Chapter 08: Sunday Afternoon

Robert has no problems with the directions, and in less than thirty minutes he’s back at CyberFun. After parking in the rear where Kyle directed he brings in the cooked batch of wings and he tells the kitchen staff he’s back. Three young men and a girl go with him to get the rest of what he picked up.

Once the car is empty Robert leaves to join his son in the front, but on the way he notices a significant transformation has occurred. A dividing wall has been removed to make the casual coffee area now part of the Sports Bar. Also, more flat panel monitors have been brought in and four of them are connected into a large rectangle to make an even larger screen. The big surprise is the monitors are now inter-connected to create one large picture instead of four copies of the same one. Robert didn’t even realize something like that could be done.

Since the game nerds, as Kyle calls them, are now helping serve a second game room has been closed and its equipment moved to the rear of the building. Again, the wall separating this game room is removed, further expanding the bar area. There are now several hundred people enjoying food and drink in the large room, and the mass school spirit emotions almost turn the place into a feeding frenzy. Just watching the kids eating, laughing, and enjoying the game makes him realize he’ll probably be making another trip to Tony’s before it’s over.

Robert finally reaches Kyle, and finds him talking to a couple of the employees. Kyle senses a presence, looks up, and asks him, “Any problems?”

“None, except I suspect we might need to get some more food before the day’s over.”

Kyle replies, “Well, the game will be over in less than an hour. If we win, then I’d agree. If we lose, most of this crowd will disappear and we’ll be in a mad rush to reset the game rooms for those who want to bury their loss in cyber activity. Let’s go back to the office and get a bite to eat. I’ll get Sara to cover the front for a few minutes.”

Kyle walks over to one of the hostesses and says a few things to her. She smiles and heads to the front counter. Kyle returns and leads his father to an office in the back. Inside there are three desks covered with neatly arranged stacks of paper and a flat-screen computer monitor. To one side there’s a round conference table. When they sit down around the table Kyle says, “They’re bringing us some food, it’ll be here in a few minutes.”

Robert just nods and asks, “Returning to our previous discussion, what about those that want some other way to bury their loss?”

“You mean like over six or eight beers.”

“Something like that.”

“They’ll have to go somewhere else. We sell nothing alcoholic, except coffee with some small splashes of flavored liqueurs. The amounts are so small the state decided we don’t need a liquor license.”

“Why not sell beer, it would seem it could be a goldmine?”

“It was discussed, but the owners decided the potential risks were higher than the potential revenue. As a result, we don’t have to worry with checking IDs or trying to determine what’s fake and what’s not. We also don’t have to deal with damages from drunken fights. Most importantly, since almost seventy percent of our basic clientèle is under the age of twenty-one we’d lose far more customers than we’d gain.”

“And what do you think of that?”

Kyle answers, “Now, if it was me, I’d open up a second sports bar a block or two away which sold beer, pizza, sandwiches, and even steaks, but it wouldn’t have any games other than pool tables. I’d make them two separate corporations with what appears to be separate ownership. In addition, I’d make them seem to be competitors rather than related sites.”

Puzzled at the answer Robert asks, “What’s the reason for doing that?”

“It’s a marketing approach. That way each will develop their own core customer base, and maybe even some rivalry. If I do that I can later pit one against the other in a friendly, but fierce, competition. We can build marketable activities with each side trying to prove they’re better than the other. T-shirts and souvenirs for each would follow.”

“Interesting. Can you give me an example?”

“Sure. Yesterday we had our first paint-ball tournament. It started out as a friendly battle between the nerds and the jocks, but then Marc Haywood - you remember the Captain I recommended to read Jonas’ citation - brought in a group of ROTC students to challenge all comers, and it took on a life of its own.”

“So how did it work out?”

“The nerds beat the jocks big time, but then the ROTC group kicked everyone’s ass. That was primarily because of Captain Haywood and his wife. They’re so good it’s spooky.”

“How about financially? You said it was your first venture.”

“We netted more than a thousand, but, of course, that’s small change to you.”

“That may be true, but to quote the late senator from Illinois: a million here and a million there, and soon we’re talking serious money.”

Kyle laughs and asks, “Did he really say that?”

“Yes, and the worst part is I think most of congress believes it. Kyle, the amount is immaterial, it’s the concepts. If you ever get to where I am the money just becomes a way to keep score. Because of that I’m probably more impressed with a properly marketed wacky idea that nets a thousand than an operation that’s supposed to make ten million in a year and actually makes eleven.”

“You know, Robert, I wish we’d been able to talk like this over the years instead of during a time like this. For the very first time I feel you’re honestly interested in what I think, rather than how you can make me into a copy of yourself.”

Robert protests, “But I only want what’s best for you!”

Kyle sadly shakes his head while saying, “Robert, let’s not go back there right now. We’ve had the best day I can remember, and I don’t want to start the war all over again. Let’s just say we have different opinions of what’s best for me.”

Fearing going back to the battle they had yesterday Robert nods, “I guess that’s an accurate statement.”

The next few minutes are an absolute silence because both sides aren’t certain of what to say, if anything. Suddenly the quiet is broken by a knocking at the door. Kyle loudly says, “Come in.”

The girl Kyle spoke to earlier comes in with two thick rib-eye steak sandwiches and two cold long-neck beers. She sets them on the table and makes a quick retreat, closing the door behind her. “I thought you said you didn’t serve beer?” Robert asks.

“We don’t. But that doesn’t mean we don’t keep a few in the cooler for personal consumption.”

