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Let's rewind to an hour earlier, in Jianglin City, Jiangnan Province, at a shop on the ground floor of the Jingxiu Garden residential complex—Liangshan Teahouse.

In one of its multi-level rooms, amidst the swirling smoke, four figures appeared.

One person was lying on a makeshift bed against the wall. Three people were sitting around a small table next to the bed.

There were still a few empty noodle cups on the table, including Master Kong braised beef noodles.

In the leftover soup, there was a pile of cigarette butts of varying lengths.

If it weren't for someone occasionally flicking their cigarette ash, outsiders would think time had stood still.

The person lying in bed is named Chen Hongjun (I don't know the name yet).

The three people sitting around him, from left to right, are Liu Zihao (his parents are really influenced by Qiong Yao's novels), Zheng Jinxin (so rich!), and Zhao Changling (is your dad the neighbor's son?).

The four men were all silently smoking, heads down, without uttering a sound.

Judging from their serious expressions, these are four people with stories to tell, but their stories are a long one.

These are four best buddies. Just how best? It all started in their college years.

The four of them came from different regions and had varying family backgrounds, but the differences were not significant.

When I was in college, some students' scores were just not high enough for a second-tier university and they could only go to a third-tier university. Some students' scores were not even high enough for a third-tier university and their parents had to pay for sponsorship.

In short, all four of them attended the same school – Jiangnan Transportation Education College.

It has a very prestigious name, but it's actually just a third-tier diploma mill. It still manages to attract a lot of students from within the province thanks to its catchy name.

Not long after enrolling, whether it was because they shared similar interests or for some other reason, the group quickly became inseparable friends.

Attending classes, eating, going to bars, playing mahjong, skipping classes... even failing courses and having to retake exams all happen at the same time.

During their three years of university, like other students from third-tier universities, they didn't learn much and just muddled through to get a diploma before entering society.

However, there is one thing that sets these four apart from the other students.

Generally speaking, students who attend third-tier universities are not very good at studying, but they are good at picking up girls.

Those students from third-tier universities, during their years of college, did they really learn anything?

However, whether it's a boy or a girl, most of them rent apartments outside, and who hasn't dated three or five people?

The four of them had always lived in the student dormitory, and none of them had ever been seen dating any girls.

Their classmates privately called them the "Four Useless Ones".

They ignored this.

Even after graduation, they didn't separate; they even looked for jobs together.

At first, the guys were all very ambitious, applying for management positions at various well-known internet companies and listed companies, sending out a bunch of resumes.

However, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment; not a single reply came.

Later, the requirements were lowered, and some mid-to-low-level positions were offered online, but not a single response was received.

Later on, I sent out applications to every online job posting, but still didn't receive a single reply.

Later, I finally came to terms with reality and stopped posting my resume online.

Fortunately, they are all people who care about their reputation and are unwilling to go home and live off their parents; they are determined to find a job.

If local development isn't going well, then go out and explore! Young people are never short of drive.

After discussing it, the group decided to go to an economically developed city.

Holding onto the belief that "no pain, no gain," they spread their still somewhat immature wings and flew towards those legendary working paradises.

Heading south to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Panyu, and north to Shanghai, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, and Beijing.

The ideal is very beautiful, but the reality is very harsh. This sentence seems to be tailor-made for them.

The high-end office buildings, luxurious offices, and even brightly lit offices in these places are irrelevant to them.

Their education and qualifications mean they have no right to choose their industry; they can only be chosen.

The industries they were assigned to had nothing to do with their education level, but only with their physical strength and energy, which left them feeling helpless.

In order to survive, they had to engage in manual labor such as screwing in screws, carrying bricks on construction sites, and packaging in factories.

More than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye. Apart from their increased age and experience, their personal wealth and positions have not grown.

Perhaps it was a realization of oneself, or a clearer understanding of reality, or perhaps the feeling of being adrift and rootless in a foreign land intensified the homesickness.

Finally, one day, after some discussion, they decided to return together to Chen Hongjun's hometown—Jianglin City—to develop their careers.

Small cities lag far behind large cities in terms of development and offer far fewer job opportunities.

Fortunately, they soon found their first jobs back in their hometown as security guards in a residential community.

Unfortunately, I was unlucky and found my first job in winter.

Security guards all work night shifts, which means working all night.

After several night shifts, I caught a cold, and in a month I caught seven or eight colds.

Before winter was even over, I caught a really bad cold and quit my job.

There was no other way, so I switched to real estate sales.

Less than a month after construction began, the real estate market cooled down, and the project was abandoned.

