After finishing the order from the barbecue restaurant, Yang Hao went home for the day.
Today he completed a total of 42 deliveries, making about one hundred and sixty yuan. Including the money given by Wang Xueru, he brought in over two hundred.
Lately, Yang Hao's daily income had been around two to three hundred yuan, a stark contrast to the days when he ran the hotpot restaurant.
Initially, the psychological gap was enormous, but now he was used to it, and his attitude was much more peaceful. Take the encounter with Xu Meizhu for example, if it had happened when he first started delivering, he likely would have exploded mentally, feeling ashamed, and might even have chosen to avoid contact with her.
But now things were different, having experienced the ups and downs of his career and the vicissitudes of life, his inner strength had greatly increased.
The so-called "saving face" is actually the most illusory thing, like a demon in one's heart, or a chasm in a person's spirit.
If you can't overcome it or cross it, you will be controlled by it for your whole life.
Doing things you don't want to do for the sake of pride, saying things you don't want to say, the one who suffers in the end is yourself.
It's exactly what they say: too proud to live, too ashamed to die!
In reality, when you're powerful, you don't need pride to increase your worth, and when you're down on your luck, pretended pride won't bring you a shred of respect.
Beep!
The cell phone suddenly rang, a message from Xu Meizhu via WeChat.
Yang Hao clicked to view it and, seeing what she sent, couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth lift slightly upwards.
Of course, he didn't intend to deliver for a lifetime—it was just a temporary measure. In fact, while delivering, he was also assessing how well each shop was doing, and the process of delivering was for him a form of market research.
Given the chance, he believed he could soar high once again!
When Yang Hao got home, it was just about eight thirty.
Li Manni was sitting on the edge of the bed telling a story to Xixi, holding a storybook in her hands, very absorbed.
Hearing the door open, she turned her head and then made a shushing gesture to Yang Hao.
The little girl lying on the bed could barely keep her eyes open and was about to fall asleep.
Yang Hao nodded slightly and took off his work clothes quietly.
A little while later, Li Manni's story came to an end, and Xixi was sound asleep.
She put down the storybook in her hand and checked the time—it was already eight forty. It would take her about an hour to reach Jiangcheng University by bus, not counting the time it took to walk to the bus station, so she had to leave, or else she wouldn't be able to get into her dorm.
"I'll take you to the bus station."
Yang Hao knew that Li Manni's dormitory building closed at ten, and it was already tight on time for her to leave now.
"No need, just stay with Xixi at home," Li Manni said softly as she shook her head.
"It's okay, she's asleep, and I'll be back soon anyway." Yang Hao casually took a windbreaker off the coat rack and put it on.
"Then let's hurry."
Li Manni didn't refuse any further. The distance from here to the bus stop she needed was about one and a half stops, and walking there would take at least ten minutes.
Downstairs.
Li Manni sat on the back seat of the electric bike, carefully pinching the hem of Yang Hao's coat.
This wasn't her first time riding on Yang Hao's electric bike, but her heart inexplicably sped up by several beats.
It was still quite cold in Jiangcheng at the end of February, and the night wind was chilly. Li Manni's wool coat was not windproof, and riding on the electric bike, she felt a piercing cold, so she subconsciously pressed her body forward, immediately feeling much warmer. Her hand, which had been gripping Yang Hao's coat, turned into an embrace.
Feeling this former sister-in-law lean in, Yang Hao became a bit nervous, especially when a few strands of her hair, blown messy by the wind, fell into his collar, the tender strands gently rubbing against his neck, stirring some rebellious thoughts.
As Li Manni said during dinner, she was about to turn 22, a grown woman!
In truth, Yang Hao had never really seen Li Manni as an adult. In his subconscious, Li Manni was still the high school girl he'd met initially, as though she had not grown up.
But in reality, she was nearly the age he had been when he first met her sister!
Could it be that the in-laws of my life are set in stone?
A ridiculous thought flashed through Yang Hao's mind, and he quickly twisted the throttle harder, using the increase in speed to dispel this unrealistic idea.
Not to mention the awkward relationship between the two of them.
Even just in terms of conditions, it was a complete mismatch: he was 35 years old, divorced with a child, without a car or a house, and in debt by 215,000 yuan!
Li Manni was not yet 22, a talented student from the Department of Journalism at Jiangcheng University, with a figure slender and graceful, beautiful as flowers, currently a reporter for the Jiangcheng Evening News, with a limitless future ahead!
So, from any perspective, they were not suitable for each other.
To have such thoughts for a young girl at my age, that's not appropriate!
Yang Hao silently chided himself in his mind.
The electric scooter soon arrived at the bus station, and coincidentally, the bus Li Manni needed to catch was just pulling in.
"Go ahead quickly!"
"Message me on Weixun when you get to school."
Yang Hao waved to Li Manni.
"Yeah, ride slowly when you go back. Be safe," Li Manni reminded him as she walked onto the bus.
Yang Hao nodded slightly and only after the bus drove away did he start riding his electric scooter home.
When he got home, Xixi was indeed still sound asleep.
This little girl had always been able to eat and sleep well, so Yang Hao wasn't at all worried about her meals or sleep.
After showering in the bathroom, he lay down on the bed, and sleepiness soon overcame him. Before long, Yang Hao also fell asleep.
Ding!
Mission progress reminder.
Host has successfully lost a pound, current weight 191 pounds.
Settlement reward: One hundred thousand yuan.
Yang Hao, who was already in deep sleep, was suddenly awakened by the mechanical notification sound.
He opened his eyes groggily, and Xixi was still sleeping soundly beside him. This little girl's mouth was even moving slightly, as if she were dreaming.
Beep!
The screen of the smartphone on the nightstand lit up. It was a message from the Industrial and Commercial Bank.
Yang Hao opened the text and instantly his sleepiness disappeared.
Just now, his bank account had received a deposit of one hundred thousand yuan.
Yang Hao couldn't believe it and rubbed his eyes. The message was still there.
He opened the Industrial and Commercial Bank app and checked the balance. Sure enough, the bank account that had only 2,658 yuan now showed a balance of 102,658 yuan.
The system actually existed for real!
Yang Hao sat up on the bed, his heartbeat accelerating with excitement.
He had read web novels, but never thought that one day he too would have a game-breaking system like the protagonists in those novels!
But where did this money come from?
Yang Hao quickly checked the transfer information and was even more baffled.
Because the transferor was "Yuanxi Investment Co., Ltd."!
This was the company he created in the game "Monopoly"; Yuanxi was his beloved daughter's formal name.
In other words, this "Yuanxi Investment Co., Ltd." wasn't a company from the real world at all.
But how could a company within the game transfer money to the real world?
Could this company actually exist?
Yang Hao quickly searched online for the name of this company, and was even more dumbfounded.
Because he actually found it!
The company's headquarters was located in Capital City and was an investment subsidiary under Yang Corporation!
Holy shit!
Yang Corporation!!
Is it the same Yang Corporation from my game???
Yang Hao pinched his thigh hard, and the pain made the corners of his mouth twitch severely!
He then rushed to the bathroom, filled the sink with water, and plunged his head into it...
About a minute later, feeling the lack of oxygen, he jerked his head up, splashing water onto the floor.
In the mirror, his face was covered with water, the expression one of panic.
It wasn't a dream!
This damn thing is actually real!!