Chapter 1: The Lamb Skewer Vendor

001 In the bustling Western District Farmers' Market of Zhonghai City, a cacophony of pedestrians and vehicles weaved through the twilight. The ground was a messy mixture of vegetable leaves and wastewater, while a motley assortment of faded shop signs lined the streets, some with flickering neon lights adding to the disarray. Workers heading home, children just out of school, elderly folks shopping for groceries, and various weary passersby added to the oppressive atmosphere under the gray, heavy sky.

In a metropolis of this scale, such a neighborhood might seem like an unsightly blemish, one people wished would simply vanish from existence.

By a low wall near an intersection, however, there was a young man leisurely engaged in an activity that most would not deem very respectable.

This young man was a lamb skewer vendor. He wore a white tank top smeared with grease and grime, paired with baggy brown shorts and a pair of clunky blue plastic sandals. His hair was a bit messy, but his maturely handsome face still had well-defined features. Upon closer inspection, there was even a rugged charm about him. However, no matter his appearance, the girls passing by didn't spare him a second glance—after all, he was just a lamb skewer vendor.

The young man set aside a few freshly grilled skewers. It was hot, making the grilling easy, but selling them was tough. At fifty cents for two skewers, they were cheap, but by the end of the day, he had barely made enough to buy two meals, just a few measly yuan.

Despite this, the young man showed no sign of dejection. Instead, a satisfied and serene expression graced his face as he sat on a small stool behind him. He watched the bustling, anxious scene before him as if it were the most beautiful landscape.

"Old Li, the money you promised the other day is due!" a jarring, raspy voice suddenly cut in from the side.

Three boys, barely twenty, approached with an air of swagger. The leader had spiked hair and wore a silver chain. His ripped jeans had multiple holes, and his gaunt face held a cigarette between his lips.

Old Li, a vendor selling fried snacks next to the young man, looked just as worried. Like the young man, he had barely any business in the scorching heat and was sitting idly, fretting.

"Well..." Old Li grimaced, "My young masters, please cut me some slack. Look at this heat, there's no business. How can I pay up?"

"Old Li, don't push your luck. If it weren't for Brother Feng protecting you, your stall would have been torn down long ago," one of the underlings threatened, mixing intimidation with flattery.

The thug, known as Brother Feng, grinned arrogantly. He patted the flunky on the shoulder and turned back to Old Li. "Whether you pay or not, I'm getting my money today. If you don't cough it up, I'll flip your stall right now!" He grabbed a sausage skewer, took a couple of large bites, and then threw the half-eaten skewer onto the ground.

Old Li was at his wits' end. He clutched a small bundle of bills tightly in his pocket, planning to hold out as long as he could. That money was for his wife's medical treatment—how could he bear to "offer" it to these scoundrels?

"I'll pay for him," the young lamb skewer vendor suddenly stepped forward. He pulled a few crumpled bills from his pocket, barely amounting to a hundred yuan, and handed them over. In a calm, detached tone, he said, "This is all I have. Old Li needs his money for urgent matters. You guys should show some mercy."

The thug squinted and chuckled, taking the bills and handing them to one of his lackeys. "Yang Chen, trying to play the hero again? You haven't even paid your own protection fee yet!"

Yang Chen frowned, feeling a mix of pity and frustration towards these young delinquents. So young, and already wasting their lives as thugs. But he wasn't their parent, and it wasn't his place to lecture them. He didn't want to stir up trouble, so he said plainly, "Tomorrow. I'll pay it tomorrow."

"Fine. I'm not unreasonable. We all need to cooperate—pay up and I protect your business. Simple as that. I'll be back tomorrow to collect." With that, Brother Feng swaggered off with his two henchmen, moving on to extort other street vendors.

Old Li's eyes were red with unshed tears. He looked at Yang Chen with a mix of gratitude and bitterness. "Xiao Yang, why do you do this? You keep paying those thugs for me. How can I ever repay you?"

Yang Chen shook his head slightly, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Don't worry about it, Old Li. We're neighbors—we have to look out for each other. Just take care of your wife and don't let those guys get to you."

"Old Li, don't say that. When I first came here, I didn't know anyone. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have a single friend. You helped me when I needed it, and this is how I repay you."

"You're a good kid... I don't know what to say..." Old Li sighed, knowing he couldn't win against Yang Chen's stubborn kindness.

Yang Chen smiled, a genuine smile that wasn't dimmed by the earlier extortion. "By the way, how's your wife doing?"

Gratitude filled Old Li's eyes. "Thanks to the money you lent us for her surgery, she's much better now. She just needs regular check-ups and some medication."

"That's good to hear. I hope she recovers quickly," Yang Chen nodded in satisfaction.

Old Li gave a bitter smile. "Xiao Yang, I will repay the money you lent us. If I can't do it before I die, I'll have my daughter continue paying you back. If it weren't for me, you could have used that money to open a decent shop instead of selling lamb skewers and dealing with those thugs."

Yang Chen shrugged. "I actually enjoy this life. Selling lamb skewers is simple, and it feeds me."

Old Li sighed, clearly frustrated. "Xiao Yang, you're only twenty-three or twenty-four. Other young men your age are either in college or working hard to climb up the career ladder. You don't even have a girlfriend. Do you plan to sell lamb skewers forever? Even if you're not worried, I am!"

Seeing Old Li's sincere concern, a trace of bitterness crept onto Yang Chen's face. It wasn't that he wasn't worried; it was that he had never even considered those things.

