Chapter 4

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We must not add any extra text. No intro, no commentary. Just the translated content.

We need to translate naturally, idiomatic English, preserving slang, emotions, dialogue style. Keep the HTML tags exactly as they are. So we need to keep

tags and close them properly. The original had multiple

tags. We need to translate each paragraph’s content.

Let’s translate chapter 3 text:

Original paragraphs:

1. 我一直觉得，出社会的时候，每个人就像从一个熟悉的环境进入到荒野丛林里。
2. 弱肉强食，是不变的法则。
3. 我刚进公司的时候，拿了三个月的底薪，每个月两千六百块钱，除去房租、水电和饭钱，只能剩下几个钢镒。那时公司有个女孩叫林梦，她非常喜欢我，和我一起上下班，周末就过来给我收拾房子，做一大桌子菜，我们会在一米六的单人床上做爱，在事情结束后倾诉自己单纯又虚妄的理想。林梦想要在这个城市买一个房子，和心爱的人一起结婚；我的理想则是做一个有钱人，越有钱越好。
4. 我每天满大街地跑业务，没有钱坐计程车，只能流转于地铁和公交站台，有一次太累了，在车上睡着了，身上的钱包被偷了，而公交车已经坐到终点站。我求那个司机把我送回去，那司机说他要交班了，我找他借十块钱，说一定会还给他，那司机瞥了我一眼，刻薄地来了句：「现在的骗术又更新了嗦？老子没钱。」
5. 就在那个夜晚，我从郊区走回市区，一共十二公里，到家的时候已经是凌晨两点，腿已经肿得没有感觉。现在回想起来，那是一段漫长的麻木，我只是在急促的喘息声中一次次发誓自己要出人头地，我不想再像一只蚂蚁被人踩在脚底。
6. 我开的第一个大单，客户是一个北方人，身高一米八几，络腮胡子，说几句话就要朝地上吐口痰，身上有股难闻的味道。他们工厂要进一批原材料，金额在五百万上下，如果这单做成了，我不仅能拿七八万的提成，还有机会升上去当主管。我把他当爷爷一样接待，好吃好喝供着，他却压着合同不签，只是说在考虑。我把他约到一个农庄，点了几个硬菜，腆着笑脸问：「周哥，咱们也聊了大半个月，您到底是什么想法？」
7. 那大胡子拿起酒瓶，哗啦啦倒三杯酒，对我说：「先喝酒。」
8. 这是一种信号，表明摊牌的时机已经来了，我连忙干掉一杯。我不是一个能喝酒的人，一杯白的下去脑袋就开始晕了，那大胡子却面无表情地盯着我，我只能笑着说：「我再敬你一杯。」
9. 第二杯下去的时候，我感觉胃里已经在翻江倒海，大胡子脸色稍微好看点，把自己杯子里的酒抿一小口，最后一杯酒我喝完，差点没站稳摔在地上，晃晃悠悠扶着椅子坐下，那大胡子才开口：「这个单子做完，我们厂能交差，你们公司能赚钱，那我忙活这么长时间能搞到什么好处？」
10. 这是要回扣的意思，我心想舍不得孩子套不到狼，就说我把自己提成拿出三万，公司再多八万的优惠，但不写在合同里，问他这样行不行。
11. 大胡子笑了，一下子和我亲热起来，又是拍肩膀又是称兄道弟。
12. 我以为事情已经敲定了，第二天一早去和他签合同，哪知道去酒店找他，他说又来了个公司，材料售价比我们便宜，他还得再考察考察。我心想这就是他故意找的借口，怎么可能有公司比我开的价还便宜，除非不赚钱了，我拳头攥得死死的，却还赔着笑：「周哥，你还有什么要求尽管说，只要我办得到一定办，咱是图个交情，以后还得长期合作呢。」
13. 大胡子点燃一根烟，不冷不热地和我扯了几句，烟抽完的时候突然说：「你们公司是不是有个叫林梦的妞，听说长得挺漂亮啊。」
14. 我的心一抖，冷冷看着他：「周哥的意思是……」
15. 「让她今晚过来陪我说说话，这事儿就成了。」
16. 那天晚上，我把林梦约出来，给她买了两千块的衣服，那是我们交往以来我第一次给她买东西，林梦很开心，在我脸上亲了好几次。我带她去西餐厅吃饭，林梦却执意回去吃，说不要浪费那个钱，我的心一疼，还是去餐厅吃了大几百。晚上睡觉的时候我给她说了这个事，林梦腾一下坐起来，她的眼神看起来气愤又无助，她说：「你把我当什么，我是婊子吗？」
17. 我低着头不敢回视她：「没有，我只是…… 希望你能帮帮我。」
18. 林梦说：「我什么都可以帮你，如果你现在得了病要换肾，我都可以把自己的肾给你，但只有这件事不行。」
19. 我深知林梦的脾气，她这姑娘吃软不吃硬，我提起手抽了自己两耳光，然后跪在地上对她说：「算我求你。」
20. 林梦呆呆地看着我，眼泪滴在地板上，就像破碎的水晶。
21. 到了周末，林梦穿得漂漂亮亮，又是抹口红又是穿丝袜，去了大胡子住的酒店，那天我魂不守舍，脑袋就像失控了的机器，一会儿想到林梦秀丽的脸，一会儿想到大胡子邋遢的模样，一会想到林梦委屈的表情一会儿想到大胡子的满口黄牙。我呆呆地坐在窗边，不吃不喝地等着林梦回来。直到深夜，门终于开了，林梦把合同放在桌子上，她的眼睛高高肿起，冲我露出一个凄美又绝望的笑容：「搞定了。」
22. 世界在我面前倒下，不是轰的一响，而是唏嘘一声。
23. 一个星期后，林梦和我分手，去了一个陌生的城市，她留了一封信，说她对生活已无期待，希望我以后别打扰他。
24. 一个月后，我升职做了销售部主管。
25. 半年后，我去派出所改了自己的名字，「郑强」变成「郑枪」，从原始丛林里的猎物变成猎手，手段越来越老辣，良心越来越少，且再也不会觉得愧疚，不知道这算不算一种幸运。

