"What?" Shigeru Ikeda didn't intend to pretend to be stupid, he really didn't expect the store manager to say that first.
The store manager didn't answer, but said to himself: "When I was studying, I was often bullied by bad boys."
Shigeru Ikeda's heart went cold for a moment, and he stood there helpless and speechless.
The store manager blew out a smoke ring and continued: "I used to expect all the bad boys to die for me, and I also thought about exchanging a knife for one and finishing it all. You guys are nothing but rubbish among the rubbish."
Ikeda Shigeru didn't know how to answer, so he could only say, "I'm sorry."
If it was changed before, he would not care about the store manager's accusations at all, and he might even happily beat the store manager up, telling him that this is how the world works, and he should be bullied if he has no strength.
But now, Shigeru Ikeda felt very guilty in his heart, as if he was the culprit who bullied the store manager when he was young.
"Why are you apologizing? It has nothing to do with you, right?" The store manager said lightly, "And I just used the past tense."
Shigeru Ikeda asked hopefully, "Have you forgiven them now?"
"No, how can you forgive me, don't say such idiotic words." The store manager took another big puff of cigarette and exhaled a big puff of smoke, "It's just that the object of hatred is gone. Either die in a gang fire, or die in a gang fire." Desperate actions in poverty that cost people and money, and simple drunkenness went straight to the west, and I'm still alive.
"I would actually hate such a group of short-lived ghosts, and even think about exchanging my own life for the lives of these short-lived ghosts. It's really stupid. If I really want to change, I will be at a big loss.
"Look at me, I don't have any bright moments, I just had to choose to call the police when I faced the arrogant little boy. If he came up to threaten me, I would probably beg for mercy, and even lick his shoes... I did it when I was young This is coming.
"However, I will live on, I am already a full-time member, I don't need any merits, as long as the working years grow, I will naturally get promoted and raise my salary.
"I'll marry a decent wife, probably on a blind date. I'll have a house of my own somewhere in Tokyo, with a couple of kids. Do you know what it's called? It's called the future, and it's the future for me. Said to be something that can be seen and touched.
"It's something that the baseball guy just now, and you, didn't have."
After finishing speaking, the store manager pinched the cigarette, threw it on the ground, and stepped on it several times with his feet. He stood up and turned his head to look at Shigeru Ikeda, grinning: "Look at your future, is there even a little bit of it?"
Shigeru Ikeda couldn't say a word of rebuttal.
In the past, when he was a delinquent boy and a boss, when he looked into the future, he could see himself in a very standard dress and wearing a group pattern.
But now, the front is blurred and there is nothing.
"I don't know what made you decide to try to turn the prodigal son back," the store manager patted Shigeru Ikeda on the shoulder, "I would also like to give you a chance, but after today's incident, if I don't fire you, the head office They will come and ask me, because I recruited a bad boy who might cause trouble as an employee."
"I..." Shigeru Ikeda wanted to argue, wanting to say that he had changed his mind.
But the store manager interrupted him: "I can listen to your explanation, but the head office won't. In the eyes of the big shots, you are a bad boy. As long as you were once, you are now, and you will be in the future.
"Only those NGOs will hire you prodigal sons. But if you want to enter the NGO facilities, you have to go to the prison first. If you don't sit in the prison, you have no chance of being rescued by the NGO."
The store manager paused for a long time, and then used the most straightforward words to let Ikeda Shigeru recognize his current situation: "You are fired."
Although he was mentally prepared, when this scene really came, Ikeda Shigeru felt angry, and he asked: "I'm fired right now? Then I paid half of the advance payment for that unreasonable guest yesterday." How about the bento money?"
"According to the company's account, the customer bought a full-price bento. If you refuse to accept it, you can go to legal channels." The store manager said to Ikeda Shigeru with a smile, "This is how good people deal with such things."
Even Shigeru Ikeda knows that he needs to find a lawyer to take the legal route, and the asking price of lawyers is extremely expensive.
He was so angry that he really wanted to punch the store manager in the face.
He glanced at the store manager and found that the other party was looking at him with contemptuous eyes.
That look seemed to say again, "Look, a bad boy is a bad boy, and there is no such thing as washing hands in a golden basin."
Ikeda Shigeru remembered what the store manager said just now, I am afraid that if he does it himself now, the store manager will kneel down and beg for mercy without hesitation.
But no matter how hard Ikeda Shigeru beat him, it couldn't change the store manager's contempt for him.
Because the store manager holds the future.
Shigeru Ikeda slowly released his clenched fist.
He said to the store manager: "Thank you for telling me so much. I really can't see the future now, but I will continue to work hard."
The store manager stared at Shigeru Ikeda for a few seconds, and asked, "Why bother, wouldn't it be nice to go back and be your boss? Maybe in the future, you can really become the leader of the third-generation organization in Jidao. Even so, It’s also much more beautiful than me, an ordinary club member.”
Shigeru Ikeda thought to himself, of course I know, that is the future I have always seen before.
"However, I want to be a good person now." Shigeru Ikeda smiled at the store manager, "One day, I can tell you that I am a good person, and I will come back to drink with you."
After Ikeda Shigeru finished speaking, he bowed deeply to the store manager.
Then he turned around and left without a trace of nostalgia.
"Wait a minute." The store manager suddenly stopped him, "Here, the half-price bento money."
"No, this..."
"Take it! Come on, if you don't take it, I'll lose sleep for a month!" The store manager forced the money into Shigeru Ikeda's hand, "Also, this is yesterday's wages, so you can treat it as a day's salary. work."
"this… "
"Just treat it as if you didn't hit me back." The store manager sighed, "I was actually ready to have a good meal just now. Come on, don't mess up the next part-time job. Go to those The boss looks like a store with a story to try your luck."
"Thank you!" Shigeru Ikeda bowed to the store manager again, turned around and strode away.
The store manager stayed where he was and lit another cigarette.
"The prodigal son turns back... I hope he can go on." He muttered in a low voice, but immediately added, "If it's really that simple, there's no saying in the proverb that 'the prodigal son will never change his money'."