Chapter 400: A seedless Watermelon!!
Evening had already settled over Star Harbor by the time Miles finally left the office.
The city lights were beginning to take over the streets.
Traffic remained heavy.
Cars moved slowly through the intersections while pedestrians crowded the sidewalks, some returning home after work, others stopping at restaurants or stores before the night became too late.
Miles drove with one hand on the steering wheel.
He had already covered almost half the distance toward Pearl Villa when he suddenly remembered something.
Hope.
His little sister had stayed home today.
He had promised Elena that he would bring her favorite candy.
Miles sighed.
"Almost forgot."
He looked around.
A convenience store appeared just ahead.
The glowing sign was bright enough to catch his attention.
Miles signaled, took the next turn, and parked near the entrance.
A few minutes later he stepped inside.
The store was much larger than he expected.
Rows of snacks.
Drinks.
Packaged food.
Imported products.
Household items.
Fresh goods near the refrigerators.
Miles walked casually through the aisles until he reached the candy section.
Then stopped.
Completely.
His eyes slowly moved across the shelves.
One entire aisle was filled with candy.
Different shapes.
Different flavors.
Different brands.
Soft candy.
Hard candy.
Chewy candy.
Sour candy.
Fruit candy.
Milk candy.
Candy that looked like fruit.
Candy that looked like tiny animals.
Candy packed in boxes that seemed more expensive than actual meals.
Miles stared for several seconds.
Then muttered,
"Damn."
He moved his gaze from one shelf to another.
"What is this place?"
Another entire shelf appeared to be dedicated only to fruit flavors.
Miles shook his head.
"This is definitely hell for parents."
A soft chuckle came from behind him.
Miles turned.
A teenage girl stood several steps away.
She wore the store apron over casual clothes.
Her hair was tied back neatly.
She looked as though she had been organizing shelves before hearing him talking to himself.
The girl quickly became embarrassed.
"Oh."
She smiled apologetically.
"Sorry, sir."
Miles smiled.
"It’s fine."
She stepped closer.
"Are you looking for something specific?"
Miles glanced at the name tag attached to her apron.
Then paused.
Hope.
His expression changed.
"Hope?"
The girl blinked.
"Yes?"
Miles smiled.
"What a coincidence."
She looked confused.
Miles continued.
"I’m buying candies for my twin siblings."
The girl listened.
"They’re very young."
He pointed toward her name tag.
"One of them is also named Hope."
Her eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yes."
A genuine smile appeared on her face.
"Then I should definitely help you choose candies for her."
Miles laughed.
"Thank you."
He looked back toward the endless selection.
"I clearly need professional assistance."
Hope smiled.
"What flavors are you looking for?"
"Pineapple and watermelon."
"Fruit flavored."
She nodded.
"Which one does Hope like?"
Miles answered without hesitation.
"Watermelon."
The girl smiled even wider.
"Looks like we have more in common."
Miles looked toward her.
"Really?"
"I love watermelon."
She picked up one packet from the shelf.
"My grandpa owns a watermelon farm near the city."
Miles raised an eyebrow.
"A watermelon farm?"
"Yes."
Hope nodded proudly.
"During summer, Grandma often makes watermelon candies for me."
Miles looked genuinely interested now.
"Homemade?"
"Yes."
"That’s interesting."
He looked toward the packet she was holding.
"What do your grandparents do during the rest of the year?"
Hope laughed.
"They’re retired."
She returned the packet and picked another one.
"In summer they sell watermelons."
"And the rest of the year?"
"They travel."
Miles smiled.
"Travel?"
"Around the world."
She nodded.
"They save money during the watermelon season, then disappear somewhere."
Hope laughed.
"Sometimes I don’t even know which country they are in until Grandma sends me pictures."
Miles chuckled.
"They sound like a sweet couple."
"They are."
Hope’s expression softened.
"Made for each other."
Miles nodded.
Then after a moment he asked,
"Sorry for asking something personal."
Hope looked toward him.
"You seem like a student."
"I am."
"Do you work here often?"
Hope glanced around the store.
"That..."
She smiled awkwardly.
"My parents own this store."
"Oh."
