"That's enough for today."

As dusk settled, Ji Jue washed his hands in front of the faucet, wiped away the dirt, and nodded, saying, "Thanks for your guidance, Yan Gong. I think I've almost got the hang of most of it."

Got the hang of it? Most of it?

Do you want to hear yourself talking nonsense?

Yan Jian shook his head blankly beside him, too tired to even agree.

Whatever you say.

If you think it's fine, it's fine.

"I pretty much understand the situation now."

Ji Jue turned around, looking at him, "These years have not been easy for you handling things alone, Yan Gong. If you want to leave, I won't hold you back. I'll do my best to ensure you get maximum compensation.

Of course, if you can stay, that would be even better."

Ji Jue smiled gently, "After all, it's not easy to restart production. Having you around boosts my confidence quite a bit."

Silence ensued.

In his daze, Yan Jian suddenly didn't even have time to be overjoyed. He looked at Ji Jue blankly, as if he didn't quite understand. He only felt an emptiness in his mind.

Instinctively, he wanted to be happy, but didn't know if it was for the long-desired freedom and compensation, or the thought of renewing production which he'd already given up on.

He couldn't utter a word.

These years, he'd had too many promises made and broken.

He was afraid just at the sight of them now.

But before he could react, a note with a phone number was slipped into his hand.

"Sorry, haven't printed any business cards yet. Yan Gong, you can call me anytime once you've made your decision."

Ji Jue reached out to shake his hand one last time and told him, "I'll be back tomorrow."

The young man nodded goodbye, turning to leave.

Leaving Yan Jian standing there in a long silence, with faint insect chirps rustling in the grass.

When he finally came to, he looked down at the note in his hand and couldn't help but let out a self-mocking laugh, unsure what he was laughing at.

Overthinking.

Do good things ever come to me?

He shook his head and rode his electric scooter to get some food.

Just as he got to a familiar fried noodle stall, his phone rang.

"Hello? Old Yan?" A familiar voice came through the phone, "I called you several times this afternoon, why didn't you pick up?"

"Hmm? Let me see. Oh, it was on silent, forgot."

Yan Jian glanced down at the screen, eating his noodles absentmindedly, "Why the sudden interest in contacting me?"

"I heard the factory's going to restart production? How's the situation?"

"Ah, we had a rich kid coming in just to stroll around, thinking of one thing then another." Yan Jian shook his head, "I reckon there's more suffering to come. I'm planning on leaving anyway."

"Then leave sooner." The friend sighed, "Need a referral for a new place?"

"I'll talk about it after I leave."

Yan Jian shook his head, exchanged a few pleasantries, then hung up the phone, raising a hand to signal to the noodle stall owner, "Boss, another bottle of beer, cold."

"Alrighty."

Under the dim yellow light, small bugs flew around the bulb.

At the noisy night market stall, children were screaming and running around, while shirtless workers were loudly drinking.

Yan Jian sipped beer from the plastic cup and finished the plate of noodles bit by bit.

As he ate, he started to cry quietly.

.

.

Under the same night sky, eating the same fried noodles, what's different is Ji Jue added an egg.

After taking a couple bites at home, he began rubbing his hands in anticipation, just waiting for fuel delivery, when he heard a knock at the door.

Outside, a man with his tie, hair, and buttons all neatly done stood holding a suitcase, smiling warmly at him.

"Sorry for dropping by unannounced."

The visitor extended a hand warmly, "Hello, Mr. Ji."

Ji Jue raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"Sorry, we seem to be strangers?" he asked, "And your name?"

"Surname is Yin, Yin Chaoyang."

Yin Chaoyang still smiling, handed over an elaborate business card, on which was only written his name, contact information, and an import-export company name.

Never heard of it, but also somewhat expected.

The speed is darn fast.

The news hasn't even spread yet, how come someone's already sniffing their way here?

The city hall's like a sieve, really.

Ji Jue sighed, put away the business card, then asked seriously:

"May I ask what you need?"

Sitting down in the living room, Yin Chaoyang didn't waste time, placed the suitcase politely and respectfully on the table, "I heard Mr. Ji is taking the craftsman position and joining Coast Group. A token of congratulations, please don't mind."

Here comes another briefcase.

And it seems it might be the same model...

"No service, no reward. I'll pass."

Ji Jue sighed, really not wanting to go through the motions over such trivial matters, "Forget the gift, Mr. Yin, there's no real connection between us, if there's nothing else, please leave."

"Connections require interaction after all."

Yin Chaoyang's smile remained enthusiastic, insistently not withdrawing the gift, "You probably understand my intentions, there's really nothing to hide.

However, I reckon I don't need to say much more; you should also know how messy things are in the Coast situation. One misstep can involve dire consequences.

Nowadays, who's not watching this area closely? Getting involved certainly isn't a wise choice no matter how you look at it.

You're the chief craftsman of this cycle of the association, above the fray, with bright prospects. Honestly, there's no need to be mired in this quagmire, why not extricate yourself early?"

"Truth be told, you're right."

Ji Jue nodded, unscrewed a bottled water to gulp down, agreeing, "You've got a point. Honestly, I don't want to meddle in these troubles either.

But, in this world, not fully free from responsibilities."

He paused, sighed, "Since Mr. Yin has been candid, I really don't need to be evasive. In this situation, I don't actually have much of a choice."

"...What do you say?"

