Reborn in 1994: Internet Empire

47 Just how rich is she?!

       The group spent the next day gathering their belongings for a long-winded trip in the Caramoan Islands, care of Jules’ father. Jules and Lina were able to make last-minute shopping runs in order to get their outfits in order, especially the swimsuits that they were looking forward to wearing. They thought that even if they just came from a traumatizing experience, they should try to bring back their confidence, not for anyone else, but themselves. Trae had to calm his mother down quite a bit before she let him come along for the trip. All she ever knew was the Bronx, so the thought of her son traveling to a distant country out of her reach was a nightmare for her. However, she eventually gave in, only after Trae promised not to get into any kind of trouble with the local government. It was natural, as he used to be somewhat of a delinquent. However, he made sure that her trust was not taken in vain. Max talked it over with Momma Cleo, and after a while, she gave him a tight hug, only wishing that he would be safe no matter what. With that, the group was all set for their trip to a beautiful beach, owned by one of the wealthiest men in America. The hardest part of their trip was the absolutely brutal 18-hour flight. With a layover in Japan. After their final and much more reasonable 3 hour flight, they touched down in the nearest airport. At this point, it was day time. So they had all of the time to travel. First by bus. Then by boat. Then using an interesting vehicle called a tricycle, which was basically a motorcycle with a roofed cart attached to it. Finally, they reached the resort, owned by Jules’ father.

       “Ugh, that took forever!” Jules said, dizzy from the rocking of the tricycle riding on gravel filled roads.

       “Jules...” Max said, interrupting her.

       “What?”

       She noticed all of her friends staring in awe of the view before them. The most beautiful white sand beach, which was closed off from both sides with incredible stone cliffs. They could see the most amazing ocean extend as far as their eyes could see. They could barely see some fish in the water, but they were hidden behind the reflection of the sun that shone brightly above them. They looked back at the rock walls and could see some other people rappelling down. They looked like ants from that distance. The rockface was easily 200 feet above sea level. The people rappelling down waved at them, to which they waved back. It was then that they were able to look at the rest of the resort, which was almost as astonishing as the scenery. The house they would be staying in was two stories tall and nothing short of a mansion. It was filled with wonderful looking plants that made it feel nice and welcoming. It was a modern masterpiece, as the infrastructure was based around beautiful white walls. The windows were huge, and they reached all that way to the ceiling and the floor so that they had an unobstructed view of the beach in front of them. The house had a koi fish river, as well as several zen areas for a hot bath after an incredible swim in the ocean.

       “A resort, a beach, and a hot spring? Are you kidding me right now, Jules?” Max asked in amazement.

       “Well, it’s not really that impressive. The heat in the hot spring is artificial. The real expensive investment is in a natural hot spring,” she said as she put down her bags.

       She clapped her hands quickly, and as if in embarrassment. All of a sudden, a few people noticed the group and immediately sprang into action.

       “They’re here!!!”

       They were all shaken by the yell, as another group of people formed in front of their own. They moved with precision and poise as well. They were all dressed in formal clothing as if they came from more important matters prior to their gathering. But to the group’s shock, save for Jules, they bowed at them with respect in reverence.

       “Welcome to the Caramoan,” one said as he stepped forward.

       The oldest one in the bunch, who looked like he was in his late fifties, walked over to the group. He had a bald head and a typical white mustache. His eyes looked as if they were squinted, but as he walked into the shade, they realized that that was just how he really looked at people. Within moments, he looked at the group in a dignified manner, yet without a hint of being a snob. He bowed deeper than the rest of the people behind him, setting an example of how to be welcoming to important guests.

       “Evan! It’s good to see you again!” Jules said as she ran right up to him and gave him a big hug.

       Suddenly, that intimidating and regal nature was shattered as the man, named Evan, was clearly flustered at the act.

       “Er, ahem, young miss… It’s good to see you too,” he said as he eventually hugged her back.

       Jules immediately turned around and introduced this man to the rest of the group.

       “Everyone! This is Evan!” she said as she gestured to him, almost dramatically.

       “Evan Williamson, at your service. If you are confused as to the situation, well… we are butlers and maids. And we are here to serve you for the duration of your stay,” he said as he straightened himself.

       Everyone gave him a hesitant and somewhat awkward head nod. He chuckled at their attempt to greeting him and continued.

       “There’s no need to be shy. Anything you need, you ask for. Whether it be, the local food, to the finest caviar, or sashimi, we will prepare it for you. Speaking of which! Allow me to show you to your rooms! I can give you a proper tour after you all have unpacked,” he said as he turned back to the resort.

