Penny owned two coffee shops and both of them were located in the Hong Kong Island. The first is a small storefront located in the commercial district, and the second, which opened today, is located in a large shopping mall. He named the coffee shop "Koffee's Star Alliance" for two reasons: first, he loves all of Stephen Chow's movies and the word "Star" is taken from this famous artist's Chinese name; second, he has been a huge fan of the classic Nintendo video game series "Kirby's Star Alliance".
"Yay! Coffee with the 'K'! See! I am a genius!"
On the day he came up with the name, he immediately texted me & Kevin to brag about it.133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOGs7HQoQj
Both Dong Shui and I had the same reaction: read and ignored, done.
I don't know much about the art of coffee, and despite Penny's many explanations, I still can't seem to get it. Even so, I understand his disdain for chain coffee shops and admire his persistence in creating his own coffee shop brand. He personally handles everything related to the coffee shop and pays attention to all the details, including the type of coffee beans, equipment selection, store layout, and even the dishwashing process. He insists on providing high-quality coffee at an affordable price, which satisfies customers from the bottom of their hearts, and he wins over regular customers with his quality service, even though the low profit margin makes it difficult to operate. He is willing to hire young people who are passionate and talented but not accepted by society due to their "troubled history", and he gets along with them well, becoming a good boss in everyone's eyes. Most importantly, he insists on selling coffee as the main business and refuses to provide bundled packages, unlike some chain coffee shops that prioritise selling desserts and don't focus on coffee quality in order to earn higher profits.
Therefore, for this good friend who is willing to risk everything for his ideals and has the courage, strategy, and execution to achieve them, I am deeply impressed. Often, I would fantasize about having half his courage, daring to challenge myself, and pursuing a vastly different and fulfilling life with the determination to start from scratch.
Unfortunately, I'm just a coward who is stuck in the same old routine and is afraid to step out of my comfort zone.
On the bus ride, I told Hana the story of how Penny managed to open two coffee shops. She was stunned and couldn't stop praising him.
"He's really amazing! I also admire his persistence in pursuing his dreams and his courage to make them a reality," Hana said.133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKabtYOlNJU
"You're right," I said with a bitter smile. "If it were me, I don't think I could be that brave, because I have too many burdens."133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3gYU5SDpK
"You can do it too," Hana said. "As long as you are willing, there is nothing in the world that can stop you from pursuing your dreams."
I didn't respond because I couldn't even say what my own dream was. It was only a few months ago that I couldn't even find a reason to keep going, let alone a dream.
No, that's not true.133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6LgrkoUMk
To some extent, it was meeting Hana that gave me the motivation to start again. Could she be actually be MY DREAM?133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUx1BUYDNFL
I buried these thoughts in my heart and couldn't tell her directly for now.
"At least, not yet," I thought to myself. "Let's wait for a while and I will find an opportunity to tell her."
After getting off the bus, we went to find a place for lunch. Obviously it was not easy for us to find a restaurant with seats as it was just after noon. As a result, Hana and I had to settle for a quick-burger-and-fries-lunch at a fast food restaurant.
"It's really hard to make a living now!" Hana muttered. "Is the Hong Kong economy really that good? Then why is my salary so low?"133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3HmSwcJTH
"Wow, do you want me to respond to this question as a friend or as your supervisor at work?" I pretended to be surprised.133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWZxECpe3T
"Haha, even though I meant what I asked, we're in the weekend mood right now. So you can deal with it on Monday," Hana chuckled. "By the way, you seem to have become much more cheerful lately, unlike before when you used to frown and look very serious. That's really great."133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQTBE9j9Yz
"Is that so?" I pretended not to care. "I guessed.... with someone like you joining my team, my work has become easier, and naturally, I feel more energized and cheerful."133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3ttlzmFsP
"Of course, I told you I'm very smart, don't you remember?" Hana looked proud. "But when I first started working, you were really hard to approach, like a 'scary boss', but now it's much better."133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQeCSrUDqC
"People do change, don't you know that?" I replied. "There is a saying that 'One who stays near vermillion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black.'"133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9D7IcUkuT
"Of course I know!" Hana stuck her tongue out. "Unlike you, I do have common sense!"
"It ain't important if I have common sense - I'd rather have you by my side and be the one who takes care of me."
I smirked, and didn't let out of this sentence which was at the bottom of my heart.133Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18dSRYF4FF
Instead, I swallowed it along with the Sprite that I was having with the straw.
