The evening fell down a small town, in the countryside.

Getting off from work, the young man went towards a food stall and placed his rucksack down the table, as he sat on the corner.

Giving his order, he took his phone and began browsing the net.

Out of blue, an old man with grey hair came in the stall, sitting across him. He looks about fifty.

"Are you back from school?"

The young man was taken aback by the sudden question. Since the old man asked in a friendly manner, he smiled, "I've already graduated from college."

"Do you work in this town? Where do you work?"

The youth just replied nonchalantly, that he's in Company A--just a couple of streets from this food stall.

"Any vacancies?"

"Sorry, I don't know. I'm just a regular employee here. If you want anything, please consult the Boss. You can just go there and ask for the details."

"Finding a job is so tough nowadays, I can't manage to find one at all. Can't you just help me a bit?"

'Do you think I care? Does it have anything to do with me, if you're unemployed?'

The young man starts to get irritated; he raised his voice a notch.

"As I said, I'm just a regular employee. If you want anything, you have to get to the Boss himself."

The old-timer lowered his head but the change in his expression wasn't noticeable by the youth, as he went back to his phone. He subconsciously edged his seat further.

"Lad, how about you look up for me from now on? You'll pay for my meals..."

At this point, the youth's anger reached his peak.

'You think I'm a naive and gullible idiot? Who on Earth would buy such bullshit? Are you looking down on me?'

'I worked so hard, every single day, for just a meager sum of money! You think you could demand such shameless thing to me, a random stranger, who didn't even owe you anything?'

"...and why must it be me? Can't you just ask my boss?"

"...but you can just help me..."

The Youth immediately moved towards the opposite end of the stall, thinking this geezer was shameless and thick-faced to the very bone.

There were some people who heard the lad's outbursts--they just minded their own business.

'You guys have no right to criticize me when you won't even lend a hand yourself.'

While the young man was secretly grumbling in his heart, he paid not much heed, as the old fogey no longer pestered him.

He went back to his phone until his order came.

Along the way, he saw the owner wrapping a full portion of freshly cooked food. He gave it away free of charge to the geezer whom nonchalantly walked away, not minding the youth at all.

Which made him ponder, as he quietly ate.

Indeed, there are still kind and generous people in this world. Although, the owner was pretty well-to-do. Due to this charity act, the customers might like him more, thus, increasing his profit.

...and giving away that much wouldn't cost him.

As for the youth? It makes him feel like an idiot if he gave away his hard-earned money just because someone asked him to.

...and that person looked down on him.

The moment that person tried to leech him off, he already lost respect.

This type of person, the moment you gave them face, they'd come in like parasites.

Someone once said, don't forget to lend others a hand when you're up. So when you're down, others will help you.

To the youth, it's the most naive bullshit he ever heard.

Not everyone is worth helping, especially those who didn't even put effort to help themselves.

Even if you're down, do you expect some good person would suddenly come and save you?

It might be the way of life for some, but not him.

'It's too naive expecting to live at someone's mercy.'

He had experienced, far too much, far too frequently.

Of someone leaving him when he needed them the most. Pushing forward on his own, when nobody in this world seems to care for him. All for his own personal ideals and dreams.

He might give up a few times, but he always went back to it, over and over.

'What would I do, if I'm in that geezer's position?'

He shook his head shortly after.

'It doesn't matter.'

'I will just focus on things my hand can reach. I don't have time for irrelevant matters.'

Later on, the young man looked back to his first meeting.

He felt like thanking that geezer for giving him a life lesson.

...but whatever happens to that person?

To hell with it.