It was 2016, Vietnam. In Hanoi city, a dark night enveloped the entire city, making it many times more mysterious than during the day.
“Boom…Boom…”
Suddenly, thunder rumbled in the sky, and streaks of lightning flashed, illuminating a whole section of the sky. Immediately after, the sky began to pour down heavy raindrops, a downpour that sent everyone on the street scrambling for cover.
On a small street, on both sides stood rows of houses built in a straight, orderly fashion.
“Damn it, what terrible luck!”
A soft curse echoed in the silent, dark night. Looking closely, one could see a young man dressed in black, running quickly to find shelter from the rain.
Under the awning of a closed shop, the young man stared blankly at the pitch-black sky pouring down rain. An indescribable emotion welled up inside him, making tears well up in his eyes.
“Again… and again… Sigh!!”
Muttering a few words, he suddenly slumped down, his back against the door, staring blankly at the sky relentlessly pouring down rain. The sky was pitch-black, so much so that he couldn't even see the stars or the bright moon. Just like his life, he couldn't see any light, unsure of what would happen or which direction to go.
The young man's name was Đặng Dịch, 23 years old. His family was of average means, neither rich nor poor; the money they earned was enough for living, eating, and studying. Like many others, he had a dream, an aspiration: he wanted to become a writer. He wanted to write books that people would forever remember him by. He always strived to pursue his dream, and it seemed as though he was on the verge of achieving it. But then, reality was not like a dream, nor like a movie... One day, while returning from work, his father, Đặng Trung, was involved in a serious traffic accident. The medical expenses were extremely high, and of course, his family couldn't afford such exorbitant costs, so they had no choice but to borrow from loan sharks.
And everyone knows what happens when you borrow from loan sharks: his family became poorer and poorer, facing increasing hardship. Moreover, every month, the debt collectors would come to his house. If they couldn't get the money, they would smash things, tormenting him and his mother all this time, never leaving them in peace.
The lack of money forced him to put his dream aside and live for the present.
He took his excellent graduation certificate and went job hunting, from large companies to small ones, but he always received the same reply:
“Not enough professional experience. We regret that the company cannot hire you.”
And today was no different; after applying to a few more companies, he received the exact same answer. He looked up at the sky, which was pouring down rain, and felt as if the heavens were crying with him.
Lost in his surging emotions, he suddenly saw a strange-looking man dressed in bizarre clothes, wearing thick, round glasses that made him look even stranger. The man was staring at him with intense focus, stroking his chin and muttering,
“Hmm... not a bad physique... Tsk tsk…”
Hearing the man's words, a strange feeling rose in his heart. Suddenly thinking of something, he hastily stepped back and cautiously said:
“Hey, what’s with that look? Let me tell you, I know I grew up extraordinarily handsome, and both guys and girls are crazy about me, but I’m 110% straight, so please…”
Before he could finish, the other man cut him off:
“Damn it, I’ll beat you to death, you hear? What handsome? Are you delusional? And 110%? Are you some kind of mutant or something?!”
“Whoa, easy, easy, we can talk about it slowly. Haha, if you truly wish to know… I shall gladly tell you….”
“Stop, stop, what are you babbling about? Get to the point!”
“Alright, alright, just tell me already! It’s late, I still have to go home and read *Supreme System*….”
“Hmm… let’s see… Name: Dang Dich, 23 years old, 1.78m tall, resides at 66 ABC Street. Father, Dang Trung, was in an accident and is currently bedridden. Mother, Thu Lien, is too frail to find any work. Younger brother, Dang Thai, 12 years old, is currently in school, but due to the family’s financial difficulties, they are considering pulling him out. Dang Dich himself is well-behaved, filial, and an excellent student, having graduated from B University with honors, but has been idle for two months, unable to find a job. The entire family relies on his father’s disability benefits. The family is almost entirely unable to repay the debt of 769,000,000 Vietnamese Dong, blah blah blah….”
“Enough!!! Who are you, and why do you know so much about my family’s situation?!”
The other guy, who was still babbling blah blah blah, was startled by Dang Dich’s shout. His hands trembled, causing him to drop the document, which then floated away with the current.
“What are you yelling about? You startled me! Hmph, who I am isn’t important. What’s important is that I have a job that can help you earn enough money to pay off your family’s debts. Not only that, but there’ll be extra money for your family to live a better life, hehe….”
As he spoke, his gaze towards Dang Dich grew increasingly scornful. As if sensing his gaze, Dang Dich’s heart grew colder, and his rear involuntarily tightened. He took a deep breath and declared boldly:
“I’ve already said it, I, Dang Dich, even if I have to beg on the streets for a living in this life, I will never do that disgusting job to earn money, please….”
Before he could finish speaking, the other guy smacked him on the head.
“I don’t know what your brain is made of, always thinking such absurd things. I, Dinh Hoang, am a respectable man in society, with one wife and many mistresses. Get rid of those ridiculous thoughts right now!”
Dang Dich awkwardly scratched his head, chuckling, and said:
“Oh, really? Then tell me, what kind of job is it? If it’s good, I’ll raise both hands and feet in agreement, anything at all… except *that*… ah ha ha.”
Dinh Hoang didn’t say a word. He shot him a scornful look, then pulled a stack of documents from his chest and handed them to Dang Dich, saying:
“Here, take a look….”
Dang Dich took them, and looking at the cover, he saw a beautiful white wolf. Above the wolf were two exquisitely beautiful and sharp characters: “Thuong Thien.” This image greatly intrigued him.
“I….”
He was about to say he needed to go home and think about it when he suddenly froze, realizing that Dinh Hoang was no longer beside him. Startled, he looked around.
“Damn it, could it be a ghost…? Gulp.”
He looked at the documents in his hand again, and after looking them over, he finally noticed an address written on them. Only then did he feel temporarily at ease, putting the documents into his backpack. He looked up at the now clear sky and set off for home.
“Hmm, 69 XXX Street. I’ll go check it out tomorrow. I have to try my best to find a job to help my family…. Sigh… I can do this.”
He had been walking for a while when a cold gust of wind suddenly swept through the area.
“CRASH… meow….”
A cat had knocked over the nearby metal trash can lid.
“Umm…” a faint cry echoed in the dark, gloomy night, sounding very eerie. Suddenly, a figure emerged from below, stretching. He looked around for a moment, and seeing no one, he exclaimed in surprise:
“Oh no, where’s that brat? Oh dear, did I lose my target again? Waaah, why is my fate so miserable? I finally found a suitable person, and now… Aaaaaah… *cough cough*….”
Suddenly, that figure was Đinh Hoàng, whose appearance was now utterly horrifying. He had a plastic bag over his head, his white shirt was dyed pitch-black with mud, his face was smeared, and his mouth was full of dirt, making him look utterly disgusting.
“I’ll kill the son of a bitch who took this manhole cover! Don’t let me find out, or I’ll kill you, man or woman! Motherfucker, I’ve lived a good life, but this rotten luck is just unbearable… *hiccup, hiccup*… I’d better go home and hope that guy finds the address and comes, otherwise I’m dead for sure!”
As he walked, he cursed, patted his aching back from the hard impact, and cried, a truly pathetic sight.