Chapter 634

Boni lay on his bed, looking at his mother. His mother wasn’t highly educated, but life had taught her how to face the world.

Being frank wasn’t necessarily the best choice.

But it was definitely not the worst.

“I know, Mom,” he said, having made his decision.

The next morning, he didn’t even go to arrange work, just told people to carry on as usual, and then took his best friend, Carl, to the Empire District.

Standing in front of that magnificent building, Boni was not distracted by it as he had been before, but was thinking about what might happen next.

Carl, on the other hand, was still the same as every time he had come here, looking at this luxurious building with amazement, seeing it as if it were a treasure vault, seeing countless riches.

“One day, I will have such a big house too!” he clenched his fist and thought to himself.

He and Boni had grown up together, both poor. After receiving the most basic education, they had entered society to start working.

Don’t be fooled by their appearance of being only sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen. In fact, they had already been working outside for two or three years.

The poor, whether they were the poor of the Federation, the poor of Dantra, the poor of the Empire, or the poor of Slad, all had a very hard life.

Exploitation, oppression, the whole society was like a huge block of lead, pressing down on people and making it hard for them to breathe.

Before the war broke out, his life was muddled. It wasn’t until he fled to the Federation and saw the life of luxury and debauchery here, and heard the stories of how even ordinary people could change their own destiny, that a seed was planted in his heart. Watered by desire, it silently took root and sprouted.

The two walked on the mirror-like patterned marble floor, both feeling a little inferior. They were out of place with the decoration here, and with the gentlemen who looked at them with a half-smile on their faces!

They were like clowns, making them wish they could hide in the shadows.

Following the secretary’s inquiry, the heavy, solid wood door was pushed open. The two were allowed to enter. They walked into the office. Lance had them sit opposite him and had the secretary bring them coffee.

“I thought your work would take a while longer to finish,” Lance said. This was actually a slightly warning or reminding remark.

He already knew who that scoundrel was. Originally, his purpose was to have Boni inquire, but in the end, he found out first.

He wanted to remind Boni who was the Boss and who was the employee.

Boni didn’t seem to understand the meaning in these words. There were some subtle, continuous changes in his expression.

Dilemma, hesitation, impulse, reason…

Many emotions appeared in alternation. In the end, he mustered up his courage and said softly, “Mr. Lance, I have something… I’d like to talk to you about.”

“A story!” Lance smiled and took a cigarette from the case, and at the same time motioned for them to help themselves. “I like stories. I hope this story can please me.”

“Go on, say what you want to say.”

Boni didn’t take a cigarette, but Carl took one. He couldn’t afford to buy such an expensive cigarette.

The moment he lit the cigarette with the desktop lighter, the rich aroma was definitely a different kind of enjoyment from the two-cent-a-pack cigarette in his pocket.

He even squinted his eyes in contentment, as if he were in the clouds!

Of course, this was just his own imagination. In fact, it wasn’t that magical.

Boni let out a heavy sigh. “Last time, you asked me to investigate the gentleman who organized the rally. I found him. His name is Hope Wright.”

Lance nodded. He knew all this. He signaled for Boni to continue.

“I’ve learned a little about Mr. Wright’s deeds. He has been committed to… helping the refugees solve their difficulties, has found many charitable organizations, and has also brought a lot of supplies and medicine.”

“I don’t know what to say. He hopes to attract people’s attention to the refugee group, so that more people will help us and keep us away from hunger and disease.”

He added a little emphasis to his tone. “Mr. Lance, Mr. Wright is also a good person.”

“Finished?” Lance asked.

This question made Boni not react for a moment, but he still quickly nodded. “Yes… no, I don’t know what to say. I feel… he’s a good person. We shouldn’t hurt him.”

Lance let out a puff of smoke and nodded noncommittally. After a few seconds, he asked, “What does that have to do with me?”

“Excuse me?” Boni thought he hadn’t heard clearly. “You mean…”

Lance emphasized again, “Whether he is a good person or a bad person, what does it have to do with me?”

“I only need his name, his information. As for whether he is a good person, who he has helped, who he has hurt, what does it have to do with me?”

“Just as whatever I plan to do, what does it have to do with you?”

He shook his head and said, “Boni, you are a good lad. You have some qualities that I admire. You don’t bow your head to life. I admire you very much.”

