“Zou Ming!” The young woman was standing at the bottom of the stairs. She was holding a cardboard box in her hands, with sand on her face. She shouted to the people on the stairs, “I’ll come back this afternoon to get another one!”
The young man called Zou Ming hummed indifferently. He was also holding a cardboard box in his arms. His still-growing body was thin and tall. He wore a white vest and dark shorts, which showed off his narrow waist. His jet-black hair had grown a little long, covering half of his sharp eyebrows. He even looked gentle.
Even though he is not yet an adult, he already has the assets of an adult. The muscles in his exposed arms are smooth and firm, every inch is just right without any excess. His shoulders are still a little thin, but one can also glimpse the outline of his future from them.
The woman left with the box, and Zou Ming returned to the supermarket with the box.
He has been in charge of the supermarket since two years ago, and all the employees in the supermarket are now from the slums.
A lot of things happened during that time, but overall, the ending was pretty good.
Zou Ming put the boxes back. The employees who were loading goods carefully avoided him when they saw him. Although they worked under Zou Ming, they were all a little afraid of him because Zou Ming was obviously not an adult yet.
Zou Ming, who was feared and avoided by others, didn't care. He was used to being alone and never thought about building good relationships with anyone. Even when facing Zhao Qing, he didn't want to pay attention to him.
"Young boss, are you going back?" a brave employee asked before Zou Ming left.
Zou Ming: "I'll come over later."
The employee said "oh" or something, and after trying for a long time, he couldn't utter any other words, so he could only go back in disappointment.
After leaving the supermarket, Zou Ming walked on the small road in the middle of the slums. The slums now have changed a lot and are completely different from the past. The tin houses are gone, replaced by cement houses. Although the conditions are still not as good as those of the staff dormitories, at least the indoor temperature is not higher than the outdoor temperature.
There are also some small stalls on the roadside, displaying some cheap handicrafts, although few people are willing to buy them.
But the slums are no longer as lifeless as before, except that only a few people have decent jobs. Every night, the slums turn back into a den of prostitution.
The former leaders of various factions have either left or died in the past two years, and the base has finally become a place where Zhao Qing has the final say.
Those who can spend money in the brothel are all a group of powerful people under Zhao Qing.
It seems that things here have gotten better, but it also seems to be the same as before, except that more low-class people have flocked into the slums.
The newcomers were not robbed. Zhao Qing no longer goes out to steal resources. Base 276 has its own plantation, which can grow high-yield crops. In addition, with the fertilizer bought from Ye Zhou, the production speed is fast and the potatoes and sweet potatoes are large in size.
Zhao Qing also bought a lot of broiler chickens to raise, and pigs as well. Although there were quite a few, there weren't actually that many. Although Zhao Qing built three reservoirs, he was still very frugal - letting the lower class people save money.
He could fill a swimming pool with water for his own entertainment, but for him, raising livestock was just about keeping them from dying of thirst. He would just raise a small number, just enough for himself and his confidants to eat. It was already a luxury of kindness on his part to keep the lower class from dying of thirst.
But generally speaking, in this world of worse than worse, Base 276 is already a standout. At least once you come here you can find a job, have food to eat and water to drink. If you really can't find a job, you can still survive by selling yourself.
It is obviously a place where people are eaten, but because of the contrast with the peers, it looks like a paradise on earth.
Ye Zhou provided the materials, the labor was done by the grassroots people, and Zhao Qing'an sat on the cloud, enjoying the fruits of other people's hard work.
Before Zou Ming walked out of the slums, a dark shadow ran out from the alley next to it.
He stopped and the shadow immediately hugged his legs.
Zou Ming looked down at the charcoal-like child, who looked like a stray dog. He had once given the child a piece of bread, and the child had been clinging to him ever since. Whenever he passed by here, the child would come over and hug him, as if he was sure that Zou Ming would not kick him away.
Even the youngest children have a survival instinct and know how to seek benefits and avoid harm, just like small animals.
"Not today." Zou Ming said almost cruelly.
The boy was still hugging his legs, as if unless he took out something, he would keep hugging them like this until the end of time.
