Chapter 8

As the train approached Nanwu Station, there were only Su Le and a middle-aged farmer left in the six-person seat. Su Le said, "Why did everyone leave?" He seemed unaware of the intense struggles that had taken place around him during the journey.

The middle-aged farmer opened his eyes, still groggy from sleep, and said, "Maybe they couldn't stand the smell on me. These days, migrant workers are always discriminated against!"

Su Le smiled and said, "What kind of society is this? Everyone makes a living with their own hands, who would discriminate against whom?"

The middle-aged farmer laughed and said, "That's true."

Su Le's backpack was on the small table, and he felt more at ease with his eyes on it. When the train arrived at the station, the middle-aged farmer stood up to take his snake skin bag from the luggage rack. As he took it down, he accidentally dropped it, knocking Su Le's backpack off the table.

The middle-aged farmer picked up his snake skin bag and then Su Le's backpack, patting it repeatedly and apologizing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, little brother, I was careless."

Su Le took the backpack from him and smiled, "It's nothing!" He still quietly checked his backpack and found no abnormalities before putting it on and getting off the train.

The middle-aged farmer followed him off the train with his snake skin bag, walked a few steps, and then stopped, his eyes searching the carriage. He saw Xie Yun'an sitting in the soft sleeper compartment and gave him a military salute with a smile.

Xie Yun'an's eyes were cold as ice, and he whispered, "Xing San! With such an identity and status, you actually steal from a child. Where is your integrity? Where is your integrity?"

Hong Qiuyan, standing nearby, said, "Wasn't this a case of 'grafting'?"

Xie Yun'an nodded and said, "It's not hard to steal everything from someone's bag, but to do it in a short time, take everything, and replace it with items of almost the same weight, with an error margin of no more than one percent, requires not only superb skills but also precise judgment. There are no more than three people in the world of thieves who can do this."

Hong Qiuyan asked, "Is Xing San the best among them?"

Xie Yun'an coldly replied, "I don't know if he's the best, but I know he's the most daring!"

Xing San went to a trash bin, opened his snake skin bag, and took out a few pieces of clothing, shaking them and looking at them. They were ordinary, all replacement clothes for Su Le. Inside was a tattered book and a wallet, which looked like a cheap item bought for a few dozen yuan from a wholesale market. Opening the wallet, he found a thousand yuan and Su Le's ID card. There was also a photo. Xing San shook his head; the harvest was not as rich as he had imagined. When his eyes fell on the photo, his face suddenly changed, turning pale, and his lips trembled. He looked for Su Le in the crowd, but the boy had already gone. Xing San reacted almost instantly, stuffed everything back into the snake skin bag, and quickly headed towards the exit.

Su Le arrived at his uncle's neighborhood and only then remembered to open his backpack. He thought it would be inappropriate to visit empty-handed, so he planned to buy some things from the supermarket first. However, when he opened his backpack, he was stunned. Inside were a few old, smelly clothes and a roll of toilet paper. His wallet and the ancient recipe book his mother had given him were gone.

Su Le slapped his head in frustration. The wallet contained a thousand yuan, but more importantly, his ID card. Without it, life in modern China would be extremely difficult. He felt in his pocket and found he had only 150 yuan left. In just one day, he had been reduced to poverty. He had thought his savings would last him at least two months, but now, with only 150 yuan, he decided to go to the supermarket and buy some fruit. After leaving the supermarket, he had only 52 yuan left.

Su Le carried the fruit and his empty backpack to the entrance of the power company's neighborhood. He knew his uncle worked in a department of the Nanwu Power Bureau, but he wasn't sure which one. He remembered the address clearly: Building 9, Unit 1, Room 1501. The neighborhood was strictly managed, and when Su Le entered, the security guard at the gate stopped him and questioned him thoroughly. After Su Le explained his purpose and provided the specific room number, he was allowed to enter.

