Part 2: Infernal Affairs 1

Shen Tuhai threw his pen down and said, "If you don't find a job, your friend is going to kill you or something?"

Zhuang Xiaodie, head in her hands, scrolling through a direct-hire app, completely oblivious to what Shentu Hai was saying. Just one more day, just one more day! Tomorrow, Nian Jinsi would arrive, and she didn't even have a job. Even though she'd lowered her requirements from "decent" to "paying," her past grievances with the agencies were deep. Anyone approaching them felt like a peeled egg surrounded by flies. Those agencies were ready to eat you alive. Even if she walked right up to them, she'd be like flypaper, everyone avoiding her, her neck twisted to the point of cramping.

Shentu Hai pressed the save button several times, then turned around and asked, "Why don't the agents want you?"

"Why aren't you going to school yet?"

"Oh, I took a long vacation."

If her eyes were sharp enough, Shen Tu Hai would have been chopped into pieces by Zhuang Xiaodie. Zhuang Xiaodie asked, "What's the cause of the disease?"

"My friend is dead," Shentu Hai replied in the same tone. Zhuang Xiaodie looked up, but the girl was already continuing to paint on the computer screen. Her back looked very calm.

Zhuang Xiaodie hung her head. She had risen early that morning to look for work, but by noon, she had found nothing. It was clear that sitting still indoors was no use in finding a job. What she needed now was a long-term, backstage position—to avoid being accidentally spotted by Nian Jinsi. Zhuang Xiaodie stood up and glanced at Shentu Hai, who had been painting since waking up, eating only a few biscuits in between. Shentu Hai earned a little money from his paintings, and lived a more comfortable life than Zhuang Xiaodie.

Zhuang Xiaodie walked towards the door, and Shen Tuhai said, "When exactly did you start helping me find someone?"

"Wait until she leaves, okay?" Zhuang Xiaodie said. "She won't stay long. She still has work to do."

"Oh? Where does she work?"

"Open a painting studio, maybe you two will find something in common."

Shentu Hai snorted and fell silent. After two or three days of getting along, Zhuang Xiaodie had grown accustomed to Shentu Hai's disapproving temper. After all, adolescents were like that. And Shentu Hai's friend… Zhuang Xiaodie's doubts about her friend's death, coupled with her recent job search, meant that this morning was the most they had spoken.

-

The agents were still the same, and Zhuang Xiaodie, already blacklisted for her lazy ways, didn't bother to argue. The area was mostly filled with small stalls and fast food restaurants. Putting the stalls aside, the chances of running into Nian Jinsi were too high if she worked at a fast food restaurant. She wouldn't choose one unless she had no other choice, and whether the boss would accept her as a part-time worker was uncertain.

At noon, the sun grew brighter, making people's eyes hurt. Zhuang Xiaodie didn't want to go back to Shentu Hai's house. With nowhere to go, she wandered around the square like a wandering soul, and finally sat down on the steps outside the dumpling shop and took out half a steamed bun left over from the morning.

I have no money and no job, and when Nian Jinsi comes, I will lose my dignity, which may have disappeared long ago.

No matter how hot the sun was, the job seekers were still very strong. Zhuang Xiaodie folded the flyers a few times and fanned herself with air. The weather was getting hotter, and it was cool to sleep under the bridge. However, Shentu Hai had given her the address, so even if she wanted to run away, she couldn't go there again.

Zhuang Xiaodie narrowed her eyes, her gaze frantically scanning her surroundings, searching for the perfect spot to lie down. Amid the weary throng, she suddenly felt someone watching her. It was strange; she was so ordinary, walking down the street, no different from the road or the wall, just part of the architecture, drawing no attention. Accustomed to no one noticing her, the moment a gaze fell on her was like a spark landing on her skin. She glanced in that direction, but saw nothing.

Something was wrong, an illusion? Zhuang Xiaodie's eyes scanned the small area. Everyone was busy with their own things, no one noticed her. Was it really an illusion?

"Hey, why are you eating buns? Come and eat dumplings."

Zhuang Xiaodie turned around and saw the owner of the dumpling shop. She was a woman in her early forties, a little plump, with curly hair that piled on top of her head like a tuft of wool. She had a broad face and round eyes, sallow skin, thick fingers, and the backs of her hands were rough and veined. She was nimble and strong, and loved to wear flowery clothes all year round. Zhuang Xiaodie occasionally came here to do odd jobs. Knowing that she had divorced her husband and came here, she found a job in a shop at first, saved up money, and rented a shop that was only as wide as a door. She had saved money for several years to buy the shop she now owns. When she first came here, the man chased her and threatened and bribed her to remarry. He was a gambler who had gambled away everything, was in debt, and was known for his shamelessness. One night, he waited until Auntie was alone and closed the shop, then came in and threatened to remarry her, threatening to beat her into submission. Auntie was cleaning the chopping board at the time, and upon hearing this, he raised his kitchen knife and turned around to chop her. The man, intimidated, took off running, and Auntie chased him for three blocks before stopping. He never came back.

The dumplings in the dumpling shop were all made with the owner's own recipe, all handmade, delicious and affordable, with a steady flow of customers every day. It was a good business. She gradually hired a few workers, some of whom she found while wandering around, and some she found at the doorstep, all of whom were just casual diners.

The sunlight was too bright, and Zhuang Xiaodie had to raise her hand to shield her forehead before she could see her aunt's face. She grinned and said, "No money."

"If you don't have money, you can work." The boss replied, "I need someone to make dumplings. Do you want to come?"

"How is the salary calculated?"

"Give me a plate of dumplings and let's talk while we eat."

Zhuang Xiaodie smiled. Her butt was numb from sitting, and she stood up slowly. The dumpling shop didn't pay much, but she had worked there before and was quite experienced. This was her best option.

The boss entered the shop first. As Zhuang Xiaodie was about to enter, she glanced back. A man sat across from her under the bulletin board, smoking and seemingly observing the passing crowd, his gaze unfocused. But Zhuang Xiaodie felt something was amiss.

It was lunchtime, and there were no empty tables. The owner brought a plate of steamed dumplings and beckoned her to the back. Zhuang Xiaodie glanced at the customers. It wasn't obvious that the restaurant was strictly no-smoking. She sat down, picked up a dumpling, dipped it in soy sauce and chili peppers, and suddenly peeked out. The man under the notice board had already left.

"Who are you looking for?" The boss looked over.

Zhuang Xiaodie shook her head and ate a few dumplings in silence. The boss was not in a hurry to talk about work, but started chatting about family matters.

"A few days ago, I saw a little girl sitting on the steps across the street, drawing. She was quite unique. I watched her a few more times. I haven't seen her in the past two days."

As soon as Zhuang Xiaodie heard it, she knew she was talking about Shentu Hai and said, "Maybe his parents took him back to school. All kids are like that."

After saying this, a flash of lightning passed through her mind, and she plunged the chopsticks in her hand into the dumplings. She finally remembered the strange thing in her heart - he was the man in Shentu Hai's sketchbook.