Chapter 3

Uncertain how much time had passed, a cacophony of roaring sounds jolted him awake from his dreams. He lifted his head and saw a red sedan racing towards him from a distance, swiftly turning the corner.

"I’m sorry, but you see, I have to close up. Are you all..." The owner of the barbecue stall said somewhat awkwardly. Wang Zhi silently nodded, reaching out to touch Zhao Zheng's wallet. If it were 12 years ago, he would have paid without hesitation, but today, 12 years later, he truly cannot afford to be generous.

Then, without any pause, it directly collided with an electric vehicle that was crossing the road

He slept in bed for a full 12 years, and when he woke up, his family was shattered and he had nothing left

How many years has it been since we last met? No, no, we must have a drink today. His face was adorned with a false smile, but the trembling fat made him look like a mannequin

Quickly call 110 and 120! Someone has been hit by a car!

The red sports car finally came to a stop amidst a sharp screech of brakes

He left the nursing home full of hope, wanting to start a new life, yet encountered failures and obstacles everywhere

Wang Zhi had already stood up at this moment, and he instinctively walked towards the red sports car. The young man ran into the car and shouted loudly, "Shut up!" Then he started the vehicle

He sighed, closed the wallet, carefully tucked it into Zhao Zheng's outer coat, and then slowly helped him to stand up

The young man finally mustered the courage to approach. Wang Zhi saw him extend his hand towards the person's face, seemingly checking if she was still alive and breathing. The woman who had been knocked down struggled to move slightly, and then the man hurriedly fled back.

"Do not be deceived by my all-black attire, thinking I am so full of myself; I have absolutely nothing! I have absolutely nothing!" He shouted hysterically, cursing, as if he had suffered the abuse of the entire world

For Wang Zhi, it had only been half a year since he last saw him, yet he had already transformed into a stout man with a protruding belly, the skin on his head shining with an oily luster. Due to his drunkenness, he no longer smoothed his hair as he did when he first met Wang Zhi, causing the hair that originally covered the top of his head to fall haphazardly, making his appearance look exceedingly ridiculous

Wang Zhi shook his hand to indicate that he had already quit, and then he淡淡ly changed the subject.

Wang Zhi? He widened his eyes, stumbled slightly, and Wang Zhi quickly supported him

He has never smoked a single pack of cigarettes, never drunk a single glass of alcohol, and never watched a single movie. Because merely surviving has already been a luxury for him, he does not dare to pursue anything more.

The figure on the electric bike soared high into the air, flying so far that it traced a long arc in the sky, evoking a sense of incredibility

Is it still the case that his body has not yet fully recovered, that he cannot lift heavy objects, that he trembles in pain whenever it rains, and that he can only curl up in a rental room of less than 10 square meters, silently shedding tears?

You received 277 yuan, and you gave 270. The boss took the money from him and said with a smile

Her body convulsed, and blood continuously gushed from her mouth, nose, and abdomen; anyone could tell that she was beyond saving

Wang Zhi had been chasing for nearly 30 meters, but his frail body simply could not sustain such exertion, and he nearly fell to the ground. Sweat streamed down his forehead uncontrollably as he gritted his teeth, watching the sports car disappear in the distance. After a brief moment to catch his breath, he struggled to run back to the woman.

"12 years, it's been 12 years, yet look at us, we are nothing at all." When he said this, it felt more like he was lamenting his own situation rather than speaking about Wang Zhi

The two then arrived at a barbecue stall, ordered dishes, requested drinks, and Zhao Zheng began to chat incessantly.

Where have you been all these years? How did you end up like this? Zhao Zheng's face naturally revealed a sense of superiority, and he skillfully took out a cigarette and handed it to Wang Zhi. How are your uncle and aunt?

Zhao Zheng's mobile phone is very beautiful, with a large screen and a black body, but what drives Wang Zhi crazy is that he doesn't know how to use it

Wang Zhi silently took his wine glass, slowly filled it with wine, and then placed it back steadily. Zhao Zheng wiped the mixture off his face, tilted his head back to drink it down, and then continued to cry and fuss while rambling on.

He finally managed to obtain the minimum subsistence allowance with the help of his relatives, sweeping the streets three times a week. Is it true that he can only sustain his life by scavenging for garbage?

Wang Zhi was tearing at his own hair; he could not bear to witness a living life fading away before his eyes, yet he was powerless to act. Because he could not afford a mobile phone, he even had no means to dial 120 for help.

