Wandering in the vast darkness

013 City Night Walkers

Having driven for ride-hailing services for so many years, Yu Wenhao has encountered quite a few passengers like this man.

In this cramped space, Yu Wenhao noticed an interesting phenomenon: those who had just experienced something good—a promotion, a raise, an award, or a new house—almost didn't have time to pay attention to him after getting on the bus. They were busy on their phones, calling or sending voice messages to all their relatives and friends, talking excitedly and animatedly.

After a round of phone calls and WeChat voice messages, I put down my phone, still no time to talk to him, treating him like he's invisible. They often sit there alone, grinning foolishly, or simply humming a song, acting as if my happiness has nothing to do with his.

Yu Wenhao also tried not to disturb them, letting them enjoy themselves.

Conversely, for male passengers who have recently experienced setbacks, there are two types after they get in the car: one type sits there silently, either sulking, or even the most stoic person, by the time they arrive, has lost their anger and accepted the reality they face.

Once in the car, his face was ashen. He sat there blankly, looking utterly hopeless. But his misfortune was clearly written on his face and etched between his brows, making it obvious at a glance that he was in trouble.

When encountering a guest like this, Yu would casually chat with him for a few minutes. He knew that at this moment, even if he talked about unrelated things, as long as he didn't let the other person wallow in his own disappointment and pain, he would feel better. As he spoke, the ashen face seemed to regain some life and gradually became more lively.

Yu Wenhao himself did not expect that his limited knowledge of psychology would provide him with a lot of help in this confined space, enabling him to read people's expressions and demeanor.

Yu Wenhao is happy to chat with guests like this, with the mindset of helping as much as she can and offering them some advice whenever possible.

Since Qianqian fell ill, Yu Wenhao has felt that she has not only become more timid, but also more careful. She often reminds herself that when she can help others, she should do so as much as possible, because being kind to others is definitely not wrong.

People are watching what you do. Yu Wenhao felt that he did more good deeds and less bad deeds in his daily life, and that God was watching. He thought that he was accumulating merit, and that maybe God would soften his heart and help him get better.

Yu Wenhao felt that besides becoming more timid and peaceful, she had also become somewhat superstitious. When faced with problems that people cannot solve themselves, it seems natural to place their hopes on supernatural forces.

There is another type of down-on-his-luck passenger, like the man, who, after boarding the bus, likes to tell Yu Wenhao about his troubles.

They truly met by chance. Precisely because they were strangers, they were more likely to open up to each other and share things they wouldn't say to others, acquaintances, or relatives, just like how some people like to call a midnight radio station to pour out their hearts.

These things have been bottled up in their hearts for too long, and if they don't speak out and find an outlet, they're likely to explode.

Moreover, Yu Wenhao discovered that such people are mostly those who are very assertive in their daily lives and work. Because of their assertiveness, they erect an invisible, hard shell around themselves, which others cannot enter and they themselves cannot get out. When they suffer setbacks, they are like a pressure cooker, and the negative energy accumulated inside is even more astonishing.

When encountering guests like this, Yu Wenhao would try to drive slowly to give them more time. While driving, he would listen quietly to their conversation, occasionally interjecting with a word or two, not to interrupt them, but to guide the conversation.

It's okay to say it.

At times like these, Yu Wenhao, gripping the steering wheel, often thinks to himself, "It's true, many of our confusions and problems are best addressed by talking about them. After speaking them out, we can release the pent-up emotions, shake our heads, or wash our faces, and then we have the energy and ability to face them."

Well then, speak.

"Do you live in Hangzhou No. 1?" Yu asked.

The man said yes.

"High-end residential properties, huh? They must cost over 100,000 yuan per square meter now, right?"

The man seemed to perk up a bit. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm a talent household, I won the lottery for this property. The opening price wasn't that high, only 48,000 yuan per square meter."

Yu Wenhao exclaimed, "Still denying it? See? You're a talent recognized by the government. Buying this house is a sure win for you, making you a multi-millionaire, right?"

The man finally laughed and said, "That's right, I guess we made a profit on the house."

He then sighed, "But I really don't know what to do next. I guess I'll just have to wait to be kicked out."

"Impossible," Yu Wenhao said.

"Why not? This house wasn't bought outright; it was mortgaged. Do you know how much the monthly mortgage payment is? Over thirty thousand!"

Yu Wenhao was shocked. He already felt a lot of pressure with his monthly mortgage payment of more than 4,000 yuan. He didn't even dare to think about paying more than 30,000 yuan a month.

The man continued, "The monthly mortgage payment is over 30,000 yuan, my son is still in boarding school, and my wife hasn't worked since she was pregnant with our son; she's been a full-time housewife. With me losing my job, it's like the whole family has no income. Do you understand? Do you know how much pressure I'm under?"

"My annual income used to be about two million, and my life was arranged and planned based on that. At that time, our company was recruiting a lot of people every year. Who would have thought that there would be a day of mass layoffs, and that I would be among those laid off."

"But that's the reality. No matter what I was yesterday, today I'm just like you, or even worse. You have a legitimate job, and no matter how much it is, you at least have income every day. Me... my whole family has no income at all."

"Although I still have some savings at home, and the company gave me some compensation when I left, so I won't be kicked out of my home by the bank and starve to death, how long can that little bit of savings last? I'll eventually run out of money."

"Let me tell you, when I think about all those fancy meals I used to eat, I feel like throwing up. I wish I could exchange them for money. I regret all the money I spent so extravagantly back then. I wish it could fly back."

"When I told you earlier that I wanted to drive for a ride-hailing service like you, I wasn't kidding. Honestly, if I think about it honestly, all I'm good at is driving. All my other skills were left at Alibaba the day I started driving, and they're completely useless elsewhere."

"What kind of bullshit talent is this? A government-certified talent? At this point, who cares about you? You're only considered a talent when you have a label on you. Once the label is removed, you're just dog shit. Nobody pays any attention to you, nobody cares about you. I could write a letter to the mayor, believe it or not, the mayor wouldn't even see it. A staff member would just brush you off."

"By the way, do you know how I spend my days now? It's embarrassing to even talk about it. Every morning, I still dress myself up neatly, drive around, and pretend to be going to work. Every day when I get home, I have to pretend that I've been busy all day and am very tired."

"I didn't dare tell my wife that I had been laid off. Even when my wife asked me, saying that there were rumors going around that our company had laid off so many people, causing the housing prices in Hangzhou to drop, I pretended to be nonchalant and told her that it was the HR department's business and I couldn't be bothered with it."

"That's right. I didn't dare tell her that I had been laid off. I was scared, really scared. You know, if I told her, she would definitely break down before I did, and my family would probably never have peace again."