Once You Fail to Object Firmly at the Start, You've Already Lost the Will to Stand Your Ground

Once You Fail to Object Firmly at the Start, You've Already Lost the Will to Stand Your Ground

After leaving Mr. Fox, Lin Qi wandered around the streets. Once the deal was finalized, he would soon have his first income, and the amount would be directly tied to how much he invested.

The more he put in, the greater his profits would be. Even the top conglomerates would covet this kind of business.

He had been reading newspapers lately. Even though the entire world was pushing development and construction, no matter how much financial growth was being touted, the annual returns promised by some funds had not exceeded fifteen percent.

This year's first-quarter edition of Transaction Newspaper revealed some detailed figures from last year. The fund with the highest actual return had only yielded 9.74 percent for the year—not even ten percent—yet it had already become last year's most profitable fund.

That was why this deal was so important. At the same time, though, a new problem had emerged: he needed some "capital" to exchange for that Small Change and those coins.

Mr. Fox had not mentioned the money. Given his investigation into Lin Qi's background, it was impossible for him not to know that Lin Qi did not even have a hundred dollars on him or in his bank account, let alone enough to quickly help Mr. Fox complete the "transformation" he had promised.

He had to get another sum of money. It did not need to be much—several hundred dollars, or one or two thousand, would be enough. Once this started turning, it would only get faster and faster. It was only a small sum, and he planned to discuss it with Catherine when he got home that night.

Although he felt that doing this was indeed a little... but for the sake of the future, there was no other way.

Time trickled away as he wandered around. Lin Qi returned home early that day. At half past six in the evening, Catherine came back from outside carrying a bag.

Inside were scraps of meat and some vegetables that looked less than fresh, things the supermarket where she worked planned to throw away that day. The employees would basically divide these things among themselves. After all, the point of enduring oppression and exploitation there was to get such things for free.

The moment she entered the apartment, Catherine was a little surprised. Lin Qi had always come home very late lately. Today was the first time in a while that he had returned so early.

At first, she had still hoped that Lin Qi would honestly find himself a job, preferably in a factory.

Although factory work was exhausting and carried certain dangers, Workers undeniably received the best benefits and social security.

Those big business owners not only had to look after them in every way, but they could also join organizations such as unions. Catherine, who worked at a supermarket, could not join one because she was not a worker.

And there was no unofficial organization like a Cashier Guild, either.

Nightmares always drew people in, while sweet dreams were easily awakened from.

For an entire week, Lin Qi, who had seemed to pull himself together again, returned to square one. He had merely changed his approach. Instead of staying at home, he used looking for work as an excuse to go out and kill time.

The thought of it left Catherine utterly disheartened. She felt that her past choice had not merely been stupid—she must have been blind as well.

It was precisely because she had gone through all this that she realized how right her mother had been: looks were useless. Life needed foundations, not a pretty face.

She glanced up at Lin Qi, changed her shoes, then carried the bag into the kitchen and began washing the meat scraps.

These scraps had been shaved from carcasses, shapeless little pieces. Most were about the size of a finger joint, and for some reason, they looked darker than the neatly displayed cuts of beef.

So even though they were cheap, they were difficult to sell. Most people bought them not to eat themselves, but to feed their dogs.

In truth, there was nothing wrong with the meat scraps.

The silent atmosphere in the room was filled with something uncomfortable, something that continued to spread and churn.

Lin Qi sat on a sofa they had picked up from a garbage heap and watched his girlfriend prepare the food without a word. Though less than ten meters separated them, it felt as if a chasm had opened between them.

"Do you... have any extra money?" Lin Qi asked.

Catherine's hands paused slightly. She did not turn around or say anything. After a brief pause, she continued with her work. "A little. Less than five hundred dollars. I saved it this year."

Saving money was not easy, especially for young people with only a high school education.

Rent, Electricity Bill, water bills, heating fees, necessary expenses and everyday losses—on top of the fact that only one of them worked to support them both. Saving more than four hundred dollars had already been extremely difficult.

Suddenly, something even heavier seeped into the strange atmosphere, pressing down on both their chests.

Neither of them spoke again until Catherine finished making dinner.

As always, it was scraps with fried eggs, along with some battered vegetable leaves and wide noodles broken into one- or two-centimeter pieces.

These were all things the supermarket discarded every day. Now, they kept many poor families alive.

"My mother came to see me today..." Catherine broke the silence as they ate. "She doesn't want us to keep living like this, but I can't convince her..."

Lin Qi set down his knife and fork. He looked at the fresh "seasoning" that had been added to the girl's plate—clear, somewhat bitter, and faintly salty.

Catherine had actually made herself very clear. She could not persuade her mother, which meant one of them had to be persuaded by the other. The only possibility was that Catherine had been persuaded.

The food on the plate, which had not been particularly appetizing to begin with, became even harder to swallow. Lin Qi sighed. "When are you leaving?"

Catherine was nearly breaking down. "Tomorrow. My mother and brother are coming to pick me up. I'm sorry. I didn't want this, but..."

"That's enough. You don't need to apologize. I'm the one who should apologize!" Lin Qi reached out and touched the girl's tear-soaked cheek. He had to pay for what this body had done before.

For more than two years, every burden of their lives had rested on this girl, who was only twenty years old.

Without a doubt, Lin Qi had been a scumbag. The worst kind.

This life had gradually worn away all of the girl's fantasies about romance and the future. After going through all this, she had begun to bow to reality and fate, even if perhaps a sliver of fantasy still remained in the deepest part of her heart.

For example...

There was no for example. Lin Qi would not ask the girl to stay. Whether she was the one who first said she wanted to leave, or it was the still uncertain future that was bound to hold unease and danger, neither was suitable for this girl.

It was cruel to say so, but facts were facts.

After the two spent an unforgettable night together, Catherine left with her things early the next morning. However, she also left Lin Qi a few things.

A bankbook, and the key to the apartment.

He had to thank the bank for not caring much about who deposited or withdrew the money in a bankbook. Perhaps that was also proof that Catherine was bidding farewell to her old life.

After freshening himself up, Lin Qi withdrew all the money in the bankbook that morning: four hundred and forty-nine dollars and thirty-five cents.

Then he found the landlord. After talking with him for about half an hour, he got one hundred dollars back for returning the apartment with half a month left on the lease—it should have been seventy-five dollars, but Lin Qi left all his belongings behind.

The landlord felt that the deal was not too much of a loss, so he finally agreed and gave him an extra twenty-five dollars.

He would keep the loose change for the necessities of the first few days, while the rest would be rolled into his plan. He was already growing impatient. He desperately wanted to teach this simple world a lesson.