Jonathan was dressed in a white shirt and black pants. He also wore a pair of black leather shoes. When dressed like this, Jonathan appeared like a young man with a white- collar job. However, it did not seem so at the same time because of his sophisticated aura.
He seemed more like a professional businessman.
Nevertheless, Jonathan would undoubtedly become a professional businessman if he started doing business. He was observant, sharp-witted, and talented. Along with his decisiveness, he could take down his opponents easily.
These were the necessary skills for someone to become a professional businessman.
Afterward, Jonathan drove his Ford SUV out of Divine Realm.
The night was beautiful, and the moon was shining brightly in the sky.
The scenery of Mount Frallein was even more beautiful, and the air was filled with the scent of maple trees.
As soon as Jonathan came out, he saw Alice standing in front of a Ferrari.
He got out of his car immediately and greeted, “Hey!” Alice looked breathtakingly stunning in her tight black fitting dress, curly hair, and fiery red lips.
There were women who did not suit thick makeup.
However, Alice's bright red lips captured her personality perfectly.
Jonathan caught a whiff of her pleasant smell. Seeing Jonathan, Alice flashed him a bright smile and said, “Mr.
Lawson, you look very good today.” Jonathan chuckled and asked, “Is it because I'm particularly handsome today?” Alice smiled faintly and responded, “That's right. You're particularly handsome today.” Jonathan added, “You're even prettier.” With a faint smile, Alice inquired, “Are we going to ride in your car or mine?”
Jonathan answered, “It's only proper for me to drive. Why don't | drive?” Alice smiled and stated, “Okay!” She then got into his car.
Jonathan then started his car's engine and began to drive steadily.
The duo headed toward the city from Mount Frallein.
Alice was silent after getting into his car.
However, Jonathan considerately did not let the atmosphere turn awkward. He said with a faint grin, “Alice, you are a remarkable woman.” Hearing that, Alice was slightly taken aback. Then, she smiled. Her lovely dimples showed when she smiled, which was very alluring. She went on, “People like me are the most normal and common in Divine Realm. No one has ever said I'm outstanding. There's a significant difference between people like me and Divine Realm disciples like you. Mr. Lawson, I'm very curious. Why did you say I'm
remarkable instead of complimenting my looks?” Jonathan smiled and responded, “Every Destino Art and spirituality are different. There is no fair comparison between you and Divine Realm disciples.” “But you still didn't say what's so remarkable about me.” Alice smirked.
Chuckling, Jonathan answered, “There's an old saying from Chanaea. Alice, you're quite sensible since you are familiar with the ways of the world. You look stunning today. | have no doubt that you will look this beautiful regardless of who invites you out. This is a sign of respect for your clients. You have a keen eye for detail.” Alice was stunned and responded, “So it's because of that?” Jonathan added, “No. It's because | saw you came with a Ferrari. I'm certain that you earned that Ferrari with your own two hands, so | thought you were remarkable.” Alice smiled faintly and explained, “That Ferrari is a low- grade one, and it's also secondhand. It wasn't that
expensive. | purchased it in part because it would make me look good. Most importantly, | like it.” Jonathan beamed and complimented, “That's why | said you're remarkable. You're able to stay true to yourself in Divine Realm, which has a corrupted culture.
That's not easy.” “One must carry out their duties given their position. I'm working in Divine Realm. Hence, | have to give it everything I've got, given that I'm receiving a hefty salary,” Alice stated.
“That's very logical, but not many can do so,” Jonathan added.
They simply carried on talking after finding a topic. Soon, they arrived at the city of Lostaria.
“Is there any place you'd particularly like to visit?” Jonathan asked out of politeness.
“There isn't.” After pausing briefly, she smiled and asked, “Mr. Lawson, can | treat you as my friend?” Jonathan instantly pretended to be hurt by her statement. “I
thought we were already friends.” With a smile, Alice inquired, “I'l call my friends over for a beach barbecue tonight, and we can all have a good time together. What do you say?” Jonathan responded, “Sure!” Alice uttered, “Okay. I'll call them then.” With that, she began making calls and asking her friends to come over for a barbecue. She was upbeat and casual on the phone, which contrasted with how she behaved at work.
Alice got everything sorted out half an hour later.
Her face was flushed after the calls, and she exclaimed with delight, “My bunch of friends has always been intrigued by Chanaea's fighting skills and Divine Realm.
They're overjoyed that you're coming!” Jonathan smiled and responded, “That's great.” “But we'll have to buy some drinks and beer in the store,” she stated.
Jonathan replied, “Sure!” Hence, he drove toward a nearby convenience store.
An hour later at the beach in Lostaria.
The place was secluded, and ripples formed in the wave.
Alice's friends had already arrived. There were ten of them, and they were a mix of Smealanders and Anglandurns. The tent was set up, and everyone was chatting and laughing.
