A life of success begins with being a landlord.

"Big brother, let me explain...it's not like that!"

The man in the baseball cap waved his hands in pleading, glancing back as if trying to escape.

I sneered, "You want to run away, huh? Try and see. I've already locked the door to the rooftop. Today, I'm locking the door and trapping you; you can't escape!"

Actually, the door from the top floor to the rooftop wasn't locked.

This thing could easily run up to the roof and then slide down from another stairwell.

Don't pursue a cornered enemy, and I certainly wouldn't actually go after him.

So what if I catch up? I can't really beat him up.

"Big brother, I was wrong."

The man in the baseball cap was genuinely frightened and apologized, clasping his hands: "But this is my first time here, really my first time. I just started working and I've already put up two little GG stickers. I'll tear them off, okay?"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

I glared at him and shouted, trying to intimidate him: "I'm giving you two choices: either clean up all the graffiti in the hallway, or you'll be fined one hundred!"

Chunyan, emboldened by her master's power, chimed in, "If you dare disobey, we'll send you to the police station and lock you up for a month!"

"Brother, sister-in-law, I'll give you money, please let me go."

Looking at the spatula in my hand, the man in the baseball cap trembled and pulled out a few loose bills from his pocket.

There are sixty-five pieces in total.

"Brother and sister-in-law, that's all I have. I'll bring you the thirty-five I owe you next time..."

"There's going to be a next time? If you dare come again, I'll make you lick your psoriasis clean!"

I took the money without hesitation, glared at him, and said, "Get lost!"

"Thank you so much, brother and sister-in-law!"

With a whoosh, the baseball cap tucked behind his waist, swept past me, and he darted out of the stairwell like a rabbit.

Chunyan and I stared at each other for a long time, then burst into laughter at the same time.

Chunyan clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she couldn't straighten up: "So, so making money is this easy... That guy called me sister-in-law, sister-in-law..."

"Sister-in-law, stop laughing."

I handed Chunyan the sixty-five yuan I had just extorted: "Take this, buy some snacks."

"No way! Do you think I'm a little kid? Buying me snacks?" Chunyan rolled her eyes.

"You're already small."

"Where am I small?"

Chunyan was even more unconvinced and puffed out her chest.

A sense of oppression washed over me.

I suddenly became impure and pointed to Chunyan's chest: "Sister-in-law is indeed quite large, even bigger than that Bobo... "

"Wang Yaozu, you deserve a beating!"

Chunyan chuckled, her face flushed, and charged forward with her shovel.

"I was wrong, sister-in-law, please forgive me..."

I grabbed Chunyan's hand: "Let's get to work, sister-in-law. I'll treat you to karaoke this afternoon."

"Liar, he keeps saying he'll treat me to karaoke every day..."

Chunyan smiled sideways and withdrew her hand.

Chunyan and I were both in a good mood because of the sixty-five yuan.

In one morning, the graffiti in the stairwell was basically cleaned up.

But Chunyan and I also got covered in dust and dirt, looking like we'd crawled out of a lime kiln.

"Chunyan, I'm going home to take a shower. I need to see Sister Li off this afternoon."

I brushed the white plaster off my clothes from the wall: "I'll come find you after I see Sister Li off."

Just then, Sister Li called and told me to go back.

I left Chunyan behind and hurriedly returned to 302.

Sister Li has already packed everything; she only has a small shoulder bag and a suitcase.

"Why does it look like a cat or monkey?"

When Sister Li saw my appearance, she laughed and said, "Don't overwork yourself. Take your time with the work; no one will dock your pay. Just do a sloppy job cleaning the hallways; they'll look the same again in a few days..."

Damn, Sister Li is swearing? Just like those country bumpkins.

I gave an awkward smile and said, "Sister Li, I'll wash my face and then take you to catch your ride."

Sister Li nodded and stood at the bathroom door, asking, "Yaozu, who rented room 402 upstairs? What does that Huang Aijun do? He's acting like he's rebelling, making such a racket!"

"I don't know either. He said he was starting a company."

"How many of them are there?"

"Huang Aijun said that there are six or seven people in each house."

"Damn it." Sister Li shook her head. "They must be involved in a pyramid scheme, Yaozu. We're not going to have any good days from now on. They'll keep bothering us to death."

"What pyramid scheme?" I was completely ignorant about the outside world.

"I'll tell you when I get back."

Sister Li shook her head and sighed.

I washed my face, changed into a shirt, saw Sister Li out, and stood by the roadside hailing a taxi.

After waiting for ages, the taxi finally arrived.

Sister Li got into the car: "Remember what I said, call me if you need anything."

"Okay, Sister Li, have a safe trip!"

"You better behave yourself and stop messing around. You can't go for any of Bobo's women. If you get a bunch of diseases, I'll dump you!"

Sister Li waved her hand and smiled, then gradually walked away into the distance.

Looking back at Bobo's store, the thin clerk was still sitting at the door soliciting customers, her lips bright red, but her eyes were dull and lifeless like a dead fish.

I shook my head. I didn't even take Bobo's offer to bed. Why would I go and mess around with her?

"Yaozu".

Chunyan appeared quietly behind me, her head and face still covered in white ash.

"Chunyan?" I turned around and looked Chunyan up and down. "Why didn't you go home to change your clothes?"

"Oh no, my dad's not home, and I don't have my keys to get in..."

"Come to my place to wash your face and hands, Sister Li is leaving."

"Okay." Chunyan nodded with a smile.

I felt confident and bold, and openly led Chunyan back to 302.

As soon as she entered, Chunyan took off her outer shirt, leaving only a vest.

"I'll wash my hair first." Chunyan walked into the bathroom, but then turned back: "Yaozu, can you wash my hair for me?"

"OK."

I also took off my shirt and washed Chunyan's hair.

Chunyan hunched over, and the scenery that couldn't be hidden in her tank top was all captured by my eyes.

In the cramped bathroom, as I rubbed Chunyan's hair, I felt a little ashamed... and my breathing became rapid.

"Yaozu, you're so tired from washing your hair, you're even out of breath."

"Not breathing... isn't that a dead person?"

I continued serving Chunyan: "Almost done, rinse it with clean water again, and I'll blow it dry for you."

Chunyan lowered her head, glancing at me with a sly look, then suddenly reached out and pressed her hand against mine: "Your cell phone is in your pants pocket, be careful it doesn't get wet..."

I tried to dodge, but it was too late; Chunyan caught me squarely.

"No, it's not a mobile phone..."

I jumped up in a panic, took a step back, and tried to hide my position by bending over: "Don't move, I'm washing your hair."

"It's not a mobile phone, then what's that... bulging thing?"

Chunyan was still muttering to herself.

That's definitely not the big brother phone.

I left my old mobile phone on the sofa.

"Alright, Chunyan, dry your hair yourself. I'm going to... take this call."

After rinsing with the last bit of water, I took off running.

If we don't run now, we'll be exposed.

"Why are you running away? You're like a monkey with its tail cut off..."

Chunyan was very dissatisfied and muttered a curse under her breath.

I rushed to the balcony, turned on the tap, and washed my face with cold water to calm myself down.

But the stubbornness of adolescence exceeded my expectations.

Once certain emotions are ignited, it's like a pressure cooker reaching its pressure limit; it needs a vent. Expecting the pressure cooker to cool down slowly will take a very long time.