Suddenly, I Am Rich

With Lily’s request, the sleepover was set for next Friday.

For now, though, Gray’s focus was pulled back to work.

The second month of construction for the store was waving to them already. The building already had its framework and walls, with the structure inside slowly taking form.

Every time Gray visited, he could see it slowly coming closer to life. He was confident that by the end of next month, the place would be finished, just like what he and Stoneworks had agreed upon.

But still, with quick progress came more work.

They need to start ordering supplies already. New deliveries had to be coordinated, and equipment such as cashier machines had to be ordered, too. Most importantly, and arguably the hardest, new employees had to be hired.

Wednesday afternoon, Gray was in the small office of his grocery store. He was with Joel and Mara. A small stack of resumes lay on his table. The three of them sat, surrounding it.

The three were looking through the folders one by one. They decided to start the hiring process already, even if they still had 2 months. After all, they still need to train their upcoming new employees.

”There’s more here than I thought.” Gray rubbed his temple with his thumb, then exhaled slowly.

”Mm,” Mara muttered, before lifting another folder to take a look at it. ”That’s because word spread quickly. A bigger store means more jobs. People obviously want to join us after hearing that we treat employees well.” She placed the resume down and glanced at Gray.

”But the question is, how many can we actually take?”

”Right, Boss. That’s something we should settle first. The old branch ran smoothly with... what, about forty employees?” Joel set his pen down and glanced at Gray.

”More than fifty,” Gray corrected automatically.

”Right.” Joel nodded. ”But this store’s larger, Boss. We’ll definitely need more. At least 60 to 70, if we want enough coverage for shifts. Maybe more if we’re expecting heavy foot traffic.”

”That many, huh.” Gray leaned back in his chair, his brows drawing together.

”That reminds me. We don’t need just cashiers and stock clerks. We also need to find managers, section supervisors, and a reliable floor director. Plus, at least one or two assistant managers to support Joel at the first store. We can’t keep relying on him for everything.” Gray sighed as he thought of it.

”I wouldn’t mind that, boss,” Joel gave a short laugh under his breath. ”It seems like we really need to work hard now. We need to make sure everything is set before the 2nd branch opens.”

”Yeah...” Gray nodded slowly. The heavy weight of the responsibility was pressing slowly on his shoulder.

Silence surrounded them for a moment. The three of them just glanced at the pile of resumes in front of them. It was something that they had yet to finish.

”Feels like we won’t have any rest this week.” Joel finally let out a dry chuckle.

”Oh right, Gray. For the regular positions, we don’t really need to overcomplicate things. Cashiers, stock clerks, baggers... as long as they meet the qualifications and pass the basics, we can bring them in for interviews right away.” Mara glanced at Gray as she thought of it.

”Mm. True.” Gray nodded. He reached for the pile and skimmed the top resume. ”We don’t have to be too strict with those. It’s the key roles that’ll need more screening.”

”So, how about this, Boss? We can set a clear line first. Two weeks from now, I should already have the full list of candidates for regular employees.”

”That works.” Gray set the file down and looked at both of them. ”While the store’s still under construction, we’ll rotate them into the first branch first.”

”You want them to start working already, Boss?” Joel blinked.

Gray shook his head lightly.

”Not really. But at least they’ll get to experience it firsthand. They should know how the first branch runs before they step into the new one. That way, they’ll understand the ins and outs.”

”That makes sense. Training them in advance will save us trouble later.” Mara nodded, understanding what Gray just said.

”Exactly,” Gray said. ”While they’re there, let’s provide them with some allowance, too. Nothing big, but enough to meet the standards. They’ll be working, after all, even if it’s just training.”

Joel gave a small smile at that, nodding. ”Alright, Boss. That sounds fair.” He paused for a moment before speaking again. ”Still, it’s going to be a lot on my plate if I have to handle all the interviews myself.”

Gray leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk.

”That’s why I’m allowing you to form a team. Don’t do it alone, Joel. Get people you trust to work with you. That way you won’t burn yourself out before the store even opens.”

Joel stared at him for a moment, then let out a short laugh.

”You really think ahead, Boss.” His voice softened a little. He was really thankful to Gray for being such an amazing boss. ”Thanks, really. I appreciate that.”

”Good. Then I’ll leave it to you.” Gray gave a faint smile.

”Yes, Boss.” Joel nodded firmly. There was a little more energy in his expression now.

Mara glanced between the two men before smirking faintly.

”Looks like the real work begins now.”

Gray leaned back in his chair again, staring at the pile of resumes.

”Yeah... and we better make sure we do it right.”

The three of them went back to sorting the files afterward.

Gray skimmed through another resume. His eyes scanned the details without much thought. His hand also moved almost on its own, jotting a note at the margin before he set it aside.

They decided to sort out the resumes already by putting the qualified ones on the table, and the unqualified at the bottom.

They worked tirelessly for an hour, but they still have so much to go through. The whole room was just filled with the sound of pages turning, pens scratching, and papers being put to the side or dropped to the floor.

Gray was also getting tired, but he didn’t let it bother him.

’I need to get as much done as possible now,’ he thought. ’If I can clear most of this before the weekend, then I’ll actually get the chance to enjoy my time with Lily and Selina... without work hanging over me.’