National Tide 1980.

Tokyo is neither heaven nor hell.

In reality, Tokyo is merely a battlefield showcasing the survival instinct and greed of a person.

Everything Liu Bo experienced today undoubtedly made him deeply realize this point.

What happened next was strange; the further downstairs he and Wang Liang went, the more the actual situation seemed to be just as they had imagined.

Perhaps it was because it was too far from the twelfth floor where the dead man was.

Or perhaps someone waited for a long time, but when no one came down, they went home.

In any case, residents are no longer quietly waiting at the safety doors on every floor.

This gave them more and more opportunities to perform, and they earned more and more money by proactively knocking on doors to borrow phones.

Moreover, this brings another benefit—the workload is greatly reduced, making it less strenuous.

After all, you can take a break every now and then, and you don't have to endure it for a long time, so the physical pain is greatly reduced.

To be honest, once they get past the top few floors, the six floors below become easier, happier, and more rewarding for them.

Finally, they discovered that they had made some money on every floor today, with the only exception being the third floor, which was completely empty.

Even on the first floor, where there was no reason to collect money, family members who happened to arrive at the building entrance received calls from the police and came up to give tips.

Despite an unpleasant incident—when they got downstairs, the elderly man who was the head of the family suddenly rushed over, blocked them for no reason, and pointed at their noses and cursed them.

"How could you treat my daughter like this! Open it now, I need to see my daughter!"

However, the compensation for being scolded for no reason was exceptionally generous.

After all, the old lady who came with the old man was a sensible person.

When Wang Liang handed the old lady a business card and patiently explained to them that they could not see the deceased now and needed to go to the funeral home first, he said that they could only do so after that.

Although the old lady was crying bitterly, she still held onto the old man, preventing him from taking his anger out on others, and handed Wang Liang an envelope containing 10,000 yen.

"I'm so sorry, my husband was too anxious and lost his temper. Please don't take offense. Please accept this small token of our appreciation. Thank you for your hard work... Please make sure to see her off properly."

Looking at the old man who had lost his mind, he had turned his face away and his shoulders were trembling.

What else can Wang Liang and Liu Bo say about this?

The old man had lost his daughter after all, and the harsher he had cursed earlier, the more pathetic he looked now, and the more he couldn't stop his grief-stricken tears.

And so, when they finally lifted the body onto the trolley that Yamada had brought from the car, and together they put the trolley onto the hearse, they finally completed all their work for the day without any major incidents, and were able to completely relax.

The rest is up to others once we get to the funeral home.

So Wang Liang and Liu Bo no longer had to worry about their image and slumped in the hearse seats, panting heavily.

Yamada was also very considerate. After seeing off the family members, he climbed into the car and handed Wang Liang and Liu Bo a can of coffee each.

Holding it in my hand and drinking it, it was still warm; you could tell at a glance that it was just bought from a vending machine.

That's not all; the best part, of course, was the money-sharing.

Yamada took out two 10,000 yen bills from his wallet and handed one to each of them.

"This is your reward for this work. Thank you for your hard work."

"Isn't it 8,000 yen per person?"

When Liu Bogang questioned the amount of money, Wang Liang offered an explanation on his behalf.

"There's also the mutual aid association's commission. We each need to leave two thousand yen for the mutual aid association, since it still needs to operate and has costs. Don't forget about this later, remember to hand it over to the association."

Liu Bo suddenly realized and agreed.

To be honest, although it was a bit of a surprise, he had no objection to it at all.

After all, Chu Haoran had initially said 8,000 yen, so he had already made it clear what was going on upfront.

Moreover, this job doesn't offer a fixed salary.

In fact, besides the salary, there was an extra reward: tips from the Japanese.

So now, the most exciting part finally arrived—Wang Liang took out an envelope and some money from his pocket and started counting all the banknotes in front of everyone.

Even he doesn't know exactly how much money he received today.

In the end, the total amount counted was shockingly high, amounting to a staggering 48,000 yen!

In comparison, they actually received more tips than wages today; this windfall was the main source of their income.

Moreover, Wang Liang was extremely fair in his dealings, dividing the money into three equal parts in front of everyone.

He handed one copy to Yamada first, and then stuffed the next copy into Liu Bo's hands.

"Here's yours, 16,000 yen. How about that? This suffering wasn't for nothing, was it?"

At this moment, Liu Bo had no time to answer Wang Liang's teasing. His attention was entirely focused on the thick stack of banknotes in his hand, and his fingers were trembling.

You should know that he actually received 24,000 yen in pay today, far exceeding his personal expectations.

The wonderful thing that he never dared to dream of happened just like that.

The money he earns from working for two hours is almost equivalent to what he makes washing dishes at a restaurant for a week!
Overwhelmed with excitement, Liu Bo took off his mask and took a deep breath of the cold air.

Although the cloying, rotten smell inside the car was even more pronounced than outside, he could tolerate it completely at this point.

That's not all. Instead, what's even stronger is the sense of security that money brings and the joy of a bountiful harvest.

So much so that for a moment, his tears became uncontrollable and flowed from the corners of his eyes.