Zou Ming reached out and pulled the boy off his legs, ignoring the boy's pleading eyes, and walked forward with big strides.
He doesn't have much kindness, at least not enough to spend it carelessly.
The boy immediately retreated into the alley after Zou Ming left.
Zou Ming walked into the inner city.
The inner city has changed more than the slums. The broken windows are gone, replaced by complete tempered glass windows. Almost every household has solar power supply, air conditioning and humidifier.
People walking on the street also wear decent clothes without patches, which fit very well. You will never see people wearing clothes with holes showing through.
"Zou Ming." Someone greeted Zou Ming.
Zou Ming looked at the man and nodded slightly as a response.
Fortunately, people in the inner city are used to Zou Ming’s strange temper. They know that he is like this to everyone. Even when facing Zhao Qing, he does not change his aloof temperament.
"That kid really has no idea what luck he has." Seeing Zou Ming walking away, the person who greeted him sneered at the person next to him, "He's not big, but he has a big temper."
The person next to him curled his lips: "She's still living with that supermarket owner. She's already so old. When that boss gets tired of her, he'll be crying."
"If you ask me, he won't have a good ending in the future. He hangs out with a bunch of low-class people and doesn't feel ashamed. He goes to the slums during the day."
They laughed at each other for a few times, then both felt that the other's words were so sour that they could be squeezed out of water. After looking at each other, they tacitly stopped talking.
Who in the base doesn’t want to be Zou Ming?
Someone taught him to read and write, guided him in business, and gave him whatever he asked for, even if he didn't ask for it. Even his biological parents couldn't do this. And Zou Ming was not the son of a big shot. He was just a kid in the slums who couldn't even get enough food to eat.
No one envies me, everyone is jealous.
Zou Ming didn't hear what they were saying, and even if he did, he wouldn't have felt anything. He had been hearing such words for five years, and even if he cared, he was now immune to it.
Going upstairs, Zou Ming opened the fingerprint lock. As soon as he opened the door and entered, he saw Ye Zhou painting in the living room.
A year ago, Ye Zhou said he wanted to develop a hobby for himself, so he decided on painting after careful consideration. Although he had no talent, at least he could draw a circle.
"You're back?" Ye Zhou poked his head out from behind the drawing board and looked at Zou Ming. "Are you hungry? There's food in the kitchen. I found some instant rice noodles. They're good. You can try them too."
After saying that, he sat back and continued painting.
Zou Ming changed into slippers, looked around and asked, "Where's Sarah?"
Ye Zhou painted the apple without even looking up: "Going out to play."
Zou Ming frowned, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he went to wash his hands first.
After Zou Ming came out after washing his hands, Ye Zhou stopped painting. He now had difficulty painting a still life. Every time he finished a painting, he always felt that there was a problem. However, he would never admit that it was a problem with his color perception. It must be a problem with the tutorial.
"This tutorial doesn't work either." Ye Zhou retreated to the sofa and looked at his masterpiece from a distance. "I want to change the tutorial."
Zou Ming also went over to look. He didn’t understand why the edges of the red apple were blue.
Ye Zhou sighed: "The environment is not good."
"By the way, how's business these days?" Ye Zhou asked, "You haven't encountered any trouble, have you?"
When Zou Ming just took over the supermarket, he encountered some people who were lazy and slacking off. They thought that Zou Ming was young and thin-skinned and easy to bully. Not only did they steal things from the supermarket, but they also tried every means to slack off when they were supposed to be working.
At first Zou Ming did not stop them, and they became more and more outrageous with Zou Ming's connivance.
Zou Ming didn't take action until even his own employees couldn't stand it anymore.
It's just too easy to drive them out, so easy that it seems like there is no cost.
Only after they aroused public anger and no one else had any opinion on how they were treated did Zou Ming throw them out of the base.
This is just sending someone to their death.
But because he did not take the lives of those two people himself, many people in the slums actually thought he was gentle.
The people in the slums chose to forget about water and shade, and ordinary people could not survive more than two days away from the base.
