Preparations Almost There
During the first week, ANS sent shipments with supplies to both countries, not quite to the battlezones, but still aiding the invading countries. It was a big sight, that of dozens of vessels, not armed, traveling to Cerka and Torka. ANS 'asked' entry by Cors and Collan. The latter was helpless to reply with anything other than positive, and the former wouldn't extend their hands to block or seed hostility with any 'side'.
Thus, ANS had free shipment routes to Torka, from the south or north, and Lýmoca was doing nothing to stop it. Did it increase what bit of tension there was? Yes. Lýmoca issued a small notice, detailing ANS’s implications and their motives in these wars, but ANS didn’t stop, brushing it aside.
Lýmoca continued doing its relaying of information, even images and recorded footage of refugees amidst enemy bombardments were transmitted. Sometimes, days later, through rubble-searching, bodies of people who spoke in recorded live feed were found, dusted and thinner.
In comparison, while there were more influential, meaningful cities destroyed in Terka in the first weeks of the First Ters-Ly War, the number of reached civilians was minimal, and not by the Lýmocan forces.
These, all of what was happening in the south, the tens of deaths reported thrice a day, they were from the invading countries. The ones to declare war and step into another territory just because they could.
There were no wrongs and rights, not yet. Not until there was the winning side. And as those shipments continued, the war turned more and more in favor of the invading forces.
… Being part of Lýmoca’s business as Raging Blood, even if no longer in the cabinet, and being National Front’s president, although the latter didn’t matter for this. Fox was aware of the situations in the planning to intervene.
The letters show what view the world had of Lýmoca’s involvement, but they said nothing of the wars in south Moonblue. If this didn’t show the base lack of care the world had towards ‘the other Moonblue’, excluding ANS and even Lýmoca, then the following events in the war ware bound to.
But there was still time for that. At this moment, Fox had just finished doing a small advertisement, where he would show in an ad spread throughout all media, and where he would show up eating with his back facing the camera.
He wasn’t alone, with Esmeralda and Nala showing portions of their profile faces. It was a little gimmick meant to shock the netizens after the ‘hardcore explorers’ found this and that out.
After eating their fill of delicious pizza and exemplary tea, Fox walked with his women under the sun, taking his phone after checking the time. Nala walked before his right, looking around as she felt contented of eating outdoors, and with many eyes landing on her with Fox, and Esmeralda.
While Nala was an independent kitten, Esmeralda was a leashed puppy, hugging Fox’s arm. Nala had sunglasses, fashionable and matching with her, but Esmeralda’s smiling, joyous expression with her closing and opening eyes was for everyone to notice.
Even if they respected and feared Fox, watching this scenery from him, who also wore glasses, pitch-black and undecorated, matching him just right. They couldn’t help looking at the mad Fox in a new light, with those two beauties around him, even if only one swooned over him.
Esmeralda took her face off his arm as he began a call in his phone. Fox rubbed the side of his head onto hers before putting his phone to his right ear. Nala timely moved closer, clasping his elbow to stick their sides together, her ear close to the phone after bumping her head into his.
… In another part of the world, specifically Terka. In one of the aid centers where the new citizens of the rebuilt, modernized cities went to check in to prove their birthplace and formally return to Terka.
Carlos Medena and Andrea were walking through the corridors, just past a corner and heading to the room break to have their well-deserved break. The other prisoners, who were the best-behaved and studied by PSD, allowed to participate in helping check the Lys back in, were brought away by Terka’s national security.
Just as they were passing by a miscellaneous storage, used by janitors and nurses for cleaning purposes, Carlos grabbed Andrea’s wrist and opened that door, the key already between his fingers.
Albeit surprised, Andrea was pulled into the room with widened eyes, nearly tripping, only to be caught by her ribs by Carlos, who closed the door and locked it right away. Once inside, he turned his head first before his body, hurriedly placing his hands on her hips and placing her with her back against the door.
Andrea widened her eyes, staring at him as his face came closer. After some time, Carlos’s face had improved, and so has his body become healthier, but he was still sick. Andrea asked with wide open eyes, “Again? It’s been 2 times already!”
“I know. I… can’t… you know… help it— me,” Carlos trailed off on and on, kissing Andrea in between, making her shut her eyes each time before helplessly shrugging. Andrea opened her eyes once he stopped spoiling her and speaking, lifting her eyelids somewhat unwillingly.
“I didn’t say you should stop,” said Andrea, blushing a profound red and pink of shame while lowering her head. Carlos was left breathless, and this was even before she spread her legs, letting her jeans do all the inviting. Carlos smiled, his breath hot on her face as she breathed raggedly, when her phone sounded.
