desolate

Walking on the side of the road in Pingjiang, the entrances of large and small shops, and the lights in the shiny signboards often give people the illusion of being unable to distinguish between reality and dreams, perhaps because the roads between cities and cities are actually similar. It's always easy to go the wrong way.

"Young man, do you want to pack?" The boss raised the pot with one hand, and flames burst out from the stove.

"Bale."

Zhou Ze stood far away at the door, avoiding the oily smoke that floated over.

Originally, he just wanted to eat the barbecue meal in the back street of the school, but he didn't expect to follow the crowd of traffic lights to take an extra intersection.

There were colorful colors floating in the gutter, and Zhou Ze looked at his own shadow inside, slightly lost in thought.

The passers-by in the background have different expressions and come and go.

A familiar voice suddenly appeared.

"Xiao Yu, my uncle brought me a few boxes of chocolates, biscuits, and a bunch of snacks from abroad a few days ago, I'll send them to you..."

Wen Jialang walked casually and cautiously chatted with the girl on the other end of the phone.

"...Ah, you don't like sweets?" After being rejected, Wen Jialang stopped dejectedly, "By the way, didn't you want to go to that concert last time? I got a ticket. go together?"

The other party didn't know what to say, so he laughed again and said hello.

Holding the phone that had been hung up, Wen Jialang lowered his head and casually kicked the soda cans abandoned by passers-by on the ground to the electric pole, but this time he kicked it right at a person's feet.

"...Huh? It's you." Wen Jialang met Zhou Xuan's eyes.

Zhou Ze nodded slightly at him as a greeting.

Wen Jialang opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the ringtone of his cell phone.

"Hey, Mom... oh, I got it! Book fee? Oh, I paid it, and we have to pay the tuition fee in a few days..."

"Young man, your fried noodles are ready."

The boss yelled behind him.

"Thank you."

Zhou Ze turned around and entered the shop.

When he came out again, Wen Jialang had already left, leaving only a stooped old man picking up the crushed soda can.

hum-

The phone vibrated.

He looked down and saw that it was a text message for the arrears of downtime.

Before you know it, it's already the end of the month.

After recharging the phone bill, the balance in the bank card is running out.Usually at this time, the living expenses for the next month would be paid in advance, but now several days have passed without any movement.

What Ma Wenjing did was just to let him retreat in spite of the difficulties, so that he had to bow his head.

But it didn't matter, he didn't want to use her money either.

The sky was overcast as if he was about to crush the people in this city. Zhou Ze missed his way back to school. When he passed by a convenience store, he was attracted by the recruitment notice at the door.

"welcome--"

As soon as the automatic door opened and closed, an emotionless welcome sounded from the small speaker.

No one was at the counter.

"Hello?" Zhou Ze called out.

"Hello, what do you need?" The clerk's voice came from behind.

Zhou Ze turned around, but saw a familiar face.

"Hey, it's you." Qin Yan returned to the counter with a basket full of goods, "What do you want to buy?"

Zhou Ze casually took a bottle of mineral water and rice balls from the shelf beside him: "...just this."

Qin Yan kept looking at him while scanning the barcode: "Just this? Six yuan."

"Um... cash."

Qin Yan ran out from the counter and handed him the things and the invoice: "Why don't you eat here."

Zhou Ze sat on the high chair by the glass window according to his words: "...do you work part-time here?"

Qin Yan took a bowl of instant noodles from the shelf: "Yes, but I will resign next week."

Zhou Ze asked, "Why?"

The sound of the slender water hitting the paper bowl is not loud, but it is very clear in the quiet convenience store, just like Qin Yan's footsteps.

She sat next to Zhou Ze with the steaming instant noodles.

"It's going to be self-study at night from next week, and I don't have time."

Zhou Ze snorted: "Only at night? I saw the recruitment notice at the door..."

