China, Qi State, 2 PM.
On the thirteenth floor of a rundown apartment building, in a rented room less than ten square meters, a despondent young man sat at the edge of the bed, blind in both eyes, weak in both hands, holding a knock-off phone.
He had just received three phone calls. His mood had dropped to the lowest point, his entire being immersed in a feeling of despair.
The first call was from the personnel manager at a KFC restaurant, who politely said, "Chen Ye, we regret to inform you that after comprehensive assessment, you did not pass your summer evaluation. Your salary will be settled at 1 PM. You might want to look for another job."
The second call was from the landlady, who fiercely urged him over the phone, "Chen Kai, tomorrow is the end of the month. If you don't pay the rent, the old lady will evict you."
