Suddenly, I Am Rich
Chapter 66: The Janitor

Chapter 66: The Janitor

One thing Gray despised more than anything was seeing people abuse their power.

Gray’s mood, which had been calm and composed earlier, now turned sour. It brought him back to sad memories. Memories of his life when he was still scrambling for work. Memories of when he thought about killing himself because he got fired without a reason.

That situation was no different from the situation right now.

Gray stood up slowly from the chair. He grabbed the folder, placed it under his arms and stepped out of the office without uttering a single word.

The fluorescent lights of the back hallway flickered slightly overhead as he walked, his shoes tapping against the tiled floor.

Once he pushed through the double doors into the main store, he paused at the edge of the aisle, letting his eyes wander around. Customers moved in and out the rows of shelves, some comparing prices, others loading up baskets with the day’s necessities.

The staff also moved around, stocking items, assisting shoppers, and standing by the checkout counters. Then, his eyes were directed to the man with a bulging stomach at the side. Will wasn’t doing anything but sitting idly, even using his phone.

Gray’s expression was unreadable.

"I got some cleaning to do, huh?" he muttered to himself.

Gray just stood by the door. He didn’t approach anyone directly. He just continued to simply observe. In silence, he started walking around, trying to blend in with the crowd.

Wherever he stood, he kept a quiet eye on how things were running. He wasn’t looking for mistakes. Instead, he was trying to see how the place ran.

Then, as he passed near the front of the store, his gaze caught on someone.

A janitor, wearing a faded blue uniform, was pushing a dust mop slowly down the tiled floor. He was an older man, maybe in his late fifties. His back was slightly hunched, and his movements were slow but experienced.

The janitor paused when he noticed that someone was looking at him. His eyes widened a little when he recognized from who it was.

"Oh! Sir!" he said quickly, straightening his back a bit. "Good morning, Sir. I didn’t see you there. What brings you out on the floor?"

The corner of Gray’s lips rose into a small smile.

"I’m just taking a look around."

The janitor smiled, still holding his mop.

"Ah, right. First day and all that."

"You’ve been here a while?" Gray glanced at the floor, then back up at the man.

"Nearly seven years," the janitor replied proudly. "Since the store was opened. Back then, the freezer aisle still used to leak every Tuesday."

"Sounds like you’ve seen it all." Gray chuckled softly.

"Pretty much," the man said, nodding.

"Do you mind if I ask something off the record?"

The janitor blinked, then shrugged.

"Off the record? Sure, Sir."

Gray leaned lightly against a nearby pillar. His voice dropped just slightly.

"How’s the management been running this place?"

The janitor let out a long, tired breath. It looked as if he had a lot to say but nothing at the same time.

"Oh..." he muttered, glancing over his shoulder as if to make sure no one was listening. "It’s... alright. I mean, the job gets done. Shelves are stocked. And we get customers."

"But?"

The man shook his head.

"But it’s just that... people don’t rarely anymore," the old man uttered as if saying a secret to Gray.

With the answer, Gray can’t help but frown.

"What do you mean?"

"Tsk, tsk," the old man shook his head as if disappointed that Gray didn’t get what he meant.

"You know, the employees come in and do their work, and then they leave. You can tell everyone’s walking on eggshells. Especially when Mr. Will’s around."

Gray remained silent on the side, letting the man continue.

"You know when the guy was still not here? Me and the others used to joke around and you know... eat together during breaks. We also help each other out when it got bus. But now? We can’t do that anymore."

"What do you mean, not anymore? Isn’t that basic knowledge? You can’t possibly work without talking to others, especially in your line of work. That’s illegal."

"Tsk, tsk," The old man shook his head again.

"You don’t get it. We don’t have a choice. Anyone who speaks up gets threatened with a pay cut... or worse, losing their job."

"..."

"Oh yeah. Ever since Will started, he acted like he owned the place." The janitor’s grip on his mop tightened slightly. "I don’t have anything personal against the guy since I don’t really talk to him, but he talks big game. He always acts like he’s the one running everything. He also takes credit for things he didn’t do and blames others when stuff goes wrong."

Gray’s jaw tightened.

He didn’t speak right away. Instead, his eyes drifted toward the side aisle again, where Will was still slouched in the chair near the customer service desk, scrolling casually on his phone like he was not at work.

Everything the janitor had said lined up too well with what Gray had already seen.

"Has anyone ever tried reporting him?" He turned back to the janitor, his voice low.

The janitor laughed out loud as if Gray was saying a joke.

"To who? Most of the upper management only visits once in a while. They see the sales numbers and hear Will talk all smooth, so they think the store’s doing great. There’s no one to report it to. Not without getting in trouble."

Gray’s grip on the folder under his arm tightened.

"Thank you for telling me," he said quietly. "What’s your name?"

"Name’s Henry, Sir. Henry Silvo."

"Well, Henry," Gray said, offering his hand, "I appreciate your honesty. And just so you know... things are going to change."

"Huh?" Henry blinked, surprised at the handshake.

"Don’t worry about it."

[Ding!]

[New Mission Unlocked!]

The system chimed as soon as Gray said the words.

[Mission: Put Your Business Back In Order.]

Objective:

-Find more evidence of the management’s misconduct.

-Fire all the people involved.

[Time Limit: 14 Days]

[Reward: +3 Power | +3 Influence | +$5,000 Wealth]

[Bonus Reward: Employee’s Trust.]

[Once accomplished, a new mission will automatically trigger.]