They also brought a diesel generator, which provided excellent lighting in front of the tent.
Meanwhile, there were a handful of pickup trucks parked nearby.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtIn Chanaea, cars were primarily used to show off.
However, cars were means of transportation in Anglandur.
Anglandurn paid more attention to the practicality of a car.
After Jonathan parked his vehicle, he exited the car with Alice. He turned around and went to the trunk to fetch the drinks before heading over to meet her friends.
“Alice, you're finally here.” Alice was greeted warmly by a Smealander girl who spoke perfect Lostarian- accent Ustranasian.
The Smealander girl was really pretty, and she seemed to be in her twenties. Her dressing and mannerism indicated her fine upbringing. Then, the Smealander girl and Alice gave each other a tight hug.
Alice then introduced, “This is my friend, Monica Miller. This is Jonathan Lawson, my friend from Chanaea.” Jonathan smiled faintly at Monica and said in fluent Ustranasian, “Monica, you're very pretty. It's very nice to meet you.” Monica was a little taken aback because she had not anticipated Jonathan to speak Ustranasian so fluently. She smiled in return and shook his hand. She then uttered, “Mr.
Lawson, very nice to meet you too.” After that, Jonathan followed Alice to meet the rest of her friends.
Everyone began introducing themselves.
Most of Alice's friends were friendly to Jonathan.
However, there was Diego Howard, who did not like him.
Diego was an Anglandurn boxer who appeared to be rather bulky.
He always looked down on Chanaeans because he believed men from there were weaklings.
As a result, Diego was contemptuous toward Jonathan when introducing himself. Chuckling coldly, Diego said, “Mr.
Lawson, are people from your country as weak as you?” Jonathan sensed his hostility and smiled faintly. He answered, “Strength isn't all about muscles. It's not good to be all brawn and no brain.” “What did you say?” Diego's embarrassment turned into a rage immediately.
Jonathan smiled and went on, “People from my country either reciprocate with kindness or disrespect when they make friends. When someone treats us poorly, we treat
them poorly in return. When someone treats us respectfully, we treat them respectfully in return.” “What the h*ll are you talking about?” Diego was confused.
Alice silently observed at the side but said nothing. She wanted Jonathan to teach Diego a lesson. After all, the latter would eventually find himself in big trouble with this mindset.
Jonathan was speechless and stated, “It seems | wasn't lying when | said you're all brawn and no brain.” Vincent Gibbs, who stood beside them, chuckled and explained, “Diego, Jonathan is saying you're stupid.” Diego roared, “I want to fight you.” Jonathan felt helpless. “I don't think that's necessary.” “It's necessary since you insulted me,” Diego stated.
Jonathan responded, “It's really not necessary.” With that, he stepped forward, reached for Diego's collar, and threw him upward.
Diego flew three meters into the air instantly.
The crowd was astonished when they saw that.
Jonathan used one hand to raise Diego, who weighed one hundred and eighty pounds.
Diego, who was sturdy, was held in his hand like a baby chick.
His face paled instantly.
The crowd was immediately stunned by this sight.
“Is this the fighting skills of Chanaean? How amazing!” Monica exclaimed in wonder.
At this moment, Jonathan let Diego down. With a slight smile, he questioned, “Do you still want to fight me now?” Diego's cheeks turned pink.
Jonathan went on, “Strength isn't all about muscles.
Personality isn't defined by having more cars or wearing designer clothes.” Alice beamed and added, “Diego, there's always someone stronger than you, no matter how strong you are. Don't be
ignorant, and don't look down on others either.” Diego's face was flushed red. He scratched his head, and he seemed like a shy boy now.
This small incident did not stop them from having fun.
The atmosphere was harmonious as everyone began barbecuing.
Everyone gathered around to have beers and chicken wings when they were done cooking them.
Being nice and sweet, Alice helped grill more food for everyone.
Her Anglandurn friends gathered around Jonathan and began asking many questions.
“Mr. Lawson, why is your Ustranasian so good? Did you grow up here since you were young?” Lucie Shannon, an Anglandurn girl, asked.
Jonathan took a sip of the beer and answered, “No, | was born and raised in Chanaea, but | frequently traveled because of my job. Hence, | speak Ustranasian better.”
Lucie hummed in acknowledgment. She then asked, “According to what I've heard, there are still many people in Chanaea who are malnourished and unable to attend school. Is it true?” Lucie was very inquisitive as she had never been to Chanaea and wanted to know more.
Jonathan was slightly stunned by her question. He then replied, “That's unarguably true, but there aren't many instances like that. Doesn't this kind of situation also happen here too?”
At that moment, Alice brought the roasted chicken wings over. Hearing that, she chimed in, “You're right, Jonathan.” Jonathan smiled.