Amid slight bewilderment, Yin Chaoyang's smile remained unchanged, becoming even more enthusiastic: "Although I have little influence, I'm quite adept at helping friends solve their troubles. Would you care to elaborate?"

"To be honest, I rarely have great ambitions, often finding those who live idle and reckless lives intolerable."

Ji Jue mocked himself, sighed, and said: "After so many years of wandering, I've finally managed to make a name for myself. I wanted to do something for Cliff City, to bring some benefits, but unexpectedly, I ended up battered and bruised.

As things stand now, in my opinion - the problem with Cliff City doesn't lie in Desert Market, nor in the Dragon Sacrifice Ceremony, but in the governor's mansion!"

Yin Chaoyang was stunned for a moment, not even having time to react before he heard a loud bang.

Bam!

Ji Jue slammed the table, rising in fury.

"With the decline of the Federation, the president causing disasters, the nation's turmoil, and the fierce times, disturbances everywhere, so much so that beasts feast at the temple's altar, and rotting wood fills officialdom.

Now, someone as incompetent as Xu Chaoxian can even become Governor. Honestly, I've never met anyone so shameless!"

At this point, Ji Jue grasped the hands of his visitor earnestly: "Mr. Yin, since you intend to help me, why not rally a crowd, and surely supporters will gather. Then we'll join forces for the grand plan, storm the governor's mansion, and behead Xu Chaoxian. By then, you become the Grand Governor, and I'll be the Deputy Governor..."

Yin Chaoyang's expression twitched repeatedly, almost unable to maintain his composure.

In the end, he nearly exerted all his effort to pull his hands from Ji Jue's grasp.

Striving to calm down.

"Mr. Ji, surely you're joking?"

"Of course."

Ji Jue nodded decisively, staring straight at him: "Weren't you the one who came to my house to joke first?"

Yin Chaoyang's expression shifted slightly, gently shaking his head as if helpless: "I just wanted to make friends, Mr. Ji, why be like this?"

Ji Jue laughed.

He just felt like he'd heard a joke.

"Friends? Who wants to make friends? Is it really you, Mr. Yin?"

He curiously asked: "From beginning to end, you kept telling me how sincere you are, but you don't even dare to say a name. Who do you actually represent?

And some people don't even show their faces, send someone to my house, bring gifts, and say they want to be friends.

But I see no friend in sight."

Ji Jue sighed, tapping the box on the table: "Why the pretense, Mr. Yin? You don't want to make friends; you're just here to brush off a beggar."

From the start, it was filled with caution.

Going round and round without a shred of sincerity, even the smile seemed to hold a price tag.

The box was never opened from start to finish.

Ji Jue had no interest in what's inside.

"Please leave, Mr. Yin."

Ji Jue pushed the box back, telling him: "I am not your friend."

Yin Chaoyang's expression remained unchanged, without any displeasure.

Full of regret.

"If you're unwilling, I naturally won't force you, but I await your call anytime." He picked up the box, stood up, and bid farewell, "The future is long, let's see each other's true colors over time."

"Whether we see each other again or not isn't up to me."

Ji Jue saw him to the door, smiling as he said goodbye: "Just that some things are easy to encounter, but difficult to accept."

Yin Chaoyang paused slightly on the steps, turned back to glance at him, nodded, and left.

Disappearing into the night.

Ji Jue returned to the living room, took out his phone, and snapped a picture of the business card on the table, sending it to Tong Shan.

[Who is this?]

In not too long, a message came back: [A broker, quite well-connected, with significant networks. His main backer should be Echo Technology from Cosmic. Have they approached you already?]

[Unbelievably fast, the city hall could learn a thing or two about their efficiency, especially Xu Chaoxian.]

[...]

Tong Shan pretended not to see the latter half, replying after a long while: [Neither he nor Echo's record is clean. Be careful of the ill-intentioned.]

[Words aren't enough; give a bit more detail!] Ji Jue habitually started bantering.

Unfortunately, what replied to him was a payment code.

Indicating he could scan as much as he wanted.

And a meme, a photoshopped plant with facial features glaring, staring at Ji Jue outside the screen: [You, get to work immediately!]

Ji Jue laughed.

"Sir, street surveillance anomaly alert." Isis's voice sounded: "Two vehicles have been watching us since the afternoon, seemingly armed."

"Normal."

"Shall we clear them out?"

"Isis, life is precious!"

"Please speak properly."

"I mean, as it's not critical, let them watch. If they act foolishly, eventually a dump truck will deliver justice from the sky, and that won't be our problem."

Isis was silent for a moment, lightly sighing: "Humans are really hypocritical."

"Who says they're not?"

.

.

After leaving Ji Jue's home, Yin Chaoyang, carrying the box, walked a couple of blocks before returning to his car, in the blind spot of the camera.

The bodyguard slash assistant, who was leaning on the car smoking, placed a hand on his shoulder, a certain blue light flickered and disappeared, soon retracting the hand: "No problem."

"Good, you keep an eye on it."

Yin Chaoyang returned to the car, picked up the phone he left behind, and dialed a number. After four rings, the call connected: "Mr. Shang, I've already met him."

The voice on the other end asked:

"How did it go?"

Yin Chaoyang pondered briefly, having already deliberated and prepared his remarks along the way, but at this moment, Ji Jue's image inexplicably came to mind.

Those eyes, like smoldering embers in pitch darkness...

"Different from before, also not what I expected."

He said, "It won't be easy to deal with."

The voice on the other end was unmoved, merely telling him:

"In that case, let him taste some consequences first."

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