Chapter 53: Xiao Li Zi, you can't hold onto Lu Si—let me take over!

"Jie Ke, we might as well give up." Fabuliaoqi looked at the poster in his hand, full of worry, and said: "Even the cheapest third-class ticket costs 7.5 pounds; for us two that's 15 pounds, which is a lot of money."

Jie Ke dipped his brush in paste, brushed it on the wall, stuck the poster up, then turned and said optimistically: "Fabuliaoqi, there are still 23 days until ticket sales close; we have time, don't give up, my friend."

Upon hearing that, Fabuliaoqi rolled his eyes, counted on his fingers, and said: "We've been saving from working since last year, scrimping and saving, and we only have 5 pounds—can't even afford one ticket; we're still short 10 pounds, Jie Ke, that's a full 10 pounds."

At the end, he couldn't help but complain: "That much money would be enough for each of us to marry a beautiful wife, but now it's just the price of two tickets—this is outright robbery..."

"Fabuliaoqi, stop complaining—we still have this many posters to put up; if we don't finish before sunset, we won't get paid." Jie Ke flipped through the thick stack of posters in his hand and urged.

"Yes, yes, I know, don't rush me." Fabuliaoqi felt helpless, knowing Jie Ke hadn't listened to his words, but what could he do!

He and Jie Ke have been close friends since childhood; now Jie Ke has a dream, as his brother, if he doesn't help, who will?

Moreover, he believes that on the day Titanic sets sail, Jie Ke will see the truth.

The shortfall of 10 pounds is simply too huge.

As Fabuliaoqi sighed to himself, clear footsteps approached nearby; he instinctively turned his head and saw a man in a neat suit, yellow-skinned, walking straight toward them, apparently coming for the two of them.

At that moment, Jie Ke, focused on work, also noticed this; he put down his brush and said, "Fabuliaoqi, do you know him?"

"I don't know him!" Fabuliaoqi shook his head.

Just as the two were talking, the man had already come up to them, smiling and asking: "Sorry to bother you, but do you know where the Titanic ticket office is?"

Hearing that, Jie Ke blinked, then turned and pointed to a road, saying: "I know—just keep going down this road and you'll see a..."

Su Qing appeared to be carefully noting the route, but his mind was elsewhere, muttering: "Little Li Zi has shown up, so we can be ninety percent sure this is the movie version of Titanic; however, we can't conclude yet—it might just be someone who looks like Little Li Zi."

At that moment, Jie Ke finished giving directions.

"Thank you so much." Su Qing shifted the conversation and asked: "May I know your names?"

Su Qing doesn't remember Titanic's departure time, but he still knows the names of the movie's male lead, Jie Ke, and female lead, Lu Si.

Especially Lu Si—he has repeatedly watched the uncut scene in the film, and the memory is still fresh.

Jie Ke didn't think much, smiled and replied: "I'm Jie Ke, and he's Fabuliaoqi."

"My name is Su Qing, I come from the East." Su Qing thought, Indeed it's the movie version, then his expression changed as he said: "Jie Ke, I've just arrived in Nan An Dun Shi; I'm unfamiliar here—could you trouble you to show me the way to the ticket office?"

"Well..." Jie Ke sounded hesitant; the ticket office is a bit far from here. Normally he wouldn't mind showing the way, but he still has work unfinished, and the round trip would leave insufficient time to finish it.

Before he could finish, he heard Su Qing say: "I'll pay you one pound for the trouble."

Jie Ke quickly stopped his words of refusal, smiled, and said: "Of course, please follow us."

Fabuliaoqi beside him also nodded repeatedly, saying: "One pound is more than we earn in a week of work; just showing the way gets us that, refusing would be brainless."

Since neither side had objections, there was nothing more to say.

Jie Ke and Fabuliaoqi carried small buckets and held the posters as they led the way; Su Qing followed beside them toward the ticket office.

All three were young; with Su Qing guiding the conversation, they walked and talked, and the topic soon turned to the Titanic.

Jie Ke tilted his head, curious: "Su, what kind of ticket are you planning to buy?"

"Well, I plan to buy a first-class ticket." Su Qing chuckled, appearing wealthy and generous.

Upon hearing that, Fabuliaoqi gasped, his gaze toward Su Qing becoming involuntarily more respectful; he and Jie Ke knew Titanic's ticket prices—first class costs 870 pounds, more than they could earn in a lifetime of work.

Jie Ke's eyes also shifted slightly, but he didn't show respect; his tone became less casual, more solemn.

Su Qing naturally noticed the change in both of them, and inwardly nodded at Jie Ke's demeanor.

In the film, Jie Ke is a free-spirited teenage painter who, facing the huge class divide, does not retreat; he discards societal prejudices with the aristocratic lady Lu Si and falls in love; finally, when Titanic hits an iceberg, Jie Ke gives his chance of survival to Lu Si and sinks into the Atlantic Ocean.

Thinking this, Su Qing couldn't help but glance at Jie Ke, inwardly thinking: "Little Li Zi, the Atlantic's waters are deep—you can't hold onto Lu Si, let me take over! I'm a strong swimmer!"

The three chatted all the way and soon arrived at the ticket office.

The ticket purchase went smoothly, though at first the clerk, seeing Su Qing was yellow-skinned, was very cold; but once Su Qing produced a handful of pounds, the clerk's attitude did a 180, enthusiastically giving a rundown of Titanic and then respectfully handing the ticket to Su Qing.

Facing such snobbery, Su Qing couldn't be bothered, brushed off the clerk's flirtatious glance, turned, and led Jie Ke and Fabuliaoqi away from the ticket office.

Leaving the ticket hall, the three had differing expressions.

Su Qing showed a calm expression with no fluctuation; Fabuliaoqi, seeing Su Qing buy a first-class ticket, became even more respectful; Jie Ke showed little change, just speaking less.

Regarding this, Su Qing smiled inwardly, not immediately paying the one-pound fee.

Instead, he suggested they go together to a tavern for a drink.

"Well..." Jie Ke hesitated, but Fabuliaoqi eagerly replied: "No problem."

Seeing his close friends agree, Jie Ke couldn't refuse and just nodded.

Fifteen minutes later, the three arrived at a tavern called Haihang.

Upon entering, someone greeted Jie Ke and the other, obviously they were regulars here.

However, they were regulars not at the dining tables but at the gambling tables.

"Jie Ke, wanna play a hand?" a disheveled middle-aged man held up his poker cards.

"No, I have friends today." Jie Ke shook his head.

"Alright."

"Next time I'll definitely win back the money I lost before..."

"..."

The three sat at the table, and once the food and drinks arrived, they began drinking and eating.

After drinking half their wine, Su Qing saw the moment was right and said: "Jie Ke, Fabuliaoqi, what are your plans afterward?"

"Plans!" Jie Ke blinked, alcohol rising, gazing out at the sea beyond the window, and said: "I'm from Yingguo; I want to return home, but..."

Saying that, he shook his head, dismissed the thought, gave a bitter smile, and fell silent.

Fabuliaoqi said: "Keep working, save up some money, then marry a wife."

Well, that's indeed a plain 'plan'.

Su Qing also stopped beating around the bush and said bluntly: "Do you want to come work for me?"