Chapter 14 - Upgraded #2
Design requirements.
Then—
I scheduled a meeting.
Not because I needed to look impressive.
Because recurring business deserved actual scope discussion.
Wild.
The owner came Friday afternoon.
Woman.
Early thirties.
Professional.
Straightforward.
We sat at the little admin area.
She looked around.
"Small setup."
"Yes."
"You handle all production here?"
"For current volume."
"Can you handle three branches?"
"Depends on monthly requirements."
She smiled slightly.
Good.
Right answer.
We discussed volume.
Higher than our current average.
Still manageable with the new equipment.
Barely—
if recurring schedule was planned.
Not manageable if they expected random next-day production.
So I said that.
"If we set regular cutoff dates and forecasts, yes."
"And rush?"
"Limited."
"How limited?"
"Depends on quantity and current queue."
She nodded.
No offense.
No drama.
Just business.
Amazing what happened when you stopped promising impossible things.
Then she asked pricing.
I gave it.
She didn't immediately negotiate.
Suspiciously refreshing.
Instead—
"If volume goes up?"
"We can review tiered pricing based on actual monthly quantity."
"Not now?"
"Not before we have data."
She looked at me.
Then smiled.
"Fair."
I liked her.
Business-like.
No nonsense.
No flowers.
No excellent nose analysis.
Peaceful.
She left with samples.
No signed contract.
No dramatic deal.
Just—
We'll discuss internally.
Fine.
Current Lia knew not every meeting closed.
That was business.
No need to mentally spend revenue that did not exist yet.
At five-fifty that Friday, my phone buzzed.
Jane.
I ignored it.
Assistant One looked at me.
"Ma'am."
"What?"
"Friend?"
"Yes."
"Pretty?"
I stared.
They covered their mouth.
Assistant Two turned away, shoulders shaking.
"This workplace has become unsafe."
"Opo."
"Six PM. Get out."
They laughed.
At six, everyone left.
I locked up.
Checked my phone outside.
Jane had sent—
another Celeste photo.
I stared.
The woman had apparently decided to spend the week professionally attacking my peace.
Caption from Jane:
new post again
I replied:
does she not have a job
Jane:
apparently her job is being pretty
I laughed.
very successful
Immediate response:
POLISHED
stop
EXCELLENT NOSE
please
VERY NICE LEGS
I leaned against the closed rolling door.
I am blocking both of you
both?
I froze.
Fuck.
Wrong wording.
Jane:
who is both ??
I typed:
you and celeste
why celeste HAHAHAHA
because she's enabling you by posting
Jane sent five laughing emojis.
Then—
pretty is an understatement
I sighed.
yes.
wow no resistance
I'm tired
honest at last
goodnight jane
it's 6pm
GOODNIGHT
I went home.
No laptop.
No production.
No last-minute checking.
The new printer stayed at work.
The new cutter stayed at work.
The three-branch prospect stayed at work.
Growth stayed—
at work.
That was the point.
Over dinner, Mama asked—
"Kamusta bagong printer?"
"Good."
Papa:
"Mabilis?"
"Yes."
Sofia looked up.
"ROI?"
I stared at her.
Papa frowned.
"Ano yun?"
"Return on investment," Sofia said.
I pointed at her.
"See?"
She rolled her eyes.
"How long?"
I told her.
She nodded.
"Okay."
Mama looked between us.
"Basta bawi."
I laughed.
"Yes, Ma."
There.
MBA cancelled.
Mama summarized it.
Saturday morning, the three-branch client messaged.
I opened it at work.
Not at home.
Progress.
Hi Lia, we'd like to proceed with a one-month trial for all three branches.
I stared.
Then smiled.
Not jumped.
Not screamed.
Not immediately planned five years of expansion.
Just—
smiled.
Assistant One noticed.
"Ma'am?"
"We got the account."
Their eyes widened.
"Yung three branches?"
"Yes."
Assistant Two smiled.
"Wow."
I nodded.
"Trial month."
"So more orders?"
"Yes."
They looked excited.
I lifted one finger.
"But."
They stopped.
"We do not kill ourselves for it."
Assistant One laughed.
"Opo."
"We follow schedule."
"Opo."
"No rush accepted without checking."
"Opo."
"No skipping checks because volume is higher."
"Opo."
"And six PM remains six PM."
Assistant Two nodded.
"Unless fire?"
I stared.
Then laughed.
"Yes. If fire, we leave earlier."
Good.
Institutional culture established.
I pulled up capacity.
New account volume.
Existing customers.
Equipment throughput.
Labor hours.
Then—
there.
We were nearing the point where another hire made sense.
Not because I wanted a bigger team.
Because the numbers said it.
I drafted a role.
Part-time.
Production support.
Potential full-time later if volume stayed.
No promises beyond current reality.
Growth.
Controlled.
Measured.
Still exciting.
At noon, Chloe messaged the group chat.
gala tomorrow?
Jane:
game
I looked at tomorrow.
Sunday.
No work.
The three-branch account could wait until Monday.
Hiring post could go live today.
Printer was not going to feel abandoned.
Game.
Chloe:
wow
Jane:
growth
I rolled my eyes.
Then Jane privately sent:
btw
I stared.
NO
Photo.
Celeste.
Again.
I didn't even open it fully.
JANE
just one
STOP FEEDING THE ALGORITHM
pretty
I put the phone face down.
Assistant One looked over.
"Excellent nose?"
I slowly stood.
They immediately laughed and ran toward the other table.
"COME BACK HERE."
Assistant Two was laughing too hard to help.
The business had upgraded.
The equipment had upgraded.
The systems had upgraded.
Apparently the harassment had scaled with operations.
Fantastic.