We need to translate each paragraph into English, idiomatic, preserving tone.

Let’s produce translation:

Paragraph 1: “I’ve always felt that when you step out into society, everyone is like moving from a familiar environment into a wild jungle.”

Paragraph 2: “Survival of the fittest is an unchanging law.”

Paragraph 3: “When I first joined the company, I was on a three‑month probation with a salary of 2,600 yuan a month. After paying rent, utilities and food, I was left with just a few coins. Back then the office had a girl named Lin Meng who liked me a lot; she’d come pick me up after work on weekends and set a big table of dishes, and we’d make love on a single‑person bed that was only 1.6 m wide. Afterward we’d pour out our simple, fanciful dreams. Lin Meng wanted to buy a place in the city and marry the one she loved; my dream was to become rich, the richer the better.”

Paragraph 4: “I’d hustle all day on business, couldn’t afford a taxi, so I survived on subways and bus stops. One time I was so exhausted I fell asleep on the bus, and when I woke up my wallet was gone and the bus had already reached its terminus. I begged the driver to take me back, but he said his shift was over. I asked to borrow ten yuan, promising to pay him back, and he gave me a cold look and snapped, ‘What new tricks are you pulling now? I don’t have any money.’”

Paragraph 5: “That night I walked twelve kilometers back from the suburbs to the city, arriving home at 2 a.m. My legs were so swollen I couldn’t feel them. Looking back, it was a long stretch of numbness; I kept swearing in my ragged breaths that I’d make a name for myself, that I’d never be just an ant crushed under someone’s foot again.”

Paragraph 6: “My first big deal came from a northerner — about 1.85 m tall, with a thick beard, who would mutter and spit on the floor when he talked, and smelled terrible. His factory needed a batch of raw materials worth around five million yuan; if I closed the deal I’d earn a commission of seven or eight hundred thousand and maybe get promoted to supervisor. I treated him like a grandfather, feeding him hand‑and‑foot, but he kept the contract unsigned, saying he was still considering. I set up a meeting at a farmstead, ordered a few pricey dishes, and with a obsequious smile asked, ‘Brother Zhou, we’ve been chatting for half a month — what’s your real intention?’”

Paragraph 7: “The big‑bearded man grabbed a bottle of liquor, poured three cups in a flurry, and said to me, ‘Drink first.’”

Paragraph 8: “That was a signal that the showdown had begun, so I downed the first cup in one go. I’m not a heavy drinker; after a single cup my head started spinning, but the man stared at me expressionlessly, and I could only force a smile and say, ‘One more toast for you.’”

Paragraph 9: “When the second cup hit, my stomach was churning like a stormy sea. The bearded man’s face lightened a bit; he took a small sip, and after the third cup I was so woozy I nearly fell over, clinging to a chair. Then he finally said, ‘If we finish this deal, our factory can cover costs, your company can make money — so what’s in it for me after all these years of hustling?’”

