Apollo placed the plates back inside the basket. He waited a couple of minutes, but no one ca to take it.
"I shouldn't take their goodwill for granted," the Beggar muttered, picking up the basket and heading to the restaurant beside him.
He had only eaten for about twenty minutes, but when he opened the door and called for Ned, he imdiately sensed a heavy atmosphere in the air.
Apollo glanced at the patrons, but they all ate with relish, seemingly unaware of the oppressive feeling.
Then his eyes landed on Gail, Filly, Temor, and Ned whispering amongst themselves in the distance. It was clear that they were the source of the heavy atmosphere, and Apollo could feel it imdiately.
Is this one of the Qi Condensation abilities? Apollo thought. He still hadn't tested his current strength or fully familiarized himself with his new cultivation. This new sensation was sothing he hadn't experienced before—or perhaps he had, in places where emotions ran high, like funerals, clubs, or parties.
Looking around for a place to set the basket, his eyes fell on a table with only a flower vase, no chairs around it.
That will do.
He walked over and placed the basket on the table, but as soon as he did, he felt their gazes on him.
"Oh, hello," Apollo greeted Filly, Gail, Temor, and Ned with a small smile. "I didn't want to bother you, so I let myself in."
"Mr. Beggar!"
"Mr. Yoma,"
"Sir Yoma,"
"Mr. Beggar!"
The four greeted him in unison.
Though Filly had spoken to the beggar just twenty minutes ago, she was still excited to see him again.
"You could have just left the basket in the corner. We would have picked it up," Filly said, stepping in front of him.
"Haha, I can't take your goodwill for granted," Apollo said, scratching the back of his head.
"You've done more than enough," Filly replied, shooting Ned a fiery glance.
Ned shivered and quickly bowed his head. "I'm sorry! I lost track of ti! It won't happen again!"
"Don't exaggerate," Apollo waved his hand. "I'm just a beggar, and this is only a small matter."
"Hello, I'm Temor. This isn't the first ti we've t, but it's the first ti I'm introducing myself," Temor said, cupping his fist in greeting.
"Hello, you did a great job with the fried chicken and spaghetti," Apollo responded, mimicking the gesture.
"Haha, no need for praise. It was only because of y—" Temor stopped mid-sentence, feeling an intense gaze on him. He saw the restaurant owner staring at him and realized his mistake. It was supposed to be a secret that they were treating the beggar as more than he appeared.
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Apollo tilted his head at the chef, but when Temor said no more, he shook his head and turned to Filly. "Is sothing wrong?"
Curiosity got the better of him, so he asked.
The trio exchanged glances before Filly finally spoke. "N-nothing."
"Are you sure?" Apollo asked again, squinting at them. "I may just be a beggar, but maybe I can help."
Filly hesitated before shaking her head. "No– You know what… we do have a problem." She decided to be honest, which surprised Gail beside her.
"Oh, then tell ," Apollo said, perking up.
"Let's go upstairs," Filly suggested.
"I guess we'll stay here," Temor said, placing a hand on Ned's shoulder.
Apollo thought for a mont before nodding.
"All right."
...
"We just received news that our at distributor has cut ties with us," Filly said, massaging her forehead.
"They also ntioned that even if we try to go with another distributor, it'll be the sa," Gail added.
"But it was too sudden," Filly said with a bitter smile. "I thought they'd at least give a week."
"They must be too eager for revenge," Apollo comnted. He was sitting at the restaurant owner's table, while the two won stood before him.
It was an odd scene. Apollo had insisted on standing while Filly sat, but they'd forced him to take the chair, leaving him no choice. As he settled into the soft chair, he couldn't help but compare it to the cold floor of his beggar spot. This felt like heaven.
Should I buy sothing like this? Apollo wondered, but quickly dismissed the thought.
"We don't know what to do. Well, actually, we do, but it'll take ti—at least two weeks to recover," Filly said.
"But by then, we'll have lost so of our custors. We don't know how many, but it won't be a small number," Gail added, adjusting her glasses.
"I see," Apollo nodded, already understanding the full situation. "You said that even if you approached another at distributor, the result would be the sa?"
"Yes," Filly replied, her eyes filled with hope. Mr. Yoma was clearly interested in their problem, and since he'd given them advice before that helped form their plan, maybe—just maybe—he had more guidance to offer.
"They have a monopoly on monster at in this city," Apollo said, his eyes glinting with understanding.
"Monopoly?" Filly and Gail exchanged confused glances.
Seeing their expressions, Apollo realized they didn't know the term.
"When a business grows to the point where it has no competitors, that's called a monopoly," Apollo explained in simpler terms.
"Oh, I get it!" Filly clapped her hands with excitent. "So that's what it ans! Monopoly! I thought we were just weak and they were strong. Wait… are you saying?!"
"Yes," Apollo nodded, watching as the shock spread across her face. "Skyline Savory owns all the at distributors in Klown City."
"B-but…" Filly's face cycled through a range of emotions: sha, anger, embarrassnt, and finally defeat.
"All this ti, we've been buying from our competitor," Gail said with a bitter smile.
"That's the scary part of monopolies," Apollo sighed. He couldn't help but reminisce about his past. In his previous life, he hadn't just monopolized businesses—he'd built an empire. Everything he touched, he owned.
The two won remained silent, with Filly lowering her head.
"But don't worry," Apollo said with a smile. "Monopolies don't last forever. You just have to devour them."
Filly and Gail looked at him, and seeing the confidence in his smile, their heavy feelings lightened.
"What should we do?" Filly asked, taking a deep breath.
"First, tell your plan."
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