But Ye Zhou did not stop Zou Ming. He did not intend to raise Zou Ming into a little white sheep, and he could not do so.
The environment here cannot accommodate a good person. As long as Zou Ming does not become a person like Zhao Qing, Ye Zhou will not interfere too much.
Zou Ming shook his head: "No trouble."
Ye Zhou wanted to touch Zou Ming's head, but then he remembered that Zou Ming was older now, so he changed the route of his outstretched hand and patted Zou Ming's shoulder. He said softly, "Bring an umbrella with you when you go out later. Don't be afraid of trouble. Even if you don't bring an umbrella, you still have to apply sunscreen. You'll become a little charcoal if you stay in the sun."
Zou Ming hummed. He didn't care about his skin color, but Ye Zhou had fair skin, so he didn't want to be too dark.
Otherwise, the two of them standing together would look like the Black and White Impermanence that Ye Zhou described.
"If you want to take a two-day break, just tell me." Ye Zhou, "I'll ask if there's anyone willing to take your place."
Since Zou Ming took over the supermarket, Cao'er and the others returned to their original supermarket. Living in the dormitory is definitely better than living in the base, especially since there are relatives in the dormitory. Only Ye Zhou basically stays here to accompany Zou Ming.
Five years have passed, and Zou Ming also knows that Ye Zhou is full of secrets.
Sarah has not grown a centimeter or even a millimeter over the years, and despite being exposed to wind and sun every day, Chen Shu's face has never had any wrinkles.
Including Ye Zhou, time has stopped for them.
And everything around them is still moving forward.
Zou Ming saw everything, but he asked no questions. He was afraid that if he asked, all these beautiful things would disappear in an instant like a balloon being popped.
He would rather be blind and know nothing than lose it all.
Zou Ming shook his head: "No, there's not much to do in the supermarket, I can handle it."
Ye Zhou: "You don't have to work so hard. There is a lot of time ahead. It's not a good idea to push yourself too hard."
Ye Zhou looked at Zou Ming while speaking. The fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy is now about 1.76 meters tall. Ye Zhou is not very satisfied with his own height. He is just 1.8 meters tall, and 1.82 or 1.83 meters tall with shoes. He always tells others his height with shoes on and refuses to admit that his real height is his height without shoes.
But Zou Ming is 1.89 meters tall, and that's his height alone. With shoes on, he's a little over 1.9 meters tall.
In addition, he has a good body proportion, is muscular, looks very handsome, and is not thin. Ye Zhou was envious and jealous of him before.
Ye Zhou's parents are not tall, his mother is 1.62 meters tall and his father is 1.73 meters tall. It is already amazing that he can grow to this height, but when comparing with Zou Ming, he still feels unbalanced.
Having been well-fed and well-dressed by Ye Zhou for all these years, and being required by Ye Zhou to get eight hours of sleep every day, Zou Ming's face is no longer as sallow as those in the base. Even Zhao Qing's face is sallow, which always makes people think that he has kidney deficiency.
Taking advantage of the fact that he was still taller than Zou Ming, Ye Zhou intimately put his arm around Zou Ming's shoulders. He tilted his head and was about to speak, but Zou Ming also turned his head away without warning.
As Ye Zhou leaned forward slightly, the height difference between them was eliminated. Now their noses were touching, their lips were touching, and they were only five centimeters away from kissing.
Ye Zhou froze. He subconsciously wanted to step back, but Zou Ming leaned forward.
Ye Zhou put one hand on Zou Ming's shoulder and used brute force to distance the two of them. Just when he was furious and ready to teach Zou Ming a lesson, Zou Ming suddenly said, "I'm sorry, I didn't stand firmly just now."
Ye Zhou: “…”
He took a deep breath and told himself that Zou Ming was now at the rebellious age and anything he did would not be outrageous.
"Be careful next time." Ye Zhou said expressionlessly.
Zou Ming hummed, lowered his head, and looked somewhat pitiful, as if he had been abandoned.
Having raised Zou Ming for so many years, Ye Zhou couldn't ignore it every time he saw Zou Ming showing such an expression, but at this moment his brain was a mess. After thinking for a long time, he could only say: "You are still too young."
