The Herb King

368  Renovation Plans

Now that he had a shop, the first thing he needed to do was to renovate the whole place. The design of the building was not up to par compared to the other stores. He wouldn't get any customers without beautifying the shop.

Aethelwolf had seen all sorts of modern buildings and shops in his past life so creating a blueprint wasn't difficult for him.

William who was watching him draw the blueprint was stunned when he saw how exquisite it was. Although it was relatively small compared to Ballard Pill Shop, the design of the building in Aethelwolf's blueprint was more impressive and elegant. "Beautiful!" He exclaimed.

Aethelwolf heard his comment, but he continued working on the design. After less than 2 minutes, a two-story building with a modern design was drawn. It has tall transparent glass walls which made the building look very inviting and interesting. This type of design was commonly used in his old world to make potential customers curious about their products. Aethelwolf borrowed this idea since it was perfect for his beauty shop.

"What do you think about this?" Aethelwolf lifted the blueprint and showed it to William.

The man was a bit surprised. He never thought that their new boss was also good at drawing. It took him a couple of seconds to calm himself down. "It's wonderful!"

Aethelwolf smiled at his response. "How much do you think would the entire renovation cost including the payment of the workers?" He asked. He now had 4 million Orbes left.

William scrunched his eyebrows as he thought deeply. "I'm not an expert in this stuff, my lord. To get a precise answer, we can ask for Red's opinion."

Hearing him mention this name, Aethelwolf was a bit surprised. Red was one of the gardeners of the Golden Lake Manor. His main task was taking care of the garden and keeping it free from pests.

When he saw Aethelwolf's doubtful look, William quickly explained. "My lord, Red was once a mason and he was also one of the people who led the construction of the Golden Lake Manor. Even if he no is no longer in the field, his words are more accurate than mine."

"Is that so?" Aethelwolf never thought that there was actually a talent among the old workers. It seems like accepting them was not a bad choice.

"Summon him here." Aethelwolf said.

"As you wish, my lord!" William bowed his head. This was an opportunity for his buddy. If he did well, their new boss might even reward him.

While William was calling Red through a communication crystal, Aethelwolf added more fine details to the blueprint. He chose neutral colors for the building. As for the furniture, he didn't see any modern furniture in the market so he had to make them by himself. Thinking about this, Aethelwolf started designing the furniture.

Twenty-five minutes later, a middle-aged man with graying hair came into the shop. His face was full of sweat and he didn't even have the time to wipe them off. "Greetings, my lord!" He greeted Aethelwolf as soon as he arrived.

This man was Red. When he received William's call, he immediately headed to this shop via horse. He didn't know what was going to happen, but from William's excited tone, Red felt that it should be something good.

Aethelwolf recognized the man. When he gained ownership of the Golden Lake Manor, he memorized the faces of his workers. With his cultivation, remembering them wasn't difficult. "I heard from William that you were once a mason and that you are an expert in construction."

Hearing this, Red was slightly taken aback, but he nodded his head. "I have some knowledge about construction." While saying this, he cast a fleeting glance at William who was standing behind Aethelwolf.

"Good! Take a look at this and tell me your thoughts." Aethelwolf handed the blueprint to Red.

Red took the blueprint and inspected the design. The building was something he had never seen before. It was a unique design that was unlike any other. The elegant-looking furniture also made him shocked. "My lord, do you want me to renovate this whole shop using this blueprint?" As a former mason, he already realized Aethelwolf's intention.

Aethelwolf nodded his head. "That's right. How much do you think we would need if we follow the design?" He asked.

Red furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at the blueprint. After pondering deeply, he replied. "My lord, the glass in this design is clear with no impurities so we need at least…"

"So based on my initial assessment, we would need roughly 2.9 million Orbes including the payment of the workers."

Aethelwolf rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He then turned his gaze to Red and said.  "Alright. I'll give you 3 million Orbes to renovate the shop according to the design. Can you do it?" This was a test for Red. If he could do well, he would give him a heavy responsibility in the future.

Red took a deep breath upon hearing this. He was only a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Esper. He had no talent in cultivation so this might be where his level would stop. His future was bleak and he would be a gardener all his life if he didn't take this opportunity. Without hesitation, Red answered. "My lord, if you're willing to entrust this task to me, I won't disappoint you."

Red didn't answer his question, but Aethelwolf liked his answer. "Good! Take this. I'll give you a month to complete the renovation. If you complete this task, I will give you more important roles in the future." He tossed a small sack filled with money to Red.

The 3 million Orbes felt so heavy for some reason, but Red was ready to take on this challenge. He was also confident that he could complete the project in less than a month. "Thank you for your trust, my lord!" He felt emotional as he uttered these words.

Aethelwolf smiled and patted his shoulder.