In this day and age, earning twenty or thirty yuan a day by handing out flyers as part of a work-study program is very common.

Emily Foster got excited. “Brother Bennett, wait a second, I’ll call my roommate. We can still scrape together 2,000 yuan.”

“You don’t know, Samantha is a rich lady. She makes over 200 yuan a day.”

“But Brother Bennett, don’t get the wrong idea, really don’t misunderstand. She just does some fashion shows at nightclubs, just catwalks, nothing shady.”

Eric Bennett, “……”

Nightclub catwalks, huh? Not bad, especially in an era when even graduates struggle to find jobs paying 800 or 1,000 yuan a month.

But in Beijing, if you’re willing to do fashion shows at nightclubs, serve drinks, a few hours a day, there are plenty of jobs and people making two or three hundred a day.

Brian Carter’s new girlfriend Lauren Harris, after graduating from fashion school, couldn’t find a regular job and was short on cash, wanted to get rich, so her first side gig was modeling at a bar.

Legit catwalks pay four or five thousand a month; the less legit ones pay even more.

Heaven and earth—want to know the difference?

The massive population of Beijing drifters—snakes have their own paths, rats have theirs.

Eric Bennett smiled again, “I’m not in a hurry, and you don’t need to be either. We’re neighbors, it’s normal to help out a little.”

He’s traveled through time and even has a system, so he has to be a good person.

Before Eric Bennett transmigrated, let’s not talk about that failed marriage.

He was a real veteran, with many relationships before marriage.

During marriage, he was very well-behaved for years, even quit going to clubs, had simple values—if he got sick, as a father, he’d have no face to see anyone.

Watching his kids run around in front of him, quitting everything except smoking wasn’t hard.

Not thinking about what might happen in the future, or whether he’d let his family down—that’s too far off. For now, just find a way to save Emily’s life. If he can, that’s a good thing.

The future is long—let’s see how it goes.

Three years after the divorce, even his handyman skills have… damn, handyman work has experience points too?! Even hard work is rewarded by fate? That’s ridiculous! “艹” is a kind of plant.

………………

A few hours later.

In the apartment shared by Emily Foster, her roommate Samantha, and another girl, Eric Bennett helped set up the new computer. As he booted it up and installed the software, Samantha smiled and said, “Brother Bennett, thank you so much for today.”

“How about we treat you to a big meal? Your fee is really too reasonable.”

Samantha’s full name is Samantha Smith, and she has a bunch of other names too.

Eric Bennett smiled, “Dinner sounds good. You buy the groceries, I’ll cook. One of my biggest hobbies outside of work is cooking.”

While saving others, you can’t neglect self-improvement!

Chapter 6: If You’re Not a Bit of a Chuunibyou When You’re Young, You’re Wasting Your Youth

Two hours later, at Emily Foster’s shared apartment.

After a sumptuous dinner—six dishes and a soup—were finished, and seeing his basic cooking skill gain another 7 experience points, Eric Bennett felt very satisfied.

There’s no way he’d wash the dishes—that would be too much…

Before leaving, Eric Bennett smiled and said, “Emily, I love cooking and experimenting with recipes. It’s just a personal hobby. If you ever don’t want to cook or eat out in the future—”

“You can buy groceries and come to my place. I’ll cook, you just wash the pots and dishes.”

Emily Foster replied politely, “How could we? That’s really too much to ask.”

Samantha Smith’s eyes lit up. “Sounds good, Brother Bennett. But tell me first, are you trying to pursue me? If you are, this isn’t sincere enough. If you’re not, I’ll bring groceries to your place every day to mooch a meal.”

Eric Bennett couldn’t help but laugh. “Really, I’m not. I just like practicing my cooking. Cooking two dishes for myself isn’t the same as making five or six for a group—the practice is doubled.”

He’d been in Xuan Te District for about ten days, still saving up for next month’s rent, and with three meals a day, each with at least two dishes and a soup, that’s three experience points per meal, sometimes four or five when hosting guests.

In these ten days, his cooking skill had increased by over 100 points—already at Cooking, Basic, (417/500).

At this rate, making a few more dishes per meal, he’d reach Intermediate Cooking a month or two early.

He was really curious what food made with Intermediate Cooking would taste like.

And after Intermediate, what’s the next level? Even Intermediate Driving needs a thousand experience points… that’s still a ways off.

Samantha Smith beamed, “Alright then, when we come over to mooch a meal, you can’t refuse. Seriously, Brother Bennett, your cooking is great. If there’s free food, I won’t be shy.”

She’s a nightclub fashion show model… and sometimes gets invited by customers for a few drinks or a late-night snack. If there’s a bargain and you don’t take it, you’re a fool.

Eric Bennett nodded, “Let’s get to know each other over time. You’ll see I’m a straightforward guy.”

With that, he left. Naturally, in Emily Foster’s apartment, a round of discussion and heated debate about him broke out—unavoidable.

Eric Bennett didn’t mind. A forty-year-old man, thick-skinned as a basic skill.

Especially when facing an eighteen-year-old beauty like Emily Foster, being thick-skinned means he’s unlikely to lose out.

………………

Another two days later.

All three girls—Emily Foster and her roommates—brought groceries to his place for two meals. After finishing his morning run, Eric Bennett got a call from Brian Carter.

“Mr. Bennett, I have a friend who wants to buy a computer, top-of-the-line, starting at ten thousand yuan. Are you in the neighborhood? This is a big order. If you handle it well, she’ll look good, and you could make over a thousand.”

Eric Bennett couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m here, thanks a lot.”