David Clark was amused to the point of throwing his head back in laughter, and the girl also started laughing. Paul Grant blushed deeply, mustered up a lot of courage, but still didn’t give Sam Parker the finger. David Clark spoke up, “Alright, don’t bully Paul. See? He doesn’t even know how to curse.”

　　True enough, Sam Parker felt embarrassed, poured some water for Paul, and started reciting doggerel, “We’re both struggling souls in Beijing, meeting here is fate. Anyway, I’m leaving tonight. I’ll call you when I get to the new place. If things don’t work out, come find me.”

　　“You’re leaving?” Jill King spoke up, curious, her voice crisp and clear.

　　“Yeah, leaving tonight.” Sam Parker sat down with a smile.

　　“Then if you’re leaving, why did you still come for the interview?” Jill King was puzzled.

　　“Well, my train’s tonight, so I came for a free meal. It’s nice here—air conditioning, good food, way better than the basement I live in. Damn, it’s like sleeping in a sauna every day.” Sam Parker said guilelessly, letting his true intentions slip.

　　Jill King pressed her lips into a slight smile and lowered her head, only to find David Clark staring at her from an angle. Oh, his gaze was focused on her hand holding the teacup. She instinctively pulled her hand back as if shocked, a flash of silver on her wrist—a pretty accessory.

　　David Clark said nothing, but the more he looked at today’s unexpected companions, the more interesting he found them.

　　It seemed everything was ready, and as they chatted, the dishes started arriving. First up was yellow wine chicken, which was quickly devoured and left in a mess. Jill King hadn’t even started eating when Sam Parker had already picked two chicken drumsticks for her. She felt a bit embarrassed by his attentiveness, but David Clark reassured her, “It’s fine, don’t feel pressured. San’er may not always do good things, but he’s not a bad guy. He sees you as a little sister.”

　　“Yeah, when I strike it rich, I’ll come back and take you all out to eat every day.” Sam Parker said, chewing with his mouth full, not forgetting to add that.

　　The way he said it made Jill King want to laugh. She took a small bite to taste, and suddenly noticed David Clark sneaking glances at her again. In an instant, she changed her demeanor, grabbed the drumstick and took a big bite, then glanced at David Clark. David Clark smiled, and that smile made her feel completely ill at ease, as if her privacy had been invaded—nervous and uneasy.

　　Dish after dish arrived, and they ate ravenously at first, but gradually slowed down. Halfway through, Paul Grant looked at how calm David Clark was and asked, “David Clark, what do you think will happen after we finish eating?”

　　“After we eat, we pat our butts and leave. Who cares.” Sam Parker said.

　　“What do you think?” David Clark didn’t answer, but suddenly turned to ask Jill King.

　　“I…” Jill King seemed embarrassed. “It should be fine, right? They’re not going to make us wash dishes to pay for the meal, are they? We’re eating with meal vouchers.”

　　“Exactly, what’s there to worry about? Isn’t this a work meal?” Sam Parker said.

　　David Clark smiled, and even Paul Grant could sense something was up. He asked, “Hey David Clark, don’t act all mysterious, like you know what’s going on.”

　　“I actually do know a bit. This isn’t your first time out in the world, is it? You still don’t get the tricks in recruitment?” David Clark shot back.

　　“What do you mean?” Paul Grant was confused.

　　“There are only a few types of recruitment. The first type is what big companies prefer: graduates from prestigious universities, preferably local, with work experience, able to handle things independently—the higher your qualifications, the higher your salary.” David Clark said. Clearly, none of them at the table fit this category. He continued, “The second type is those small private companies, where things get complicated. They offer good terms, tell you the probation period is three months, but maybe it’s just because they’re short-staffed and only need you for three months. These days, companies won’t casually sign contracts with you… And if business goes bad, they’ll lay people off without a second thought.”

　　“Sigh… After more than ten years of schooling, I get out into society and realize I’m still useless. Not even a small company wants to hire someone like me from out of town. At best, they hire me temporarily, then send me packing.” Paul Grant said gloomily.

　　“That’s what they call ‘knowledge changes destiny.’” David Clark said, making Jill King burst out laughing. Sam Parker was unconvinced and leaned in to ask, “What about me? I barely went to school.”

　　“You…” David Clark looked at him seriously and commented, “Looks change destiny. You were born with a prince’s face, but ended up looking like a macaque.”

　　Sam Parker was so mad he threw his spoon, but David Clark was quick and caught it. Jill King said a few words to calm the fuming San’er, and David Clark just laughed it off, moving on to the last type of recruitment.

　　“There’s one more type—odd jobs. If this place doesn’t work out, you go to another. Always thinking the grass is greener, quitting, applying, quitting again, applying again, hopping from job to job, but never breaking out of the cycle. That’s us—only we’re even worse off.”

　　He chewed slowly, and when the soup arrived, he ladled it out for everyone. For a moment, the joy made them forget their troubles. Sam Parker, since he was leaving anyway, didn’t listen at all. Paul Grant, just went with the flow, not wanting to touch on such a depressing topic. When David Clark handed the soup to Jill King sitting across from him, the girl looked at him with her big, sparkling eyes and curiously asked, “So what does this count as?”

　　“You mean today?” David Clark said.