"They’re overseas for business for some time."
She looked toward the staff moving between aisles.
"I come here after school sometimes."
"To help?"
"Yes."
"And to make sure everyone is doing things properly."
She smiled mischievously.
"I actually enjoy working here."
Then she lowered her voice.
"Sometimes I steal watermelon candies."
Miles laughed.
"From your own store?"
"Still stealing."
She nodded seriously.
"Inventory doesn’t care who owns it."
Miles shook his head.
"Alright."
He gestured toward the shelves.
"Then help me find the best watermelon candy."
Hope immediately became enthusiastic.
"Okay."
For the next several minutes, Miles received what almost felt like a lecture.
"This one is softer."
She handed him another packet.
"This one is more sour."
Another.
"This brand says watermelon, but honestly it tastes like sugar with pink coloring."
Miles stared at her.
"That bad?"
"Very."
She picked another packet.
"This one is better."
Then another.
"But if your sister is young, this one is easier to chew."
Miles examined the labels.
He realized something strange.
He knew absolutely nothing about candy.
Hope noticed his confusion.
"Have you never bought candies before?"
Miles looked at her.
"I have."
Miles eventually selected two packets.
Watermelon for Hope.
Pineapple for Asher.
Then he stopped near another section.
Hope noticed.
"Someone else?"
Miles smiled.
"My wife."
Hope immediately grinned.
"Oh."
Miles looked at her suspiciously.
"What was that reaction?"
"Nothing."
She stepped away innocently.
Miles picked a few chocolates and some softer fruit candies he thought Chloe might like.
Hope inspected them.
"Good choices."
"Finally."
Miles looked relieved.
"I passed."
Hope laughed.
As they walked toward the end of the aisle, she suddenly remembered something.
"Sir."
"Hmm?"
"You should come during summer."
Miles looked toward her.
"We have an exclusive seedless watermelon candy then."
Miles stopped walking.
"A what?"
"Seedless watermelon."
He stared.
"I’ve never even seen a seedless watermelon."
Hope looked genuinely shocked.
"Really?"
Miles nodded.
"They’re pretty common every summer."
She pointed somewhere vaguely outside the store.
"My grandpa grows them too."
Miles laughed.
"Then maybe I should visit his farm next summer."
Hope smiled.
"You should."
At that moment, another staff member approached quickly.
"Miss Hope."
Hope turned.
"Yes?"
"An inspection team from Stella Foods is here."
The change in her expression was immediate.
Her smile disappeared.
"Again?"
The employee looked uncomfortable.
"Yes."
Hope sighed.
"At night?"
She looked toward the clock.
"Why don’t they ever leave us alone?"
Miles immediately noticed the irritation.
"Problem?"
Hope quickly smiled again.
"Nothing, sir."
"It’s just normal business stuff."
Miles studied her.
"Did you say Stella Foods?"
Hope nodded.
"Yes."
Miles became more attentive.
"What exactly is the issue?"
Hope looked surprised.
"You know Stella Foods?"
Miles smiled faintly.
"I have some contacts."
That was technically true.
Hope hesitated.
Then sighed.
"We have a contract with them."
She gestured toward several shelves.
"Their products are some of our best sellers."
"They bring us good profit."
Miles nodded.
"But?"
Hope’s expression became frustrated.
"They have standards about placement."
"How many shelves."
"Where products should be displayed."
"How much front space they get."
"Things like that."
"Normal supplier agreements."
Miles nodded.
Hope continued.
"We follow everything."
"Exactly?"
"Exactly."
Her voice became more annoyed.
"But every time these people come, they find tiny things."
"A product slightly shifted."
"A label turned."
"Another brand placed too close."
"Then they threaten to report breach of contract."
Miles’ expression slowly changed.
Hope looked down.
"I told my parents."
"What did they say?"
She looked embarrassed.
"They said just give them some money and settle it."
Miles’ eyes narrowed.
"You paid them?"
Hope reluctantly nodded.
"I didn’t want to."
"But the contract matters a lot for the store."
Her frustration became obvious.
"So I did."
"How many times?"
"This is the third time this month."
Miles looked toward the clock.
It was already past eight.
