My cousin-in-law helped me achieve my ambitions.

She turned and walked towards the restaurant, and Su Ming had no choice but to follow, feeling both annoyed and embarrassed—now that was it, his first time inviting her to dinner had resulted in this.

The restaurant has a sign that says "Ueshima Coffee" hanging at the entrance. The floor-to-ceiling windows are sparkling clean, and you can see the soft lighting, the tables covered with checkered tablecloths, and the waiters in white shirts and black vests inside.

Pushing open the door, a blast of cool air hit me, carrying the aroma of coffee and food. A waiter approached: "Two of you? This way, please."

The two were led to a window seat. Yang Tian, ​​clearly a regular, took the menu and expertly ordered two set meals: "One black pepper steak set meal, one chicken cutlet set meal, both medium-rare. For drinks, one cappuccino, and one… what do you want to drink?" She looked up at Su Ming.

Su Ming looked at the unfamiliar names on the menu, a little confused: "I... anything is fine."

"Then I'll have a cappuccino too." Yang Tian closed the menu and handed it to the waiter. "Thank you."

After the waiter left, she smiled and introduced the restaurant to Su Ming, saying, "This is one of the more charming restaurants around here, and it's also located in the most bustling area of ​​town. There are a lot of wealthy people here."

As she spoke, she pointed to a tall building in the distance outside the window: "See that? That place called 'Golden Years'. I heard that rich people can spend tens of thousands of yuan a night there."

Su Ming looked in the direction she was pointing.

Sure enough, a few streets away, that familiar building stood in the sunlight. The golden glass curtain wall reflected dazzling light, and the four large characters "Golden Years" were clearly visible even in daylight.

His heart skipped a beat.

Isn't this the place my cousin's wife went to last night?

"What's wrong?" Yang Tian noticed his unusual behavior. "Were you scared by the number I told you?"

Su Ming then came to his senses and nodded awkwardly, "Yes...it was a little scary."

He stared at the building, and the images from last night uncontrollably flashed through his mind: his cousin's resolute back, the two scantily clad women in the private room, and her last words...

"By the way, Miss Yang," he hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, "that place called 'Golden Years' club... does it only cater to men, and not women?"

He wanted to know what his cousin-in-law was doing there. If she really only catered to male customers, then was she really there to work? But she said she was going to see her best friend... that didn't seem to make sense!

Yang Tian looked him over curiously, then suddenly laughed: "What's wrong? You're not thinking of becoming a gigolo, are you?"

"No, no!" Su Ming quickly waved his hands, his face turning red again. "I was just... asking casually."

"I've never been to that place either," Yang Tian said seriously, her joking expression fading. "But I've heard people in our factory's public relations department talk about it. They often take clients there."

She paused, then lowered her voice: "I heard that the first and second floors are regular KTVs, where you can drink and sing, and they cater to both male and female customers. But the third floor... it's different. They offer special services there, with girls singing and drinking with you, and even more exciting things. I think those services are currently only available to male customers."

Su Ming's heart sank.

In other words, my cousin-in-law went there either to meet friends, but what kind of friends would meet in a place like that? It must be... work.

"Why are you suddenly asking this?" Yang Tian stared at him, her eyes probing. "You'd better not get the idea. Let me tell you, being a gigolo at a club isn't that easy."

She paused, then continued, "I read in a magazine that a man took a rich woman's job and had sex with her nine times in one night. The rich woman even gave him medication. Later, the man... became impotent. He spent seventy or eighty thousand yuan to cure it, borrowing money from all over the place."

Su Ming was astonished: "Really?"

"I don't know if this is true or not," Yang Tian said seriously. "Because I saw it in magazines distributed by private hospitals on the street. But I've seen similar stories in 'Zhiyin' magazine, so it must be true."

She looked at Su Ming, her tone serious: "So, I advise you to give up this idea as soon as possible. Although you're good-looking, there's no need for you to become a gigolo. Work hard at the factory, save some money, learn a skill, or go into sales. Maybe you can even become your own boss!"

At this point, her eyes lit up: "That's how my brother started."

