Chapter 108: The New Job and a Familiar Face

Having finally secured Lin Qing’s agreement, Liu Hong’s elation was palpable. His joyful demeanor persisted for several days. He even hummed tunes as he walked, his spirits visibly high.

This sight became unbearable for Zhou Lin and Wang Jian, who felt compelled to get to the bottom of the matter.

‘Did Brother Liu truly like Lin Qing this much? He had clearly harbored a murderous hatred for him before; how had his attitude shifted so drastically after their trip to the abandoned slaughterhouse?’

It was as if a devoted suitor, mid-pursuit of Su Yao, had abruptly changed targets, now relentlessly fawning over Lin Qing. Had it not been the Liu Hong they knew, they might have believed he was an entirely different person.

After listening to his two subordinates’ inquiries, Liu Hong paused in thought before speaking.

“I simply find Lin Qing incredibly capable, truly. Among our peers, I’ve never encountered anyone so formidable… That’s why I want to be friends with him.”

Subsequently, hearing Liu Hong’s remarkably straightforward explanation, Zhou Lin and Wang Jian felt a profound sense of relief.

So, he merely wished to befriend Lin Qing because he found him impressive. As long as there were no other ulterior motives, all was well.

As for Lin Qing’s supposed prowess, they maintained that seeing was believing. Since neither Zhou Lin nor Wang Jian had witnessed it firsthand, they remained unconvinced of any particular strength Lin Qing possessed.

With such a slender physique, they doubted he could even throw two effective punches.

Nevertheless, as long as Liu Hong was content, they wouldn’t delve too deeply into the matter. The true nature of events held little interest for them; their sole concern was Liu Hong himself.

****

“Today is our first day of work. Let’s join an A-Friend group chat so we can contact each other promptly if anything unexpected happens later.”

This day was the long-awaited Saturday for Liu Hong. Early that morning, as Liu Hong watched Zhou Lin and Wang Jian arrive late, a good idea suddenly sparked in his mind.

Lin Qing, standing nearby, didn’t object. With Liu Hong’s help, he promptly downloaded the A-Friend app from the application store.

After Lin Qing registered and logged in, Liu Hong immediately pulled him into the newly created group, completing the first step of their group chat!

Although Liu Hong already had Lin Qing’s phone number, he couldn’t constantly text him without reason, lest it become harassment.

At this moment, the social app proved incredibly useful!

Moreover, joining a group chat under the guise of work was perfectly reasonable, and Lin Qing would surely not refuse!

In fact, just as Liu Hong had anticipated, Lin Qing joined without hesitation.

He even accepted Liu Hong’s individual friend request, making him his only friend on the app.

‘Finally, I’m one step ahead of Su Yao!’

Seeing this secretly, Liu Hong was overjoyed, his lips curling into a grin so wide it looked as if an oil lamp could hang from its corners.

Soon after, as the four rode to their workplace, Zhou Lin provided a detailed explanation along the way.

Since this was a ‘parachute’ job arranged by a relative, the earnings were substantial. Given that they were only collecting trash on weekends, Zhou Lin emphasized that they shouldn’t speak carelessly about it.

Otherwise, if someone with ill intentions discovered it, Zhou Lin’s relative would also face trouble.

After all, it was a privately arranged job with many intricacies that didn’t need to be scrutinized.

They just needed to know not to talk about it openly.

If they were unlucky enough to be caught, they must claim they weren’t paid, but were merely enthusiastically helping clean up trash, tidying the city’s appearance, and promoting a new civic spirit. ‘Environmental protection is everyone’s responsibility.’

In such a case, the authorities would be helpless and would have to give up.

“Zhou Lin, your relative is truly generous! I was wondering earlier why we each got a hundred just for picking up trash. It’s like a rich person throwing money around!”

After hearing Zhou Lin’s words, Wang Jian, sitting beside him, remarked with emotion: ‘It’s great to have someone help you get things done! This is a society of connections.’

“Heh, it’s just keeping the wealth within the family. Don’t think we’re earning a lot; Zhou Lin’s relative takes a pretty hefty cut.”

Zhou Lin chuckled, merely hinting at a few things before saying no more. Some matters shouldn’t be discussed openly. It was better for everyone to understand implicitly.

While Zhou Lin and Wang Jian were talking, Lin Qing was looking at the newly downloaded A-Friend app on his phone. Since he didn’t usually play with his phone, he was now curiously tapping his finger on the app’s function areas, examining each feature.

During his days of captivity, Lin Qing had grown accustomed to zoning out alone. Even after returning home, he hadn’t broken this habit.

While others couldn’t put their phones down, Lin Qing treated his phone merely as an ornament. Apart from making calls, he usually only used it to check the time.

To avoid seeing his reflection when the screen was off, Lin Qing typically lit up the screen first, then focused his gaze on it to check the time before putting it directly into his pocket, no longer paying it any mind.

Now that Liu Hong had taught him how to use A-Friend, Lin Qing poked and prodded at it like a curious child.

Just as Lin Qing was engrossed in his phone, it suddenly vibrated.

Lin Qing then saw a friend request notification on the app, and a very familiar avatar immediately caught his eye. Su Yao????

Although he had registered A-Friend using his own phone number, Lin Qing had chosen to block phone contacts. Logically, even if Su Yao had his number, she shouldn’t have known he was on the app.

Pondering this question, Lin Qing did not reject the friend request.

Once he accepted, Su Yao immediately sent her first message.

[Eat You Up]: Lin Qing, have you arrived at the workplace yet?

