
It had now been a week since he hired his employees and he had just returned from a long day of hardwork and hustle at the Orchard Street Market.
He flicked on the light as he stepped into the living room. The sight of the worn out couch and the mess on the coffee table greeted him, but tonight, they didn't bother him as much as usual.
Taking off his shoes, he slumped onto the bed with a sigh. His body ached in places he didn't know could ache, but the exhaustion felt good.
It was the kind of tired that came from a had days work and tangible progress.
His brain shuffled through the happenings of the day and immediately after, he summoned the Investment God System.
"Come Forth…"
~System Alert~
~Your XP has reached 100% . Calculating Level…~
Maximus blinked at the notification.
"XP?" he muttered to himself. He hadn't heard the system mention this term before.
~CONGRATULATIONS!~
~You have successfully established the Mobile Kitchen Business Investment. You have gained the LEVEL 1 bonus as your XP reaching 100% progress~
~CONFIRM to receive bonus~
"Confirm…" Maximus wouldn't even let the system finish.
~CONGRATULATIONS~
~You have received $100,000.~
For a brief moment, Maximus stared at the interface dumbfounded.
"Bonus?" he murmured, sitting up straight.
His phone vibrated, and the balance in his bank account updated before his very eyes. Sure enough there it was a fresh entry of $100,000 sitting in his account.
A smile plastered across Maximus's face. Just several weeks ago, he had been buried under a mountain of debt, and dangling on the egde of despair.
And now he had employees, a thriving food business and six figure bonus just sitting in his account, just for doing what the system told him to do.
"Haaa!!!!" he couldn't help but burst out in laughter. "This is insane!!"
As if responding to his thoughts, another notification popped up.
Ti-ring!
~System Explanation~
~XP {EXPERIENCE POINTS} measures your progress in fully establishing an investment. Each successful investment generates XP. When you reach 100%, you climb up one level and receive a bonus reward~
~Important Note!~
~System enabled investments guarantee success, but they will be limited to physical investments that benefit you directly. Therefore, online investments such as stocks, cryptocurrency, and trading platforms are strictly excluded.~
Maximus nodded his head slowly as he read, "Physical investments only… I understand." he said to himself.
The system pinged in his ears again, distracting him from his thought process.
~New Investment Project Ready!~
~Objective: Real estate project~
~Cost: $80,000
~Estimated ROI: $10,000 per month~
Maximus's eyesbrows shot up.
"Real estate?" he murmured, scrolling through the details.
The system outlined a nereby neighborhood with several abandoned properties. Renovating and renting them out would provide a steady income stream, and the upfront cost fell well within his new budget. Of course, he would also have to pay the authorities and agencies for securing it.
He leaned back against the headboard, staing at the screen. This project was definitely bigger than the mobile kitchen business and it wasn't just a step up, it was a gigantic leap.
But as exciting as the new project sounded, there was a tingy sense of doubt at the back of his mind. Running a few mobile kitchens was one thing, he could mange cooking and customer service. But real estate? That was a whole new ballgame.
"Can I even handle this?" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
Ti-ring!
~REMINDER~
~The Investment God System will assist with all aspects of the investment, host should trust in the process~
"Trust in the process?" Maximus repeated with a scoff of his breathe. "Easier said than done system."