Su Le arrived at Building 9, Unit 1, and found the unit door closed. Nowadays, people's sense of crisis was increasing, and not only did they have security doors at their homes, but also at the unit entrance. Su Le didn't like these iron cages; such tall buildings made him feel oppressed. He preferred Chunfeng Street, which, though narrow and crowded, was full of human warmth, unlike here, where iron doors separated everyone.

Su Le pressed the intercom button for 1501, and soon a sharp female voice came through, "Who is it?"

Su Le faced the camera and said, "It's Su Le, I'm here to see Uncle..." Before he could finish, the call was disconnected.

Su Le felt embarrassed and thought about turning back, but he had come to find news of his mother. Besides, he was here for his uncle, not his aunt. He and his mother had never taken advantage of his uncle's family. In fact, whenever his uncle visited Huinan, his mother always treated him with the best food and drink, as if she were willing to spend all her savings to entertain her only brother.

Su Le felt it was unfair for his mother, but he remembered a phrase she often said: "Self-respect is nothing, a thick skin gets you the meat, a thin skin gets you nothing. In this era, if you care about face, you'll be poor." Su Le hesitated for a while and finally decided to press the doorbell one last time. If his uncle's family still ignored him, he would throw the fruit and gifts into the trash and leave.

Just as Su Le was about to press the doorbell, he heard light footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw a girl in a white dress with long hair approaching. Su Le had heard that Nanwu was known for its beautiful women, and today he believed it. The girl had long, black hair that flowed like silk in the night breeze, long eyebrows, and eyes as clear as autumn water. Her skin was as white as jade, and under the light, it seemed almost translucent, so soft it looked like it could be pinched and produce water. Su Le particularly liked girls with such soft skin, which made him want to touch them. The girl was about 1.65 meters tall, wearing green canvas shoes and carrying a green handbag. She appeared before Su Le like a lily in a secluded valley.

As she approached, Su Le's heart fluttered. At his age, he was especially sensitive to beautiful women.

The girl didn't look at him, her expression was proud and cold. She swiped her card and opened the door, clearly a resident of the unit.

Su Le quickly grabbed the door before it closed and followed her inside, not to stalk her, but to take advantage of the opportunity.

When the girl pressed the elevator button, Su Le followed her. He pursed his lips and didn't start a conversation. The girl looked up, and Su Le noticed how beautiful she was from every angle. His old habit kicked in, and he started to rate her. 95 points, no, she was still growing, a young and fresh girl with a lot of potential. Su Le secretly looked at her chest and gave it at least 98 points. These two points should be added to her chest, and Su Le suddenly realized he liked girls with full chests.

The elevator finally arrived, and the girl lowered her head and walked in. Her steps quickened, and Su Le realized he had made her wary. Her outstanding appearance meant she was no stranger to being followed.

Su Le followed her into the elevator.

The girl pressed the button for the 19th floor, and Su Le said, "Could you press 15 for me?" Su Le was good at seizing opportunities for conversation.

The girl didn't speak but pressed the button for the 15th floor, giving Su Le a wary glance and then quickly lowering her head. Even in that brief moment, Su Le saw the fear and tension in her eyes, and he realized she probably thought he was a lunatic or a pervert.

The girl stood on the right, and Su Le on the left. Both stared at the changing numbers on the elevator display. Life is full of coincidences, and Su Le and the girl were one of them. He knew such coincidences rarely led to anything significant. When the elevator doors opened, it was time to leave. As the elevator reached the 13th floor, Su Le felt time was passing too quickly, while the girl bit her lip and looked at the ceiling, as if she thought time was moving too slowly. For her, this was a torment.

Su Le picked up the fruit and prepared to leave, but suddenly everything went dark, and the elevator stopped.

Silence, silence. Su Le had never experienced such a situation. After realizing what had happened, he started banging on the elevator doors, "Is anyone there? Help!" No one responded. Su Le wasn't afraid; deep down, he felt a bit excited. Fate, fate, he thought, is this heaven's way of giving me a chance? But Su Le quickly returned to reality.

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