Of course, our young master was just a little anxious. After he finished his meal and had a cup of tea, there were only about two hours left. Edward Clark checked his watch, sighed, and actually felt a bit nostalgic for the Hermit—at least he was all-knowing, always knew a bit about everything. But he wouldn’t take the initiative to contact him, because with him around, he felt like he was nothing at all!

After thinking for a moment, he finally went to collect his luggage. The landlord only cared about money, not people. Although his stuff was just a bunch of junk and not worth much, buying it all again would still cost a few hundred yuan. When he arrived at his new place, he saw his luggage had already swaggered out on its own, standing at the door, eagerly waiting for its owner to claim it. The “Iron General” (lock) had a new, unfamiliar face, but still looked just as stern and imposing!

If it were someone else, they’d probably argue with the landlord, but Edward Clark obediently picked up his luggage and handed the key to the landlord, thus beginning his wandering search for a new place to stay.

Big cities these days are really crowded. Everyone is fighting to squeeze into S City. Don’t even mention buying a house—just renting one is extremely difficult. Night had already fallen, and Edward Clark had resigned himself to the idea of sleeping in the park with his luggage for the night. But as the saying goes, heaven never seals off all exits—he looked up by chance and saw a white piece of paper stuck to a utility pole. The handwriting was delicate, but luckily his eyesight was good; he could see better without his glasses than with them. The note was simple: looking for a roommate, single room in a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment for rent, 500 yuan per month, utilities included!

Of course, there was also a line in small print below: roommate must have a proper job and no bad habits!

Edward Clark certainly didn’t think he had any bad habits, and he’d always worked in legitimate jobs—he was just currently unemployed.

“I’ll go check it out first.” Edward Clark was a bit delighted, secretly chuckling to himself, feeling like all the requirements were made just for him. No one else would even qualify to compete. He took out his phone and dialed the contact number, silently praying to Lord Guan that the place hadn’t been rented out yet. A woman answered, her voice crisp and clear. When she heard Edward Clark wanted to rent, she said the room was still available—just bring your luggage and you can move in anytime.

Edward Clark put down his phone, grabbed his luggage, and set off at a brisk pace, afraid that if he was even a little late, someone else would snatch the place first.

When he arrived at the rental, the environment was actually quite nice, and the air was fresh. The only flaw was that the mosquitoes buzzed like bombers. The building was old-fashioned, with no elevator, and the room was on the fifth floor. Piece of cake—Edward Clark carried his luggage up to the fifth floor without even breaking a sweat. He set down his luggage, straightened his tie, spat into his hand and slicked back his hair as if it were hair gel, took a deep breath, and finally knocked on the door. Since the landlord was a young woman, he had to make a good impression!

The door opened, and an old face peeked out, full of wrinkles. Edward Clark sighed—seems he’d guessed wrong. This wasn’t the young lady, but her grandmother. Still, he kept smiling warmly. The old woman, however, stared at Edward Clark like a thief and asked coldly, “Who are you looking for?”

Section Six: Reunion

Edward Clark looked at the old woman, hesitated for a moment, and said, “Is there a room for rent here?”

“No!” The old woman slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

Room 501? That’s right, it should be here, shouldn’t it? Edward Clark was a bit confused. He checked the doorplate and suddenly realized something was off—the paint on the number was peeling. It was actually 601! In other words, he’d rushed up one floor too many!

Edward Clark laughed at himself and slowly walked down a floor. This time, he found the right door and knocked gently twice. The door opened, and this time it was a young woman. Her shoulder-length hair was still damp—she must have just showered because of the heat. She had delicate features and was rubbing her hair with a dry towel. When she saw Edward Clark, she paused for a moment. “Here to rent?”

Edward Clark nodded, not sure how to start the conversation. Maybe being shy was a good thing. Maybe the girl saw his wide black glasses and thought he looked honest. She smiled, opened the door, and joked, “Come in and take a look. You even brought your luggage to view the place—did you bring the money?”

“My lease at the other place is up today, and I really couldn’t find anywhere else.” Edward Clark explained, thinking she was quite straightforward. He took out a thousand yuan. “If you think I’m suitable as a roommate, here’s two months’ rent.”

It wasn’t that he only had a little over a thousand left, but that he usually rented for two months at a time, three at most. So he generally did shared rentals and didn’t pay a deposit.

Even when moving, all his belongings fit in one suitcase, so he wasn’t afraid of any hassle.

The girl found it amusing. She’d seen honest people, but never anyone this honest. Her first impression was good. Of course, her view was different from Olivia Foster’s during interviews. Olivia Foster needed salespeople who were aggressive and presentable, but for a roommate, it was better to have someone honest. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have required a proper job. “Just pay for one month first. Don’t you want to see the room?”

Edward Clark nodded, stood up, and casually opened a door.

“Not that one!” the girl shouted, her voice sharp and piercing, louder than the noise limit.