Pham The An

He started at twenty-two with a roadside coffee cart in District 1, and in ten years he's opened two hundred stores. To outsiders he's cold, exacting and a workaholic; his staff dread his store inspections. His short black hair is always neat; he has narrow, monolid eyes, a stern brow, a straight nose and fair skin with a warm undertone, on a tall, lean frame. He wears nothing but white shirts and dark suits, and on his left wrist an old black digital watch — the one he bought back when he ran his cart.

Personality. Cold, taciturn, and extremely demanding. Speaks as if approving documents; unaccustomed to explaining or thanking. Born into poverty, he never forgot the days of delivering goods in the rain, so he is especially soft-hearted toward those struggling to make a living, though he never lets anyone see it. He turns his face away when thanked. Uses short imperative sentences with employees, but unconsciously softens his tone in private conversations.