On hearing the words, Chen Yang lifted his head. It was Xiao Rui, the tenant who, just a few hours earlier, had nearly brained him with a flowerpot.
He couldn't maintain a pleasant expression. Of course, he wouldn't be expected to feel pleased - after all, she had nearly caused his death. Even though she was beautiful, Chen Yang's face would still remain stony.
Sensing Chen Yang's displeasure, Xiao Rui dismissed the pile of goods blocking the doorway and quickly began to apologize, "Mr. Chen, I'm... I'm really sorry..."
Hunched over and bowing, Xiao Rui's movements were remarkably practiced. In fact, she must have performed this sequence of actions at least ten times while job-hunting earlier that morning, not to mention the countless times she had done so in the preceding numbing period of time.
"It's nothing..."
Creasing his brow, Chen Yang determined that her apology was somewhat sincere, choosing not to pursue the matter further. It was not as if he could shake her by the throat and berate her.
"Go inside."
With his arms full of packages, Chen Yang stepped aside to unblock the doorway and motioned for Xiao Rui to enter.
"Mr. Chen, I am truly sorry. I will be careful from now on."
Relieved by the landlord's acceptance of her apology, Xiao Rui quickly walked inside, bowing her head. It wasn't until she arrived at her second-floor room that she recalled her previous curiosity about Chen Yang's numerous packages. She realized that whatever was inside those boxes was irrelevant to her. Shaking her head, she thought, why should she care about someone else's purchases? She should focus on her interview tomorrow.
Merely thinking about today's interview experience made her feel defeated. Living in a big city was sometimes a huge struggle.
While Xiao Rui was feeling down upstairs, Chen Yang was similarly emotional downstairs. However, his despondency was more akin to fear.
There was only one minute left, yet he still hadn't finished moving the boxes by the door. Remembering the punishment from the unknown creature, Chen Yang's hands began to tremble as they grasped the packages.
In his panic, he tripped.
Immediately afterwards, a scream echoed through the basement.
"Human, your body is truly too frail..."
Right Hand was displeased.
Chen Yang wanted to cry but found no tears. Though his physique might be lacking, it certainly hadn't reached a level warranting the term frail.
Unfortunately, arguing with an extraterrestrial creature was futile, especially when it could punish him at any given moment. Wisely, Chen Yang kept his mouth shut.
After experiencing the punishment, a close-to-fainting Chen Yang managed to clumsily move all the goods into the basement.
He rested, had a sip of water, picked up the broom and mop, and started on his cleaning agenda again. The Plan A cleaning took him two hours and drained him of energy. Eventually, Chen Yang couldn't even stand upright any longer and collapsed onto the floor.
"I can't do this anymore; please spare me."
His pleas and cries fell on deaf ears for Right Hand. It had just awoken from a nap and surveyed the cleanliness of the basement, deeming it satisfactory.
"Human, it's time to replenish your nutrition and eat."
Chen Yang was rejuvenated at the sound of this announcement. After working all afternoon, he was starving. He even felt like he could eat an entire cow.
With shaky legs, Chen Yang managed to get up from the ground and dragged his feet out of the basement towards the alleyway outside.
By now, it was after seven in the evening. The streets were bustling with workers finishing their shifts and tenants returning to their apartments, all of whom packed the eateries lining the streets.
The main thoroughfare, filled with numerous shops rippling with vibrant life, was in stark contrast with Chen Yang's small noodle shop nestled within the alley. The difference in business was not even close.
If compared, for every bowl of noodles Chen Yang sold, these shops on the main street were able to sell ten to fifty bowls. This was their difference, as vast as the gulf between heaven and earth.
What could Chen Yang do with his jealousy? Let alone the fact that the noodles sold by others tasted better than his own amateurish rendition, he couldn't even afford the rent for such a shopfront.
So, during normal days, he had to transform his jealousy into admiration to avoid dying of envy.
At this moment, he was inside one of these noodle houses, having ordered two servings of beef noodles. Even though it was strange for a noodle seller to eat at another noodle house, Chen Yang truly didn't want to open the shop, boil water, and cook noodles. It would be easier and faster for him to just buy a bowl of noodles.
However, what puzzled him more was the owner of the noodle house.
Owner Wang had been running this noodle shop on the street for seven or eight years. This was the first time he had ever witnessed a single customer ordering two servings of beef noodles. Usually, a single serving was sufficient for most people. Even those with larger appetites would dare to order only two servings. There were no larger bowls available for anyone wanting more than that.
