pjbooks Chapter 61: [The Eliminated]
Chapter 61: [The Eliminated]
A two-story self-built building in an urban village.
Liu Zhuohao followed the landlord up the last cement step. The old-fashioned light bulbs in the corridor flickered, casting a dim yellow light that illuminated the mottled stains on the walls.
With a clanging sound, the landlord, wearing slippers, pulled a key from a large bunch of keys at his waist and inserted it into the lock of the security door.
The door opened, and a pungent smell, a mixture of musty and fresh paint, wafted out.
The room was dark and damp, with no lights on.
"135 square meters, three bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms, fully furnished with appliances." The landlord stepped aside and quoted a price in heavily accented Chaoshan-accented Mandarin: "2,500 yuan per month, all utilities included."
"Too expensive."
Liu Zhuohao didn't even lift his eyelids before stepping into the house.
"One hundred and thirty-five square meters, young man!" The landlord followed him in, his accent even heavier. "Go ask around outside, where can you find such a large area for this price?"
He pointed to the tables, chairs, TV, fan, and air conditioner in the room: "And these, all of them were newly installed this year. If you pay now, you can come and stay tonight."
Liu Zhuohao didn't respond. He walked to the window, looked out, and turned back: "The second floor has terrible lighting."
"Wow, are you kidding me? It was your two friends who said they wanted to find a lower floor!" The landlord retorted without hesitation. "It wasn't me who arranged it. If you really want to stay on a higher floor, the seventh floor is the same price and has the same decor."
Liu Zhuohao sighed inwardly, thinking to himself that Huang Weixiong and Li Zekai were too loose with their words, and that others had found out everything about them.
"Okay, then the seventh floor it is."
He turned and walked towards the door. "I definitely want a place with good lighting. The main problem is that you don't have an elevator here, and my two friends don't know how to choose. They're afraid of climbing stairs."
"Your second floor is too yin, the sun can't shine in even during the day, the balcony is just sitting there and it's no use, you can't dry clothes at all."
"And what kind of weather is this here? It's on the southern coast! The buildings are low and it's so damp, there are probably cockroaches... wow, there really are!"
Before he could finish speaking, a cockroach crawled around the corner of the stairs, its two antennae swaying back and forth.
"Besides, it's right on the street, and the buildings are close together. I can hear everything they say across the street." Liu Zhuohao had already reached the stairwell. "Even on the seventh floor, it's not worth two thousand five hundred."
"Five hundred and fifty thousand!"
"By the way, can we use the rooftop? We need a place to dry our clothes."
He spoke fluently, giving no chance to retort, and then proceeded to go upstairs, crushing the cockroach with his foot as he passed by.
Seeing that he was really about to leave, the landlord stamped his foot and quickly called out, "Wait! You said you were looking at the second floor, how come it's the seventh floor now? The seventh floor definitely won't be this price!"
Liu Zhuohao stopped, turned around in the stairwell, and looked down at him standing at the door. "You just said it yourself, the price is the same on the seventh floor."
"I meant two thousand five hundred a month," the landlord snapped. "You've cut it by a thousand! How can you calculate it like that!"
Liu Zhuohao looked at him, unhurriedly:
"This is a self-built house in an urban village, not a residential community. Even 1,500 yuan is too expensive for me."
"I'll rent for at least a year, with a deposit of three months' rent and payment one month's rent in advance."
"Also, you don't have broadband here, right? I'll get my own internet."
……
Liu Zhuohao, clutching the newly signed contract and the keys, walked down the stairs.
1500 a month, three months' deposit and one month's rent in advance, take it.
The landlord left with a long face, as if he had really lost a lot of money.
Liu Zhuohao lit a cigarette outside the building, glanced at the even more dilapidated building next door, and knew exactly what was going on.
At this price, in this location, the landlord didn't lose money at all.
Do you really think you're some naive student who's never seen the world? The rent in the nearby old-fashioned, civilized neighborhood is only four hundred a month!