As his head disappeared, kissing her abdomen over her shirt and coat, she took her phone out. Andrea widened her eyes when seeing the caller, responding to it after her jeans were opened, and she ensured her boy was careful…
“Hello?”
Fox paused the moment the call was picked up. He had heard ‘rumors’ from PSD agents, which weren’t gossipy at all. After his pause, Fox worded, quick and low, “Naughty. How are things going there, miss shy but needy?”
“Eh?” Andrea sounded taken aback, but Fox could hear her blush deeper. He flashed a smirk and shook his head before elaborating, “Terka’s development is more or less in your hands. You can start expanding there… bla, bla. We talked about this, young lady.”
“Hey, I’m older than you. Even if it’s a few months, weeks…” Andrea gathered her breath before defending her status, just frolicking with Fox while she was licked. Fox amply replied, shameless, “Hey. I’m not the one in a compromising situation in this call, hm?”
“Ah…” Andrea finally understood what was happening. Indeed, she could take precautions, but even if Fox’s senses were straight-out dumb and superhuman, weren’t his ‘lackeys’ everywhere? But that didn’t mean she’d be shameless, too, and moan a bit in their talks.
Shutting her eyes and blushing crimson ‘everywhere’, Andrea said the only words that could still keep her dignity intact… hopefully. “You catch me in my free time here, Fox.”
“Yes. It’s on purpose,” Fox smiled. Nala pinched his cheek to admonish him, with her teeth. When she heard a clicking noise. Nala snapped her face to look in the direction, about 122 meters, hiding behind some bushes. It had to be some hell of a good camera.
“I’ll be right back,” said Nala before a notice of another missing paparazzi before being found depressed was to be found in a couple of days. Andrea’s voice sounded from his phone as Fox felt a void on his right. “What was that? Are you with… your girls, too?”
“This is not an orgy sexphone, no.” Fox smiled with a frown. He could just guess how embarrassed Andrea must feel. He didn’t keep teasing her, saying, “She just went to scare an annoying person, nothing important. Mn, so how are things doing there?”
“Fox…” Andrea sounded sheepish, containing herself. Fox rolled his eyes a bit, “Just go with it. I have a lot of free time, so I wanted to let you know I’m planning to further assemble a cooperation between your organization and my Enterprise.”
“Ah, I see… Is it… Snowfall?” Andrea went silent for a moment before asking, hesitating a bit. Fox nodded, gently closing his eyes, opening them just the same. “It is.”
“Okay then. Heard.” Andrea responded, with the removal of clothing sounding from the other side. “The prisoners are doing fine. Although I wasn’t willing… Carlito- Carlos convinced me to go ahead with giving them military discipline, not training. I read everything well, I promise.”
“I trust. Now, before ‘Carlitos’ does something to shame you on our call, tell me the rest. Quicker, girl.” Fox hurried. Andrea nodded, her breath a bit quicker, too. “Well, they are slow to respond, so I assure you you can’t use them anytime soon. But they are less tending to misbehavior and unhealthy remarks. I can tell it’s going to need more work.”
“The clinics are just fine. They are working, and… you were right. Many ‘new’ Lys were willing to help with the rehabilitation of many. I’ve been hiring so many people every week… It’s more than 10,000 workers over the entire… territory!”
“Congratulations. That’s just the beginning. Do you need any help or support?” Fox asked, making it easier for Andrea, who stared at an ex-OC leader’s puppy eyes, ready to set sail with a train. She responded, “No… Only more instructors… Any that knows the human heart will do… call me at working times next!”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“…” The call ‘abruptly’ ended. Fox looked at his phone and thought, shaking his head. ‘Jeez, Andrea. We’re all too young still, you don’t have to sacrifice your youth for almost an uncle. Like there are no sperm producing medicament in our time.’
“Are you cursing your ex-partner?” Esmeralda mellowly asked, fluttering her eyelashes on his left cheek, before Fox turned to her. She rested her head on his shoulder, fluttering her eyelashes at his eyes next. Fox said nothing, gazing at this wonderful specimen before his face before smirking a bit.
“I’ll take it as a yes.” Esmeralda sounded tempting, narrowing her eyes to seduce him. Nala walked to them at this moment, clapping her hands off dust while a white van drove by, several dozen meters away before hurrying to the city outskirts.
“Oh! Did you do what I advised you this time?” Esmeralda’s eyebrows jumped, asking her lover as Nala grappled Fox’s arm like she is. Nala looked at Esme and nodded. Fox tilted his head, asking the evil mastermind behind an unknown conspiracy.
“What did you do?”
