The scorching sun was roasting the earth, the air was filled with a restless atmosphere, and pedestrians were hustling and bustling about, afraid of feeling sick from staying out too long.
At the upscale residential area known as "New Home," Wang Yu, dressed in a pale blue work uniform and riding his little electric scooter, wobbled his way to the foot of the building.
After parking his bike and taking off his blue helmet, Wang Yu's face was already drenched in sweat, and his back was soaked. But there was no other way, he was an outdoor deliveryman. If he didn’t go out to deliver meals, he wouldn’t have a way to make a living.
Surveying his surroundings, the refreshing environment of the high-end residential area was a sight for sore eyes. There were green grass, lakes, and rock gardens; everything was so beautiful. But unfortunately, the houses in "New Home" were too expensive, costing tens of thousands per square meter. To Wang Yu, whose monthly salary was just over 3,000, this was an astronomical figure.
Shaking off his envious gaze, Wang Yu entered the spacious hallway. This takeout order had been waiting for quite some time and if it wasn't delivered soon, he might receive a negative rating.
However, upon reaching the elevator door, a notice on the wall next to the elevator door made Wang Yu's heart sink.
"Attention residents of building 13, the use of the elevator has been temporarily suspended due to a malfunction. We apologize for any inconvenience caused."
Checking the address on the takeout order, the glaring "35th floor" nearly made Wang Yu dizzy. What to do? He would have to brace himself and go up the hard way.
Carrying the takeout, Wang Yu bravely started to climb the stairs. He briskly ascended the first ten floors, but then his steps started to falter, and his breath became rapid.
Wang Yu was physically stronger than most modern people with sub-health conditions. But before this delivery, he had already fulfilled dozens of others. Even resilient as he was, Wang Yu was starting feel fatigued. Just when he was pondering whether to take a break, his phone rang.
It was a call from the customer. Wang Yu hesitated for a moment, managed to force a smile and said, "Hello, this is the Goo..."
"I'm not good! Absolutely not good! I placed the order half an hour ago. Why hasn't it arrived yet? Are you planning to deliver it next year?" The man on the other end interrupted Wang Yu, his strained voice causing Wang Yu to unconsciously move the phone a bit away from his ear.
Wang Yu’s face darkened, but he patiently explained, "I'm sorry, I'm a bit late. But the elevator is broken, I have to use the stairs, and I..."
"Don't give me that many excuses, I don't want to hear them. I’m giving you five minutes. If you don't deliver it, I will cancel the order and leave a bad review, and report you to your company!" The man on the other side did not listen to Wang Yu's explanation at all. After finishing his harsh words, he hung up the phone.
All that was left was an exasperated and frustrated Wang Yu. He had no choice; in life, you've got to put up with such jerks. Five minutes, twenty-five floors. On average, he would need to climb five floors per minute. Not to mention his current state of exhaustion, even at his best, he wouldn’t have been able to achieve this.
But what could he do? The users of "Goose Delivery" are considred like Gods. If he dared to defy the Gods, Goose Delivery would kick him away.
After deliberating for a long time with his phone in hand, Wang Yu decided to abandon the idea of calling back to explain. He continued to make his way upstairs with heavy steps.
At the twentieth floor, Wang Yu was drenched in sweat, feeling unsteady. He had to lean on the handrail and struggle to climb.
At the thirtieth floor, Wang Yu felt his legs becoming weak, almost unable to move forward. He felt dizzy, and his throat was like a smokestack. He glanced at the time and found that it had already been nine minutes. If he were late again, he might indeed receive a negative rating.
He persisted and reached the thirty-fifth floor. Wang Yu felt so tired that he questioned his life. He wished he could lie down and rest right away. But he was still holding the customer's food. He couldn’t afford to slack off now. Living wasn't easy.
Dragging his tired body, he arrived at the customer's door where he faintly heard a woman's moan and a man's gasp. That couldn’t be right. The person had just placed his order on the phone, and now he was engaging in intense activity?
Thinking about his struggle to deliver the food, while the customer was enjoying life, made Wang Yu shake his head and laugh bitterly. Somewhat absent-minded, he knocked on the door.
"Who’s there?" A man's flustered voice came from inside.
"The delivery man!"
"Damn it, why did you come now? Are you out of your mind?" The man's cursing voice gradually got closer. A woman's voice was also heard complaining, "Honey, I was in the mood and then this stinky delivery man disrupted us. He has terrible timing!"
"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll teach him a lesson."
The conversation between the man and woman was loud enough for Wang Yu to hear clearly. His face, which was already pale, turned even more so, gripping the takeaway tightly with an internally rising fury.
After a round of berating from inside, the door finally opened. A man wrapped in a towel appeared before Wang Yu, with a similarly clad woman behind him. Before Wang Yu could give his professional, placating smile, the man grabbed the takeaway and immediately started berating him again, "You hardly have any professional ethics. An order can't take a whole year, can it? Your loud noise, aren’t you intentionally disturbing the peace?”
"Right, honey, look at him. Where are his eyes looking? Look at him, so pathetic. For the rest of his life, he can only be a delivery man!" The woman covered her mouth and scoffed.
Wang Yu, gripping his fists tightly, remained silent, just staring at the two of them. He wanted to vent his rage, but reason told him that life had to go on. He couldn't fuss with such idiots.
"Oh, what's got into you? Still wanting to blow your top? Just look at your capability, dare to take any action?" The man jeered at Wang Yu's expression, even giving him a slight shove. Already exhausted, Wang Yu almost fell due to the unexpected push.
"Darling, be careful, this guy could just be trying to play victim!" The woman scanned Wang Yu and whispered a caution to the man.
Hearing her words, his expression grew gloomier. Before Wang Yu could retort, he slammed the door shut. Not only did he shut the door in Wang Yu's face, but he also kept taunting, "Look at his attitude. How could he be a courier with such a sulky face? He should be a debt collector instead. Who's he scowling for, huh?"
"Darling, let's just file a complaint with his company. They should fire such people right away. That would be our support for E Le Ma*, wouldn't it?"
"Indeed. We could save E Le Ma from losses. It's because we are patient and have high quality. If others come across this jerk, they could sue him into bankruptcy!"
The insults kept getting harsher. Wang Yu was fuming with anger and could no longer hold back. He was about to pound on the door when a voice echoed in his mind, making him freeze: "Ding, the Ultimate Delivery System is now bound."
"Ding, issuing the first task: Deliver instant noodles to Grand Supreme Elderly Lord who has been starved and utterly exhausted after refining elixirs for 7749 days!"
Note: E Le Ma is a fictional food delivery service.