Jonathan is just a very, very ordinary imperial citizen, with an ordinary job, an ordinary family and two lovely children.
The plain life and the pressure on his shoulders made him forget his ideals and pursuit when he was young. The surging blood was dissipated in the cold and numb life. He finally became the last person he wanted to become when he was young - an adult without a soul like a walking corpse.
Maybe sometimes when he is drunk, he will recall his ideals and unrealistic pursuits in his youth, and shed tears of regret or hatred for his current decline. However, when the eastern sky gradually shines, his drunkenness gradually fades, and he also begins to return to reality and return to the so-called reason.
Numbness is a label he labeled himself at the age of 32. Numb life, numb work, numb state, numb mind, no passion, no impulse, and the whole world is gray.
"What''s this?" the numb Jonathan stood at the checkout counter of the supermarket. After he bought some supplies for the family for a week, the cashier handed him a palm sized color card.
These very bright colors are printed on it, and various powerful fonts are all over all corners of the card. He remembers that he did not buy such things or ask for additional services.
The additional services and value-added services of supermarkets are often very deceptive. All humanitarians who think they have taken advantage of themselves will finally find that they are the one who really suffered a loss.
Before, a supermarket held a promotional activity. You only need to pay a card handling fee of 29.9 yuan to get a long-term discount. Many people think this is a good activity. We didn''t realize that this is a fraud until the supermarket told them that there is a limited consumption quota every month.
Or you can consume more than the consumption quota set by the supermarket every month, so you can continue to enjoy a long-term discount price in the next month and beyond. However, if you don''t consume to the set quota, the discount benefit will be cancelled, and the cost of opening the discount of 29.9 yuan will not be refunded.
This puts many customers who have paid for advantage in a dilemma. If they don''t spend money on things, 29.9 yuan is completely invalid. It won''t go back to their pockets and can''t create more value. Moreover, it''s stupid to do so because they haven''t earned the 29.9 yuan for the things they have purchased.
But if you buy the full amount every month according to the rules, a family can''t actually consume so many products, and don''t let the discount right of 29.9 yuan disappear. It''s even more stupid to spend more money.
It was not until someone finally filed a lawsuit with the supermarket that the matter was "solved". The supermarket publicly apologized for its failure to explain the rules clearly. In addition, it symbolically admired the customer suing the supermarket for 19.9 yuan. As for others?
You can sue them and they''ll lose money.
Some people say that the supermarket hired and fought this lawsuit by itself. The purpose is to let those dissatisfied people recognize a reality. Spending hundreds of thousands of yuan to fight a lawsuit can only get back the loss of less than 20 yuan. If they don''t mind losing more to get such a little compensation, the supermarket won''t mind playing a lawsuit game with them.
This matter eventually disappeared in a round of new public opinion, but the inspiration and business routine it brought were gradually improved by people, and therefore a new proprietary word appeared in business to describe such a word - sunk cost.
Many people knew this, so Jonathan became alert for a moment. He put the small card back on the cashier and returned it. "I don''t need to buy any coupons and membership cards, nor do I need any value-added services!"
It can be seen that he is very resistant to these things. The cashier smiled and expressed his understanding. Basically, most customers are very resistant to these things, but in fact, they don''t know that these things will soon become a trend and appear silently around people in a more mature way, Kidnap people and press their heads to make them willing to spend in the supermarket.
"Sir, this is a lottery ticket. As long as you buy something more than ten dollars, there will be such a lottery ticket." the cashier pushed the lottery ticket again, "You can go and uncover it. Someone has taken away a microwave oven before. Of course, if you really don''t need it, you can dictate it and give it to me, so I can have it legally and you don''t need to worry."
People are like this. They will become vigilant in the face of some inexplicable goodwill, but if someone wants to take it away at this time, people will become hesitant.
He hesitated to hold the lottery ticket tightly in his hand. After paying the cash, he quickly left the counter. In a rest place not far away, he tore open the cashing area according to the knowledge on the back of the lottery ticket.
At 7:30 pm, Mrs. Jonathan, who made dinner, looked at Jonathan in the living room, wiped her hands and walked over with some doubts. Since her husband came back from shopping, she has become a little... She can''t say well, it''s like her soul has gone away.
"Honey, what''s the matter with you? Are you having problems at work?" she sat gently beside Jonathan and asked him carefully.
This is a very traditional family. Jonathan works alone to support his wife and two children. With his own struggle, persistence and numbness, he has a fairly good job. The salary of 119.75 yuan a month is not up to the income standard of the middle class in the south, but it is much higher than that of ordinary people, Enough for him to support his family.
In the absence of economic independence, women''s status in the family is often relatively low, and they don''t have any actual voice, so she is very docile and gentle.
Jonathan squeezed out a smile. "No, honey, everything is fine."
He obviously didn''t want to share the problems that bothered him. Mrs. Jonathan had to give up and go upstairs to ask the children to eat.
After dinner, Jonathan was absent-minded all the time. The children didn''t notice. Mrs. Jonathan didn''t want her husband to bother herself and closed her mouth.
Jonathan had been in this state for three, four, five, six, seven days in a row. Finally, his wife couldn''t help living at the weekend. After dinner, she asked again, "honey, are you in any trouble?"
