"But I feel really bad about making you run around all day and bothering you again..." Zhang An'an said bitterly.
"It's okay, An'an jie, I'm on summer vacation right now and not busy. Besides, Uncle Zhang has taken good care of me, so it's only right that I help you!" Ye Yuzhe said hastily.
"Yuzhe, thank you so much, but I don't have time to drag this out any longer," Zhang An'an sighed helplessly. "School is starting soon, and I recently took a flyer distribution job that pays daily. I earn about a hundred yuan a day, so the more days I work, the more money I get. If I keep waiting, I'm afraid I won't get paid and will also miss out on my current job..."
Ye Yuzhe was stunned. He had thought that when something like this happened, one should fight for fairness and justice. However, reality was often more complex. For many people, the cost of defending their rights was too high, and they still had to live, so they lacked the time and energy to endure such delays.
"There will surely be a way, An'an jie, don't give up so quickly..." Ye Yuzhe said dryly.
He truly regretted it now. Why had he only thought about playing before? His elder sister was so capable; if he had just spent some time learning properly from her, he wouldn't be so clueless now, unable to help even if he wanted to!
Ye Zhi had already left the café. She went to another cat café, petting a cat while looking outside.
Seeing the low spirits of the two, Ye Zhi vigorously scratched the chin of a small kitten, which purred contentedly and closed its eyes.
Ye Zhi sighed and took out her phone. It was time. She would play the role of a hidden master and provide some assistance to the two of them.
Ye Yuzhe was still persuading Zhang An'an, "An'an jie, that unscrupulous boss is just bullying you because you're a student and knows you're honest and won't make a fuss, which is why he's so brazen! This is money you've earned, why should he benefit from it..."
Suddenly, Ye Yuzhe's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and hesitated for a moment.
The next moment, he told Zhang An'an, then moved to a corner and pressed the answer button.
"Yuzhe, I heard from Director Yu that you left the construction site without a word. What's going on?"
Ye Zhi's clear voice came from the earpiece, and Ye Yuzhe immediately felt guilty.
He took a deep breath, as if making a decision, and said, "Elder Sister, I admit defeat in the bet. I'll definitely go home and follow your arrangements. But can you give me a few more days? I have something very important to deal with..."
"Is there anything you can't tell your family?" Ye Zhi asked playfully. "Do you think your sister can't help?"
"No, Elder Sister, I know you're very capable. If I tell you or Dad, you'll definitely find a solution. Even if I reveal my identity and intimidate those people, it would surely have a good effect. But..." Ye Yuzhe bit his lip slightly, saying with great reluctance, "What if I weren't a child of the Ye family today, and didn't have the Ye family as my backing? If I were just an ordinary person, would I just be bullied and taken advantage of for nothing?! The world shouldn't be like this.
I want to seek fairness and justice, but I want to rely on myself, not on privilege!"
Ye Zhi was incredibly shocked. These words, coming from Ye Yuzhe, who just a month ago had vowed to rely on his family and sister for his entire life?
It seemed that Ye Yuzhe's previous words about thinking things over seriously were true. He had truly opened his eyes to the world around him and had been thinking about it earnestly.
Although he lacked ability now, ability could be learned and honed. As long as his mindset didn't falter, there were always more methods than difficulties. His growth was truly very, very gratifying.
"Actually, you could tell me about it," Ye Zhi said calmly. "I can offer some advice. At least simple advice, which wouldn't be considered privilege, right?"
Ye Yuzhe paused for a moment, then said, "Elder Sister, I have a friend..."
Ye Zhi listened patiently as he finished speaking. She found it somewhat amusing. Ye Yuzhe had made the incident sound vague, indicating he truly wanted to resolve it himself.
"Sister, what do you think we should do now?" Ye Yuzhe asked with distress.
"If it's a labor dispute, you can go to the Arbitration Committee and apply for labor arbitration," Ye Zhi replied.
"Is that an institution specifically for handling these disputes?" Ye Yuzhe asked.
"Yes..."
"Alright, Elder Sister, I'll go check it out. I won't chat with you any longer."
With that, Ye Yuzhe hung up the phone directly.
Ye Zhi: ...
Was Ye Yuzhe that eager? Was he that afraid she would step in to help? She just wanted to give him more advice so he wouldn't waste his time running around.
Never mind, one only truly knows the right path after taking the wrong turns. If she intervened too much, it would hinder his growth. She would let him figure it out on his own for now.
"An'an jie, I asked. We can go to the Arbitration Committee," Ye Yuzhe said hesitantly, trying to persuade her. "Let's go check it out first, maybe there will be a turn of events..."
"Okay." Zhang An'an gritted her teeth and agreed.
This was clearly her problem, but Ye Yuzhe was trying so hard to help her, so she had no reason to back down.
Ye Yuzhe breathed a sigh of relief. The two of them used their phones to search for the location of the Arbitration Committee, then left the central plaza and took a bus.
Ye Zhi drove her car, following the bus.
However, as she watched them transfer three times, Ye Zhi became increasingly confused. Where exactly were these two going?
Finally, Ye Yuzhe and Zhang An'an arrived in front of a row of buildings, both looking bewildered.
Ye Yuzhe walked up to an elder sitting nearby to cool off and asked doubtfully, "Elder, isn't there an Arbitration Committee here? I can't find it."
"That Arbitration Committee moved two months ago to the new office building!" the old man said, fanning himself.
Ye Yuzhe: ...
What kind of unethical navigation was this? It was so misleading! It had been two months since they moved, and they hadn't updated the data?
Afterward, Ye Yuzhe asked the elder for the new address of the Arbitration Committee, and the two of them left together again.
Ye Zhi checked the time and sighed helplessly. It seemed they would have a wasted trip today.
As expected, by the time they found the Arbitration Committee, dusk had already fallen, and the gates were closed.
Ye Yuzhe bought two bowls of mixed noodles and two bottles of water from a nearby small shop. He and Zhang An'an sat on the steps outside, eating and discussing their next move.
Ye Zhi sat in her car, watching this scene, her heart softening.
They were like hatchlings, one fearful, one inexperienced. Yet, they continued to encourage and support each other, stumbling forward.
Ye Zhi took out her phone and called Ye Yuzhe again.