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Chen Qiming's days at the Grain Bureau were becoming increasingly difficult.

Ever since that work report incident, the section chief has been targeting him in every way.

Assigning them the most tiring tasks, finding fault with them the most, and frequently making veiled remarks during meetings such as "some young people don't understand the rules and are overly ambitious."

That day, Chen Qiming noticed a problem with a document and kindly reminded his section chief, "Section Chief, the data in this report seems incorrect; the third and fifth columns don't match..."

The section chief took the document, glanced at it, and his face immediately darkened. "Xiao Chen, what do you mean? Are you suspecting me of making a mistake?"

"No, no!" Chen Qiming quickly explained, "I just felt we should double-check, in case there are problems if it gets reported..."

"What's wrong?" the section chief interrupted him. "I've been in finance for twenty years, and I'm not as good as you, a newcomer? Xiao Chen, let me tell you, when you work in an office, the first thing you have to learn is to respect your superiors. Superiors have their reasons for doing things, and it's not for a newbie like you to tell them what to do."

Chen Qiming was so scolded that he couldn't lift his head.

He meant well and was genuinely worried that errors in the reports would cause trouble for the company.

But the section chief felt that he was nitpicking and showing off.

After get off work, Chen Qiming felt depressed and wanted to find Sun Yumei.

People say that if you're unlucky in love, you'll be lucky in your career. Since you're having a bad time at work, maybe you'll have a chance in love.

But when I called Sun Yumei several times, there was no response.

Finally, Chen Qiming went directly to the dance academy to find Sun Yumei, "Yumei..."

"Chen Qiming, why are you here again?" Sun Yumei asked coldly. "I've already told you, we're just ordinary classmates. Don't keep coming to see me."

"I...I like you! I want to be with you."

"What are you thinking?" Sun Yumei said. "Chen Qiming, stop bothering me. I have a boyfriend now, so don't come looking for me anymore."

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Chen Qiming stood there blankly, feeling as if his heart had been hollowed out.

Just then, the quick-witted Han Ling couldn't stand it anymore and pulled Chen Qiming aside. "Chen Qiming, let go! Sun Yumei really already has a boyfriend. If you keep bothering her like this, it will only annoy her more."

"Who is her boyfriend?" Chen Qiming asked, his eyes red.

“I don’t know either. I only heard her say that she’s a boss and very rich.” Han Ling sighed. “Chen Qiming, you should know what kind of person Sun Yumei is. She wants a wealthy life, which you can’t give her. Let go as soon as possible; it’s better for both of you.”

Chen Qiming smiled wryly, "Han Ling, even you say that..."

"I'm doing this for your own good," Han Ling said. "Chen Qiming, focus on your work! You can't force matters of the heart."

Chen Qiming left, his figure forlorn.

Han Ling watched Chen Qiming's retreating figure, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.

But she also knew that Chen Qiming and Sun Yumei were truly incompatible.

……

Xiao Ran also ran into trouble.

He went to work at the freight company as usual that day, but when he arrived, he found something was wrong...

At this time of day, the company would usually be open, but today the doors are tightly shut.

He knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered.

An employee from the company next door poked his head out and said, "Stop knocking, we've moved out."

"They moved away?" Xiao Ran was taken aback. "When?"

"I moved it last night," the man said. "I heard the boss was heavily in debt and ran away."

Xiao Ran's mind went blank.

He ran away? What about his salary? He still owes two months' worth of wages!
Xiao Ran quickly called his boss, but the phone was off.

I tried calling Lao Li, but his phone was off.

Xiao Ran was so anxious that he paced back and forth, and finally pried the door open with his bare hands.

The room was empty; the desks and filing cabinets had all been moved away, leaving only a pile of trash.

There was a cardboard box in the corner. Xiao Ran opened it and found it full of leather shoes...

But they're all from the right foot; the left foot ones are nowhere to be found.

This was all he got after two months of work: a box containing only the right shoe and two months of unpaid wages.

Xiao Ran, clutching the box of leather shoes, returned to his rented room, utterly dejected.

Liu Yuan looked at Xiao Ran with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong?"

"The company is gone, the boss ran away." Xiao Ran threw the box on the ground. "Two months' salary, not a penny. All he left me was this pile of old shoes."

Liu Yuan opened the box, looked inside, and smiled wryly, "These shoes... are they even wearable?"

"What can I wear? It's all right-footed!" Xiao Ran kicked the suitcase in anger. "Damn it, what kind of world is this!"

Liu Yuan patted Xiao Ran on the shoulder, "Forget it, Lao Xiao, just consider it a lesson learned. These kinds of shady companies are unreliable anyway. Let's find another job."

"Easy for you to say." Xiao Ran sat on the bed. "The rent is due soon, and I only have a few dozen yuan left. If we can't find a job soon, we'll be sleeping on the streets."

