The Game of Life-Chapter 689 - 688: Running into 996

Chapter 689: Chapter 688: Running into 996

After leaving Taifeng Building, Jiang Feng did not immediately choose a barbecue restaurant, nor did he go to the supermarket to buy the items Wu Minqi had asked for. He wandered aimlessly along the road, brushing past countless pedestrians without knowing how long he had walked. When he snapped back to reality, he found himself back at the entrance of Taifeng Building.

Initially, he just felt anxious and uncomfortable inside. He had felt better after accompanying Peng Changping to the market that afternoon. Now, for some reason, after leaving Taifeng Building, Jiang Feng felt an unprecedented level of anxiety. It might have been more than just anxiety—a tangled mess churned in his mind, with a voice urging him to unravel it, but he could not even find an end to pull on.

The tangled mess had only gotten tighter and more chaotic, frustrating Jiang Feng and even making him feel a bit panicked.

Jiang Feng stopped at the entrance of Taifeng Building.

He did not know how long he had been walking just now, but it must have been quite a while since he could see the diners waiting for their food through the carved wooden window lattices of Taifeng Building.

Jiang Feng looked up and glanced at the sign hanging above.

...

Taifeng Building.

A very rustic signboard, full of a sense of history, which stood out conspicuously among the other shop signs on the street. Jiang Feng had previously seen online comments praising the design of Taifeng Building’s sign for its vintage, historical charm.

Only Jiang Feng knew that this sign was even older than the restaurant itself.

From the beginning, the restaurant had changed and moved, but the sign had not.

This sign had come from Outside the Pass to Beiping a century ago and was hung on this building. From then on, this building was Taifeng Building.

Wherever the sign went, there was Taifeng Building.

Jiang Feng kept looking at the sign, feeling a lot more at ease.

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“Hey, buddy, did you just go in…” While Jiang Feng was looking up, someone patted him on the shoulder.

Jiang Feng turned around and was surprised to find it was 996, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time.

Jiang Feng hadn’t seen 996 for a while, feeling like he hadn’t seen him since the Lunar New Year. In the evenings, when he and Wu Minqi left work, they no longer ran into 996.

“Hey, sorry, I thought I recognized you. Wait, haven’t I seen you somewhere before?” 996 asked.

“Last year, I used to encounter you often on the road up ahead when I got off work at night,” Jiang Feng pointed to the road in front.

“Oh, no wonder! You always walked with your girlfriend, and I practically ran into you every time. That’s really a coincidence; did you also come to Taifeng Building to eat?” 996 suddenly realized.

Jiang Feng shook his head: “I was just passing by.”

“Do you often come to this restaurant to eat?” Jiang Feng asked curiously, not expecting that 996, who he used to encounter every day, was actually a regular of Taifeng Building.

“Once a week, maybe,” 996 glanced at Taifeng Building, “Initially, I came for their Li Hongzhang hodgepodge, but then found that their other dishes were also tasty. It’s a bit expensive, but the flavor is really good, so I come now and then for a meal.”

996 looked at his cheap wristwatch: “Did you switch jobs?”

“What?”

“I switched jobs too,” 996 said, starting to talk as if to himself, gave Jiang Feng a glance, and let out a sigh, “The new job is quite stressful, isn’t it? I remember you used to look happy working late like me every day. Buddy, it’s fate that we met today; let me treat you to some oden at the convenience store nearby. Their oden is really good.”

Jiang Feng: ?

And thus, Jiang Feng was led into the convenience store by 996, who was both an old acquaintance and a stranger.

The convenience store owner, seeing it was Jiang Feng, was unsurprised: “You’re here.”

996, thinking the owner was greeting him, felt a bit happy, bought two identical sets of 24-piece oden, and dragged Jiang Feng to sit down at a table inside.

996 first ate an egg, then noticing Jiang Feng didn’t move, said: “It’s really tasty, I’m not lying to you. You can start with the radish; it’s the best here. With so much work pressure, we, who have only worked a few years and don’t have money, can’t entertain ourselves by spending like the rich. Eating is the best way; it really relieves stress.”

As he spoke, 996 started eating by himself.

Moved by such an act of kindness from a stranger, Jiang Feng felt the weight on his chest significantly lightened, and his mood improved a lot. He nodded and joined 996 in eating oden.

“Buddy, we may not have really known each other but we’re still familiar. What do you do for work?” 996 asked.

“I studied optoelectronics in college and graduated this year,” Jiang Feng said.

“Oh, optoelectronics, that should be in the field of engineering, right? So you must have been interning before. They worked you hard, making interns stay late. Have you been hired on permanently?”

“Sort of… hired on permanently,” Jiang Feng said with a mix of laughter and helplessness.

“If you feel the work pressure is too much, don’t force yourself. It’s fate that we met today, so I’ll tell you the truth, and don’t be upset. Money can be earned at any time, but you only have one life. It’s not worth destroying your health for money. By the way, you finished work quite early today,” 996 suddenly realized.

“The boss let me leave early today,” Jiang Feng said.

996 nodded, “Then your boss is still decent, saw that you weren’t doing well and let you leave work early.”

