Chapter 51: Jason’s Grand Vision

Jason studied Claire’s face as excitement gradually replaced the uncertainty in her eyes.

He gave a small, satisfied nod.

Claire was exactly the kind of person he wanted around him.

She was capable, observant, and—more importantly—she could understand ideas that most people would struggle to grasp. Jason didn’t need someone who simply followed instructions. He needed people who could take a vision, understand the logic behind it, and turn it into reality.

Once Claire proved herself, he could eventually entrust her with something much bigger.

Perhaps even the management of his entire growing tea business.

"How are you feeling now?" Jason asked with a faint smile. "Confident?"

Claire nodded immediately.

"I am."

Jason glanced at the system panel.

[Mission: Use any means necessary to drive Linda’s milk tea shop out of business.]

[Reward: Five Grade-B commercial properties in the University District.]

The reward alone represented a massive amount of real estate.

Jason wasn’t planning to play around.

He intended to crush Linda’s shop completely—and make sure her family never had the chance to recover.

After all, the giant beverage empire that would dominate the market years later was still nothing more than a small operation at this point in time.

That meant Jason had an enormous advantage.

He knew what the market would become.

He knew which products would take off.

He knew which business models would succeed.

And, most importantly, he had the system.

Jason’s eyes narrowed slightly as a confident smile appeared on his face.

Three months.

That was all he needed to establish Sweet Snow Milk Tea throughout the city.

Within a year, he intended to take the brand nationwide.

In this lifetime, the title of Snow King would belong to him.

Claire’s voice pulled him back to the present.

"Boss Jason, don’t worry. I’ll make sure the shop next door is out of business within two weeks."

Jason smiled.

He had already given her the renovation strategy and the product plan. In a sense, he’d practically handed her the blueprint for success.

If she still couldn’t beat the shop next door after that, she would have no excuse.

But Claire wasn’t thinking that small.

She wasn’t merely planning to beat Linda.

She wanted to pull customers away from every competing shop in the neighborhood.

Jason noticed the determination in her eyes and nodded approvingly.

This was exactly what he wanted to see.

Ever since his rebirth, Jason had no intention of burying himself in meaningless busywork.

He had already lived one life.

He knew how precious time was.

His job was to see the bigger picture, make the important decisions, and create opportunities.

His employees would handle the execution.

That was the entire point of building a business.

A talented and loyal management team would be far more valuable than Jason personally standing behind a counter all day.

And Claire was only the beginning.

Jason still had another card in his hand.

[Mission: Everything is difficult at the beginning. Complete your first fitness training session.]

[Reward: Unlock the Opposite-Sex Information Panel.]

Once unlocked, the panel would allow him to see basic information about women he encountered, including their favorability toward him.

Jason was genuinely curious.

How did Claire feel about him?

What about Bella?

And what about the other women he’d met since his rebirth?

He was especially curious about one thing.

He had a strange feeling that something interesting was going to happen today.

He just wasn’t sure whether Bella or someone else would be the one to surprise him.

Jason turned his attention back to Claire.

"How much did the previous owner pay you?"

Claire thought for a moment.

"I was making about $650 a month."

Then she remembered something.

"Oh, right. Mia, the new employee we hired, is making about $430 a month."

Jason nodded.

He considered the matter for a moment before speaking.

"You’re doing well, Claire. Keep working hard."

His tone became more serious.

"And I’ll tell you something else. Once we shut down the shop next door, I’m going to open five more locations around the University District."

Claire’s eyes widened slightly.

"Five?"

Jason smiled.

"And that’s only the beginning."

He leaned back casually.

"Eventually, you won’t just be a store manager. You’ll be training other managers and helping oversee multiple locations."

He paused.

"When that happens, your starting salary will be around $1,150 a month."

Claire stared at him.

For someone in her position, that wasn’t a small raise.

It was a completely different level of opportunity.

"Thank you, Boss Jason."

Her voice was sincere.

Claire’s eyes were filled with gratitude.

She had never considered herself exceptionally talented.

In fact, she could still remember all the job interviews where she’d been rejected.

One rejection after another.

She had almost begun to wonder whether she’d ever find someone willing to recognize what she could actually do.

Yet Jason had barely known her when he’d given her a chance.

And now he was promising her an even bigger future.

I have to prove myself.

Claire silently clenched her fists.

I can’t let Boss Jason down.

Jason stood.

"I’ll leave the rest to you. Follow the plan we discussed. Once you have the renovation estimate, send it to me. I’ll transfer the money."

He glanced toward the clock.

"I have somewhere else to be."

The gym.

He still needed to complete his first training session.

Claire immediately stood as well.

"Okay, Boss Jason. Don’t worry. I’ll follow everything you said. The renovation should take about four or five days."

Jason nodded.

"Good."

He turned and walked toward the entrance.

As he stepped outside, Mia—who had been busy working behind the counter—quietly watched him leave.

Her eyes followed him until the door closed.

There was admiration in her gaze.

But beneath it was something else.

Inferiority.

Mia slowly turned toward Claire.

Claire was standing beneath the new lights, already studying the renovation notes Jason had given her. There was an unmistakable confidence in her expression now.

Mia lowered her eyes.

Compared with Claire, she felt like an awkward duckling standing beside a swan.

She couldn’t help wondering why someone as impressive as Jason would ever notice someone like her.

---

Maplewood Apartments

Several blocks away, a young woman was walking home after finishing work.

Her name was Zara.

She wore a simple black dress beneath her coat, and her graceful figure moved naturally as she walked down the sidewalk.

She looked tired from a long day, but there was still an unmistakable elegance about her.

She had no idea that someone was watching her.

Across the street, hidden near the entrance to the apartment complex, more than a dozen men stood scattered around the shadows.

They weren’t there by accident.

They had been waiting.

Every one of them was watching the entrance.

At the center of the group stood their leader, Marcus "Bear" Lawson.

One of the men shifted impatiently.

"Bear, why are we waiting?"

He glanced toward Zara.

"Wouldn’t it be easier to just grab her?"

Marcus immediately shot him a warning look.

"Are you stupid?"

The man’s expression changed.

"Our main target is Jason. We’re here to teach that kid a lesson."

Marcus lowered his voice.

"If we make a move too early and alert him, what do you think Derek is going to say when he finds out?"

The man scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

Then his eyes drifted back toward Zara.

"But come on. You saw her too."

He grinned.

"She’s gorgeous."

Marcus rolled his eyes.

"Forget about her."

"But—"

"She’s not our target."

The man reluctantly looked away.

Marcus checked the street again.

"Everyone stays focused. We wait until the right moment."

The group fell silent.

For several seconds, only the distant sounds of traffic filled the night.

None of them noticed that the situation they were preparing for was about to become far more complicated than they expected.

Because they weren’t hunting some helpless young man anymore.

They were about to cross paths with Jason.

And Jason was no longer the person he had once been.