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"Wang Hao?" He tried to keep his voice calm.
Wang Hao's body stiffened suddenly, halting his movements. He slowly turned around, forcing a smile that looked more painful than crying, his voice barely above a whisper. "Jiang... Brother Jiang... it's you? What a coincidence..." He couldn't even meet Jiang Tao's eyes, nervously rubbing his hands on his greasy pants.
"It is quite a coincidence," Jiang Tao nodded, glancing at him and his dilapidated cart. "So... are you working here now?"
"Yeah... just doing odd jobs for the Scrap Station, moving things around to make some pocket money." Wang Hao's voice dropped even lower, his face burning with embarrassment. He wished he could find a hole to hide in. Once upon a time, they had both entered the factory as apprentices together; now one was dressed in a suit and had become a big boss, while the other was here hauling scrap metal. The stark contrast made him feel utterly ashamed.
Seeing Wang Hao like this, Jiang Tao sighed inwardly. He knew that asking further would only make things worse for him. Looking at the sky, he said, "It's almost noon; you haven't eaten yet, have you? Come on, let me treat you to a meal."
"No... that's not necessary, Brother Jiang. I... I still have work to do..." Wang Hao quickly waved his hands.
"You can't work forever; you need to eat," Jiang Tao insisted without giving him a chance to refuse. "Come on, I know a noodle shop nearby that serves great food." He patted Wang Hao's shoulder and started walking toward the market exit.
Wang Hao hesitated for a moment but ultimately followed silently.
In the noisy noodle shop, two steaming bowls of beef noodles were quickly served. Perhaps it was due to hunger or because it had been so long since he had such a "lavish" lunch, but Wang Hao buried his head in the bowl and devoured the noodles hungrily, sweating profusely.
Jiang Tao remained silent, simply watching him eat and occasionally handing him a napkin.
After Wang Hao finished most of his bowl and seemed to calm down a bit, Jiang Tao finally spoke up. "What happened with Red Star?" Although he already knew the outcome, he still wanted to hear it from someone who experienced it firsthand.
At the mention of Red Star, Wang Hao's expression dimmed. "It collapsed... completely collapsed. After Director Ma was arrested, Master Qian and the others also fell into misfortune. The atmosphere in the factory became tense; no one wanted to work, and when equipment broke down, no one fixed it. In the end... it was shut down by higher-ups. Those of us without connections became lost souls..."
He briefly recounted his experiences after leaving Red Star—doing odd jobs here and there, working in small factories but never lasting long—until he ended up in this scrap market, barely scraping by through hard labor. His words were filled with helplessness about reality and confusion about the future.
Jiang Tao listened quietly without interrupting or commenting. Once Wang Hao finished speaking, he slowly said, "Wang Hao, let's not dwell on the past. We need to look forward."
He paused and looked at Wang Hao. "I’ve opened a repair shop in our city; it's doing alright business-wise and I'm short on staff. I noticed you learned some skills at Red Star and you're an honest worker. If you're willing, come back to our city and work at my shop."
Wang Hao suddenly looked up in disbelief. "Jiang... Brother Jiang? Are you serious?"
"Of course I'm serious," Jiang Tao nodded. "The salary will definitely be much better than what you're making now or what you made at Red Star. The work might be tough, but at least it's legitimate craftsmanship; if you do well, you'll be able to marry and support a family in the future."
Wang Hao's eyes turned red instantly; his lips trembled as he struggled to find words. He never imagined that during his lowest point, that once naïve young man he thought would surely come to no good—Jiang Tao—would extend a helping hand! The overwhelming gratitude and shame intertwined within him nearly brought him to tears.
"Brother Jiang... I'm so sorry... back then... when Director Ma and the others were targeting you, I... I didn't dare to speak up for you..." Wang Hao's voice choked with emotion.
Jiang Tao waved his hand dismissively. "It's all in the past now. Who would have dared to stick their neck out back then? I understand. I came to find you because you're honest and willing to work; that's enough for me. But let me be clear: at my place, there's no room for slackers. You must learn your craft diligently and work seriously; if you're lazy or try to cut corners, I won't go easy on you."
"I will! Brother Jiang! I'll definitely work hard! I'll do whatever it takes!" Wang Hao exclaimed excitedly as he stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over the table.
Jiang Tao gestured for him to sit down again and pulled out a hundred yuan bill from his pocket, handing it over to him. "Alright, this is an advance on your salary. Take care of things here and buy a train ticket back to our city. Just go directly to 'Jiang's Repair and Renovation Shop' near the market and report to Master Liu there; I'll give him a heads-up."
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