Lucie changed the topic of conversation again. “Mr.
Lawson, I've read up a lot on Chanaean culture, and | think you're very opinionated and , so | hope you won't mind if | accidentally offend you with some of my questions.
“If this is purely a discussion among friends, | wouldn't mind.” Lucie smiled and asked, “Which do you think is better, democracy or monarchy?” Jonathan was slightly taken aback before he answered, “That's hard to say. Absolute democracy is not good.
Similarly, absolute monarchy is bad too. Take your country, Anglandur, as an example. Your nation takes pride in absolute democratic governance, but the telecommunications market there is dominated by a few large corporations, which forms a disadvantage. No matter which telco | choose, there will be areas without signal
coverage. Besides, the roads there are seldom maintained because the government is poor and the capitalists are unwilling to contribute. Even a small section of a road there may require months to repair. On the contrary, these roadworks can be completed in one day in Chanaea.” “It seems like you like your motherland a lot?” “Of course. | love my country. Although Chanaea had a long history and culture that lasted for almost five thousand years, our nation had just begun to rise sixty years ago. | think my country is incredible because we're able to achieve so much in just sixty years.” Jackson Rowling, sitting aside, piped up, “Sometimes, | would browse through some Chanaean forums, and | noticed most of them yearn for Anglandur’s lifestyle.
Besides, they also enjoy criticizing their country. Don't you think this is a weird phenomenon, Mr. Lawson?” Jonathan grinned and replied, “I don't think that's weird.
Most people are cowards in reality, so they vent their frustration for being a loser and weakling on the internet. As
they could hide their identity online, they behaved unscrupulously, blaming their lack of success on the country and the system. People like them are destined to fail.” “Do you think the governing system in your country is perfect?” Lucie asked.
“That's a ridiculous question. There aren't any perfect humans, much less a country. Every nation has to have ‘some issues. Is your country without flaws, then?” Jonathan's answer rendered Jackson and Lucie speechless.
In a way, both of them had always felt superior to Chanaeans. However, at that moment, Jonathan's words completely nullified their sense of superiority.
He added, “I think both Chanaea and Anglandur have their merits and shortcomings. We can't always compare our flaws with others’ strong points because that is pointless.
Many Chanaeans felt that Anglandur was a wonderful place where everyone could own a car after watching films from
your country. However, they neglected one major issue in your country, which is the underdevelopment of public amenities. If someone wishes to travel from a remote location to the city, they wouldn't be able to do that without buying a car. Therefore, most Anglandurns were forced to buy a car even if that would increase their debts. Moreover, after these people living in faraway places purchased the cars, they would be burdened with fuel costs, parking fees, and time wasted driving the vehicle. Besides, | previously went to Citraine and noticed more homeless people roaming the streets there than in any city in Chanaea. Why is that?” Lucie and Jackson were not as eloquent as Jonathan, so they couldn't come up with any statement to contradict the latter.
Alice strode over as she had almost done grilling her food.
Monica handed Alice a bottle of beer. Alice received the bottle and sat beside Jonathan.
She asked cheerfully, “What are you all talking about? | heard you giving a lengthy speech from afar.” Her question
was directed at Jonathan.
“It's nothing. We were just discussing the differences between countries.” “Differences? There are variations even among individuals, but these dissimilarities do not dictate a person's contentment in life. Naturally, more staggering distinctions exist between countries. However, there is something identical across every nation. No matter which country ‘someone lives in, they need to work hard and do their best to qualify for a better life. Every country has wealthy and poor people, isn't it?” Jonathan toasted Alice. “Cheers. Great minds do think alike!” She took a swig of her beer.
He added, “This is actually simple logic. A capable person would try to change the rules and their environment. If they couldn't do so, they would adapt to the existing conditions. These people could survive and do well
under all circumstances. There is also another type of people who can't change anything around them and can't habituate themselves to their surroundings. All they ever do is grumble, constantly complaining about the terrible environment. Ultimately, they would blame the government and everyone else for their failure. These people will never accomplish anything in their life.” It was now an era of information technology where all kinds of information were available on the intemet.
Some people said that places like Anglandur and Caspardion were like heaven, while others thought that Anglandur was a chaotic place with a harsh living environment.
Some believed that protecting their phone with a leather case would damage the device and that not switching off the phone at night would make them prone to cancer due to the radiation.
There were also people who were convinced that leaving their router on at night and radiation emitted by microwaves were causes of cancer.
Some people sang praises to their motherland while others disdained their nation.
‘When a female manager of a supermarket was murdered, ‘some members of the public would say that the female manager shouldn't have meddled in other people's business. Simultaneously, another part of the community supported the female manager's behavior.
The world had become disordered because of the advancement of information technology, exposing humankind to its benefits and pitfalls and confusing the public's minds.
