Seeing Zhao Jie lost in thought at the mention of the past, Li Ling shook her head. "Hey! Little Jie, it's almost 9 PM. We should head back."
"Hehe, Little Jie, this guy is just like you. Look, he's been lying here for a while too!" Li Ling chuckled as they passed by Zhuifeng.
Zhuifeng's heart skipped a beat. "Little Jie?" He opened his eyes and sat up, but could only see two receding figures. "It can't be. I must have heard wrong."
A night breeze blew, carrying a faint, familiar scent. Feeling the caress of the wind, Zhuifeng was entranced...
Moonlight danced on the rolling river, like millions of silver coins flickering endlessly.
Waves lapped against a nearby barge, creating a harmonious melody that seemed to celebrate around the vessel.
A thin mist rose from the riverbank, like an enormous curtain, its roughness tinged with a hint of gentleness.
The lights from ships docked at the Chaotianmen pier on the opposite shore blended with the myriad lights of the city, echoing each other.
Gazing at this scenery, Zhuifeng's longing for Little Jie intensified. "Little Jie, where are you?" His cry rippled across the quiet night sky, carried by the waves...
"Little Jie, I think someone's calling you!"
Zhao Jie tilted her head, listening. "I don't hear anything. Li Ling, you must be mistaken. I've been away from Chongqing for so long, anyone who knew me has probably forgotten me by now. Since coming back, I only know my few roommates, and they're not here. Who would be calling me? Let's go."
"I guess you're right. Let's go then."
...
At the bus stop on the street, Zhuifeng, bored out of his mind, began people-watching. Soon, someone caught his attention. It wasn't a beautiful woman, or even a woman at all, but a man - an unusual man, a beggar.
However, this beggar was different from others Zhuifeng had seen before. There was nothing in front of him, no pitiful slogans, and his limbs seemed intact.
Intrigued, Zhuifeng approached him. After observing for a while, he said, "Is this your first time begging? You won't get any money like this."
The beggar glanced at him but remained silent.
"You should at least write some touching words on the ground," Zhuifeng suggested.
"..."
Zhuifeng fell silent too, staring at him for a moment before shaking his head. "You're not a beggar."
This time, the man spoke. "How do you know?"
"Because I've never seen a beggar beg like you do."
"Can't I be a bit different?"
Zhuifeng nearly fainted. After a long pause, he said, "Well, you've certainly succeeded in being different. Tell me, how can I help you?"
"You're a student, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you can't help me." The man's brief spark of hope faded.
"That might not be true. Tell me what you need. How do you know I can't help if you don't say?"
"I... I want to find a job."
"Hmm." Zhuifeng thought for a moment. "What can you do?"
"I... I can repair cars."
"Repair cars?" Zhuifeng's interest was piqued. "You should be able to find work easily then. There are many repair shops in Chongqing."
"Those shops don't dare hire me."
"Are your skill not good enough?"
"No, that's not it." The man smiled awkwardly. "Hehe, it's because the cars I repair end up with very high costs. The bosses don't like it, and the car owners are afraid to drive them afterward."
"Why?" Zhuifeng was puzzled. "I can understand high repair costs if you use good parts, but why would car owners be afraid to drive them? I don't get it."
"Hehe, because I modify their cars."
"What?" Zhuifeng jumped up. "You can modify cars?"
"Hehe!"
"How do you modify them?" Zhuifeng asked, barely containing his excitement.
"Well, let me give you a simple example. Once, a customer's car air conditioning broke down. When I got my hands on it, out of habit, I quickly dismantled the AC and replaced it with a water-cooled vest system. The customer not only refused to pay but also made the boss compensate him. He really didn't know what he was missing!" The man became indignant as he spoke.
[Note: In racing, a car's weight is a crucial factor affecting speed. Generally, the lighter the car, the better. When modifying a car for racing, the air conditioning is often the first thing to go. However, in hot weather, the temperature inside the car can reach 60-70°C, making driving extremely uncomfortable. To help drivers focus during races, many race cars are equipped with a water-cooled vest system. This system consumes minimal power and adds little weight. If you fill it with ice water, you might even feel cold!]
Zhuifeng was speechless after hearing this. "No wonder you can't find a job! That's basically race car modifications. Unbelievable!"
