Chapter 1: Da Zhuang's Visit

  I was born in 1960, a typical post-60s generation. I remember when my parents gave me my name, it was like a pot had been lifted at home. According to the family tree, my name should have been Han Ke, but my father's name is also two characters. Following the usual logic, since my father's name has two characters, mine should have three, otherwise I would be in the same generation as him. Because of this name, my parents even had a big argument.

  My father liked literature, and according to my grandfather, he was just like his own father in this regard. People like him were very traditional. Later, I heard from my mother that initially, because of the issue with my name, my father had even moved out of the house, saying that I couldn't be an outcast. In the end, my father changed my name, adding a small character to it.

  I was the kind of kid who always hung out with my grandfather, and in his generation, they called me "grandpa's favorite". My grandfather also told me about his youthful days from a young age, and I heard many fascinating stories. At that time, I was so interested that I begged my grandfather to teach me the art of fighting, I admired and respected my grandfather, feeling like he was a hero. At first, my grandfather did not agree to teach me the art of fighting, hearing him say that this skill was originally intended to be passed down from generation to generation, but unexpectedly, in my father's generation, there emerged a bookworm who loved literature and poetry, so my grandfather gave up on the idea of passing it down.

  But I cried and begged my grandfather every day, and Grandfather finally agreed to teach me some of the skills of tumbling. From then on, I spent all my time with my grandfather, learning this skill.

  Grandpa's passing made me very sad. From childhood to adulthood, Grandpa has always been very fond of me and let me have my way in everything. As Grandpa would say, you call me Little Ke, this "Ke" means that I get to do things before anyone else.

  After the funeral, I returned home with a heavy heart. The day before my grandfather passed away, he gave me a blue bundle and told me it was very important. At that time, I didn't even think about looking inside to see what it was. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window, lost in thought, until I fell asleep.

  I don't know how long it took, but the "bang bang bang" of knocking on the door woke me up from my sleep. It's better to say that it was smashing the door rather than knocking on it.

  I yawned, stretched my waist, and slowly opened the door. The face that appeared before me was not a silly and kind face, but rather a rich and colorful face with a wolf-like appearance. He was slightly taller than me, probably around 1.7 or 1.8 meters, with a sturdy build and a full face of silliness and honesty. If I hadn't known what he was really like, I would have been deceived too.

  "Hey, Da Zhuang! Next time come a bit lighter on the door, my dad said yesterday that our door has been feeling a bit loose lately. If we hadn't discovered it early, those three-handed thieves would have just pushed the door open and taken our money!" As I spoke, Da Zhuang and I entered the house.

  Before Da Zhuang could speak, I continued, "Ah, right, can you change your expression next time? Make it a bit more fierce, it would suit your true nature. You say you have a honest and kind face, but in reality, you're hiding wolf-like ambitions in your heart. Isn't this like wearing sheepskin while being a wolf, or hanging a sheep's head to sell dog meat? Do you still remember the last time at Huanghe Street, that Er Gouzzi? He was deceived by your innocent-looking face and ended up getting beaten so badly that two of his front teeth were broken."

  The young man in front of me, who I call Da Zhuang, is actually named Li Donghai. He's a childhood friend of mine, we went to the same school since we were kids. Later on when we went to university, his family didn't have enough money so he dropped out and didn't continue studying. Now, just like me, he's one of those "excellent young people" who are idle at home.

  Dazhuang rubbed his nose, if someone else had spoken to him like that, he would have probably beaten them up already. But since it was me who said that and I've practiced sword fighting for a few years, even he couldn't beat me in a fight. "I'm saying, your family is so rich, what's with this broken door? Wait till your dad replaces it with a sturdier one, then adds 17 or 18 more doors inside, no thief would be able to reach your house to steal money."

  "Alright, stop messing around, Dazhuang. What do you want from me? My grandfather is dead and I'm not in the mood. If you don't have anything else to say, just leave first and let me be alone for a while." I looked him up and down, but no matter how I looked at Dazhuang, he didn't seem to have any serious business with me. To think about it, every time this kid came to find me in the past, I wanted to beat him up seven or eight times - whether it was stealing chickens, borrowing money, or going out to fight, none of those rotten things had anything to do with me. Now, looking at Dazhuang, I really couldn't think of what serious business he could have with me.

