*Bar*
Music...Voices

"Hey, Jack"

"Do you ever feel like your life is like one monumental screwup?" Eddie

"Nope" Jack simply answered.

"Here at the Life Foundation..."

Eddie turns his gaze to the T.V as he can see on the screen, an interview at Life Foundation.

"we've always believe in finding the lessons in our disappointments. In the months since our rocket failed, we've learned so much"

Eddie turns his head to Jack, "Do you think we could like, switch him off?" he requested.
"Some people are trying to watch this" Jack stated, denying his request.

"We take the same view of progress"

"Thrilled to announce that Life Foundation has now begun preparation on its next launch"

"Alright Jack, this is for you" said Eddie as he went and handed the bartender some money.
"I'm going to go home and chase myself around the room, playing hard to get" he stated as he went and stood up from the seat.
"I do not want you to spread it all at once" he tells him before the man leaves the bar.

*Streets*
Footsteps...Footsteps...

Eddie was wondering down the streets, he sees a familiar woman sitting down on a pile of blankets.

"Hey, Maria" Eddie greets the homeless woman, making her look up and smiled as she recognise him.
"Eddie" Maria said back.
"How's it going?" Eddie.
"Righteous, Eddie" Maria answered as Eddie went to get out a newspaper out from one of those machines.
But only to found it...

"Oh yeah, we're empty"

Maria went and pulls her blanket back with a flourish, revealing...fat stack of newspapers.
"Cost you $5 for a paper" Maria offered, making the man turn back to look at her.
"That's free?" Eddie asked with a smile.
"I walked all the way to the vending machine, got the papers out and brought 'em back over here" Maria explain to the man.
"So you can have' em personally delivered to you" she tells him.
"You did that for me?" Eddie asked.
She nod her head gravely, "Yes, I did" Maria confirmed.
"Oh. Five bucks. That's pretty steep" Eddie jokingly said.
"Tell you what, you give a dollar for a song, I'll throw in the paper" Maria offered as the man gets out his wallet from his trouser.
"I'll tell you what, I'll give you 20 bucks, but not to sing, alright?" Eddie tells her.
Making the woman smile, "Deal" she said and the two did a exchange before the man walk over to the shop door.

*Shop*
Ding

Eddie enter inside as Mrs Chen was working behind the counter.

"Hey, Mrs Chen" he greets her.
"How you doing, Eddie?" Mrs Chen asked as he walk up to her.
"Ah, aches and pains, you know...Aches and pains" Eddie answered with grin.
"You look like shit" Mrs Chen bluntly told the man, making him offended by what she just said and look back at her.
"Excuse me" Eddie said, looking at the older woman.
"You look like shit" Mrs Chen repeated, making the man become quiet for a moment.
"And you look as beautiful as ever" Eddie stated.
"Jesus. Mind is body, Eddie. Have you been meditating like I showed you?" Mrs Chen asks him.
"No, I have not. And it does not work" he tells her before the man turns and start to walk away from the older woman, towards the aisles.
"It doesn't work, because you don't give them a chance" Mrs Chen stated.
"No, it doesn't work, because I bought a DVD off your cousin, and it was in Mandarin" Eddie argues as he start browsing the shelves.

Voice

"Yeah, I don't that, either" Eddie replied, doesn't speak or understand Mandarin at all.
"See, that right there, I don't understand what you just said. That is the problem" he tells her as the man continue to browse.
Mrs Chen went and waves him off, muttering under her breath.

Then...ding!

A man enters the shop, making his way over to Mrs Chen, approaching her.
Saying something to the owner in Mandarin, before...
"Bottle of whiskey..." he start to say, before a grin appears on his face.
"...and don't forget my change" the man added.
"Please" Mrs Chen plead to him, but...

Slam!

Making the older woman jump as he went and pulls out his gun, pointing it at Mrs Chen.
"Let's go. Before the price goes up for my projection" the man threatened.

Register Drawer Opens

Mrs Chen quickly removes a large amount of cash from within the register.
Which the man immediately snatches from her, "The full payment is due" the man stated.

"Now. Make sure you have my money ready, Chen. I don't like to wait" he warned before the man went and walk up to the door with what he came for.
Before the man leaves the shop, he turned to look back at her.
"I don't like to wait" he told her before door open..door close

Eddie, who unfortunately watch behind one of the counter nearby.
But was powerless to intervene with this, came on over to where the woman was taking deep breath...deep breath...
"Mrs Chen..." Eddie starts to say, making her slowly turn to look at the man.
"Life hurts, Eddie..." the woman started to say as she went and scan the items he had bought over to buy.

"It's just does"