Eli wakes up, exhausted. The sun streams through the dusty qnd worn out blinds. He showers quickly, eats toast on the way out, and signs in to the system absentmindedly. After receiving the notification from the bank. Eli felt excited.
_____
At work, Golden Wok is as loud and chaotic as ever. Mr. Han is in a worse mood than usual, barking orders over the clatter of pans and dirty dishes left unattended to.
Midway through his shift, while in the kitchen,washing the dishes and telling his coworkers the orders, Eli's phone vibrates.
It was the hospital.
He sets the dishes down and answers.
"Your mother's condition has worsened. We suggest coming in as soon as possible."
Eli immediately starts removing his apron anxiously with beads of sweat running down his face, he knew that he could only hope that something does not happen to his mother . Just as he was about to leave through the backdoor in the kitchen.
Mr Han storms in and barked at Eli.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"The hospital just called, my mothers condition just got worse, I need to leave now" Eli said in a low voice
Han folded his arms. " So you think tou can just leave in the middle of rush hour, and who do you think you can leave the work for ?"
"I'm sorry but I need to leave" Eli said
" If you leave there will be 50% paycut" Mr Han retorted
Eli froze. 10,000 yuan a day feels big, but his expenses are larger: rent, medical bills, saving for a business, and the constant unpredictability of the system.
But his mother has always sacrificed for him.
He hesitated
Then says: "Cut it. I'm going."
His coworkers and Mr Han could not believe that Eli who has always been quiet and has given his all to his job
Was actually stand up to Mr Han.
Mr Han sneered and said " the rest of you get back to work " and walked away
He stormed out of the building, hopped on his scooter and rode straight to the hospital.
_____
Eli arrives at the hospital out of breath, expecting to rush to his mother's side.
But the nurse at the front desk looks at him like he had somethingon his face.
Eli walked up to the nurse at the front desk and said
"Hi, sorry for bothering you, I am here to see my mom"
"OK, tell me her name and ward id " the nurse replied
"Her name is Grace and her ward id is E9"Eli said
"Ok wait a moment,Your mom his currently in the common ward the id is c16"
The nurse said
Eli filled with shock and anger asked
" what is she doing in the common ward I thought I payed for the exclusive ward ? ".
"Yes sir you did, but some complications arose" the nurse replied professionally
"What complications ?" Eli asked trying to keep his voice down.
Well sir,The Jaymeson family has reserved full control of floors 4 to 6.
"What?" Eli asked with shock in his voice.
"They have connections with the major shareholder. And they also paid a lot of money. So We had no choice but to move everyone off those floors, including your mother."
Eli then thought for a moment, he then realised that the Jaymeson family are the owners of the luxury brand Jaymesons fashions. Which sells a lot of goods including shoes, clothes, bags.... with a total market value of 2.1 billion rmb.Eli realised that he saw the rumours on his phone that their patriarch has not much left. And there seems to be infighting on who should take over the company.
After realising this Eli knew he could not go up against them although he still felt angry by this fact. It also made him realise again that he is still so powerless.
Eli decides to go to his mother's ward and on his way he sees patients in wheelchairs being rolled out to crowded lobbies.
An elderly man coughs violently as his nurse adjusts a portable bed by a vending machine.
He demands to speak to someone in charge—
And sees a convoy of men in suits walking past, guarding the elevator. The Jaymesons body guard and not to long after he saw a family consisting of a middle-aged man and woman oldong the hands of a small child not more than ten years of age, a young man in a branded outfit who seems to be the same age as Eli and a very pretty younglady who is probably also in her twenties, and all of them carried and aura aroundthem which makes you feel that this people are definitely high class. Silent, grim. The young man glances at Eli like he's dirt.
Eli still continued on and not to long after he he arrived at her ward, Eli saw his mom who was in the same room as other people now. Although Eli was not to pleased about this but as long as his mother is OKay then he won't take it to heart. Eli sat next to his mother and realised that she was paler this time than the last he checked up on her. After seating next to her for a while, the doctor walked in with a clipboard and when he saw Eli he immediately approached him.
" ahh Eli how you doing"
the doctor called out
"Hello doctor Dami, how is my mother ?" Eli asked
"Apart from the slight complications we had when we were moving her, she is ok" Doctor Dami continued
"I am sorry we had to move her here"
"Well I heard you guys had no choice, so I am not mad at you guys, you know they had the connections thats just how the Dragoncity works" Eli replied
"Thanks for understanding" Doctor Dami replied.
After chatting for a while with doctor Dami left, Eli the spent a lot of time seating next to is mom forming a plan to start making money. Then he left.
When Eli got home he knew exactly what to do he picked up his phone, dialed a number. And not to long later it connected .
"Hello, Eli you coming to apologise and beg me so that I reinstate your original pay, well that's not happening " Mr Han's smug voice could be heard from the other end.
Eli responded without doubt in his voice
" no I am not calling you for that, I am calling you, to let you know that I am quitting and I won't be in tomorrow. "
After a long silence Mr Han finally replied
" Ok thanks for letting me know "
Mr Han knew Eli was his best worker who does not care about the way he his treated and will work in any condition even though it's awful, Mr Han sighed surprised that Eli would quit just because of what happened today.
After hanging up the phone, Eli breath a sigh of relief knowing that he has finally left a place that has made him miserable for a while. And with that Eli made a plan for the next day.
Eli knew that this was just the start of his journey towards a better and more fulfilling life.