"Urban Hidden Edge"
At 10:30 p. M., The lights in the CBD office buildings seemed to have been turned off, dimming layer by layer. Lin Mo walked toward the stairwell with half a box of scrapped manuscripts. The soles of his leather shoes scraped against the marble floor, making a muffled sound. These shoes were bought when he graduated. The heels were worn crooked and wobbled when he walked fast.
"Xiao Lin, please wash the coffee machine in the tea room on the 18th floor before leaving." Sister Zhang from the administrative department poked her head out of the elevator, her voice smelling of perfume, "Mr. Wang said that he would drink fresh coffee in the morning, so don't delay things."
Lin Mo stopped and the scrap manuscript in his arms slipped. He quickly picked it up and nodded: "I understand, Sister Zhang."
"Young people should work harder and not suffer losses." Sister Zhang added, and the elevator door closed, reflecting the gray collar of Lin Mo's shirt.
He is twenty-four this year and has graduated two years ago. He is working as an assistant in this small company called "Hengyuan Consulting". He is called an assistant, but in fact he is just a handyman - printing, delivering documents, ordering meals for the boss, and taking the blame for the department. After deducting NT$4,200 for social security benefits from my salary, I live in a rented village in the city and commute two hours a day. He squeezes into the subway at 6:30 in the morning and leaves at 10 at the earliest. This is his life.
When I walked to the tea room on the 18th floor, there was still brown residue in the coffee machine, sticking to the wall like dried blood. Lin Mo took the hot water and rubbed it little by little with the brush. The foam started to rise, with a bit of burnt and bitter taste. The phone vibrated in my pocket. It was my mother.
