Drinking Freely, Eating Heartily

"Buying alcohol? Who's buying alcohol?" The voice of Zhu Naifu, the fat man, came from the dormitory doorway.

"Just in time, you two are back. Here's the plan: today, Zhao Peng and I are treating. I'm going to buy some cooked food and a bottle of wine. Let's eat in the dormitory. How does that sound?"

"Great!" Zhu Naifu, also known as "Fu Zhu" (Dried Bean Curd), seemed to be excited, his body of fat jiggling with enthusiasm.

"I agree," Wang Yong nodded as well.

Seeing everyone in agreement, Team Leader Li Gang shook his head and said, "You young people! Don't you know how hard it is to earn money? Fine, since that's the plan, Zhao Peng and I will go to the canteen to get some dishes and bring back some steamed buns."

"Alright, we three will go buy the alcohol and cooked food," Ye Chen said.

Then they split up. Ye Chen, Zhu Naifu (Fu Zhu), and Wang Yong went to a nearby deli and bought two jin of pig's head meat and some chicken feet. Finally, they went to a store to buy two bottles of Bai Niu Er (a type of liquor). After buying these, the three returned to the dormitory.

When they returned, Team Leader Li Gang and Zhao Peng had also come back from the canteen with dishes. Without much fuss, they set up a folding table and put the food on it.

There were no chairs in the dormitory, so everyone stood around the table.

"Wow! Pig's head meat, my favorite," Zhao Peng exclaimed, reaching out to grab some.

Unfortunately, before he could touch it, Fu Zhu slapped his hand away and said, "Use chopsticks."

Seeing Zhao Peng nearly toppled by Fu Zhu's slap, Team Leader Li Gang said, "Hey Fu Zhu, be gentle. Don't break him into pieces."

It was true. Zhao Peng's frail body might indeed get broken by a slap, especially from Fu Zhu, whose hands were like bear paws.

"Don't worry, Team Leader. Even if he breaks, I can put him back together," Fu Zhu joked.

"Get lost! You're the one who's patched up," Zhao Peng said, rubbing his shoulder.

Watching the playful bickering, Ye Chen smiled without saying anything. He knew they were just joking around.

He opened the bottles of liquor and took out five disposable cups, pouring a drink for each person, giving Zhao Peng a smaller portion due to his low tolerance.

"Let's eat. I'm actually a bit hungry."

The meal was enjoyed by all. Although the canteen's food was decent, it rarely included meat. Given that, this meal felt like a feast.

After the meal, everyone rested since they had work the next day and couldn't afford to stay up too late. Lacking energy was the worst thing for a patrolling security guard, as a drowsy guard was no different from having none, offering nothing but a deterrent presence.

Let's not forget where they were working. The deterrent effect of security here was minimal because no one really respected them.

At 6:30 in the morning, Ye Chen woke up on time, went out to run ten laps around the mall, and then practiced a set of martial arts before returning to the dormitory.

When he came back, Team Leader Li Gang and the others were still asleep. Ye Chen took his washbasin, towel, and toothbrush to the washroom to freshen up.

Waking up at 6:30 every morning had become a habit for Ye Chen, regardless of the season. He would start his day with a run, followed by martial arts practice—not some traditional martial art, but a military-style routine combined with grappling and combat moves.

This routine was taught to Ye Chen by a veteran instructor when he first joined the security company, and he had never stopped practicing it.

When Ye Chen finished washing up, he checked his phone and saw it was already 8:00. They had half an hour before work started, so he quickly woke up the others.

Team Leader Li Gang, still groggy, asked, "What time is it?"

"It's 8:00."

"What, 8:00 already? Why didn't you wake me earlier?" Team Leader Li Gang shot up from his bed and began dressing.

Normally, he woke up early, but he had drunk a bit too much the previous night, causing him to sleep deeply and wake up late.

"I saw you were all sleeping soundly, so I didn't wake you. Besides, it's still only 8:00; we're not late yet."

That's right, they weren't late. Ten minutes for washing up, ten minutes for breakfast, and a bit of time for walking meant they could easily make it to work by 8:30.

Breakfast was simple: steamed buns, fried dough sticks, millet porridge, and a tea egg for each person. Eating this wouldn't take more than five minutes, let alone ten. By 8:20, they were at their posts.

Today, Ye Chen was patrolling with Zhao Peng again, as arranged by Team Leader Li Gang. Simply put, he wanted Ye Chen to look after Zhao Peng.

Zhao Peng was too frail. In case of an emergency, he might not even be able to protect himself, which was why Team Leader Li Gang paired him with Ye Chen.

Nothing happened all morning, and soon it was time to clock off. On the way back to the dormitory, Ye Chen's phone rang.

Ye Chen quickly answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I'm the one who called you yesterday about renting an apartment," came a voice so soft and alluring it could make anyone feel weak.