"Xiaohan! Bring the dishes!"
"Coming!"
A figure that was clearly still underage skillfully made its way through the crowd, carrying a plate of freshly cooked fried snails that were still steaming hot. With unhurried steps, it nimbly bypassed the pedestrians and served the dish to Table No. 24, leaving behind a trail of pungent and spicy fragrance that wafted in the sea breeze.
In Binhai in 2007, it already had the foundation of the colorful and enchanting atmosphere that would be seen twenty years later. Along the promenade on the seawall surrounding the coast, rows of大排档 (street food stalls) seats were lined up one after another, stretching as far as the eye could see. They were filled with people enjoying drinks in the sea breeze, as well as figures busily shuttling among them.
The constant stream of people finally gradually decreased as midnight approached. By the time Song Han and the chef had gathered up the simple seats of the street food stall, covered them with a tarpaulin, and left work to return to the dormitory, the sky had already started to lighten.
Back in the dormitory, after washing off the sticky smell of the sea on their bodies, Chef Aliang took out two bottles of beer and a pack of peanuts. He and Song Han walked out of the dormitory and sat on the stone benches in the park beside the dormitory, slowly sipping the beer.
"Xiaohan, I'm leaving. Do you want to come with me?"
"Leave? Where to?"
"My elder brother has contracted a star-rated restaurant and is working as the head chef. He told me that there's no future in cooking street dishes at this food stall. Even if you cook really well, in the end, you can only open a small restaurant.
He's been arranging things for me recently. He wants me to work in the kitchen of a hotel. Once I figure out the working process of the hotel kitchen, he'll also contract a hotel kitchen for me and let me be the head chef.
Then you can work with me. Once you learn the skills, you can gradually become independent and earn more money."
In Binhai in 2007, although the popularization and implementation of the Labor Law were not yet that strict, Song Han's obviously underage face full of collagen still made his job search path full of obstacles.
This job was specially found for Song Han by his parents after making many inquiries. He worked as a kitchen helper, part-time food delivery guy, and waiter with a monthly salary of 800 yuan.
The one-month working experience had filled Song Han, who had just escaped from the sea of books and studies, with novelty. Thinking of how Chef Liang had taken care of him over the past month, Song Han nodded without hesitation and said, "Sure! I'll follow you, big brother from now on! I'll go wherever you go!"
"Great! Haha! Cheers! Once things are arranged in a few days, the two of us will resign from the boss together!"
The two dizzy fellows went back to the dormitory and fell asleep with their heads raised. As soon as he lay down on the bed, Song Han opened his eyes again.
He turned on the laptop he had brought with him in the dormitory. As the computer screen kept flickering, soon, the system started the dull process of information acquisition and feedback on scientific research project issues.
Ahem...
Two dull, old-fashioned, and nostalgic reminder sounds came from the computer.
"Is the boss there?"
Clicking on the constantly shaking icon, Song Han's reply was still concise.
"Speak."
"Over the past few years, I've been running around all over the place for the company's projects, and I haven't even had time to go home a few times. I'm a bit tired and want to resign from you."
Song Han's body paused briefly as the information was fed back. After a moment, with the appearance of the calculation result, a faint smile seemed to appear on Song Han's face.
"When a person decides to resign, either the money isn't enough, or they've been wronged. Which one is it for you?"
On the other end of the computer, Luo Xiang replied with a bitter smile, "A monthly salary of 50,000 yuan exceeds the market's current pricing for my work. For me, this kind of venture capital where I invest money everywhere without involving the company's control over the dominant power is basically considered the absolute investor's side. There's nothing to feel wronged about."
In front of the computer, Luo Xiang looked down at his belly that had gradually expanded due to all the socializing and was torn. "My supervisor has always wanted me to continue my studies in law. Boss, I want to study!"
Luo Xiang's words made the faint smile on Song Han's face freeze. A person in his thirties still wants to keep learning as the sea of knowledge is boundless. Why is it that his 14-year-old host's mind just doesn't seem to understand things?
"Your salary will be doubled!"
"It's not about the money. The money I've saved in the past two years is enough to buy several apartments. I plan to pursue further studies."
"Triple your salary!"
When the cold hard cash exceeds a certain amount, it can indeed soothe all the restlessness in a person's heart.
"Boss, I was just about to report to you. At first, the handicraft ceramic production factory in Porcelain Town refused our investment because they didn't lack funds. It took me a great deal of effort to convince them. However, we had to make more concessions in terms of shares. Currently, we're jointly establishing a special ceramic research and development laboratory with the university in Porcelain Town.
I've already sent them the material requirements you need. However, they don't have much confidence in achieving success in the research and development."
"Give them my online email address. For any problems, follow the same work process as before. Summarize the problems once a month and send them to me. I'll solve them all at once.
I also have a new project here. I need you to go to Country C. I'll send you the project proposal to your email later. Get ready and set off immediately."
Luo Xiang, who had just completed the venture capital work for a ceramic handicraft production factory in Porcelain Town, looked at the message on the computer screen with tears in his eyes.
"Teacher, it's not that I don't want to continue my studies. It's just that the boss is offering too much money!"
Saying this, he quickly opened his email. This was the respect he should have for this sacred job.
"Mark, brain-computer interface? A channel for the transmission of biological memory and electronic information data?
Is this really that sci-fi?"
When the sun in the sky gradually dimmed, after finishing the accumulated information processing and data acquisition work, Song Han calculated the storage capacity of today's database and frowned.
Without the additional 12-hour information acquisition channel during the day, and with the additional processing time required for the scientific research breakthroughs that need to be coordinated with the research and development departments of many companies, the growth rate of his database content was getting slower and slower.
Song Han, who had just lain down, opened his eyes again the next second.
He yawned and stretched his body vigorously, shaking his somewhat dazed head.
Another wonderful day!
Why does it feel like my head is getting heavier again?
Oh! It's the weight of knowledge.
"System learning task: Detailed understanding of the mechanism of brain nerve activities and brain wave signals.
Task time limit: 48 hours.
System reward: 800 yuan in cash."
Song Han, who had woken up, subconsciously licked the corner of his mouth when he saw the message floating in front of him. In comparison, he could only earn 800 yuan a month by waiting tables and washing dishes. The cost-effectiveness of completing the system task was really high.
"I refuse!"
The system wasn't surprised by Song Han's refusal. It silently activated the neurons in Song Han's memory area and increased the dopamine secretion value.
The system reward was also changing rapidly.
"The time-limited reward is doubled. For every second the learning task is completed ahead of schedule, the cash reward will be doubled on the basis of 800 yuan!
According to the calculation, under the limit reading speed, the task completion time can be advanced by 8 hours."
In the end, what appeared in Song Han's eyes was a huge string of numbers, 23 million.
The image in his eyes and the joy brought by the memories in his mind made the corners of Song Han's mouth rise higher and higher.
"You know what?
The secretion threshold of dopamine in the human body will become higher and higher with artificial intervention, and the tactile nerve perception of the human body can also quickly activate the corresponding feedback mechanism to resist through external interference."
As he said this, Song Han hit his forehead against the wall.
Bang~!
"What was that sound?"
"It's okay. I was slapping a mosquito."
"Do you people in your family use your head to slap mosquitoes?"
Song Han wiped the blood from his forehead and grinned at Chef Aliang.
"Sometimes I use my hand too."
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Han rolled his eyes and fell limply to the ground.
"Sigh! This damned rebellious adolescence..."