Pretty and charming, dressed in the 90s, she's good at everything from making money to causing

Some things don't need to be said explicitly; a reassuring look is enough.

After the snow that day, all that was missing between Lin Ting and Jiang Zong was a carefully prepared ceremony.

Lin Ting didn't think there was much need for confessing her feelings, but whenever she saw Jiang Zong's serious and meticulous appearance, she found herself looking forward to it.

However, she soon lost interest in romance.

Because Duan Jun didn't reply to her for a long time.

Lin Ting didn't care whether asking first would seem too eager or naive; she would just make the call herself, not the other way around.

"Fifth Sister, my bank loan has already been credited to my account, how come you're slower than the bank?"

Lin Ting subtly mocked her.

Surprisingly, Duan Jun didn't curse; instead, she gave a chillingly forced smile.

“Um… Listen, don’t be anxious. You know, there are many people and many things to deal with in the capital. Besides, I have my father behind me. No matter what I do, I have to follow the rules… Give me some more time, allow me a few days.”

Her overly lively and polite tone startled Lin Ting.

Duan Jun, are you being too polite?

That's worse than pulling out a gun!

Lin Ting took a deep breath and asked directly, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

"Well..." Duan Jun hesitated for a long time, still unable to bring herself to be ruthless, and said indirectly, "It's not that there's absolutely no progress or news. Actually, I have two pieces of news..."

Lin Ting, who seemed to understand perfectly, said, "One good news and one bad news, right?"

"Haha, of course not...it's two pieces of bad news."

"..."

……

“Kid, listen to me and let me out. I need to find work.”

In the hotel, He Ping tried to reason with Hammer in a helpless and earnest manner.

He had received the military overcoat a week ago.

During those seven days that were excessively comfortable yet long, his clearest thought was—to quit drinking!

Others might get into trouble after drinking, but at most it would only last a day or two. But for him, it could last a whole week.

After he sobered up, he ended up in this hotel room, where he had food and drinks, and a bald young man who was always grinning from ear to ear.

He once suspected that the kind-hearted girl might be trying to sell him.

But then I thought, he's not even worth as much as that military overcoat now, he doesn't even have the capital to be sold.

Hammer was watching TV and gnawing on roast chicken, his mouth greasy. He shook his head vigorously, saying, "No way! The boss said, Uncle, your health is too poor. You need to take good care of yourself!"

Accompanying He Ping is Hammer's favorite task this year.

No need to go to other places, no need to scheme against each other... and no need to learn to read.

Taking care of He Ping is no big deal for him.

He Ping rubbed his face in worry.

Such conversations occurred an average of five times a day during this week, almost more than the number of times Hammer ate each day.

"Why are you so stubborn, kid?" He Ping was utterly helpless, even somewhat numb.

It's been a week, and he's almost come to terms with it.

With an innocent look on his face, Hammer handed over another chicken leg: "Uncle, have some?"

He Ping: "..."

He paused for two seconds, then took the chicken leg and took a bite.

Hammer casually opened two bottles of beer, handed one to He Ping, and said the same comforting words he'd said countless times before:

"Uncle, just stay here and relax. My boss is a really good person; he wouldn't cheat you. Besides, what kind of work can you do in your current condition? What kind of work can you do in the dead of winter?"

He Ping put the beer bottle aside and didn't drink it.

He sighed, looking out the window with a hint of melancholy, and murmured, "But I can't just shamelessly let a young girl support me like this..."

"My boss has donated to so many schools, one more won't make a difference," Hammer said casually, drinking and munching on a chicken leg.

He Ping was both amused and exasperated: "How can that be the same? The child needs help, but I'm a grown-up with hands and feet. I can support myself by working as a laborer and carrying bricks."

Hammer let out a burp and casually said, "Then you shouldn't leave either. Last week, Brother Chen said the construction site was short of laborers."

"...?"

He Ping paused for a moment, his expression somewhat strange: "Your boss also has construction sites?"

……

“The chief engineer will go abroad for further studies after finishing that project. He won’t be back for three to five years. When he does come back, he will go directly to the construction bureau. He won’t take on your job.”

Duan Jun spoke with a helpless tone, forced to recount her two pieces of bad news.

Lin Ting rubbed her temples.

She knew things wouldn't go smoothly, but she thought money would be difficult to obtain; she never expected it would be the people who caused the problem.

Lin asked, "With so many people on a project, there must be other people available, right?"

"Of course!" Duan Jun answered confidently at first, then cleared her throat awkwardly, "The second piece of bad news is... Erba is in jail."

Lin Ting, clinging to her last glimmer of hope, asked, "Where did you go? For further studies? To the Academy of Sciences or the Research Institute?"

"……prison."

Lin Ting: "..."

She would rather that person went to the research institute!

It's at least a decent place!

"Listen?"

Lin Ting remained silent for too long, so Duan Jun tentatively called out to her, "Are you... still calm?"

Lin Ting's tone was calm and even, as if she had come to terms with it: "Calm down, very calm down. Sister, let's discuss the possibility of breaking him out of prison."

"Tsk, I told you you were a bandit..."

Lin Ting smiled slightly, her tone remaining calm: "If I really were the boss, that would be simple... I heard that prisoners have to work, right? Is there any possibility that we could stop this guy from operating the sewing machine and make him do some of his regular work?"

Duan Jun remained silent.

Lin Ting pressed his temples, his thinking unusually clear as he persuaded, "You see, technology and knowledge are innocent, right? Compared to a prison break, isn't this strategy more in line with the law?"

"that……"

Duan Jun hesitated for a moment, thinking that Lin Ting wasn't around, and then said, "Actually, there's a third piece of bad news."

Lin Ting: "I'm booking a plane ticket to Beijing now. You can tell me in person tomorrow."

Duan Jun paused for only a second before blurting out, "He's been released from prison! We can't find him anywhere!"

"Hehe, hehe..."

Lin Ting smiled calmly.

His laughter was utterly cold.

Her building...

Before construction even started, they were already cutting the building from 58 stories to 18 stories.

Duan Jun felt a chill run down her spine from Lin Ting's laughter.

She rarely showed any hesitation, and tentatively said, "How about I fax you that person's information, and you can look for it?"

Lin Ting countered, "Why don't you look for it?"

In the years before the internet was widespread, identity information was not interconnected, and there were even a lot of unregistered people, how could one person be found from hundreds of millions of people?

She must have saved the galaxy in her past life to have such good luck!

Rather than looking for someone like that, she'd rather find someone else!

Just as Lin Ting was pondering how to find a capable chief engineer, Zhang Liang knocked on the door and entered.

"Boss, someone in Beijing has spread rumors that construction is going to start on our land, and the original residents are making a fuss."

Lin Ting: "..."

The final straw that broke the camel's back had arrived.