"You could open another rice noodle shop in the provincial capital, couldn't you?"
"That's not a bad idea. My two children don't want me to be so tired. This is the only skill I've had my whole life, and I've raised my family by selling rice noodles. I should be able to open one in the provincial capital. I'll think about it."
The two chatted until it was almost dawn, when the drunk man finally sobered up.
The shop owner handed him a cup of hot tea, letting him collect himself.
The drunk man was a bit dazed, unsure how he had ended up sleeping in someone else's home, completely naked.
Guo Xuyang said, "Thank goodness the owner took you in, otherwise you would have frozen. Why did you drink so much? Whatever is bothering you, it's not worth ruining your health like this."
The drunk man curled up in the quilt and sat up.
"Thank you, big brother, for saving my life," the drunk man said. "Alas, I was feeling down and had a few too many drinks, and I didn't expect to fall into the river."
It seemed he wasn't completely incoherent, as he knew he had fallen into the moat.
It turned out the drunk man's name was Wang Yibo. He worked at an investment company and had a good girlfriend. He lost his job due to investment failure.
When he got home, he discovered his girlfriend was involved with his best friend, which made him extremely angry and almost made him lose the will to live. Hence, the extra drinks.
There are too many dramatic events in the world; anyone can encounter setbacks.
A living person shouldn't be held back by a bit of trouble. If this place doesn't want you, another will. There are countless women in the world; you shouldn't let one woman blind you.
The two of them continued to counsel Wang Yibo, encouraging him to look forward.
The night passed very productively.
When Wang Yibo woke up, he realized his clothes were soaked and unwearable. The owner found his own clothes for Wang Yibo to change into, suggesting he return them later.
Upon waking, Wang Yibo discovered his wallet was missing from his clothes, which contained his ID and various other documents.
They searched everywhere, but it was nowhere to be found. The owner then suggested Wang Yibo retrace his steps from the previous day to the place where he had been drinking to look for it.
And so, they parted ways.
Guo Xuyang walked out of the small shop. The riverbank in the early morning was already dotted with people exercising.
He walked towards the moat, thinking that perhaps Wang Yibo's wallet had fallen into the water when he fell in.
He concentrated his gaze, instantly seeing the entire riverbed clearly.
Hmm, what was this?
He didn't find the wallet, but he did discover a chest. The chest was located about five or six meters below the riverbed. It was square and had an ancient, rustic design.
The chest was well-locked, with an old-fashioned lock, clearly an item of great age.
He concentrated and looked closely inside the chest. He had struck gold! It was filled with gold.
It couldn't be just this one chest, could it?
He searched the entire area thoroughly, both in front and behind, and found only this one chest of gold, left behind for some unknown reason.
How could he get this chest of gold out?
Using his storage ability. No, it was too far. He couldn't reach it.
If only he could upgrade. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough merit points.
He found a secluded spot, took off his clothes, and mentally willed them to be stored.
Then, using his invisibility ability, he slowly approached the riverbank, sank into the water, and as he got closer to the chest, he used his storage ability to retrieve the gold.
"Store," he willed, and the gold, along with the chest, was brought into his mind.
Hahaha, he had truly found a treasure.
He was overjoyed, never expecting to have such a great surprise in Mai City. He became even more eager to upgrade his abilities.
He slowly returned to the shore and put on his clothes.
Just as he was about to leave, he saw Wang Yibo returning dejectedly.
"Did you not find it?" he asked.
"No. Alas, without my ID, I can't go anywhere," Wang Yibo replied.
"You should go to the police station to report it lost and get a replacement. Otherwise, traveling will be very troublesome."
ID checks are ubiquitous now. Whether you're taking a bus or a plane, an ID card is essential.
Drowning sorrows only intensifies them. Losing his job and girlfriend was not enough; after a night of drinking, he also lost his ID and wallet. He was truly unlucky.
Wang Yibo looked completely disheveled, with messy hair and a face swollen from a hangover, a truly pitiable sight.
"Here, I have some money. Take this and buy yourself some new clothes and get some rest. If the sky falls, there will be tall people to hold it up. You're already in this state; how much worse can it get? At worst, you can start all over again."
Guo Xuyang took out some cash and handed it to Wang Yibo.
"If you don't have anywhere to stay, you can come with me to the provincial capital. I have a few small shops there that are looking for staff. If you're willing, you can come find me in the provincial capital. Here's my phone number. Of course, if you want to come with me now, you can. Do you have anything else you need to take care of here?"
Guo Xuyang, mindful that Wang Yibo still had family in the area, spoke tactfully.
"No, I'll go with you now. I've lost my job, and my girlfriend left me. I have no attachments here anymore," Wang Yibo said. "I just need to get a new ID card. Please wait for me."
Wang Yibo ran back to the rice noodle shop. He gave the owner a thousand yuan, saying, "Thank you for saving my life, boss. I've dirtied your bedding, so this money is for the damages. I'll repay your life-saving kindness when I become successful someday. Please leave me your phone number."
The owner insisted on not taking the money, saying, "Saving oneself is saving others. Saving a life is more virtuous than building a seven-story pagoda. You would save someone if you saw them fall into the water, wouldn't you? I can't take this money. Please take it back. If you become successful in the future, just patronize my little shop often."
After thanking the owner profusely, Wang Yibo left with Guo Xuyang.
Xiao Yun spent a week interviewing candidates and finally managed to find everyone.
She hired six auto repair technicians, eight sales staff, and a professional manager from a headhunting firm.
All of this was waiting for Guo Xuyang's return to arrange the final interviews.
Xiao Yun was very happy to know that Guo Xuyang was safe and called Chen Hailing, Cheng Xiu Ping, and Wu Youzhi to inform them of the situation.
The three were also relieved that Guo Xuyang was unharmed and expressed their desire to celebrate with him when he returned.
Only Xiao Yu was still diligently investigating the missing persons case. This was not a small matter, and no one expected that her persistent investigation would lead to a province-wide campaign to combat pornography and illegal publications, rescuing many virtuous women from dire straits.
Long Linping's underground kingdom in Mai City was also completely destroyed, but that is a story for another time.