Back at the villa, Leo, Walker, and Ricardo were still discussing supply logistics for the grocery store in the study.
Ricardo was a bit unhappy about Walker's arrival.
But Walker's joking and light-hearted personality quickly won over the warm-hearted young man. Soon, they began reviewing procurement details.
After Leo took over the store, Ricardo had left Lynchburg and spent over ten days shuttling between New York, Richmond, and Washington to purchase goods.
"Supplies are indeed scarce. Many large warehouses clearly have stock, but the procedures are complicated. In the cities, stores have long lines outside, yet their shelves are empty. I followed your advice. Besides the standard items we could get, most of the rare goods came from the black market. But the prices were too high. If we sell them at regular prices, we'll lose money," Ricardo said, his tone heavy. He now understood why his elder brother had given up the store.
"It doesn't matter. With the store opening, we must instill a new awareness in the townspeople: that Valentino's Grocery Store is the best-stocked store in Lynchburg. We need to create an illusion — if others don't have it, Valentino's surely does. This scarcity won't last forever. Once the wartime economy fully transitions, goods will return to the market quickly. This is our best window to build consumer habits!" Leo explained.
"What do you mean by consumer habits?" Ricardo and Walker asked in confusion.
"It means that whenever someone needs to buy something, the first place they think of is our store. Ricardo, how long will our current inventory last?"
"Based on my past experience, seven days should be fine."
"The market has been short on goods for too long. I think it'll only last four days," Walker said cautiously. As someone who'd been helping his brother deliver milk and sell newspapers since the age of eight, Walker had a sharp intuition for market changes and retail supply levels.
Leo nodded and then shared his solution for supply continuity.
"I've contacted Franklin Retail. After we join their franchise, they'll provide us with supplies and marketing support. Their regional manager will arrive in Lynchburg tomorrow to discuss the terms."
"I checked them out when I was sourcing goods. But their prices aren't low either. Many small-town stores collapsed due to low purchasing power. Our neighbor left after you raised the rent, remember?"
Ricardo had a point. Their neighbor's grocery store had to move out after Leo became the landlord. Once Leo acquired the property, he reviewed the lease and realized he could raise the rent at will. He did so promptly, forcing the neighbor to leave. In the end, they received $500 in compensation and took all their inventory to another town.
That's why Franklin Retail was willing to reopen talks — they needed to re-establish a presence in Lynchburg.
Ricardo's observations were correct: Franklin Retail, once wildly popular, was now struggling amidst America's skyrocketing inflation. Leo, however, had seen in his previous life how Sam Walton founded Walmart under similar circumstances.
Sam had cleverly discovered a loophole in Franklin's contract — franchisees didn't have to purchase exclusively from headquarters. They could source supplies independently. Leo planned to do the same: join Franklin Retail, leverage their vast supplier network, and trace the supply chain upstream. He would then implement Walmart's early low-price, high-volume strategy to attract customers and rapidly grow the business.
But Leo didn't intend to share all this with Ricardo and Walker just yet.
The Next Day
Who was the most popular person in Lynchburg right now?
Ask the paperboys, and they'd tell you: God's chosen one — Desmond.
Leo applied the skills he'd developed from his failed career as an online writer in his previous life. Instead of objectively recounting Desmond's heroics on the battlefield, he sliced each of Desmond's rescues into dramatic scenes. A wounded comrade, on the brink of death — Desmond rushing in to save them. Nobody believes he can do it — but through grit and determination, he does.
That kind of sensational storytelling — male fantasy at its finest — never goes out of style.
The simple townsfolk of Lynchburg had never seen anything like this. They were completely captivated. Thanks to the buzz, Desmond's speeches were always packed. The school auditorium was no longer big enough.
Now, every sunny day, Desmond would give open-air speeches in the town square, drawing massive crowds.
Just yesterday, posters of his upcoming speech were plastered all over the streetlamps again — only this time, the speech would be in front of Lynchburg Academy. A stage was even erected overnight.
By November, Virginia's cold air had already set in. The early morning temperature was near freezing. But to get a good spot, many braved the cold and came early.
That's when they noticed a charming cart next to the stage, selling steaming cups of coffee and hot cocoa.
A long orange banner hung above it: "Three Cents a Cup."
Two cents cheaper than the local cafés.
On a cold morning, no one could resist a cup of hot coffee.
Soon, everyone was holding a cup.
Behind the cart stood Leo's mother Maria and his aunt. While serving drinks, they casually promoted Valentino's Grocery Store — "the most well-stocked store in all of Lynchburg."
Many had already noticed the uniquely designed storefront across from Lynchburg Academy. The cloud-shaped sign and the wide, warmly lit display windows drew attention.
Anyone with good eyesight could already see the neatly arranged products on the shelves inside.
As the sun rose, Desmond began his speech — dramatic and powerful, reading the script Leo had written for him. At the climax, as always, he removed his shirt, revealing his scar-covered body.
Many had seen it countless times before, yet the sight still brought tears to the eyes of many women.
After the speech, Desmond walked straight into Valentino's Grocery Store — drawing a massive crowd in his wake.
Leo had anticipated this.
Teams 2 and 4 were already stationed at the entrance, maintaining order and letting only 10 people in at a time.
This ensured a good shopping experience and created a sense of urgency and rarity.
The longer people waited, the more invested they became — determined to enter the store and shop enough to make their wait worthwhile.
But Leo's tricks didn't stop there.
He had hot water handed out to those in line.
Parents with kids were given candy to help soothe their children.
Such thoughtful gestures were unheard of in Lynchburg. The queue grew longer and longer, attracting more onlookers who joined out of curiosity.
Valentino's Grocery Store had a spectacular grand opening.
Meanwhile, many of the men who had finished shopping rushed to a table outside and shouted to Joseph:
"Come to my house first! I can't stand that damn drainage anymore!"