Chapter 117: Buying You a Big G
"I’m starving. Brother-in-law, hurry up and take me out to eat. The food in this cafeteria is barely edible," Su Jun said, his face a picture of despair.
"Is it worse than the stir-fried pork we had near the job market a few days ago?" Chu Feng asked.
"There’s no comparison. It’s completely inedible. Please, brother-in-law, just take me to eat. I have to work overtime later, all the way until eleven," Su Jun said.
"Alright, let’s go," Chu Feng said.
"Brother-in-law, you don’t understand. This company is so exploitative. The overtime pay is only twenty yuan an hour—that’s only eighty for four hours! I used to spend a few hundred on a single carton of cigarettes," Su Jun complained the entire way.
"Since you have to work overtime, we’ll just grab a quick bite. Don’t expect me to take you anywhere fancy. I’m broke," Chu Feng said.
"Anything is fine, as long as it’s edible. As long as it’s better than that trash cafeteria, I’ll eat it." Su Jun was in no position to be a picky eater anymore. He’d be happy with anything better than the factory cafeteria food.
"Even if it’s terrible, you still have to eat it. You’ve got a long road ahead. You need to adapt. You can’t eat out every single time," Chu Feng said.
As he spoke, the two of them walked up to a small diner. Chu Feng ordered a few dishes for Su Jun, and the moment they arrived, Su Jun began to wolf them down.
To an unknowing bystander, it looked as if he hadn’t eaten in years.
Half an hour later, Su Jun had eaten and drunk his fill, a look of pure satisfaction spreading across his face.
But all too soon, it was time for his overtime shift.
"Damn this vile capitalism! It’s so hard to earn this pathetic amount of money," Su Jun couldn’t help but curse.
"Just hang in there. ’Only those who endure the harshest hardships can rise above others.’ If you can promise me you’ll stick it out until you get paid, I’ll buy you the latest model G-Wagen. Sports cars are played out. Off-roading is what real men do," Chu Feng said.
"Brother-in-law, you’re not messing with me, are you? You can’t take it back! It’s just one month. For a G-Wagen, I’ll stick this out until I get paid!" Su Jun exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement.
The G-Wagen held an incredibly strong appeal for Su Jun. What young guy wouldn’t want a G-Wagen?
"Of course not. Besides, I’ve been thinking about buying a G-Wagen myself," Chu Feng said.
"By the way, how much does a G-Wagen go for these days?" Chu Feng suddenly asked.
"It’s not that expensive, just a few million. You can get one for two or three million," Su Jun said.
"What? A G-Wagen costs that much?" Chu Feng was stunned. He hadn’t realized the price was so absurd.
"Of course it does. I’ve wanted one for ages, but my dad would never buy it for me," Su Jun said cheerfully.
"How about we pick a different car?" Chu Feng asked.
"No way! Brother-in-law, you promised. You can’t go back on your word now," Su Jun said.
"Alright, alright, alright. A G-Wagen it is. As long as you see this through, I’ll buy it for you!" Chu Feng promised.
"Yeah! For the G-Wagen, all this suffering will be worth it!" Su Jun yelled happily, then charged off to his overtime shift.
Chu Feng returned to the dorm, ready to get some rest.
Back in the dorm, his other two roommates were playing video games and asked Chu Feng if he wanted to join.
Chu Feng declined, however; he never played games.
They chatted idly for a while after that. The atmosphere made Chu Feng feel like he was back in his college days.
At eleven o’clock, the dorm door swung open.
Su Jun dragged his exhausted body back into the dorm. He flopped onto his bed, his face a mask of utter despair.
"Don’t forget to shower," Chu Feng reminded him.
"Can’t. Too tired. I need to sleep, or I’m going to die," Su Jun said weakly, and promptly fell asleep right after.
At this, Chu Feng could only shake his head with a resigned sigh.
’He understood. For someone like Su Jun, who had never known a day of hardship in his life, this sudden taste of suffering was bound to be overwhelming.’
’But this was a necessary part of growing up. Every man had to go through it.’
Chu Feng didn’t sleep that night. Instead, he spent the entire night in Cultivation.
「The next morning.」
At 7:30 AM, Chu Feng woke Su Jun.
"Work starts in half an hour. Get up and wash up," Chu Feng said.
"Just a little longer... let me sleep for ten more minutes," Su Jun mumbled, his eyes still hazy with sleep.
"Get up now, or you’ll be late. And if you’re late, you can forget about that car," Chu Feng said.
"I want it! I want it!" At those words, Su Jun was wide awake, bolting upright in bed.
For the sake of the G-Wagen, he had to overcome all obstacles.
"Then you’d better hurry. If you’re more than half an hour late, they’ll dock a full day’s pay. How many times can you afford that on your measly salary?" Chu Feng said.
"FUCK! G-Wagen, here I come!" Su Jun yelled, throwing on his clothes and dashing to the bathroom to wash up.
By the time he finished and they rushed to the workshop floor, there was no time left for breakfast.
The moment they reached the entrance to the workshop floor, Su Jun and Chu Feng were accosted and berated by a short line leader.
"Get a move on! The meeting’s already started! What are you two still dawdling for?" the line leader demanded, his tone full of arrogance.
Hearing this, Su Jun’s first instinct was to snap back and curse him out. This damn fatty had been on his case all day yesterday.
If it weren’t for the G-Wagen, Su Jun would have decked the bastard.
"You’re the new guy, reported in today?" the fat line leader asked, turning to Chu Feng.
"I am," Chu Feng nodded.
"Go organize the shelves over there," the fat man ordered.
"Hey, boss, can I go help him?" Su Jun asked.
"Who do you think you are? You think this company is your private playground? You do whatever you feel like? I’m your goddamn boss! You’ll do what I tell you to do! Got it?" the fat line leader roared at Su Jun, his voice dripping with arrogance.
With his old temper, Su Jun would have absolutely started a fight with the guy.
But now, Su Jun could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger. He had to last a full month. He had to get paid.
It was the only way to win the bet he’d made with his sister, and the only way Chu Feng would buy him that G-Wagen.
In reality, in many factories—especially the large ones—the low-level line leaders and team leads could be incredibly arrogant. Getting screamed at and cursed out was just part of the daily routine.
Having been out in the working world for years, Chu Feng was well aware of how things were.
Then again, the line leaders had a lot on their plates every day. Sometimes, if they didn’t act tough, the workers under them simply wouldn’t listen.
「Five days passed in the blink of an eye.」
After five days, Su Jun had grown accustomed to the soul-crushing rhythm of the assembly line. He rarely complained anymore, aside from the occasional sarcastic remark.
His biggest complaint, by far, was still the food.
But you couldn’t really blame him. After all, he’d grown up in the lap of luxury, accustomed to the finest food and drink. He’d never suffered a day in his life. Forcing him to eat the factory’s bland, tasteless food was a form of torture, and it was no wonder he found it nearly impossible to swallow.