Dreaming for 10,000 years

Chapter 344 Wrong

George is very happy today.

Even when he was at work, he smiled more at his store manager and no longer looked gloomy.

This surprised his store manager. Looking at George, who was unusually hardworking today, the manager was puzzled, wondering what was wrong with the kid.

George is fine; he just talked a lot with Jack yesterday.

Jack was twenty or thirty years older than him. When Jack was fighting in the fire, George wasn't even born yet. While Jack was seeking justice for his brothers, George had just arrived in the world.

Compared to Black children, he was born with parents, but his parents traveled the world with some non-profit organization in pursuit of freedom, while he was adopted and raised by his aunt.

His aunt and uncle were farmers in the countryside, and his older cousin always bullied him because of her age. When he was a child, his favorite book was Harry Potter because he felt like he was Harry Potter.

He hoped that when he was eleven years old, an owl would bring him a letter that would change his destiny.

Unfortunately, in reality, there are no such owls, nor such letters.

Farm owners, also known as rednecks, were considered relatively family-oriented among white people. George had always envied his cousin, who was the apple of her parents' eye.

And he...

Despite how much his aunt and uncle disliked George, they still made him finish high school. In high school, George was a withdrawn boy, too shy to talk to the female cheerleaders, and was even bullied.

He could only study, and at the end of high school, he was fortunate enough to get into a university in the state.

Attending a university in places like New England, New York, or Washington, D.C., would require paying huge amounts of student loans. However, universities within the state typically offer subsidies, reducing the need for such loans.

In addition, his aunt paid some of his tuition fees, and he actively participated in social activities and did part-time jobs during university.

All of this allowed me to smoothly enter an event company after graduation and become an event executor.

If things continue this way, he might become a middle-class person in Golf City. He might meet a girlfriend and start his own family story.

However, his mistake ruined an event, causing losses for the company and making him a laughingstock in the industry.

He was forced to lose his job, and the student and car loan payments that used to amount to a couple hundred dollars a month were making his life miserable. To survive, he had no choice but to work in a supermarket.

A place like a supermarket obviously can't offer the same high income as an event company, but he had no choice. He couldn't find a better job and even had to work two jobs to make ends meet.

This is the current situation in Gopher City: falling down is very fast, but going up is very difficult.

Therefore, George was actually very distressed. He had many dreams, fantasizing about the day he wouldn't make a mistake or mess things up.

He had no friends in Gave City and no one to confide in. His temper grew increasingly volatile, and he felt like snapping at everyone he met.

Fortunately, he met Jack.

Actually, when he first met Jack yesterday, he looked down on this slovenly old man.

After Shi Fei left, Jack offered him the bed, saying, "I'm used to sleeping on the floor. You young man should sleep in the bed."

Seeing Jack's serious expression, he knew that Jack wasn't just being polite; he genuinely meant it.

This gesture gave George a different feeling. He hadn't felt cared for in a long time. At his aunt's house, he seemed like an outsider. At school, he seemed invisible.

At work, he seemed to be the one who was disliked. Sometimes, he felt like he was superfluous to the city.

No one ever cared about him, no one ever paid attention to him. That's why he couldn't help but shed tears when Shi Fei brought him two pounds of oranges and treated him to a hot meal.

Lonely people are most likely to feel the kindness of others.

After that, George and Jack started chatting. From Jack's words, George learned that the disheveled old man in front of him had once been a brave firefighter and had even participated in saving the city from a fire.

Next, George learned about the rest of Jack's tragic experiences. After listening, he remained silent for a long time.

If it were him, he would probably have gone mad by now, right? The fact that the old man in front of me could persevere is truly worthy of being called a firefighter with an iron will.

Then George told his story. After listening, Jack said understandingly, "I know, I understand."

“When I was a firefighter, I saw many people my age. They pursued freedom and democracy, and sought nature and environmental protection, but they never cared about their families.”

“Some of them give birth and then send their children to orphanages or entrust them to their parents or relatives. They have absolutely no responsibility; they are utter scoundrels!”

In the end, Jack was also very angry!
The moral compass of Gough City is based on the white Puritan ideology, and in the eyes of people like Jack, those who give birth to children and then fail to raise them are bastards.

"So, your life isn't your fault, it's theirs!" Jack comforted George. "You should live for yourself!"

The gentle words of comfort almost broke George's resolve, and he couldn't help but tear up again.

Jack added, "Your mistake wasn't your fault."

"What?" George asked, puzzled.

Jack said, "Although I don't know how the event will be carried out, I do know that every newcomer needs an experienced person to guide them. They need to familiarize them with the precautions in the work, and some jobs even have standard manuals."

"No matter how absurd the standards manual may seem, it must be strictly followed. Because behind every absurd rule lies a life."

For industries such as fire protection, mining, and factories, many safety regulations are built on the cost of human lives.

"Did they train you?" Jack asked.

George shook his head. His first day at the company involved building trusses; he wasn't taught how to do it.

"Did they introduce you to industry precautions and common sense?" Jack asked again.

George shook his head again.

Jack said, "No this, no that. They didn't say anything. How can they expect to find an experienced person to do the work at the price of a recent graduate without problems?"

“That’s not a mistake! Because everyone makes mistakes.” Jack sighed and said, “Even if you don’t make a mistake that time, you will make a mistake next time.”

“In our fire brigade, I also make mistakes. Once, during a fire, I almost killed a colleague. But they forgave me, taught me a lot, and helped me grow.”

"And your only mistake was not having the opportunity to correct it."

(End of this chapter)