Not only did I not receive my salary, but I was also nearly beaten to death by homeowners in the sales hall. Now I have no job even though I don't need to resign.

Later, they heard that delivering food could earn them ten thousand or twenty thousand yuan a month, and the four of them were very tempted. After discussing it, they decided to just become food delivery drivers.

Without further ado, if they were to deliver food, each person would first have to spend 4,800 yuan from the company to buy an electric scooter.

There was no other way! We had to borrow money from home to buy an electric scooter for everyone, which cost us nearly 20,000 yuan.

Needless to say, the four of them worked together to deliver goods from one shop. In the first month, they each earned around three thousand yuan, totaling around eleven thousand yuan.

After deducting the rent of 2,000 yuan (the house was rented by the four of them), cigarettes cost 1,500 yuan, food expenses were around 3,000 yuan, and they were extorted 1,000 yuan for running a red light. After a month of frugal living, the four of them managed to save less than 4,000 yuan.

There are indeed people who earn tens of thousands of yuan a month by delivering food, but they all work at very popular restaurants, starting work before 11 a.m. and working until after 3 a.m. every day, speeding around on their electric bikes.

They are definitely not like those people who dare not drive fast, get bad reviews from customers every now and then, and finish work after midnight.

After working for more than a month, they realized this and knew that there was no future in working as a food delivery driver.

I want to change jobs, but I can't find a suitable one right now. The main problem is that I spent almost 20,000 yuan to buy a car when I started this job.

Damn it! Meituan and Ele.me, they seem to be in the food delivery business, but are they actually selling electric bikes full-time?

I feel like I've been tricked.

After discussing it, the four of them unanimously decided to earn back the money they had spent on the electric car first.

After working for about four more months, the group saved up 17,000 yuan by living frugally.

After selling the electric bikes, he earned 3,800 yuan from the four bikes, bringing his total to 20,000 yuan.

While delivering food, they discovered another business that seemed suitable for them: opening a mahjong parlor.

In the Jiangnan region, mahjong is quite popular, similar to that in Sichuan.

As long as you provide good service, it's easy to retain customers.

Most importantly, during the food delivery, they met a mahjong parlor owner who was going back to help her son take care of her grandson after his birth.

When the landlady had her grandson, she told them about this, and they immediately discussed the possibility of taking over the business with her.

With more than a month left before the landlady's rent expires, they decided to take care of all the takeout arrangements and come to the landlady's place.

The landlady is very easy to talk to. Her son is urging her to go a month earlier so she can take over her grandson sooner.

Then I contacted the landlord and got a new rental agreement.

The shop's former elevated floor (also called a duplex), along with the renovations and mahjong machines, etc., were all set up by the owner, who spent over 30,000 yuan. They only asked for 10,000 yuan for these items, which is really not much. Of course, this is also related to the fact that they had negotiated the price for a long time beforehand.

The rent is three thousand per month, and there are still more than forty days left on the lease. The landlady deposited one month's rent, so I gave her seven thousand in total, making a total of seventeen thousand yuan.

When their lease expires next month, they only need to pay the landlord three months' rent at once, totaling nine thousand yuan.

They were all straightforward people, and the landlord didn't take the opportunity to raise the rent. They were efficient and got things done in no time. The four brothers became mahjong parlor owners in the blink of an eye.

Actually, running a mahjong parlor is usually done by one person, or at most a couple. They can manage by working hard from dawn till dusk.

These four brothers are a bit odd; they absolutely refuse to separate, so let's work together then.

I must say, this business is actually perfect for us guys.

As long as one person is busy each day, the others can sleep soundly.

They converted the duplex room into a bedroom, so they no longer needed to rent a place and could sleep directly in the hotel, saving them a considerable amount of rent.

Business is doing quite well, thanks to the customer base left by the previous owner.

When the rent was due, they had saved 12,000 yuan.

I paid three months' rent of 9,000 yuan and electricity bills of over 1,000 yuan. I have to say the electricity price for the shop is ridiculously expensive.

Although they had less than two thousand yuan left, they earned three or four hundred yuan a day, and thinking that they could have a net income of eight or ten thousand yuan a month, they were full of confidence in the future again.

Unexpectedly, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everyone's lives.

Sure enough, after less than half a year of working there, just as life was starting to look up, the good old days when we could finally eat out every day and have a couple of drinks were coming to an end.

With the start of pandemic lockdowns, entertainment venues were among the first to be affected.

The mahjong parlors are closed, and the days of eating instant noodles every day have begun again.