The two were relatively speechless.

……

At this time, Xiao Ran had another troublesome matter, which was that he had to go to Guangzhou to see Han Ling.

Upon hearing that Xiao Ran was going to Guangzhou, Liu Yuan remained silent for a while before saying, "Old Xiao, I also want to go to Guangzhou."

"What are you going to do?"

“I…” Liu Yuan hesitated for a moment, “I just want to go and take a look. Anyway, I don’t have a job right now, so I might as well relax.”

Xiao Ran looked at Liu Yuan and naturally understood his thoughts.

Liu Yuan still liked Han Ling, and although he knew there was little hope, he still wanted to go see her.

Actually, when Su Ning was pursuing Han Ling, Liu Yuan had already given up on Han Ling in his heart.

But when Han Ling chose Xiao Ran, Liu Yuan became unwilling again, because he believed that he was better than Xiao Ran.

“Okay, let’s go together!” Xiao Ran said. “But we need to be careful with our money. Tickets and accommodation will cost money.”

“I have some,” Liu Yuan said. “I also have some savings.”

In reality, Liu Yuan didn't have any savings left.
After losing my job, I've almost run out of money.

But he gritted his teeth and went to the mall to buy a necklace, which cost him over two hundred yuan. This was his last bit of money.

On Friday, Xiao Ran and Liu Yuan took the train to Guangzhou.

……

On Saturday morning, Han Ling's train arrived at the station.

Xiao Ran and Liu Yuan were waiting at the exit when they saw Han Ling walking out from afar.

Han Ling wore a white dress and her hair was tied in a ponytail; she looked as beautiful as a painting.

At this moment, Xiao Ran and Liu Yuan were both captivated, feeling that Han Ling was the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Xiao Ran!" Han Ling saw Xiao Ran, pulled her suitcase and ran over, throwing herself into his arms.

Xiao Ran hugged her tightly, smelling the fragrance in her hair, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Happy, yet heartbroken.

"I missed you so much," Han Ling whispered in his arms.

"I miss you too," Xiao Ran said.

Liu Yuan stood to the side, watching the two embrace, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart.

He also wanted to hug Han Ling and tell her how much he liked her.

But Liu Yuan knew he wasn't qualified; he was indeed no match for Xiao Ran.

"Liu Yuan, you're here too!" Han Ling stepped out of Xiao Ran's arms and greeted Liu Yuan with a smile.

"Well, I came... to see your performance." Liu Yuan forced a smile.

"Thank you."

"Ling'er, are you hungry after your long train journey?"

"Fortunately."

"I'll take you out for a nice meal."

"it is good."

Then the three of them went to eat together.

At the dinner table, Liu Yuan insisted on paying the bill, and said, "Old Xiao has a good job now, he earns more than a thousand a month. I'm also looking for a new job, and I'm in talks with a few companies, all with very good benefits."

Han Ling was overjoyed, "Really? That's wonderful! Xiao Ran, you've finally found a good job!"

Xiao Ran could only nod, "Hmm...it's alright."

"I knew you could do it!" Han Ling said. "Once you're settled, I'll come to Shenzhen to find you, and we'll never be apart again."

"Okay." Xiao Ran held her hand.

After dinner, the three of them went shopping.

As they passed a high-end hotel, Han Ling suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Ran asked.

Han Ling pointed to the hotel entrance, "That's... Sun Yumei?"

Xiao Ran and Liu Yuan looked over and, sure enough, saw Sun Yumei get out of a Mercedes-Benz. The driver also got out; it was Su Ning.

Suning looked very handsome, dressed casually and wearing sunglasses.

Sun Yumei took his arm, and the two walked into the hotel chatting and laughing.

Han Ling was stunned.

Xiao Ran and Liu Yuan were also stunned.

Sun Yumei and Su Ning? When did they...?

Su Ning naturally saw them and nodded as a greeting.

Sun Yumei also saw Han Ling, her expression was a little unnatural, but she still smiled.

Then Su Ning and Sun Yumei went into the hotel.

"Sun Yumei, she...she and Su Ning?" Han Ling couldn't believe it. "When did this happen?"

"I don't know," Xiao Ran said. "But it's not surprising that someone like Sun Yumei would end up with Su Ning."

Liu Yuan didn't say anything, but thought to himself: So the "boss who drives a Mercedes" that Sun Yumei mentioned was Su Ning.

Han Ling didn't know why she felt particularly uncomfortable, as if she had lost something.

……

In the evening, there was a cultural performance.

Han Ling danced on stage, looking as beautiful as a fairy.

Xiao Ran and Liu Yuan sat below the stage, staring intently at her.

Every smile and frown of Han Ling touched the hearts of the two men.

Liu Yuan looked at Han Ling on the stage, and then at Sun Yumei, who was equally beautiful.

Thinking back to the chance encounter at the hotel entrance, I felt a mix of emotions.

