"Sigh~, why am I so unlucky? Out of over five hundred people in the company, why was I the only one laid off? Rent and the car loan are due immediately, where on earth am I supposed to get money now?"
The man's name was Si Ren. He was twenty-four years old, an orphan with neither father nor mother, who had managed to attend a tier-two university with the help of kind benefactors. After graduation, because he was rather mediocre in every aspect, he failed to land an ideal job. Left with no choice, he took a position as a sales representative at a feed company. Since he held a bachelor's degree, his starting salary during the probationary period was five thousand yuan a month. Once he became a regular employee, he not only solved his food and shelter problems, but even managed to save a considerable amount of money.
His work involved feed sales, and his primary clients were farmers and breeders in various townships and villages. The company had a rule that once the probation period ended, employees had to possess their own transportation, otherwise conducting business would be impossible. Although the job wasn't particularly prestigious, the money earned was real and tangible, so he had taken out a loan to buy a used car, which required a monthly payment of three thousand yuan. Just as he was looking forward to a bright future, the company decided to lay off a portion of its staff due to poor regional performance. To his dismay, Si Ren was caught in the crossfire.
Driving back to his rented apartment, he took out his keys and prepared to unlock the door. Instead, from inside came the lewd laughter of a man and the seductive giggles of the woman. Si Ren's expression changed instantly; even a fool would understand what was happening inside. Dammit, while he was out there dealing with pigs all day, this bitch was taking advantage of his absence to philander with another man! Consumed by rage, he could barely keep a steady grip on his keys.
"Li Nan! While I was away on a business trip, you actually had the nerve to bring a man home!"
Si Ren's girlfriend was named Li Nan. The two had dated for four years in college. She had average facial features, but her figure was exceptionally stunning. Back then, Si Ren had been completely infatuated with her body.
At that moment, Li Nan had her back turned to him, her body trembling incessantly, looking for all the world like a galloping wild horse. The girl he had so meticulously cherished was now being treated like a mere plaything in someone else's hands.Hearing Si Ren's voice, the woman sat up hurriedly, pulling the quilt up to cover her body.
Si Ren strode over to Li Nan, grabbed her wrist, and with bloodshot eyes, demanded harshly, "Why did you do this? Say something!"
Li Nan tried to pull her hand away from Si Ren's grasp, but after a few attempts, she still couldn't break free.
"Let go! You're hurting me!"
The man beside her finished dressing and turned to run, but Si Ren was quick-witted and agile, grabbing him by the collar in a flash.
"Damn you! Still trying to run? I'll cripple you today!"
The man was heavily built with several knife scars on his body, and at a single glance, he was clearly not someone to be trifled with. He turned around, pointed right in Si Ren's face, and cursed viciously, "Kid, don't push your luck. Let go of my hand—I don't want to blow this up."
Consumed by blind rage, Si Ren thought: *You sleep with my girlfriend and then lecture me right here? Do you really take me for a pushover made of clay?* He threw a punch straight at the man's nose.
Taking the punch, the man lost his temper as well, and he immediately locked into a brawl with Si Ren.
How could Si Ren possibly be a match for him? He was pinned to the floor and pounded mercilessly. Shielding his head with his arms, he felt an agonizing torment in his heart. His own girlfriend had been defiled, and to add insult to injury, he couldn't even beat this man. As these thoughts swirled in his mind, humiliating tears rolled down his face.
After beating him for a while, the man had vented his anger, and he spat on the ground near Si Ren. "Asshole, sleeping with your girlfriend is doing you a favor, yet you don't know how to appreciate it!" With that, he tossed three hundred yuan down casually. "Take this three hundred to see a doctor. If you dare call the police, the moment I get out, I'll beat you every single time I see you."
The man left without even looking back.
Li Nan finished getting dressed, sat on the edge of the bed with a cigarette in her mouth, and said in a tone dripping with contempt, "Just look at what a pathetic loser you are. I must have been blind to ever fall for you in the first place.""You saw what happened today, so I won't keep anything from you. Let's break up."
Si Ren wiped the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth, his mind in a chaotic blur, and spoke in a raspy voice.
"Li Nan, how have I ever wronged you, Si Ren? Why are you treating me like this? So we could have a better life, I was constantly away on business in the countryside, dealing with pigs all day long, my clothes stinking of pig manure. Every month, apart from my basic expenses, I handed all my salary over to you for safekeeping. Cosmetics, bags, clothes—which of them wasn't a designer brand? Yes! I can't give you immense wealth right now, but couldn't we work hard together?"
Li Nan let out a sneer and stubbed out the cigarette in her hand.
"Si Ren, get real. You don't actually think I'd spend my whole life with you, do you? To tell you the truth, I only got with you to have a steady meal ticket. You're an orphan with no parents, no money, and besides being somewhat useful in bed, tell me, what else do you have? Don't be so naive. I'll spell it out for you today: ever since we got together, I've hooked up with plenty of men. It's just a pity none of them worked out, which is why I've kept settling for you."
In disbelief, Si Ren stared at her as his roommates' words echoed relentlessly in his mind. Back then, they had told him Li Nan was loose. But Si Ren, blinded by love, refused to believe them, thinking they were just jealous of him, and had grown increasingly distant from them.
A violent rage surged through Si Ren. He raised his hand, intending to slap Li Nan across the face. But somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Take your things and get out." Panting heavily, Si Ren gritted out those words.
Li Nan packed her belongings, picked up her suitcase, and left without looking back, showing not a shred of attachment.
Slowly standing up, Si Ren pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He tried to pull out a few, but they were all snapped in half.
Looking up at the disheveled mess of the bed, he crushed the cigarette pack in his hand, hurled it fiercely onto the bed, and let out an angry roar.
"Damn it! That bitch took the money! How am I supposed to pay the rent and the car loan now?!"
Utterly crestfallen, a stumbling Si Ren made his way downstairs to the small convenience store.
"Give me a pack of Liqun."
Because Si Ren was a regular customer, he and the store owner were quite close.
"What happened to you? Get into a fight with someone?"
With a bitter smile, Si Ren said nothing. He simply lit a cigarette and took a deep, fierce drag.
The store owner, in his fifties, was extremely talkative.
"Young man, I can tell you're in a bad mood. There's no one else in the shop right now. If you've got something troubling you, why not talk to me about it? I've been around the block, maybe I can offer you some advice."
Head lowered, Si Ren said in a depressed tone:
"Boss, I don't care if you laugh at me. I make pig feed, and I'm always away on business in rural towns. Today, the company had layoffs, and I was on the list." With that, he took another vicious drag on his cigarette.
The owner patted him on the shoulder.
"Hey! Is that all you're worked up about? So you got laid off—is finding a job really that hard? If you honestly can't find anything, old uncle here knows quite a few people. Want me to ask around for you?"
Si Ren shook his head and continued:
"If it were just losing my job, I wouldn't be in this state. When I got home today, I walked right in on my girlfriend in bed with another man. Why am I so unlucky? Rent and loan payments are due right around the corner, and I don't even have a thousand yuan to my name."