I am weak and friendly

Chapter 229 We got some food again today, brothers!
In the morning, Liu Jiadong, a former employee of Touchpoint Connect, stood in front of the bathroom mirror and somewhat awkwardly put on a tie.

Although it was a bit hot, he put on his crispest shirt, then hesitated.

Won't this outfit make me look too old-fashioned?

Or is it because you're too deliberate, or you want this job too much?
Then he glanced at his other clothes.

That short-sleeved shirt got dirty yesterday and is still soaking in the basin. And don't other clothes like polo shirts just make me look older?

This one is definitely better.

It's no wonder he was nervous, after all, this was his first interview opportunity in the past three months, and the position he was interviewing for was "Senior Java Development Engineer (on-site for a bank project)".

Although this position sounds quite "high-level"—senior, engineer, and banker—he's seen it all over the years. It's just an on-site outsourcing job, most likely dealing with a bloated system that's been running for over a decade, doing minor repairs and maintenance. The pre-tax salary might be 6000-8000, maybe even less.

Yes, that's the current market situation.

Although it's just a position, for an IT professional who is over 40 years old and has been unemployed for almost a year, this is the best opportunity he could get.

He really didn't want to deliver food.

He actually went to the street corner many times and squatted there to watch the food delivery people, sometimes for a whole day.

I was thinking of putting aside my pride, buying an electric scooter, and then not thinking about anything else, just going to make some money.

But he still didn't want to give up.

The position he was interviewing for was his last connection with the industry he had worked in for half his life.

If he really doesn't get the job this time, he might really have to go and deliver food.

But delivering food is never easy.
It's just a matter of moving from a field I used to be good at to another field I'm even less good at.

Liu Jiadong sighed, returned to the sofa, picked up "Thinking in Java," which he had been reading for two days, and flipped through it again.

Before the interview, learn as much as you can, since he's already rusty with Java.

Moreover, this time it's about maintaining an old project.

But he couldn't concentrate on it.

His stomach was rumbling loudly, and he was feeling a little dizzy.

He hasn't had a proper meal since the day before yesterday.

Yesterday I only ate one bag of expired instant noodles. I guess the previous tenant of this house forgot it in the drawer sometime ago, and it's been expired for a year and a half.

It would have been better if I hadn't eaten, since I wasn't hungry to begin with. But after eating, I'm starving.

"Hey, who called me the other day? Was it an old colleague from Touchpoint Connect? How could I have forgotten about him?" he thought to himself. "If only I had gone out with him, maybe I could have gotten a free meal?"

"Or, I'd like to borrow 200 yuan..."

He muttered to himself.

With 200 yuan, I can make it through a week if I work hard.

At least for now, I won't be so hungry that I can't sit still.

He didn't know why he hung up the phone so abruptly, or why he acted so coldly.

I felt like I couldn't recall what Touchpoint Connect was at the time; it felt like it was a long time ago.

"Sigh, am I stupid?"

Sometimes, he hated his mediocre situation.

Those who are truly destitute can apply for relief and receive subsidies.

But he can't.

Although he lost his house in an investment recently, he still has a house in his hometown, an old car, and a place for his wife and children to live.

However, it was only after he lost his job that he realized these things did not count as assets.

If you really sell, you'll truly have nowhere to go.

It's really over now.

I've really wasted the first half of my life.

After struggling for half my life, how could I end up in such a miserable state?

How did I end up like this?
He sat in the stuffy room without air conditioning, reflecting on his past life, but didn't know who to blame. Just then, his phone vibrated.

In the "Hailing IT Industry Unemployment Mutual Aid Group 3", someone posted a message.

This was a group formed by many locals who shared similar experiences. More than two years have passed, and the group has become increasingly quiet, with fewer and fewer people actively participating.

It was as if they were dying one after another.

But it was this group that ultimately helped him get this interview opportunity.

Therefore, he still pays close attention.

He opened the group and saw a message posted by someone:
"Got some food again today, guys!"

This was followed by a video.

Holding a phone with a cracked screen in one hand, he walked up to a vending machine, pressed the "connect" button, and a food list appeared on the screen a moment later.

The person tapped the screen twice, and then, with a series of "thuds," some food fell out of the vending machine.

"This stuff actually works! Even though it's expired, it's still amazing, guys."

Almost immediately, someone below asked, "What is this?"

"OIFU!" the man said, "Even if we're all unemployed, we still need to keep up with the latest news! A project open-sourced by the great Hirako from L-site can open those vending machines on the street and take out expired food. It's super popular right now!"

"What's the point of an open-source project? Won't all the food in it be expired? Aren't you afraid of getting a stomachache?"

"Damn, buddy, you just lost your job, right? You've been unemployed for two years like me, you're lucky if you have any expired food to eat! I just brought a ton of stuff home, at least I don't have to worry about going hungry for the next few days."

"You don't know how awful it is to be hungry... It's even worse to beg for charity! I'd rather go hungry than ask for help..."

Then, the other party sent an installation package in the group.

In fact, as a programmer, you should be more cautious about installing installation packages sent by others in this situation.

but……

I'm already penniless, what else can these people possibly take from me?

Actually, Liu Jiadong didn't think that much about it, because by the time he realized it, he had already granted OIFU's GPS access.

On a map, there appeared about a dozen signs for "vending machines".

There weren't any near his house, but he knew where the nearest vending machines were.

When he was so hungry he couldn't stand it, he once stopped in front of that vending machine.

He put down the book in his hand, turned around and went downstairs to the vending machine, where he clicked the link.

Then, various kinds of goods appeared on the screen.

He felt a sense of relief as the expired food splattered down.

Then I don't know why I started crying.

His feelings were so complicated.

Partly because of my own situation, and partly because of the complex emotions I felt when I saw that vending machine.

He carried the food he had taken from the vending machine home.

I am so incompetent, I deserve to die.

he thinks.

He was afraid that others would see him cry, so he kept his head down as much as possible.

That day, Liu Jiadong failed his job interview again.

A colleague of his was seven years younger than him and only earned 5000 yuan before tax. How could he compare himself to that colleague?

He left the interview location feeling very down.

Downstairs, he saw a vending machine that was powered on.

Then he told himself:
"It's okay, at least there's tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)