In the county where they live, two cases were found. In accordance with the principle of dynamic zeroing, the entire county underwent nucleic acid testing.

It's already gone through three rounds, and we still don't know how long it will take to finish.

Most importantly, the rent is due in a month, and I haven't saved enough money yet. What am I going to do?

Today, a few of us got together and spent the whole morning worrying. Besides lamenting our bad luck, we couldn't come up with any good solutions.

"Red Army! Shall we go burn some incense?"

Among the four, Chen Hongjun was vaguely considered to be the leader, and Zheng Jinxin thought for a moment and made a suggestion.

He glanced at Chen Hongjun, who remained motionless, and continued.

"I've heard that the incense at Putuo Temple is quite efficacious; maybe it can change our fate."

"How do I get there?"

Chen Hongjun murmured with his eyes closed, "Putuo Temple is nearly 50 kilometers away from here. It would cost more than 200 yuan to take a Didi (ride-hailing service). The key is that it's impossible to get a Didi right now."

"How about we borrow Yao Ge's Kia?"

Liu Zihao had been itching to drive for a long time; he always wanted a BMW to pick up girls.

But reality is harsh; let alone a BMW, I can't even afford a domestically produced Mercedes.

Brother Yao runs the fruit shop next door. We've gotten to know each other quite well lately, and he's a very generous person.

He had a used Kia, which he stopped driving a long time ago, and now drives a Mercedes-Benz E200.

He listed that used Kia on a used car website, but it hasn't sold for 20,000 yuan.

It's been parked on the side of the road for a while now, covered in dust so much that you can't even tell its original color anymore.

Without further ado, the group found Brother Yao and explained the situation. Brother Yao readily agreed.

I just made a simple request: wash the car. It was low on gas, so I could fill it up myself and come back with about half a tank left.

After getting the car keys, the group packed up and set off in the car.

First, I filled up the gas tank at a gas station, then I found a car wash on the roadside to wash the car, and then I turned around and headed straight for Putuo Temple.

......

Putuo Temple is located in the mountains outside the city; to leave the city, you have to cross a rainbow bridge.

The bridge deck is not very high above the river, only about three or four meters.

This is a tributary of the Yangtze River. The river flows slowly and meanders, but it is quite deep, reportedly reaching depths of over ten meters in some places.

At this moment, in the middle of the bridge, stands an old woman, none other than Luo Xinlian, who has lost all will to live.

During the time she unknowingly wandered off, she came to this bridge, and she had a feeling that she should end her life here.

However, what she couldn't see was that Fairy Luo Chan was floating excitedly on the water under the bridge, holding up the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl and shouting in a voice inaudible to humans, "Jump! My darling, jump quickly! Several Zhou Cangs have already jumped down..."

Fairy Luo Chan had been shouting like this for more than half an hour, and her eyes were starting to look somewhat ferocious.

Just then, a car slowly drove up from a distance.

The two cars that drove up were carrying those four good-for-nothing brothers.

The car was so old that it didn't even have an amplifier for music.

Apart from Liu Zihao, who was excitedly enjoying his car ride, everyone else was either looking out the window or dozing off, looking bored.

The car quickly crossed the bridge and was about to turn onto the riverside highway when Chen Hongjun, sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly shouted.

"Oh no, that old lady must have fallen into the river."

"Ah! Which old lady?"

Zhao Changling, who was dozing off, was so startled he almost jumped up.

Chen Hongjun pointed to the rearview mirror, his face pale.

"That's the one who was standing on the bridge just now. He was there a moment ago, but there's no one there now."

"Hurry and save them!" "Then hurry up and back up!" "Quick, quick, back up!"

I forgot to mention that although they were rather useless in their studies and work, they were also subjected to various harsh treatments by society.

But the kindness and sense of justice in their hearts remained, which may be the reason why they were able to stay together.

In the midst of a flurry of commands, with a sudden screech, Liu Zihao drifted, kicking up a cloud of dust, and the car had already reversed and turned around.

"Stop right here!"

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Chen Hongjun had already pushed open the car door and jumped out.

"Why is nobody here?"

Chen Hongjun clung to the railing and looked down, wondering if he was seeing things.

"Boss Chen, over here."

On the other side of the bridge, Zhao Changling called out urgently.

When everyone rushed to this side, sure enough, the old man was floating on the surface of the slowly flowing river, bobbing up and down.

"Zihao, call 120 immediately!"

Amidst the shouts, Chen Hongjun had already taken off his clothes and jumped into the water with a splash.

Then, with two more thuds, Zheng Jinxin and Zhao Changling followed without being called.