Robert takes a bite of his steak, and almost passes out from the joyous flavors that fill his mouth. It’s so good he almost hesitates to take a swallow of the beer because he’s afraid it’ll wash away the wonderful flavors. “Kyle, this is a great sandwich!”

“Thanks, I’ll pass that on to KK. It’s her recipe.”

“Is this on the menu, or just something made for you and me?”

“It’s on the menu. We buy whole steers from a rancher up the road. We prepare it and let it age. We sell the other steak cuts and the short ribs to some of the local restaurants while keeping just the rib-eye. The rest of it we turn into hamburger.”

“So, what does it cost you?”

“On an average, after selling the other steaks, we pay less than two dollars a pound for the rib-eyes and around a dollar a pound for the hamburger.”

“And you sell it for what?”

“A third of a pound burger is four bucks, a half-pound burger is seven, and a rib-eye sandwich, like you’re eating right now, is twelve bucks. There’s also a smaller four ounce rib-eye we sell for five bucks.”

“A two dollar piece of meat for twelve dollars? Even taking in the cost of the bun, toppings, and cooking, that’s an awesome markup.”

“Yes, but you’re not figuring it right. We pay two dollars a pound, but the sandwich is only a half-pound of meat. Yes, the markup is a bit excessive, but we’ve found it’s the ideal price point for our customers.”

“What about the difference between the two rib-eyes? Usually you pay a little less per pound for the larger sizes. You seem to be bucking the trend.”

“I look at it this way. If you’re getting a rib-eye rather than a burger you’re interested in taste. Now, an eight-ounce piece is going to taste significantly better than a four-ounce piece. In addition, the larger piece gets KK’s special seasonings while the smaller piece gets salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder.”

“I follow your logic. What are your results?”

“On average, the larger sandwich outsells the smaller twenty to one.”

“That, Son, is impressive.”

Over the next few minutes they talk casually, but Robert keeps interjecting different problems he’s encountered at work and asking Kyle for his opinion. What he quickly learns is in almost every case Kyle would have handled it very differently from how he had handled it. At the same time, once Kyle explains his logic Robert realizes his son’s off the wall approaches would actually yield superior results. Therefore, by the time the meal is over Robert is almost sullen. He’s proud of his son, yet he’s also jealous. He wants his son for the company even more, yet he’s also frightened as to what might happen when Charlotte and the board of directors find out what a business genius Kyle is. He thinks, This is going to require more thought.

Later, in a darker mood, Robert returns to Jonas’ house. He drops Kyle off and heads for the hotel bar. He’s ready to get quite drunk.

Kyle unlocks the front door and he enters the house. He’s carrying two Styrofoam containers which hold large steak sandwiches for Larry and Nadia. He calls their names, but there’s no response.

Since he can hear their voices Kyle follows the sounds to the back patio. Here he finds them huddled around a four foot square piece of plywood balanced on top of a five gallon bucket that once held drywall mud. There are piles of sand and small figures. He finally recognizes them as old toy soldiers Jonas kept in the garage for some of the smaller children to use in what had become the neighborhood sandbox.

Enthralled by what he’s seeing he stands there and watches. When he realizes they’ve one of Jonas’ books open and laid out a battlefield similar to the one in the book the scenario begins to make sense. Listening with fascination Kyle quickly learns they’re arguing over the proper tactical usage of each side’s cavalry. Finally, when Kyle is about to announce his presence Nadia says, “Nyet! Nyet! You’re thinking too much as an ape fighter, not as a cavalry officer.”

“An ape fighter?”

Kyle announces his presence by saying, “I think she means guerrilla.”

Larry whips his upper body around with the automatic pistol appearing in his hand. He relaxes and he sets the pistol back down when he sees it’s Kyle. He’s happy Kyle has returned, but is embarrassed his friend was able to enter the house without either him or Nadia hearing anything.

“I brought you both something to eat, but I’m also fascinated with what you’re discussing. Did you know the proper use of cavalry was one of Jonas’ deepest passions?”

Taking the offered sandwich and feeling better for not being chided by Kyle, Larry replies, “Really? I never took a class from him.”

Nadia replies, “I have, or I guess I should say had him this semester. He understood the Cossacks better than the Russians did.”

“Nadia, he would. He probably knew how to use cavalry like the Cossacks and the American Cheyenne better than anyone else alive. At the same time, Larry, he would’ve easily understood guerrilla tactics. He wouldn’t have seen them as two different choices, but would have used them as a combined strategy. A good way to understand what he thought would be to study Lee’s use of the talents of men like J.E.B. Stuart and John S. Mosby.”

Larry replies, “I know of Stuart and have studied the ideas of Mosby, but I don’t understand the difference.”

Kyle says, “Mosby led a very small group of Confederate Cavalry continuously reinforced by civilian partisans. These small groups often conducted several raids in a single night. They were never used in a full battle. Instead, they were used to scout and track the enemy formations as well as to harass the enemy with small, quick skirmishes, disrupting and destroying the enemy’s chain of supplies and communications.”

Kyle adds, “Stuart, on the other hand, was a true cavalryman. While his men often performed scouting functions they were used more to quickly reinforce a weak spot in the Confederate lines, or to exploit a weakness in the Union lines. Their rapid hell-bent-for-leather attacks using sabers and multiple pistols for each man could quickly demoralize the enemy infantry to cause a panicked retreat. This was especially effective with surprise attacks on the enemy’s flank.”