"If possible, I don't want to use this money. This is the only money we've got, and I'm planning to support Allaine with this. But now... the situation has changed... I have to use this money... to save my money"

Jose looked at the floor with painful eyes, as if he just lost a part of his body. But Antonio said something that disturbed Jose so much...

"Jose! It's not enough! That kind of money is not enough!"

"Huh? What are you talking about!? It's a full 2,500 pesos! It's a large money! It's enough, isn't it!?"

Antonio looked at Jose with eyes full of frustration. He's frustrated about the fact but he needs to speak...

"I have a friend who got hospitalized recently. I don't know what happened to him, I just know that his hospital bills are at least, 5000 pesos!"

5,000 Pesos!!! For commoners, this money is an amount they can't easily get. But they can still get it, this is an amount they can work for! For rich people, this amount is nothing but chump change! But for trash scavengers... this is an insane amount of money! Something they would never get by trash scavenging! It's like touching the realm of the gods with your own hands. It's impossible to get it!!!

Jose's frustration is just gotten worse. The frustrated look on his eyes suddenly became worried, no, he's scared! His hands are shaking and can't afford to hold on something!!!

"Why the hell is this happening!? This kind of thing... didn't happen in my life at all!!!"

This is the line of thought... of Jose right now. Money! Money!! Money!!! He needs Money!!!

"I need it!"

He needs it!

"I need it!!"

He needs it!!

"I NEED MONEY!!!"

HE NEEDS MONEY!!!

Jose can't think about anything other than money, he needs money above anything else

+++++

30 minutes straight, Jose didn't do anything but to stare at the floor with blank and lifeless eyes. Antonio, looking at him for half an hour was about to lose hope too. But as if being hit by a flash of lightning, an inspiration came to his head!

"Jose! You can borrow advances from your friend who is your boss!"

Advances! Getting your salary before work. Workers don't normally do this unless they're in a state of emergency. If you borrow advances, your boss will deduct something on it, depends on your contract. For example, your fee for the next day would be 500 Pesos, if you borrow some advance... and you and your boss agreed that he will deduct 50% from your next salary. That would mean that you got the 500 pesos for the next day but if you worked for the day after that, you'll only get half of the usual salary, 250 pesos.

But there are some bosses who don't do this, they let their employees borrow advances without deducting any of it. They just need to hope that Jose's boss is like that.

After Antonio explained what an advance is, As if being enlightened, Jose took a deep breath then calmed himself. After that, he stood up and asked Antonio to take him to the construction site where his boss is.

There is a high chance that the boss is already home, but Jose is willing to bet on the chance that he's still at the construction site...

+++++

After another 25 minutes of pedaling, they finally reached the construction site. Antonio already rested at the hospital, so he's not tired at all.

"This is it. May God be with me"

He said that as he did the cross sign to his body. After that, he walked towards the office where his boss normally sits, Antonio followed suit. The office was on the 2nd floor of the building, so they need to ride an elevator.

Jose walked towards the elevator and entered it, Antonio, not even knowing what it is, still entered. As the elevator roses, Antonio felt a sense of happiness and enjoyment. Even though Jose rides this every day, he can't help but smile at this elevator. Although It's not an elevator you'll see at the mall. It's an elevator you'll normally see at construction sites.

Even though the situation is heavy, Antonio and Jose managed to find even a little happiness at this elevator. After they reached the 2nd Floor, they suddenly felt the urge to go at it again. But It's only for a second, they continued on after that.

After some walking, they finally reached the office. Jose took a deep breath again then knocked to the door...

"Oh? I have visitors? It's open."

Jose opened the door and his friend, no, his boss was sitting at the office table he's normally seeing. But for some reason, just for tonight, he saw some darkness that he didn't saw before...

END OF CHAPTER 4