Veronica just couldn't wrap her head around why Dexter would be so incredibly nice to a "tramp," practically letting this woman waltz right in and become a manager.
In that moment, Veronica's emotions were a complicated mess, and her expression was priceless.
Svetlana clearly saw it all. She smirked, a look of distinct triumph playing on her lips.
Dexter actually understood Veronica's reaction. It's a tough pill to swallow when someone you look down on suddenly ends up doing better than you. Anyone who's been there knows the feeling.
Since Veronica was speechless, Dexter didn't press the issue. He turned to Svetlana. "Alright, let's do this. We'll go look for the storefront now. Let's try to get this done before dark."
"Sounds good," Svetlana agreed readily. She shot Veronica a challenging look, then gave Vivian a kind smile before following Dexter out.
Svetlana didn't harbor any ill will toward Vivian. The reason was simple: Vivian had never shown any contempt or looked down on her.
There were a moderate number of vacant storefronts on the street where Dex Restaurant was located. Svetlana was genuinely sharp. After walking around and checking things out for a while, she stopped in front of a particular unit. "This one is the best fit."
"Oh? Why do you say that?" Dexter asked with a smile.
"The foot traffic here is heavy; people are coming and going..." Svetlana rattled off a comprehensive analysis, giving several well-reasoned arguments. This woman had a seriously good business sense.
"Let's go with this one then," Dexter, not being overly interested in the details of running a business, agreed. "Do you want to call the landlord, or should I?"
"I will. I'm going to try and negotiate the price down," Svetlana said without hesitation.
"Perfect," Dexter approved.
Svetlana pulled out her phone and proceeded to give Dexter a masterful display of clever bargaining, successfully dropping the rent by thirty percent.
After that, the rest was simple. The landlord came over, Dexter signed the contract, paid the money, and took the keys. He handed the keys to Svetlana. "I'll take care of the relevant business licenses for this shop. Everything else is up to you."
The moment had arrived. The transition was complete, and she had smoothly shed the life of a "handicraft artisan."
Svetlana was thrilled. She took the keys, bursting with drive. "Got it, Boss, you can count on me. I'll make this a success."
Dexter smiled. "I know you will. Just jot down my cell number. If you need to cover any expenses or have any other issues, you can call me or find me at the restaurant."
Svetlana nodded. The two exchanged numbers. Done deal.
"I've got other things to take care of, so I'm heading out," Dexter said, preparing to leave.
"Thank you," Svetlana said simply.
"You're welcome," Dexter replied with a smile, turning to walk away.
Svetlana watched Dexter for a moment before turning her gaze to the storefront in front of her. Slowly, a happy, confident smile spread across her face.
'The good life starts right here,' Svetlana thought with a grin.
---
Dexter hadn't driven his car. Taking the Ferrari to buy "criminal supplies" would be too flashy and easy to remember.
Dexter took a taxi.
The items he needed were the same as last time: a motorcycle, clothing, a mask, gloves, and things like that.
After a shopping spree, it was already past four in the afternoon.
Everything was prepped and ready. Dexter rode the motorcycle back to the hotel's underground parking garage, hid it, then lit a cigarette and walked toward the restaurant.
He hadn't quite reached the front door yet.
Well, look at that.
Mickey, having completely changed his look to something respectable and "put together," was squatting not far from the restaurant entrance and came into Dexter's view.
Seeing him, Dexter couldn't help but smile. Mickey, after cleaning up, actually looked quite handsome.
A few seconds later, as Dexter approached, Mickey spotted him and quickly stood up. He looked at Dexter and asked in a slightly cocky way, "Does this work?"
"It works," Dexter answered directly.
"Alright, I'm out of here then," Mickey said, immediately turning to leave.
Dexter: "..."
This haughty little jerk is really something else.
Dexter shook his head with a laugh. "Don't forget to bring the receipts tomorrow for reimbursement."
Mickey didn't turn back, just raised his hand and gave an 'OK' sign.
Dexter didn't say anything more. He walked past the crowd already waiting for dinner and entered the restaurant.
Vivian had recently become obsessed with making fruit platters and was happily putting together a beautiful, creative one. Veronica, meanwhile, was begrudgingly trying to read a book.
Dexter glanced at them. "Vivian, your skill is too good not to make money from. Let's start selling these fruit platters tonight. How about $68 a plate, and you get half?"
As the words left his mouth:
"That sounds great!" Vivian replied with a happy smile.
Veronica froze: "..."
Wait, seriously?
After a moment of stunned silence, Veronica instinctively got anxious. She couldn't help it; this was money. Selling one fruit platter meant earning $34! If they could sell three a day, that's over a hundred bucks! What? You think that price is too high? No way. Everything in this restaurant is expensive, so it's totally normal!
"Boss, can I do it too?" Veronica rushed to ask.
"Of course. Take some time to learn," Dexter said with a smile, pointing to one of Vivian's finished products in the refrigerated display case. "Once you get close to that level, you can start selling."
Desperate to earn money, Veronica unconsciously asked again, "Can I sell the ones I make now for a cheaper price?"
Dexter shook his head decisively. "No cutting the price. Once you drop the price, it's really hard to bring it back up."
Veronica didn't quite understand, but she felt a strong sense of regret.
Seeing her disappointment, Vivian quickly spoke up. "Veronica, I'll teach you tomorrow. You'll pick it up fast."
That was the only way forward. Veronica nodded. "Okay."
Dexter didn't waste any more time and headed into the kitchen.
He thought for a moment. It had been several days since he opened any treasure chests or did a lottery draw. He decided to do a round to see if he could get a new dish, or maybe something crime-related.
He still had 1,598 Virtue points left.
The Bronze Treasure Chest had a higher chance of new dishes. So... should he try a Silver Treasure Chest?
He could take down Carmela tomorrow night, which would bring in a huge wave of Virtue points.
Dexter admitted it—he was tempted.
A short while later... It's really hard to resist temptation.
Draw!
$$\text{You opened a Silver Treasure Chest. Congratulations, you drew the Rule of Forgetting (Single Use).}$$
$$\text{Note: This rule is effective for one hour. After activating this rule, anyone who sees you within the hour will not remember you and will completely ignore your presence. Afterward, they will never be able to recall you.}$$
Huh?
HUH!!!
Holy guacamole!
This thing is ridiculously awesome!!!
It's practically the ultimate crime accessory. Dexter was genuinely shocked.
And then... Heh heh heh.
With this thing, he could basically kill anyone he wanted!
One hour... How many people could he take out? How much Virtue could he rack up?
In the kitchen, Dexter was grinning like a maniac.