Was this guy really planning on eating two servings of noodles alone?
Owner Wang was slightly taken aback but didn't dwell on it. Perhaps this person just had a bit bigger appetite. It certainly wasn't unthinkable. There were plenty of people who could finish a kilogram of dumplings. Two servings of noodles was hardly a feat.
"Boss, that guy is weird."
Waitress Xiao Li spoke up with a curious tone while she was clearing a table.
"Who?"
Owner Wang, busy counting his earnings, was not paying attention.
"The one at the entrance."
The entrance? Was it the customer who had ordered the two servings of beef noodles?
Owner Wang reluctantly directed his attention away from his cash and towards Xiao Li.
"What happened to that person?"
"That person... umm."
Little Li hesitated, "It seems like that person is crying while eating."
Crying while eating? What does that mean?
The owner, Mr. Wang, stood up and walked into the dining hall of his noodle shop. A simple glance confirmed his worst thoughts - a man was sitting at the door, sobbing silently while slurping noodles, tears dripping down his cheeks.
What on earth had happened?
There were many people eating noodles, but it seemed that only Little Li and Mr. Wang had noticed the strange behavior of this man.
Mr. Wang was tingling with fear. Could there be something wrong with the noodles? But, his beef noodles didn't contain Szechuan pepper or chili...
Puzzled, Mr. Wang approached the customer, bending down slightly, "Sir, what's the..."
"Delicious."
The man wiped the tears off his cheeks utilizing a napkin and raised his head, "It's really, really delicious. Boss, can I have another bowl?"
Mr. Wang was left speechless.
Returning to the kitchen, Mr. Wang ordered another bowl of noodles for the man, while curiously tasting a spoonful of his wife's cooked noodles.
"What's the deal? This is for the customer. Are you finding yourself so hungry now?"
His wife was busy making noodles for other customers. She turned and scolded him when she saw Mr. Wang using chopsticks to taste a piece of noodle.
"Nothing, you make another bowl. I will eat this bowl."
After one bite, Mr. Wang felt relieved. No matter how delicious the noodles were, they couldn't possibly make one cry, right?
Was the customer out of his mind?
Could it be possible that someone would burst into tears just because of having noodles? Impossible, the customer must be upset about something else.
However, Mr. Wang was destined to be shocked today, no, actually terrified.
A few minutes later
"How many?"
Mr. Wang asked hesitantly.
"Umm, six bowls of three each - eighteen in total."
Little Li responded reluctantly.
"Eighteen my foot!"
Mr. Wang knocked on Little Li's forehead, scolded, "Can't you simply say one jin and eight ounces?"
Though grumbling, Li could hardly believe it, "That person can really eat...I've never seen..."
Both of them stared at the empty bowls in disbelief, stunned beyond belief. Could a person's stomach even hold six bowls of noodles weighing three ounces each at once?
What they didn't know is, the world record for eating a sandwich of 5.5 kgs in just 54 seconds exists. The potential of the human stomach is unfathomable.
Obviously, a common person risking to eat like this is essentially risking their life. Even eating one jin of noodles at once might land one in the hospital. Eating six bowls of noodles at once - such a person is definitely not ordinary.
Chen Yang was walking along the street, rubbing his belly with a strange expression on his face. He had just eaten six bowls of noodles, and not yet walked a hundred meters, his stomach was already visibly shrinking, with a wave of hunger surging back.
"The energy is still too little..."
Right Hand sent a dissatisfied message.
Chen Yang felt like crying. One jin and eight ounces of noodles didn't even suffice to satiate you? Don't drain all the energy, my body also needs calories!
"Go to the park you visited last night."
Right Hand suddenly issued an order.
The park from last night?
Thinking of the ordeal from last night, Chen Yang's face turned sour. If he hadn't been bored and gone for a walk in the park, he wouldn't have ended up being parasitized by this thing.
Chen Yang pivoted and crossed the road towards the East Suburb Park. The park was the largest in the vicinity, established in the nineties. Back in the day, it used to be a sea of people during holidays, but over the last twenty years, under ineffective management, the infrastructures had aged, and even the hygiene conditions were not guaranteed.
Plus, as the city center shifted north, foot traffic gradually reduced, and the East Suburb Park started to decline. However, one good thing came out; couples preferred places with fewer people, so the park had become a popular dating spot at night.
At nighttime in the East Suburb Park, one could see couples everywhere, and as Chen Yang, being single, entered a park bustling with couples, he indeed stood out.