“Hehe!” Esmeralda smirked hard, contented with the new attention given to her. With pride, and Nala resting her ear on his shoulder, hearing his every heartbeat, Esmeralda went, “What do you think of volunteers who are willing to endanger their well-being by being close to Torkan and Cerk borders? Heeh…”
“And with a few ribs broken.” Nala nodded, adding. Esmeralda nodded, backing her lover up. Together, they made Fox speechless. But it was a… change, even if not an improvement. From beating people and disappearing from a few to several days; to send them to possible warzones.
They wouldn’t fight in any front, just as reporters, so they should be fine. Fox shook his head, taking those matters off his head to think of the 50 million credits in his bank account, and the accumulating millions in Snowfall Enterprise’s reserves.
With the opening of 40, excluding Sargonde’s original, 9th Order Restaurants, Fox made a lot of money. Not only because of the deliciousness of just one plate, and the uniqueness of the menu, but mostly due to the lack of business of similar types leaving during the first war in centuries.
The gains of each of these 40 restaurants, all medium-sized, would decrease just as time passed and became used to the lack of other restaurants. There wouldn’t be a need of more fast foods joints forming for the gains to lower, but they will indeed begin to sprout all across Lýmoca.
The pizzas weren’t impossible to replicate. If anything, it was the technique and ‘quirkiness’ of its preparation methodology that semi ‘patented’ them. They could be half-copied. That would be enough to cause the 9th Order restaurants trouble, as they would definitely lower their prices.
That was the doom of every bigshot in the food/diner industry. The small fishes will slowly appear, making their name, too, slower still but stable. And when the time came, the big fish would be too greedy to care, while the small fish rose as the next ‘best ever’.
Then, everything would repeat, and new and old food empires would crumble under the absolute human stupidity. But, unfortunately, that would be a much longer empire in Fox’s hands.
If others in the future think Fox would lead such a short-lived empire after his death, or went out of his owner rights, then they were in for a bitter struggle against the ‘always better’ choice. The only thing small fish will be able to do with Fox’s rising restaurant chain is to become new plates.
Every restaurant, for now, was a medium-sized piece. They had the same properties, which adjusted a bit after Fox returned to Lýmoca and revised the new ongoing matters in his ‘future-to-be’, now official, Snowfall enterprise.
From the first to the last 9th Order Restaurant built: each has 52 employees, with the manager being Miros, for now, as things were being handled so he wouldn’t be burdened. Fabiola didn’t have tens of boutiques to take care of, after all.
8 janitors, each paid 5,800 credits a month, for a total of 54,440 credits a month. 32 general employees, each paid 5,600 credits a month, for a total of 179,200 credits a month. 12 waiters/waitresses, each paid 5,500 credits, for a total of 66,000 credits a month. These lot cost each medium restaurant 299,600 credits a month.
The manager’s cut was 10%, so, from the gross sales, which were 2,371,600, Miros obtained 237,160 credits a month. Meanwhile, the tax and supplies cost about 400,000 credits, with the overstock from previous weeks ‘just in case’ helping with that matter, which only already showed signs of needing to increase the budget for just resupplying.
With this, the monthly cost was about 936,800 credits per month, with the gross sales, and Fox’s 30% profit of 711,480 credits a month, the restaurant was left with 723,356 monthly credits as net sales. It was a similar number, but the restaurant still earned more than Fox, which went well with Fox’s so-called ‘business first’ code.
Regardless, as a whole. The starting 40-big restaurant chain in Lýmoca earned Fox approximately 28,459,200 credits every month. It cost the chain 37,470,400 credits, making gross sales of 94,864,000 credits, and net sales of 28,934,240 credits a month.
It's been a month, and it’s the first month the chain was opened, further accentuating its success. With all of this, Fox could leave more reserves to the enterprise, but he also had a huge debt which he could not ignore. Besides, a billion weren’t really important to a nation.
What Lýmoca and Luis wanted from Fox was for him to not just help Lýmoca back for giving him his arm, even if it ended tuned up ‘a bit’. Even though he has already helped Lýmoca a lot, since he was still in Riverlye, that was also for himself.
On the other hand, Lýmoca used its only ultra fox to build his arm, and this was way before he even met Roroa, although Luis should have already accepted Fox as a candidate to… be with his daughter.
Fox had nothing to say about why the President’s daughter had to choose such a bodyguard, but he could imagine there were all sorts of reasons one would want him as her man. Of course, Luis detested him back then, and there was no fundament to explain why he would let their relationship happen. Fox could credit that to basing Luis’s unwilling acceptance as Ego speaking for him… but it did not quite fit, although it was correct, without a doubt.