"And they always come when there are many customers."
Hope nodded.
Miles became completely serious.
"Inspection team?"
He thought for a moment.
"Something is definitely wrong."
Hope looked at him.
"What?"
Miles pointed toward the time.
"It’s past eight."
"Well beyond ordinary working hours."
He shook his head.
"And what kind of external inspection team regularly visits convenience stores to check shelf placement?"
Hope’s eyes widened slightly.
"You mean..."
She looked toward the front of the store.
"They’re not from Stella Foods?"
Miles picked up the candy packets.
"Let’s find out."
He smiled.
"Let me handle this."
Hope hesitated.
"Sir..."
Then she smiled gratefully.
"Thank you so much, brother."
Miles paused at the sudden change from sir to brother.
Then laughed.
"Come on."
...
Near another aisle, four men had already entered.
The one in front wore a suit.
A checklist rested in his hand.
His expression carried the irritating confidence of someone who believed everyone around him should obey.
Three other men followed.
Miles noticed them immediately.
Not employees.
Not corporate inspectors.
Their posture alone gave it away.
The lead man suddenly stopped.
He picked up a product from the shelf.
"How did this different brand end up in this aisle?"
Hope approached.
Miles remained slightly behind her.
The man looked toward her.
"Miss Hope."
His tone became harsher.
"I asked you a question."
Hope remained polite.
"A customer probably moved it."
The man scoffed.
"Then you should have checked."
He held up the packet.
"And removed it immediately."
Then without warning...
He threw the packet onto the floor.
Miles’ fingers tightened.
For half a second...
His expression turned cold.
Then he forced himself to relax.
Another man stepped forward.
He pointed toward a different section.
"This product is supposed to be here."
He tapped the shelf.
"How many times do we have to explain this?"
Hope clenched her hands.
The man continued.
"Maybe we should simply terminate the contract."
Miles bent down.
He picked up the packet that had been thrown.
He looked at it for a moment.
Then spoke calmly.
"I dare you."
The men turned.
The lead man frowned.
"What?"
Miles straightened.
"I dare you to terminate it."
The man stared at him.
"Mr..."
He adjusted his suit.
"I am speaking with the owner."
"This is an official business matter."
He pointed toward Miles.
"Please don’t interfere."
Miles looked toward Hope.
Then back at him.
"I’m the owner’s brother."
Hope blinked.
Miles continued without changing expression.
"And I dare you..."
He stepped forward.
"...to call your office and terminate the contract right now."
Hope stared at him in confusion.
The lead man hesitated.
"We will."
His voice became slightly less confident.
"Who said we don’t dare?"
Miles walked back toward the shelf.
He deliberately placed the cookie packet in the exact same location.
Then looked at the man.
"Do it."
The man’s jaw tightened.
"Do you think a phone call solves everything?"
Miles smiled.
The man continued.
"This is a legal process."
"Our legal department will send a formal notice tomorrow."
He looked toward Hope.
"But..."
His tone softened artificially.
"We can give you one last chance."
Miles laughed.
Not loudly.
Just enough.
"What are you, clowns?"
The man’s expression immediately hardened.
"We will not tolerate disrespect."
Miles raised an eyebrow.
The man stepped forward.
"You should be careful."
"We can permanently shut this business down."
By now...
Customers had started noticing.
Several people stopped shopping.
Some quietly gathered nearby.
Others pulled out phones.
The man noticed the growing audience.
A smirk appeared on his face.
"You should know where you’re standing."
Hope looked nervous.
"Brother..."
Miles glanced toward her.
Then smiled.
"Don’t worry."
He turned back toward the men.
"They should also know something."
The crowd became quieter.
Miles spoke clearly.
"That four scammers are pretending to be Stella Foods inspectors..."
His eyes sharpened.
"...and extorting money from local businesses."
The lead man’s face changed.
"What?"
He immediately reached inside his coat.
"What nonsense are you saying?"
He pulled out an identification card.
"We are from Stella Foods."
He held it toward Miles.
"Look."
Miles took the card.
He examined it.
A photograph.
Company logo.
Employee number.
Name.
Matthias Berg
Miles stared for several seconds.
