Chapter 2

Xia Yunjie's original intention was to help the woman treat her sprain, but her words made him feel somewhat awkward. He coughed dryly and was about to explain when the woman, seeing Xia Yunjie's embarrassed and shy expression, giggled and playfully said, "Handsome, I was just joking with you. Thank you for helping me get my bag back."

Although Xia Yunjie was secretly a wizard, he was after all a recent vocational school graduate, only twenty years old, and had never even been in a relationship, let alone joked so boldly with a woman face-to-face. Hearing her words, he felt even more awkward and shy, and quickly humbly replied, "It's nothing, just a small favor."

"That's not a small favor, that's a big help. Otherwise, I would have worked for nothing this month," the woman countered.

Hearing this, Xia Yunjie smiled slightly, feeling it was inappropriate to be humble anymore.

"The handsome guy, there's a KFC ahead. How about I treat you to a meal as a thank you? It's noon anyway," the woman said with a smile.

"No need, it really was just a small favor," Xia Yunjie replied. He had casually thrown the bag, not only earning fifty yuan "big money" through a bit of trickery but also having a beautiful and sexy young woman offering to treat him to KFC, which made him feel somewhat embarrassed.

"Are you going to be so ungrateful? Besides, you're not going to leave an injured person to bake in the sun, are you?" The woman, seeing Xia Yunjie's refusal, showed a hint of surprise in her eyes and then pouted, looking resentful.

"I am a beauty, you know!"

Only then did Xia Yunjie remember that the woman's foot was injured, and if he left, it would be inconvenient for her. Of course, a minor foot injury was no problem for Xia Yunjie, but he felt embarrassed to mention it after being teased by the woman. He could only nod and say, "Then let's go to KFC together."

Saying this, Xia Yunjie helped hold the sun umbrella with one hand and supported the woman's arm with the other.

When he had helped the woman up from the ground, Xia Yunjie hadn't felt anything, but now, as he supported her bare arm, occasionally brushing against her fragrant and soft body, he could clearly feel the smoothness and fineness through the thin summer clothes. Xia Yunjie couldn't help but feel nervous; this was the first time he had been so close to a stranger.

The woman, seeing Xia Yunjie's nervousness, couldn't help but secretly laugh. She hadn't seen such a simple and innocent young man in many years.

"By the way, handsome, my name is Cheng Ping. What's yours?"

"Xia Yunjie," Xia Yunjie replied simply.

"I see you were holding what looked like job application materials just now? Did you just graduate this year and are looking for a job?" Cheng Ping, seeing Xia Yunjie's concise replies, found him even more interesting and curiously asked, tilting her head to look at him.

"Yes," Xia Yunjie nodded, feeling somewhat melancholic.

When he first left school, Xia Yunjie thought it would be easy to earn a living like a normal person. However, after more than a month, he truly realized how difficult it was. The thief's words about "having elderly parents and young children" were probably a lie, but his statement "it's this damn life that forces us" Xia Yunjie believed was genuine.

"How about it? Have you found a job yet?" Cheng Ping, seeing her guess was correct, couldn't help but continue asking.

"Nowadays, there are so many college graduates. I'm just a vocational school graduate, it's hard!" Xia Yunjie shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"That's true. Many companies only care about degrees, not abilities," Cheng Ping seemed to deeply understand.

"Hehe, I can understand that. With so many college graduates around, why would they hire a vocational school graduate for the same salary?" Xia Yunjie laughed self-deprecatingly.

"You're defending them. Oh, right, our bar is hiring. How about I introduce you to our bar? The only downside is the night shift and the noisy environment, but the salary is not worse than that of regular companies." Cheng Ping, thinking about the BLUENIGHT bar where she worked, which had recently lost a server and needed to hire someone, suddenly had a bright idea.

Xia Yunjie had never been to a bar before, and he didn't have the money to go to such places. In his impression, bars were places of bright lights and revelry. If it were before, Xia Yunjie, fresh out of school, wouldn't have considered working in a bar. But as the thief said, "it's this damn life that forces us." Xia Yunjie now had only 150 yuan, including the 50 yuan he had just earned through trickery. If he didn't find a job soon, he would likely end up on the streets next month. So, Xia Yunjie didn't immediately reject Cheng Ping's offer but started considering working in a bar.

Of course, Xia Yunjie could also work on a construction site, where his strength would be appreciated. However, he really disliked the dusty environment and preferred cleanliness. Compared to a construction site, a bar was cleaner.

"Welcome to KFC." As Xia Yunjie was considering whether to work in a bar, they had already entered KFC, and a programmed voice greeted them.