"Your brother?" Su Ming's interest was piqued. "Is he the factory owner?"

"I guess so," Yang Tian smiled, a smile tinged with pride. "But I'm just a small business owner, I only earn a few hundred thousand a year."

Hundreds of thousands!

Su Ming's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Several hundred thousand is still not enough?"

In his mind, hundreds of thousands was an astronomical figure. Back in his hometown, farming meant he was lucky to save a few thousand yuan a year. That was money that most people couldn't earn in a lifetime.

"Of course it's less." Yang Tian was amused by his reaction. "Many of the bosses he knows earn millions, even several million a year."

She counted on her fingers: "The clothing manufacturers, the electronics manufacturers, the toy manufacturers... many of the bosses here started from scratch. They started as employees, then seized opportunities and opened their own factories. It's hard work, but they earn a lot."

As Su Ming listened, a strong desire welled up inside him.

Hundreds of thousands, millions a year...

If one day he could become a boss too, that would be great.

"So!" Yang Tian looked at him earnestly, "Don't think about those crooked ways. Work hard and steadily, and opportunities will always come."

Su Ming nodded emphatically: "Yes!"

Just then, the waiter came over with trays. Two steaming hot plates, topped with sizzling steaks and chicken cutlets, accompanied by pasta, fried eggs, and broccoli. There were also two cups of coffee with milk foam floating on top.

"Please enjoy your meal." The waiter put down the tray and turned to leave.

Yang Tian picked up the knife and fork and demonstrated to Su Ming: "Hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right. Take the cutlery from the outside in, cut the meat first, then eat..."

Su Ming clumsily learned. The hot plate was very hot, the meat had to be cut into small pieces, and the pasta had to be twirled with a fork to eat... all of this was new to him.

He cut a piece of steak and put it in his mouth. The spiciness of the black pepper sauce, the tenderness of the beef, and the smoky aroma of the grilled steak combined to create a flavor he had never tasted before.

"Is it delicious?" Yang Tian asked with a smile.

"Delicious." Su Ming nodded vigorously.

The two ate their meal quietly. Outside the window, the sun shone brightly, and the streets were bustling with traffic. Soft piano music played in the restaurant, and the air was filled with the aroma of food.

At this moment, Su Ming temporarily forgot about his cousin-in-law, the Hunan gang, and the thrilling events of the previous night.

He just felt that this city might actually have a beautiful side.

The girl sitting opposite him had a clean smile and clear eyes, like a ray of light shining into his gloomy life.

"Oh, right!" Yang Tian suddenly remembered something, "You're reporting for duty tomorrow. Remember to bring your ID card, graduation certificate, and a one-inch photo. The factory needs to issue employee badges and create files."

"Okay." Su Ming nodded.

"Also, the physical examination will be done at the town's health center. The factory will issue a referral letter, just take it with you. The examination fee is twenty yuan, you can pay for it first, it will be reimbursed after you become a full-time employee."

"it is good."

"The dormitory is in the building behind the factory. It's an eight-person room with a fan. Although it's a bit cramped, it's cheaper than renting a place outside."

"it is good."

Su Ming nodded with each sentence Yang Tian spoke. He felt a warmth in his heart—if she hadn't brought up these trivial matters herself, he might have been completely overwhelmed.

"Thank you, Ms. Yang," he said sincerely.

"Just call me Yang Tian." Yang Tian smiled. "Miss Yang sounds a bit formal."

"Yang Tian," Su Ming called out tentatively.

"Mmm," Yang Tian replied, taking a sip of coffee with her head down, her ears turning slightly red.

Outside the window, the golden signboard of "Golden Years" gleams in the sunlight.

But at this moment, Su Ming only saw the gentle smile on the girl's face.

He thought, maybe this is what his grandfather always said: you have to walk one step at a time, and eat one bite at a time.

First, establish a firm foothold, then think about the future.

As for my cousin's wife's matter...

He shook his head, trying to stop thinking about it for the time being.

Let's finish this meal first and prepare for tomorrow's work.

Maybe if I work in a factory, I'll become my own boss someday!