pjbooks Chapter 42: Night of Fighting, Passionate Battle Begins
Chapter 42: Night of Fighting, Passionate Battle Begins
Upon seeing these three blue-collar jobs, Ma Jieke chose plumber without hesitation.
This guy is a regular in art films, often appearing in housewives' homes to help repair and unclog drains.
Water gushed from the burst pipe, splashing onto the male protagonist's resolute face, his broad, muscular shoulders and arms, and the firm lines of his buttocks as he squatted, bulging out of his jeans...
In surveys of older women, plumbers have consistently been described as the ultimate fantasy object.
Of course, another important reason for choosing to be a plumber is that it's a really lucrative profession.
The median annual salary for skilled workers is around 80,000 yuan, not including emergency overtime and tips. All things considered, it is at least 100,000 yuan or more.
A New York netizen once posted that their bathroom drain had been clogged for four days and the sink was not flowing properly. They searched for various solutions online and even bought tools to try to fix it themselves.
In the end, it didn't work, so I had to call the repair company. After making an appointment three or four times, a plumber finally came and fixed it in half an hour. In addition, the hot and cold water taps and the pressure valve were replaced, and the final quote was $1740.
What does $1740 mean? The median annual salary for an average American is $50,000. After taxes and health insurance, the actual take-home pay is $40,000, averaging just over $3,000 per month. In just one month, half a month's work is wasted.
Unless you're some stunningly beautiful young woman, you can try other payment methods.
Similar professions include movers, gardeners, cleaners, and appliance repairmen. Basically, if a real person comes to your door to provide services, you're in for a hefty price tag.
This is why you often see the main characters in American TV shows painting houses and mowing lawns themselves, because they really can't afford to hire professionals.
In comparison, auto mechanics are less desirable because too many people learn the trade. In many small towns, children who drop out of school end up working as apprentices in repair shops as their first job.
Although welding can be lucrative, it's exhausting. The long-term exposure to high temperatures, strong light, harmful gases, and metal dust makes it a truly unpleasant job.
In conclusion, plumbers are definitely in the top tier (T0) of the blue-collar workforce.
However, it is only suitable for blue-collar jobs and cannot compare with the "Business Forensic Doctor" who is one of the three god-tier characters in the current version.
After making the selection, MaJack's skill list looks like this.
[Fake Boxer (Active)] [American Iaijutsu Lv1] [Mixed Martial Arts Lv1] [Relentless Combo (Passive)] [Plumber Lv1]
Well, you can only grind it out slowly. The skill pool is far larger than you can imagine. To grind out high-level skills, you have to find a way to complete a challenge mission.
But those challenging missions either require you to risk your life or lack prerequisites. If you actually get to that point, it's no different from Los Santos in the game.
As night falls, the streets of Los Angeles are brightly lit, and people who have been busy all day begin to flock to entertainment venues such as bars, cinemas, and live music venues.
In the United States, nobody saves money. Even those who earn only minimum wage can spend $10 on a movie ticket and enjoy the stunning visual impact of 3D.
For a more upscale option, like attending a celebrity concert, it costs around 60 or 70 yuan. For top-tier celebrities, it's over 100 yuan. The most luxurious option, where you can directly interact with the stage, costs 1000 US dollars.
Basketball enthusiasts can watch the NBA. Regular season games are around 50 to 100 points, and more popular games, like the Lakers vs. Clippers, are around 200 to 300 points.
Among the many entertainment options, a significant portion of consumers still prefer watching hand-to-hand combat matches that involve real punches and kicks.
Just after eight o'clock, the Old Silver Club on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles was already packed with people.
This is a private venue hidden underground, with a resort hotel above it. The entrance can only be found by going down to the parking lot on the second basement level.
At $300 a ticket, it's not cheap, but thrill-seekers still flock to it.
Upon entering the club, the seating area is arranged in a large fan shape from high to low. Below the fan, near the octagonal cage, are the general seating area and the VIP area.
Bunny girls dressed in candy-colored crossbody jumpsuits strolled among the crowd, while champagne and wine glasses shimmered under the lights.
On the wall directly opposite the stands is a full-length LED screen that displays real-time close-up shots of the club's players and their rankings.
Ma Jieke sat in the preparation seat, his eyes slightly uncomfortable from the bright light.
Before the competition even started, a group of flamboyant transgender dancers were already dancing wildly in a cage to the music and drumbeats.
But he wasn't in the mood to watch the performance; it was his first time on stage to compete, so it was impossible not to be nervous.
Sawa Holmes, dressed in a suit and tie with his hair neatly combed, was communicating and coordinating with the club's event manager.
Max, on the other hand, was uncharacteristically dressed in a baseball jersey and jeans, with his hair tied in a ponytail. He was writing and drawing in a notebook, seemingly recording something.
Not knowing what to do, Jimmy simply gave up, sitting there with the first aid kit in hand, deliberately avoiding the flirtatious glances thrown at him by the sexy female waiter.
"Jack, I've got everything sorted out for you." After finishing his conversation with the tournament manager, Sava returned and sat down next to him. "It's 8:45 now. You'll be on stage in 15 minutes to make your debut against another newcomer. If you win, you'll get $1500 and can choose to forfeit or continue to challenge the next opponent. If you lose, you'll only get $500. This is the best outcome I could negotiate."
"Remember this is your debut, so you must play with spirit, as this will affect your future schedule."
"The rules of the match are sudden death, which means there is no regular rest time until one side is knocked out or TKO'd, but the coach can call a timeout once in the middle of the match."
In combat sports, a knockout (KO) refers to knocking down an opponent, rendering them unconscious or unable to recover quickly.
TKO stands for technical knockout, where the referee or doctor determines that one of the players is unable to continue the match.
Normally, you play for 3 minutes and then rest for 1 minute, but in illegal tournaments, you know how it is, they'll never play a game of stopping.
"Where's my opponent's information?" Ma Jie was very concerned about this. If you're going to make me fight Hulk right away, then what's the point of me playing?
Max chuckled and said, "Don't be nervous, boy. From what I know, those who fight as rookies are usually either gambling debtors forced into the ring or illegal immigrants looking to make a quick buck. Like you, they have never received any systematic training and have very little experience in street fighting."
"You'd better know the inside story."
Although Max spoke as if it were a casual remark, Ma Jie still dared not let his guard down.
Time ticked by, and on the hour, all the lights went out instantly.
Immediately afterwards, a spotlight shone on the opposite side of the octagon, revealing a burly Black man.
Ma Jieke then realized that his opponent had been sitting opposite him all along, but due to the skin enhancement, he had blended perfectly into the black octagonal cage.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
A powerful male voice resonated throughout the venue, illuminating the commentary booth.
Two commentators, one black and one white, sat side by side. The white commentator shouted enthusiastically, "Welcome to the Old Silver Club! I'm your old friend Kevin, and sitting next to me is former MMA professional athlete and special guest, the heavy hitter Quillin Nelson. Tonight's fight night will be commentated by the two of us."
"Quilin, go say hello to the audience. I'm sure there are quite a few of your fans here."