"Quick, hurry up and move! Don't look back, the loan sharks are coming!"
"The table's mine!"
"The cash register's mine! Don't touch it!"
"The chairs and tables are all mine!"
Inside a small restaurant by the roadside, it was like a robbery had just taken place. The door was wide open, and three people were caught up in a chaotic fight for anything they could grab. In just twenty minutes, all that was left inside, apart from the trash, were the load-bearing walls.
"The boss said to run, so we're running. He owes us wages for so long, it's not our fault."
"It's a shame the kitchen door is locked. Otherwise, there's a gas stove and gas tank inside…"
"That's small change. The real loss is that Bai Ye took the boss's old van to buy groceries. That van could still be sold for a few thousand. Lucky for him."
"Lucky for what? I heard the boss hasn't paid Bai Ye for six months. And he's the one keeping this place going! The entire restaurant, all the stuff inside, might be worth ten to twenty thousand, but it's still less than his wages!"
"Right, right. Let's go quickly before Bai Ye comes back and fights us for the stuff."
Half an hour later, Bai Ye, who had just returned from buying groceries, parked his van in front of the little restaurant, only to be stunned by the scene of it being ransacked.
Just then, his phone rang. It was the boss calling.
"Bai Ye, my brother has lost everything and is running away. Take whatever you can from the shop to cover your half-year's salary. If it's not enough, I'll get back to you later and send it over. Maybe we'll meet again when fate brings us together!"
The boss rambled on and hung up before Bai Ye could process anything. By the time he tried calling back, the phone was already off.
"Xiao Bai, hurry up and gather your things. The rest of the stuff was taken by others," someone from a neighboring shop called out to him.
Bai Ye finally snapped out of it. The boss had run off, and now he had no choice but to leave in a hurry.
The lobby outside was covered with trash. He held the kitchen key, but the kitchen door had been kicked so hard it was deformed.
It took Bai Ye a while to get the key into the lock. As he entered the kitchen, he sighed deeply.
His six months' worth of wages, at six thousand a month as agreed with the boss, should have amounted to 36,000. Add in the bonus the boss had promised at the end of the year, and Bai Ye had hoped to take home 40,000 to 50,000 to celebrate the new year with his family.
But now, everything was lost.
Bai Ye had better relations with the neighbors than the other three people, so several came to help him move his things. There wasn't much of value in the kitchen, so everyone packed up whatever they could: pots, pans, a gas stove, a gas tank, and even the restaurant's special rice cooker.
Bai Ye's van was a secondhand Jinbei. The rear seats were removed just for storage.
As Bai Ye drove the van, he saw a long line of cars ahead. He stepped on the gas and turned onto a small road. Many others seemed to have the same idea.
It was still morning. If he drove fast enough, he could reach home by the afternoon.
After days of snow, it finally stopped today, but the temperature had dropped even further.
Suddenly, the cars in front slowed down, eventually coming to a complete halt.
Bai Ye was confused. He had taken the small road to save time, so why was it now blocked? He rolled down the window and looked outside, but couldn't figure out what was going on.
After a while, many people got out of their cars to ask about the situation, and the news slowly spread. It turned out the road was icy, and a car had skidded off and blocked the path.
As the news spread, many drivers began chatting and stomping their feet to stay warm.
"How long is this going to last?"
"The road's too slippery. I heard the car's carrying goods, and everything's spilled out. They say it'll be at least an hour before they clear it."
"Really? I heard the car flipped over. The cleanup's going to take at least three hours. You can see the rescue vehicles can't even get through!"
The crowd continued to gossip, and Bai Ye decided to go back to his car and wait. It was freezing outside.
It made sense. He had left early to buy ingredients, and it was already 11 a.m. He hadn't had breakfast yet, and his stomach was growling in the cold.
He moved to the back of the van, hoping to find something to eat.
The van was packed full, so when he opened the back door and leaned in, a cooking spatula, carelessly placed on top, fell right onto his head. It hurt so badly that Bai Ye saw stars.
"Congratulations, this big brother has activated the Super Catering System! Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
For a moment, Bai Ye felt like he had stepped into one of those chaotic marketplaces back in his hometown. His ears were bombarded with all kinds of street vendors shouting their wares.
He felt dizzy and shook his head, trying to clear the strange noise in his mind, but suddenly, a sharp sound echoed.
"Congratulations, this big brother has successfully activated the Super Catering System!"
As the door to the van opened, everyone saw the freshly purchased vegetables and meat inside.
Everyone was in the same mood as Bai Ye, thinking they should've just left the money behind. All these groceries cost him a few hundred. But now, there was no point in discussing that.
Anything that could be moved into the van was taken. The rest were too bulky or not worth much.
"Thank you, everyone." Bai Ye thanked a few of his neighbors.
"Bai Ye, what are you going to do now? Head back to your hometown?"
"Yeah, going back. I'll just take this stuff as New Year's gifts for my parents." Bai Ye said it lightly, but the bitterness in his smile was clear to everyone.
His six months' wages had evaporated, replaced by this pile of worthless junk. He had a car, but it wasn't even in his name, so he couldn't sell it.
"Hey, Xiao Bai, there's still some stuff here!" An elderly man came out holding a large bag.
Bai Ye looked, and it was a batch of disposable lunch boxes the restaurant had used for takeout. But that business had stopped months ago.
"These are useless. I won't take them." Bai Ye refused. The van was already full, and the lunch boxes took up too much space.
"Take them, no harm in taking them!" The old man shoved the boxes into the van. "Xiao Bai, take it easy on the road. If you ever come back, give us a call. We'll help you find a job."
"Thank you all!" Bai Ye almost cried.
He was young, and he'd chosen to work after high school.
Though the small boss ran away, Bai Ye didn't hate him. He had come here alone and had been taken in by the old boss, who had given him food and shelter and taught him how to cook.
But the old boss passed away earlier this year. The small boss liked to meddle and eventually ruined the shop.
Bai Ye wiped his eyes with force, smiled, and said goodbye to the neighbors before heading back to his rented room to pack up and set off for home.
His hometown was in the countryside. It would take almost a whole day to get there, but he knew a shortcut that would save him a lot of time.
Looking at the long line of cars ahead, Bai Ye stepped on the gas and turned onto the small road. Many others seemed to be taking the same route.