If you really want to live in a place that costs 2,500 yuan per square meter, then you need to live in a reputable development like Evergrande or Country Garden.
The landlord just wanted to rip them off because they were young.
Unfortunately, we didn't manage to rip them off.
Liu Zhuohao stubbed out his cigarette, then swiped his phone to look at the map. The newly rented second-floor apartment was right behind the warehouse, so it would be close by when Huang Weixiong and the others moved in.
This house isn't primarily for sleeping; it's used for storing things, like lighting rigs and reflectors for filming.
If we want to try something new in the future, all those pots and pans and ingredients will need a place to go.
"This means I have my own little base now," he muttered to himself, and casually dialed the number of the porter he had jotted down on the way.
When the quote came through the phone, Liu Zhuohao clicked his tongue; it was yet another expense.
But the necessary expenses still need to be paid.
His current routine is completely at odds with his family's.
My parents are getting old, and they wake up at the slightest noise at night.
Moving out will give everyone some peace and quiet.
Besides, it's more convenient to shoot videos and come up with new ideas on my own turf.
After a while, Wong Wai-hung and Li Ka-shing will also move in.
In Liu Zhuohao's mind, he had unconsciously included the two of them in his "one of his own" circle. They were hardworking and willing to learn, and that was enough.
As for whether we can get along...
Liu Zhuohao put the key in his pocket; the musty smell in the stairwell hadn't dissipated yet.
When working together, skill is what matters.
Living together is where you see the real substance.
Whether he is a person with a conscience and who knows how to repay kindness, we will find out in the future.
……
Since the money was spent, the moving was left entirely to the person who paid for it.
Actually, there isn't much to move: a newly bought computer and monitor, lighting equipment for filming, and some everyday luggage.
If you really want to save money, you can move it yourself.
But Liu Zhuohao still has to set up his stall at night.
He could hand over the breakfast stall to those two lads, but they couldn't handle the steak stall at the night market yet.
There's no need to exhaust yourself just to save a little money.
While the workers were busy moving things up and down the stairs, Liu Zhuohao stood in the corridor, fiddling with his new mobile phone.
Xiaomi Mi 4.
These days, there aren't many models to choose from, and the performance of domestically produced phones is pretty much the same.
It's either "other" brands or Apple.
Liu Zhuohao used Android in his previous life and couldn't get used to Apple's system, so he didn't choose it.
With the money saved, we can add a little more and buy another computer.
A whole morning passed, and there was still no movement from the crows.
Several content creators' friend requests were accepted.
Liu Zhuohao simply greeted the other bloggers.
Upon seeing the ID "Biting Cat," his finger paused for a moment:
"Finally added! I grew up watching your videos..."
After thinking for a moment, he deleted the last line and edited it again:
"I just saw people talking about BML in the group chat. You must have been selected, right? Will you be dancing on stage?"
The reply came quickly, and there was an indescribable feeling in the words:
"I'm so happy to have Mr. Liu Zhuohao on the team! (≧∀≦)ﾉ"
"I'm so lucky to have been selected this time! You definitely have to watch the live stream, meow~!"
Liu Zhuohao struggled to read the two messages, scratched his head, and for some reason, as he looked at the words, his mind automatically associated them with the sound of a child's mouth.
He rubbed the goosebumps that had risen on his arms and typed a reply:
"I'll definitely watch it."
Message sent.
after all……
He leaned against the wall and put away his phone.
This is one of the few bloggers who can remain active on the internet for so long; they can be considered evergreen.
As for the other newly added bloggers, do you remember Liu Zhuohao before?
No.
Many bloggers who were active at the time, even participating in various official events, have quietly disappeared from Bilibili.
He's retired from the entertainment industry?
Is it still being updated?
Is the account still active?
Liu Zhuohao, who had returned to the past 14 years, was unaware of these things. He could no longer connect to the network from 25 years ago and could not search whether they were still being updated.