Chapter 89 The Great Tribulation
Young people always longed for romantic love in their relationships. That was why, Felicia, God of Love, existed. Such a marketing trick could attract the attention of youngsters across the country. Jonathan intended to make the horror-themed bar a world-renowned national landmark that brought in people from all around the world.
Furthermore, Horington itself was a well-loved tourist destination. The horror-themed bar and Horington complemented each other very well as a promising project.
A wishing pond for the God of Love would be built on the second floor, alongside a description of Felicia’s biography. They would turn the whole thing into a beautiful legend.
Apart from these, Soul Cocktails would be served on the second floor too.
For the Soul Cocktail, Jonathan specifically highlighted that he had invited the most reputable bartenders to create ten cocktails that could give one the taste of happiness, heartbreak, and many other emotions.
He himself had tasted such a cocktail in a foreign bar before. Hence, this plan of his was achievable.
Jonathan enclosed a blueprint together with his proposal.
Upon reading the detailed proposal, everyone couldn’t help but admire him for being a remarkable jack-of-all-trades.
No matter to which venture capital firm the proposal was handed, it would attract large amounts of investments.
Polly was the first to put the proposal aside. She smiled faintly at Jonathan as she said, “Tell me. How much money are we to invest?”
Jonathan snapped his fingers and chuckled. “You know me so well, Polly. I’ve gathered all of you here today to discuss additional funds for this project. Originally, I planned to open an ordinary bar for six million. However, the opportunity is here now. That’s why I’m thinking about raising the stakes. Polly, Yasmin, and Jessy, I want you to invest another five million each. Do you have any problems with that?”
Polly agreed without hesitation, “No problem.”
Jessica and Yasmin exchanged glances before flashing him a smile. “No problem.”
Jennifer and Amber, however, felt a little awkward about the situation.
Jonathan let out a chuckle. “All right. Thank goodness I’ve got these three rich ladies here. Anyway, the share distribution remains unchanged. The money you’ve invested will be returned to you in cash once it’s profitable, and the dividends afterward will still be the same. Do you ladies have any problems with that?”
Polly, Yasmin, and Jessica did not really care about money, especially since Jonathan would be handling it. Hence, they responded, “No problem.”
Amber said, “It doesn’t feel right. I’d better take lesser shares.”
Jennifer added, “Yes, especially since I didn’t even put in much effort into this project. Just give me a little bit will do.”
“I can’t possibly do that,” Jonathan rejected right away. “Jen, you shouldn’t take less because you’re the star of the bar. Amber, you have social connections all over Horington. You definitely play an important role here.” He paused before continuing, “Most importantly, I didn’t intend to make more money by opening the bar. We would have other channels and opportunities that require less effort if that’s what we’re going for. In truth, I’ve gathered all of you here because you are my friends, and friendship is much more important than money.”
Right after he said that, Polly smiled faintly. “Like you said, friendship is priceless. I don’t care if I can get my money back. You can take the money if you want.”
Jonathan felt a surge of warmth when he heard that.
Jessica then said, “That’s right. You can be annoying sometimes, but you treat Yasmin and me as your friends. I’m totally fine if you want to use the money yourself.”
Yasmin, on the other hand, smiled and said nothing, but her meaning was evident.
Jonathan’s charm had led to this.
“All right, then. Let’s cut the crap.” Jonathan slapped the table upon reaching the decision. He added, “Now, I’m going to assign some tasks to you. First, we need a team of interior designers. Yasmin and Jessy, since you girls are adept in this, I’ll leave it to both of you. Is that okay?”
Jessica and Yasmin nodded in agreement.
Then, Jonathan looked at Polly and said, “Polly, please set up a team to take charge of the recruitment and training of waiters and princesses. Don’t forget to recruit management personnel and other positions for the bar, and have their salaries and accommodation arranged. All these expenses shall be charged under our project funding.”
Hearing that, Polly could not help but smile bitterly. “Heartless brat. How can you give me the most exhausting task? What will you be doing?”
Jonathan laughed. “I’ll be responsible for hiring technical personnel, bartenders, and other talents.”
Polly did not say much. After all, she could still manage such small matters.
Jonathan then said to Amber, “Amber, you’ve got the easiest task. I want you to deal with the government. Please invite a few high-ranking officials for the ribbon-cutting ceremony when we’re open for business. I want our bar to become a sunrise industry.”
Amber replied, “No problem!” Apparently, it would be a piece of cake for her.
“What about me?” Jennifer asked. She felt slightly uneasy, thinking that there was nothing for her to contribute.