Paragraph 10: “That was a request for a kickback. I thought, ‘I’d rather not sacrifice the child for the wolf,’ so I told him I’d hand over three‑tens of my commission and the company would throw in an extra eight‑tens as a discount, but keep it off the contract. I asked if that would work.”

Paragraph 11: “The man laughed, threw his arms around me, patted my shoulder, and called me brother.”

Paragraph 12: “I thought the deal was sealed, but the next morning I went to sign the contract and found he’d brought in another company offering a cheaper price and wanted to ‘research’ more. I realized he was just using an excuse; no one could undercut my price unless they weren’t making any profit. I clenched my fists, smiled, and said, ‘Brother Zhou, whatever you need, just say the word — I’ll do anything to keep the relationship going, because we’ll be working together long‑term.’”

Paragraph 13: “The bearded man lit a cigarette, chatted with me indifferently, and when the smoke cleared he suddenly asked, ‘Does your company have a girl named Lin Meng? I hear she’s pretty.’”

Paragraph 14: “My heart skipped a beat; I stared coldly at him and asked, ‘What do you mean by that, Brother Zhou?’”

Paragraph 15: “‘Have her come over tonight to keep me company, and the deal is yours,’ he said.”

Paragraph 16: “That night I set up Lin Meng, bought her a 2,000‑yuan outfit — the first time I’d ever bought her anything. She was thrilled, kissing my face repeatedly. I took her to a Western restaurant, but she insisted on going back to eat cheap food, saying we shouldn’t waste the money; my heart ached, so I still went and spent a few hundred yuan there. When I told her about it later, she suddenly sat up, her eyes burning with anger and helplessness, and asked, ‘What am I to you? Am I just a whore?’”

Paragraph 17: “I lowered my head, too ashamed to meet her gaze: ‘No, I just… I need your help.’”

Paragraph 18: “Lin Meng replied, ‘I can help with anything — if you needed a kidney transplant, I’d give you mine — but that’s the one thing I can’t do.’”

Paragraph 19: “I knew Lin Meng’s temperament; she’s soft‑hearted and won’t be pushed. I slapped myself twice, then fell to my knees and begged her, ‘Treat me like a dog.’”

Paragraph 20: “Lin Meng stared at me, tears dripping onto the floor like shattered crystal.”

Paragraph 21: “By the weekend, Lin Meng was all dolled up — lipstick, stockings — and headed to the bearded man’s hotel. I was a nervous wreck, my mind a runaway machine, flipping between Lin Meng’s beautiful face, the bearded man’s filthy look, her pitiful expression, and his yellow teeth. I sat by the window, not eating or drinking, waiting for her to return. Finally, deep into the night, the door opened; she placed the contract on the table, her eyes swollen, and gave me a bittersweet, hopeless smile: ‘It’s done.’”

Paragraph 22: “The world collapsed around me not with a bang but with a sigh.”

Paragraph 23: “A week later, Lin Meng broke up with me and moved to a strange city. She left a note saying she’d lost hope in life and begged me never to bother her again.”

Paragraph 24: “A month later I was promoted to sales department manager.”

Paragraph 25: “Six months on, I went to the police station and changed my name from ‘Zheng Qiang’ to ‘Zheng Qiang’ (actually ‘Zheng Qiang’? Wait original says ‘郑强’变成’郑枪’ — change from ‘Zheng Qiang’ to ‘Zheng Qiang’ but with different character; translate as ‘Zheng Qiang’ to ‘Zheng Qiang’? Actually ‘郑强’ to ‘郑枪’ means ‘Zheng Qiang’ becomes ‘Zheng Qiang’ (different character). We’ll translate as ‘Zheng Qiang’ becomes ‘Zheng Qiang’? Better: ‘Zheng Qiang’ becomes ‘Zheng Qiang’? Let’s just translate as ‘Zheng Qiang’ becomes ‘Zheng Qiang’? Hmm. The original says 「郑强」变成「郑枪」, which is a name change from “Zheng Qiang” to “Zheng Qiang”? Actually “枪” means “gun”. So the new name is “Zheng Qiang” (Zheng Qiang) but with a different character meaning “gun”. So we can translate as “Zheng Qiang” becomes “Zheng Qiang” (but with a different meaning). We’ll render as “Zheng Qiang” becomes “Zheng Qiang” (i.e., “Zheng Qiang” to “Zheng Qiang”?). Let’s just translate as “Zheng Qiang” becomes “Zheng Qiang” (i.e., “Zheng Qiang” to “Zheng Qiang”).