Wang Zhi poured himself a glass of wine, and like Zhao Zheng, he gulped it down fiercely. The fiery sensation coursed through his body, ultimately converging in his nasal cavity, so intense that it nearly brought him to tears

Yet reality is always more grotesque than he imagined. The red sports car accelerated without hesitation, running over that woman once more, and then disappeared from Wang Zhi's sight in less than 10 seconds

The two of them encountered each other in the first half of the night. At that time, Wang Zhi had just finished sweeping the section of the road he was responsible for, carrying the collected aluminum cans and beverage bottles as he walked home. Zhao Zheng, on the other hand, had just sent a group of clients off in their cars, nodding and bowing as he waved his hand. He had already consumed quite a bit of alcohol, so he did not see Wang Zhi walking by with his head down, and thus the two collided.

He shook Zhao Zheng as if he had gone mad, forcefully slapping his cheeks, finally bringing him back to consciousness

He quietly listened to Zhao Zheng's aimless ramblings about wine, without interjecting or responding

He could no longer recognize Zhao Zheng until Zhao Zheng, jumping and shouting about past events, made him suddenly realize and call out the other person's name

He looked at the man in front of him with a hint of disgust. This person had once been his closest friend, someone who understood his thoughts and shared his anger towards the injustices of the world. Yet, his recent meaningless small talk revealed that he had not visited Wang Zhi in at least 6 years, and it was certain that he had not cared about Wang Zhi's well-being prior to that either

He is about to run away

He rambled on about the dissatisfaction in his life: the factory closure and the library's shutdown, the challenges of self-employment, the difficulties of job hunting, the hardships of running a business, the cruelty of his boss, the cunning of his colleagues, his wife's lack of understanding, his son's struggles with studying, the immense pressure of loans for the car and house, and the high levels of blood pressure, cholesterol, and uric acid. As he spoke, he grasped Wang Zhi's hand and began to cry.

However, in Wang Zhi's memory, he was certainly not that kind of person. He simply could not reconcile this middle-aged fat man with the friend he remembered, so he prepared to leave. But Zhao Zheng firmly grasped his hand, insisting on treating him to a drink

Wang Zhi quietly listened to his words, slowly pouring the wine, first giving him a glass, then pouring one for herself. After he finished drinking, she poured him another glass, and then poured one for herself again

Brother, I am truly sorry for what I have done to you. Zhao Zheng said this with a tongue that had already swollen. He sincerely reached out to embrace Wang Zhi's neck, mumbling incoherently, his face covered in a mixture of sweat, mucus, and tears.

Wang Zhi suddenly understood and he hurriedly ran towards the car

Wang Zhi repeatedly apologized while stepping back, preparing to leave. However, Zhao Zheng relentlessly grabbed his clothes and then saw his face

He has saved 600 yuan over the past three months, and is only 249,400 yuan short of the 250,000 yuan he owes his parents, truly without any pressure

At last, he remembered Zhao Zheng, and thus he exerted himself to run back to the flowerbed

At first, he was still boasting about his achievements: his car, his house, his wife and son, but after three drinks, he completely changed.

He felt as if a fire was burning inside him, suffocated to the point of unbearable, yet he suppressed it all with alcohol, saying nothing at all.

The person who was drunk was terrifyingly heavy. After walking only about ten meters, Wang Zhi felt his hands and feet trembling slightly. Therefore, he could only drag Zhao Zheng to the grass of the flower bed by the roadside, cover him with his clothes, and then sit down beside him, waiting for dawn

He wants to cry, but he cannot.

Everything happened so suddenly that Wang Zhi did not realize what had occurred at the first moment

By 4 o'clock, Zhao Zheng had completely collapsed under the table, while Wang Zhi slowly savored his last glass of wine, as if he were drinking the last glass of wine in the world

"X, you mother, begging for a living!" Zhao Zheng scolded without hesitation

What awaits is the roar of Wang Zhi

The world seemed to freeze at that moment

The wine poured into the belly, and the tears were swallowed down together, yet the fire in the heart could not be extinguished no matter what.

He has no friends, no colleagues; all he has is despair and loneliness. Therefore, there is no exclusion, no generation gap, and there is no need to flatter or support anyone. Life is truly easy and pleasant

What can he say

Is there any water?" Zhao Zheng instinctively touched his swollen and somewhat burning cheeks as he asked.

Then Wang Zhi saw the person in the car stagger down. The driver was a very young man, who stared blankly at the motionless body in the distance, while the woman in the passenger seat was crying out hysterically

In the wallet, there is a family portrait of Zhao Zheng, with the family nestled together against the backdrop of a sunny sea. Zhao Zheng's wife is smiling gently, exuding a virtuous and tender demeanor, while his son appears robust and lively, resembling a young Zhao Zheng.