  "Hey, this time I really have something serious to say, and it's something that will make your parents proud of you." Da Zhuang chuckled and didn't continue.

  I looked at Da Zhuang and didn't expect this guy to have learned how to sell gimmicks too. "You little rascal, still trying to fool me? Hurry up and tell me what's the real deal?"

  "Xiao Ke, it's been almost a year since you graduated and stayed at home, right? A university graduate actually still staying at home, I really don't know what future university graduates will be like," said Da Zhuang slowly.

  "This sentence, however, touched my sore spot. I studied architecture in college and was proficient in all sorts of drawing and surveying techniques, but I couldn't find a job. I don't know if it's because the economy has been bad lately or if this industry is just tough to break into. Looking at my expression, Dazhuang chuckled and said, "Little comrade, I found a job this time, and we can go together. It's not tiring, but the salary is a bit low, only enough for food." As he spoke, Dazhuang held up one finger."

  "What job?" When it comes to work, I naturally think of things, and how much money is not important, because our family still has some money. Now the top priority is to find a job first, so that my parents won't keep nagging me all the time.

  Dazhuang hesitated for a moment, then said with a sigh, "Ah, I've been looking for a job recently, and it's really hard to bear the taste of having no work. Eating at home, my family doesn't have money either, and staying here is really suffocating. Whatever you do, you have to be careful not to spend too much... Ah, I found a job at Furi Hospital, they're hiring two night watchmen..."

  As soon as I heard it was a night watchman at the hospital, I immediately interrupted Da Zhuang "I'm not going!" I am a university student after all, although I am just an unemployed university student who has fallen on hard times, but no matter what, I won't go to someone else's hospital to be a night watchman.

  "Hey Xiao Ke, you're at home now, after all these years of socializing I should know your parents' personalities, don't they always complain that you're unemployed? Anyway, you're not working now, why not come with me to the hospital and get a job settled first, later if there's something better we can jump ship together, right? That's what they call a 'stepping stone', isn't it?" As he spoke, Da Zhuang plopped himself down on the stool.

  Listening to Da Zhuang's words, it is indeed the case. Now there is no good job, and in front of me there is a job that is not as good as doing it first, waiting for a better job to jump ship later. Thinking about this, I looked at Da Zhuang for a while, unexpectedly this kid sometimes speaks quite reasonably too.

  "Do you know how to get this job?" As I said that, I got up and poured a pot of tea on the table and took two teacups.

  He took a look at me and obviously knew I agreed, so he shouted "Ah, Comrade Xiao Ke, you can rest assured now, I've already asked clearly. We'll go to work at 10 pm, have dinner at 12 am, and get off work at 7 am the next day. The person there said that if we can make it, we can start working the day after tomorrow." As he spoke, he poured tea into my cup and his own from the teapot.

  "You little scamp had already made up your mind to go together with me, hadn't you?"

  Dazhuang saw my expression and patted me on the shoulder, "Cough... I knew it, as a seasoned college student like you, your awareness is high, you see through everything. So I was sure you'd agree to go with me. Choosing this kind of stepping stone is only natural for someone like you, only a high-caliber cultural talent like yours would make such a decision."

  After hearing Da Zhuang's words, I have to say that his social skills are really high. If he were to be sent to the United Nations for diplomatic work, he would definitely be able to make good use of it. The ability to put a tall hat on someone with just a few words is something I don't think I possess.

  "When did you become so eloquent? Weren't you originally someone who couldn't even spit out ivory from a dog's mouth?"

  After that, we chatted for a few more sentences. Da Zhuang glanced at the clock on the wall and said it was getting late, so he left. Before leaving, he repeatedly reminded me to meet him at 9 o'clock tomorrow night at the street corner. This gave me a feeling of trading goods, I couldn't help but shake my head, this kid would definitely be a weirdo in the entertainment industry.