       Jules ran back to the group excitedly.

       “Oh, I haven’t seen him in forever!”

       “Woah, I didn’t know that you guys had butlers and maids!” Charlie said, having the realization that he was in an easy five-star resort.

       “Mhm! Evan has been with us for as long as I can remember. When dad wasn’t home, he would be the one taking care of me, even when I was in diapers!”

       “Oh, I see. Well, in that case, we’re lucky to have him,” Lina said, as she walked closer to the back of the group.

       They noticed that Evan was already waiting for them at the door of the house. As they reached for their bags, the group of butlers and maids stopped them. They swiftly picked up the bags and ran it into the house before they could blink. With that, the only thing that they could do was walk over to Evan, who would show them into their rooms.

       They walked through the main hall of the house to a flight of stairs that spiraled up to the second floor. Every step they made echoed through the halls laid with marble tiles. Eventually, they reached three rooms, which were completely decked out with the most amazing furniture. The carpets were soft under their bare feet, as they left their shoes just outside the room.

Immediately after they took off their shoes, the group of butlers and maids, left them all slippers made of fur.

       “Of course, these are not made from animal fur. Inhumane is one of the things that Jules’ father cannot be described by,” Evan said, as he snapped.

       In a second, the group of maids and butlers picked up their dirty shoes and took them away.

       “Hey wait, where are they taking our shoes?” Trae said, worried to death about his brand new sneakers that he bought with his own money.

       “Oh, nothing to worry about, young sir. They all merely went to clean all of your shoes for you,” Evan said proudly.

       “Yeah, but they need to know that those shoes-”

       “Can’t get wet?” Evan said, cutting off Trae with a smile.

       “And that you need to use non-”

       “Non-harsh chemicals. Yes, we use baking soda and gentle soap. Of course, using a dry brush will bring a luster and shine back to the dirt in your shoes.”

       Trae looked at Evan with intrigue.

       “And also you need to be careful-”

       “With creasing it, yes of course. We have several set ups that have been customized in order to clean rubber shoes while keeping the original shape of the product.”

       Evan smiled at Trae and continued.

       “Have a little faith in us, young sir. After all, several of our staff have been specially trained in this sort of thing. I’ll introduce you to Ryan! He himself is quite the… As you say, sneakerhead?”

       Trae nodded in approval as well in amazement.

       “Now, please choose your rooms. I assume the arrangements are as follows. Julia and Max in one, Lina and Charles in another, and then Trae.”

       “That sounds about right,” Jules said with glee as she clung to Max’s arm.

       “Ch-ch-charlie and I i-i-in one room… t-together?!” Lina said as she covered her face as it turned beet red.

       “Of course! Unless you’d like your own room,” Evan asked.

       “I, uh, I...” she looked over at Charlie, who gave her an awkward yet charming smile. “I think I will let you know if I change my mind… i-if that’s ok.”

       “Of course, young miss. Now if there is anything else, please call for me. Right now it is 12:30 pm. I will gather you for the tour at 1:30 pm. After the tour, you are free to explore at your leisure,” Evan said with another bow. “Again, welcome to our resort. And we are happy to have you all.”

       “Wait! One more thing, Evan. If that’s ok,” Max said, raising his hand.

       “Of course, young sir.”

       Max gulped down, nervous to ask the question that he was about to. But he had to, for the sake of the group.

       “How is the security here? After everything, I’d like it if we all had some sort of peace of mind,” he said, embarrassed.

       Evan smiled as if he was surprised at the question. But he thought that it was only natural. If anything, the fact that Max could still think about the welfare of his peers was something to be admired in Evan’s eyes. He knew that even if there wasn’t security on the premises, Max would make sure that everyone was safe, regardless.

       “Of course sir. We have CCTV cameras watching the premises 24/7. Every one of the butlers and maids here can double as a bodyguard. Each one of us is trained in several martial arts. Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Muay Thai, and Krav Maga. We also have ex-military within our ranks. Finally, some of our butlers are trained as armed gunmen. We keep our firearms in an easily accessible, yet hidden location, just to make sure that when we find a potentially harmful intruder, we are ready and armed. However, none of the people on our team is quick-tempered, or violent by any means. So you are absolutely safe here. There is no safer place.”

       Max breathed a sigh of relief. Evan noticed this and put his hand on Max’s shoulder.

       “Good for you, young sir. You found a wonderful group of people worth protecting.”

       Within moments, Evan spun around and walked down the hall to leave the youths to their devices. Everyone readied themselves for the experience of their lives, as they unpacked and took in everything another time. For the rest of the week, this was their safe haven.