Episode 2 -  A Perverted Saint

"Be warned! Be warned!" the old man cried out, his voice tinged with desperation. 

"They are coming! The echoes of the forgotten past return to haunt us! Humanity is doomed once again! The secrets of a dark history that has been long buried shall soon be unveiled! Be warned! Be warned!"

He shouted with such intensity that his words pierced throughout the street, echoing like a haunting prophecy.

The old man desperately attempted to capture the attention of those who rushed past him, their faces marked by indifference or perhaps a hint of disdain.

But to the busy people of the city, his words were just another layer of urban noise, easily tuned out and disregarded.

Even from inside the taxi, Jiexin couldn't help but overhear the old man's impassioned cries.

Despite the ominous message on the cardboard sign and the unsettling words, Su Jiexin's thoughts didn't dwell on the message itself.

Instead, his heart ached for the old man holding it. If only he weren't running late, he thought, he would have stopped to offer food, warm clothing, or a kind word to help.

However, time, relentless as ever, pressed forward, leaving him with a lingering sense of empathy and a reminder of the countless souls who faced hardships in the city, just like him.

=====

Arriving at the entrance of his office building, Jiexin was panting and sweating from the rush. He took a moment to compose himself, straightening his tie and wiping the sweat from his brow. With a deep breath, he pushed open the door and entered the office.

"Good morning," Su Jiexin greeted his coworkers as he made his way to his cubicle. 

His coworkers responded, their expressions filled with concern as they noticed his disheveled appearance.

Despite their curiosity, Jiexin tried to put on a composed demeanor as he settled into his cubicle and began preparing for the day's work.

As he was getting organized, a coworker from the other side of the cubicle wall leaned over and asked, "What happened to you? You look like you wrestled a tiger."

Jiexin, who hadn't noticed his appearance until now, glanced at his reflection in a mirror on his desk. 

He was taken aback by the visible bruises on his face and ruined hair. He checked his clothes and finally noticed the torn fabric underneath his coat sleeves and let out a sigh.

"Did you come here without noticing?" his coworker continued, sounding genuinely surprised. "What happened on your way here?"

Jiexin put on a reassuring but awkward smile as he grabbed a tissue to clean his face and attempted to fix his ruined hair.

"It's nothing, really," he replied casually. "I stumbled across the road."

"Really? It doesn't seem like it." His coworker raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. 

"I am fine. Thanks for your concern", he chuckled awkwardly.

He removed his torn coat and neatly hung it on the back of his chair, revealing his shirt's slight bruises and dirt smudges. 

Despite his appearance, he appeared undeterred, ready to continue working.

However, when he was finally able to relax, he started to feel a dull ache slowly spreading through his body. 

It began as a subtle discomfort in his limbs, but with each passing moment, it intensified. Jiexin discreetly clenched his jaw, trying not to let on that the pain was growing.

He realized that the adrenaline rush from the earlier incident had masked the physical toll it had taken on him. 

Jiexin decided to check it out and went to the restroom.

As he was heading to the restroom,  Jiexin noticed a female coworker struggling to carry a heavy load of paperwork. 

Without hesitation, he approached her with a smile and offered her assistance.

"Let me help you," he said, extending a hand to ease her burden.

The female coworker gladly accepted Jiexin's offer. 

She shifted some of the paperwork into his waiting hands, her expression softening.

"Thanks," she said, her voice filled with appreciation.

Jiexin simply smiled in response, the pain he is enduring is serving as a silent testament to his willingness to lend a helping hand, no matter the circumstances.

Jiexin heads into the restroom. Inside, he splashed cool water on his face, hoping to refresh himself. 

He stood in front of the mirror, he couldn't help but be drawn to the reflection of his own body. Jiexin unbuttoned his shirt and lifted it to the side, revealing his lower chest. 

There, prominent and discolored, were the signs of the impact he had endured earlier in the day—large, deep purple bruises marred his skin.

He examined the bruises, and a stir of emotions washed over him. It was a stark reminder of the price he had paid for his selflessness. However, Jiexin had no regrets.

He heard the voice and footsteps of employees entering. 

Swiftly, he adjusted his clothing, concealing the bruises from view, and went inside a stall to button up. He doesn't want other people to see his injuries.

As Su Jiexin was buttoning up his shirt, he couldn't help but overhear a conversation between two employees taking place just outside the restroom stall.

Their hushed tones reach their ears.

"Hey, have you heard?" one of them inquired, their tone filled with a hint of excitement. "One of the employees in finance management is possibly getting promoted."

The mention of a potential promotion caught Jiexin's attention, and he strained to listen more closely.

"Really? Who is it?" the other employee asked, curiosity showing in their voice.

"I think his name was Su Jiexin," came the reply.

The mention of his name in the conversation both surprised and intrigued him.

The first employee, however, didn't seem to share the same enthusiasm. 

"Ahh, that goody two-shoes hypocrite?" they remarked, their tone tinged with disdain.

Jiexin's heart sank at the comment, but he remained silent, choosing to listen rather than confront the situation directly.

The second employee, seemingly aware of the potential repercussions of their words, cautioned their companion.

"Shh, lower your voice; someone might hear you."

The first employee chuckled, dismissing their earlier statement. 

"What? I'm not wrong, am I? That guy thinks he's a saint."

"I said, lower your voice. Everyone likes that guy; if they hear you cussing at him, they will hate you."

"Like him? I am certain they don't like him."

"And why do you say that?"

"Because that guy is too nosy. In every problem, he is always there to offer help."

"And what's wrong with that?"

"You see, not everyone needs help, okay? They can do it on their own, but that guy is so persistent in helping that it gets annoying. Why doesn't he run the management himself if he is a know-it-all?"

Su Jiexin couldn't help but feel torn apart by the comments. It hurts him to hear his good intentions being questioned.

"He's a pushover then."

"You said it They both chuckled.

"I have been here for five years, and I haven't even been promoted once. But that guy? Just two years? and he already got a promotion? Something fishy."

"Oh yeah, I've always seen him together with the senior managers and the general manager. He always helps them, even if it's unnecessary. Do you think this is his strategy to be promoted early? To act like a saint?"

"I don't know, but all I know is I hate that guy. He even made a move with Ms. Chen earlier. I saw him offer a hand. Does he think we don't know about his cheap tactics with hot women?"

"He's a perverted saint then," they concluded, and both employees laughed and exited the restroom.

Jiexin exited the restroom stall, the weight of the derogatory words he had overheard settled upon him like a heavy cloak. 

He walked over to the mirror, and as he gazed at his reflection, he saw someone different from the person he usually saw, it looked disappointed. 

It wasn't the same person who always smiled back at him.

Near the sink, he noticed a sling that appeared to be an employee's ID badge. It had probably been carelessly left behind by the employees who had been gossiping about him earlier. 

Jiexin picked it up, and as he examined the face and name on the ID, a sinking feeling crept into his chest. 

It was the very coworker who just sat beside him at work—the one who asked him if he was okay earlier.

A wave of disillusionment washed over Jiexin. He had believed that he and his coworker were good allies in their shared workplace. 

But now that perception was shattered, replaced by the bitter realization that their camaraderie had been a facade. 

It wasn't just a casual acquaintance who had spoken ill of him; it was someone he had considered a friend.

At that moment, doubt began to gnaw at Jiexin. He questioned the worth of his kindness and whether it indeed had a place in a world that could be so cruel and judgmental. 

Was his unwavering compassion a genuine virtue? or was it merely an idealistic folly in a world that often rewarded duplicity and self-interest?

The reality of this world is not easy to see, but it's easy to tell how cruel it is.

He is Kind, but the World isn't.