Chapter 3 In Order to Survive, Reaching a Consensus with Strange Individuals

Although it is said to be a century-old establishment, it is hard to tell what kind of goods are sold here. The interior is dark and empty, with a few wine jars placed in the corner, giving off a rather ancient vibe. The bar counter also resembles the style found in "Wulin Waizhuan". If it weren't for the computer with a screen still on placed nearby, it would indeed feel a bit like traveling through time.

"That works. If you find the flavor too mild, I have some chili sauce here for you to mix in."

Gu Tao bent down to pick up that one yuan: "Are you using this to insult me?"

Selling wine, my ancestors were once purveyors of court tribute wine

"Alright." Gu Tao hesitated for a moment and extended his hand towards him: "Gu Tao."

Following the markers on the map, Gu Tao arrived at a narrow alley and slipped into a dimly lit shop. Upon entering, he initially thought he had made a mistake and deliberately stepped back outside to take a look. The sign indeed read "Centennial Old Shop"

In a couple of days, it will be the beginning of the month. I will collect the rent and send you your salary first. That guy lifted his head and weakly said, "I guarantee I won't lie; let's make a pinky promise."

"It's too high, so I will have to start eating this thing from the middle of the month." This scoundrel waved the dog food in front of Gu Tao, his eyes truly resembling those of a dog: "How about... lowering it a bit?"

Upon arriving at the destination, Gu Tao instinctively took out his phone, but what he pulled from his pocket was surprisingly a broken MP3 player, a model from over a decade ago, a remarkable antique that required AA batteries to operate, with the headphone jack plugged in, and the song "Good Luck" blaring in his ears

Where is my phone!

The garlic-peeling girl got up and walked into the inner room. After a while, a boss with a cigarette in his mouth came out. Gu Tao looked at him and clasped his hands together, saying, "Farewell"

It is gone

With the last bit of money in his hand, he bought two servings of pancakes, stuffing one set into his bag for lunch, while leisurely eating the other set while sitting on the curb.

While eating, a coin worth 1 yuan was thrown down in front of him. He looked up and saw the carefree silhouette of a young lady with a backpack. Upon seeing this, he became irate, stood up, and shouted: "Hey, young lady in front, stop right there!"

You speak

There is ... ...

Although there is anger in my heart, I ultimately have to compromise with reality, looking up to the sky and letting out a long sigh, silently lamenting: "Luck truly exists."

Just as he was resting with his eyes closed, the song in his headphones suddenly paused for a moment, then switched to a very popular square dance anthem, with particularly explosive sound quality. However, due to his laziness, he did not pay attention to these small details

And wait! Gu Tao thought for a moment: "How are you going to pay me when you've sunk so low as to eat dog food?"

Who the hell wants to make a pinky promise with you! Gu Tao dodged the hand that this guy reached out, then picked up his bag and walked up the stairs. He discovered that the second floor was a warehouse, and in the middle of the warehouse was a makeshift bed, with a pillow and a sleeping bag on top, and hard cardboard underneath.

Farewell

one thousand two

Boss: "What is it?"

Gu Tao is actually quite helpless; this is probably the first time he has reached a consensus with such an abnormal human for the sake of survival. However, looking at this strange boss, he always feels the need to express his thoughts: "It's not that I'm saying this, but given your current situation, who are you even hiring?"

After speaking, he slowly made his way towards the first recruitment spot with his bag on his back. Halfway there, he turned back and solemnly said to the bewildered young lady, "Remember, next time it starts at five yuan; what can one yuan accomplish!"

Please wait a moment, I will call the boss

The two hands clasped together, reaching a consensus

He finally understood why the song was suddenly changed at that time, and he turned back to glance at the bus from earlier, gritting his teeth in a fit of rage.

So it is said ... ...

I feel this way. Xin Chen leaned over the counter, getting very close: "You see, I usually have nothing to do here by myself, so I plan to find someone else to come over and do nothing with me. Isn't that a bit more comfortable?"

The young lady who threw money at him was startled by him, turned around and looked at him: "What happened?"

The reasoning is indeed this reasoning, yet it is utterly illogical. However, discussing logic with someone who treats dog food as a meal is quite absurd. Therefore, Gu Tao nodded in agreement and asked, "What is it that your century-old establishment does?"

Mixing... Mixing. This is simply a haunting sound, so Gu Tao quickly shook off the terrifying repetition in his ears and coughed once: "How much is a month's salary?"

