The Strongest Businessman

After rechecking the number of herbs he got, Dylan went to the front yard where his employees were training. When the employees saw Dylan , they stopped training first before greeting him.

"Goodmorning, sir Dylan!" The employees greeted.

"Goodmorning to you guys as well. So I have an important announcement to make." Dylan smiled.

"What is it, sir Dylan?" Ronald took the initiative and asked.

"We're going back to Business." Dylan smiled.

"Really?!" Everyone was shocked but revealed an expression of extreme happiness after.

"So what type of business is it gonna be sir Dylan?" Beverly asked.

"It's a herbal shop." Dylan smiled confidently.

"But sir Dylan, although it can earn us a fair amount of money, but shouldn't we do business that are the trends in the Thunder Clouds City so that we will be able to gain a lot more since they earn more in the present?" Larry inquiried.

"You're right that would be the typical approach to earn better money but we don't have enough money and resources to sustain these types​ of businesses​ especially auction and pill refinement. For auctioning, it is a necessary that the auctioned goods are rare and scarce for it to be a hit that is why owners of auction houses require their men to venture to dungeons and tombs in order to find precious artifacts. Currently, we don't have the manpower and resources to do so because we still lack in strength and we are ignorant to the whereabouts of dungeons and tombs. For pill refinement, we don't have an Alchemist or a group of Alchemists to support us and provide pills. Therefore, it is currently impractical to do so." Dylan elaborated.

"You're right, sir Dylan. I'm sorry." Larry apologized.

"It's alright. Currently, the business which is most applicable in our current condition is herb selling. I have already made a step by step plan which we'll deliver effective and stable results. I know that in one to two months time, we will be able to make this business rise to the top 10 of the businesses within this city." Dylan reassured.

"Two months? That's quite a lot slower than your usual pace of doing things, sir Dylan." Jack joined in.

"It's because I learned from my mistakes of rushing the development of the business back in Soaring Cloud City." Dylan replied.

"Mistakes? How?" Arnold spoke.

"It was a mistake because I rushed the development of Gardenford Restaurant that it threatened the positions of the businesses back at the Soaring Cloud City. Although not many voiced out, I realized that there would definitely be some people, particularly businessmen, who will feel jealous and frustration. That was why Andrew Vigor challenged me to a business war. And if it weren't for that, none of those terrible things would have happened." Dylan gritted his teeth as he remembered.

"But now I will do things differently. I will never repeat the same mistake again! I have made this plan of mine to a method that will make the city accept our new business in less than two months. So please help me, everyone. Help me create this business that we are going to establish!' Dylan raised his fist as he spoke those encouraging words.

The employees now understood where Dylan was coming from. Dylan's act of raising his fist have confidence and self-esteem to his employees that was paired with bright and meaningful smiles. As they replied, "Yes, sir!!!"

"So, sir Dylan, what's the name of the new business?" Maria asked.

"Soaring Herbal Gardens." Dylan replied.

"Nice name." Arnold smiled.

"It's like both a commemoration to the Gardenford Restaurant and the Soaring Cloud City which was both destroyed during that battle." Larry spoke approvingly.

"It's like it's depicting us. Since we have already hit rock bottom, the only way we can go is up and soar to greater heights." Rick praised.

"We'll work hard on making this business the best there is!" The employees smiled.

"Thank you for the heart and loyalty you've shown to me all this time. Just like I promised, we'll create a business that will shake the whole country! So please bear with me every single step to rising to the top as the greatest business of all." Dylan strongly believed he can do everything he stated as he clenched his right fist and placed it on the left side of his chest which lifted the hearts of his employees.

If anyone else were to say this, he​/she would sound like a braggart or a politician. But to the employees, they believed every word because the one who uttered them was their boss', Dylan Ford.

"So gather up and listen well, everyone. These are the things we must do beforehand." Dylan spoke with a gesture to compress everyone​.

After the discussion, Dylan assigned everyone a specific task that they must do. They were divided into 4 groups. The first group was the group that Dylan assigned to buy an abandoned store which was cheap. The second group was the one assigned to buy materials that they still lacked for the renovation of the store. The third group was the one who was responsible for changing the designs of the uniforms. The fourth was delegated by Dylan to buy a lot of Mid Spirit Rank Herbs that we'll be used as commodities. All of these tasks reduced the remaining 50,000 gold coins on them to 20 gold coins.

After the first group finished their job, they regrouped with the second​ group to guide them to the new workplace and help them in their reconstruction of the store. The store they bought​ was 25 feet wide, 30 feet long and 2 storeys​ high. It also had a small garden on its front yard. It was formerly a herbal store as well but since it didn't get enough customers, the owner abandoned it and changed businesses ten years ago. Thus, it took quite some time to improve the structure of the building.

