However, Grace Bennett immediately realized it and hurriedly pressed down with her hand again. At the same time, she glanced at Jack Carter, only to see him lowering his head and gently massaging her foot, his expression so focused, so gentle, that for a moment Grace Bennett couldn’t help but be a little dazed.

“Alright, stand up and try walking. It should be fine now.” Just as Grace Bennett was staring blankly at Jack Carter, Jack Carter suddenly stood up and said with a smile.

“Uh, hmm, is it really better?” Grace Bennett was startled and stood up instinctively.

As soon as she stood up, Grace Bennett was surprised to find that her left foot, which had felt like it was being pricked by needles just moments ago, now didn’t hurt at all. She couldn’t help but exclaim in disbelief and delight, “Wow, it’s really healed! It doesn’t hurt at all! Jack, I didn’t expect it—you really have some skills!”

“Hehe, as long as you’re better, that’s good. I’ll go wash my hands first.” Apart from feeling a bit lacking in confidence about finding a job, Jack Carter was still very confident in the shamanic medicine he had learned. Seeing that Grace Bennett was fine, he wasn’t surprised at all. He smiled and said this, then turned and walked toward the restroom.

Watching Jack Carter’s back as he walked away, Grace Bennett suddenly recalled how Jack Carter had just been squatting in front of her feet, facing her parted legs at such close range, and her cheeks suddenly felt a bit hot.

After Jack Carter finished washing his hands and agreed with Grace Bennett to meet again at five o’clock at the BLUENIGHT bar, they parted ways at the entrance of KFC.

Now that he basically had a job lined up, Jack Carter lost interest in wandering around outside. After all, it was the height of summer—even though his cultivation had long since reached the point where he was impervious to heat and cold, he still felt a bit uncomfortable. Jack Carter walked to a nearby bus stop, waited a few minutes, and then caught the No. 35 bus and got on.

As Jack Carter boarded the bus, under the shade of a tree in the distance, the same bag-snatcher from earlier was lying on his motorcycle, watching the No. 35 bus from afar, a cold sneer curling at the corner of his mouth. When the No. 35 bus started up, he started his motorcycle as well and followed from a distance.

Bastard, don’t think you can just ruin my plans, take my money, and walk away! This isn’t over!

Jack Carter got off at the Deya Community, then slung his shoulder bag and strolled leisurely toward the complex. The bag-snatcher in the distance saw Jack Carter heading for the Deya Community gate, a look of hatred flashing in his eyes. He had already pulled a Motorola bar phone from his pocket and was dialing a number.

Deya Community is an old residential area near Victory River. Though the buildings are old and it’s not exactly in the city center, the environment is quiet and the rent isn’t expensive. When Jack Carter first arrived in Jiangzhou, he had two thousand yuan in his pocket and was confident about finding a job. Plus, because of his cultivation, there were many inconveniences, so he didn’t consider living in a company dormitory or renting a farmer’s house in the suburbs. Instead, he looked for an apartment in a residential community.

However, as one of the top economic cities in Jiangnan Province, apartment rents in Jiangzhou were still quite high. A one-bedroom usually cost six hundred, while a two-bedroom was over nine hundred. Rent was generally paid quarterly or even half-yearly. Although Jack Carter had two thousand yuan when he first arrived, he still couldn’t afford a one-bedroom apartment on his own. By chance, he saw an online post from a tenant in Deya Community looking for a roommate: a two-bedroom with a living room, bathroom, and kitchen, rent nine hundred, split between two people at four hundred fifty per month, paid quarterly. Jack Carter did the math—after paying a quarter’s rent, he’d have six hundred fifty yuan left, which, if spent frugally, should last until he found a job. Seeing that Deya Community was quiet, he arranged to meet the poster, a straightforward young man, and they became roommates.

Walking through the familiar community, thinking about having lived here for a month and a half and finally seeing a glimmer of hope for work, Jack Carter felt a sense of relief, as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining through. Unlike before, when he walked along the tree-lined paths, thinking of himself as a laborer supporting himself by carrying bricks on construction sites, yet “extravagantly” renting an apartment in a residential community, he always felt a bit like he was putting on airs.

Jack Carter’s roommate was called Brian Bolton, a salesman at a beer company in Jiangzhou. Last week, he was suddenly sent by the company to work in Jiangbei Province, so for the past few days, Jack Carter had been enjoying the “luxury” of a two-bedroom apartment all to himself, and life was quite pleasant.

Back in his room, Jack Carter washed his face, then picked up a book titled “Principles of Management” and lay on the bed to read.

In the past, Jack Carter had neglected his studies because of his shamanic cultivation, only finishing technical school in the county. Now, out in society looking for a job, he realized that a diploma was a hard requirement. So, after more than half a month of fruitless job hunting at the talent market, Jack Carter went to Xinhua Bookstore to buy books for the self-study exam in business management, preparing to take the exam next year to upgrade from technical school to junior college.

Deya Community was a bit far from Nanshan Road. After reading until a quarter past four, Jack Carter left the house.

At a quarter past four, the sun was still scorching the earth. Other than the endless stream of cars, there were still few pedestrians on the street.

Jack Carter had only walked a few dozen meters from the community gate when the sliding door of a Jinbei van by the roadside suddenly opened, and four burly men holding steel pipes jumped out. One of them was unmistakably the bag-snatcher from earlier.