Then suddenly laughed.
The man frowned.
"What are you laughing at?"
Miles looked at his face.
Then at the card.
"Your name doesn’t really match your face."
The man’s expression became furious.
"You..."
He snatched the card back.
Then turned toward Hope.
"Miss Hope."
His voice became sharp.
"We are terminating the contract."
Hope stiffened.
"You will receive legal notice tomorrow."
He gestured toward the three men.
"Let’s go."
They turned.
Miles’ voice stopped them.
"Wait."
The men smiled.
Miles smiled.
"Who said you could leave?"
The customers were openly watching now.
Miles looked around.
"The crowd here is waiting for entertainment."
A few people laughed.
Miles continued.
"How about we give them some?"
He pulled out his phone.
Then dialed.
The call connected almost instantly.
"Boss?"
June.
Miles smiled.
"June."
"Yes?"
"Are you still in the office?"
"I’m about to leave, Boss."
"Good."
Miles looked directly at the fake inspector.
"I need you to check a name."
The man’s face changed.
"Matthias Berg."
There was silence from the other side.
Miles continued.
"Check whether someone by that name works at Stella Foods."
The four men became visibly uncomfortable.
June asked,
"What department?"
Miles smiled.
"Apparently some kind of inspection team."
He looked toward Hope.
"They visit local businesses."
"Check product placement."
"Threaten contract termination."
A pause.
Then June sounded genuinely confused.
"A what team?"
Miles almost laughed.
"There is no team like that in Stella Foods."
Several customers reacted immediately.
Whispers spread.
Miles nodded slowly.
"Maybe I remembered it wrong."
The lead man began sweating.
Hope’s eyes widened.
June continued.
"I’m checking the employee database."
A few seconds passed.
Keyboard sounds could be heard faintly.
Then...
"No."
June’s voice became firm.
"There is no employee named Matthias Berg in Stella Foods."
That sentence landed like a bomb.
The four men froze.
Several customers immediately started speaking.
"Scammers."
"I knew something was wrong."
"Call the police."
Hope stared at Miles.
June continued.
"Boss."
"Yes?"
"Should I summon Managing Director Liam to your office tomorrow?"
The lead man’s face turned pale.
Hope looked from the phone...
To Miles.
Then back.
Miles calmly answered,
"That won’t be necessary."
He looked directly toward the four men.
"Tell Liam to make a public announcement."
"Today."
June immediately became attentive.
"What announcement?"
"Stella Foods does not operate any external retail inspection team."
Miles’ voice became colder.
"And scammers are impersonating company employees and extorting money from businesses."
June was silent for half a second.
"Scammers?"
"Yes."
"Is that happening right now?"
Miles smiled.
"Right in front of me."
June’s tone changed immediately.
"I’ll contact the legal and communications teams."
"Good."
Miles continued.
"And send police to my location."
June didn’t hesitate.
"Of course."
The call ended.
Silence.
The four men were sweating now.
One quietly stepped backward.
Then another.
Miles noticed.
He slipped his phone into his pocket.
"So..."
His voice became almost conversational.
"Who takes the money?"
Nobody answered.
Another step backward.
But this time...
Several convenience store employees moved.
They quietly positioned themselves near the entrance.
Blocking it.
The fake inspectors looked toward the door.
Then toward the growing crowd.
Whispers became louder.
"Don’t let them run."
"Beat them."
"How dare they scam people?"
"They should be in prison."
One elderly customer shook his head angrily.
"Businesses are already struggling and people like this extort them."
The lead man looked around desperately.
Miles remained completely calm.
"Running?"
The man looked toward him.
Miles smiled.
"That’s rude."
He slowly walked closer.
"See..."
He held up the bag of candy in one hand.
"I learned so many new things in this store today."
The men stared at him.
Miles continued.
"For example..."
His smile widened.
"Seedless watermelon."
A few customers looked confused.
Hope covered her mouth, almost laughing despite the situation.
Miles tilted his head.
"Have you heard about seedless watermelons?"
The lead man’s face became even more confused.
"What?"
Miles smiled.
"Interesting."
He took another step toward them.
"Because I hadn’t either."