106: I will give him hope!

Watching Qiu Gu leave the room and close the door, Qu Lang shamelessly leaned over.

"You know, Qiu Gu didn't actually need to say those things on the helicopter, just like you didn't need to notify the Program Production Crew."

"Because you are actually the same kind of people. It's just that you are the trailblazer, while he is a fellow traveler. If you hadn't appeared, Qiu Gu might have always remained that honest Young man."

Gao Xiaofan didn't speak, quietly waiting for him to continue.

"Some people are left alone after their parents pass away, but some people's parents are still alive, yet they aren't as happy as you might think."

"Maybe you think what I'm saying is ridiculous; after all, I can't truly understand how you feel."

Qu Lang lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and looked reminiscent.

"The first time Qiu Gu and I met was eight years ago during a collaboration with iQiyi. His salary was the highest in the iQiyi Photography Team, 6,000 yuan, but at noon, he would pack up the boxed lunches and gnaw on a Steamed Bun by himself. Tsk tsk, back then he was still just a Young man."

"Later, as we stayed in touch more and because of Cheng Yan, we got to know each other better, and I found out about his family situation."

"Both his parents are alive. His father had a stroke, and his mother is paralyzed."

Gao Xiaofan opened his mouth but didn't say anything.

"Misfortune targets the wretched. Three years ago, his wife couldn't take it and ran away, leaving behind two kids—the older one is nine, and the younger one is seven."

"His parents are still there. The monthly medical bills, examination fees, and nursing fees add up to over ten thousand a month. And that's only because the person doing the nursing is his aunt; she's taking care of two elderly people the same age as herself, plus two children, all on her own."

Gao Xiaofan listened to Qu Lang's words in shock, completely stunned.

"More than once when we were drinking, Qiu Gu would get drunk and cry out: 'Sometimes I wish so much that I'd wake up and both my parents were gone.' But after saying it, he would slap himself hard across the face and keep saying he was sorry."

"For so many years, not a single cent of his salary has been saved, and all the family's savings have been exhausted. Now that this job is gone, it's practically pushed him to a dead end. But even so, he still stood up for you that day."

"This is despair. It's like a cage trapping him tightly with no end in sight. The only hope he can see is actually his parents passing away sooner. Do you think he's in despair?"

Qu Lang stubbed out his cigarette and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Qiu Gu has been in the industry for so many years and has a reputation. Now that this has happened, no company in the industry dares to hire him. Do you understand what I mean? If his reputation wasn't so big, it would actually be easier to handle..."

"I'm saying all this because it's what's on my mind. When I heard he was fired, I kept thinking that if I hadn't struck up a conversation that day and let him follow you on the show, maybe he'd still be at iQiyi with a steady salary."

"But luckily, he met a good boss. Xiaofan, I also want to thank you for giving this old brother of yours some face."

Gao Xiaofan lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling uneasy.

His personality was very stubborn; when bad things happened, he would try his best to think of the positives, constantly hypnotizing himself and looking for fun to try and make himself happy.

But when he saw others having a hard time, this special ability stopped working, and he would feel very down.

Perhaps it's like what people say: even though your own life is a mess, you still can't bear to see others suffering.

Gao Xiaofan sighed, propped himself up with his right hand, and stood up. His left arm dangled, but when he looked at Qu Lang again, his face was full of sunshine.

"Don't worry. Like you said, I'm the trailblazer, so I'll lead him out of that cage!"

"I will give him new hope!"

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the room.

Qu Lang looked at Gao Xiaofan's back and smiled with relief. How could he not know that Gao Xiaofan's words were also meant for himself?

In this world, there have never been few people with kindness in their hearts, but there are too many shackles binding them...

After Gao Xiaofan came out of Qu Lang's room, he headed toward his own room, only to find Qiu Gu squatting at the door.

"Yo, Brother Gu~ What are you doing up so late?"

"Boss, I just saw on my phone that you said we're starting in two days, so I wanted to ask if there's anything you need to prepare."

Qiu Gu said seriously.

Hearing his words, Gao Xiaofan was stunned, feeling even more uneasy. He punched Qiu Gu's shoulder with his right arm.

"Why the hell are you calling me boss? Just keep it like before, okay?"

Qiu Gu scratched his head. "Mainly because you're paying me now, Xiaofan. If I'm still so informal, it just feels a bit awkward..."

Gao Xiaofan smiled, leaned in, and felt his forehead.

"Big brother, do you have a fever? Or are you just used to being PUA'd by people?"

"I spend the money, you do the photography. You are using your professional knowledge and skills to earn a reward, not relying on your attitude."

"We are friends first and foremost. Maybe this new job makes you feel like there's some friendly favor involved."

"But what I want to tell you is that our long time together has already been the most rigorous interview."

"If I really had to say it, if there's any favor between friends, it's actually you taking care of me."

"Once we start the Fishing Tour, you'll understand what I mean. The conditions will be really tough."

Qiu Gu watched Gao Xiaofan speak seriously, sentence after sentence, and felt his heart begin to swell with warmth.

After Gao Xiaofan finished speaking, he took the key card Qu Lang had given him and swiped open the door.

Returning after a dozen days, the room was still the same, but the person had changed.

Qiu Gu's words also reminded Gao Xiaofan; they were leaving for the Fishing Tour the day after tomorrow, so preparations were naturally necessary.

The car, fishing gear, camping equipment, and all sorts of miscellaneous things all needed to be prepared.

The two of them sat on the bed, adding to the list one by one.

"Xiaofan, we'll definitely have to use phones for the live stream; that's the most convenient."

"Then we'll need to stock up on power banks, and we also need to get an Outdoor Battery. All of these are necessary."

"Also, I heard your car was washed away..."

"Damn, I forgot to ask Old Man Qu for compensation~ Let's go buy a car tomorrow~"

"...What kind of car are you buying, Xiaofan?"

"Isn't that obvious? Of course, we're buying a good car~ We'll go buy it tomorrow~"

Both of them had slept all day, so they were full of energy now. They discussed until the early hours of the morning before Qiu Gu said goodbye and returned to his room.

Gao Xiaofan, on the other hand, stared at the ceiling, constantly thinking if he had missed anything. After all, for a Fishing Tour, everything had to be fully prepared to avoid having to buy things on the fly later.

Until he fell into a deep sleep, Gao Xiaofan still felt like he was forgetting something.

In his dream, several voices echoed in his mind once again.

Death is like the wind, always by my side.

Long is the road, only the sword is my companion.

This time, there were no system prompts accompanying the voice fragments. It seemed to be entirely his father muttering to himself. The emotions this time sounded completely different from the last time.