Zou Ming looked at Ye Zhou. Ye Zhou realized that he had said something wrong, so he tried to make amends by saying, "I raised you."
Zou Ming clenched his fists, but he still looked calm and pitiful. He nodded: "I know, without you, I wouldn't be who I am today."
Ye Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. He began to believe that Zou Ming's action just now was an accident.
That's normal bumping.
"I'll go get some ice cream and give you one too." Ye Zhou walked towards the kitchen.
Zou Ming looked at Ye Zhou's back. He raised his head, and the fragile and pitiful look disappeared the moment he raised his head. He looked at Ye Zhou's back eagerly like a hungry wolf or a wild dog.
He didn't know what love was, but he placed too many emotions on Ye Zhou. Countless emotions intertwined together, and with the nourishment of time, they became a huge behemoth that could not be described by a single emotion.
Zou Ming only knew that he belonged to the person in front of him, and he also wanted this person to belong to him completely.
Ye Zhou came back with the ice cream and looked at Zou Ming, who was sitting on the sofa with his head down. He sighed silently. After handing the ice cream to him, Ye Zhou said, "You are still young and don't know what you want. Wait until you are an adult before considering dating."
After walking around the kitchen, Ye Zhou decided to have a good chat with Zou Ming.
What happened between him and the adult Zou Ming was another matter.
But now Zou Ming is still in an immature stage.
Children at this stage will put all their abundant emotions into love.
Ye Zhou didn't want to mislead Zou Ming.
Zou Ming remained silent. Ye Zhou continued, "And I..."
Zou Ming looked at Ye Zhou, and Ye Zhou smiled at him: "Nothing, just remember, you are not at your age to think about these things."
The conversation between the two ended in vain. Zou Ming just listened but did not give any feedback. No matter how carefully he listened, Ye Zhou felt that he did not take it to heart.
What can you do if your child doesn't listen? You can't just beat him, right?
When Zou Ming was a child, he was not the type of person who would obey after being beaten, let alone now.
"Has Zhao Qing looked for you these days?" Ye Zhou changed the subject.
Zou Ming shook his head: "He has other things to do now."
Zhao Qing lived a life of luxury, and no one could threaten his rule, so he completely let himself go, revealing the characteristics of a "tyrant". His body was blown up like a balloon, and he liked foods high in oil, sugar, and salt. He was just over 1.7 meters tall and weighed nearly 300 kilograms.
In addition to eating, he also has several wives.
There were more than twenty servants alone, who only had to serve him every day.
And he never tired of playing with his servants.
His wife also has a time limit and is laid off in a week.
But he would occasionally make trouble for Zou Ming. Maybe it was because he saw that most of the employees around Ye Zhou had left, so he didn't make things difficult for Ye Zhou. But since Zou Ming had his own power in the slums, he couldn't sit still.
Ye Zhou: "What's the matter?"
He hadn't dealt with Zhao Qing for a long time and didn't know what Zhao Qing was doing recently.
Now if Ye Zhou doesn't look for Zhao Qing, Zhao Qing won't look for him either.
Zou Ming: "He wants to attack Hongtian Base."
"There is groundwater at Hongtian Base."
Ye Zhou said "Oh", and he knew why Zhao Qing gave up his good life to fight Hongtian.
Now that he has someone who can improve the soil, as long as he finds a water source, he can completely get rid of the cooperation with Ye Zhou.
Ye Zhou: "Do you think he will succeed?"
After all, the adult Zou Ming never told him this before coming here.
After a moment of silence, Zou Ming replied: "No, Hongtian's people are more united than his."
Hongtian has not had a good time in the past two years, and its interactions with 276 have gradually increased, giving Zhao Qing the opportunity to find out about them. However, Hongtian is different from 276. It is a base with clear levels, but more humane than 276.
At least the boss of Hongtian will protect women and children.
Although this is based on the need for women to give birth to children, who will then become part of the labor force when they grow up.
But at least in Hongtian, women and children can still have some dignity.