Xin Chen

However, that feeling of emotional lowliness is truly distressing. How should I describe it? A sense of frustration... Yes, yes, frustration, that kind of frustration of "Why am I so useless?"

I cannot brew. " Xin Chen looked up at the ceiling and said, "My dad didn't have the chance to pass the recipe to me before he eloped with a chicken, and my mom ran off with a truck driver... It should have been my mom who ran off with a truck driver first, and then my dad got involved with that chicken.

What next

Seeing his pitiful appearance, Gu Tao sighed, considering the fact that meals and accommodation were provided... Hmm, dog food is truly terrifying, although it doesn't taste too bad.

"Don't go, don't go, we can negotiate." The young man quickly grabbed Gu Tao and said, "Eighteen hundred, including food and accommodation!"

"I... I'm sorry... I thought you were a performer." The young lady's face immediately turned red: "I apologize for causing you any trouble, I'm truly sorry"

Carrying a backpack and holding a map, at first glance he resembled a genuine budget traveler, not the kind of impoverished tourist who travels by engaging in sexual activities. Gu Tao believed that law enforcement agencies needed to crack down on this type of budget travel. How is prostitution defined? In any case, this kind of budget travel is not much different from prostitution.

Gu Tao looked at this disheveled fellow and felt quite strange; how could a normal person wear a down jacket in this season

Gu Tao pondered for a moment: "I believe your parents' decision is closely related to you, but I think the fact that they did not abandon you as an infant before your first month is already a considerable act of kindness."

one thousand five

Gu Tao snorted coldly and put a dollar into his pocket: "This time I will forgive you, but remember to start at five next time"

He quietly went downstairs and discovered that this person, who could at least be considered the boss, was pouring dog food into a bowl. Then, he inexplicably produced a dirty thermos and poured the water inside into the dog food, covering it with a lid. Upon seeing Gu Tao come down, he chuckled and said, "Soaking it makes it tastier"

You can simply walk up the stairs; however, you might want to take a look at the surroundings first

three thousand five

Oh. Gu Tao really did grab a handful, munching away like he was eating sunflower seeds while asking, "So where do you live?"

A weak voice came from behind the bar, and Gu Tao leaned over to take a look. Hey! There really is someone there, but this guy looks a bit disheveled, slumped over the computer keyboard, with messy hair, clearly not fully awake.

Oh my... this is simply a marvel of the human world. From his skilled posture and confident tone, it seems this guy has eaten his fair share of dog food, hasn't he? Gu Tao glanced at the half-eaten dog food in his hand and silently declined: "I prefer to chew it dry"

Are you hiring

Don't go! Add one thousand! He is almost begging Gu Tao while holding onto his thigh: "Two thousand five!"

Losing his phone is not a significant issue, after all, in this city, he has only a few close friends. The dead fat guy counts as one, along with two companions who sing in the underground passage. The rest are probably just a few delivery guys from a certain food delivery service and several couriers from a certain express delivery company.

Are you looking for a job

Is anyone there

They asked in unison, and then the two confirmed their gaze, realizing they were kindred spirits

Gu Tao stared at the dog food packaging, then reached out to take a piece and tasted it. He found that aside from being a bit bland, it was otherwise acceptable. However, that grandson actually grabbed a handful and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling, "Have you had breakfast? If not, grab more; this stuff is filling."

Gu Tao turned around and left

Indeed, Gu Tao was shocked at that moment, as it was the first time he had seen someone dealing with their life in such a manner. The scene was remarkably similar to those heroes in martial arts films who camp out in dilapidated temples in the countryside, only missing a sign for Lanruo Temple at the entrance of the warehouse

Where is the wine

It was said to be a recruitment, but the guy behind the counter never stood up from beginning to end. He merely lazily lifted his head to glance at Gu Tao, then wiped his face as if that was enough to consider him hired, not even asking for his name.

Finally, after venting some grievances on a kind stranger, Gu Tao's mood improved slightly. He then pushed open the door of a restaurant and peeked inside, where a young girl was sitting peeling garlic: "Sister, is this a good place?"

Well, I have a question. Gu Tao said thoughtfully while stroking his chin: "Does it include meals and accommodation?"

As for why I am taking my leave, it is simply because I do not like the smell of smoke, is there a problem with that

"Pack, all packed." That guy took a bag of dog food from the counter and said, "It's the end of the month now, let's use this to get by for a few days."

After walking for another 15 minutes along the muddy path, Gu Tao, carrying his bag and guitar along with a marked map, boarded the bus back to the city, leaning against the window and listening to Ninja Stick.