The Bronze Fish Wept Blood,I Shut Down My Million-Dollar Restaurant

After our new hotpot restaurant started pulling in over two million a month, the Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish that my family had enshrined for three generations suddenly wept tears of blood.

I didn't hesitate. I laid off every employee on the spot and announced we were shutting down.

My business partner hurled his glass against the wall and told me I'd lost my mind.

My wife dropped to her knees, begging me not to go.

I held the sandalwood box containing the bronze fish and walked toward the door without looking back

We have to close. If we don't, the consequences will be unthinkable.

My wife grabbed my armIf you walk out that door today, I'm taking our daughter and going back to my parents'. I'll file for divorce!

My steps faltered. I drew a long breath

Do what you have to.

But today, everyone leaves this building.

When the Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish weeps blood, a catastrophe is coming.

Jesse Henson, what exactly are you saying?

I put money into this place right alongside you. We finally clawed our way to profitability, and now you want to shut it all down over some beat-up fish?

I looked at Clement Henson, whose face had gone ashen, and kept my voice level

Which matters more, money or people's lives?

The Henson family has enshrined this Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish for three generations. It can sense fortune and disaster. When it weeps blood, it means a catastrophe is about to strike this place.

If you don't want blood on your hands and a criminal case on your record, listen to me. Shut the restaurant down now. Get everyone out.

His wife, Ramona Lambert, let out a cold laugh and planted herself in the middle of the dining hall, hands on her hips

This isn't just your restaurant. Who gave you the right to close it whenever you feel like it?

'A catastrophe is coming'? I think you're the catastrophe. You've lost your mind!

If you're sick, go see a doctor! Don't stand here costing us money!

Employees crowded around us, along with a handful of passersby who had stopped to watch.

Is this guy insane? Shutting down a restaurant that's pulling in two million a month?

I heard it's some superstition thing. Something they keep in the restaurant started crying

Turning down money like that, the guy's an idiot.

A few others muttered under their breath

But what if something really does happen? What if he actually knows something we don't?

I had no interest in explaining myself. I held the sandalwood box tight and turned toward the exit.

Serena Abbott rushed up and reached for the box in my arms

Honey, it's just the humidity in here. The moisture condensed on the bronze and it looked like tears. Just wipe it off and it's fine!

We barely broke even on this place. If we close now, how are we going to pay for Melanie Henson's medical bills?

I smiled bitterly and stepped out of her reach.

Serena, the Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish is made from a special alloy. Humidity changes can't make it weep.

Melanie's medical bills, I'll figure something out

Before I could finish, Clement slammed his fist on the checkout counter

Enough! Cut the martyr act!

He yanked a document from the drawer and threw it down in front of me

You want to leave? Leave. I'm not stopping you.

But this restaurant belongs to both of us. If you want out, you sign this voluntary share-transfer agreement first.

After that, this place has nothing to do with you. I'll run it myself. I'll keep every cent.

Ramona chimed in from the side, dripping with sarcasm

Didn't you say a catastrophe was coming? Then sign. We'll take the hit for you.

Go on. Sign it.

She wasn't wrong. The moment my name hit that paper, the restaurant could blow sky-high and none of it would fall on me.

But lives were at stake. I still couldn't stop myself from giving one last warning

If you insist on staying open, fine. But at least get a full inspection done. Wiring, gas lines, fire exits, all of it.

And the ingredients. Do everything you can to minimize the risk.

Clement scoffed

Save it. Just sign.

I picked up the pen and signed my name on the last page of the agreement.

Serena ran out in tears.

Clement snatched the agreement, scanned it to make sure everything was in order, then turned to face the entire staff

Listen up! Starting today, I'm the one calling the shots around here!

Anyone who stays gets a ten percent raise, effective immediately!

The employees exchanged uneasy glances. Someone murmured

But Jesse said this place is gonna have some kind of disaster

Bullshit!

Clement spat the word like venomHe's a con artist! You believe him, you can get the hell out right now!

Nobody moved.

A ten percent raise meant a lot more to the kitchen aunties and the waitstaff than some warning about a bloody catastrophe.

When my great-grandmother passed down the Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish, she left one warning

The Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish is enshrined by the Henson family. If it weeps tears of blood, it is a sign of great misfortune. A bloody catastrophe is at hand.

Three months ago, I emptied every cent I had and opened this hotpot restaurant with Clement, my oldest friend.

The Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish sat enshrined in the northwest corner of the dining hall. It had been quiet the entire time.

Now it was weeping blood. That meant a disaster beyond reckoning was about to strike this place.

It didn't matter how much money we were pulling in. The restaurant could not stay open.

I decided to take Serena and Melanie back to the old family house in the country.

