Suddenly, I Am Rich

”Alright... enough of that. Back to reality,” Gray muttered after looking at his phone for some time.

Later that morning, he was in his office. The quiet hum of the air conditioner filled the space while papers, folders, and his laptop sat neatly on his desk.

Gray leaned back in his chair, eyes scanning through the monitor as he clicked from one construction firm’s website to another.

This was the first real step.

As he looked, he noticed that the prices vary from one firm to another.

One firm looked too expensive. Another seemed shady with no proper background, but was offering a good deal. There were some who offered him deals at a low price, but their online reputation was tarnished and plagued by problems.

That was the time that Gray realized he had to look into this properly.

He took his time, reading portfolios, looking at past projects, even checking client reviews. His eyes narrowed, his focus sharpening the longer he scrolled.

He forgot about his social media for a moment, only caring about work now.

Finally, he found one that seemed reliable. Their projects looked good, but most importantly, within budget range.

Gray leaned back on his chair and exhaled through his nose.

”This one looks decent.”

”Hey,” He looked on the side and called for Mara.

”Gray?”

”I found a construction firm that might be the right fit for the second branch. Can you contact them?” He glanced back at his laptop and clicked on the firm’s page.

”Try to set a meeting as soon as possible with them. Preferably face-to-face. I want to hear what they can offer before we make any commitments.”

”Got it,” Mara replied quickly. ”Send me their details, and I’ll handle the rest.”

”Thanks.” Gray sighed and immediately forwarded what he had seen to Mara’s email.

Mara didn’t waste time. The moment Gray’s email landed in her inbox, she was already on the phone. In no time, she was able to get their number. She excused herself to the side and made a call.

Gray could hear her voice from the side. She spoke with firmness and professionalism. She introduced herself, made inquiries, and arranged a schedule.

By the time she dropped the call, Gray had already finished skimming through another list of construction firms.

”They said they’re available,” Mara said, holding up her tablet. ”I managed to secure a meeting for tomorrow afternoon. Their representative will come here in the office directly.”

Gray leaned back, nodding in approval.

”That was quick. Nice work.” Gray exhaled and leaned his elbows on the desk, fingers pressing together. ”Let’s see if they’re as good in person as they look on paper.”

- - -

The next day arrived faster than Gray expected.

By afternoon, the office atmosphere was heavier and more formal. The conference room was ready for the meeting. Gray adjusted his tie as he stepped in, and Mara walked just behind him.

The conference room was quiet. Gray sat at the head of the table, tapping his finger lightly on the armrest while Mara scrolled on her phone. The clock ticked softly on the wall.

”Do you think they’ll be on time?” Gray asked before glancing at the door.

”They confirmed yesterday. Should be in any minute now.” Mara nodded.

Gray sighed and waited.

Not long after, the door opened.

”...”

The man who stepped inside... wasn’t what either of them expected.

The man’s suit was wrinkled, like it hadn’t seen an iron in days. His forehead was shining with sweat, drops rolling down the side of his face as if he had just run a marathon. He was also wearing oversized eyeglasses on his nose that were slipping down slightly.

”...” Gray blinked.

”...” Mara blinked too.

They slowly turned their heads toward each other, exchanging the same silent thought they had on their minds.

’What the hell...?’

Gray cleared his throat and sat up straighter, trying not to let his face show too much. Mara quickly lowered her eyes to her phone, too, pretending to scroll.

The representative walked in further, breathing heavier than someone should after just entering a room.

”Mr. Adams,” he said between breaths, wiping at his forehead with a small handkerchief.

”Eyy, I’m so sorry. The traffic here was terrible, man. I rushed here as fast as I could.” he smiled widely, showing his crooked teeth.

”I see...” Gray pressed his lips into a thin line, nodding slowly.

Mara glanced at Gray again, her eyes saying everything without words.

”Are we seriously going through with this?” she mouthed in secret.

Gray only exhaled through his nose and gestured toward the chair.

”Please, have a seat.”