A row of uniformed staff stood behind the counter, with a wall above them displaying various KFC food and drink items, their names, and prices.

Seeing the numbers representing RMB, Xia Yunjie subconsciously touched his pocket and said without hesitation, "If Miss Cheng can help me get a job at the bar, that would be great."

As he spoke, Xia Yunjie helped Cheng Ping find a seat.

"Don't call me Miss Cheng, it sounds so formal. Call me Ping, everyone does," Cheng Ping said, giving Xia Yunjie a playful glare.

"Alright, Ping, you sit here. I'll go order the food, and we can talk about the job later. What do you like to eat?" Xia Yunjie smiled and asked.

"Get me a number two meal, and you can order whatever you like." Cheng Ping took out a hundred-yuan note from her bag and handed it to Xia Yunjie.

A hundred yuan was enough for two people to eat at KFC.

Although they had agreed that Cheng Ping would treat him, how could a man accept money from a woman to order food? So, Xia Yunjie didn't take the money but smiled and said, "I'll treat you, as a thank you for helping me find a job."

Saying this, he turned to order the food. However, just as he turned, Cheng Ping grabbed his hand and forced the money into his palm, saying, "One thing at a time. I don't mind if you treat me to a good meal once you get the job."

Seeing Cheng Ping's insistence, Xia Yunjie had no choice but to go along with it.

He ordered a number two meal for Cheng Ping and a number three meal for himself, paid, and carried the tray back to the table, returning the change to Cheng Ping.

When he returned the change, Xia Yunjie's cheeks turned slightly red, feeling somewhat embarrassed, but Cheng Ping remained natural.

Sitting face-to-face, Xia Yunjie finally had the chance to observe Cheng Ping up close.

Cheng Ping wasn't the type of woman who would immediately stun you, but she was definitely beautiful. Her short, curly hair was dyed a golden brown, which, combined with her large eyes and bright red lips, gave her a youthful and slightly wild allure.

"Our bar is called BLUENIGHT, which means 'blue night' in Chinese. The starting salary for a server is 1,300 yuan per month, and it increases to 1,600 yuan after the probationary period. However, some customers give tips, so earning 3,000 to 4,000 yuan a month is not difficult. The bar has one day off per week, and the shift starts at 6 PM, but the end time varies depending on the customers. In summer, it's usually around 2 or 3 AM, and in winter, it's earlier, around 1 AM. Think about it. If you're interested, I can call the boss and let her know, so she doesn't hire someone else," Cheng Ping said while eating a chicken wing and explaining the job details.

In 2003, the average salary in Jiangzhou City was relatively low, with intern salaries ranging from 800 to 1,000 yuan, and regular salaries around 1,200 yuan. For a vocational school graduate like Xia Yunjie, the salary would be even lower. So, when he heard that the starting salary for a bar server was 1,300 yuan and that a good server could earn 3,000 to 4,000 yuan a month, he was both surprised and interested. He asked, "Ping, I've never worked in a bar before. Do you think I have a good chance of getting the job? Will it be a problem for you?"

Cheng Ping looked Xia Yunjie up and down, making him feel slightly uncomfortable, before smiling and saying, "Don't worry, you have a good image and are suitable for the bar scene. As for experience, you'll receive training once you start."

Xia Yunjie indeed had a good image, with a fairly handsome face, a well-proportioned body, and a height of 1.76 meters, which was considered good in Jiangnan Province.

Xia Yunjie had never thought that one day he would have to rely on his looks to make a living. He couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and a sense of the vicissitudes of life.

Being a worker is not easy!

As Xia Yunjie sighed inwardly about the vicissitudes of life, he felt a subtle change in his mindset, as if the restless heart of a young man was gradually maturing.

My master's warning not to use witchcraft to gain wealth or power was truly well-intentioned! Xia Yunjie, noticing the subtle change in his mindset, couldn't help but think of the old witch, Wu Ze, who had taught him witchcraft.

While Xia Yunjie was lost in thought, Cheng Ping had already called her boss on her phone. After a brief conversation, she hung up and said, "I've told the boss. She wants you to come to the bar at 5 PM. You're free at that time, right?"

"No, I'm just an unemployed wanderer, what could I have to do?" Xia Yunjie laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Then it's settled. I'll meet you at the BLUENIGHT on Nanshan Road at 5 PM," Cheng Ping said.

After settling the job details, they continued chatting while eating and soon finished their meal.

After finishing, they prepared to leave. However, as Cheng Ping stood up, she let out a sharp intake of breath and sat back down, as her left ankle was still very painful.