Jinhui Mansion, Tianxi District, Nanjin—downstairs from the client.
A trip that should have taken an hour only took Yang Yi thirty minutes, all thanks to the last two coins in his suit pocket.
With heavy traffic and congestion on the roads of Nanjin, the subway was certainly faster than a taxi. Yang Yi had no money for a cab anyway; these last two coins were reserved for his subway fare home tonight.
Once the signature was secured, he would speak to his family. For the past year, he had lived frugally and refused to ask them for a single cent, wanting to prove he could survive in Nanjin. But now that he was at the end of his rope, he could only rely on his parents.
At this moment, Yang Yi felt somewhat regretful. If he hadn't been unable to resist that itch and gone to Blackie's place that day, he would still have at least eight thousand yuan in savings—enough to last him for months.
And that wasn't even counting the salary that had been delayed for so long.
Clutching the printed proofs, Yang Yi didn't dare to be careless even on the subway, gently shielding them against his chest for fear of any damage.
The client was on the 19th floor of Jinhui Mansion: the Marketing Department of Nanjin Securities.
The contact person was named Bai Liang, a thirty-something professional manager with a slightly receding hairline. Building security required the client to personally come down to escort Yang Yi up.
Bai Liang was the Marketing Manager in charge of the project, but the printed proofs still had to be reviewed by the leadership before they could be signed. The two sat in the 19th-floor office area, waiting for the boss's summons.
Arriving here, Yang Yi didn't feel the slightest bit constrained. After all, he didn't know anyone; he was just a messenger with zero pressure. Furthermore, the people walking in and out in their sharp suits looked no different from those at Beitong.
Ten minutes later, the leader opened his office door and glanced toward Bai Liang. Bai Liang immediately called for Yang Yi.
"General Manager Ma, this is the product poster for the BOC Fund. Please take a look." Bai Liang signaled Yang Yi to present it.
Yang Yi walked to the desk and handed over the proof.
"Mm." General Manager Ma took it.
The two of them stood there as if time had frozen, motionless.
Ten seconds later, General Manager Ma set the proof down. "Fine. Go live with it. Follow the release schedule."
Yang Yi felt a small sense of luck that it had passed so easily, but he felt like something had been missing just now. When he turned to look at Bai Liang, he saw a trace of disappointment in his eyes as well.
"No problem. I'll go sign it outside then." Bai Liang stepped forward, picked up the proof, and gestured for Yang Yi to follow him out.
"I won't see you downstairs. I'm counting on you for the subsequent rollout." The two parted ways at the elevator.
"Settled?" A text from Brother Miao was waiting on his phone.
"Settled. Signed."
Leaving the building, Yang Yi calculated the distance home. From Tianxi District to Tianbei District was at least 30 kilometers. Walking was impossible; it was time to text his family for money.
So the day has finally come to fold to my parents, Yang Yi thought with a bitter smile.
"Did you explain our creative concept to the client?"
Seeing this text from Brother Miao, Yang Yi finally understood why General Manager Ma had been silent for those ten seconds. That window had been reserved for him.
"I did." Yang Yi lied.
Saying he hadn't at this point would be the real embarrassment... Next time, pay attention.
His stomach growled loudly. Having skipped lunch, it would be strange if he wasn't hungry. Looking up, he saw a clothing store by the road, and a certain person suddenly came to mind.
Xiao Hua was also in Nanjin.
Usually, with one in the north and one in the south—and both being busy—they rarely saw each other. Yang Yi felt awkward about disturbing her life, so they only met during holidays to head back home to see their parents.
"Xiao Hua, Mie Mie is about to starve to death." He would try the "Xiao Hua Gauntlet" first; if he couldn't pass that, he'd face the "Parent Gauntlet."
Yang Yi edited the text and sent it, feeling about eighty or ninety percent sure of success.
His bank card had been in his pocket since the weekend. To hell with Tianchen for still not paying me, Yang Yi cursed as he walked. He finally understood what it meant to have "pockets cleaner than one's face." Aside from two cards, all he had on him was the signed proof.
"What's wrong? Did your wallet get stolen?" Xiao Hua replied.
"No, I just started at a new company. I'm working at Beitong Advertising now." Yang Yi didn't even have a wallet. His income over the past year was barely enough to keep him fed; he didn't even need a wallet as a prop.
"So you spent it all. Haha. How much?"
"200 is enough. The salary from my last company will arrive in a few days. I'll pay you back then."
"Send me your account. Ask for more if it's not enough. Take care of yourself."
Ah, Xiao Hua is the best. My brother-in-law is a lucky man.
"Don't tell Mom and Dad," Yang Yi didn't forget to remind her, even while moved.
"I'll transfer it to you before six."
There was no reply after that—she was likely busy. Yang Yi checked the time; it was still two hours until six. His stomach was empty; what was he to do for these two hours?
Fingering the subway card that also had an insufficient balance, a plan suddenly formed. He headed toward the subway station.
He would go to the station, return the card, and get the twenty-yuan deposit back. He could use it to buy something to eat and then take the subway back to Tianbei—the best of both worlds.
Along the way, he scouted out several snack stalls. A twenty-yuan budget was more than enough.
At the ticket window, Yang Yi pulled out his card and placed it on the counter.
"How much to top up?" the clerk asked.
"No top-up. Returning the card."
"We don't do returns here. Go to the main bus terminal or the subway exits marked in yellow above." The clerk pointed to the route map.
On the map, the nearest "yellow" station was two stops away.
"Is the Library Station the closest one where I can return this?"
"If it's yellow, it's yellow," came the impatient reply.
Yang Yi exited the subway and opened his map navigation. Walking distance: 4.1 kilometers. Estimated time: 55 minutes.
Fine, I'll walk. In case Xiao Hua didn't send the money by six, he couldn't just starve at the subway entrance. He had already troubled her enough; he absolutely could not rush her.
Along the way, he saw a melon farmer under a utility pole shouting about how sweet his watermelons were; he saw middle schoolers racing home with high-scoring exams; he saw salon employees being lectured by their manager; he saw a couple arguing while the boy apologized profusely... and he seemed to see himself, sitting in front of a pile of won chips.
Surrounded by so many uncertainties, an individual can only choose to persist silently. The process was too much like gambling.
Gambling on good weather, gambling on passing exams, gambling on career success, gambling on a happy ending.
Living is so exhausting, he thought. The only thing left to do is keep living.
By the time he reached Library Station, Yang Yi had moved past hunger. He hadn't walked this far since he started working; his knees ached. Back in college, he could have run full-court basketball for two hours without getting tired.
After receiving his eighteen yuan and eighty cents refund, Yang Yi bought two shaobing and stood at the intersection, eating them dry.
His phone buzzed. Wiping his hands, he scrambled to pull it out. It was likely Xiao Hua with the money.
He was only half right. The sender was... Xiao Lin. The few words in the text made Yang Yi re-read it several times to be sure.
"Yi, Wufang is gone."