"How was the noodles, mom"
Rex asked his mother who was beside him holding his arms. They had just came out of the noodle shop.
"It was delicious"
"It would be even better if the chef had better ingredients"
Looking at his mother who was happy to find a hidden gem,
"So, are you going to help them"
"Of course, why not"
"Little Anna is so cute just like you when you were young"
"Speaking of that girl, ..."
"Mom it seems that I am able to also see the talents of others"
"Is it related to your inheritance"
"Yes, Anna, that girl has talent for business, tremendous talent"
"You should take her under your wing."
Isabella's eyebrows arched in surprise
"Does she really have that much talent?"
"Her business talent might even surpass yours"
He didn't tell her that the girl's talent was better than hers just enough to mark her interest as for the rest, he would let his mother find out about it.
Isabella froze for a moment, her lips parting in astonishment. In her family, she had been hailed as a once in a generation business prodigy. The idea that a mere child could surpass her was nothing short of shocking.
"Surpass me?" she murmured, her thoughts already spinning.
Rex smirked, knowing that his words had already planted a seed in her mind. He watched as her expression shifted from surprise to focus. Her sharp mind was undoubtedly already devising a plan to recruit the girl.
Without warning, Isabella grabbed Rex by the arm and began pulling him down the street.
"Where are we going?" Rex asked, bemused.
"To the restaurant the old man mentioned," Isabella said firmly.
When they arrived, Isabella stood in front of the establishment and looked up at the sign. Her eyes narrowed as recognition dawned.
"Do you know this place?" Rex asked, watching her carefully.
Isabella nodded slowly, her gaze unwavering.
"I do. And if it's what I think it is, then there's definitely something going on here."
"How about letting the shadows figure it out"
"That would be boring, let's go in"
"This is time for our adventure"
Isabella confidently led Rex inside the restaurant. They approached the host stand, and she requested a table for two. The host led them to a cozy spot near the window, handing them menus before departing. They waited for a while before a waiter came.
"Excuse me"
"I was curious about some of the ingredients in the dishes here. Could you tell me what you use for some of the dishes here like this one"
The waiter's polite smile faltered slightly.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but our ingredients are private and can't be disclosed."
Isabella arched an eyebrow, unfazed.
"I see. While it's understandable to withhold secret recipes, withholding all ingredient information is unusual, wouldn't you agree?"
The waiter's tone grew a bit blunt and rude,
"I'm sorry, ma'am but our establishment has made notice that we can't tell anything"
Rex's expression darkened. He placed his hand under the table, fingers curling slightly as if suppressing an urge. Isabella's hand grabbed his hand and whispered softly
"Don't" she whispered softly
"We're undercover. Don't let him sense anything"
Rex took a deep breath, his muscles relaxing. Though his murderous aura had yet to surface, he instantly settled it not letting it seep out. Not minding the rude tone, Isabella continued.
"I'm also curious about the restaurants in the area. How do they compare to yours?"
The waiter's face lit up with a sly grin.
"Oh, ours is the best by far. Especially compared to that rundown noodle place down the street"
"Their noodles are cheap and bland. Nothing like our superior taste and quality."
"I see. Thank you for sharing."
They ordered a selection of dishes and waited as the waiter departed. When the food arrived it was already quite long but both Isabella and Rex sampled the dishes. Rex leaned back after a few bites, frowning slightly.
"The food here"
Isabella finally said,
"It's only better because of the quality of ingredients used"
She wiped her lips with a napkin.
"But for those ingredients, this is the worst execution I've ever tasted"
"The chef has no skill, no understanding of what he is cooking, it's all wasted"
"And the noodles, they're cheaper, sure, but given the quality of the ingredients, it's a complete waste of money"
"I wonder if they are doing a charity cooking food like this"
"Let's return home"
Isabella was speaking very lightly but Rex could feel the anger contained in her words. Not finishing the rest, they just left after sampling the dishes. Back at the manor, in the living room, there were two figures on the sofa and in front of them was a TV displaying some kind of movie. Rex glanced at his mother who seemed to be a bit dazed not because of the movie but because of something else.
"Mom, what's on your mind"
"Is it related to the restaurant case"
"No, it's fine dear"
"You were zoning out, there is definitely something on your mind"
"Can't you tell me about it"
Looking at his resolute gaze, Isabella sighed and explained.
"Yes, it's the restaurant case, that restaurant is part of our chain. It's managed by one of my top managers but he seemed to have given the responsibility to his son."
"From the report given by the shadows, he's outright arrogant"
"He's been using the restaurant as his personal playground, making ridiculous business decision"
"Worse, he's been driving a hard bargain with property owners, refusing to offer fair prices when expanding or maintaining the chain"
"When he encounters something he likes, he uses one way or another to force the property owners to accept his ridiculous offers"
"The only reason he is able to maintain this is because he knows when to back off"
"He is afraid of the strong and only bullies those who are weaker than him"
"The ones he targets are only small property owners such as the shop of Old Colt that we visited before"
"It's part of why their business is failing"
"Those who know about it hates them, the only reason for it's customers is because of it's name, my name"
"But that's not the only problem"
"The chain hasn't been generating much revenue for years, and I never really took the time to look into it"
"Using such expensive ingredients to make dishes, if not for all the employees being useless in that restaurant, it wouldn't be possible"
"All of the employees inside have one relation or another with him and is one of the reasons why they are arrogant"
"That should not be the main reason right mom"
"Yes, it just made me realize that I don't know whom to trust and whom to not"
"I trusted his father, and this is what I get in return"
She sighed not wanting to think about it. Ever since Burton betrayed her, she has been feeling restless not knowing who to trust. She didn't show it on the surface when going out with Rex because she didn't want to worry her son over such a matter but she felt alone.
"Mom, you can trust me right"
"Of course, what kind of question is that"
This was the second time he had asked her this question. When he exposed Burton, he asked this as well. Rex reached into his pocket, pulling out a small book
"A list of people you can't trust," Rex explained.
"I visited them yesterday with the shadows"
"These are the individuals who are exploiting their positions or outright betraying your trust."
"As for these people, these are a few talented individuals who might be worth your attention"
He graded the loyalty of the people with numbers the same as what he saw with his system. Isabella looked at the book turning page after page and finally put the book down and breathed out a breath of air. For her, it felt as if a ball of stress had fallen. At the least not all of the people whom she had trusted were traitors.