Sun Yumei chose Suning because Suning has money.

Han Ling chose Xiao Ran because of love.

And what about him? What does he have?
Nothing at all.

"Liu Yuan, what are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing! I'm just a little envious of you."

"Why do you envy me?"

"I envy your love with Han Ling."

"Liu Yuan, don't overthink it. You will definitely meet your other half."

"Hehe! I appreciate your kind words."

……

After the performance, Han Ling had to go back to school.

At the train station, Xiao Ran and Han Ling were reluctant to part.

"You must take good care of yourself," Han Ling said. "After I graduate, I will come to Shenzhen and never leave again."

"Okay, I'll wait for you," Xiao Ran said.

Then he stuffed all the money he had on him into Han Ling's hands, saying, "Take this, use it on the way."

"No need, I have money..."

“Take it!” Xiao Ran insisted. “I can earn money now, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

Han Ling took the money, her eyes reddening.

Liu Yuan stood to the side and, taking advantage of Han Ling's inattention, secretly slipped the necklace into her bag.

Some feelings are destined to remain silent.

The train was about to depart. Han Ling boarded the train and waved to them from the window.

Xiao Ran and Liu Yuan stood on the platform, waving until the train disappeared from sight.

After seeing Han Ling off, a problem arose: they had no money to return to Shenzhen.

The train tickets cost over a hundred yuan, and the two of them only had a little over twenty yuan left.

"What should we do?" Xiao Ran asked.

"Let's go back," Liu Yuan said with a wry smile.

Just as the two were about to leave, a Mercedes stopped in front of them.

The car window rolled down; it was Suning.

"Back to Shenzhen?" Su Ning asked.

Xiao Ran and Liu Yuan exchanged a glance but remained silent.

"Get in the car! I'm going back too, it's on my way," Su Ning said.

The two hesitated for a moment, but still got into the car.

There's no way we can actually walk back.

It was quiet in the car.

Su Ning drove, Xiao Ran sat in the passenger seat, and Liu Yuan sat in the back seat.

The atmosphere was awkward.

"I just saw Han Ling, her performance was good," Su Ning said.

"Mm," Xiao Ran replied.

There was another moment of silence.

After a while, Su Ning said, "I heard that things aren't going well for you guys at work lately?"

Neither Xiao Ran nor Liu Yuan spoke.

“I run an electronics company in Shenzhen that makes pagers,” Suning said. “We’re currently expanding our sales department and need more staff. If you’re interested, you can give it a try.”

Both of them were stunned.

Su Ning continued, "Although we're not that close, we're still classmates. I won't scheme against you or lie to you. Sales jobs come with a base salary plus commission; if you do well, you can earn one or two thousand a month. It's better than you guys wandering around aimlessly outside."

Xiao Ran wanted to refuse, but then she thought about her current situation...

I lost my job, I lost all my money, and I can't even afford a train ticket back to Shenzhen.

Moreover, they have discovered that Shenzhen is not a city of miracles, but rather a city of cannibalistic demons.

So what right does he have to refuse?
Liu Yuanxian spoke up first, "How much is it per month?"

“The base salary is 500, and the commission is calculated at 5% of the sales,” Suning said. “For each pager sold, the commission is 75. If you sell ten a month, that’s 750, plus the base salary, it’s 1,250. If you sell twenty, it’s 2,000.”

This income was definitely considered a high salary in 1992.

Xiao Ran was tempted, but he still hesitated.

Working for Suning? Isn't that tantamount to bowing down to them?
“Think it over yourselves.” Su Ning handed his business card to Xiao Ran. “If you’ve made up your mind, come find me in Lanyuan Village. The company address is in Lanyuan Village Industrial Zone, Shengang Electronics.”

When the car arrived in Shenzhen, Suning dropped the two off at their rented apartment building.

"Thank you," Xiao Ran said as she got out of the car.

"No need," Su Ning said. "Call me when you've thought it through."

Watching the Mercedes drive away, Xiao Ran and Liu Yuan stood downstairs, motionless for a long time.

"Are you going?" Liu Yuan asked.

"I don't know," Xiao Ran said.

“I think…we can consider it,” Liu Yuan said. “We’re in such a state right now that we can’t even afford to eat. What’s the point of talking about face?”

Xiao Ran didn't say anything.

Yes! How much is face worth?

When even survival is a problem, what is there to talk about in terms of dignity?
But... working for Suning?

That villain who almost stole Han Ling?

Xiao Ran felt as if a stone was pressing on her heart.

But the reality is that he himself is barely able to survive.

Shenzhen is a city full of opportunities, but also full of heartache.

They struggled and fought in this city, getting hurt and bleeding.

Now, a path lies before us.

To go, or not to go?

Xiao Ran didn't know.

All he knew was that he had to survive.

For Han Ling's sake, and for his own.

...(End of chapter)