C257 The Warehouse

The sun shone brightly over the Wood Residence, filling the mansion with warmth and life. Breakfast had already ended. Kelvin folded the newspaper he had been reading before looking at Tracy. "Shall we go now?" Tracy nodded with a smile. "We might as well. Ben has been waiting for this money for days." Kelvin stood up and picked up his car keys. "Let's get this done before the bank gets busy."

Just then, Ben hurried downstairs dressed casually, unable to hide his excitement. "Dad, Mom, you're leaving already?" Kelvin smiled. "Yes. Didn't I tell you yesterday that we'd deposit the money first thing this morning?" Ben nodded eagerly. "Thank you, Dad." Kelvin patted him on the shoulder. "I hope this casino becomes your first successful business." "It will," Ben replied confidently. "Natalie and I have already discussed everything. We'll make it work."

Kelvin laughed. "I hope you've actually discussed business and not just romance." Ben rolled his eyes. "There we go again." Kelvin smiled again as he turned to Ben. "As soon as the transfer is complete, you should start looking for a suitable location." Ben nodded excitedly. "I'll call Natalie right away." After Kelvin and Tracy left, Ben immediately took out his phone. The call connected after only a few rings. "Honey." Natalie's cheerful voice came through the speaker. "Good morning."

Ben smiled. "Good morning." "My parents have gone to transfer the money." "I was thinking..." "Why don't we start looking for a location today?" Natalie sounded equally excited. "That's a good idea." "I'm at the shopping mall right now." "Come pick me up." "I'll be there in ten minutes." "See you soon." Ben quickly grabbed his car keys and rushed outside. Less than fifteen minutes later, Ben arrived at the shopping mall.

Natalie was already waiting near the entrance. She smiled warmly before getting into the passenger seat. "Good morning." Ben leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Ready to become a business owner?" Natalie laughed. "I've been ready." After fastening her seatbelt, she asked, "So..." "What kind of place are we looking for?" Ben started the engine. "It has to be somewhere close." "Close to your family?" Natalie asked.

Ben nodded. "I don't want to drive long distances every night." "If something happens at home, I should be able to get there quickly." Natalie thought for a moment. "Then we should focus on properties within the city." Ben agreed. "Exactly." The two began driving through different commercial districts. Their first plan was simple. Buy an existing bar. If they could purchase one already operating, they could renovate it into a casino and save both time and construction costs.

Unfortunately... Things didn't go as smoothly as they had hoped. The first owner immediately shook his head. "I'm sorry." "This business has belonged to my family for nearly twenty years." "I'm not selling." The second owner laughed before they could even finish explaining. "You'd have to offer me three times its value before I'd even think about selling." The third owner simply said, "Not interested."

After nearly two hours of searching, they sat silently inside Ben's car. Ben sighed deeply. "I didn't expect everyone to love their businesses this much." Natalie smiled. "Maybe it's a good sign." "What do you mean?" "It means businesses in this city are profitable." Ben chuckled. "I suppose that's true." Natalie suddenly snapped her fingers. "I have an idea." Ben looked at her. "Instead of buying a bar..." "Why don't we buy a warehouse?" Ben blinked. "A warehouse?"

Natalie nodded enthusiastically. "Think about it." "We'll renovate it however we want." "We won't have to remove someone else's decorations." "We'll design everything ourselves." Ben smiled. "That actually makes sense." The two immediately searched online for warehouses available for sale before visiting several properties. Some were too small. Others were too far outside the city. One was in terrible condition. Finally... They arrived at a large warehouse on the edge of the business district.

The owner welcomed them inside. The building was old but spacious. The ceiling was high. The parking area was surprisingly large. Natalie slowly walked around, inspecting every corner. Dust covered most of the floor. Broken shelves lined the walls. Some lights no longer worked. She frowned. "This place needs a lot of work." The owner crossed his arms. "It hasn't been used for years." "But the structure is still solid."

Ben quietly imagined the building transformed into a luxurious casino. Poker tables. Slot machines. Elegant lighting. Private VIP rooms. The more he imagined it... The more he liked it. Finally, he asked, "How much?" The owner answered without hesitation. "Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars." Natalie's eyes widened immediately. "What?"

She pointed around the warehouse. "For an empty building?" "Look at this place." "It isn't even clean." "The roof probably leaks." "The walls need repainting." "We'll spend another fortune renovating it." The owner shrugged. "That's my price." "If you don't like it..." "You don't have to buy it." "I've had several people asking already." "I simply haven't accepted their offers." Natalie folded her arms. "I think the price is too high."

The owner looked at Ben instead. "So..." "Are you buying it or not?" Ben remained silent for a few seconds before finally smiling. "We'll take it." Natalie immediately turned toward him. "Ben!" "You've already decided?" Ben nodded confidently. "Yes." "The location is perfect." "We can renovate everything else." Natalie lowered her voice. "But..." "The money hasn't even reached our account yet."

Ben smiled reassuringly. "My father and mother are at the bank right now." "They're transferring the investment." "As soon as it reflects..." "We'll come back." The owner nodded. "Very well." "I'll reserve it." "But only for seven days." "If you don't return with the money within a week..." "I'll sell it to the first buyer who pays cash." Ben extended his hand. "That's fair." The two men shook hands.

As they walked back toward the car, Natalie remained unusually quiet. Ben smiled. "What are you thinking?" She forced a small smile. "Nothing." "I'm just calculating how much the renovations might cost." Ben laughed. "We'll figure it out together." Natalie nodded, but inside, an entirely different plan had already begun taking shape. As they drove back toward the city, she finally broke the silence. "Ben..." "Could you drop me back at the shopping mall?" "I still have a few things I need to do."

Ben didn't think twice. "Of course." "I'll pick you up later if you need me." Natalie smiled sweetly. "No need." "I'll manage." Ben smiled back, completely unaware that the decision to leave her at the mall would soon become the biggest mistake of his life.