He didn't know what kind of life he had lived before, but it must not have been like this.
Because in his subconscious, such a life was difficult and painful, something he couldn't imagine.
Zhan Beijue really wanted to rush forward and hug her, to offer her some comfort.
But after all, they were of different genders, so he held back.
"Is there any work I can do? We have to pay rent to others in three days. I want to help out."
"You?" Min'er wasn't foolish.
Having been in contact with Zhan Beijue daily, his hands were so clean and slender, without a single callus.
His skin, clothes, and even the tips of his hair exuded a lingering refinement.
How could she not guess that Zhan Beijue had been a pampered person before?
"The work I do is very hard, serving dishes, washing bowls, and sometimes getting scolded if I'm not careful. I'm covered in dirt all day. You couldn't possibly endure this kind of work."
Zhan Beijue, however, was very confident.
"If a frail girl like you can endure it, why can't I? I'm willing to do any job!"
The owner of the restaurant where Min'er worked, although it was a Chinese restaurant, was a local Swiss.
He was cunning and sly at heart, employing every calculation to the extreme.
Externally, he employed three legitimate local staff.
Internally, however, it was all pitiful people like Min'er, without status or education, nowhere to go, working illegally for him.
Their wages were half of the locals', but their workload was double.
They were often scolded, and if they displeased him even slightly, they would be fired.
Yesterday, another waiter was dismissed, and now there was a vacancy at the restaurant.
But Min'er only found out by chance when she overheard him complaining to someone else just before finishing her shift.
She wasn't entirely sure.
Mainly because Zhan Beijue had a good appearance, she believed he was more than capable of serving dishes.
It was just that his leg hadn't fully recovered, and Min'er was afraid he couldn't handle it.
Zhan Beijue insisted on trying.
"Even if not for you, I need to earn money as soon as possible for myself. Don't worry, I'm not as weak as you think."
That night, Min'er had to go to the convenience store for the night shift, so Zhan Beijue slept in her bed.
He had a sleepless night, and the next morning, Min'er returned very early.
The two tidied themselves up and nervously arrived at the restaurant.
The owner was a tall man, around 40 years old, with a small mustache, wearing a tight-fitting shirt and trousers, dressed very meticulously.
If you knew it was a restaurant, you might mistake him for a corporate executive with that look.
Taking advantage of the quiet period, Min'er introduced Zhan Beijue to the owner as her fellow villager looking for work.
The owner's eyelids flicked up, and he sized him up.
He wasn't very confident in his abilities.
"Our work is very busy. Don't bring in a stranger to cause trouble for me. Have you done this before?"
Min'er was a little nervous and instinctively looked back at Zhan Beijue.
She was ready to cover for him.
To her surprise, Zhan Beijue confidently extended his hand to the owner.
"Hello. I worked as a lobby manager in China, so I have some experience."
"Oh? A lobby manager at a star-rated hotel?"
"That's right, a five-star one."
Well.
A lobby manager from a five-star hotel working illegally here?
The owner didn't believe it.
"Then why did you come to apply here?"
Zhan Beijue spoke calmly, unhurriedly.
"To be frank, I lost my wallet, phone, and passport at the train station the day before yesterday. The embassy is currently helping me apply for replacements."
"I need to raise money to buy a plane ticket to return home. Once I have enough, I'll leave. I won't be working for you for too long.
The owner had initially thought Zhan Beijue, with his too-perfect features and conventional demeanor, wasn't suited for this line of work.
But upon hearing him speak and observing his mannerisms, he found him somewhat interesting.
"So, you only plan to work temporarily?"
"That's the current plan, but it's hard to say. Switzerland is a very beautiful place. If I have the chance to stay, I would be willing to."
The owner raised his hand and stroked his small mustache, stepping out from behind the counter and circling him.
"Are you married?"
"No."
"I can't offer you the same high salary as a lobby manager."
"I'm already very grateful for the opportunity to survive, sir. I accept any arrangement you make."
And so, in less than two minutes, Zhan Beijue had a job.
The local appreciation for Chinese food far exceeded Zhan Beijue's imagination.
Even though this small restaurant's Chinese food wasn't authentic, business was booming.
However, they didn't understand Chinese customs, not knowing that we could use trays or even trolleys to serve many dishes at once.
Two waiters shuttled back and forth, carrying dishes one by one, making the entire front area seem busy and chaotic.
Zhan Beijue was assigned to wash dishes in the back with Min'er.
After washing for a while, his legs felt uncomfortable from squatting, so he stood up to stretch and noticed this situation.
He then instinctively pulled a metal tray from the oven and walked out.
Moments later, he emerged with four plates of food on the tray, serving them to four tables of guests with elegant posture.
The two dish servers were stunned.
The owner also saw it and cast an appreciative glance.
This fellow villager of Shen Min'er seemed much smarter than her. At last, she had done something reliable.
They were busy until past two in the afternoon before they had time for lunch.
Zhan Beijue and Min'er were eating in a corner of the kitchen when, suddenly, there was a clatter at their feet.
A stainless steel bowl was thrown at them.
They looked up and saw the two dish servers from outside.
Min'er said they were brothers, the Gode brothers.
As if they disliked Zhan Beijue, the two walked towards him, rolling up their sleeves.
Their mouths were foul.
"Damn it, where did this punk come from? Just wash your bowls, why are you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?"
"I don't know that using that metal thing can carry more dishes at once? This was to secure more job positions for my brother! Now, with you here, he's lost his job."
"Who will support him? Huh? Now the boss doesn't want him, and you tell me what to do tomorrow? I think you're deliberately looking for death!"
Zhan Beijue hadn't expected workplace competition to be so intense.
Even in the small kitchen of a restaurant, there could be such issues between dishwashers and dish servers.
He had only meant to offer them good advice, but he hadn't expected...
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to steal anyone's job..."
"You didn't? I think you did it on purpose!"
The other party swung a fist.
Just then, the owner returned to the cashier counter from outside.
Min'er, with sharp eyes, saw the owner's shadow flash by. She dropped the bowl in her hand with a clatter.
She screamed.
"Ah! Please, don't hit me!"
Hearing the commotion from the kitchen, the owner immediately walked in with a cold expression.
He then saw the broken bowl on the floor and the two of them cornered.
"What's going on? Are you all not tired? Don't you want to rest? You think you can break things without paying? What are you all crammed in here for?"