Hearing 996 say that, Jiang Feng felt a bit strange. He was just standing at the entrance of Taifeng Building, looking at the sign. Although it was odd, how did 996 know he wasn’t feeling well?

You should know that at that time, he was facing away from 996, and 996 had just patted his shoulder directly.

“How did you know?” Jiang Feng asked.

“Ah, I recognized your back; thought you were one of our Li Hongzhang hodgepodge’s dining buddies,” 996 explained.

Jiang Feng: ???

“Li Hongzhang hodgepodge is a dish at Taifeng Building. That dish is really something, relieves stress. Cry it out after eating and all pressure is gone. It’s also quite expensive, the portion is generous, and it’s limited edition, so we have this group where we get together to eat there from time to time. Our group isn’t the only one; there seem to be a few others. The group owners seem to know each other and coordinate to avoid conflicts,” 996 rambled off topic, “Unfortunately, the chef who makes the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge seems to be away on a trip, been gone for more than two months now. I just saw you and thought you were a dining buddy, wanted to ask if that chef had come back yet.”

Jiang Feng: …

Believe it or not, I am that chef.

“Should be back sometime soon, definitely by July,” Jiang Feng said.

996 sighed, “Hope so.”

“By the way, you were asking how I could tell, right? Do you even need to ask? I was exactly like you before I changed jobs, otherwise how would I have mistaken you for a dining buddy?”

“It’s not because of work pressure.” Faced with someone who didn’t know him at all, Jiang Feng felt able to explain.

“I get it, not enough money, right?”

Jiang Feng: ?

“Ah, it’s so hard to find a job these days. It was the same for me when I had just graduated, worked every day. They said it wasn’t 996, but in reality, it was. Sometimes, just when I could finally rest on a Sunday, the boss would call and I had to go to the office. If I was late, I’d get scolded. Apart from problems, colleagues would just pass the buck. Whichever one of us was junior, it was their fault. I felt I was going insane at that time, every day after work I was in a daze. Back then I was so envious of you walking with your girlfriend.”

“The salary wasn’t much either, hardly anything left after paying rent and living expenses. Beiping’s housing prices are so high, didn’t know how many years it would take to save for a down payment.” Social animals have the same tearful history of their own bitter pasts, “But all these aren’t really anything. Everyone gets by like this. Just having a job after graduation is good enough, and you can’t expect a high salary. Having social security and housing fund is already not bad, at least there’s some protection.”

“Is there anything else?” Jiang Feng asked.

“Sigh,” 996 took a deep breath, “It’s just not wanting the parents to know, right? Sometimes I was short of money but didn’t dare to call them, afraid they’d worry. On weekends I had to steal photos from other people’s social media to pretend I was out having fun instead of working overtime. Even had to save photos of eating out with colleagues, sending a couple to them from time to time to keep them at ease.”

“Actually, what pressure do I really have? The pressure is all given by others, and also by myself, not wanting to worry the family. Things are already tough, but still have to act like I’m doing fine. But now it’s better, I’ve come to terms with it and switched to a job that pays less but is more relaxing. You should also take it easy and not put so much pressure on yourself.”

“How about this, let’s exchange WeChat contacts. If that chef at Taifeng Building comes back, I’ll call you and treat you to a meal. I’m telling you, the Li Hongzhang hodgepodge is really effective. Have a good cry after eating and all the pressure is gone. What seemed like a huge deal before will seem like nothing after,” 996 proposed.

“Ah, thanks,” Jiang Feng paused, then took out his phone and added 996 on WeChat.

Luckily, he generally didn’t post on his social media, so his profession wouldn’t be obvious from his posts.

“Let’s leave it at that for now. Let’s get together another time if there’s a chance. I gotta head out,” 996 stood up.

Jiang Feng quickly stood up to express his gratitude, “Thanks a lot.”

“No problem, just a small favor. It’s tough for everyone out there, happy to help a bit where I can,” 996 smiled and left.

Jiang Feng sat back down, pondering the words 996 had said to him.

It seemed like he knew what he was anxious about now.

996 was right. The pressures of life, work, none of those really mattered. The real pressure and anxiety that troubled him came from the concern of family and friends.

Qiqi was so worried about him lately that she always spoke carefully; Wang Xiulian was so worried about him she even forbade the staff to discuss business-related matters in the work group.

His family, loved ones, friends, they were all concerned about him, wanting him to concentrate without other distractions to seize the opportunity to learn from Peng Changping. This concern had become a weight pressing on his chest. As the proficiency scraping progress slowed, the S-grade broth remained unaccomplished, that burden grew heavier and heavier until just now when Qiqi thought he had improved and told him the truth, and it completely crashed down on him.

Maybe 996 was right; he really did need a serving of Li Hongzhang hodgepodge to vent the pressure in his heart.

Jiang Feng took out his phone and realized it was almost 6 p.m. He hurriedly messaged Wang Hao.

Jiang Feng: Mouse, have you gotten off work? The barbeque place near my home, hurry over.

Before indulging in Li Hongzhang hodgepodge for relief, might as well let loose with his goofy roommate over a barbecue meal first.

Can’t let the treat go to waste.