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Chapter 16.1: Theft and Sabotage - Part 1

  (Start of Week 22. Theo's Balance: $30,746.00)

  Week 22 - Monday

  The relentless momentum from the previous week carried directly into Week 22. Monday morning, Theo and Henry arrived before dawn, the air still cool and tinged with the promise of another busy day. Tammy arrived shortly after, slightly late, but no biggie. The weekend’s success, particularly Sunday’s sell-out, had set a new benchmark.

  "Okay," Theo said, unlocking the shop, the +1 enhanced mechanism clicking smoothly. "Two hundred was pushing it yesterday, ran out way too early. But Monday… it usually dips. Let's aim for one-fifty prep today. Should be enough to meet demand without too much waste if it's slower."

  Henry nodded, already tying his apron. "Sounds good, boss. Hey, I was thinking…" He hesitated for a moment, then plunged ahead, his usual enthusiasm tempered with a hint of creative energy. "That deep fryer is amazing, holds temp perfectly even during the rush. What if we used it for more than just chips?"

  Theo raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

  "Like… desserts!" Henry's eyes lit up. "Seriously! Deep-fried candy bars? Deep-fried Oreos? Even deep-fried ice cream? It sounds weird, but people love that stuff at fairs and stuff. Could be a killer add-on, especially with how good these fryers work."

  Theo considered it. Henry’s work ethic over the past week and a half had been exemplary. He was proactive, reliable, and genuinely seemed invested in the shop's success. Encouraging that initiative felt like a smart move. And the idea… wasn't terrible. High-margin novelty items using existing equipment? Worth exploring.

  "Alright, Henry," Theo said, pulling his wallet out. "I like the initiative. Here's a hundred bucks." He handed over the cash. "Go to Walmart or wherever after your shift, buy whatever candy bars, cookies, or ice cream you think might work. Experiment tomorrow. Let's see what happens. If it works, we figure out how to add it."

  Henry’s grin was wide. "Seriously? Awesome! Thanks, Theo! I got some killer ideas."

  Their next point of business was staffing. "One-fifty prep today feels right," Theo continued, "but we both know we were drowning this weekend even with two people. If this keeps up, we need another body, especially for evenings." He pulled out his phone, finding Olivia’s contact details from the interview notes. "I'm calling Olivia. Her attitude was right, even if she lacks food experience. We can train skills." Tammy protested a little, something about having to train another newbie from scratch, however the complaints were pretty half hearted, as she knew the help was worth it.

  He made the call. Olivia answered, her voice bubbling with cheerful energy. Theo offered her the job, explaining the hours would initially focus on evenings and weekends to help with the rush. She accepted immediately, sounding genuinely thrilled, and agreed to start on Wednesday. Theo hung up, feeling a mix of relief and apprehension. Three employees. A real team. The operational complexity, and the potential for things to go wrong, increased with each new hire.

  Monday night proved their staffing decision right. They prepped for 150, and the dinner rush was intense, almost matching Sunday's pace. Customers mentioned seeing positive reviews, friends’ recommendations. The enhanced equipment hummed along flawlessly, churning out perfect chicken and chips, but Theo, Henry and Tammy were working flat out to keep up with bagging, payments, and orders. They ended the night with 143 sales, turning away the last few customers just after closing time.

  As they were cleaning up, Theo's phone buzzed. Sarah. He quickly updated her on the continued success, thanking her again for the marketing boost. He admitted, slightly sheepishly, that he hadn't done any follow-up posting himself.

  "Theo! Consistency!" Sarah admonished playfully over the phone. "Social media forgets fast! You gotta stay top-of-mind." She quickly checked the shop's online reviews from her end. "Okay, looks like those five-stars are still prominent, keeping the buzz alive for now. But don't slack off! How about I try and swing by Thursday afternoon? I can give you guys a crash course, my way of saying sorry that I couldn’t make it last week. Maybe set up a simple posting schedule that maybe Henry or Tammy could potentially manage?"

  "Thursday? Yeah, that would be fantastic, Sarah," Theo agreed readily. Her expertise was too valuable to pass up. They confirmed a time, and he hung up, feeling grateful but also that familiar flicker of considering her potential beyond just pro-bono marketing advice.

  Henry, meanwhile, practically skipped out the door, clutching the hundred dollars, eager to embark on his dessert ingredient quest. Tammy was being Tammy, she was helpful, but was still a bit quirky and didn’t gel with Henry too well. Hopefully things will work itself out over time.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Week 22 - Tuesday

  Tuesday morning, Henry arrived with two large shopping bags brimming with potential deep-fried delights: Mars bars, Snickers, Oreos, even a carton of small, pre-scooped vanilla ice cream balls designed for quick frying. Tammy arrived shortly after, looking slightly a little stressed but still carrying an air of meticulous intensity, ie/ quirky!

  "Alright team," Henry announced proudly during the mid-morning lull. "Dessert Experimentation Phase One!"

  He carefully prepped the fryer, explaining his batter ideas (a simple tempura-style mix), and proceeded to demonstrate. He dipped a Mars bar, lowered it carefully into the perfectly hot oil (+1 enhanced fryer maintaining temperature flawlessly), and turned it with focused precision, like a scientist handling volatile chemicals. He repeated the process with an Oreo, then, most daringly, a frozen ice cream ball, working quickly to ensure the outside cooked before the inside melted completely.

