This meal tonight was definitely the most stressful one I've ever had in my life.
Being stared at by dozens of pairs of eyes from all directions, I really felt like sitting on pins and needles.
Looking at the four dishes and one soup in front of me, it even gave me the illusion that I was having a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast.
Not only those guys who were eating steamed buns and drinking porridge, but also Zhao Paozi and He Hui sitting opposite me, and the short-haired woman who shamelessly insisted on sitting next to me, were all staring straight at the dinner plate, swallowing saliva.
I frowned and pretended not to see the longing in their eyes. First, I stuffed two packs of cigarettes and a bottle of liquor into my trouser pockets, and then picked up a chicken leg and started eating it with big bites.
I don't know if it's been too long since I had a proper meal, or if the cooks of those scumbags in northern Myanmar are really good at their craft.
That chicken leg was so delicious that I gnawed it clean in just a few bites.
After finishing one chicken leg, I picked up my chopsticks and grabbed a piece of braised pork ribs and put it in my mouth.
The pork ribs were cooked so tender that the meat and bones separated easily with just one chew.
The feeling of spitting out the bones while having the meat in my mouth was simply wonderful.
In just a couple of bites, a large piece of braised pork ribs went into my stomach.
Just as I was about to pick up the second piece of pork ribs, He Hui sitting opposite me swallowed hard and finally couldn't help but speak.
"Brother Qiang, um, could you give me a piece of pork rib? I almost forgot what meat tastes like."
Actually, I couldn't finish the four dishes and one soup by myself, and I had been waiting for them to take the initiative to ask.
From the time I slapped He Hui ten times in the office until just now, I had been thinking about one thing.
No matter what the reason was, He Hui was slapped ten times by me for no reason, and he must have had complaints in his heart.
This could be seen from his expression and eyes at that time.
Judging from the current situation, I'm afraid it will be very difficult to find a chance to escape from this hellish place in a short time.
It could be as short as one or two months, or as long as a year or even longer, and we'll all be stuck in this damn place.
The law of the jungle has just started to operate, and there are already people like 059 who are either really brainwashed or pretending to be brainwashed. It's estimated that after the performance assessment next week, at least half of us piglets will become as crazy as 059.
Or even crazier.
It's probably not easy for me to survive intact under this perverted and distorted law of the jungle by myself.
So I'm considering whether to find a few helpers and secretly form a small team.
As time passes, under the subtle influence of this environment, the beastliness hidden in everyone's hearts will be aroused in the shortest possible time.
Fortunately, it's just the beginning now, and fortunately, I'm the only one in this batch who has been promoted to a temporary A-level salesperson.
If it were another one or two weeks later, if I were just a B-level salesperson living in a triple room, or a C-level salesperson living in a six-person room.
If I were alone, I'm afraid the two packs of cigarettes and the bottle of liquor in my pocket wouldn't last until tomorrow morning.
Maybe because of a pack of low-quality cigarettes that only cost a few yuan in China, I'd even lose my life.
In this pitch-dark place, which might be a living hell where you could have your kidneys cut out and be bled to death tomorrow, most people will gradually develop a mentality of living one day at a time and enjoying the present.
In order to survive until the day when I can find a chance to escape from this hellish place alive, I think it's very necessary to secretly find a few helpers and huddle together for warmth.
Compared with strangers, Zhao Paozi and He Hui are relatively more reliable.
But there's one thing!
That is, this small group must be centered around me.
So, from the very beginning, I must firmly hold the initiative in my own hands.
Tonight's meal is the best opportunity.
Finally, when someone couldn't help but take the initiative to ask for meat to eat, I knew the opportunity had come.
I just looked up at He Hui expressionlessly and casually threw the second piece of braised pork ribs into my mouth.
When they were so greedy that they almost swallowed their tongues, I slowly spat out a bone, licked the grease on my fingers, and glanced at him sideways and asked, "Aren't you angry about the ten slaps I gave you this afternoon?"
"Brother Qiang, what are you talking about? It has nothing to do with you. It's all because of those scumbags in northern Myanmar."
"I know your intention was actually to take care of me and Paozi in the next week."
He Hui finally managed to tear his eyes away from the braised pork ribs and big chicken legs in front of me. He quietly observed the armed scumbags in northern Myanmar not far away and then lowered his voice to explain in a whisper.
Although He Hui sounded sincere, I could only believe half of what he said.
If I didn't have this plate of braised pork ribs and big chicken legs, and didn't have two packs of cigarettes and a bottle of liquor in my pocket, maybe he wouldn't even look at me straight.
He might even be secretly thinking about how to get back the ten slaps he received this afternoon.
Of course, I would never say these thoughts out loud.
The human heart is unpredictable, especially in a place like this.
"Paozi, Ahui, I really didn't expect those scumbags in northern Myanmar to ask for slapping you this afternoon. You saw the situation too. I was also forced to do it."
"You know better than anyone else what kind of life we've been living these days. To survive in this hellish place, we need someone's help. Do you understand what I mean?"
I glanced at the armed scumbags in northern Myanmar who were constantly patrolling, pretending to be eating rice while whispering.
"I'm a rough guy, not very smart, but I can see that you're different from those guys whose eyes are already starting to glow green. As long as you give me meat to eat and take me with you when you find a chance to escape in the future, I'll listen to you!"
Before He Hui could speak, Zhao Paozi was the first to express his stance.
I couldn't help but look at him in surprise. I didn't expect this guy, who looked big and clumsy and had the nickname of Paozi, to be not stupid at all.
"Yeah, if he were really a fool, he wouldn't be sitting here now."
On second thought, I immediately understood.
I know better than anyone else how difficult it is to successfully complete an online fraud performance in just one day.
Since Zhao Paozi was able to be promoted to a formal salesperson, even if it's the lowest level D-level salesperson, it's already enough to show the problem.
It's better to have a brain, at least you can survive a bit longer.
"Don't worry. If there really is such a day, I won't forget you!"
I picked up the biggest piece of braised pork ribs and put it very solemnly into his bowl.
Zhao Paozi just grinned at me and didn't say anything more. He grabbed the pork ribs with his hand and started gnawing.
However, after hesitating for a moment, He Hui asked me a very sharp question: "If we fail to complete the minimum standard of 50,000 yuan in performance next week, will you help us?"