Trent’s demeanor at work is clearly a bit forced.


    To borate, he, once proud of being a public student, now feels a tinge of inferiority when he talks about his job in Mexico.<fn8c01> Read full story at Find[?]ovel</fn8c01>


    Charlie noticed this shift in Trent’s attitude. Given that Trent had switched jobs repeatedly over the years, with his ie steadily declining, and now faced over a year of unemployment, it seemed evident to Charlie that this trip to Mexico was more of a reluctant necessity than a choice—a life decision born out of desperation.


    With a soft sigh, Charlie remarked, “Looking at you, brother, it seems like heading to Mexico is a tough choice for you. I can rte; I don’t want to go to Mexico either unless I absolutely have to.”


    Curiously, Trent asked, “What are you nning to do in Mexico?”<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    Charlie casually replied, “Honestly, I’m not sure what I’ll do there, but my U.S. visa is about to expire. I initially thought about going underground, but with the immigration bureau cracking down on illegal immigrantstely—one of my uncles just got deported—I figured it’s better to leave the U.S. before my visa runs out.”


    Trent, somewhat perplexed, responded, “If things aren’t working out in the U.S., why not return to China? The conditions there might not be as great as in the U.S., but they’re certainly better than in Mexico.”


    Feeling slightly embarrassed, Charlie admitted, “To be honest, I left because I couldn’t stay in my home country any longer. I racked up a lot of debt back there, and going back now couldnd me in serious trouble.”


    Trent chuckled and said, “So you borrowed money to escape?”


    “Hey…” Charlie sneered awkwardly. “I borrowed a bit too much, coupled with poor management, and now I’m in quite a hole that I can’t dig myself out of, so I had no choice but to leave and avoid the heat.”


    Then, Charlie curiously inquired, “Since you were a public student back then, you must be quite talented. Why are you heading to a ce like Mexico? Life there is much tougherpared to the U.S.”


    Trent’s expression turned somber as he replied, “It’s just that I’m getting older. In the U.S., if you don’t achieve financial independence by your mid-30s to 40s, you’re likely to be sidelined by the capitalists, even if you have experience. What good is experience when younger people are willing to work for a fraction of your sry and outshine you? It’s like the saying goes, three cobblers can outsmart Zhuge Liang.”


    He sighed again and continued, “With industries changing so rapidly, older workers like us struggle to keep up with new technologies, and we’re at risk of being reced.”


    Charlie nodded, pretending to be inquisitive. “Since you’re in IT, I imagine there aren’t many opportunities in Mexico? Are you considering switching fields?”


    Trent waved his hand dismissively, saying, “Ah, it’s not worth discussing. It’s just another job to get by.”


    Seeing that Trent was reluctant to share more, Charlie held back further questions. At that moment, boarding for the flight began, and they proceeded through the gate one after the other towards the cabin.


    Trent picked a window seat, 39A, and entered first. He stowed his suitcase and shoulder bag in the overheadpartment before settling into his seat.


    Meanwhile, Charlie checked his boarding pass and mumbled, “39B, where on earth is 39B…”


    Suddenly, he looked up at Trent, feigning surprise. “Oh, brother, what a coincidence! My seat is right next to yours!”


    “Really?” Trent replied, genuinely surprised.


    What a stroke of luck! They had been right behind each other in the boarding line, but it was unexpected that their seats would be adjacent once they got on the ne.