"My own business..."
Gray hadn’t imagined that. Not at all in his life.
[Ding!]
[New Mission Unlocked!]
A translucent notification window appeared right in front of him.
[Mission: Read the contract given to you and familiarize yourself with its content.]
[Time Limit: 3 Days]
[Reward: +1 influence | +$ 2,000 Wealth]
Gray blinked, staring at the screen. Then he let out a short, breathless laugh.
"Of course," he muttered. "Of course you show up now."
The System had been quiet for a few days. He’d almost begun to wonder why, but it seemed like the system had just been waiting for something to happen in his life.
"I get handed a grocery store, and the first thing you want me to do is read the contract?" he said aloud, glancing at the folder beside him on the seat. "Yeah. That’s understandable."
But still... $2,000 just to read?
Oh well, money was still money.
"You’re really pushing me to become a businessman now, huh?" Gray shook his head and leaned back against the cab’s seat, grinning faintly.
The city lights outside the car began to bloom. Silently, Gray watched people walk on the street: students, vendors, tired employees, and laughing couples. There was a different kind of atmosphere in the air, one he hadn’t noticed before.
Maybe it was always there, but he wasn’t just paying attention to the people around him.
By the time the cab pulled in front of their apartment building, Gray immediately paid and stepped out of it. He walked with the folder in his hand.
Back in the apartment, Gray closed the door behind him with a quiet thud. He went to check on Lily and saw her in the living room, watching a kids’ princess show.
Lily was curled up on the couch with a blanket draped over her small frame. Her eyes were glued to the bright princess movie playing on the TV. The sound of cheerful characters filled the room.
"Lily," Gray called out for her attention.
"Brother!" Lily turned when she heard her name being called. Her face lit up the moment she saw him. "You’re home!"
"Hey, Lily," Gray said, his tone softening instantly. He set the folder down on the kitchen counter and crossed the room to ruffle her hair gently. "How’s school? Are you behaving today?"
"Uh-huh! I even finished my homework before the show started." Lily giggled and nodded.
"Smart girl," he smiled, then glanced toward the door of his room. His body ached from the day’s stress, even if it hadn’t been physical; the mental load was enough to knock him over.
"I’m gonna lie down for a bit," he said, stretching his arms over his head and yawning. "I just need to rest. I’ll come out later to cook us some dinner, okay? Just knock on my door if you need anything."
"Sure, brother," Lily said, her eyes already drifting back to the screen. Then, almost as an afterthought, she turned back to him.
"Can we have stir-fry tonight, brother? With eggs?"
"You and your eggs. Yeah, we can do that." Gray chuckled.
"Yay!" she beamed, then turned back fully to the show, humming along with the theme song.
Gray gave her one last glance, his smile staying on his lips. No matter how crazy the day had been, he liked what happened to him.
It seemed like Chloe was the reason for all of this.
Gray took the contract from the counter and walked to his room. He pushed open the door, kicked off his shoes, and let himself fall onto his bed with a soft grunt.
He stared up at the ceiling, letting his body sink into the mattress, the weight of the day finally beginning to lift from his shoulders.
A grocery store.
He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around it.
Everything had happened so fast—from meeting Jonathan to the folder now sitting on his side.
Gray closed his eyes for a while, just letting his thoughts wander. The hum of the television from the living room reached his ears faintly.
For a moment, he just lay there, but a moment after, he remembered the mission in his mind.
Gray sat up with a quiet sigh and rubbed his face.
’Three days,’ that was the duration of his mission. ’
However, he didn’t like waiting for so long, especially since he was also curious what the contract says. He just realized that he had signed this document without reading anything at all.
’Damn, that was bad. I should be careful next time.’ He shook his head and vowed to remember that crucial thing next time.
’Alright, let’s read this thing.’
As soon as Gray said that, he opened the folder. It was thick, with countless paper inside.
The first page was printed cleanly and professionally.
LanGro Market – Riverside Branch
Contract Summary and Transfer Agreement
Transfer of 40% Equity to: GRAY ADAMS
Effective Immediately
Gray blinked and leaned back slightly.
’Yeah, this is real shit.’
The next page shows the signed agreement between him and Jonathan. The next pages talk about the content of their agreement.
Managing Rights
According to the agreement, Gray had the authority to hire and fire staff, handle operational decisions, propose changes to inventory and pricing, and make day-to-day business choices without requiring prior approval from the majority stakeholder, Jonathan Lancaster.
Gray’s fingers lightly tapped on his pillows as he read further, absorbing every clause, every term. There were a few conditions, like monthly reporting, basic financial accountability, and restrictions on liquidating assets without notice.
Jonathan had told him earlier—he could run the store, hire a manager, or even sell his shares later if he wanted.
But why would he let that kind of opportunity slip by?
He’d be a fool to sell his stake now.
Gray knew one thing for sure: this grocery store wasn’t just some reward. Jonathan had given it to him because, at least in some small way, he trusted him.
And Gray wasn’t stupid enough to break that trust.
In business, trust was everything.
Gray drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
"All right then," he murmured. "Let’s learn how to run a store."