David Bolton started laughing. “Brother Henry, where am I supposed to live after I move?”

Henry Clark reached out and gave him a pat on the head again, but this time it was much lighter than before—after all, he didn’t want to get a reputation for bullying an orphan in front of others.

“Are you stupid? The government won’t treat you badly. You know our relocation policy—there’s compensation money for demolition. You can use the compensation to buy a new house.”

David Bolton blinked. He really didn’t know much about this. “Demolition compensation? How much?”

Henry Clark sighed. “You’re as dense as a log. Talking to you is such a pain in the ass. It’s like playing music to a cow. I’m literally playing music to a cow.”

David Bolton still had a big smile on his face. “Bro, I’m dumb, and I don’t have much experience in society. How about this—you sit down, I’ll buy you a drink, and you patiently explain it to me.”

Henry Clark was stunned. This silly kid seemed different today—suddenly speaking so smoothly. You had to know, he was one of the most difficult cases among the relocated households, not just because he wasn’t too bright, but also because he was an orphan and a key target for community assistance.

Because of the demolition, his uncle Richard Bolton had directly reported it to the district, and the district had recently issued an order forbidding forced demolition.

Henry Clark signaled to the others to go order food first, then sat down next to David Bolton. David Bolton got him a glass and poured him a beer. After Henry Clark downed the beer, David Bolton, being very attentive, handed over a freshly grilled lamb skewer and quickly refilled his glass.

Seeing how well-behaved the kid was, Henry Clark felt his anger subside and nodded. “Kid, I watched you grow up. I know your family’s situation. That little broken house of yours isn’t worth much at all. Why are you holding out and refusing to move? Is it your uncle’s idea? Not to talk behind his back, but your uncle is no good. One day he might sell you off and you’d still help him count the money.”

David Bolton raised his glass and clinked it with Henry Clark, then downed his drink in one go. “Bro, how much compensation can I get for the demolition?”

“That little shack of yours is fifteen square meters, right? According to the current policy, it’s four thousand per square meter. You’ll get sixty thousand in total.”

Sixty thousand! David Bolton was overjoyed. You had to know, his monthly living expenses were only three hundred yuan, and today’s barbecue hadn’t even cost a hundred yet. With sixty thousand, at least for a while, he wouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet.

Even though he was thrilled inside, he didn’t show it at all. He pretended to be troubled. “Bro, I still don’t have enough to buy a house.”

“Bull! What house are you buying? Can you even afford it? The smallest resettlement apartment is eighty square meters, and the buy-back price for you guys is four thousand per square. For the extra sixty-five square meters, you have to pay yourself. Do you have two hundred and sixty thousand?”

Right now, let alone two hundred and sixty thousand, he couldn’t even come up with two hundred and sixty.

Henry Clark said, “Kid, let me teach you. With the compensation, at least you can improve your quality of life. Rent a one-bedroom apartment for a thousand a month—it’s just over ten thousand a year.”

“That means it’ll be gone in four years.”

Henry Clark thought to himself, why is this silly kid suddenly so sharp today? Was he just pretending to be dumb all along? He patiently advised, “Enjoy life while you can. Worry about the future when it comes. You look chubby and lucky—who knows, maybe you’ll win ten million in the lottery tomorrow.”

He downed the beer David Bolton poured for him in one gulp, got up to leave, and reminded David Bolton again, “Kid, think it over.”

David Bolton nodded. “Bro, I’ll give you an answer as soon as I can.”

Being called “bro” over and over made Henry Clark feel really good. He thought this chubby kid was much more pleasing than before. He went to sit at his friends’ table, but then heard David Bolton call out, “Bro…”

Henry Clark was puzzled. What now? He looked over and saw David Bolton with a bitter face. “Bro, I forgot to bring money…”

Henry Clark couldn’t help but laugh and cry. He waved his hand heroically. “Go on, go on, I’ll cover the bill!” Then he turned to his friends and said, “This blockhead, missing a screw, goes out without even bringing money…”

“Brother Henry is really righteous!”

“Loyalty above all!”

David Bolton still had one hundred seventy-three yuan and thirty cents on him. He had carefully counted it last night while tidying up his room—this was all the cash he had.

On the twelfth of every month, he would go to his uncle’s place to get his living expenses. It had been this way for three years. The 560 yuan in welfare was transferred directly to his uncle’s account, since David Bolton hadn’t turned eighteen yet and his uncle was his guardian.

In three days, it would be his eighteenth birthday. David Bolton had learned this from his ID card. Turning eighteen meant adulthood—he could handle many things on his own and would no longer need his uncle’s guardianship.

The first thing David Bolton thought of was the welfare money—he could finally get it all himself, without his uncle skimming 260 off the top every month.

After David Bolton tidied up, the little house had become neat and orderly. In the long years he’d spent in the Heavenly Court, he’d spent a lot of time doing odd jobs in the Doushuai Palace, so cleaning was a piece of cake for him.

It was just that his physical strength was really poor now—even tidying up a fifteen-square-meter room had left him utterly exhausted.