"You said that." Qin Yan said, "There are two kinds of part-time jobs here, weekend and night shift. A little more than 1000 a month, if you only work on weekends, it will be five or six hundred a month."

Too little.

Zhou Ze let out another oh, and lowered his head to think.

Qin Yan turned her head: "Why, do you want to find a part-time job?"

Zhou Ze nodded: "Yes."

Under Qin Yan's gaze, he involuntarily stepped on the crossbeam between the legs of the stool, and then straightened his sitting posture.

"Are you short of money?"

"Very short of money."

"Hmm..." Qin Yan withdrew her puzzled eyes, "Then you can ask Pei Ye, he introduced me to this part-time job."

That smelly face immediately appeared in Zhou Ze's mind.

"Okay, then I'll ask him."

"Well, he is actually very nice." Qin Yan said, "Let me push his WeChat to you."

"……it is good."

Zhou Ze looked at the dark profile picture on his phone, the morning dialog box was still at the top of the list, and the next second, the business card pushed by Qin Yan jumped out.

Qin Yan was still talking to herself: "He doesn't seem to add people casually, let me help you..."

He put away his mobile phone, and then started to pack up the food he had eaten: "Well, thank you, I've finished eating, let's go first."

"Huh? Oh oh, good..."

Inside the car wash.

The water spray from the high-pressure water gun wet the ground.

Pei Ye came out of the mist with his motorcycle helmet in his arms, and said to Brother Hu who was washing the car, "Brother, I left the rice for you."

Brother Hu narrowed his eyes: "Well, you should eat first."

Pei also washed his hands in the corner, and then sat on the toolbox in the corner with a snack box.

Taking advantage of the break from eating, Pei also checked the messages on his phone.

hum-

Qin Yan: [Pei Ye, Zhou Ze wants to find a part-time job, so I sent him your Wechat, please agree! 】

Just as Pei Ye exited the dialog box and looked at the blue "Stitch", another message came in.

Young Master: [The favor I said in the morning, I can help you now. 】

Pei Ye: […]

Pei Ye: [Looking for a part-time job? 】

Zhou Ze stared at the news on the screen, and was stunned for a second by the other party's prophetic news.

He replied with one word: [yes]

Not long after, Pei also sent two photos, and immediately after that, there was a piece of recruitment information that was obviously copied.

Pei Ye: 【Go here and ask. 】

The other two photos are the gate of the Internet cafe and a recruitment poster.

Zhou Ze silently checked the location of the Internet cafe, intending to check the situation.

As for the car wash shop on the other side, after a while, Pei Ye finished his meal and did not receive any reply from Zhou Ze. Looking at the last message from 10 minutes ago, he secretly threw his phone aside.

...What a rude guy.

……

From the map, the Internet cafe Zhou Ze was going to was not far from his current location, and it took about 10 minutes to arrive nearby - next to the parking lot of a shopping mall.

Although he could see the signboard of the Internet cafe from a distance, Zhou Ze still went around a long way before finding the hidden entrance.

The Internet cafe is on the third floor. Once you enter the elevator, you will be surrounded by the smell that is exclusive to Internet cafes. In the same narrow space, there are two other young men with shaved mohawks and tight jackets.

The swear words and soot that came out casually made Zhou choose to keep the farthest distance from them at all times.

As soon as the elevator door opened, two young people squeezed out from him, saying at the same time:

"Are you sure you saw the kid here?"

"I'm sure, you can look for it over there, I'll be guarding at the door..."

It looks like they are looking for someone.

Zhou Ze walked around from them to the counter, and the little girl at the cash register was watching the TV series on her mobile phone as if no one else was around, without giving the two young men a single glance.

"Hi, are you looking for part-time jobs here?"

Without raising her head, the girl pointed in one direction: "Go to the billiard room inside to find the boss."

"...What does your boss look like?"

"That's the one with the pink hat."

To go to the billiard room, you have to go through the Internet area of ​​the entire Internet cafe, and then go to a glass door.

