Suddenly, I Am Rich

The next few days passed quickly, and before he knew it, the long-awaited opening day of their store had finally arrived.

The morning sun was bright. Fresh banners fluttered outside with the store’s name printed in bold letters. Though it hadn’t opened yet, a small crowd had already gathered near the entrance.

On the sides, there were cameras, reporters, and curious locals waiting for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to start.

Gray stood near the front doors, dressed neatly in a dark blazer over a white polo shirt. A faint breeze brushed against him as he looked around. The employees had lined up proudly behind him.

To his side was Joel, who was checking every detail one last time.

”Everything’s already set, sir,” Joel said with a confident nod.

”Good. You did great, Joel.” Gray gave a small smile.

”Couldn’t have done it without your direction,” Joel replied with a chuckle, stepping back as another staff member waved to signal that they were almost done with preparations.

A few minutes later, everyone became silent. That’s when they saw a shiny black car pulling up just at the side. The door opened, and Conrad Everett stepped out with his usual composed grace.

Conrad was dressed in a beige suit with a cane in his hand. He had an expression that carried both warmth and authority.

The reporters whispered among themselves as they recognized the well-known business magnate immediately. His presence alone drew attention. The cameras started flashing even before the official media crew could position themselves properly.

Gray turned when he heard all the commotion. He chuckled at it. No wonder the reaction was like that. A smile stayed on his lips slightly as he stepped forward to greet the older man who was now walking towards him.

”Mr. Everett,” Gray greeted with a respectful nod.

Conrad’s smile deepened as he reached out his hand. ”Gray,” he muttered. ”It’s good to see this day finally come.”

Gray took his hand firmly. The handshake drew another wave of camera clicks as the two men stood side by side.

”I wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help,” Gray said sincerely.

Conrad chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

”You give me too much credit. All I did was fund it, and I also got my fair share.” His gaze quickly flew to the newly made store. ”It’s you who took care of everything.”

”Still,” Gray said with a humble smile, ”it means a lot that you supported my idea, and thank you for coming here too.”

”Oh well,” Conrad just smiled. ”I told Selina I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Conrad replied, ”She also threatened me that if I didn’t go, she would sulk.”

Gray just laughed at that. He couldn’t imagine Selina actually telling that. It must have been one of Conrad’s jokes.

Behind them, Joel and the staff glanced toward the two men. Their faces were full of quiet admiration. The employees whispered among themselves, clearly impressed. It was not only by Conrad Everett’s presence but by how comfortably Gray stood beside him.

”Whoa, our boss is really friends with that Conrad Everett?” one whispered under his breath.

”No way... he’s even talking to him like they’re close!” another murmured, eyes wide in disbelief.

Their whispers spread quickly. To most of them, seeing a well-known figure like Conrad Everett was almost surreal.

Conrad seemed to notice the whispers from the staff. He smiled and laughed for a little.

”It seemed like our bond had made an impression to your employees, Gray,” he said, lowering his voice slightly.

Gray also chuckled at it, before he could say something back, a sound of hurried footsteps approached from behind.

”Gray,” Mara came into view. She was dressed in a clean white blouse tucked neatly into her tan skirt. She was holding a clipboard and a phone in one hand.

”Sorry to interrupt,” she said quickly, catching her breath a little. ”But the people from Stoneworks Construction are already here. I think we can start with the ribbon cutting already.”

”Alright, let’s proceed with it,” Gray muttered. The sun had been rising in the sky so sooner or later, it would already be too hot. There were a lot of expectant people on the side so, he didn’t want this to take any longer.

Just as Gray finished speaking, a group of men in uniformed polo shirts with Stoneworks Construction embroidered on the chest approached from the side. Their lead engineer stepped forward and gave a polite bow.

”Mr. Adams,” the man greeted. ”We’ve completed all final checks, and everything’s ready for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. We’re good to go on your signal.”

Gray gave a small nod. ”Good work. Thank you for coordinating this early. Let’s start.”

The man smiled, stepping aside to let the view open toward the storefront. The red ribbon stretched cleanly across the entrance now.

The event host, a young woman from the media team, quickly took the microphone from the stage setup.

”Ladies and gentlemen,” she began with a bright and enthusiastic voice, ”thank you all for joining us today for the grand opening of the newly constructed store of Mr. Adans! Let’s give a round of applause for this exciting day!”

The crowd clapped, some cheering as cameras began flashing. Locals, small business owners, and even students had gathered to watch the scene.

”Today marks a new Chapter for this long-standing store,” the host continued, ”Now we’re proud to celebrate not only its opening, but the people behind it.”

Gray and Conrad stepped closer to the ribbon. Joel and Mra joined them just a step behind.

”May we now invite Mr. Gray and Mr. Conrad Everett, our special guest, to officially open the store,” the host announced.

The crowd looked at them with anticipation as a staff member handed both men a pair of gold-trimmed scissors.

Gray glanced briefly at Conrad, who smiled faintly. ”Ready?”

”Always.”

The host counted down, ”Three... two... one—!”

The crisp snip of scissors cut through the air. The ribbon fluttered down to the ground in two neat halves.

Applause and cheers erupted instantly from the workers and people who were watching. Reporters surged forward with their cameras flashing wildly. Confetti popped from both sides of the entrance, filling the air with small streaks of gold and white paper.

”Congratulations,” Conrad said beside him, giving his shoulder a firm approving pat.

”Thank you,” Gray replied with a smile.

As the cheers continued, Joel stepped up with the microphone for a quick announcement.

”To celebrate the opening of our new store,” he began, his voice steady and upbeat, ”we’re offering a special one-day promo! Every purchase made today will have a twenty percent discount. Yes! You heard that right! 20 percent off your total bill!”