"Oh dear, why are you crying? Brother, this could easily cause a misunderstanding."

"Anyone who didn't know better would think that the dead Japanese woman had some special relationship with you! No, no, no..."

"What's wrong? You've really developed feelings for him? You know you're about to break up, and you can't bear to part with him?"

I don't know if it's the effect of money, but even when faced with such vulgar and unfunny jokes from Wang Liang, Liu Bo seems to have become immune.

Far from being offended, he burst into laughter through his tears, expressing his heartfelt gratitude, "Brother Wang, thank you, I... I'm just so happy. I never expected... I really never expected..."

"You didn't expect to earn so much from just one job, did you? When I first did this job, I felt pretty much the same way you did."

Wang Liang smiled and patted him on the shoulder to show his understanding, acting like someone who had been through it all.

However, for Liu Bo, the real focus was on what Wang Liang said next.

"Hey bro, I think you have a lot of potential in this. And you've seen it yourself, it's unkempt, but it's really lucrative. What do you think? Why don't you consider turning this part-time job into a long-term commitment?"

"Can I...can I continue doing this long-term?"

Liu Bo was genuinely pleasantly surprised; to be honest, this delicious meal had already won him over.

If he could earn this much money every day and have enough to eat every day, he would become a millionaire sooner or later.

"Of course you can, why can't you?"

"No, I mean, is there really that much work? Chairman Chu said it's because everyone went home for the Chinese New Year, so they asked me to help out temporarily. What if they come back after the holiday..."

“Hey, you’re overthinking it. Tokyo has nearly ten million people, there’s more work like this than you can handle. But not many people have the guts or the hardship to endure it. So as long as you’re willing, Old Chu will definitely agree to help.”

"Really? Then, Brother Wang, can I be your partner?"

"You think highly of me. Alright, if you're willing, let's arrange a time to meet tomorrow, and I'll personally take you to talk to Lao Chu. You can fill the vacancy of my partner. It's fine if he comes back; he can handle things on his own anyway. We can just have Lao Chu arrange a new partner for him later."

"Alright, thank you, Brother Wang. If this really works out, I'll treat you to a drink."

Liu Bo beamed with joy, expressing his immense gratitude. "As the saying goes, fair skin covers a hundred flaws," he said, "and this job pays way too much."

No matter how many drawbacks there were, they meant nothing to him.

In comparison, the fact that he could not even earn five thousand yen a day working hard for eight hours in a restaurant was even more unbearable for him.

Unexpectedly, Wang Liang seemed even happier than him.

"Haha, I should be thanking you. Putting everything else aside, you've just helped me win a bet."

Then, an extremely surprising plot twist occurred.

To Liu Bo's astonishment, Wang Liang actually grinned and reached out his hand to Yamada.

"See? I told you so. This kid's got guts. Not only did he stick with it, but he'll also join us and become our long-term partner. How about that? You're convinced now?"

Yamada was straightforward and decisive, accepting defeat without hesitation. He silently counted out five thousand yen and handed it to Wang Liang.

Liu Bo then realized that Wang Liang and Yamada seemed to have made a bet on him.

However, after paying the bet, Yamada wanted to know the reason, so he turned to Liu Bo with a puzzled look on his face.

“Liu Sang, I heard from Chu Sang that it was very difficult to persuade you to come and help today. And you threw up the first time you did it, so why did you decide to do this job of dealing with dead people every day? Aren’t you afraid of ghosts at all? Aren’t you afraid that you won’t be able to sleep at night from now on?”

Unfortunately, although Liu Bo wanted to answer this question, he didn't really know how to explain it at the moment.

He meant that the children of the republic received Marxist-Leninist education, and that no one in their own country believed in ghosts or gods.

But this statement is rather absolute, somewhat grandiose and unrealistic; even he himself doesn't believe it.

He wanted to say to Shatian, "Could it be that you Japanese are just too superstitious, watching too many horror movies, that makes you so timid and so afraid of ghosts and gods?"

Saying it like that seems a bit hurtful and impolite.

As he hesitated, Wang Liang stepped in and succinctly revealed the truth for him.

"Yamada, let me tell you something: a great reward will always bring forth brave men. For us who came from the Republic, money is the courage of heroes. Actually, what we fear most is not the dead, nor ghosts, but poverty and debt. As long as there is money to be made, don't even mention having us carry dead people every day. Even if you had us catch all the ghosts in Japan, tie them up, and burn them, we wouldn't have a problem."

Wang Liang spoke these bold words with such fervor that they seemed to reach the heavens, almost like Zhong Kui (a mythical figure known for his fierce and cunning nature).

This not only convinced Liu Bo completely, but also left him speechless.

Yamada, who is of mixed Chinese and Japanese descent, was completely taken aback by the patting.

He stared in disbelief, then gave a thumbs-up with both hands to express his respect.

"Oh, the Chinese are truly amazing! They're born with the courage of Onmyoji! No wonder the president specifically chose to cooperate with you. You are indeed the most reliable; everyone here has such courage. The trash from other Southeast Asian countries can't compare!"

