(Note: Please read the Author's Notes below.)
Arlan remained silent while they were eating their food, making Hayashi Kenji inexplicably nervous. He thought that his new boss was displeased about him because he arrived late. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything when he saw that Arlan seemed to be in deep thought.
After eating their lunch, a waiter came to clean the table for them.
"Mr. Hayashi, let's begin." Arlan muttered while looking at the nervous middle-aged man.
"Yes, Mr. Roa!" Hayashi Kenji grabbed the leather briefcase and unlocked it. Inside was a folder that contains the documents that needed to be signed by Arlan.
Hayashi Kenji stood up and handed the folder to Arlan.
"Can I borrow your pen?" Arlan didn't bring a pen with him since he came here in a hurry.
"Ay, yes!" Hayashi Kenji grabbed a pen from the inner pocket of his suit. He then handed it to Arlan with both hands. "Here."
"Thank you." Arlan grabbed the pen and opened the folder.
This was an important document and the moment signed his name, Mazda Motor will officially be under his name. He took his time reading the documents and after checking that nothing was wrong, he wrote his name and signed. He then gave the folder back to Hayashi Kenji.
The middle-aged Japanese was observing him the entire time so he knew that Arlan didn't miss anything. He lightly bowed his head and extended his right hand with a smile on his face. "Congratulations, Mr. Roa! If you have any suggestions for the direction of the company, just let me know."
Arlan shook his head calmly. "I don't plan to interfere with the company's management. Just call me if there's something urgent that requires my presence." Although he was now proficient in the English language, he had no prior knowledge about leading a company and he wasn't arrogant enough to think that he was a business talent.
"Alright, Mr. Roa." Suddenly, Hayashi Kenji recalled something important and said. "By the way, the company will be holding a product launch event next month in Tokyo to introduce our newest model, the Mazda CX-90. I will send you an email about the event later. I hope that you can find some time to attend, Mr. Roa."
"Next month? Sure." Arlan has nothing planned for the next month so he agreed without hesitation. As a fan of Anime and Manga, it was his dream to visit Japan.
"Great! The company has made a customized Mazda CX-90 as a congratulatory gift for you, Mr. Roa. Just give me your home address and we will deliver it to your doorstep." Hayashi Kenji was happy that Arlan would come to the event.
Hearing this, Arlan's lips curled upwards. "Not bad. I'll send you my home address later." He was looking forward to this customized car from Mazda.
The two chatted about random matters before they bid farewell to each other.
Arlan left the restaurant in a good mood. He decided to buy more clothes before going home. He went to SM Mall of Asia, the largest mall in the country of Maharlika.
He parked his car in the underground parking lot and took the elevator. He was already familiar with this place since he would come here to take a look at the products during his rest days. At that time, he would only browse the store without the intention of buying anything.
Arlan navigated the mall with great familiarity. When he saw the store of a famous shoe brand, he stopped in his tracks and decided to take a look. He didn't lack money now so he entered the store with confidence.
All the employees quickly noticed his presence. His tall height and professional attire attracted their attention.
"Wow! He is so handsome!"
"He's so tall! Is he a basketball player?"
The female employees were excitedly whispering between themselves as they stared at Arlan with shining gazes. It was rare to see a six-foot-two guy in Maharlika, not to mention Arlan who had an above-average appearance and a fit body.
"Do you guys have size 13.5 casual shoes?" Arlan asked a male employee.
The guy was surprised when he heard Arlan speaking their local language. "Eh? I thought you were a foreigner because you're so tall! Yes! We do have a few size 13.5 casual shoes. Just wait here while I grab them for you."
Arlan chuckled when he saw the guy eagerly running towards their stock room. He took a seat while waiting for the man to come back. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed a group of brave young ladies taking pictures of him while giggling. He smiled and ignored them.
A few minutes later, the male employee came back holding six shoe boxes stacked together. "Sir, these are the only size 13.5 casual shoes available in our store. Please take a look at them and tell me if there's one you like."
Arlan didn't expect them to actually have six pairs of shoes of his size. "Sure, let me take a look at them."
The first box contained a white Nike Air Force 1. This was one of his dream shoes and his eyes flashed with joy when he saw them. As for the remaining five pairs, they were also nice so he decided to buy all six pairs. "I'll get all of them."
The male employee grinned when he heard his words. "Follow me to the counter, sir." He happily carried the six boxes to the counter and Arlan paid them without batting an eye.
"Thank you for your purchase, sir!" The slightly chubby and cute cashier smiled sweetly at him.
Arlan nodded his head and left the store. He then went to some luxury clothing brands to buy more than fifteen sets of casual and formal clothes for himself. Because he bought a lot, two female employees of LV enthusiastically volunteered to help him carry his items. Arlan didn't decline them since he really needed some help.
"That's my car. Just leave it in the backseat. Thank you for your help, beauties. You can take one stack each." Arlan handed a stack of bills to the two ladies which amounted to 200,000 pesos (4,000$).
It was a huge amount for them since their salary was only 25,000 pesos (500$) per month. Arlan's tip was about four months of their pay!
"Thank you so much, sir!" The two thanked him profusely. They had even forgotten to give him their numbers which was their goal from the start.
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