Jonathan looked at his wife for a while, then slowly nodded, "I... don''t know what to do. Maybe you can help me."
He took the lottery ticket out of his pocket together with a certificate and put it on the table. His wife had read primary and secondary school and knew words. After reading it, she was silent.
The lottery ticket shows that Jonathan won the grand prize. The prize is a "fragment of the map", which is a very special prize. There are 5000 winners nationwide.
Each of these people has a "fragment of map", which indicates the concealment of materials in a certain part of an area. On this fragment in Jonathan''s hand, there are four such supply points, including two gun and ammunition supply points.
With the fragments of the map and the winning certificate, the winners can go to the state of ambillo free of charge to participate in the "wild escape" game for at least two weeks. Before that, they will go through a week of field survival training and combat training.
As long as they can enter the top 1000, everyone will receive a cash reward of at least 200 yuan. If they can reach the top 500, the top 300, the top 100, or even the last top three in the continuous elimination, all the bonuses will be an amazing number.
In particular, the first place will receive a full 300000 bonus alone. Plus the bonus at each stage, the first place will receive at least 400000 bonus!
In addition, every player eliminated by hand will get a reward of at least 50 yuan and at most 500 yuan. Someone has calculated that if you can get the first place, the first prize may be as much as 500000!
500000, for many people, this wealth is a distant dream all their life, but today, an invitation card of the palace of wealth appears in the hands of these ordinary people.
Temporarily give up the work in hand, gamble on an opportunity and bet on a brilliant future, or give up this opportunity and continue to be a numb person. Numb survive in this numb society, no ideal, no pursuit, no impulse, only numbness.
The couple sat at the table and looked at the winning certificate and lottery ticket for a long time. Finally, Mrs. Jonathan rubbed her sore neck and raised her hand on the back of Jonathan''s hand. She looked at Jonathan with eyes that had never been serious. Her hand gently held half of his cheek, moving carefully and gently, "Do what you want, you will always be our hero, remember?"
Jonathan was a little surprised. He thought the biggest resistance was his wife. He had several behaviors that wanted to take risks, which were blocked by his wife. Even the impulse generated in consumption would be stopped and persuaded.
But he did not expect that his wife did not stop him, but supported him. At this time, he realized that the biggest resistance was not others, but himself.
He is eager to change, to live a passionate life and to make the world full of color, but he is also afraid of change. He has been hesitant. He is thinking about what to do if he fails and loses his job, how to ensure the economy of his family and how to solve the life of his family.
When thinking about this, in fact, his purpose of thinking has deviated from the theme he originally wanted to think about, but this time it is different.
"You are our hero. Thank you very much for taking care of us for so long, but this time, live for yourself!" Mrs. Jonathan smiled at her husband and gently touched his poked cheek. "Don''t worry about us, we will support all your choices."
Jonathan asked in some confusion, "why?"
His wife smiled as before. She was not particularly beautiful, but she gave people a warm feeling. Her heart was hot. "My children and I hope that even if you don''t have a smile on your face, you won''t suffer..."
Jonathan hugged his wife tightly and didn''t speak.
Three days later, he quarreled with the Department Manager in the company''s office, handed in his resignation, packed up his things and left the company under the eyes of many indifferent colleagues.
"He will regret it!" it was the roar of the Department Manager. Even if the office door was closed, people could still hear the anger in the roar.
Some colleagues'' eyes changed slightly, but most of them were as indifferent as ever. They soon lowered their heads and began to deal with their work. As for Jonathan''s resignation?
No one will take it to heart. If he doesn''t do it, someone else will take his place. The only loss is himself.
The next morning, the family got on the train to ambillo state and was ready to participate in the "wild escape" to compete for the 400000 bonus!
The event planned by Du Lin happened to be during the spring break and met the time requirements of all ages. As for whether some people are willing to resign to participate in the event, Du Lin can''t guarantee that no matter how many people don''t come this time, as long as someone comes, the event will be overcrowded next year!
Before and after, he would give out a total of three million bonuses, plus various other expenses. The funds for holding a wilderness escape exceeded ten million. It seems that he has suffered a lot, but in fact, he can''t calculate it like that.
The cost of site layout is not only used this time, but also can be used in future activities. With the buyout cost of cable TV group and the cost of some advertisers, more than half of them have earned back.
Moreover, in Otis City, the seven casinos have opened a public offer. After the registration day of the game, the information of each contestant will be published, and then accept bets from the whole empire and even the whole world.
There are ten rounds of betting, and a single bet only needs 50 points. If you win all ten rounds, you can get a bonus of 800000, and there are more gambling projects, which is enough to earn more money while earning back the money invested by Dooling.
So many times when the rich have more money to a certain extent, money will begin to reproduce itself, which has nothing to do with whether they have business mind and business ability, because money will replicate itself.
After the vigorous activity was announced to the public, it immediately attracted a lot of people to watch the game close to ambillo. Some people were asking whether they could participate in the game of escape in other ways, but unfortunately, no other channels have been opened at present.
However, according to the black market trading list of ambillo state, the price of the "big escape ticket" in the black market has risen to more than 700 yuan, and it still continues to rise.
At such a moment when the attention of the world was focused on the state of ambillo, Jonathan saw the organizer of the event, Dooling, in the largest opera house in the capital of ambillo.