Ron was momentarily stunned, then remembered—Mia had mentioned earlier that Lyle would be returning in the next few days.
This dwarf, who once ran a traditional barbecue shop in the City of Chaos, now possessed wealth exceeding a thousand gold coins just from dividends and a fixed salary.
Something he would never have dared to imagine before.
And from the time he left the City of Chaos until now, only about five months had passed.
Back then, he barely made a few dozen silver coins a month.
Even after using Ron's seasoning formula, his monthly net income might have reached just over ten gold coins.
Yet now, in just a few months, Lyle—who had left behind his small barbecue shop—had completely turned his life around.
"Let's go. Haven't seen him in a while—it's a good chance to catch up," Ron said, heading out.
"Mia and I will stay here a bit longer," Eileen said with a smile.
Ron waved them off, then looked at Nora before leaving the control room.
"I'll bring you dinner later. Barbecue okay?"
"Mm." Nora nodded obediently.
"Ew~" Mia fanned her nose dramatically in mock disgust.
Ron shot her an annoyed look. "Figure out your own dinner then. I'm leaving."
Leaving the venue, Ron boarded one of the recently delivered Element Vehicles and instructed the driver to head toward the hotpot restaurant on Central Street of Peace Square.
Although the Element Vehicles had arrived in the Royal Capital for several days, their usefulness was… limited.
The streets were crowded—packed with people and traffic.
There was no room to speed freely.
Their power was essentially wasted, making them no different from ordinary carriages.
Comparing the two, Ron realized—
Element Vehicles were far better suited for intercity travel, not urban transportation.
Unless the Royal Capital widened its roads and established proper pedestrian and vehicle lanes—
These vehicles would never truly shine within the city.
This issue was less severe in Tansen City.
Though smaller in size and with narrower roads, its lower population made the streets feel more spacious.
So once Ron officially acquired Tansen City as his territory, he planned to widen the roads and pave the way for a full public transport system.
Lost in thought, Ron soon arrived at the hotpot restaurant.
It was around 4 PM—not yet dinner time—so the restaurant was mostly empty.
Most employees were gathered in neat rows before Lyle.
New staff didn't recognize him, but the veterans all knew—
This dwarf, though not human, held more authority than anyone except Ron André and Mia.
He had been absent recently because he'd been dispatched across the East, North, and South to expand the business.
Many employees had already been reassigned to assist in those regions.
Some had even become branch managers.
And branch managers received a share of profits—not just fixed wages.
So when news spread that Lyle needed people for the Western Region, even though it was less developed, many employees were eager for the opportunity.
"I've had your performance evaluated and ranked," Lyle said, holding a list.
"I'll go from the top down. If you're willing to follow me to the Western Region, step behind me."
"If you want to stay in the Royal Capital, just decline."
"This won't affect your position—choose freely."
While the opportunity was attractive, not everyone wanted to go.
Some had families in the Royal Capital, others had responsibilities they couldn't leave behind.
Ron watched quietly from a corner, not interrupting.
Half an hour later—
Lyle had gone through over thirty employees.
About fifteen or sixteen now stood behind him.
Seeing one more step forward, Lyle counted briefly and closed his list.
"That's enough."
"Those coming with me, settle this week's wages. Future pay will come from the Western branches."
"The rest of you—get ready for the dinner crowd."
Some employees who hadn't even been called yet sighed in disappointment.
Even though many had declined earlier, Lyle only selected a small group.
Still, for Lyle, a dozen people were enough.
Once in the West, they would recruit local staff.
That not only helped with labor but also built goodwill with local authorities.
Watching this, Ron felt a bit emotional.
The once straightforward, cheerful dwarf had grown into someone capable of leading on his own.
The selection process was smooth and efficient.
Clearly, the past few months had changed him a lot.
"Ron André?" Lyle finally noticed him after finishing his instructions.
"Long time no see," Ron said with a smile, gesturing for him to sit.
"Haha!" Lyle laughed, scratching the thinning hair on the back of his head as he sat down, clearly delighted.
"It really has been a while. I've been running all over the place—barely had time to come back."
A staff member brought over two cups of ale.
Ron took a sip.
"I thought it'd take at least a year to expand nationwide. You're about to finish in under six months."
Lyle took a big gulp, exhaled in satisfaction, and leaned back.
"These past months have been the most fulfilling time of my life."
"I never imagined I'd become who I am today."
"Once the Western Region is done, we'll have completed our original goal."
"If nothing goes wrong, I'm confident we can secure the Western market by mid-April."
Ron clinked cups with him, then asked casually:
"So… once the West is done, what's your plan?"