Jonathan flashed her a smile. “Since you’re the big boss, you’ll take charge of the accounts. We’ll hire a professional accountant in the future.”
“I’ll do my best.” Jennifer nodded.
After everything had been decided, Jonathan heaved a long sigh of relief. “Now, let’s celebrate!”
Everyone agreed with him.
They drank quite a lot of wine during dinner. They also displayed hope for the future.
The construction of the horror-themed bar began in full swing a week later.
Jonathan requested Yasmin and the other ladies to create a publicity program, rendering the horror-themed bar grand and mysterious.
Jennifer also got bus. She had not much time to think about her relationship. Her days were well-spent. She would take a shower and go to bed after work every day.
Jonathan, on the other hand, continued to spy on Jennifer. He cherished every moment he had, as he would become very busy after the bar opened for business.
During his free time, he would go to Rose Couture or the bar, where he would occasionally flirt with Jessica, joke around with Yasmin, and chat up Amber. He carried on his relaxing days without a care in the world.
The construction of the horror-themed bar had utilized the resources to the maximum.
The media continued to pay attention to the project. That was because Amber had gone through her contacts, while Jonathan and the others had also given the media lots of benefits.
Their days had been ordinary but fulfilling.
Meanwhile, there had been no news from Leonardo and the disciples of Strikezone Martial Arts, which was indeed bizarre.
Even Jonathan himself would occasionally forget about them, yet he remained vigilant. After all, Jonathan could only roll with the punches at the moment. He knew Leonardo had been biding his time for an opportunity to end the former in one blow.
Jonathan and Polly talked about many things. He even told her about the Great Tribulation and the Chosen One. Polly was not at all surprised. Instead, she said, “It will happen eventually.”
Stunned by her statement, Jonathan asked, “What do you mean?”
Polly tried to explain, “Let me put it this way. If Earth is akin to a human body, then humans are equivalent to the cells in the body. So, humans are the cells of Earth, and there are billions of us. Does this make sense?”
Jonathan rubbed his nose before answering, “I’m a fool if I can’t understand this.”
Polly flashed him a smile before continuing, “Some cells mutate and become viruses, which explains the existence of legendary expert fighters and hidden demons. These viruses eventually become a burden on the body. At this point, the body’s immune system starts to kick in. For Earth, that’s the Heavenly Law.”
Jonathan pondered before asking, “It makes some sense. Is it possible that these viruses multiply and kill the body in the end?”
Polly stated, “Of course, it’s possible. If the demons are rampant and highly capable, they will wreak havoc and destroy Earth. You see, people die when their immune system is destroyed.”
Jonathan said, “Demons have always been honest. Humans are the ones waging wars, and those cause huge damage to Earth.”
Polly added, “You’re right. Global warming is happening now. Do you know what that means?”
Jonathan replied, “That means Earth has a fever. It’s similar to a person catching a cold, isn’t it?”
Polly elaborated, “Yes. If things go on like this, Earth will be destroyed. The planet has existed for ages. Our civilization is nothing compared to that. In fact, life existed on Earth billions of years ago. It could be that the civilization back then had developed to a certain stage and destroyed Earth’s immune system, which led to the planet’s major destruction and the extinction of all life forms. Then, the planet remained frozen for billions of years. When life gradually returned, another round of civilization began.”
Upon hearing that, Jonathan couldn’t help but smile bitterly. “We’re going too far with this discussion.”
Polly, however, went on, “Old-fashioned weapons used in the previous wars did not cause a huge impact on Earth. The current industrial revolution is the culprit. For example, car exhaust emissions damage the environment. Luckily, humans have been putting efforts into reforestation to protect the environment. Eventually, Earth’s condition gets a little better. Since the planet’s immune system has not been destroyed, the immune system we refer to as Heavenly Law has started to recover itself. This is how the Great Tribulation works.”
“What about the Chosen One? What are they supposed to do?” asked Jonathan.
Polly answered, “Our immune system regulates our health by itself. It will trigger the respective cells and organs to heal our wounds. It’s akin to Heavenly Law arranging for the Chosen One to eliminate the demons, which were the viruses in the body. Have I made it clear for you?”
Jonathan rubbed his nose as he said, “But I have no intention to kill the demons at all. Furthermore, everyone has their own destiny. Why should I end someone’s life for nothing? I can’t win against those old devils anyway.”
Polly said, “That’s because the Great Tribulation is yet to be activated. Once it’s activated, there’s no way you can stay out of this any longer. A lot of things are predestined. Perhaps Leonardo is the root cause.”
Jonathan sighed softly, feeling slightly ominous. I wonder what that brat is up to now.