Liu Zihao knew his own limitations; he could barely manage a couple of dog paddles in the pool.

If you actually get into the water, you won't be able to help and will only make things worse. In this situation, the only thing to do is call 120 for help immediately.

When he finished his call and looked back into the water, the sight that greeted him made his eyes widen in horror.

At this moment, only Chen Hongjun and Zhao Changling remained in the water, struggling to pull the old man towards the shore; Zheng Jinxin's figure had already disappeared.

"Ah Xin!" Liu Zihao cried out in pain, tears streaming down his face.

They all underestimated the difficulty of rescuing someone from the river, especially since the elderly person was wearing thick cotton clothes, which became even more heavy after being soaked in water.

Several of them are already in their early thirties, and their physical strength is not what it was when they were in school.

Not long after, Zhao Changling bobbed around a few times before sinking completely into the water and never resurfacing.

It was clear that Li Hongjun wouldn't be able to hold on much longer, and they were still seven or eight meters away from the shore.

Liu Zihao trembled all over, his grief far outweighing his fear.

Knowing it was impossible, Liu Zihao jumped into the water with a splash.

Unfortunately, heaven did not have mercy on good people. Liu Zihao's addition only caused the river to sink another person two minutes later.

Chen Hongjun watched helplessly as his brothers were swallowed by the river.

He couldn't even muster a single extra word; a powerful wave of sadness overwhelmed his mind.

His eyes began to glaze over.

Do you regret it?

The thought flashed through my mind, but another voice echoed in my heart: life is but a fleeting moment, so let us strive to be without regrets, without resentment or remorse.

In the distance, the familiar sound of a flute drifted over. Chen Hongjun's nerves relaxed, a final smile playing on his lips, as he faded into the darkness...

......

Let's go back ten minutes and look at it from another perspective.

Fairy Luo Chan floated on the river, watching with great joy as the old man jumped off the bridge.

"My dear disciple! Your master is here to take you home!" Luo Chan laughed menacingly.

In a flurry of activity, Luo Chan held the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, aiming it at the old man bobbing in the river, waiting for his soul to find a place to rest when it emerged.

Just then, with a splash, someone jumped into the water to rescue the person.

The behavior of mortals is from a different world than theirs, and no action of theirs will interfere with her. Therefore, Fairy Luo Chan ignores it.

Then there were two more splashes, and two more people jumped into the water to rescue the person.

Luo Chan was getting a little annoyed, even though the actions of mortals wouldn't directly interfere with her.

However, because of the rescue, the old man's soul, which had already extended halfway out of his body, slowed down somewhat, which indirectly affected him.

It was bound to happen sooner or later, and it wasn't a big deal. Although she was a little annoyed, Luo Chan felt she could still tolerate it.

However, to Luo Chan's surprise, shortly after the first person sank underwater, an aura tainted the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl, causing the pearl to show signs of disintegration.

"Is this pure Yang energy??"

Luo Chan was stunned. There were still virgins in this world? And he just happened to die at the moment she was about to collect his soul.

Pure Yang energy is a product of a virgin's death, and it has a destructive power over the Yin-type soul vessel.

It can only be said that Luo Chan was unlucky; she just happened to run into this situation.

Another surge of pure yang energy struck, and the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl began to disintegrate.

Luo Chan was going crazy. There was another splash as she fell into the water. Luo Chan looked at the person who had fallen into the water again and murmured.

"Is there still one virgin going to die?"

Unfortunately, she was right.

Not long after, when the third wave of pure yang energy struck, the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl completely disintegrated, disappearing without a trace.

At this moment, most of Luo Xinlian's soul had already emerged, and she was momentarily stunned by this unexpected turn of events.

With a puzzled look around, and seeing that there was nowhere to go, it helplessly shrank back into its body.

Fairy Luo Chan has gone completely mad; this time, she has suffered a total defeat.

In this era where it's said you have to go to kindergarten to find virgins, she actually encountered three virgin men all at once.

To die together in front of her, at this crucial moment—how incredibly unlucky must one be to encounter such a situation?

Just as Fairy Luo Chan was going mad, the fourth pure yang energy struck.

"Damn it!" Even the fairy couldn't help but curse. Was this a move to wipe them out completely?

"Ah~~~~~" Fairy Luo Chan went completely mad.

Once Fairy Luo Chan calmed down a bit, she saw the ambulance carrying Elder Luo Xinlian drive away amidst the ringing of its horn.

It wasn't until this moment that she realized what true bewilderment was; the past was nothing compared to this.