As night fell, Yang Chen packed up his stall and pushed his one-wheeled cart back to his rundown rented apartment. The building, of indeterminate age, had a monthly rent of just one hundred yuan—a price so low because no one else wanted to live there. Yang Chen, unafraid of the potential for collapse, saw the bargain and moved in.

Yang Chen's apartment was sparsely furnished, mostly with second-hand items he had scavenged from the streets: a bed, a cabinet, a chair, and an old TV that could only receive the central television station. After pushing his cart into the room, Yang Chen glanced at the calendar on the wall, calculated the date, and suddenly remembered something. He immediately rushed to the bathroom.

Within five minutes, he had taken a cold shower and stepped out, naked, with water still dripping from his body. His skin was a healthy tan, and his muscles, though not overly prominent, carried a subtle, masculine strength.

Standing by the large wooden cabinet next to his bed, Yang Chen scratched his wet hair in frustration, looking at the disarray of clothes inside. After some consideration, he finally chose a beige shirt and a pair of light linen pants. On his feet, he still wore his plastic sandals.

Once dressed, Yang Chen headed straight for the busiest commercial street in the western district—the only impressive street in the otherwise dilapidated area, known as "Bar Street."

The neon lights and vibrant nightlife had already taken over, with colorful skirts swaying and a variety of perfumes blending in the air. As he stepped into Bar Street, the urban atmosphere enveloped him immediately.

Yang Chen walked down the street, his eyes scanning the crowd. The lively energy of the place was infectious. Bar Street was a stark contrast to the rest of the western district, with its glittering lights and throngs of people seeking entertainment and escape. The cacophony of laughter, music, and clinking glasses filled the air.

He approached a familiar bar, its neon sign flickering slightly. Pushing open the door, he was greeted by a wave of cool air and the sound of live music. The bar was dimly lit, with a warm, inviting ambiance. He navigated through the crowd, nodding to a few regulars he recognized.

Yang Chen found a seat at the bar and settled in. The bartender, a middle-aged man with a friendly face, approached him.

"Evening, Yang Chen. The usual?"

Yang Chen nodded, smiling. "Yeah, thanks, Lao Wang."

As Lao Wang prepared his drink, Yang Chen leaned back, taking in the surroundings. Despite his modest life as a skewer vendor, he enjoyed these moments of respite. The bar, with its familiar faces and relaxed atmosphere, was a sanctuary of sorts.

Lao Wang placed the drink in front of him, and Yang Chen took a sip, savoring the taste. As the night wore on, he found himself immersed in conversations, sharing stories and laughter with the patrons around him. For a few hours, the worries of the day melted away, replaced by the simple joys of companionship and a good drink.

In this bustling corner of the city, amidst the clamor and chaos, Yang Chen felt a fleeting sense of peace.

Yang Chen didn't ogle at the women parading down the street, as many other young men might have done. Instead, he walked straight to the entrance of a bar named "ROSE."

The neon sign of the bar wasn't overly flashy, but it emitted a subtle allure, adorned with colorful rose-shaped lights. Inside, the bar exuded an ambiguous atmosphere, with its dim lighting and rose-themed decorations.

Upon entering, Yang Chen made his way to the bar counter and took a seat in a corner, feeling right at home.

"Chen Ge, you're here!" greeted a young bartender in a black vest, flashing a warm smile at Yang Chen and offering him a glass of water. "Rose Sister has been waiting for you."

Yang Chen returned the smile, accepting the glass and taking a sip. "Hope Rose Sister isn't angry. I got delayed on my way back home, so I'm a bit late."

"No, she's not angry at all," replied Xiao Zhao, his round face breaking into a mischievous grin. Leaning in closer to Yang Chen, he whispered, "Chen Ge, can you teach me your secret? How do you manage to catch Rose Sister's attention? You know, in Zhonghai City, there's a long line of men interested in our boss lady, stretching from the western district to the mouth of the river. But for all these years, I've never seen her take such an interest in anyone. Today alone, she asked me five times if you had come..."

"Don't talk nonsense. There's nothing between Rose Sister and me," Yang Chen replied with a hint of resignation, dismissing Xiao Zhao's playful banter.

With a "you'll never convince me otherwise" expression, Xiao Zhao continued, "Ah... Chen Ge, seriously, your aloofness is truly unmatched. To win over our boss lady, who's as beautiful as a celestial maiden, any other man would be sticking to her like glue every day. Only you, making her wait like this, it's so rare. They say the best things are the ones you can't have, and that applies to women too..."

Just as Xiao Zhao was playing the part of a love guru, a melodious yet authoritative voice interrupted him from behind. "Xiao Zhao, how many more times do I need to dock your salary?"

Xiao Zhao seemed to freeze as if an electric shock had passed through him. Upon snapping back to reality, he quickly sidestepped, pretending to be diligently mixing drinks as if nothing had happened. However, the cold sweat on his forehead betrayed his inner fear.

A stunning modern qipao hugged her curves, hinting at her alluring figure with every step. Her ample bosom, slender waist, and porcelain-like face framed by a few strands of light purple hair completed her captivating appearance. This young woman, akin to a figure from a painting, gracefully approached Yang Chen.

Yang Chen's eyes twinkled with a smile as he met her gaze without a trace of awkwardness. He sincerely said, "Rose Sister, you look beautiful. Happy birthday to you."

Rose Sister, touched by his genuine words, returned the smile. "Thank you, Chen Ge. Please, have a seat. Let's celebrate together."