All I can say is that in the competition with 276, Hongtian won by a little bit.
Ye Zhou: "Who knows."
Ye Zhou was not very optimistic: "If he really wants to fight, he will definitely ask you to send someone."
Zou Ming raised his chin slightly. There was no expression on his face, but there was a fierceness that could not be ignored. However, that fierceness flashed by, as if it had never existed. He said softly: "I don't have anyone under my control. They are all employees who have signed contracts. They are not selling themselves to me as slaves."
Ye Zhou smiled.
Zou Ming doesn't need to deliberately win over the people in the slums, but all the people in the slums will come close to him.
The people in the slums are poor but not stupid. They know that even if they want to follow Zhao Qing, it is impossible. Only by following Zou Ming can they have a chance to get a job, not to mention that Zou Ming is now the boss of a supermarket.
He is indeed powerful, indeed rich, and can provide help to people in the slums.
The people in the slums had no choice but to follow Zou Ming.
The fake tiger skin that Ye Zhou used to pretend to be a tiger for Zou Ming has finally become a real banner.
The two sat on the sofa for a while, and just when Zou Ming was about to go back to the supermarket, there was a knock on the door.
Zou Ming happened to be at the door. He opened the door and saw He Yue, who was wearing a mask and looked anxious.
"Something happened!" He Yue grabbed Zou Ming's wrist, "Follow me now!"
Zou Ming frowned and looked back, and found that Ye Zhou was already putting on his shoes.
Zou Ming: “…”
He Yue was a little afraid to see Ye Zhou, but the matter was urgent, so she could only stand in front of the door and say quickly: "Zhao Qing, Zhao Qing arrested Feng Shitou and said that Feng Shitou stole his things and wanted to execute him!"
Ye Zhou actually knew who Feng Shitou was.
He is considered a die-hard fan of Zou Ming. It was Zou Ming who saved Feng Shitou's parents. Although it was not medical rescue, Zou Ming gave him a job and paid him in advance so that he could buy medicine, water and food for his parents.
It was a matter of saving his life, or saving his parents' lives. Although Feng Shitou was 20 years older than Zou Ming, he was willing to die for Zou Ming.
Ye Zhou didn't ask Feng Shitou whether he really stole Zhao Qing's things. He had met Feng Shitou several times and had talked to him.
He was a tongue-tied man with a sly face, but a simple and honest character. He didn't look like a good person, but he was a rare good person in the base.
Even if he wanted to steal something, he didn't have the courage to do it.
Ye Zhou thought he had a good eye for people and didn't believe Feng Shitou would steal anything, especially from Zhao Qing.
People in the slums have seen through it all, not that they’ve had enough of it.
"Zhao Qing is going to attack you." Ye Zhou said as he walked.
Zou Ming's eyes were steady: "He has been looking for an opportunity."
Ye Zhou: "He won't let you go easily. He will definitely ask you to exchange your hands."
The veins on Zou Ming's forehead twitched slightly.
Ye Zhou's tone was relaxed: "Do you want me to talk to him?"
After dealing with Zhao Qing for so many years, Ye Zhou already knew how to deal with him.
But Zou Ming seldom dealt with Zhao Qing. It could not be said that the two had a harmonious relationship, but it could be said that they viewed each other differently.
Zou Ming shook his head: "No, I'll go talk to him."
Ye Zhou: "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Zou Ming turned his head and looked at Ye Zhou deeply. He had a lot to say, but in the end he only said one sentence: "I can think of a way, but I can't rely on you forever."
When Ye Zhou heard these words, he felt sad and moved.
The child has grown up and no longer needs a "daddy".
"Okay." Ye Zhou, "Then I won't go in with you. I'll wait for you outside."
Zou Ming: "It's hot outside, go back, I can't talk to her for long."
Ye Zhou was worried: "You are still young."
Zou Ming: “…”
In Ye Zhou's eyes, he seemed to always be a child, a child who had to look up to see Ye Zhou's face clearly.
But he is no longer a child, and he doesn't want to be a child in Ye Zhou's eyes anymore.
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