"You all look exhausted."
Emily looked at Desmond and the others with concern.
The group glanced at Leo but said nothing. They weren't sure how much the boss's girlfriend knew about last night's events, so they decided to stay quiet.
"Sweetheart, go ask Noodles to get everyone something to eat," Leo said as he gently patted Emily's shoulder. "Everyone's definitely hungry."
Emily gave Leo a side glance—she realized her earlier probing had been noticed.
There was a distinct warning in Leo's gaze.
She wasn't someone driven by intense curiosity, but she was worried about Leo by instinct.
Since Leo clearly didn't want her to know, she simply nodded and walked over to the counter to place an order.
"Whatever happened yesterday stays with us," Leo said quietly.
Everyone agreed. None of them were fools—they understood the rules, and no one planned to break them.
Just then, Daniel's father Kevin walked in—the town's only licensed architect and a key figure in Leo's future construction company.
Unlike two days ago when he'd arrived reeking of alcohol and dust, today Kevin was dressed in a full suit and looked quite sharp.
Though on closer inspection, his suit was faded, and the toes of his leather shoes were worn smooth.
As the food began arriving, Leo spoke up about the real reason he'd gathered them:
"Let's hear everyone's research results over the past couple of days."
Everyone had already heard about Leo's plan to start a real estate company. Emily, for one, was thrilled by his ambition.
However, given her family background—even with an unreliable father—Emily understood just how hard running a company could be. She wasn't optimistic about the venture's prospects.
"I'll go first!"
Joseph said, shoveling pasta into his mouth as he pulled out a thick stack of papers from his bag.
"These are the town's population records I brought from the station.
As of August, Lynchburg has a population of 10,200.
Roughly 1,800 are under 14, about 4,500 are between 15 and 55, and 1,500 are over 55."
Leo nodded thoughtfully.
"People under 14 and over 55 aren't our market—
The young live with their parents, and the old lack the motivation or funds to renovate.
They're negligible. Our focus is the 15–55 demographic.
"And I expect that number to increase.
According to the papers, the new President has plans to scale back the military.
If that happens, a wave of veterans will be returning home.
Judging from enlistment records, we could be looking at around 5,000 people total.
"They'll be our largest customer base.
They need housing more than anyone else.
The problem is, we can't afford to take on that scale of a market just yet.
"My idea is that we start small—as a construction crew—build experience and reputation first.
As for funding, I'll take care of it."
"But how long are we talking?
Anyone in the trade can see how high the demand is from returning soldiers.
If we wait too long, we might miss the boat entirely,"
Kevin said with concern, the oldest one present.
"Estimate: two to three months," Leo replied, confidently.
He had already worked this timeline into his plan—one that included the soon-to-be-unlucky bank manager, Dick.
However, due to recent developments, he was considering accelerating things by helping Michael retrieve the $1 million to save the lumber mill.
Based on the agreed split with his father-in-law, Leo might get funds even sooner.
Leo's confidence seemed to ease the group's worries—except for Kevin, who frowned and thought Leo was underestimating just how much money real estate required.
"That's no small amount, Leo," Kevin said, his tone slightly annoyed.
"I understand. So, how's your task going?"
Leo replied, changing the subject with a subtle frown.
Kevin was dissatisfied with how Leo brushed off the question, but since his son Daniel had clearly been "brainwashed," he decided to wait until Leo failed before dragging his son back to Richmond.
Kevin pulled out a business card from his pocket.
"Toussaint Eiger. He's a decent lawyer I knew from Richmond.
Spoke with him over the phone—he can help us register the company.
Only problem: he charges $500."
"Is he reliable?" Leo asked.
"He guaranteed five days to get us registered.
Knowing him, it might take even less."
"Bring him in, Kevin."
"Coach, I've got one good and two bad updates."
Sean chimed in. "Good news: people outside town really are preparing to build or renovate.
Bad news: almost all of them are going straight to David Real Estate."
Kevin's eyes lit up.
"With their size, David Real Estate can't cover all the demand.
They'll focus on high-margin Victorian homes.
Not everyone can afford those. We could target Colonial-style homes—cheaper builds."
Sean shook his head and pulled out a newspaper, pointing to an ad.
"That's the worse news.
That guy Fox has already started his own company.
I saw two or three of his reps competing with Jones Real Estate outside of town."
"What about in town? Are David or Fox operating here?"
Leo turned to Daniel and Charlie, who were responsible for surveying the local market.
"David's got a lot of people, but they're mostly interested in the manors outside town. They don't seem eager about in-town work," Daniel replied.
Freckled Charlie added,
"Fox's company is behind Lynchburg University. Lots of people around—but all of them are angry.
Renovation schedules are backed up to next year, and they're being asked to pay deposits in advance.
I think that's our opportunity."
Charlie's comment brightened everyone's spirits.
Leo looked around—the only one still frowning was Kevin.
"What do you think, Kevin?"
Kevin said seriously,
"You're all being naive. Why do you think those two companies don't want to do work in town?
Because in-town projects are a nightmare and the profits are low.
"Residents have small budgets, small houses, and strict restrictions.
Worse yet, there are countless uncontrollable factors.
Land ownership can be murky.
"I've been in this business for years.
Making money on town projects is nearly impossible."
Kevin's words left the room in deep thought.
Joseph, however, had been observing Leo the whole time.
Seeing that his boss hadn't flinched, he asked,
"So, boss—what now?"
Everyone turned toward Leo.
"I don't believe town projects are unprofitable.
If we cut costs, we raise profits," Leo said firmly.
Kevin immediately retorted,
"That's an empty statement.
Cutting costs isn't that simple.
Every step of construction is essential. Skip one, and the whole structure could fail.
"I, for one, won't be responsible for designing a death trap—so don't count on saving money that way."