Additionally, there were a lot of conflicting sayings meant to soothe and comfort the soul, especially those created by people involved in business via WhatsApp.
Their aim in coming up with such motivational propaganda was to trick more innocent people into becoming their sub- dealers.
Chanaea had a large population, and that signified the
presence of a large number of fools.
Otherwise, why would so many people be deceived into participating in such pyramid schemes? Knowledge was the only thing that could allow us to stay afloat in this flood of information.
As long as someone was equipped with a high level of knowledge and could discern the nature of every matter, they wouldn't be swayed by any flatteries or blindly follow the crowd because they had a firm belief in the truth.
The barbecue party ended in the early morning.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe ladies who didn't consume alcohol were tasked to be the drivers.
Jonathan wanted to return to Divine Realm because he wished to pay his respect to Divine Emperor later in the morning.
As he had to worship Divine Emperor twelve times a year, he decided to fulfill as many quotas as he could since he was in Lostaria.
Jonathan wasn't a lazy person.
Sensing his determination to go back, Alice said, “I'll go with you.” “But both of us drank alcohol earlier.” He was caught in a tight spot.
She grinned at him. “I don't think we'll be so unlucky, right?” He reciprocated her smile. “Let's go, then.” Subsequently, Jonathan and Alice got into the car and waved their hands at everyone else to bid farewell.
She sat in the passenger seat while he drove the car steadily as usual.
Alice was delighted that day. Her flushed face, a result of drinking a considerable amount of alcohol, seemed extraordinarily enticing.
She had always carried herself with maturity and ‘composure, so it was rare for Jonathan to see her in that demeanor.
“Jonathan, you don't seem to like others doubting your
country, isn't it?” she piped up.
He was slightly stunned before responding, “Of course. No matter my dissatisfaction with my country, I'll always defend my motherland's pride in front of outsiders.” A hint of admiration flashed across Alice's eyes. She fancied a man like him.
Then, he changed the topic of the conversation. “By the way, why haven't you found a boyfriend, Alice? With your qualifications, | figure you must have plenty of suitors, right?” Instantaneously, she appeared a little less enthusiastic. “I'm not against the idea, nor have | set very high standards in looking for a partner. There just isn't any suitable candidate.” That reason alone had eliminated the hopes of countless men to win her affection.
Jonathan chuckled. “What about someone like me? Do you think I'm suitable?”
Alice was momentarily taken aback before saying solemnly, “If a man like you tries to woo me, | may consider saying yes. Still, a married guy is out of my consideration.” He guffawed.
The two chatted and joked around amicably along the way.
Soon, upon arriving at Divine Realm, they parted ways.
‘When Jonathan returned to Sunny Condo, Yuna was still not around.
Therefore, he remained alone inside the vast condominium.
He went into his bedroom, took a shower, and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Jonathan received a phone call from Alice on the dot.
Her voice was loud, and she sounded energetic as she spoke. “Mr. Lawson, it's time for you to wake up now. We cannot be late to worship Divine Emperor later.” He chirped, “You called me by my first name yesterday.
Why are you being so courteous now? What's the matter? Are you trying to distance yourself after sleeping with me?”
She snorted with laughter at once. “Okay. I'm hanging up the call now. | was afraid you might forget about this after drinking alcohol last night. You mustn't be late here.” “I got it. I'm waking up now.” With that, both of them ended the call.
The morning sun shone brightly in the sky.
Divine Realm was located on Mount Frallein, so the place was surrounded by lush greenery, and the air was exceptionally fresh.
Jonathan met with Beatrix before following behind Richard as they headed toward Olympus.
Outside Olympus, Jonathan stood next to Beatrix.
The rest of the inner disciples huddled in groups according to their factions.
The external disciples were positioned at the very end of the horde.
Meanwhile, the first-generation inner disciples had already
followed the few masters into Olympus.
Beatrix wore a plain white dress, giving her a pure and untainted vibe.
Contrary to her upright and unmoving posture, Jonathan behaved relatively restlessly as he said, “Beatrix.” She glanced at him. “What's the matter?” “We've not seen each other for such a long time. Don't you miss me?” At a loss for words, she told him he was childish and ignored him afterward.
“Beatrix, the weather is so great today. Have you found a boyfriend?” “How is the great weather related to having a boyfriend?” she questioned him speechlessly.
“So, do you have a boyfriend or not?” “No. Why? Do you have someone to introduce to me?” “That's feasible. Have you ever considered dating Simon?
He's not a bad candidate.” “His cultivation level is too low, so I'm not interested in him,” Beatrix refused without hesitation.
Jonathan persuaded her, “You're looking for someone to enjoy life with you, not to fight with you.
Beatrix, you won't be able to get married if you continue to set ridiculously high standards for your potential partner.” She retorted, “Do | look like | need to enjoy life?” Jonathan was stumped.