Chapter 46: Penniless

Chapter 46: Penniless

Bai Ling knew who they were talking about, but she didn't look to the side. Zhou Liao was someone she found unlucky even with just a glance. The past warmth and concern, along with the face that once made her heart race, had now turned into disgust.

Hearing Qin Zhan's words, she wasn't surprised; she only quickened her pace slightly. "Don't look anymore, let's go. Take advantage of the few people in the cafeteria."

The university campus was vast, so bumping into someone could be both easy and difficult. However, Zhou Liao and his friends preferred eating outside the school, so fortunately, Bai Ling did not see Zhou Liao within her line of sight for the rest of the time.

After resting for a while in the cafeteria, they returned to their stall in the afternoon to welcome new students.

Qin Zhan helped for a bit and then left early when it was almost time.

On the way to the subway, the roar of a sports car engine caught everyone's attention except Qin Zhan, who entered the subway without a second glance.

After getting off the subway, it was another ten-minute walk. Behind the towering skyscrapers stood only seven or eight dilapidated buildings, starkly contrasting with the surrounding environment as if one had instantly traveled from a bustling city to an abandoned neighborhood.

An elderly man sat at the entrance of the residential area, hunched over with a bamboo fan in hand, while an old electric fan creaked beside him. A rat skillfully carried away a half-eaten bread from some unknown household, darting into a crack in the wall and disappearing.

Qin Zhan adjusted his laptop bag strap and climbed up the moss-covered stairs into the apartment building.

The house on the outskirts of the fifth district was demolished shortly after he woke up in the hospital, and all the compensation went to his aunt. It was the first time he had met this aunt, who dressed elegantly and bore no resemblance to the mentally ill and deceased elders. No one could tell they were once family.

Having escaped the patriarchal and oppressive rural town, she finally became herself in the big city through her own efforts.

Qin Zhan usually kept his distance from others but still whispered a thank you upon meeting her.

Without the living expenses and house left by this woman, he might have given up on attending university the moment his grades came out.

They didn't say much, but the woman left her contact information. Her address was no longer the suburban house but a bustling city with a rainy season, B City. She said to contact her if he needed help with his studies or life in the future.

On the day he was discharged from the hospital, he was informed that Du Li had paid the initial medical fees, and his aunt had covered the rest.

She also left him some money, which Du Li had passed on to him, fearing he might refuse it if given earlier.

Qin Zhan had nothing left, and although there was no elder in the hospital, he was still far from well-off. With many loans to repay, the money left by his aunt allowed him to find a rental in this old residential area.

In the sixteen-square-meter room, there was a bed, a fan, a refrigerator, a kitchen counter, and a private bathroom—enough for him.

His days were tightly scheduled. If he didn't need to intern at the company, he worked part-time as a cashier and stocker at a convenience store a few hundred meters away. The rest of his time was spent on classes, homework, and developing games, significantly improving his financial situation compared to before.

Although he now had enough funds to move to a better place, Qin Zhan chose to stay because it was close to C City's commercial district, with a bus stop five minutes away and the subway a fifteen-minute walk.

If the residents hadn't strongly resisted demolition, these dilapidated buildings might have disappeared long ago.

After returning home, Qin Zhan made himself a cup of instant noodles. After a while, he changed into his work uniform, put on a hat and mask, and grabbed a water bottle before heading out.

Most customers at the convenience store on weekdays were office workers finishing late shifts, like him during his internships. They would buy a heated sandwich and sit by the window, chatting and eating.

He repeated his routine tasks until nearly eleven o'clock. As fewer people came, he sometimes rearranged items near the cash register.

A moment later, the automatic door opened, and a few people entered. Five minutes later, a can of drink and a pack of cigarettes were placed in front of him. Qin Zhan silently scanned the barcodes and asked if they wanted a bag before handing the items over.

The person in front looked towards the icebox. "Hey, Brother Liao, do you have any cigarettes?"

"No."

"Then I'll get a pack. Do you want one?"

"Menthol Marlboro."

"Can you get another pack of Menthol Marlboro? Oh, and do you have the watermelon flavor pods for RELX?"

Qin Zhan nodded and fetched the cigarettes from the shelf, handing them over.

Zhou Liao grabbed a frozen soda and walked to the cash register. "I'll pay myself."

He took two packs of heat-sensitive ultra-thin three-pack Durex condoms from the shelf and threw them on the counter, waiting for them to be scanned.

"Do you want a bag?"

Zhou Liao was texting on his phone but froze when he heard the voice. A few seconds later, he suddenly looked up at the person in front of him. The person wore a low cap and a mask, hiding their eyes and most of their face.

But the voice, the build, the bones... and the fading scar on the exposed Adam's apple.

How could he not recognize who it was?