There are not many people in the billiard room, and there is not enough light. Only the tables with people will turn on the overhead lights to make the whole room not so dark.Zhou Ze saw the pink hat the clerk was talking about at a glance.The other party was arranging his clubs with his back to the door, and he couldn't see his face clearly, but judging from his attire, he should be a trendy person.

"excuse me……"

"Hey, why are you blocking here!"

Just as Zhou Ze was walking behind the boss, the guests at the table next to him bent down, and he completely blocked the hand holding the pole, and the shot was missed.

Zhou Ze backed out from between the two tables while apologizing: "...I'm sorry."

"Why is it you again?" Wen Jialang stood the pool cue in his hand on the ground, "What are you doing here?"

Pingjiang is really small.

This was the only thought that Zhou Ze couldn't get rid of.

"I... have something to do."

Wen Jialang asked, "What's the matter?"

Before Zhou Ze could answer, a voice suddenly came from behind him: "Damn, Wen Jialang, you won't answer the call, and you won't pay back the money. Why are you hiding here for a long time? I walked around outside three times..."

One hand roughly pushed aside Zhou Ze, and grabbed Wen Jialang's collar.

Wen Jialang saw the person's face clearly, his expression changed to panic in an instant, and then he pushed the person's hand away forcefully: "Speak as you speak, don't move!"

"I didn't do anything." Moxigan No. [-] said, "But if you still don't pay back the money, then I won't guarantee it."

It turned out to be him.

Zhou Ze knew it in his heart, and then silently walked away from the battlefield.

The boss with the pink hat was also standing in the distance at this time, biting his cigarette calmly, but he didn't let go of anyone in the billiard room, as if he was worried that their conflict would affect the facilities in the room.

Zhou Ze stepped forward and explained his intention.

The 30-year-old Internet cafe owner surnamed He was surprisingly easy-going. When he heard that Pei Ye recommended him for a part-time job, he immediately exchanged contact information and said that he could come to try the job the next day.

It only took 10 minutes, and the part-time job of network administrator was almost finalized. Apart from the low salary, there was almost nothing to choose.

A big rock in Zhou Ze's heart fell firmly to the ground.

Even free to chat with the boss.

"In this case, don't you stop it?"

Boss He slowly stretched out his hand, and tapped twice in the air: "It's okay, let them go, don't dare to make a big fuss."

how do you know?

Zhou Ze wanted to ask, but didn't.

Because in fact, even though Mohawk [-] put on a vicious face, the two were still in the stage of intense negotiations, and the most deterrent move seemed to be nothing more than two pushes.

But soon, Mohawk-[-] changed its countermeasures.

"Hey, brother, I found this kid...OK, take him out, okay..." Mo Xigan hung up the phone on the [-]st, and said to Wen Jialang who was full of vigilance, "Let's go out and talk. "

"Where are you going..."

The buddy who played billiards with Wen Jialang disappeared early in the beginning. He was alone and helpless, and he dared not follow up.

"You'll know when you get there." Moxigan No. [-] didn't intend to talk nonsense with him, and wanted to start directly.

"Wait! I'm with my friend!"

In a hurry, Wen Jialang saw Zhou Ze who was trying to reduce his sense of presence. Adhering to the principle that one person is more useful than two, Wen Jialang stopped him loudly.

This idiot...

Zhou Ze had an expression of "I don't know him", but he couldn't resist being dragged by Wen Jialangsheng.

Wen Jialang asked, "Can I go with him?"

Mohigan No. [-] glanced between the two of them jokingly: "Whatever."

After speaking, he turned and walked out.

At this time, Wen Jialang quickly grabbed Zhou Ze and urged him in a low voice, "Hurry up and send a message, let Xu Duozhi and Pei come over to get us!"

"Why don't you contact yourself?"

"My mobile phone was confiscated..."

"..."

The author says:

Zhou Ze: No work, no food.jpg