Chapter 4: Urban Survival Experience

  Li Fuhao nodded and walked out of the taxi, Yu Ming had no choice but to carry his small luggage and walk forward. He looked up at the advertisements, searching for a place to hide. When he arrived at the bus stop, Yu Ming looked at the bus signs, but he still hadn't thought of where to go. The most economical way was to find a sauna house to spend the night, but it would have to be later.

  The bus arrived, and Yu Ming got on, casually tossing in a one-yuan coin. There were no seats inside, so he held onto the handrail and gazed out at the world outside. Along the way, he had already spotted at least two easy targets. But the thought of zero tolerance weighed heavily on Yu Ming, and even with only a 1% chance of getting caught, he didn't want to take the risk. Because he was a rational person. Most importantly, any unplanned passionate crime would lead to endless troubles later on.

  After twenty or so stops, the final destination was reached and he got off at Ming. This place was already close to the suburbs. He had no particular purpose in mind, just enjoying the free air conditioning on the bus and the cool girls who would occasionally brush against him. Just as the driver slammed on the brakes, one of the girls grabbed her chest, nothing happened. But then, when the driver braked again, he accidentally grabbed a girl's chest... Who says men and women are equal?

  Rubbing his belly, he looked up. A Western fast food restaurant had a sign that read "Coca-Cola unlimited refills". Yu Ming walked towards the restaurant. According to research, people can survive for a long time without eating, but without water, they would be gone in two or three days. It was best if he could save some money and hold out until tomorrow noon when he could eat a free meal at the company cafeteria, which had a 20-yuan limit on work meals.

  Yu Ming was drinking Coke, looking at the scenery outside the window. City A is a pretty nice city, with sea views, forest parks, high-rise buildings and drunken lamp posts. Yu Ming suddenly said: "My mobile phone."

  A fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy turned around and put his mobile phone back on the table. The boy smiled apologetically: "I took it by mistake, sorry." This is a suburb with many indigenous people. The treatment for thieves is to strip them naked, tie them to an electric pole and wait for the police to come and rescue them. As for human rights violations, they are all nonsense.

  "Wait." Yu Ming sighed and asked: "Haven't eaten yet?"

  This... The young man was somewhat moved. Lao Da said that there are as many good people in this world as cowards. Could it be that he had met a good person?

  "Let's go, I'll treat you to a meal." Yu Ming picked up his travel bag and patted the young man on the shoulder.

  Walking towards the steakhouse across the street, the young man's heart was racing with excitement. Although he could afford to spend his daily income in the steakhouse, this warmth was something he had always yearned for but never received. Sneaking a glance at Ming, who didn't seem wealthy either, yet he was willing to treat him to a meal. University students are indeed of high quality.

  Maybe I should find a job and be someone who can bring such warmth and emotion to others.

  "Sit down first." Yu Ming pointed in one direction, then directly told the waiter: "Four black pepper beef steaks, two to-go."

  Still packing! The young man's tears almost fell down, he suddenly had an impulse to tell Yu Ming that he had money.

  The waiter asked: "Do you want me to pack them together?"

  "Yes, he eats relatively fast."

  Yu Ming casually threw his travel bag onto the umbrella rack and sat down across from the young man. The environment was not bad, with greenery blocking the view, making it a suitable place for couples and clandestine lovers to dine. It was secluded enough that even if your boyfriend was in the next room, he wouldn't be able to see you.

  Yu Mingdao said: "I used to steal things because I was hungry and had no choice."

  "No wonder big brother knew I was taking out my phone without even turning his head." The young man exclaimed in admiration, it turned out to be a senior.

  "No, I just stole once. Got caught. The wallet's owner was a woman, she didn't call the cops, instead she bought me a steak dinner."

  "What's next?" the young man asked curiously.

  "Then I went to college. Now I'm preparing to find a job in City A. By the way, I've been keeping in touch with that lady all along, and she's always encouraging me."

  If I had met such a woman for the first time, would I have been a high school student already? A few casual chats, and the steak arrives. The young man, eager to show how hungry he really was, began devouring it in big bites. Yu Ming said: "I'll go wash my hands."

  "Ah, ah." The young man saw Ming leave, put down his knife and fork, and couldn't help but shed a tear. He cut off a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. It was really sweet. Thinking of the story Ming told, he couldn't help but choke up a bit.

  It's decided then, I'll be a good person too.

  Yu Ming went to wash his hands for a long time. The young man ate the steak but didn't see Yu Ming, which was quite strange. He stood up and went to the restroom to look, but he wasn't there. Then he walked out of the dining hall...

  "Excuse me, sir, you haven't paid your bill yet." The waiter stopped him.

  "Who's paying?" The young man asked: "And what about my companion?"

  "Your companion said he's going to get some money, you just sit for a moment, I think he'll be back soon."

  The innocent boy returned to his position and waited quietly, wondering why his big brother had not come back yet. Could it be that he was in a car accident? No, good people should live a peaceful life forever.

  ……

  By the seaside rocks, Ming cut a piece of steak and stuffed it into his mouth. Besides the steak, he also had a bottle of red wine by his side, which he didn't plan to drink but intended to sell for some cash. A steak, bread, and salad were enough for him to get by.

  At eight o'clock in the summer, the sky began to darken. The streetlights along the beach road lit up. Yu Ming swallowed the last piece of food and packed another steak into his backpack. He checked his phone, it was only 8 o'clock. He should go to the sauna at midnight. Yu Ming walked down the rocky shore, walked to the bus station and waited for the bus, got on the bus, and enjoyed the air conditioning. The beauty didn't get on, now is not the peak hour of commuting.

  At dawn, open the mobile phone to view A City's electronic map, then draw a circle with Du Shi International as the center. The activity area should be defined within this range. This way, at least you won't get lost and waste money on taxis.

  Get off the bus, start wandering around the supermarket from Ming. The supermarket has air conditioning and doesn't need a backpack. Found the bookstore, picked up a book and sat down on the floor, started killing time. No need to spend any money, can also enjoy good treatment. Hungry, can go try two dumplings. Thirsty, can try drinking two cups of yogurt, blowing air conditioning while watching books, without spending a single penny.

  At eleven o'clock, the supermarket closed and Yu Ming left. He strolled around for a while, found a sauna, paid twenty yuan, took a bath, and slept.

  The next day, at 8:30 in the morning, Yu Ming arrived at the company. Since he didn't have a work card, he could only wait in the corridor. On the first floor of the building, on the left side, there were four departments, all of which might be alive or dead.

  Li Fu arrived at 8:55, and the two didn't have much to talk about, so they casually chatted about the weather for a bit. At 8:57, the company gate opened, and Yu Ming only then found out that Du Qingqing hadn't returned home all night after pulling an all-nighter at work. Based on her eye bags, Yu Ming inferred that this girl probably still didn't get more than five hours of sleep last night.

  "Come in." Du Qingqing was in high spirits, and it wasn't that Yu Ming was a master who couldn't detect her staying up all night. Du Qingqing said: "There are some company rules for you to look at, and here are your work cards. Once the last employee arrives, we'll have a meeting."