Transcending Boundaries: Journey to the Infinite

Untitled Part 15

Looking for a Job

"Wow, that smells amazing!"

Early in the morning, Yutou Xu emerged from his bedroom, yawning continuously, only to be greeted by an incredibly rich and delicious aroma.

His droopy eyes, which were almost cross-eyed with fatigue, suddenly widened as the smell hit him, compelling his body to follow the source of the enticing scent.

By the living room, the dining table, which had been used as a mahjong table, was now neatly cleared. The entire surface was piled high with a variety of food.

"You're up? Join me for breakfast," Yang Chu said softly, sitting against the wall and watching Yutou Xu come out of his room.

"Shrimp rice rolls, steamed pork ribs, soup dumplings, shrimp dumplings, chicken feet in black bean sauce, chicken with mushrooms, glutinous rice dumplings, beef congee, steamed siu mai, tripe, beef balls, char siu buns, vegetable buns, and this huge bottle of milk..."

Yutou Xu stood by the table, stretching his neck to count all the breakfast dim sum dishes. After a while, his cross-eyed gaze focused on Yang Chu like he was looking at a weirdo. "Chu, you... are you a reincarnated glutton? Eating so much first thing in the morning! My big brother says I have holes in my pockets and can't save money, but you're the real spendthrift here!"

Last night, at the late-night food stall, Yang Chu had ordered a huge amount of food, which was already quite astonishing. But this morning, he prepared even more than last night.

The sheer variety of these dim sum dishes was impressive, but the quantity was even more so—there were several servings of some items. Even six or seven people wouldn't be able to finish all this.

"I've got a big appetite," Yang Chu responded indifferently to Yutou Xu's exclamations. He picked up a pair of chopsticks, tapped them on the table, and calmly replied. Then he grabbed a shrimp dumpling and stuffed it into his mouth.

Chewing and swallowing—quick as always.

He had bought all this early in the morning. He'd even had two servings of braised dishes on his way back. But remembering that Yutou Xu had treated him to a late-night snack last night, he decided to go to two different dim sum shops and packed all of this to bring back.

"Your appetite is terrifying! But, respect!"

Seeing Yang Chu dig in, Yutou Xu let out two weird chuckles, didn't bother washing up, pulled out a chair by the table, and sat down. "Hey, Chu, leave me one of those shrimp dumplings, alright?"

Before long, Yutou Xu put down his chopsticks. Though he had a decent appetite, it was still only slightly above average.

But Yang Chu kept going, devouring everything like a whirlwind. Finally, he picked up the nearly 1.5-liter bottle of milk and chugged it down in one go.

Seeing Yang Chu finish everything, Yutou Xu patted his own full stomach and said, "Today I've really seen it—you're the real king of big eaters."

"Oh, right, Chu, how much did this breakfast cost? Let me cover it."

Suddenly remembering something, Yutou Xu pulled out a handful of crumpled bills from his pocket. "You helped me in that fight last night and remembered to invite me for breakfast today. That means you see me as a brother. If we're brothers, you eating at my place doesn't mean you have to pay. I've got two thousand bucks here; is that enough?"

Yang Chu's eyes fell on Yutou Xu's earnest yet comical face. He could now understand why Yutou Xu's elder brother feared he might end up on the streets someday.

"I am running out of money," Yang Chu said without taking the cash from Yutou Xu. Instead, he asked, "How about helping me find a job?"

The wallet Yang Chu had picked up from a thug he kicked to death at the warehouse only had a few thousand Hong Kong dollars, which he had nearly spent. Just this breakfast alone had cost over a thousand.

He had been so preoccupied with maintaining his situation and solving immediate problems that he hadn't had time to think about his future.

But after leaving the pool last night and walking alone on the streets, he started considering what lay ahead.

"No problem. I'm heading to work now. I'll get back to you soon. Just so happens Big Brother wants me to recruit someone," Yutou Xu said, patting his chest without a hint of hesitation. Worried that Yang Chu might not believe him, he added, "Trust me, Chu, with your skills—you took down several guys single-handedly last night—you'll fit right into our line of work. I'll tell you, in this business, you make money fast. You might not be buying cars or houses right away, but it'll definitely be enough to feed you. With your appetite, you'd have to be the boss of the enforcers if you became a triad member; otherwise, you couldn't even feed yourself."

"Thanks," Yang Chu nodded.

"Don't mention it," Yutou Xu grinned. He then hurried back to his room, changed clothes, and rushed back out. "Are you going to wait at home for my call, or are you heading out?" he asked.

"I'm heading to the Sham Shui Po Park swimming pool first, then to the library at Po On Road Municipal Services Building to read," Yang Chu replied.

"Alright, let's go together. I'll drop you off. If all goes well, I'll come to find you at the library this afternoon," Yutou Xu agreed without hesitation. Before leaving, he tossed a spare key to Yang Chu.

They went downstairs but didn't take a taxi this time. Instead, they headed to the parking lot and walked to a black Toyota sedan.

The car looked a bit old, with paint peeling off in several places and signs of patchwork repairs.

Once in the car, as Yutou Xu started the engine, he nostalgically said, "This car was a gift from the Big Brother back in the day. It even appeared in several movies. Later, we did some stunt work with it, and the glass, doors, and tires all had to be replaced several times. I patched the paint so many times that I just got tired of fixing it."

"Yeah," Yang Chu replied softly. He found it hard to follow Yutou Xu's stories about various bosses and Big Brothers, but he wasn't one to pry. He didn't even ask what kind of job Yutou Xu had in mind for him; he simply guessed it might be related to the film industry.

When they reached the Sham Shui Po Park swimming pool, just before Yang Chu got out of the car, Yutou Xu insisted on giving him another thousand Hong Kong dollars for lunch. They agreed to meet at the library in the afternoon before Yutou Xu drove off.

Watching Yutou Xu's car disappear, Yang Chu bought a ticket and entered the pool.

It was still early in the morning, so there was hardly anyone in the pool.

The old man on duty, Uncle Jian, was the same as yesterday, sitting on a low stool by the pool reading a newspaper.

Seeing Yang Chu arrive so early, Uncle Jian curled his lips and continued reading his newspaper, not bothering to greet him.

Yang Chu didn't mind Uncle Jian's indifferent attitude. He changed his clothes, took a shower, and went to the paddling pool where he had lounged yesterday, slowly lying down.

After a nap, Yang Chu woke up to find quite a few people in the pool now—kids, teenagers, and some middle-aged women accompanying them.

Under a parasol by the poolside sat a young man wearing sunglasses, who seemed to be the pool's lifeguard.

Noticing Yang Chu climbing out of the paddling pool, the lifeguard in sunglasses greeted him, "Had a good nap, eh?"

It seemed the lifeguard had already checked on Yang Chu earlier—perhaps seeing he was just sleeping in the water or maybe having been mentioned by Uncle Jian. Either way, he didn't bother pulling Yang Chu out of the water for any emergency measures.

Feeling refreshed after leaving the Sham Shui Po Park swimming pool, Yang Chu strolled along the streets, heading towards the public library on Po On Road.

On the way, he stopped at a street stall and enjoyed a bowl of steamed egg custard and a serving of mango sago dessert.