Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 216
"Siomai rice! Siomai rice, everyone! It's hot and steaming, perfect for travel!"
Karlos raised his voice enthusiastically as more potential customers drifted toward their makeshift stall.
Throughout his two lifetimes, Karlos had always been industrious and possessed a natural knack for sales. Back in the day, he used to sell ice candies and cigarettes on the side of a bustling, congested road.
"Are you sure this is fresh?" one prospective customer asked, raising a brow in suspicion. He was hungry, desperate to fill his stomach after sitting on a cramped bus for hours.
"100% fresh and newly cooked. Here," Karlos waved his hand expertly to waft the aromatic steam into the air. "Can you smell it? It's completely fresh and delicious." Karlos smoothly delivered his pitch.
"Indeed... now I'm actually feeling hungry. Give me one serving. How much?"
"Twenty pesos. Very affordable, right?"
Domingo, Brandon, and Andres watched in utter astonishment as Karlos effortlessly charmed the passersby, using his silver tongue to convince people to buy their siomai rice.
After careful consideration, Domingo had decided to take a gamble on his future. He quit his job.
He purchased a brand-new motorcycle alongside Andres and Gustavo, who had also bought motorcycles for themselves. While Andres and Gustavo were still practicing how to handle their motorcycles, Domingo already knew how to ride one comfortably.
With Karlos's guidance, Domingo went to a local welding shop that specialized in custom sidecars. However, instead of a passenger sidecar, Domingo had them attach a custom food cart built right onto the chassis. He wanted a mobile station where he could store his goods and serve customers on the spot.
Karlos then helped him source all the essential equipment and supplies needed for retail, such as disposable spoons and food cups.
Domingo chose to sell siomai rice because his mother's homemade siomai was exceptionally delicious and satisfying.
Whenever Karlos had free time, he happily pitched in to help his friend.
Today marked Domingo's very first day selling at the busy town bus terminal, a massive hub where hundreds of commuters constantly traveled to different towns and cities. Brandon and Andres were right there with him to lend a hand.
To everyone's shock, they sold nearly two-thirds of their entire stock in a mere two hours.
Domingo busied himself scooping warm rice into cups, while Brandon topped each portion with four hot pieces of siomai before handing them to customers. Andres managed the cash box, collecting money and handing back exact change.
Meanwhile, Karlos had zero shame and kept hollering "Siomai rice~!" at the top of his lungs, drawing in a steady stream of buyers.
"...Sold out. I honestly can't believe it." Domingo stood completely speechless. He pried open the steaming pot to confirm that every last piece of siomai was gone. Even the massive rice cooker was scraped completely clean.
"Alright, let's count the earnings and pack up so we can get some well-deserved rest."
Karlos wiped the sweat from his forehead with a grin. For him, this kind of hustle was child's play.
The four men sat down around a foldable table to count the day's profits. With their tough, intimidating presence gathered together, not a single troublemaker dared to approach or cause any trouble.
"We sold 150 orders within three hours. That's a total of 3,000 pesos. At 20 pesos an order with a 9-peso profit margin per serving, Domingo just earned 1,350 pesos."
Domingo's jaw dropped as they tallied up the final cash amount.
"This..."
As a factory truck driver, his daily salary was 700 pesos, which was already nearly double the local minimum wage. He had been in a relatively comfortable financial spot compared to most, and plenty of people envied his regular pay.
Yet he never dreamed he could make double that amount in just a few hours of selling siomai rice. Is starting a business really this easy? He recalled Karlos telling him that starting a business was the fastest route to real wealth, and it turned out his friend hadn't been lying at all.
Even Brandon and Andres looked stunned. If they weren't already making a fortune out on the open sea, they might have considered setting up a food cart themselves.
They all glanced over at Karlos... This guy was simply too good at drawing in customers, which was the main reason their inventory had cleared out so fast.
"Hehe, once you guys stop coming to help, I'm probably going to struggle to sell this much," Domingo laughed nervously, feeling a mix of happiness and anxiety.
"Don't talk like that. We've all tasted your mother's siomai rice, and it's genuinely delicious. I'm 100% sure your business is going to thrive. Trust me." Karlos said.
"But I'm not a handsome guy like you."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Karlos asked, genuinely confused.
"Didn't you notice that most of the people who bought our food were women?"
"And? So what?" Karlos looked even more perplexed.
The other three men let out synchronized sighs. After spending all this time as Karlos's close friends, they had finally realized he was completely oblivious to his own striking appearance.
The primary reason their food sold out so quickly wasn't just the product, it was Karlos's vibrant energy and handsome face acting as a magnet for customers.
The four men wrapped up, packed their gear neatly, and secured the foldable table and large umbrella onto the food cart before Domingo started up his engine.
Each man climbed onto his respective vehicle and drove back toward the beachside neighborhood.
...
...
...
True to Karlos's prediction, the business continued to flourish. Karlos and the others assisted Domingo for three straight days, and eventually, Domingo's father stepped in to help out full-time. The profit margins were so promising that the father-and-son duo made a great team running it together.
Before long, Domingo was comfortable managing the food stall alongside his father. Deeply grateful for the initial push Karlos and the group had provided, Domingo regularly gifted them bundles of dried fish as tokens of appreciation.
Even Domingo's mother was in high spirits. Being the chef behind the popular siomai boosted her self-esteem, and she felt her standing within the household rise now that she was an essential pillar of a thriving family business.
From then on, Domingo steadily earned 2,000 pesos every single day. For a household of three, that was a massive sum, 500 pesos alone was enough to comfortably feed a family for a whole week.
Domingo finally saw a bright, secure future in selling siomai rice. He grew deeply confident that he would soon have enough saved to build a proper home for himself and his girlfriend.
Little did Domingo know at the time, however, that his girlfriend never truly took him seriously. A heartbreaking revelation that would soon deal a devastating blow to his mental well-being.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]