Chapter 108
Theodore’s brow, which had been furrowed with worry, now smoothed out, but his face grew dark and cold. A storm of anger seemed to be brewing as he strode into the house.
“Where is he?” Penelope asked Una, hurrying to keep up.
“The master? He’s in the kitchen p>
“Huh p>
Just then, they reached the dining room. Mr. Johnson emerged from the kitchen carrying a massive platter of chicken, muttering to himself, “Oh, Coco, my dear Coco. How could you leave me all alone p>
He looked up and saw Theodore and Penelope. His eyes immediately reddened. “My Coco is gone p>
Theodore snorted. “So you stewed him p>
“Let me tell you, nothing beats a free-range rooster like this. It’s a hundred times better than any chicken you get in a restaurant. And with my expert cooking skills, if you don’t have a few pieces, you’ll regret it for the rest of your lives,” the old man declared, practically drooling.
Theodore was so furious his face turned black. He turned to leave.
Penelope quickly stopped him. “I don’t have a car. You have to give me a ride home later p>
“Then we’re leaving now p>
“I haven’t had any chicken yet! I’m not going anywhere!” Penelope dashed over and took the platter from the old man, inhaling deeply. “Wow, that smells incredible! Truly amazing p>
“I used to sell fried chicken back in the day, you know p>
“Your business must have been booming p>
“Of course! If his grandfather hadn’t taken a liking to me and insisted I marry his daughter and join their family, I might have spent my life frying chicken. I could have become the fried chicken king p>
The fried chicken king?
“I am curious, though. What did Theodore’s grandfather see in you?” He was short and plain, and his background as a chicken seller wasn’t exactly prestigious. Why would the president of Zenith Group not only approve but insist on him as a son-in-law?
“You know, the way you say that doesn’t sound very flattering p>
“Look at you, still so handsome at your age. You must have been even more dashing when you were young. I could understand if Theodore’s mother fell for you and refused to mary anyone else But his grandfather insisting on you? That’s what I don’t get p>
The word “handsome” made Mr. Johnson beam. “Because I wasn’t just handsome, I was smart. It may have been just one fried chicken shop but I used brilliant marketing tactics to keep a line out the door from morning till night. People told me to franchise, but I refused. I just expanded the one location and kept using scarcity marketing to create hype. I was waiting for the right moment p>
“For what p>
“For someone to offer me a fortune for my recipe and my shop p>
“But if it was so successful, why sell it p>
“Because the shop was popular due to my marketing, not because the chicken was life-changing. Hype eventually fades. I had to sell at the peak of its popularity to get the best price p>
Una brought out plates and utensils. Penelope tried a piece of the chicken. It was good, but not mind-blowing.
“Back in those days, I sold a shop that cost me less than thirty thousand to set up for three million p>
“Wow p>
“Then I invested that three million, and it turned into ten million within a year p>
“Wow p>
“And with that ten million, I bought a stake in a pharmaceutical company that was on the brink of bankruptcy. That company is now Aegis Bio p>
This time, Penelope didn’t say “wow.” She clamped a hand over her mouth. Aegis Bio was a titan in the pharmaceutical industry, with a market cap in the hundreds of billions.
“Good girl,” Mr. Johnson said, “I’ll transfer my shares in Aegis Bio to you. Then you won’t have to lift a
finger for the rest of you
life. The
annual dividends alone will be enough for you to enjoy everything
the world has to offer p>
His words felt like a solid gold brick had fallen from the sky and knocked the wind
out of her.