It took 2 hours for the store to be fully cleaned and sanitized while it took another two hours for the store to be renovated into a brand new store according to the blueprints which Dylan conceptualized but drawn by the employees who were proffecient in architecture and design.

The store had five glass display cases which had four sections for herbs to be placed and displayed which was common containers for selling herbs. The glass were cleaned​ well so that transparency is clear and the concrete store floors were sturdy and flat to prevent any instance of floors being destroyed like what happened to Robert Bobman. The walls and ceilings were finely painted. The door was also renovated to branching flower like designs.

After this, the store pate was all finished and was setup above the entrance of the store. The third group also arrived to the store and distributed the newly made uniforms. The uniforms were no longer designed for waiters and waitresses rather they were now for salesman and saleswoman. It was a dignified outfits​ like a white polo and black slacks for men and white blouses and black skirts for women.

After dressing up, they all displayed the Mid Spirit Rank Herbs that Dylan assigned the fourth group to buy. There were 45 varieties of herbs with 20 herbs for each kind of herb. Forty-five herbs were placed in the display case to be showcased to the customers that would come to the store. They also got another 15 variety of herbs from the bandit troupe with more than 10 herbs for each one. These were also stored together with the newly bought herbs.

Dylan walked to a display case and put something inside.

"Sir Dylan, what are you putting​ in the display case?" Rick asked.

"Herbs, of course." Dylan replied.

"Herbs? But what type of herbs?" Larry inquiried.

"High Spirit Rank Herbs." Dylan calmly stated as he continued placing the herbs to the display case.

"High Spirit Rank Herbs?!" Everyone was dumbfounded. Did the fourth group buy those?

"What do you mean, sir Dylan? We did not buy any High Spirit Rank Herbs because they were too expensive." Ronald admitted. He did not remember any type of High Spirit Rank Herbs that they bought because that kind of herb is nearly 100 gold coins a piece!

"What? You guys did not buy it? Then where did, sir Dylan get those herbs?" Allana asked.

" I don't know." Ronald replied with confusion written on his face. He was the leader of the fourth group and he triple checked the herbs they bought before arriving at the Soaring Herbal Gardens.

"Maybe it was from the bandit troupe we destroyed." Tom interjected.

"No, that could be it I was with sir Dylan when he made a logistics about the loot we gained and I am sure that there were no High Spirit Rank Herbs at all." Jack told Tom.

"Calm down, everyone. These High Spirit Rank Herbs were things I found when I ventured to the jungle several weeks ago." Dylan came up with an excuse but still showed calmness and serenity in his expression and voice.

"Really? Are you sure? Maybe you're joking, aren't you, sir Dylan?" Arnold was a bit doubtful to Dylan's words.

Although they had unwavering faith and loyalty to him, finding a bunch of high ranked herbs in a forest while being a cripple is kind of farfetched. Although Dylan was able to restore his cultivation after his retreat, it was still kind of hard to believe that he would find these high ranked herbs.

"That's right. Maybe you are just messing with us, sir Dylan." Allana pouted.

"No, I'm not. You can see it for yourselves." Dylan spoke while scratching his head while moving aside to make way for his employees to see the herbs inside.

The employees came running and was shocked by what they saw. It was true. There was 20 kinds of High Spirit Rank Herbs in the display case that Dylan just used.

"No way!"

"Is that a Gold-petaled Fruit?!"

"A Silverdust Flower?!"

" Dawnheart Lotus?!"

"Flame Core Fruits?!"

"Snowflake Pollens?!"

"Sky Spirit Grass?!"

"Wild Savage Vines​?!"

"..."

The employees were able to identify one High Spirit Rank Herb after the other because they too read the book that Tom bought for Dylan. They were amazed of how these herbs were in front of them right now. Each and every single one of these herbs could help them become stronger and faster by just ingesting them. What Dylan said was true and none of them believed him. This made them​ extremely bad and guilty about what they did.

"Sir Dylan, we.." The employees felt ashamed for doubting Dylan.

"It's okay. I understand your doubt. Even I found it hard to believe that I found these." Dylan showed his understanding to Arnold and the others. He knew it would be quite a great shock to the employees and they will find hard to believe but he still chose to tell them because of the bond that Dylan and his employees shared.

"But, sir, even though we got these high quality herbs, we still won't be able to sell because we don't have any clients and we are unpopular and unknown to the city folk." Larry raised a question.

"Don't worry. I already told you, didn't I? I have a plan." Dylan merely smiled to Larry.