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In the large pot, meat was simmering, and steam was rising. Cheng Yuyao stirred the chunks of meat in the pot with a big spoon.
The children from the orphanage surrounded the pot, eagerly sniffing the aroma of the stew.
A girl in a checkered dress squeezed to the front of all the children. "Big sister, is the meat almost ready?"
Cheng Yuyao smiled, "Almost! Just a little longer."
A boy with patched pants gestured excitedly, "Big sister, I want a piece that big, okay?"
"Of course! You can have as much as you want!"
Cheng Yuyao gently patted the boy's head. His shy demeanor made the other children laugh heartily.
Listening to the cheerful laughter of the children inside, Mr. Bond and Guo Zhiqian in the yard wore worried expressions. They strolled around, chatting in English intermittently.
Mr. Bond sighed, "The children we took in before have grown up and left; very few come back to help me like you do."
Guo Zhiqian followed behind Mr. Bond. "I have no family. You and your wife took me in; this place is my home. Often, I feel ashamed that I can't help you shoulder more responsibilities."
"You've helped me a lot already." Mr. Bond stopped and looked seriously at Guo Zhiqian. "You still have your own life; you can't spend your salary on these children every month. I can see you're interested in that girl—you should start a family."
Mr. Bond, being experienced, could easily see Guo Zhiqian's feelings for Cheng Yuyao. Guo Zhiqian turned to look at Cheng Yuyao surrounded by the children and asked with concern, "What will you do if they come back?"
Bond looked at the collapsed wall, filled with anger yet feeling helpless. "We can only let them tear it down. Once they do, I'll take these children to the government; I don't believe your government will ignore these kids."
Mr. Bond paused for a moment and sighed, "I have never seen a government like yours!"
Guo Zhiqian paced in the yard, kicked away a small stone, and suddenly turned to Bond, "Mr. Bond, let me find a way for you!"
Bond looked at Guo Zhiqian.
At that moment, cheers of children came from inside the building: "Dinner time! Dinner time! We have meat to eat!"
Mr. Bond stared at Guo Zhiqian for a long time but ultimately did not directly respond to his topic. Mr. Bond said, "The children haven't been this happy in a long time. Come on, let's go eat first!"
With that, Mr. Bond walked back into the building.
In the hall on the first floor of the Orphanage, Cheng Yuyao was distributing meat to the children. She shouted to them, "Everyone, don't rush! There’s more after this! Be careful not to burn yourselves!" However, the hungry children couldn't wait to shove the meat into their mouths, chewing eagerly and devouring it.
As Guo Zhiqian followed Mr. Bond into the building, he saw a boy with meat all over his hands and proactively walked over to help him roll up his sleeves, patiently saying, "Don't eat so fast; you'll choke!" The boy nodded repeatedly.
Guo Zhiqian looked at Cheng Yuyao, who was holding a spoon and directing the children to line up, as if she had already become the chef of this Orphanage.
Watching the children smile brightly as they ate meat, a happy smile unconsciously appeared on Guo Zhiqian's face.
After lunch, Guo Zhiqian and Cheng Yuyao walked along this road chatting.
On both sides of the road were ruins, while the well-fed children chased and played along it.
Guo Zhiqian expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for treating us today!"
Cheng Yuyao said casually, "We're friends, so why bother? Didn't you invite me to watch a movie yesterday?"
Guo Zhiqian asked again, "Are we still just friends?"
Cheng Yuyao turned around to look at Guo Zhiqian, stepping backward in front of him. "What do you think?"
"I think our relationship is at a higher level than just ordinary friends!"
"What kind of relationship is that?"
Guo Zhiqian grasped Cheng Yuyao's hands and looked seriously into her eyes. "It's like Zhang Zhongmin and Wan Hua."
Zhang Zhongmin and Wan Hua are characters from the movie "A River of Spring Water Flows East." They grew up as childhood sweethearts, became close comrades and lovers as they grew older, and ultimately united in their base. Guo Zhiqian's subtle hint made Cheng Yuyao understand his feelings.
Cheng Yuyao looked back at Guo Zhiqian, hesitating, surprised, and feeling a mix of inexplicable tension and sweetness.
