Chapter 96: Stressed Waitress With High Potential

"Hey, stop," I said, placing a gentle hand over the server’s shaking wrists to still them. "Look at me. It’s completely okay. You’re not in trouble, and I’m not going to fire you or complain to your manager. It’s just clothes—it washes out."

Even with my calm tone, she kept flinching, her eyes wide with lingering panic. Looking closer at her, I noticed the heavy dark circles under her eyes, her pale complexion, and the sheer exhaustion slumped into her shoulders. She wasn’t just panicked about the spilled wine; she was completely running on empty, physically and mentally drained from what looked like a grueling, endless shift.

May paused her dabbing for a second, catching on immediately, her expression shifting from quick problem-solving to genuine concern.

"When was the last time you took a break?" May asked softly, setting the wine-soaked napkin down on the tray.

"I... I’m on my double shift, ma’am," the waitress whispered, her voice barely audible over the restaurant noise as her hands continued to tremor slightly. "I’m so sorry... I just got dizzy for a second..."

Before I could say another word, a subtle blue glow flickered across my peripheral vision. The System interface sprang to life, scanning the waitress right in front of me:

[TARGET EVALUATION IN PROGRESS...]

[CURRENT STATS]: Physical Fatigue: 88% | Mental Strain: High | Current Role Alignment: 2.4/10

[HIDDEN TALENT DETECTED]: Culinary Arts & Flavor Mastery

[GROWTH POTENTIAL]: 9.5/10 (S-Rank)

[SYSTEM NOTE]: Target possesses latent potential to become a 5-Star World-Class Chef if given proper training and resources.

I stared at the floating status box in shock. A 9.5 potential hidden behind exhaustion, dark circles, and cheap server aprons.

"Dizzy?" I said quietly, stepping back so she didn’t feel cornered. I pulled out a clean chair from our table and pointed to it. "Sit down for a second. Drop the tray."

"Sir, I—I’m not allowed to sit on shift—"

"I’m telling you to sit," I said, using a tone that made it clear it wasn’t a question.

She collapsed into the chair, her knees trembling as she finally let her weight off her feet. Over at the table, NightEye stopped mid-chew on her lobster tail, and Piercer lowered her glass, both of them picking up on the sudden shift in my aura.

I looked at the waitress, reading the System readout again. A 5-star chef sitting right here working double shifts as a clutzy server.

"What’s your name?" I asked, a fresh idea already forming in my head.

"Patricia," she stammered, wiping her hands on her apron, her voice still trembling slightly. "Patricia, sir."

Before I could reply, the System interface flickered again, overlaying a new notification with glowing gold text right above her stats:

[NEW SYSTEM MISSION UNLOCKED: AMPLIFIED LEGACY]

[OBJECTIVE]: Invest in high-status, self-made, or glowing-up women (Current Targets: May, Chloe, Patricia).

[MISSION BRIEF]: Elevate individuals who have already broken through their initial shell to absolute global prominence. Multiply their influence, standing, and status to legendary tiers.

[REWARD]: Status Amplification Buffs & Unlocked Cashback Multipliers.

I looked from the screen over to May, who was leaning against the bar counter watching me with a curious smirk, and then down at Patricia, whose latent culinary talent was practically waiting to explode into a headline story.

The strategy clicked instantly. Transforming someone who was already glowing into a dominant titan on the world stage—that was the next move for Zenith’s empire.

"Patricia," I said, leaning in with a calm, confident smile. "You’re done serving drinks. How would you like to run the kitchen instead?"

Her eyes went wide with sheer disbelief. "W-what?"

"You’ve got talent," I said, waving over the restaurant manager, who was already rushing over looking panicked. "And starting tonight, I’m backing you."

I turned to May, my mind already mapping out the new mission trajectory. "Looks like our holiday just got a lot more interesting."

"Hold on," May said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the table before the manager could even open his mouth. "That stain is going to set into the silk if we don’t treat it right now. Come on."

She dragged me down the hallway toward the private executive washroom, shutting the door behind us. The sudden quiet of the tiled room replaced the noisy hum of the restaurant.

Without waiting, I unbuttoned my suit jacket, tossed it over the counter, and reached for my shirt. I unbuttoned the stained white dress shirt and pulled it off, tossing it into the sink so we could run cold water over the fabric.

I turned around to grab some soap, completely oblivious, but May was standing frozen by the door.

Her eyes widened for a split second, a deep flush rising across her cheeks as she took in my fully toned physique—the sharp lines of my chest and abs catching the sharp washroom lighting. It was obvious she hadn’t expected me to be in that kind of athletic shape, and for a moment, the world-class Olympic athlete completely lost her composure.

She caught herself almost instantly, clearing her throat loud and turning her head away to act tough.

"I mean... not bad, boss," May muttered, crossing her arms and forcing a cool, unbothered smirk to cover up her sudden blush. "Guess you don’t just sit behind a desk all day. But we still have a shirt to save, so stop flexing and hand me the soap."

May wet a towel with cold water, scrubbing at the wine stain with a little more aggression than necessary.

"And honestly, that waitress needs to pay attention," May grumbled, rolling her eyes as she rinsed the cloth. "A double shift isn’t an excuse to go dumping red wine all over a high-end suit. You’re way too nice about it, Ethan."

She paused, taking a slow, deep breath to cool herself off, her shoulders dropping as her competitive, protective edge softened just a bit.

"It’s probably not even her fault," I said, leaning back against the marble counter with my arms crossed. "She’s clearly going through something. You saw how exhausted she was—she’s running on fumes."

May stopped dabbing the shirt and looked up at me, raising an eyebrow. "Don’t tell me you’re actually going to help her."

"I’m an investor," I grinned, tapping my chest. "Why not? Of course I would. If I see high-level potential trapped under bad circumstances, backing it is literally what I do."

May let out a dramatic, exaggerated groan, shaking her head as she wrung out the towel. "Seriously? You can’t just adopt every struggling talent you run into on vacation!"

"Relax," I chuckled. "It’s a simple setup. I’ll get her out of that double-shift nightmare, fund her initial culinary training, and once she’s grounded, I’ll hand her off to a proper management team to handle her career from there. She gets her shot, and I get a five-star chef in my portfolio."

May stared at me for a second, the tough facade slipping completely as a soft, genuine smile took its place. She tossed the damp cloth into the sink and looked me up and down.

"You really have a big heart, Ethan," she said softly, before her eyes sparkled with a teasing glint. She smirked, tapping my bare shoulder. "...And an absurdly big pocket. If you’ve got the funds and the vision to back it up, go for it."