From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

This world has never been able to tolerate ordinary people turning the tables against all odds.

Without hesitation, I opened my mobile banking app and transferred my salary to everyone one by one.

Subsequently, in the work group, the news was truthfully announced that the courier station had been unconditionally taken back by the headquarters and all staff had been dismissed.

Within minutes of the message being sent out, the deliverymen who were still out delivering orders put down their work and rushed back to the station.

A group of tired faces surrounded me, their eyes filled with disbelief, and they all asked me if it was true.

I could only tell them the truth. Some of the employees had only been there for a little over a week, and I paid them their wages according to the normal unit price standard. They were all paid an extra thousand, so no one was treated unfairly.

After hearing the whole story, everyone looked at their salaries and felt a mix of frustration and regret, but they had nothing to say.

What's done is done; no matter how unwilling you are, there's no way to change it.

That afternoon, headquarters sent people to take over.

There were quite a few people there, about ten or so, and they all seemed to be seasoned delivery drivers.

I couldn't be bothered to waste time arguing with them, so I suppressed all my emotions and calmly and meticulously completed the handover of all my work.

The ten vehicles were also transferred directly to the company without taking long, and a dedicated person handled the transfer.

It was then that I realized that it was much easier for headquarters to do something than for us.

After the handover was completed, I quickly packed my few personal belongings, which all fit into a small cloth bag.

Standing alone at the entrance of what used to be a bustling courier station, looking at the brand-new equipment and familiar surroundings, I suddenly felt a sense of desolation and loneliness.

This is the stark reality.

I used to naively believe that as long as ordinary people are willing to endure hardship and work hard, they will always have a chance to turn their lives around.

But it wasn't until now that I fully realized that in the face of the crushing power of capital and absolute authority, the efforts of ordinary people are cheap and laughable.

With just a casual remark, the other party could completely crush all my efforts and plunge me back to rock bottom.

I took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. The pungent smoke filled my lungs, but it couldn't suppress the bitterness and helplessness surging in my heart.

Without me noticing, Su Qing silently walked to my side and stood beside me, her gentle voice softly speaking:

"Would you like me to go have a drink with you and relax a bit?"

I forced a wry smile and said, "With your alcohol tolerance, you should probably just give up. I don't want to have to take care of you later."

Su Qing immediately puffed out her cheeks, defiantly saying, "What do you mean 'let it go'? I drank a whole bottle last time and was fine, okay!"

Seeing that I remained silent, she gently shook my arm and said, "Come on, come on, you look so sad. I'll have a drink with you to cheer you up. Aren't you happy about that?"

Seeing her deliberately trying to coax me, a sliver of gloom in my heart gradually dissipated, and I nodded helplessly, saying, "Okay, let's go. What would you like to eat?"

Without the slightest hesitation, as if she had already planned it in advance, she blurted out, "Let's go to that rooftop barbecue stall you took me to before!"

I was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised: "You still dare to go there?"

"Why wouldn't I dare? It's not even dark yet, and besides, those bastards have already been arrested."

I still had some reservations, so I shook my head slightly: "Forget it, let's go somewhere else."

"No!" she said, holding me tightly. "I've prepared a little gift for Tuantuan. I've already prepared it and am just waiting to give it to her next time I go."

As she spoke, she quickly took out a delicate little item from her bag and handed it to me.

He cheerfully added his own background music: "Ta-da! Look, isn't it beautiful?"

I looked down and saw a delicate, clear blue crystal glass, its appearance exquisite and charming. I couldn't help but ask, puzzled, "What is this?"

"You don't understand! This is an Elsa-themed mug, all little girls love it!" She proudly raised her chin.

Seeing her expectant look, I really couldn't bear to spoil her fun.

It was still early and the light was bright, so there was really nothing to worry about.

After thinking for a moment, I finally nodded in agreement.

We took a taxi directly to that urban village. It was still quite lively before dark, with the whole street filled with the cries of various vendors, creating a very vibrant atmosphere.

When I passed by the alley where I was stabbed last time, I subconsciously stopped in my tracks, feeling a wave of fear wash over me.

Fortunately, the knife missed its mark and didn't damage any vital organs. Otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here now, let alone have experienced all of this.

In an instant, all the grievances, resentment, and dejection seemed to fade away.

Compared to life and death, setbacks in one's career don't seem so hard to accept.

Being able to escape with my life and live safely is the greatest fortune I can have right now.

Once I figured this out, I felt at peace with myself, and most of the depression in my heart dissipated, making me feel much more relaxed.

I led Su Qing upstairs, familiar with the way, and headed straight for Brother Luo's barbecue stall.

But when I got to the door, I found that the shop door was tightly closed.

I glanced at the time; it was 6:30 PM.

According to Brother Luo's schedule, he would have opened long ago at this time; I've opened at this time before too.

Why is the door closed today?

Filled with doubt, I gently knocked on the door.

The next second, footsteps sounded from inside the room, followed by a completely unfamiliar young male voice: "Who is it?"

When I heard that voice, I was stunned, because it wasn't Brother Luo's voice.

I quickly asked, "Hello, is Brother Luo here?"

The person inside responded with a sound of realization and then opened the door.

A young man in his early twenties, a stranger, stood at the door. The interior decoration and layout had all been changed.

I frowned and pressed, "Who are you?"

"I'm a new tenant here."

The young man was easygoing and then explained, "You're probably looking for the previous tenant, right? He moved out last week."

"He moved away?" My heart skipped a beat. "Why would he suddenly move away? He's lived here for almost a year, and his barbecue stall was doing just fine. There's no need for him to suddenly change locations."

The young man thought for a moment and said truthfully, "I don't know the specifics. I heard from the landlord that he was reported for setting up a stall and opening a shop here. The urban management officers and the industry and commerce bureau came, and the landlord was also implicated and fined, so they stopped renting to him."

"You were reported?"

My heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of unease instantly welled up inside me.

Brother Luo has been running his stall here for almost a year, and he knows all the neighbors very well. He is a kind and righteous person who never disturbs the people while running his stall and has always been law-abiding.

Moreover, his neighbors had long tolerated his stall, and there had never been any disputes or complaints.

Why did I have to be maliciously reported at this crucial moment?

Su Qing also sensed something was wrong and quickly asked, "Do you know where he moved to?"

The young man shook his head, looking bewildered, and said, "I don't know."

"Okay, thank you. Sorry to bother you."

He shook his head and then closed the door.

Su Qing then said to me, "Shall we go up to the roof and take a look?"

I nodded and followed her onto the familiar rooftop platform.

But the scene before me dashed even my last hope.