Almost instantly, his heart began to race wildly, a mix of primitive tension and fear.

"Brother Liao?" The person next to him glanced at him, puzzled. "Do you want a bag?"

After several seconds, Zhou Liao seemed to recover from the choking sensation, shaking his head. When he spoke, his voice was unsteady. "No."

Qin Zhan remained silent, completing the transaction and pushing the cigarettes, soda, and condoms towards him.

As they exited through the automatic door, the person next to him glanced back at the cashier.

"I feel like I've seen him before."

"Who?" Chen Xian was smoking outside and took the drink. "Thanks."

"No, I said the cashier looks familiar."

Chen Xian glanced over. The cashier wore a gray uniform, with a hat and mask covering most of their face. Apart from being tall, nothing else was visible. He also felt a sense of familiarity, yet strangeness, too ephemeral to be real.

"Probably just a mistake. Where would you find someone who works as a cashier in your circle?"

"True."

"Why aren't you talking?" Chen Xian glanced at Zhou Liao.

Zhou Liao seemed to snap back to reality, then tossed the condoms he had bought to Chen Xian and fished out a pack of cigarettes from his bag.

"Thanks." Chen Xian stuffed the two boxes into his pocket.

Zhou Liao took a deep drag on his cigarette: "Is there a restroom nearby?"

"Yeah, it's right there on the sign. Just go straight down this alley, but it might be a bit dirty." Chen Xian pointed in the direction.

"Auntie, I'll take over the cash register. Could you help me throw out that garbage bag in the back? It's all packed up, but it's too heavy for my bad back." An elderly woman with half-gray hair emerged from the workroom. She had been working night shifts here for a long time, her face wrinkled from years of hard labor.

Qin Zhan nodded.

"Thank you, Xiao Qin."

The workroom was filled with goods, and next to it was a schedule chart. A large black garbage bag was neatly packed by the aunt. Qin Zhan picked it up and pushed the door open to walk towards the dumpster in the alley behind the parking lot. As soon as he placed it down, an elderly man carrying cardboard reached out shakily to rummage through it.

Qin Zhan turned away and headed towards the restroom.

The sound of running water echoed in the quiet, cramped space. This public restroom had only two stalls, and occasionally, the smell of smoke wafted out.

After a while, the door behind him suddenly opened. Zhou Liao, who had just calmed down with a cigarette, saw the reflection in the mirror and his emotions crumbled again.

Qin Zhan turned off the tap and lifted his head. Due to the shadow cast by his cap, his eyes were obscured, making them hard to read.

But Zhou Liao was certain they made eye contact.

Unlike himself, however, the other person showed no reaction, as if they didn't know each other, and quickly walked past indifferently. Zhou Liao watched his back, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh, almost tearing his hand apart.

Even though he had taken his medication, the pain in his head was still excruciating. In such close proximity, in a space occupied by only two people, the intense sensation made it hard for him to breathe.

On one side was the revulsion and hatred of the past, and on the other was an involuntary submission and longing.

They intertwined like rampant vines, their sharp thorns cutting through his mind, blurring his vision with blood.

Those memories now seemed like faded dreams, old videotapes gradually losing color until they almost vanished.

"Zhou Liao? Why did you take so long?"

Seeing no response after a while, Chen Xian worried something had happened. When he came over, he found Zhou Liao clutching his heart, breathing heavily. Ever since they went to school today, Zhou Liao had started acting strangely, having more episodes than in the past few weeks combined.

He walked in and patted Zhou Liao's back, then looked where Zhou Liao was staring. There was only a man's back in front of them.

It seemed to be the cashier from earlier, tall and solitary under the night sky.

"Do you know him? Who is he?" Chen Xian frowned, not believing Zhou Liao would know a cashier.

But Zhou Liao remained silent, holding his chest, the place that often flared up in pain, now pulling sharply, numbing his nerves.

After a moment, Zhou Liao suddenly turned and punched the sink, startling Chen Xian, who was still looking ahead.

He had hurt Qin Zhan before, but Qin Zhan had also destroyed him. Why should he be the one shackled by a mere encounter? Why could Qin Zhan act like he didn't know him and walk out of that door unscathed?

-

"You can go home now, Xiao Qin." The aunt called out to Qin Zhan as she filled out the forms.

Qin Zhan nodded and quickly left the convenience store. It was already two in the morning, and occasionally, night drivers passed by. Compared to the desolation of the outskirts, the city center still had a few people walking the streets.

When he got home, he didn't turn on the lights. After washing up in the bathroom, he lay down in the darkness, exhausted.

As usual, he turned over and habitually opened the surveillance app on his phone. When the screen lit up and showed no device connected, he slowly remembered, after 217 days, that he had forgotten again—he had nothing left.

No one, no warehouse.