Chapter 147 Partners in Ambition
Mia set down her half-eaten slice of pizza on the waxed paper and wiped her hands with a napkin. Her posture changed, the lightheartedness from a moment ago fading as she looked straight across the table at Veyra. Her dark eyes were serious, her voice dropping down to a quiet, earnest tone.
"The heavy class schedule wasn’t the real reason," Mia said softly.
Veyra blinked, catching the change in her mood. "What do you mean?"
"The real reason I haven’t started my own shop is money." Mia folded her hands together on the laminate table, her knuckles slightly pale. "I don’t have startup capital. I can’t get a bank loan because I have no collateral, and my family certainly doesn’t have the kind of savings to back me if things go south."
Veyra listened quietly, letting her speak without interruption.
"A basic franchise fee alone costs hundreds of thousands of money," Mia continued, a tinge of bitterness tracing her words. "Even if I found someone willing to partner up, I would still need to put down a massive chunk of money. And if the business failed, my parents would be left carrying that debt. I couldn’t do that to them."
She shook her head with a heavy sigh, looking down at her hands.
Veyra nodded slowly. She knew that exact feeling all too well, the suffocating weight of ambition blocked by a complete lack of funds, feeling trapped in place simply because you didn’t have the cash to take a leap.
"I know what that feels like," Veyra said gently. "Having all the drive in the world, but not having the resources to take a real chance."
Mia looked up, her gaze curious. "You do?"
"I really do." Veyra leaned slightly across the table, keeping her voice low so it wouldn’t carry toward the other shop patrons. "What if I told you that’s the exact reason I brought all of this up today?"
Mia tilted her head, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I want to partner with you," Veyra said directly, her tone cool and steady.
Mia blinked, stunned. "Partner?"
"To launch our own specialty milk tea shop." Veyra laid it out plainly. "I have the startup capital ready to go. I have the core formulas and recipes. I have the overarching business concept."
She paused for a second, letting the words sink in.
"And you have the actual operational skills. You know how the daily routine works, how to deal with suppliers, and how to keep a store running smoothly. Together, we fill each other’s gaps."
Mia sat frozen, staring at her as if trying to figure out if this was some kind of elaborate practical joke. "You are actually serious."
"I am completely serious."
Mia opened her mouth to speak, closed it, and then opened it again. "You want to open a shop... with me?"
"Yes."
"Using your money and my hands-on experience?"
"Exactly."
A wild surge of emotions crossed Mia’s face in the span of three seconds, shock, disbelief, sudden hope, and overwhelming excitement. Her eyes began to glisten, her lower lip trembling slightly as the reality hit her.
Before Veyra could say another word, Mia burst into tears.
Veyra’s eyes widened in surprise. "Mia—"
Mia scrambled out of her side of the booth, leaned over the small table, and threw her arms around Veyra’s shoulders, squeezing her tightly.
"Thank you," Mia choked out between soft sobs, her voice muffled against Veyra’s coat. "Thank you so much."
Veyra sat stiffly for a moment, completely unused to such raw affection, before gently wrapping her arms around Mia to return the hug. "It’s alright. We’re going to make this work."
When Mia finally pulled back, her cheeks were streaked with tears, but she was laughing through the crying. "I’m sorry, I’m just, I can’t believe this is actually happening right now."
Veyra smiled warmly at her. "It is definitely happening. Wipe your face."
Mia grabbed a tissue, blowing her nose and scrubbing her wet eyes, her voice still trembling with adrenaline. "Okay, okay. What do we need to do first?"
Veyra pulled out her phone, unlocking it and opening a fresh blank note file.
"First off, we need a physical location," Veyra outlined, tapping the screen. "It needs to be a spot with heavy foot traffic, preferably near a high school, a university campus, or a busy office complex."
Mia nodded eagerly, her tears completely forgotten. "I can start scouted areas tomorrow during my breaks. I know a few streets nearby that always have tons of students."
"Second, we need to finalize the interior look, the layout, and the overall brand identity."
"I actually have a notebook at home full of sketches," Mia admitted, her cheeks dimpling with a grin. "I’ve been drawing layout ideas for years just for fun."
Veyra smiled. "Then I’ll leave the design side of things entirely in your hands."
Mia’s brows shot up. "You are handing that much control over to me?"
"You are the one who knows what works behind a counter," Veyra replied calmly. "I handle the money and the chemistry. You handle the customer experience."
Mia shook her head in sheer wonder. "This is absolute madness."
"No, this is business."
Reaching into her side leather bag, Veyra pulled out a yellowed, folded piece of paper. The paper was worn soft around the creases, its edges slightly frayed from years of being tucked away.
She unfolded it carefully and smoothed it down on the table between their juice glasses.
Mia leaned over, inspecting the sheet closely. "What is this?"
"A foundational milk tea recipe," Veyra said softly, eyeing the handwritten notes. "I put this together years ago under the guidance of a very smart teacher. It is going to be the signature drink for our entire menu."
Mia stared down at the small, neat handwriting detailing precise temperatures, ingredient proportions, and specific steeped times.
"You wrote this whole compound breakdown yourself?" Mia asked, looking up in sheer awe.
"I did."
Mia scanned the precise ratios, her eyes widening as she recognized the logic behind the balance. "This structure is brilliant. The flavor profile must be insanely smooth."
"We can tweak the sweetness levels and test out modern toppings," Veyra said. "We will run a few trial batches to make sure it hits the sweet spot for current market tastes."
"I can definitely help with the taste testing," Mia offered confidently. "I’ve crafted enough daily drinks to know what the younger crowd keeps ordering."
"Perfect." Veyra carefully refolded the yellowed paper and tucked it safely back into her bag.
"If we want to hit the market at the best possible time," Veyra continued, looking Mia in the eye, "we need to open doors before the upcoming academic term starts. That gives us roughly two months to pull everything together."
Mia went slightly pale, her breath hitching. "Two months? To find a location, renovate, get permits, and launch?"
"Two months," Veyra repeated, her tone leaving zero room for doubt. "The timeline is tight, but if we stay focused, it is completely doable."
Mia took a slow, deep breath, puffing out her cheeks before squaring her shoulders. The hesitation vanished, replaced by a fierce spark of resolve.
"I’ll do it," Mia said firmly, her voice clear and strong. "I will make sure every single detail gets done on time."
Veyra studied her face, taking in the raw determination radiating from her new business partner. A deep sense of satisfaction settled in her chest.
"Good," Veyra said with a sharp nod. "Now, let’s talk about your base salary and your equity share.”