The supermarket owner was momentarily at a loss for words, then let out a dry cough to mask his awkwardness.
This kid really had it rough.
"Cheer up, young man, you're still young.
Look at it this way: imagine if you didn't find out she was cheating on you until your wedding day, and the child wasn't even yours, and then she took half your property in the divorce. That would be even worse."
Si Ren forced a smile that looked worse than crying.
"Boss, thanks a lot! You really know how to comfort people!"
The owner rubbed his nose, knowing his words had been a bit clumsy, but the phrasing was crude yet true.
Si Ren shook his head and turned to leave. What an absolute idiot he was—why on earth was he pouring his pathetic heart out to this store owner?
Seeing Si Ren about to leave, the owner quickly called out.
"Hey, young man, don't rush off just yet.
Do you need money right now?"
Si Ren turned back, looking at the owner with hopeful eyes.
"What, are you going to lend me some?
Five thousand will do. I'll definitely pay you back next month."
The owner waved his hands hastily.
"No, you misunderstood. I have a friend looking for a night-shift driver. Eight hundred a night, paid daily. Interested?"
Thinking the owner was waving him off for good, Si Ren had assumed there was no hope, but the situation suddenly took a turn for the better, landing him such a great job.
"Really? Eight hundred a night, paid daily?"
The owner nodded.
Eight hundred a night, thirty days a month—that came out to twenty-four thousand! Wasn't that taking off?
"I'm in! Eight hundred a night, why wouldn't I do it?
Hold on, Boss, what kind of car are we driving for eight hundred a night? There isn't any drug smuggling involved, is there? I won't do anything illegal."
The owner shook his head quickly and said in a hurry.
"Don't go talking nonsense like that, making it sound like I'm mixed up in illegal stuff.
I don't know the exact details of the car. I'll write down an address for you, go ask him yourself."
Following the address on the slip of paper, Si Ren arrived at a used car business called Cheyou Dealership.
"Huh? Cheyou Dealership? Such a familiar name."
Pushing open the door, he saw the showroom filled with all sorts of vehicles, but they all had one thing in common: they were all models with nine seats or more.
It was over thirty degrees outside, so why did it feel so freezing the moment he stepped inside? Was the air conditioning free?
Looking at the empty showroom, Si Ren was a bit baffled.
In broad daylight, the dealership was completely empty yet running the AC on such a freezing setting.
Tsk, rich people could afford to be eccentric! This made him even more confident about his eight hundred bucks a night.
"Hello? Anyone here?" Si Ren called out five times, but no one answered.
Nobody here? Should he come back another time?
Just as he was about to turn and leave, a stiff voice stopped him.
"Who are you looking for?"
Overjoyed, Si Ren turned around to face the newcomer.
"Hello, I heard you're hiring a night-shift driver here. I'm here to apply."
Hearing this, the man's face lit up with joy. He hurried over to Si Ren and said enthusiastically.
"Yes, yes! We are hiring a night-shift driver for eight hundred a night."
Seeing the man act with such enthusiasm, Si Ren felt something was a bit off.
"May I ask what my specific duties are? Is it just driving?"
The man nodded and said hesitantly.
"That's right, just driving. It's just that the vehicle is a bit special."
Sensing trouble ahead, Si Ren swallowed hard.
"Could you give me the details? I'm afraid I might not be up for it."
Fearing that Si Ren might get scared and run off, the man grabbed his hand and explained.
"It's like this: your job is to drive, but you'll be driving a hearse, transporting corpses to designated locations."
Si Ren's expression changed drastically as he hurriedly tried to pull away.
"No way, I can't do this. Driving a hearse in the middle of the night—I really can't do it. Find someone else."
With a tight grip, the man refused to let go, keeping a ingratiating smile on his face as he continued.
"Little brother, don't rush, we can still talk.
How about this: as long as you take the job, it's one thousand a night, and we'll provide social insurance and housing provident fund.
Work one day, rest two days, with half pay during your days off.
Wages are paid daily without fail.
Fuel and maintenance for the vehicle will be entirely covered by the company.
The company takes full responsibility for any traffic accidents.
Work for three years, and the company gifts you a Land Rover. Work for five years, and we give you a three-bedroom apartment in the city center.
Work for ten years, and you get a cash bonus of one million, all of which can be put into the contract."
This... this was way too generous! Work one day and rest two days. Driving only ten days a month meant ten thousand right there.
The rest of the days off still paid half salary, bringing the monthly total to twenty thousand.
And with perks like a Land Rover in three years, an apartment in five, and a million in cash after ten, why hesitate over such an amazing deal?
Completely blinded by the immediate benefits, Si Ren failed to consider why a job with such incredible perks had gone unfilled for so long.
"Fine! I'll take the job. When can we sign the contract?"
As if performing a magic trick, the man instantly produced a contract and laid it out before him.
Si Ren read it word for word, and satisfied that there were no issues, he swept his hand across the paper and signed his name.
The contract was drawn up in duplicate; Si Ren kept one copy, and the man kept the other.
The man spoke up.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Huang Quan, you can call me Brother Quan. I'm the person in charge here at Cheyou Dealership. Feel free to call me anytime if you need anything."
With that, he handed over his business card.
Si Ren took the card and asked, "Brother Quan, do I start work tonight?"
Huang Quan shook his head.
"Today happens to be your day off. Come to the company sharp at eight o'clock tomorrow night."
Huang Quan pulled five hundred in cash from his pocket and handed it to Si Ren.
"The contract takes effect the moment it's signed. Here is your pay for today, take it."
Si Ren waved his hands in refusal, clearly unaccustomed to getting paid in such a delightfully prompt manner.
"This doesn't feel right... I haven't done anything yet, I'd feel bad taking this money."
Huang Quan grabbed Si Ren's hand and forcefully thrust the cash into his palm.
"Since you've joined the company, you'll need to get used to it.
Go on back and get some good rest. Be sure to arrive promptly at eight o'clock tomorrow night."
After thanking Huang Quan, Si Ren drove back to his rental apartment.
Once home, Si Ren placed the five hundred bills on the bed and pulled out the contract to read through it once more.
Only after confirming everything was correct did he finally relax. But when his eyes landed on the signature line, his pupils suddenly contracted.
The characters of his name, Si Ren, had been written in red ink. He distinctly remembered using black ink at the time—how had it turned red?
Everyone knew that in ancient times, only criminals condemned to execution or corpses had their names written in red.
An ominous premonition descended over Si Ren.
Elsewhere, Huang Quan picked up the contract and looked at the signature.
"Si Ren? That's an interesting name." With a flash of flame, the contract caught fire.
Watching the contract burn away to ashes bit by bit, Huang Quan finally felt at ease before his figure vanished from the room.