Gate of Rebirth: Gate of Rebirth 01

Xiao Ming stood outside a KTV, the opulent and extravagant decor making the young man from the countryside feel a bit intimidated. Still, he did his best to suppress his nervousness, squinting against the blinding sunlight as he struggled to read the job advertisement posted on the glass door: a monthly salary of 2,200, plus commission...

With just two months of work, he could scrape together enough for his tuition before the semester started! Xiao Ming felt a surge of excitement—no more anxiety over tuition fees!

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Ming gripped his luggage bag tightly in his right hand and reached out with his left to push the door open.

"Stop!" A sharp, raspy voice suddenly barked at him. Xiao Ming was startled; he pulled his hand back as if he had been electrocuted, standing frozen outside the door.

A thin man, perhaps around forty, pushed the glass door open and stepped out quickly. "Are you blind? Can't you read the sign on the door?"

The man pointed aggressively at the bold characters on the glass that read "PULL."

Only then did Xiao Ming realize that in his focus on his luggage, the glare of the sun had forced him to look downward, and he had completely missed the sign that stood out like a warning label.

Just as Xiao Ming was about to explain, the man launched into a tirade.

"I’ve been watching you standing outside for ages, acting all suspicious. This isn't a hotel! It's a KTV! A KTV! Do you understand? A place for singing..."

For a moment, Xiao Ming felt as if he were back in school. He lowered his head, the man before him transforming into one of his teachers—though this "teacher" was clearly far milder than the ones he had known, dressed in a suit and tie, a typical gentleman who preferred words over force.

Faced with this "gentleman's" "gentle lecture," Xiao Ming didn't feel much resentment. He simply stood perfectly straight, lapsing into a state of numbness.

From childhood to adulthood, the scoldings Xiao Ming had endured could fill an entire hard drive; he was long accustomed to it. To put it kindly, he had attained the zen of a high monk; to put it bluntly, he was like a dead pig that feared no boiling water. For a nobody like him, the latter was clearly the more fitting description.

"How unlucky! Finding someone reliable is so difficult!" The "gentleman" grew tired of scolding and, with lightning speed, gave Xiao Ming a quick appraisal.

At the same time, a girl wearing the same uniform as the "gentleman" poked her head out to look at Xiao Ming, then at the manager, and asked in a low voice, "Manager Luo, what's wrong?"

Manager Luo noticed that the scrawny young man before him hadn't argued back, instead offering constant apologies and explanations, which left him feeling a bit sheepish.

Manager Luo turned his head and said to the girl with a smile, "He's here for the job. Take him in and show him the ropes!" He then turned and stood by the roadside to light a cigarette, but before he could strike the match, he hurriedly added:

"Mind the glass door, and take his luggage to the dormitory first."

Xiao Ming took the application form, scanning it as carefully as if it were an exam paper, and then began to write with intense focus.

The girl wore an enthusiastic expression, and with the same lightning speed as the manager, she gave Xiao Ming a thorough once-over from head to toe.