The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

The next morning, Xu Nian was awakened by a knock on the door.

"Good morning, Tiger."

"How are you doing? Getting used to life outside?"

Xu Hu grinned and placed the breakfast he was holding on the table.

Xu Nian paused for a moment, then forced a smile and nodded.

"Habit."

"You're talking nonsense."

Xu Hu rolled his eyes at him.

He sat on the sofa, closed his eyes, and drifted into memories.

"When I was young, I was naive and stood up for others with a few brothers, so I spent some time in jail."

"The hardest part isn't the feeling of counting down the days until it's finally here, but rather that once you're out, everyone looks at you with prejudice."

"Fortunately, I had a few brothers to help me back then, so I was doing fairly well."

"You're in the same boat, aren't you? Still haven't found a job?"

Xu Nian nodded with a wry smile.

I thought that since I had some skills, finding a job shouldn't be too difficult.

But reality gave him a harsh reality check.

"I have a friend who's now a manager at a hotel."

"I told him that if you really can't find a job, you should go work for him."

"real?"

Xu Nian immediately exclaimed excitedly.

When have I ever lied to you?

Xu Hu laughed heartily.

"Thank you, Brother Tiger! Thank you, Brother Tiger!"

Xu Nian's eyes were a little moist.

Ten years ago, Xu Hu promised him that if he ever had nowhere to go, he could come to him.

He took it as just a polite remark and didn't pay it any mind.

Unexpectedly, as time passed, Xu Hu always kept this promise in mind.

......

Having a goal makes even walking feel much lighter.

Following the directions given by Xu Hu, Xu Nian headed towards the hotel where his friend worked.

"Go from the border crossing towards the station road and turn right at the second intersection."

Xu Nian looked at the note in her hand and walked to a subway entrance.

"Take Line 2 towards Yuncheng North Station, and get off at Financial Plaza Station..."

He looked down at the staircase that stretched downwards and felt a chill creep down his spine.

The subway was something new to him, something he had never seen before.

How should I take the bus/train?

It should be similar to a bus.

He walked down the stairs to the basement level.

What comes into view is a huge space, like the ticket hall of a train station, and a dense crowd of people.

Xu Nian followed the flow of people through security.

Standing in front of the ticket gate, he was somewhat at a loss.

People around them took out their phones, waved them at a certain spot, and the turnstile opened automatically to allow pedestrians to pass.

Xu Nian imitated them, pointing her phone screen at a camera and shaking it.

The turnstile did not respond.

Xu Nian repeated it several times, but there was still no response.

"Could you hurry up, I'm going to be late for work!"

The young man behind him in line urged impatiently.

Xu Nian silently stepped aside, clearing the way.

The young man simply held the screen in front of the camera, scanned it, and quickly passed through the gate.

"Excuse me, how do I get in?"

He pulled the passenger behind him aside and humbly asked for advice.

The passenger was probably in a hurry to catch the train and ignored Xu Nian, passing straight through the turnstile.

"Hello, may I ask...?"

"Hello..."

Repeated inquiries, repeated neglect.

Xu Nian was jostled around during the morning rush hour, and soon she was pushed out of the crowd.

He listened to the roar of the motorcycles beneath his feet, gazed at the busy crowd, and his eyes fell into confusion.

The world won't stop moving forward just because you close your eyes.

It will only speed up and leave your shadow even further behind.

"Hello sir, do you need any help?"

A subway station worker noticed Xu Nian's unusual behavior and came to his side.

"Excuse me, how do I buy a ticket to enter the station?"

Xu Nian humbly sought guidance.

"You can use your transit QR code to scan and enter the station."

"What is a transit code?"

The staff member took Xu Nian's phone, opened WeChat and Alipay, and was stunned for a moment.

"You haven't linked your bank card for payment yet?"

"Well..."

Xu Nian scratched her head, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

He spent a long time fiddling around with it and finally managed to register accounts for both software programs.

But his bank card from many years ago had long been lost somewhere and he hadn't had time to replace it.

"Can I buy tickets with cash?"

"OK."

The staff led Xu Nian to a ticket machine and patiently taught him how to buy a subway ticket.

"Select your destination station. The amount to be paid will be displayed here. Simply insert coins to pay the amount."

"Okay, thank you."

Xu Nian breathed a sigh of relief, finally having bought her first subway ticket.

He passed through the ticket gates smoothly and arrived at the boarding level.

Looking around, the walls, the ceiling, everywhere are covered with posters of the Missing Mall.

Even the subway trains slowly pulling into the platform are printed with GG content featuring various celebrities endorsing the Sinian Mall.

"Sinian Group reminds you that the train is starting. Please hold on tight. Next stop: Dingxiang Lake Station..."

"Tsk tsk, no wonder it's the headquarters city of Missing. I've seen their guys everywhere since I got off the plane."

"Brother, you don't know, back when Yuncheng wanted to build a subway, the project was submitted and approved, but the money was all embezzled by the vice mayor and sent abroad, so we couldn't afford to build it. This subway was built with money from the Sinian Group. Without them, it would cost more than a hundred yuan to take a taxi from the airport to the city."

"Wow? That's outrageous! This subway line must cost tens or even hundreds of billions!"

"Of course! Yuncheng has developed so well in recent years, with the high-speed rail and the construction of urban areas, all thanks to Boss Xu Xi."

"All the money they earn goes back to society. They build schools, roads, and hospitals. I'm a native of Yuncheng, and I've seen it all with my own eyes. It's definitely not a show or fake charity."

"I'm impressed. From now on, I'll use Sinian Mall for all my online shopping..."

......

After asking for directions along the way, Xu Nian finally arrived at her destination.

He looked up at the magnificent golden characters on the dome of the tall building.

Yuntianlou International Hotel

He gave a wry smile.

The past events are still vivid in my mind.

Ten years ago, as a consumer, he enjoyed a life of extravagance in this glittering hotel that didn't belong to him.

Ten years later, he returned to this place as a servant, in a role he was worthy of.

"Hello, I'm looking for Wang Bin, Manager Wang."

"plz follow me."

The receptionist led Xu Nian to an office on the fifth floor.

"Brother Bin, someone's looking for you."

"Come in."

The man in the office smiled as he sized up Xu Nian.

"Xu Nian, right? Come and sit down."

Xu Nian nodded and sat down at her desk.

The man in front of me seemed familiar.

When he was 17 and working at the logistics park, Xu Hu used a friend's ID card to register his identity information.

That friend was Wang Bin.

"Tiger told me, don't worry, no one will know your background if you work for me."

"But my authority is limited, so I can't give you any good jobs; you can only work as a waiter."

"As for the benefits, the monthly salary is 4,500 yuan, the work hours are 8 am to 4 pm, the weekends are off, there is extra overtime pay, and triple pay for holidays are also included. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, yes, thank you, Manager Wang."

Xu Nian was genuinely happy.

This salary, compared to other jobs he'd interviewed for, was considered above average.

Most importantly, no one will know his background and therefore he will be discriminated against.

"Haha, we've grown distant. Tiger's friend is also my friend. From now on, you can just call me Brother Bin."

"Give me your documents, and I'll process your onboarding."

"Okay, Brother Bin."