Chapter 1697 - 1697
The last rays of the sunset bronzed the forest and fields surrounding the new estate of the military commander's construction site.
Ah-Xia walked out of the construction site, his rubber shoes covered in red dirt, truly looking dusty and exhausted.
His thirty-year-old frame, weighed down by life, appeared somewhat skinny. His work pants hung loosely at his hips, and sweat stains on his back had formed visible salt marks.
When he took off his safety helmet, his hair, soaked with sweat, was pressed flat against his head like a comical bowl.
His right hand was wrapped in a blood-stained bandage, cut by wire while carrying steel frames in the morning.
His skin was as dark as a pottery jar warmed by charcoal, with rust-colored grooves etched into the corners of his eyes from years of labor. This was the common complexion of migrant workers in the subtropical region.
Weathered by the sun and wind, their hard work naturally resulted in this.
Of course, they were in charge of building houses, never responsible for living in them, and they never even imagined living in luxury villas or estates like this.
As for life, they were just born into it and struggled to live.
Attracted by the scent of sweat, mosquitoes swarmed in, biting Ah-Xia and several of his coworkers nearby.
They habitually waved their safety helmets, swatting away the mosquitoes.
Behind them, the estate's pointed roofs rose and fell in the mist, already showing the model of something quite grand, a bit like a fairytale castle, but it had nothing to do with them.
In Ah-Xia's pants pocket, a faded amulet, folded from his eldest daughter's homework paper, poked at his thigh. She said it would protect her dad from falling.
As night began to settle, blanketing the rubber forest, he bid farewell to his coworkers and stood not far from the main gate, looking around, seemingly searching for Liu Zhizhong's figure.
Meanwhile, Liu Zhizhong looked at Ah-Xia, this so-called little subcontractor, and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
Even in the rainforest, being a subcontractor, wasn't he still working from dawn to dusk with the laborers? Wasn't it all to earn a bit more money, given the heavy burden back home?
In comparison, Ah-Xia's situation was slightly better. After all, he was a small subcontractor, although only responsible for hiring laborers. But he was known to have studied a bit, recognized many words, and could understand a lot of blueprints, so he had plenty of work.
Liu Zhizhong emerged from the edge of the rubber forest and walked towards Ah-Xia with steady confidence, exuding a different aura.
He greeted him warmly, calling out to Ah-Xia.
Ah-Xia turned his head at the sound, utterly stunned.
My goodness, it had been some time, and this guy, rumored to be a warlord pilot, had not only fully recovered from his injuries but looked robust! With a build like that, if he came to the construction site, he'd surely do the work of two... no, three people!
This was Ah-Xia's instinctive first reaction as the small subcontractor.
But a second reaction quickly overtook his first.
Because at this moment, Liu Zhizhong was dressed sharp, looking every bit the part of a successful young man, not at all like someone meant for hauling bricks at a construction site.
Ah-Xia remembered Liu Zhizhong now had a mobile phone, made money, and was going to invite him for dinner!
Right there and then, he ran over with a big grin, looking up in admiration at Liu Zhizhong.
"Brother Zhongshui, you've really made it big, huh? Look at these clothes, they must be expensive, right? Wow, that phone, it's so beautiful!"
As he said this, his gaze lingered on the new phone in Liu Zhizhong's hand, full of envy.
But not far off, one of the private soldiers at the gate sneered, "Made what money, huh? Just putting on a show! Over there, his car is rented too, haha..."