Edward Clark dropped off two more documents and then fled in a panic. Making him carry a briefcase every day, dressed to the nines, talking to clients and bowing and scraping like a grandson—he’d rather die than do it. As he was leaving, he saw Olivia Foster, saw her carrying a thick stack of documents toward the exit, and followed behind her at a leisurely pace—not stalking, just that there was only one way out.

He wasn’t sure if she was in a hurry or if there were just too many people, but bumping into others was inevitable. There were always a few ill-intentioned people trying to squeeze past and cop a feel, but she deftly dodged them. Edward Clark, on the other hand, was different; most people, upon seeing him, would keep their distance, afraid he might bump into them.

A young man, anxiously clutching his phone, rushed out in a hurry—probably having just received a call from a potential employer. It was so noisy here, like thousands of flies buzzing around your ears!

With a “thud,” all of Olivia Foster’s documents were knocked to the ground. She let out a low cry, not the usual shriek you’d expect from a woman, and shot the young man an annoyed glare. But the guy didn’t even look back as he dashed out—clearly, landing a job was far more important than saying sorry at this moment.

Papers were scattered everywhere, and passersby, oblivious, stepped right over them. A few resumes immediately got big, dirty shoe prints on them. Edward Clark couldn’t bring himself to step on the application materials, so he stopped, thought for a moment, then bent down to help Olivia Foster pick up some of the documents.

“Thank you.” Olivia Foster didn’t even look up, quickly gathering her papers—even the ones with footprints, she took them all, clearly taking this job fair very seriously. It was only when she saw those dusty leather shoes that she paused, and when she looked up and saw Edward Clark, she almost blurted out that famously mistranslated English phrase: how old are you?

Anyone who actually knows English knows how to translate that, but according to Chinese habits, it means: why is it always you!

Edward Clark clapped his hands, looking quite pleased with himself, as if waiting for the beauty to invite him for tea. He didn’t expect her to just roll her eyes at him, point at his feet, and only then did Edward Clark notice there was still a document at his feet. When he picked it up, the beauty, in a voice barely louder than a mosquito, said, “Thank you.” Then she turned and left, leaving Edward Clark standing there like a block of wood.

Once he left the job market, Edward Clark could no longer see the beauty—just a sea of “dinosaurs” everywhere. Shaking his head, he suddenly had a thought, and pulled out that strange object again. Edward Clark called it the Universal NPC. Oh, of course, with Edward Clark’s current suburban London English level, he couldn’t have come up with such a creative name, but he didn’t have to rack his brains, since those words were clearly printed on it. As for what NPC meant, he couldn’t be bothered to look it up.

Sure enough, the red light started flashing. Edward Clark pressed the answer button irritably. “Aren’t you annoying?”

A couple walked by, glancing curiously at Edward Clark. “Looks like a new model phone?”

“Buy me one,” the girl, whose waist was as thick as a barrel, whined coquettishly.

“Looks like a knockoff,” the man said with disdain. “Look at him—does he look like he can afford a name brand?”

“True,” the woman replied, equally scornful. To emphasize her contempt, she nearly spat right in Edward Clark’s face.

Edward Clark ignored their attitude—he was probably numb to it by now. Why care so much about what others think? It’s not like it’ll make you gain a few pounds. “Hermit, can we negotiate?”

“Negotiate what?” The old voice on the other end was always calm and unhurried.

“For example, you disappear for a few months, and I’ll treat you to a meal?” Edward Clark groaned inwardly—why was he being so masochistic?

There was a pause. “Why didn’t you let me help you track down White Skinned yesterday? Don’t you know you were using the dumbest method?”

“Really?” Edward Clark replied indifferently. “But I like it that way!”

There was a long silence. Just when Edward Clark thought he’d driven the other person mad, the voice finally replied, “Do you want me to help you find a job?”

“No, no.” Edward Clark sighed and shook his head quickly. “I interviewed at two companies today. Both said I have potential in sales, and one even wanted to hire me as a sales director. But I know my own limitations, so I politely declined.” After talking for a while with no response from the other side, he couldn’t help but ask, “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking you not only have potential in sales, but also in bragging.” With that, the call was cut off.

Edward Clark stared at the Universal NPC for a while, then curled his lip and muttered, “Nutcase!”

……

Originally, he’d planned to find a job before worrying about renting a place, but now it was urgent. Edward Clark sighed—he couldn’t afford to think too much. He had to find a place to stay today, or else he’d have to take his luggage and bunk under a bridge with the homeless. Checking the time on his phone, he saw he had four hours left, and started to feel a bit anxious.