Guo Zhiqian was waiting for Cheng Yuyao's response, but at that moment, a Jeep came racing down the road from a distance, kicking up dust as it approached rapidly.
Both Guo Zhiqian and Cheng Yuyao turned to look at the Jeep. It was speeding too fast, while the children on the road continued to chase and play without noticing. The Jeep showed no signs of braking.
Cheng Yuyao quickly shouted a warning to the children, "Kids, a car is coming! Get out of the way!"
"It's too late; those people are heading straight for the Orphanage!" Guo Zhiqian exclaimed as he dashed toward the children on the road.
In the middle of the road stood a bewildered girl, frozen in place as the speeding Jeep approached her. Just as the Jeep was about to hit her, Guo Zhiqian pushed the girl to the other side of the street.
A Jeep sped by and then stopped in front of the orphanage.
Bond walked out, and the children quickly gathered around the Jeep. Seeing this, Guo Zhiqian and Cheng Yuyao exchanged glances, and the girl that Guo Zhiqian had just rescued also approached.
Two middle-aged men in suits got out of the Jeep. One was the Chairman, and the other was Manager Sun. Following them, two strong bodyguards also exited the vehicle.
The Chairman asked his subordinate Manager Sun, "Manager Sun, is this the building?"
Manager Sun nodded with a bow, "Yes, this is it! The people here refuse to leave because the compensation they were given is nowhere near enough to rebuild another orphanage."
"Isn't the money insufficient? Does that mean we won't demolish it? If this delays the construction schedule, can you take responsibility for that?"
The Chairman didn't bother talking to the person in charge of the orphanage and was about to get back into the Jeep.
Manager Sun expressed his difficulty, "Chairman, there are people living here; it’s not easy to handle, right?"
Sitting in the car, the Chairman replied leisurely, "What’s so difficult? Just bring people in to level it. If you can't handle it, I'll find someone else!"
Manager Sun nervously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and repeatedly nodded, "I can handle it! I can handle it!"
Then, Manager Sun reluctantly walked over to Bond's side. "Mr. Bond, I've done everything I can. If you don’t move out soon, I might lose my job!"
Guo Zhiqian approached Bond and argued with Manager Sun, "The compensation you offered is only thirty dollars. With prices rising so fast, this amount is barely enough for these children’s meals. What you're doing is forcing these kids into a dead end!"
Manager Sun replied, "I sympathize with you, but there's nothing I can do! This matter has been decided; I'll come back tomorrow morning with my team to sort things out!"
Manager Sun finished speaking and walked back to the Jeep. The Jeep turned around and sped away.
Bond sighed repeatedly, "This building can't be saved. I'm fine, but these kids are the ones who will suffer!"
To avoid worrying the children, Mr. Bond deliberately expressed his concerns in English, a language the kids couldn't understand. Guo Zhiqian and Cheng Yuyao exchanged glances. Suddenly, Cheng Yuyao said in English, "Mr. Bond, there is an old saying in China: 'When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a way; when the boat reaches the bridge, it will go straight.' You don't need to worry too much about this matter; things will find a way to resolve themselves."
Guo Zhiqian looked at Cheng Yuyao, who appeared confident.
The Chairman and Manager Sun returned to their company and parted ways in the hallway. Manager Sun entered his office while the Chairman took off his coat and draped it over his arm as he walked forward. He pushed open the door to his office, stepped inside, and closed the door behind him. As he turned around, he discovered a Masked Person holding a short knife aimed at him. He hurriedly tried to head for the door, but another Masked Person was blocking it.
The Chairman trembled as he hid in a corner of the office, saying, "Heroes, I have all the money you want! I have it all!"
The Masked Person blocking the door replied, "We don't want money; we just want you to do one thing for us. If you do this well, everything will be fine; if not..."
Another Masked Person advanced toward the Chairman with the short knife.
The Chairman quickly agreed, "I'll do it! I'll do it! Whatever you need me to do, just spare my life!"
The Masked Person with the knife spoke in a female voice: "I hear you want to demolish Newport Orphanage, right?"