"How do you know this is for race cars?" The man was surprised.
"Because I'm into cars. Given your situation, I really can't help you. It's getting late, and I need to get back to school. Here's my phone number. If you need anything in the future, you can contact me. By the way, you could try the Zhongshen Racing Team. They might need someone with your talents."
The man took the phone number. "Zhongshen Racing Team? Alright, thank you!"
.....
"Boss, where did you go yesterday afternoon? I called you for dinner, but you were nowhere to be seen!" Ma Ji asked the next morning.
"Nothing special, just remembered something urgent I had to do." Zhuifeng checked himself in the mirror. "Ready? Let's go!"
The four distinctive young men strode confidently towards the cafeteria.
"Wow! Boss! A beautiful woman!" Ma Ji exclaimed.
"Come on, you pervert! She's old enough to be your mother. Beautiful woman, my foot!" Zhuifeng mercilessly mocked Ma Ji.
After getting their breakfast, they found an empty table. Ma Ji opened his meal box and was stunned. "Boss, this... what's that saying again?"
"You mean 'swimming in porridge, shooting birds with rice'?" Qiu Nuo chimed in.
"Yes, yes, that's it! You know it?" Ma Ji was surprised.
"Duh! That saying is used all over the country. It's the same everywhere. Haven't you ever eaten in a cafeteria before?" Zhuifeng asked, sipping his porridge.
"I always ate at home before," Ma Ji replied.
Zhuifeng shook his head. "This is just how the food is here. If you can't stand it, you can go to the special dining section, but I heard it's expensive. Though I guess money's not an issue for you, so go ahead if you want." He then started nibbling on his steamed bun.
"Nah, I don't want to show off... Is this really good?" Seeing the others eating with relish, Ma Ji couldn't help but swallow.
"Are you hungry?" Zheng He asked.
Ma Ji looked at him curiously. "Yeah, I'm hungry. Fourth, why do you ask?"
"No reason. Then this food is pretty good."
Looking at the three suspiciously, Ma Ji tried a sip of porridge. "Hey, I have to say, even though it doesn't look great, it tastes pretty good!"
The other three spat out their food, laughing.
"...What's wrong?" Ma Ji asked, confused.
"Nothing! I'm telling you, at this point, you'd probably say anything edible tastes good," Zhuifeng chuckled.
Ma Ji was speechless.
"Boss, look! A beautiful woman!" Ma Ji exclaimed again.
"Oh, please!" Zhuifeng gave Ma Ji a light smack. "Your taste..." Despite his words, Zhuifeng turned to look. He didn't see any beautiful woman, but he did spot trouble - Liu Tang! And it seemed Liu Tang had noticed him too. How annoying!
"Hey..." Ma Ji was about to protest when he looked up. "Whoa, Boss, your expression changed pretty quickly."
Zhuifeng's face now bore nothing but a smile as he stood up.
He bowed deeply. "Hello, Teacher Liu."
Hearing it was a teacher, Ma Ji quickly turned around. He was surprised. "He's a teacher? He doesn't look much older than us."
"Hello, Zhuifeng," Liu Tang said with a strange smile, glancing at their meal boxes. "Oh, is this all you're eating? That won't do. Let your teacher treat you to something more nutritious."
Looking at this Teacher Liu, Ma Ji was confused. Even the kindest teacher wouldn't go this far, right? He's practically waiting on them hand and foot. What's going on?
Seeing the plate of food Liu Tang had brought over, and then looking at everyone else, Ma Ji swallowed hard. "Boss, this...?"
Zhuifeng, his expression unreadable, glanced at Liu Tang. "Let's eat. Teacher Liu has kindly treated us. It would be rude not to eat, we should show some respect."
Liu Tang's face was a kaleidoscope of emotions as he kept nodding. "Yes, yes, exactly."
.....
"Thank you for your hospitality, Teacher. We should get going now." After a while, Zhuifeng couldn't bear the atmosphere anymore and signaled to the others.
"Wait... wait..." Liu Tang finally managed to swallow his food. "I'm full too. Shall we go together?"
"Are you sure?" Zhuifeng asked.
Liu Tang nodded vigorously.
"Then why are you still holding a bun in your hand?"
Liu Tang broke out in a cold sweat, embarrassed.