[Lin Qing]: No.

Lin Qing looked at the message from Su Yao. He tapped on Su Yao’s account profile and found it was also a newly registered account, with no friends or posts.

‘This must be the alt account Liu Hong mentioned.’

[Lin Qing]: How did you know I registered for A-Friend?

[Eat You Up]: Liu Hong told me. It’s your first day of work, do you want me to come see you?

After Lin Qing decided to work with Liu Hong, he hadn’t hidden it from Su Yao. To prevent her from discovering it if she came looking for him on the weekend, he decided it was better to be upfront now.

Regarding Lin Qing’s decision to work part-time, Su Yao didn’t say much, merely nodding in understanding. She was very easy to talk to.

Su Yao had some understanding of Lin Qing’s financial situation and could comprehend his desire to work to help with household expenses.

Even though the money Su Yao could easily spare would be more than enough for Lin Qing to live lavishly for an entire year, Su Yao knew that Lin Qing wouldn’t accept her money. At least, he wouldn’t accept it if it was offered directly. He would even sulk.

A person’s pride, like a stubborn duck’s beak, wouldn’t easily let go.

Thus, Su Yao didn’t hinder Lin Qing from working, allowing him ample space for his activities.

[Lin Qing]: Anyway, it’s not like I can stop you.

[Eat You Up]: Hahaha, wait for me later~

[Eat You Up]: [Little cat making a heart gesture]

Watching the cute emoji Su Yao sent, Lin Qing couldn’t help but feel the corners of his mouth lift into a smile.

Although he knew he should be annoyed by Su Yao’s interference, for some reason, Lin Qing felt a small surge of happiness upon hearing she was coming to see him. He had thought he wouldn’t see her this weekend.

However, Liu Hong had said the group was just created, yet Su Yao claimed Liu Hong told her about it? When had Liu Hong said anything?

As these thoughts crossed Lin Qing’s mind, he glanced up at Liu Hong, who was playfully roughhousing with Zhou Lin. He then gently shook his head, deciding such a minor question wasn’t worth asking.

‘Surely Su Yao hadn’t tampered with his phone to see all his actions!’

“We’re here, we’re here! Let’s get off quickly.”

As Liu Hong playfully put him in a headlock, Zhou Lin saw the bus finally arrive at the stop. He quickly raised a hand to pat Liu Hong’s arm, signaling him to stop fooling around. Work was important!

Immediately, once the vehicle stopped, the four disembarked.

Zhou Lin then led them to the workplace, where they first met with the Little Leader. They learned that the area they were responsible for wasn’t particularly large, but its location was somewhat peculiar: it was near the red-light district.

Domestically, such businesses were always met with a blind eye. Even if explicitly prohibited, they would never be entirely eradicated.

Therefore, a “Customs Law for Special Industries” was enacted. Simply put, the special services offered within these establishments were not illegal. However, minors were strictly prohibited from contact, and widespread promotion was forbidden.

This particular red-light district had numerous complaints regarding environmental hygiene, which was why temporary cleaning staff were hired to manage sanitation.

At this moment, the Little Leader was quite satisfied with Liu Hong and the two others. Just by looking at them, they didn’t resemble students, and no one would realize they were high schoolers while they were cleaning trash.

However, upon seeing the slender Lin Qing, whose odd attire was partially hidden by his long hair and whose worn, off-brand shoes were noticeable, the Little Leader couldn’t help but frown, feeling a touch of dissatisfaction.

‘With that impoverished student appearance, if he were caught, he might spill everything.’

‘If it were discovered that high school students were hired at high wages through back channels, he would also be in deep trouble… But Zhou Lin and the others were arranged by a higher-up, so he, as a junior leader, had no authority to intervene.’

Therefore, even if he was worried, he couldn’t voice it.

“Leader, we will complete our tasks diligently.”

However, as the Little Leader critically eyed Lin Qing, Liu Hong stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Lin Qing.

His tall frame completely obscured Lin Qing, and his close proximity created an undeniable sense of pressure on the Little Leader.

This prompted the Little Leader to say no more, merely instructing them to work well and avoid mistakes.

Then, pretending nothing was amiss, he clasped his hands behind his back and discreetly slipped away, not lingering any longer.

“Lin Qing, don’t mind that snobbish fellow. Let’s go!”

As Liu Hong spoke, the group quickly retrieved blue work uniforms from a cabinet. Since the uniforms were reused, they didn’t take off their own clothes but simply put the uniforms on over them.

Once fully dressed, they put on their masks and began their day’s work of picking up trash.

“Brother, come play~”

“There are many little sisters in the shop, oh.”

Outside the red-light district, everything appeared normal. However, the moment Liu Hong and the others stepped inside, they were immediately met with a sight of bare chests and thighs, accompanied by an incessant chorus of coquettish voices.

This caused the two young men, Zhou Lin and Wang Jian, to stare wide-eyed. They no longer had any inclination to pick up trash, their gazes irresistibly drawn to the women.

Upon being noticed by sharp-eyed women, they were immediately met with bold, seductive gestures, causing Zhou Lin and Wang Jian to blush and quickly turn their heads away.

Their hearts pounded wildly.

However, Liu Hong and Lin Qing remained undeterred. They focused intently on picking up trash, paying no mind to the women around them.

Yet, as they continued their work, a glass bottle suddenly shattered at Lin Qing’s feet. Shards of glass scattered across the top of his foot, prompting him to silently look up at the flushed, drunken man who was now eyeing him with ill intent.

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