Back at the apartment, I started packing.

My phone buzzed.

I pulled it out and saw over thirty missed calls.

All from Serena.

I was about to call her back when the lock turned.

Serena pushed the door open. Her eyes were red and swollen. She'd been crying.

Why didn't you answer your phone?

Her voice was raw.

It was on silent. I didn't hear it.

I set the phone down and looked at her

Serena, let's go to the country for a while. Lie low until this blows over, then come back.

Serena was quiet for a long time, her eyes brimming with tears

Honey, if you've been under too much pressure lately, we can take a month off.

Rest up, then go back and talk to Clement. Get your shares back. Can you do that?

I shook my head.

The contract's signed. That restaurant has nothing to do with me anymore.

Serena stared at me for a long time. Then she laughed.

Jesse, I thought you were just superstitious.

Turns out you've actually lost your mind.

She pushed a set of divorce papers across the table

I don't want a husband this irresponsible.

And Melanie doesn't need a father like this. Let's end it.

I looked at the divorce papers, and a sharp ache tore through my chest.

From college sweethearts to wedding vows, Serena and I had been together for a full ten years.

We had a beautiful little girl.

I thought we'd grow old together.

Now, because of a bronze fish, this family was falling apart.

But as long as they were alive, I'd rather they hate me for the rest of their lives.

The house, the car, the savings. It's all yours. I'll leave with nothing.

Serena, one last thing. Whatever you do, stay away from the restaurant.

I dragged my suitcase out the door without another word.

Half an hour later, I saw a post from Trudy Summers, Serena's best friend.

It was a video.

In it, Serena sat in a booth at a bar, a row of empty bottles lined up in front of her.

She was wasted, slurring into the camera

From college to the wedding, a whole ten years

And in the end? He cares more about some stupid fish than he does about me

Jesse Henson, you're a goddamn bastard

The comments section blew up.

Wait, Jesse and Serena got divorced?? Weren't they like the perfect couple?

I heard Jesse's superstitious. Something he had enshrined in the restaurant started crying, and he wanted to shut the whole place down even though it was pulling in over two million a month. Serena wouldn't go along with it, so they split.

That's not even the worst of it. I remember back during SATs, that same stupid fish cried too, and he straight-up refused to walk into the testing center. Repeated the year for nothing. Turned out absolutely nothing happened. The guy's just crazy.

I didn't explain myself.

The last time the Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish wept blood was during my SATs. I reported it to the school that same day.

They spent three days inspecting the grounds and discovered a critical structural hazard beneath the testing center.

If it hadn't been caught in time, the building could have collapsed on exam day.

The hazard was dealt with. But I missed the test and had to repeat the year.

None of that mattered to anyone. In their version of the story, I was just a lunatic.

I opened my chat with Trudy and transferred the last twenty thousand dollars in my account

Find a way to take Serena somewhere. Anywhere. Just keep her out for at least two weeks. Please.

Trudy went quiet for half a minute, then replied with a singleOkay.

I turned off my phone and got on the highway.

Three hours later, I pulled into a rest stop.

I parked, then reached over and opened the sandalwood box on the passenger seat.

The Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish lay inside, still and silent.

It wasn't large, only about the length of an adult's palm. The whole body was aged bronze, its scales etched with dense rows of ancient script.

Above each eye, where the brows would be, two sea serpents coiled in lifelike relief.

But something was different. The blood tears that had been streaming down its face were gone.

I exhaled.

The Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish protected the Henson bloodline.

If the tears had stopped after I left the restaurant, then the omen had lifted.

My phone buzzed. A message from my mother

Jesse, I heard everything. You did the right thing. When the Bronze Fish weeps blood, a bloody catastrophe follows. What you did was righteous. The ones who wouldn't listen have their own fate to answer to.

I stared at her message for a long time.

My mother never wasted words.

For her to send something that long meant she was worried, too.

I typed back a short acknowledgment, then opened the restaurant's security feed.

It was the dinner rush. The dining hall sat empty except for a few servers wiping down tables.

Clement said he was going to keep the place running. So where were the customers?

Right then, a push notification slid down from my news app. The headline read

Viral Restaurant Owner Predicts Bloodbath: Crackpot or Clairvoyant?

I tapped through. It was a clip posted by some clickbait account.

The video showed the argument between me and Clement at the restaurant that afternoon.

Whoever filmed it had been sneaky about it. The angle was just right to catch my face dead-on.

The title readTrendy Hotpot Spot Pulling in Over $2 Million a Month: Owner Shuts Down and Forfeits His Shares Because a Bronze Fish "Cried." Claims a Bloody Catastrophe Is Coming!

