C20 Cleaning up Trash

Wu Ge spoke with a grave tone and didn't glance at the manager again. He vanished at the hotel's entrance, leaving the manager rooted to the spot in shock. It took a moment before the manager turned and cast a look at the front desk clerk.

The memory of Wu Ge's voice ignited a wave of anger within him. The clerk, sensing the manager's piercing gaze, started to panic.

"Manager, I had no idea what his business was. And honestly, given his attire, it's understandable that I might have misjudged him!"

He intended to offer more explanations, but before he could continue, the manager had already shifted his attention away, clearly uninterested in hearing more.

"You're fired. Pack up your things and leave immediately."

The words struck like lightning. The clerk tried to protest, but the manager had already walked away, expressionless, not willing to hear another word.

Having alienated such an important client, the manager was being generous by not demanding the clerk pay for the mistake.

Wu Ge stepped out of the hotel, sack in hand, and looked up at the sun. It was still morning, and he figured he could spend the day working hard, collecting trash, and then look for a place to stay later.

After all, he had made a substantial amount of money the day before. Perhaps he could even sell a house by evening!

A house had been his dream since graduating—owning one in the big city. But while dreams are lush, reality is often stark.

Despite his efforts, things rarely turned out as hoped.

Now, however, things were looking up. Wu Ge had his sights set on the city's upscale residential area, reputed to have the finest properties.

The views were stunning, and the neighbors were all wealthy and influential.

As Wu Ge pondered his next steps, a car pulled up to the curb, and a hand emerged from the window.

With a thud, a water bottle was tossed out, followed by the driver's attempt to spit out his cigarette butt. But as he turned, Wu Ge was already standing before him.

With the sack slung over his shoulder and his hand on the bottle, Wu Ge looked up at the man, a trace of displeasure in his eyes.

Why is this person littering all over the place?

But it didn't matter to him; he had clearly seen the logo on the bottle.

It was a Water Aristocrat, a mere bottle of mineral water costing thousands of yuan.

He wondered if the system would give him the same if he tossed the bottle into his sack. That way, he could have a taste himself.

Wu Ge gazed at the logo on the bottle and smiled broadly, but his smile was short-lived as the man in front of him let out a disdainful snort.

"What a waste, picking up trash at your age."

And yet, such a simple bottle brought such a contented smile to Wu Ge's face.

The man's family was average, nothing exceptional in this hotel, but seeing Wu Ge stoop to pick up bottles in front of him, he felt an inexplicable sense of superiority rise within him.

"Move along once you've finished picking up. Don't you realize how filthy you are, coming over here and sullying my sight?"

He rebuked Wu Ge without a hint of courtesy, probably assuming Wu Ge wouldn't dare to talk back after taking the bottle from his hand.

Wu Ge hesitated, looking down at himself with a hint of confusion. He had been diligently picking up trash with a large sack all along the way.

But if he wasn't mistaken, he had taken a shower that morning; he shouldn't be dirty, should he? Moreover, he was quite meticulous in his daily life.

This morning, he had even worn gloves to avoid the trash stains.

He figured that even the person who had gone wild the day before would have to admire him, as not many were as fastidious about collecting trash.

Wu Ge stood up and peered into the car.

The man inside, sitting in the driver's seat, continued to fixate on Wu Ge. He noticed that Wu Ge didn't scurry away after his scolding but instead stood up and returned the stare, his gaze unsettling.

This made him slightly irritated.

"Why are you staring at me like that? You trash pickers contribute nothing to society. You're the lowest of the low. I told you to get lost so you wouldn't dirty my eyes—what's wrong with that?"

Wu Ge reached out, grabbed the bottle, and crushed it in his hand before speaking up,

"Do you think it's okay to just toss trash wherever you please?"

"Does having money excuse your lack of morals?"

The man couldn't suppress a laugh, glancing up at Wu Ge's hand.

"You're picking up the trash I threw away as if it's some treasure, and I'm not supposed to comment?"

"Now scram! Don't pollute my sight. Consider this bottle a generous gift from me!"

He spoke as if the ordinary bottle was some grand act of charity.

Wu Ge was utterly dumbfounded by the man's brazenness.

Had he known it would come to this, he wouldn't have bothered trying to reason with the guy, who was as senseless as a fool, impervious to logic.

Wu Ge approached the car window, looking down at the man in the driver's seat, who was still hurling insults in a fit of rage.

Feeling Wu Ge's gaze, the man stepped back.

"What are you trying to do?"

"If you don't want to get hit, open your mouth."

Wu Ge had barely finished speaking when he noticed the man hadn't grasped the situation. Dismissing the idea of further dialogue, Wu Ge reached out, pinched the man's cheek, and shoved the crumpled bottle into his mouth.

The gesture was deeply insulting; half of the bottle was jammed into the man's mouth, the rest sticking out. Initially, the man was too stunned by Wu Ge's bold move to react.

But as the realization of Wu Ge's intent dawned on him, he began to struggle fiercely, shooting Wu Ge a furious glare, his eyes ablaze with rage.

"Are you out of your mind? How dare you lay a hand on me!"

Yet, he was no match for Wu Ge, who had recently consumed an energy drink. Wu Ge had drunk it the day before and was still feeling a surge of strength, with no signs of fatigue.

The man in the driver's seat, on the other hand, had his vitality drained by constant indulgence in alcohol and debauchery.

Neglecting exercise, he was easily subdued by Wu Ge after a brief exchange, pinned to the driver's seat, unable to move an inch.