Jack Carter had never been to a bar in his life, and of course, he didn’t have the money to spend in such places. In his impression, bars were places of dazzling lights and wild revelry, where men and women sought pleasure. If it had been before, when he had just graduated, Jack Carter wouldn’t have even considered working at a bar. But as that purse-snatcher said, “It’s this damn life that’s forced us,” all of Jack Carter’s belongings, plus the fifty yuan he’d just “stolen from a thief,” only added up to one hundred and fifty yuan. If he didn’t find a job soon, he’d probably end up on the streets next month. So, upon hearing the suggestion, Jack Carter didn’t immediately refuse Grace Bennett’s kindness, but instead began to consider working at a bar.

Of course, Jack Carter could also go to a construction site to carry bricks—he was strong, and foremen usually liked that. But Jack Carter really hated those dusty places; he preferred cleanliness, and compared to a construction site, a bar was obviously cleaner.

“Welcome to KFC.” Just as Jack Carter was considering whether to work at a bar, the two of them had, without realizing it, pushed open the door to KFC, and a very formulaic greeting sounded in their ears.

A row of uniformed staff stood behind the counter, and above them on the wall were pictures, names, and prices of various KFC foods and drinks.

The moment he saw those numbers representing stacks of RMB, Jack Carter instinctively touched his pocket, and without any further hesitation said, “If Miss Bennett can help introduce me to a job at a bar, that would be perfect.”

As he spoke, Jack Carter helped Grace Bennett find a seat.

“What’s with the Miss Bennett? That’s so awkward, just call me Grace! Everyone does.” Seeing Jack Carter so formally and politely address her as “Miss Bennett,” Grace Bennett immediately rolled her eyes at him and complained playfully.

Jack Carter smiled and said, “Alright then, Grace, you sit here first, I’ll go order the food, and we’ll talk about the job later. By the way, what do you like to eat?”

“Get me a number two combo, and order whatever you like for yourself.” As she spoke, Grace Bennett took a hundred-yuan bill from her bag and handed it to Jack Carter.

A hundred yuan was more than enough for two people to eat at KFC.

Although they had already agreed that Grace Bennett would treat, as a grown man, how could Jack Carter feel comfortable taking a woman’s money to order food? So he didn’t take the money, but smiled and said, “Let me treat you, as a thank you for helping me find a job.”

After saying that, he turned to go order, but just as he turned, Grace Bennett reached out and grabbed his hand, forcibly stuffing the money into his palm, rolling her eyes as she said, “Business is business. Once you get the job, I don’t mind if you treat me to a nice meal.”

Seeing Grace Bennett insist, Jack Carter could only go along with her.

He ordered a number two combo for Grace Bennett and a number three combo for himself. After paying, Jack Carter carried the tray with both meals back to the table and returned the remaining money to Grace Bennett.

When he handed the money back to Grace Bennett, Jack Carter felt his cheeks flush a little, feeling quite embarrassed, but Grace Bennett acted completely natural.

The two sat facing each other, and only then did Jack Carter have the chance to observe Grace Bennett up close.

Grace Bennett wasn’t the kind of woman who would take your breath away at first glance, but she was definitely pretty. Her short, ear-length curly hair was dyed golden brown, and with her big eyes and bright red lips, she looked full of youthful energy, with a hint of wild allure.

“Our bar is called BULENIGHT, which means ‘Blue Night’ in Chinese. As a waiter there, the internship monthly salary is 1,300, and after becoming a full employee it’s 1,600. But some customers at the bar give tips, so if you do well, earning three or four thousand yuan a month isn’t hard. The bar gives one day off per week, work starts at six in the evening, and there’s no fixed time to get off—it depends on the customers. In summer, it’s usually a bit later, around two or three in the morning; in winter, it’s earlier, maybe around one. Think it over—if you’re interested, I’ll call the boss and let her know, so she doesn’t hire someone else.” Grace Bennett explained the bar job to Jack Carter while eating her chicken wing.

In 2003, wages in Jiangzhou City were generally low. Intern salaries in most companies were around eight hundred to a thousand yuan, and after becoming a full employee, about 1,200. For a vocational school graduate like Jack Carter, it would be even lower. So when Jack Carter heard that a bar waiter’s internship salary was 1,300, and that good waiters could earn three or four thousand a month, that was already equivalent to the salary of a middle manager in a small company. Hearing this, Jack Carter was both surprised and tempted, and said, “Grace, I’ve never worked in a bar before. Do you think I have a good chance if I apply? Would it make things difficult for you?”

Grace Bennett looked Jack Carter up and down, and only after he showed a hint of awkwardness on his face did she smile and say, “Don’t worry, you look good—perfect for working in a bar. As for experience, once you’re there, someone will train you on how to serve customers.”

Jack Carter did look pretty good, with a fairly handsome face, a well-proportioned build, and a height of 1.76 meters, which was considered quite good in Jiangnan Province.