The man plopped down on the chair with no hesitation. He dragged it across the floor loudly before leaning back like he owned the place. He loosened his tie, fanned himself with his handkerchief, and let out a sigh.

”Whew... damn. You guys got any water here? Or maybe coffee? Actually, nah—iced tea would be better.” He laughed to himself, wiping his forehead again as if he had just asked a waiter from a restaurant to serve him drinks.

Gray’s brow twitched, but he stayed quiet.

”We apologize, we only have water, tea, or coffee.” Mara’s lips pressed tightly together as if it could save her from the situation.

”I guess I’ll just take this water then,” the man didn’t wait. He reached across the table, grabbed the glass pitcher of water meant for the meeting, and poured himself a full glass. Half of it spilled on the table, and he just shrugged before drinking noisily.

”Ahh... that hits the spot.” He let out a loud burp, then grinned. ”Alright, let’s talk business, yeah? Second branch, right? Expansion? Big dreams, my man.” He pointed at Gray like they were old friends.

Gray just stared at him with a flat expression on his face.

”Yes. I want to know what your firm can offer. Costs, timeline, and how you handle projects.”

”Projects. Costs, timeline, yeah, yeah, the usual.” The man waved his hand like Gray was asking for something boring.

”Look, here’s the deal. We’ll build it from bottom to up, make it look all good and shiny, and boom—the store’s done. Easy as pie.”

Mara slowly lifted her head, blinking in disbelief at the answer she had just heard.

However, Gray didn’t flinch at it.

”I’d like numbers. Estimates. What’s your projected timeline if you get the job?” his tone stayed calm even if he didn’t like what he was saying.

”Timeline, huh?” The man scratched his chin, his glasses slipping lower. ”Eh, maybe four months? Five? Depends if my guys show up on time. They like to take their sweet breaks, you know? Sometimes I gotta yell at them just to keep ’em moving.” He chuckled like it was a joke.

Gray’s brows furrowed slightly.

”Depends if they show up?”

”Yeah, yeah, don’t stress, boss. It’s just a joke” The man leaned forward, grinning with his crooked teeth. ”At the end of the day, they get it done.”

Mara’s fingers hovered over her laptop, but she hadn’t typed a single word. Her eyes flicked toward Gray, who only gave the faintest nod to keep going.

”And what about permits? Safety measures?” Gray pressed.

The man waved him off, pouring himself more water. Some spilled again, and he didn’t even bother wiping it.

”Permits, don’t worry about it. We know people down at city hall. Your papers will be done. No headaches.” He leaned back in his chair, smirking.

Mara’s jaw tightened.

Gray inhaled deeply through his nose. His patience was thinning, but his voice remained composed.

”And budget? What’s your range for a medium-scale project like this?”

”Budget?” The man barked a laughter, then slapped the table so hard Mara jumped. ”Don’t worry, Mr. Adams, we’ll make it cheap. Dirt cheap. Like, you won’t find anyone cheaper, trust me. ”

Gray’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t comment on it. Instead, he leaned back slowly, resting his hands on the table. His eyes stayed fixed on the man.

”Anything else you think I should know about how you run things?”

The man grinned wider, clearly thinking he was charming.

”Just this: we don’t bullshit. You give us the green light, we sign papers, you give us money, and we’ll start immediately. Simple as that. So—” He held out his hand, palm up, as if expecting a deal right there.

Gray tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. Inside, though, his patience was gone.

’What the heck is this man saying? I don’t know if he’s a scam or something...’

If this is how he treats a meeting with a potential client, what does he do on-site?

”What do you say, boss? Ready to shake hands and make history?”

Mara turned her head slowly toward Gray, her expression saying, ’Please, for the love of God, no.;

Gray’s gaze didn’t move from the man’s hand. His silence stretched long enough to make the room feel heavy.

After a while, he finally spoke.

”Tell me honestly, are you on drugs or something?”

”Pft-” Mara couldn’t stop herself from laughing.