The Chairman panicked and said, "Yes... uh no, if you don't let me demolish it, I won't demolish it!"
The Female Masked Figure responded, "It will still be demolished! But before that, you need to properly relocate the children there. You must find a piece of land nearby to build them a new house—one that is beautiful and spacious!"
The male Masked Person added, "If we find out that you can't do this, we can take your life at any moment!"
"This... this is easy. I'll... no, I'll call someone right now to arrange it!"
The Female Masked Figure added, "There's one more thing I need you to do."
"What... what is it? Just tell us, both of you."
"You need to announce the establishment of the Orphanage yourself and inform the media. We want the newspapers to report on it!"
The Chairman asked in confusion, "Why... why is that?"
"I told you to do it this way, so just do it. No need for so many whys. If I don't see the report by the third day, we can kill you at any time!"
The Chairman was sweating profusely, desperate to save his life, and repeatedly said, "Okay, okay! Heroes, please don't be angry. I'll do whatever you say!"
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, when he looked up again, Cheng Yuyao and Guo Zhiqian had already disappeared from the room.
The Chairman let out a long sigh and cautiously crawled up from the corner. At this moment, he was still filled with dread.
These two Masked Persons were Cheng Yuyao and Guo Zhiqian. They jumped out from a shipyard and walked along a road flanked by ruins, laughing excitedly.
Guo Zhiqian said, "You should have seen it! Just now when you pointed the knife at him, his face turned pale!"
Cheng Yuyao sheathed her short knife and replied, "He deserved it! Who told him to bully these honest poor people?"
Guo Zhiqian stopped laughing and asked, "That Chairman runs such a large shipyard; building an Orphanage wouldn't cost him much. Why do you still want him to announce that he donated it himself?"
Cheng Yuyao smiled slyly, "Aren't you afraid that once he builds it, he might just tear it down again later?"
Guo Zhiqian suddenly understood, "Oh, I get it. Once the news of his donation to the Orphanage hits the newspapers, it will attract attention from all sectors in Shanghai. This matter will be set in stone. Even if he feels uncomfortable about it, he will have to go through with building the Orphanage!"
Cheng Yuyao continued, "As long as it's built, he will never dare to tear it down! He is doing charity work and earning himself honor. If he tears it down, he will ruin that honor himself. He is a person of status and should care deeply about his reputation."
Guo Zhiqian nodded, "Then Mr. Bond won't have to worry about these children's living situation anymore."
"Of course."
Cheng Yuyao said as she strode ahead of Guo Zhiqian, leaving confidently. The worries that had been lingering on Guo Zhiqian's brow were swept away, and he followed behind Cheng Yuyao with a sense of relief.
In the glow of the setting sun, their figures gradually faded away...
Later that night, in what should have been a bustling café, only a few patrons sat scattered around. Cheng Yuwan stood behind the bar, feeling bored. He no longer had his previous lively charm; instead, a hint of melancholy shadowed his brows. When customers arrived, he dealt with them lazily.
Suddenly, the phone at the bar rang.
It was Mother Cheng Shuhua calling. Cheng Shuhua asked over the phone, "Yuwan, has your sister come back yet?"
Cheng Yuwan replied dejectedly, "No."
Cheng Shuhua asked with concern, "Who did she go out with yesterday? What was she doing?"
Hearing her mother's worried tone made him feel uneasy and anxious: "Mom..."
Cheng Yuwan's voice carried a hint of tears. Where had her sister gone? How could she not want to know? Wasn't she worried about her sister's safety?
Fortunately, Mother did not blame her too much; she simply said lightly, "When she comes back, just give me a call."
"Okay."
Just as Cheng Yuwan had just hung up the phone, a police team led by Wang Junpeng hurried past outside the café. Cheng Yuwan looked out the door, her face paling.
A newly arrived customer was urging for their coffee, and in her flustered state, Cheng Yuwan handed the coffee to the customer. As she stepped out from behind the bar, her arm accidentally bumped into the corner of the counter, causing the coffee foam to spill onto her clothes. Standing there in a daze, she felt increasingly uneasy.
In the distance, a few barks of dogs could be heard.
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