“I admire you, so I gave you a chance, not that life gave you a chance.”

“It will only constantly look for your weaknesses and then try to crush you.”

“You didn’t do what I asked you to do well. I’m very disappointed.”

He shook his head. “Although I still admire your noble character, it’s clear that we are not on the same channel.”

“I have lost confidence in our future cooperation. Perhaps you can go to that what’s-his-name… Wright?”

“Go and find a job on his side. His work should suit your taste.”

“You’re fired.”

“Sorry.”

In fact, he wasn’t that disappointed. A young man who hadn’t been beaten to despair by society yet, who still had some dreams and pursuits in his heart, that was quite normal.

Although Boni was a little upset, and it was hard for him to accept, he still respected Lance’s decision. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lance.”

Lance shook his head. “You haven’t done anything to be sorry for. I hope you won’t regret your decision in the future.”

“I’ll have Mello settle your salary for you. If you run into any trouble, you can come to me.”

“Although you no longer work for me, we are still friends.”

Boni nodded. “Sorry… and thank you.”

Carl looked at all this with a dumbfounded expression. Why did it happen so quickly?

He saw Boni stand up. At this moment, he could no longer continue to show his shock. He also stood up.

Then the two of them said goodbye to Lance and left the office.

The moment he walked out of the office, Carl pushed Boni. “Are you crazy?”

Boni shook his head. He was pushed and stumbled a few steps. He regained his balance and continued to walk outside.

Carl chased after him for a few steps. “You’ve lost this job. Do you know what that means?”

“It means we’ve lost our income. We’ll have to be like before, like a wild dog on the street looking for food!”

“Sorry, not one, but a group. You, me, and them!”

Boni quickened his pace. He didn’t want to talk about this here. People around had already started to look at them.

Carl also noticed this. He closed his mouth. The two of them quickly left the company. Standing at the door, Carl completely exploded. “Fuck, what the hell is on your mind?”

“What are we going to do in the future?”

“Follow that what’s-his-name Hope?”

“He values you because you have everything Mr. Lance gave you. If you lose all this, he won’t value you at all!”

“I always thought you were a smart person, but I didn’t expect you to be so stupid that you’re hopeless!”

“Enough!” Boni shouted. The pedestrians around all looked over here. He had to lower his voice again. “Mr. Hope is a good person. He does have some ambitions, but just as he said,”

“A beggar can only save another beggar, but a rich man can save us all!”

“He is trying his best to help more people, and I don’t want to be a bad person who hurts a good person!”

Carl was so angry he laughed. “So you’re going to trade our future for your Hope’s future?”

“What the fuck!”

“Don’t you know that no matter what you do, he’s a dead man!”

“Fuck, your brain really needs a doctor to check it out!”

Boni’s face was also very ugly. “Even if he is a dead man, I hope his death has nothing to do with me!”

After saying this, he turned and left. Looking at his good brother’s back, Carl for the first time felt that he was very naive, and also very stupid, so stupid that he didn’t know what to say.

He stood with his hands on his hips, his body full of anger, but he had nowhere to vent it. Just as he was about to turn around, he saw the main door not far away again.

He thought of something, a look of deep thought on his face.

The aftertaste of the expensive cigarette still lingered in his breath. After a few minutes, he seemed to have made some kind of decision and walked towards the company again.

The secretary was a little curious about this little guy who had just left and come back, but she still followed the procedure, informed Lance, and only after getting permission did she bring Carl in.

“Just you?”

Lance looked at him, as calm and indifferent as before.

Carl nodded. This time, Lance did not let him sit down.

In the past, they were Lance’s subordinates, and Lance would allow them to sit down. But now they were just ordinary people, and they had lost the qualification to sit opposite Lance.

Carl swallowed, a bit of fierceness in his heart.

He didn’t want to move out of the big house, didn’t want to go back to the New Port District to eat those stale foods that smelled of sourness. He didn’t want to live a poor and destitute life.

He wanted to be a person of a higher class!

“Mr. Lance, actually, yesterday Hope gathered us and said some things. I think you might be a little interested.”

Lance looked at him thoughtfully. Not long after, an expression appeared on his face. “Come, sit down and talk. I believe this is definitely another story, an interesting story.”

He had the secretary bring another new cup of coffee, and at the same time took out a cigar. “Want to try it?”

(End of a Chapter)