Chapter 5: Desire = Suffering, The Human Heart is unpredictable
That night, at the Royal Grand Hotel downstairs...
After a hearty meal and a short rest, Dan Siji, dressed in a well-tailored suit, arrived at the location.
However, don't misunderstand—he wasn't here as a customer. A high-end place like the Royal Grand Hotel was definitely not somewhere a person with financial struggles like him could casually enter.
So why was he here? Of course, it was for a livelihood.
He walked into the elevator with ease, reaching the top floor, and casually entered the bar named "Angel's Stairway."
After quickly changing clothes in the staff locker room, Dan Siji made his way to the bar counter.
"Morning, Kawasaki." As soon as he reached the counter, Dan Siji greeted the female bartender beside him.
"Morning." Although she really wanted to say "It's already late," Kawasaki Saki, who was used to the demeanor of young boys, held back and simply responded.
Kawasaki Saki, dressed in a bartender uniform similar to Dan Siji's, had her long hair tied in a high ponytail, white with a hint of blue, cascading all the way down to her legs.
A beauty mark under her right eye added the perfect touch, giving her a cold, dominant vibe, but somehow also a vulnerable, tearful charm.
Though she seemed to be around sixteen or seventeen, there was an air about her that made her seem like a seasoned office worker who had been through many battles.
However, Dan Siji, who knew her well, was aware that she was really only seventeen...
In fact, when he first saw Kawasaki Saki at the bar, Dan Siji was quite shocked.
After all, her white-blue long hair was so distinctive that Dan Siji recognized her almost immediately.
Her arrival had also put some pressure on him. Normally, the bar operated on a shift system, so Dan Siji would usually be the only one behind the counter.
As a high-end bar, it was focused on a quiet, peaceful atmosphere, so the customer flow wasn't as high as a regular bar. One person could manage without it being too hectic.
But the good times didn't last long—previously, the worker who handled the night shift had resigned, and since Dan Siji was underage, he couldn't take on the night shift. That's when the boss hired a new person.
And so, Kawasaki Saki, this "roll master," was brought back.
Dan Siji called her "roll master" because she lied about her age and took both the morning and night shifts.
Due to her excellent performance, the boss immediately raised her salary to five thousand Chinese Yuan a month and even considered firing Dan Siji.
"I say, Kawasaki..." After sending off another customer, Dan Siji glanced at Kawasaki and hesitated before speaking.
"Hm? What is it?" Kawasaki asked with a neutral expression.
"Could you stop being so 'roll' all the time? The boss has already deducted a thousand Chinese Yuan from my salary, and if this continues, I might lose my job..." In the end, Dan Siji couldn't hold back.
Sighing, Kawasaki's tone was full of helplessness. "If you were a bit more diligent, you wouldn't need to worry about being fired... Maybe the boss would even give you a raise."
However, Dan Siji didn't quite agree with this. "Kawasaki, you're too naive. It's obvious you've never experienced the harsh realities of society."
Kawasaki: "..."
"You see..." Dan Siji noticed her subtle expression and quickly tried to explain.
"You work hard every day, and the boss raises your salary to five thousand; I'm just coasting along, and the boss gives me only three thousand."
"But even though the boss has deducted from my salary, he still wants to fire me. So, I think the maximum amount he's willing to spend is probably around eight thousand."
"Therefore, even if I were as diligent as you, the boss probably wouldn't give me a raise, and your salary could even drop back to four thousand Chinese Yuan."
"What's worse is, if I make any mistake now, the boss might just fire me and keep you alone to work both shifts for four thousand Chinese Yuan."
While wiping a wine glass, Dan Siji analyzed the situation seriously. Meanwhile, his mind was buzzing:
Now, I mustn't do anything extra. The phrase "Desire leads to suffering, and the human heart is unpredictable" is exactly how things are with bosses. Their greed is insatiable. The more this happens, the less I should show any signs of desire.
[Note: This phrase is from Records of the Grand Historian, where Kuai Tong advises Han Xin to be wary of Liu Bang's unpredictable nature during the Chu-Han contention.]
"What kind of twisted logic is that?" Kawasaki was somewhat speechless but couldn't come up with a valid counterpoint. "Although I want to refute you, it seems I really can't come up with any decent arguments."
"Right? This is the truth." Dan Siji couldn't help but feel a bit smug.
Hearing the pride in his tone, Kawasaki's face displayed a helpless look. "I really don't know what you're so proud of..."
Just as their discussion was nearing its end, a voice interrupted at just the right moment: "Am I interrupting at a bad time?"
No, you arrived at just the right time... Wait, what the heck, my DNA's acting up...
Upon hearing the voice, Dan Siji turned around and met the eyes of the newcomer.
The newcomer had a mainland Chinese face, making Dan Siji feel a sense of familiarity.
The man wasn't very tall but gave off a strong and sturdy impression. His appearance was quite ordinary but very pleasant to look at. He had long hair tied up at the top of his head, giving him an ancient scholar vibe.
This person was someone Dan Siji knew well, and if he had to categorize him, he'd call him a regular here.
"Mr. Chongli."
"No need to be so formal, just call me Tianji." The visitor, seemingly unconcerned with formalities, casually sat down.
Dan Siji's expression under his mask became slightly unnatural. "Okay, Tianji. So... what would you like to drink?"
Dressing like that and even talking...
"The usual, just a cocktail." Chongli Tianji said as he waved his hand.
Dan Siji nodded and turned to prepare the drink. "Okay, please wait a moment."
Actually, Dan Siji was quite familiar with this person named Chongli Tianji.
This wasn't because he was a regular here, but because Dan Siji passed by his shop every day on his way to school...
That's right, this guy was a capitalist, and his shop was located on the way Dan Siji took to school. It was called "Sitiantai."
The surname Chongli wasn't unfamiliar to Dan Siji. However, in his mind, it should be divided into two separate surnames, Chong and Li.
According to Records of the Grand Historian, "Chongli served as the Fire Ruler during Emperor Ku's reign." Later, when the Gong Gong clan rebelled, the Chongli family was eradicated, and his brother Wu replaced him.
It was also recorded in Records of the Grand Historian that during the reign of Emperor Zhuanxu, "Nan Zheng Chong served as the Fire Ruler and Bei Zheng Li served as the Earth Ruler."
This was all Dan Siji's knowledge of the surname Chongli. Just based on this surname, he felt that this person must be someone extraordinary.
Unfortunately, despite having such a grand ancient surname, this person turned out to be a con artist...