As for the Blackflower Boutique, it improved a lot. It was a much better and welcome increase in its sales, as it was solid, stable, and not dependent on any circumstances.
Fox’s brain might feel like tweaking when seeing the reports of fast food business, which PSD completely legally and validly conducted on any thinkable fast food business in the country. But the Blackflower Boutique was his, Fabiola, and Nala’s sweet adopted child.
There were 70 shop employees. 10 clerks and 60 attendants. The attendants now had a monthly salary of 6,000 credits, with the clerks being paid 8,000 credits. They were spoiled by the bosses, indeed.
Attendants cost 360,000 credits, and clerks 80,000 credits for a total of 440,000 credits per month. Before the manager’s cut, Fabiola’s main flow of money to her young pockets, was the 5th floor’s new earnings in the boutique’s pyramid.
The 5th floor increased in popularity, hence, people visited it more, treating it as a luxurious break room. Although it was huge, and it was well-decorated, which had even improved with a few, small details added during the time Fox wasn’t present. Many people, from all ‘limited budgets’, were able to sit and spend half an hour or a complete one without feeling shame or headaches.
Its gross sales rounded about 600,000 credits, with the monthly cost for their 12 employees being 6,500 credits each, 78,000 credits in total, and monthly net sales of 522,000 credits.
Then, there was Fabiola’s part, 15% of the net boutique’s whole net sales, amounting to 1,329,156 credits. Fabiola was one rich, hell of a more attractive and dependent young lady, which many old bastards, male and female, would love to hunt to depend on.
Unfortunately for them, a doofus was deep in her pants and stuck in her heart, with neither having an option to get out of each other’s bloodstream. Fox even let Fabiola around the boutique alone more often, where she could work hard and relax with her man, keeping a much-needed status quo for ordinary folk like them.
Another reason was Fox didn’t stand the sight of tender love between civilians, especially when it pertained to one of his semi-direct employees. After all, Fabiola and Miros, and the managers of the restaurants who would receive less % than Miros each, would be the presidents’ direct subordinates.
That was a matter for a year or more from today, but Nala and Esmeralda were already on it. As for Fox breaking the rule of no help between special agents in Piya Sanctum District, even as Raging Blood, it hardly mattered when marriage was considered.
That was also a matter for the near future, or so.
Blackflower Boutique’s gross sales amounted to 8,861,030 credits a month. Their monthly cost was 2,154,156 credits, with Fox’s profit of 2,658,312 credits, and net sales of 4,048,572 credits a month. It was with the boutique that Fox was steeled and serious about business first.
The single, first 9th Order Restaurant had 967,200 credits in reserves, with the Blackflower Boutique’s reserves amounting to 4,317,365 credits. With the first month of the year gone, the latter increased to 8,365,937 credits, with the former increasing to 1,690,556 credits from one sole restaurant, and 29,901,440 credits from the entire chain.
Together, they made the first ‘batch’ of reserves of the Snowfall enterprise, amounting to 38,267,377 credits. With this, the Snowfall Enterprise’s ‘empire’ had begun.
As of late, with this week and a couple of days passing, despite the bickering between Lýmoca and ANS, some deputies from both countries talking in brief, not so renown lives, he received many positive answers.
Calls arrived, some accorded some more talks with CEO Fox. That was a brand new title Fox was serving himself with in the world of the living. He might be no more a cabinet member, or the even more acclaimed, by over 110+ million new Lys, as Senior Minister, but he was still at the top.
There were movie talks, smallish organizations, forgotten even in the smallest states in Lýmoca; all of these. But the ones Fox was most intense for were the internationally calls asking for more details, ‘interested’ in negotiating with Snowfall’s Blackflower Boutique.
And might as well, after a bit of a walk, Fox stopped a street from his boutique. He saw Fabiola walking around with her mandilón (somewhat of a submissive boyfriend), waiting for her on the 5th floor.
The young lady was as hard working as ever, recognized whichever floor she went to, with the clerks, including Pamela, who was Fabiola’s first in mind when thinking who to appoint as the next manger. Someone had to bring the international branches elsewhere, right?
“Let’s go. We might not find this pretty little thing after we leave. Also, I want to brag. I’m sure she’ll die to ask you both when it’s going to happen.” Fox smirked and walked to the boutique as soon as the respective red lights stopped the incoming vehicles.
“Hey! What did you tell her?” Nala asked with a slight frown, following behind him as she reached her hand out to his back. Esmeralda pouted cutely, and sadly. “You haven’t even asked us. What’s wrong with you? I’ll forgive you if you promise not to name our children Luis or Rat, Dog, Cat…”
Esmeralda, as always, had a way to bring every subject to become about them. The three of them. And with such love, at that.
…