…………

People can become brave and persistent for money, and they can also gain joy and comfort from money.

After saying goodbye to Wang Liang and Yamada, Liu Bo did not go straight back to his dormitory.

He first found a purely Japanese noodle shop and splurged on a bowl of authentic Japanese ramen.

Having been in Tokyo for so long, he had long been captivated by the beautiful appearance of Japanese noodles, but had never had the chance to taste them even once.

Now that he had money, he felt he would be doing himself a disservice if he didn't have a bowl of rice with it.

The noodle shop owner was very polite, bowing and scraping, and treating Liu Bo with great hospitality, which made Liu Bo feel like a master.

Putting aside the food, the emotional value he received as a consumer alone made him feel that today's meal was more delicious than that at the Shanghai Grand Hotel.

After finishing a large bowl of steaming hot and delicious noodles, the chill in his body dissipated, and Liu Bo was overjoyed and completely satisfied.

But that wasn't all. After finishing his noodles, he followed Wang Liang's instructions and went to the public bathhouse for a good soak.

After washing off the disinfectant smell, I felt comfortable and slowly made my way back to my accommodation.

The dormitory was pitch black. By the time he entered, it was already past ten o'clock, and Wang Xiulian and A Ming were already fast asleep.

There was a thermos on the table with a note underneath, written in Wang Xiulian's handwriting: "Glasses, I've saved some food for you in the thermos. Remember to heat it up before eating."

Liu Bo felt a lump in his throat, opened the thermos, and found warm stir-fried vegetables and rice inside.

He seemed hungry again. He silently finished eating, cleaned up his dishes, and then quickly washed up before quietly lying down on his bunk.

The snow was still falling outside the window, and a sliver of moonlight shone through the gap in the curtains onto the wall.

Liu Bo was wide awake. He lay in bed with his eyes open, his mind replaying the day's events like a movie.

Liang's honesty, Yamada's kindness, the Japanese man's nervousness when handing over money, and the warmth of the stack of yen in his hand...

All of this made him suddenly realize that in the face of survival, dignity is sometimes not so important, and earning enough money with his own hands to pay off his debts as soon as possible is the most important thing.

Especially when he was leaving, he saw a van with "Dadao Products" printed on it drive up, and several compatriots got out and greeted Wang Liang and Yamada familiarly.

According to Wang Liang, they came to do the second half of the ceremony, collecting the deceased's belongings.

This made him feel even more certain that his choice was correct, and he became incredibly at ease.

He discovered that the growing Mainland Compatriots Mutual Aid Association was like a big tree, unknowingly bringing together compatriots scattered in Tokyo like connecting branches and leaves.

It has surprisingly provided a sense of belonging for all Chinese people in Japan, making them increasingly united.

It's entirely conceivable that in the future, all of them will become a leaf on this great tree.

Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered Amin, who slept in the bunk above him.

Amin's family isn't well-off either, so since there's such a good opportunity, we should ask him about it.

Yes, it's not a respectable job, but it's very lucrative.

If Amin also understands and is willing to work, he can probably pay off his family's debts in less than a month.

Thinking of this, Liu Bo turned over and decided to talk to A-Ming first thing tomorrow morning to ask for his opinion.

Then he went to Wang Liang to pay Chu Haoran the agency fee and applied to do this job long-term.

Finally, he went to quit his job at the restaurant. He didn't want that crappy job that paid six hundred dollars an hour anymore; whoever wanted to do it could do it...

Snowflakes were still hitting the window, but Liu Bo felt warm all over.

He closed his eyes, a smile on his lips, and drifted off to sleep.

The smell of orange soda mixed with the smell of coal smoke in the alleyway in his dream were the most familiar smells to him.

He could almost see his mother holding the remittance slip he had sent back, her fingertips stroking the amount over and over again, her wrinkles at the corners of her eyes crinkling into smiles, and her babbling to her father, "Look at our Bo'er, he didn't suffer for nothing out there."

He also saw how happy his neighbor, Uncle Zhang, was after receiving the loaned money from his father.

Before he even left the alleyway, he shouted happily, "Old Liu's son, Apo, is really something! He's paid back every penny of the loan, with interest!"

Aunt Li next door was hanging up laundry when she poked her head out and chimed in, "I knew Apo was a steady kid! I knew I hadn't made a mistake when we went to Japan!"

The neighbors in the alley all gathered around, their praises rising and falling, more lively than the kettle boiling on the coal stove.

That's not all. He also saw that where the old wooden crates used to be, a brand new Hitachi double-door refrigerator had been placed.

Next to the old sewing machine in the corner, a Panasonic color TV has been installed, and the TV series "Shanghai Bund" is playing on the screen.

My nephew was lying on a small stool, pointing his finger at the screen and shouting "Xu Wenqiang".

Even the transistor radio that my father had used for twenty years was replaced with a tape recorder, which was playing Teresa Teng's "Tian Mi Mi".

The singing drifted out of the dormer window, mingling with the sound of bicycle bells in the alleyway...

That night, Liu Bo slept exceptionally soundly, as if he had been reborn. (End of Chapter)