  He plated the results, dusted with powdered sugar. Theo and Tammy gathered around. The deep-fried Mars bar was first. Theo took a bite. The exterior was impossibly light and crispy, giving way to a molten river of chocolate, nougat, and caramel inside. It was decadent, absurd, and undeniably delicious. The Oreo was similar, warm, soft cookie encased in crispness. The deep-fried ice cream was a minor miracle, a sphere of hot, crunchy batter yielding to still-frozen, creamy vanilla within.

  "Okay," Theo admitted, genuinely impressed. "That… is ridiculously good."

  Tammy, after carefully dissecting her portion, conceded, "The frying technique is surprisingly competent, Henry. Batter consistency is adequate. Textural contrast is… notable." High praise, coming from her.

  Henry beamed. "Right? Told you! People would love this stuff!"

  "Putting it on the menu permanently right away feels like a stretch," Theo cautioned, thinking of inventory, prep time, potential mess. "But... people definitely liked the idea of freebies last week. How about this? Let's offer these free today, just randomly, to customers who seem like they could use a pick-me-up? Gauge the reaction."

  Henry readily agreed, excited to share his creations. Around lunchtime, their first test subject arrived. A young woman, probably a college student, ordered a chicken and chips, her expression downcast, eyes red-rimmed as if she'd been crying. Jenny, her name tag on her worn backpack read. As she waited listlessly for her order, Henry caught Theo's eye, tilting his head towards the deep fryer with a questioning look. Theo gave a subtle nod of approval.

  Henry approached Jenny gently as he handed over her food. "Hey, rough day?"

  Jenny startled slightly, then offered a watery smile. "Uh, yeah. Kinda. Just… job stuff. Got rejected from like, three places this morning. Need experience to get experience, you know?" She sighed heavily. "Cost of living stuff is hitting my family hard, really wanted to find something part-time to help out."

  "Ah man, that sucks," Henry said sympathetically. "Market's tough right now. Don't give up though!" He leaned in conspiratorially. "Hey, listen. Weird question. Ever had a deep-fried Mars bar?"

  Jenny looked bewildered. "A what? Uh, no?"

  "Trust me," Henry grinned. "On the house. Might make the day slightly less crappy."

  Jenny hesitated, then shrugged. "Okay? Sure. Why not."

  Henry practically skipped back to the fryer, carefully selecting a Mars bar, dipping it in batter with intense focus, and frying it with the loving care usually reserved for Michelin-star ingredients. He flipped it expertly, ensuring every angle achieved perfect golden-brown crispiness. The +1 enhanced fryer, Theo noted, made achieving this perfection almost foolproof, maintaining heat perfectly even with the cold candy bar plunged in.

  Henry plated the dessert with another dusting of powdered sugar and presented it to Jenny. "Voila!"

  Jenny stared at the strange object, then tentatively took a bite. Her eyes widened. A slow smile spread across her face, chasing away some of the sadness. "Oh my god," she mumbled through a mouthful of gooey chocolate and crisp batter. "That's… incredible." She took another bite. "It's so warm and crispy and sweet and salty… Wow." The pure, unexpected pleasure seemed to genuinely lift her spirits. "Thank you," she said sincerely to Henry, finishing the last bite. "I… I think I might have a sweet tooth now."

  As Jenny gathered her things, a thought sparked in Theo’s mind. Opportunity. He stepped over. "Excuse me, Jenny?"

  She looked up, surprised. "Yeah?"

  "Overheard you talking to Henry," Theo said, keeping his tone casual but direct. "About looking for part-time work? You mentioned needing experience." He gestured around the shop. "Look, it's a chicken and chips shop. Not glamorous like retail, definitely not corporate. But we're actually hiring right now, getting busier. If you're serious about wanting work, willing to learn… I could offer you a trial run. Evenings, weekends mostly."

  Jenny stared at him, then at Henry, then back at Theo, stunned. "Seriously? You'd… hire me? Even with no experience?"

  "Everyone starts somewhere," Theo said simply. "Attitude matters more. And your willingness to help out the family, definitely earned you some points. Interested?"

  Tears welled up in Jenny’s eyes, but this time they weren't sad ones. "Yes! Oh my god, yes! Thank you! So much!"

  "Okay," Theo smiled faintly. "Think about what hours might work with your studies, give me a call tomorrow or the next day to confirm."

  Jenny practically floated out of the shop, clutching her chicken and chips. Henry gave Theo a thumbs-up. Tammy, however, who had observed the exchange silently while meticulously wiping down the counter, wore a tight-lipped expression. Theo caught her slight eye-roll as she turned away. Great, he thought wryly. Another trainee for Tammy to be subtly critical of. And probably doesn't approve of the free dessert either. He was getting used to her quirks, but her negativity was a constant low-level hum.

  They ended Tuesday with 140 sales, the momentum holding steady. The free deep-fried desserts were a smash hit, every customer offered one reacted with delighted surprise, raving about the unexpected treat. Theo and Henry agreed, desserts needed to go on the menu, officially, starting next week.

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