The comment section already had over a hundred thousand replies

Is this guy out of his mind? Walking away from money to chase superstitious garbage?

Bet he poisoned the food himself. Trying to create a panic so he can dodge responsibility.

The more you think about it, the creepier it gets. What if he actually put something in the hotpot?

Already called the cops. People like this need to be investigated!

A wave of relief washed through me. If no one dared to eat there, the casualties would be minimal.

I was about to close the app when another notification dropped in

BREAKINGViral Hotpot Owner Wanted by Police for Inciting Public Panic. Investigation Underway!

I tapped the link. It was a screenshot of an official police bulletin

Our department has received multiple public complaints regarding a hotpot restaurant owner surnamed Henson whose superstitious statements have caused widespread social alarm. The individual is suspected of disturbing public order. A case has been opened. The individual is urged to report to authorities immediately for questioning.

Below it, they had posted my photo and my license plate number.

A knock rapped against my car window.

I turned. Two officers in uniform stood outside, their expressions hard and unyielding.

Jesse Henson, you are suspected of disturbing public order. Come with us for questioning.

And that box on your passenger seat. What's in it? Open it up.

I opened the sandalwood box.

The Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish lay still inside, its tarnished body catching the sunlight with a dull, cold gleam.

The officer leaned in for a closer look and frowned

Because this thing got some condensation on it, you decided to spread rumors and cause a panic?

Jesse, you're a grown man. A college graduate. How can you be this superstitious?

I closed the box and put the Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish away.

I'm sorry, but I can't go back with you. I didn't spread any rumors. I'm doing everything I can to prevent a disaster.

If you actually want to solve the problem, you should go run a full inspection on that restaurant. You might still catch it before something happens.

The officer pulled out a pair of handcuffs, ready to take me in by force.

That was when a white SUV came tearing down the road and screeched to a stop beside my car.

The door flew open and Serena jumped out, Melanie in her arms.

Her eyes were red and swollen. She rushed up to the officers, her voice shaking

Officers, please, my husband isn't a bad person. He's just been under so much pressure lately

She turned to look at me, and the tears spilled all at once

Jesse, I'm begging you, please stop this, okay?

Just tell the officers you were talking nonsense before.

Then go back and apologize to Clement, and we'll reopen the restaurant and live our lives like normal people. Can you do that?

If you won't do it for yourself, think about Melanie

I looked at my daughter in my wife's arms, and my eyes burned.

I was about to speak when Clement's voice exploded out of the crowd.

Jesse! You've got some goddamn nerve pulling this voodoo crap!

He charged over, face white with rage, and grabbed me by the collar

Do you have any idea how much money I've lost because of your psychotic rants?

I was finally about to turn things around, and you pull this shit on me!

Ramona chimed in from behind him

Exactly! Playing fortune teller now? If you can really see the future, how come you didn't see when your own mother was going to die?

More and more people at the rest stop were crowding around us.

Isn't that the guy from the hotpot place? Looks pretty put-together. Who knew he was crazy?

Right? Total nutcase. Feel bad for his wife and kid. Guy doesn't know how good he's got it.

I let out a breath and looked at Clement. How many employees are in the restaurant right now?

Clement blinkedThe hell's it to you?

Fifteen. So what? Ramona cut in. What, you think they're gonna beg for mercy on your behalf?

I looked Clement in the eye. Have you thought about what happens if something goes wrong with those fifteen people? What are you going to pay out with? You could sell everything you own and it still wouldn't be enough.

Who the hell are you cursing?

Clement slapped me across the face.

You really think I won't hit you, Jesse?

He pulled out his phone and shoved the screen in my face

Take a good look! Business is booming!

I focused on the screen. The restaurant's dining hall was packed, loud with voices.

Every table was full. Steam billowed over the pots and servers wove between the rows with loaded trays.

Clement waved the phone in front of me, grinning

Wasn't there supposed to be some bloodbath? Go on, make it happen!

Running your mouth about doom and gloom every damn day. This beating? You earned it. And if you don't set the record straight, I'll have you charged with defamation and thrown in a cell!

Serena dropped to her knees, crying

Please, don't press charges. He just lost his head for a moment. He didn't mean it

I'll apologize for him

Melanie burst into terrified wails.

My mind went blank.

Had I really been wrong this whole time?

Had the Serpent-Brow Bronze Fish's power of foresight been wrong this time?

Looking at my wife on her knees and my daughter screaming herself hoarse, I felt like a knife was being twisted through my chest.

I was about to give in.

Then the surveillance feed on Clement's phone shook violently.

A blinding white flash.

A deafening boom ripped through the phone's speaker, laced with screams.

The screen went black.