Chapter 64: His Plan
Opening Chapter 64 of "Suddenly, I Am Rich": Chapter 64: His PlanThe rest of the morning passed by quickly with continuous greetings, handshakes,... Read on for more!
Chapter 64: His PlanThe rest of the morning passed by quickly with continuous greetings, handshakes, and quick introductions.
By 8:00 a.m., the store opened its doors to the public. Customers began to shop inside, and the staff went smoothly into their routines. Gray, meanwhile, was led to a small office tucked near the back of the store.
"This was originally intended for the branch head," Marcus explained as they approached the door. "You can use this as your working space when youâre here."
But when Gray stepped inside, he was met with a surprise.
The office wasnât empty, especially the desk. It was cluttered with personal itemsâan open bag of chips, a mug with "The Best Guy" printed in red, and several pens scattered across papers. A new-looking office chair sat behind the desk, and behind that, a coat hung loosely on the back.
Gray blinked.
"What is this?" He frowned.
"Ahâthis," at the right time, a voice sounded behind them. It was the annoying voice that he kept hearing since earlier.
Mr. Will followed them closely from behind. As he faced Gray and Marcus, he let out a nervous chuckle.
"Right, right. I shouldâve told you earlier, Sir. Iâve been using this office for a while."
"You have?" Gray asked, turning halfway to face him.
"Yeah," Mr. Will nodded, walking in without invitation. He was trying to mask his nervousness by appearing confident.
âHe must have liked me since I kept buttering him up earlier, right?
"Since no one was occupying it before, Sir, and Iâve got a lot on my plate. Like paperwork, scheduling, vendor calls... You know how it is. I just figured it made sense to use the space."
Gray took a breath, then gave a short nod.
"Thatâs alright. Iâm only here for half the day anyway."
"Exactly! No problem at all," Mr. Will said with a smile far too wide. âSee? Iâm right. Good thing I know how to read this guy. I should just act sorry and timid. Iâm sure heâll let me go. I canât afford to lose this office.
"Go sit, Sir. Make yourself at home. My office is your office, heh heh."
âYour office?â Gray raised a brow internally.
Though, out loud, he just said, "Thanks. I appreciate it."
"Iâll go do a round outside first, Sir. Hehe. Iâll make sure the staffâs staying sharp," Mr. Will added, already heading out. "Let me know if you need anything!"
As the guy left, Gray exhaled slowly and sat down.
"Are you just letting him keep your office, Sir?" Marcusâs forehead creased. He was standing still on the side, surprised at what he had witnessed.
Marcus almost felt guilty. From the start, they donât really know whatâs happening in the grocery store. They relied on reports and results. Sometimes, a few executives would visit to check the place, but they never found anything wrong.
Since they hadnât heard of any complaints, they thought everything was going well.
However, now that heâd seen it firsthand, Marcus didnât know what to think.
Mr. Willâs presence in the office, the way he casually claimed ownership over something not his, the excusesâMarcus was beginning to question they much he actually knew about what went on inside the store.
âMaybe weâve been too hands-off,â he thought grimly. âMaybe we were too focused on numbers that we thought everything was going well.â
As if sensing Marcusâs worries, Gray leaned back in the chair and smiled.
"Yup. Letâs keep it like this."
"Sir?" Marcus blinked in disbelief.
"I mean the office," Gray clarified. "Let him think itâs still his, for now."
"Youâre not going to take it back?" Marcus asked, confused at it. "This office is yours, Mr. Adams."
"I know," Gray chuckled. "But if I make a move now, Iâll just alert him. Heâll start hiding things. Being more careful. And I donât want thatânot until I know exactly whatâs going on in the management here."
Marcusâs eyes narrowed slightly.
"What do you mean, Sir?"
Gray gestured lightly toward the door.
"Did you not notice how the employees looked around Will?"
Marcus became silent for a moment, thinking back. He had been too focused earlier, so he wasnât really able to look at their surroundings.
When Gray noticed the uncertainty in Marcus eyes, he smiled and explained what he had noticed.
"The employees looked terrified," Gray uttered. "They almost feel awkward being around him. I know for sure that thatâs not how it should be. You can respect a superior and be a little intimidated. But that... that was something else. There was fear in their eyes."
Marcus opened his mouth but said nothing.
"Some wouldnât even meet his eyes," Gray continued to explain his observations. "And when they did, it looked forced. It was like they were acting polite but just wanted to be left alone."
Now that Marcus thought about it, he realized Gray was right. Completely right. The employees earlier were silent, almost tensed. It wasnât like that when it was only them. It only started when the manager arrived.
"I didnât catch that," Marcus admitted honestly, almost feeling bad.
"Itâs fine," Gray chuckled. "You wouldnât notice that if you havenât been in the same situation."
There was a moment of silence between them.
And then, finally, Marcus sighed and bowed his head.
"I apologize, Sir."
Gray gave a half-smile, his eyes still on the door.
"Itâs fine. That was everything in the past.â Gray shrugged his shoulders before letting out a deep breath.
With sorry still in his eyes, Marcus glanced at Gray.
"So whatâs the plan, Sir?"
"Can you schedule a secret meeting with the staffs? I donât want it to be known by Will. Make it in groups or batches. Come up with a believable reason. Just be careful if he had any underlings within the staff."
Marcus immediately nodded.
"Will do, Sir."
Gray turned his gaze back to the table in front of him. They were messy, it almost disgusted him.
"For now," he said, "letâs observe. Quietly. I want to know whatâs really happening when no oneâs watching the place.â