Weeks later, Xin Tuyong was reduced to skin and bones.
His daily routine included three things: going to the library to check his email, begging on the street for scraps of food, and looking for any job openings.
It was humiliating. People stared at him, disheveled and weak. The sympathetic stares ate a hole through his body like a disease. But that was not the worst part.
The richest of people would walk by, some spewing profanity from their silver tongues, "Go get a job, lazy bum!" "Quit stealing money from people who honestly earn it!" And sometimes they'd spit at him. But that was not the worst part.
The worst part was when streams of people would walk by, not daring to look him in the eyes. It was as if he had lost his place in society and was no longer regarded as a fellow human.
Sometimes, he himself didn't feel quite human. Even dogs were treated better.
On this day, when he checked his email, Xin Tuyong found a message from someone named Mao. 'Mao? Is this some kind of joke? It must be spam... I don't remember emailing for any pets*.'
Regardless, he still clicked on it. What met his eyes in the message made his heart drop to his stomach. It couldn't be real. No way.
"Dear Mr. Xin Tuyong,
Thank you applying for work at my home in X City. I am sorry to hear that you were rejected previously, but Di Gaohun, my assistant with whom I am told you were acquainted, has recommended you for any future openings.
We only recently had an opening, so naturally you were the first person we thought to contact.
If you are still interested, please contact me as soon as possible at xxxxxxxx, or just reply to this message. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Huan Mao"
Xin Tuyong blinked through tears and read the message over and over. 'This isn't a prank right? I'm not going crazy?' His thoughts raced through his head and he quickly wrote up a reply.
He couldn't bring himself to send it without rewriting it and checking it multiple times, but half an hour later, he decided to just send what he had.
The library closed soon after, so he wouldn't be able to check his email until the next day. He was brimming with nausea and excitement that night while resting in a nearby park.
***
The next morning, he weakly stumbled into the library as soon as it opened. He checked his email and found a reply from Huan Mao asking if he could meet with Di Gaohun at 11:30am. It was already 9:07, so he scrambled to reply and made his way to yet another friend's house to get cleaned up.
His friend begrudgingly let him in at the pleading of Xin Tuyong, seeing how unlucky his friend was. By the time Xin Tuyong got finished, it was almost 10:30.
He raced to the meeting place with his friend grumbling about how he had better get the job or else. Once more, a flicker of hope lit up Xin Tuyong's heart.
Xin Tuyong met Di Gaohun in a public area outside.
The interviewing process went well, and Xin Tuyong felt more relaxed in the open setting. With so many busy people around, he didn't feel like he was being scrutinized.
As he shook hands with Di Gaohun and said his farewell, a strange chill rolled down his spine.
In the trees beyond, a figure turned and retreated.
As Di Gaohun watched Xin Tuyong go, a glint of light illuminated his glasses and a knowing expression appeared on his face.
Pulling out his cellphone to write a report on the recent interviewee, he couldn't help but think that although the boss' curiosity was quite strange, he also began to feel the same way.
He couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
* 'Mao' or 猫 means Cat.