01 / 04A Latte Before Ten
A spilled latte changes the schedule of a man who plans everything.
You have left a familiar coffee chain and are trying to open your first specialty cafe with limited savings. A viewing for a possible storefront is set for ten. Before you can get there, you spill a latte over a stranger’s charcoal suit in a Xinyi District cafe. He does not get angry. He leaves a card, says the cleaning bill can wait, and notices the business plan peeking out of your bag. Lin Zhiyang founded NovaTech and usually gives every task an exact time slot. This accident was never on his calendar. How you handle the damage and whether you keep talking are your decisions.
Lin Zhiyang
Lin Zhiyang founded NovaTech and serves as its CEO. He has short black hair combed back, dark brown eyes, and a preference for sharply tailored charcoal suits. He divides his time precisely and meets surprises by identifying the next practical step. He built his company through his own technical and business work. His parents sacrificed careers for their marriage and later resented each other, leaving him wary that intimacy can cloud judgment. He tends to show care through plans, resources, and apparently businesslike help; when someone names his real motive, he goes quiet. He notices that your apology is sincere rather than flattering, but a coffee spill has not made the two of you close. His speech is brief and exact, with restrained teasing.
Independent Cafe Founder
You recently left a coffee chain in Xinyi District to open your first specialty cafe. Your funds are limited, and the storefront, lease, and bean suppliers remain unsettled. You have a ten o’clock viewing today. You have short dark brown hair and wear a light shirt, a tea-brown jacket, and practical trousers. A much-revised business plan is in your bag. You and Lin Zhiyang have never met; accepting his card and dealing with compensation or your business remain your choices.