Find a Job

"Wow, that smells amazing!"

Early in the morning, Fish Head Xu stumbled out of the bedroom, yawning repeatedly, and immediately caught an incredibly rich aroma.

Cross-eyed's drooping eyelids seemed to snap wide open at the scent. His body involuntarily followed the direction it came from.

Beside the living room, the dining table that doubled as a mahjong table had been cleared clean. Its entire surface was piled high with all kinds of food.

"You're awake. Eat with me."

Yang Chu sat against the wall and softly spoke to Fish Head Xu as he came out of the room.

"Crispy Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls, Steamed Spare Ribs, Soup Dumplings, Shrimp Dumplings, Steamed Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce, Steamed Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms, Glutinous Rice Dumplings, Beef Congee, Steamed Pork Dumplings, Beef Tripe, Beef Meatballs, Char Siu Buns, Vegetable Buns, and such a huge bottle of milk..."

Fish Head Xu stood beside the table, craning his neck as he counted the dazzling array of breakfast dim sum one by one. Only after a while did he turn his inward-focused eyes on Yang Chu as though looking at a monster. "Chu-zai, y-you reincarnated starving or something? You're eating this much first thing in the morning? My boss says my fingers have gaps, that I can't hold on to money. But you're the real spendthrift!"

Last night at the late-night food stall, Yang Chu had already ordered an astonishing amount of food. He had not expected Yang Chu to get even more this morning.

The variety of dim sum alone was one thing, but there were multiple portions of some dishes. It was enough that even six or seven people might not finish it.

"I have a good appetite."

Yang Chu ignored Fish Head Xu's strange cries. He picked up a pair of chopsticks, tapped them lightly on the table, and answered flatly before lifting a Shrimp Dumpling in front of him and stuffing it into his mouth.

He chewed and swallowed as quickly as ever.

He had bought all of this early in the morning. He had even eaten two portions of Braised Offal on the way, but remembering that Fish Head Xu had treated him to supper last night, he had simply stopped by two dim sum restaurants and packed these up to bring back.

"Your appetite is terrifying! Still, you're a real brother!"

Seeing Yang Chu start eating, Fish Head Xu gave two odd chuckles. He could not even be bothered to wash up before pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Hey, Chu-zai, leave me one of those Shrimp Dumplings. One Shrimp Dumpling."

Before long, Fish Head Xu put down his chopsticks. His appetite was decent, but only somewhat better than an average person's.

Yang Chu, however, continued eating. Before long, he swept away every scrap of food like a Wind Sweep. Finally, he picked up the large bottle of milk, nearly 1.5 liters, and gulped it all down in one go.

Watching Yang Chu finish everything, Fish Head Xu patted his slightly bloated belly. "I've really seen something today. You're the true big eater."

"Oh, right, Chu-zai. How much did this morning tea cost? I'll pay you back."

Fish Head Xu suddenly seemed to remember something. He pulled a messy stack of banknotes from his pocket. "You helped me fight last night, and you remembered me when you bought morning tea today. That means you recognize Fish Head Xu as your brother. Since we're brothers, how can I let you pay for food at my place? I've got two thousand Hong Kong dollars here. Is it enough?"

Yang Chu's gaze fell on Fish Head Xu's earnest, sincere face, which somehow still looked comical. He now truly understood why Fish Head Xu had said that his blood-related boss would worry about him ending up on the streets someday.

"I really have run out of money."

Yang Chu did not take the money Fish Head Xu offered. He only asked, "How about helping me find a job?"

The few thousand Hong Kong dollars in the wallet he had picked up from the thug he kicked to death in that warehouse were indeed nearly gone. Leaving aside anything else, this morning's meal alone had cost more than a thousand Hong Kong dollars.

He had been completely absorbed in maintaining himself and dealing with his own problems, with no time at all to consider how he would live going forward.

But after leaving the swimming pool last night, as he walked the streets alone, he had already begun thinking about the future.

"No problem. I'm heading to work now. Wait for my news. Big Brother has just told me to recruit people."

Fish Head Xu patted his chest without a word of refusal. As though afraid Yang Chu would not believe him, he added, "Don't worry, Chu-zai. You took on several people by yourself last night, and you're so good at fighting. You're perfect for my line of work. Let me tell you, my line pays fast. Maybe not enough to buy cars and houses, but definitely enough to feed you. With an appetite like yours, even if you became a gangster, you'd have to be a Double Red Stick boss, or you wouldn't be able to feed yourself."

"Mm, thanks." Yang Chu nodded.

"Don't mention it."

Fish Head Xu grinned, then hurried back to his room to change clothes. When he ran back out, he asked, "So, are you staying home to wait for my news, or are you heading out?"

"I'll go to Sham Shui Po Park Swimming Pool first, then to the Po On Road Municipal Services Building Library to read."

Yang Chu stated his plans for the day.

"Fine, then we'll go together. I'll give you a ride. If there's no problem, I'll come to the Po On Road Municipal Services Building to find you this afternoon."

Without another word, Fish Head Xu found a spare key before leaving and tossed it to Yang Chu.

The two went downstairs. Rather than calling a taxi again, they headed to the parking lot and stopped in front of a black Toyota sedan.

The car looked rather old, with paint peeling in many places and signs of patchwork repairs everywhere.

After getting in, Fish Head Xu started the engine and drove, his expression nostalgic. "This car was given to me by Big Brother back then. It was even on camera several times. Later, when I did stunts, the windows, doors, and tires were all replaced over and over. The paint peeled, I touched it up, then it peeled again. Eventually, I couldn't be bothered."

"Mm."

Yang Chu answered softly. He was actually somewhat confused by all the bosses and big brothers Fish Head Xu kept mentioning, but he was not the sort to pry. He did not even ask exactly what kind of job Fish Head Xu was helping him find, only vaguely guessed that it was related to the film industry.

They drove all the way to Sham Shui Po Park Swimming Pool. Before Yang Chu got out, Fish Head Xu forced another thousand Hong Kong dollars on him for lunch. Only after agreeing to meet him at the library that afternoon did he drive away.

After watching Fish Head Xu's car leave, Yang Chu bought a ticket and entered the swimming pool.

Perhaps because it was still early, there was almost no one in the pool.

The person in charge of guarding and managing the place was still Uncle Kin from yesterday, sitting on a low stool by the pool and reading the newspaper.

Seeing Yang Chu arrive so early in the morning, Uncle Kin curled his lip and continued reading without paying him any attention.

Yang Chu did not mind Uncle Kin's attitude. He changed clothes, went to the showers, then returned to the wading pool from yesterday and slowly lay down.

When he woke from his nap, Yang Chu found that there were already quite a few more people in the swimming pool—children and teenagers, as well as middle-aged women accompanying them.

Under a parasol beside the pool sat a young man wearing sunglasses, who appeared to be a pool lifeguard.

When he saw Yang Chu climb out of the wading pool, the sunglasses-wearing lifeguard greeted him. "You slept soundly!"

Clearly, the lifeguard had checked on Yang Chu earlier. Perhaps he had discovered that Yang Chu was merely sleeping in the water, or perhaps Uncle Kin had mentioned it. In any case, he had not pulled Yang Chu ashore or taken any emergency measures.

After leaving Sham Shui Po Park Swimming Pool, Yang Chu felt his mental state improve even further. He followed the streets toward the public library on Po On Road.

When he passed a dessert stall by the roadside, he also had a serving of Steamed Milk with Egg White and Mango Pomelo Sago.