CIATB Chapter 140 A Feast!
Chapter 140 A Feast!
Mayor Li's voice was resolute, carrying an unquestionable authority through the electric current.
"Don't worry, Qingcheng, I'll handle this personally!"
"If that 'Haitian Real Estate' company still exists in Jinghai City within half an hour, I, as the mayor, will resign!"
The phone hangs up.
The entire courtyard was deathly silent.
Wu Dajin, who was slumped on the ground, lost all color in his face at a visible speed, turning whiter than a lime wall.
Li... Li City Chief?
Handle it personally?
Half an hour...
He's not stupid; having risen to the position of development manager, he naturally knows what those words together mean.
It was a thunderous power that he didn't even have the right to look up to.
He's finished.
Haitian Real Estate is finished too.
His hands trembled as he tried to reach for the cigarettes in his pocket, but he couldn't find them.
Fear, like an invisible hand, gripped his throat, making it difficult for him to even breathe.
Nie Qingcheng put away her phone, the icy look on her face fading.
She didn't even glance at Wu Dajin on the ground again, as if he were just an eyesore of trash.
She walked over to Zhang Yan, picked up the expensive Chanel jacket that she had casually draped over the stone bench, and carefully patted off any non-existent dust.
Then, she stood on tiptoe and personally helped Zhang Yan put on the clothes.
The movements were gentle and delicate, as if handling a rare treasure.
"Are you cold?"
She asked softly, her voice tinged with heartache.
"It's not cold."
Zhang Yan smiled and took her cold little hand in his.
This oblivious intimacy completely shattered Wu Dajin's last line of psychological defense.
He finally understood what kind of being he had offended.
That's someone he can't afford to mess with.
"Ring ring—"
A cell phone rang urgently; it was Wu Dajin's.
He answered the phone with trembling hands, as if he had been electrocuted.
On the other end of the phone came his boss, the chairman of Haitian Real Estate, the man who usually swaggered around in front of him, roaring hysterically.
"Wu Dajin! Who the hell did you offend outside?!"
"The company's accounts have been frozen! A joint investigation team from the tax bureau, the industry and commerce bureau, and the fire department is downstairs at the company!"
"Are you fucking trying to kill me?!"
Wu Dajin's lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Before he could even beg for mercy, two police cars with flashing red and blue lights arrived with sirens blaring and stopped in front of the orphanage.
Several serious-looking police officers quickly got out of the car and headed straight for Wu Dajin.
"Wu Dajin, is that right? You are suspected of contract fraud, provoking trouble, and maliciously damaging public property. Come with us."
The cold handcuffs, the instant they were put on.
Wu Dajin's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, his crotch wet and hot.
The farce has come to an end.
The courtyard returned to tranquility.
But the atmosphere was completely different from before.
The children hid inside the house, only daring to peek out through the crack in the door.
Dean Wang looked at the Rolls-Royce that had been smashed to pieces, then at the mess on the ground. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't know where to begin.
She pulled Zhang Yan aside, her eyes filled with worry.
"Xiao Yan, what... what should we do?"
"They assaulted someone, and even the mayor was alerted... This..."
"Dean, don't worry." Zhang Yan patted the old man's hand reassuringly. "It's alright, they only have themselves to blame."
He looked at Nie Qingcheng.
"Honey, take the director and the children inside to rest and comfort them."
"Leave this to me."
Nie Qingcheng gave him a deep look and nodded.
She knew that Zhang Yan had his own way of handling things.
She, along with Dean Wang and a group of staff, began to clean up the mess and comfort the frightened children.
Zhang Yan then walked back to the cold, dark boiler room alone.
He needs to do something.
Let's do something practical that can warm this place up again.
The boiler room still smelled of rust and coal ash.
Zhang Yan took off the expensive coat that Nie Qingcheng had just put on him and casually draped it aside.
Wearing only a thin sweater, he rolled up his sleeves and began to work.
[God-level Mechanical Mastery] unlocked.
[Charity Aura (Beginner)] Passive trigger.
This time, it wasn't just a simple repair.
It's a complete, radical transformation!
He found an inconspicuous toolbox among the pile of "gifts" that the bodyguards had brought over.
That was brought by Nie Qingcheng from the underground garage of Cloud Top Manor, as he had instructed. It contained some spare parts and special tools that he had taken from "Big Black".
A palm-sized chip engraved with intricate patterns.
A coil of an unknown metal, as thin as a hair.
There are also a few that look like gears, or tiny components of some kind of energy core.
These are all products of the Mohist mechanical arts.
Using it to renovate an old coal-fired boiler is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut—no, it's like using a Star Destroyer to kill a mosquito.
Zhang Yan's goal is very clear.
He wants more than just heating.
What he wants is a brand new, efficient, and even self-sufficient energy center!
He removed the old blower and replaced it with a miniature turbine.
He cleaned the carbon deposits from the combustion chamber and rearranged an energy-concentrating array on the inner wall using that unknown metal coil.
He also implanted that chip into the boiler's control center.
His movements were incredibly fast; his hands moved swiftly through the complex pipes and wiring, almost leaving afterimages.
Sweat trickled down his forehead, dripping onto the cold steel and evaporating instantly.
He was completely immersed in his own world.
A focused man is the most attractive.
Before anyone knew it, Nie Qingcheng was already standing at the door of the boiler room.
She didn't make a sound to disturb them.
I just watched quietly.
Looking at that man who, despite being surrounded by oil and dust, still shone brightly.
Looking at his hands, which used to play the piano, he was now fiddling with cold machinery.
Looking into his clear eyes, one could see an unparalleled focus.
Her heart was gradually filled to the brim.
This man is hers.
It belongs to her alone.
An hour later.
Zhang Yan straightened up and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Done."
He dusted off his hands, turned around, and met Nie Qingcheng's bright, captivating eyes.
"Why are you here?"
"Let's see if my personal boiler operator has been slacking off." Nie Qingcheng stepped forward, took out a silk handkerchief, and gently wiped the oil off his face.
The silk handkerchief still carried her unique, cool fragrance.
Zhang Yan's heart stirred, and he took her hand.
"President Nie, are you satisfied with your inspection?"
"Not satisfied." Nie Qingcheng shook her head, her expression serious.
"What are you not satisfied with?"
"You've dirtied my handkerchief." Nie Qingcheng held up the oil-stained silk handkerchief, but her eyes were full of laughter.
Zhang Yan smiled.
He took her hand and led her to the newly renovated boiler.
"Here, I'll show you something good."
He pressed an inconspicuous button on the wall.
"Buzz—"
A soft buzzing sound.
No flames roared in the boiler's furnace.
Instead, a soft, pale blue light shone forth.
A powerful surge of heat instantly gushed out from the heat dissipation pipes on the side of the pot.
The temperature in the entire boiler room began to rise at a visible rate.
"This is..." Nie Qingcheng looked at the blue light in surprise.
"Geothermal energy conversion device," Zhang Yan explained. "I made some slight modifications and connected it to the main geothermal vein underground in the south of the city."
"From now on, the orphanage will be able to provide its own heating, hot water, and even electricity."
"Moreover, it has zero cost and zero pollution."
Nie Qingcheng was completely shocked.
She knew Zhang Yan was capable, but she didn't expect him to be this capable.
It only took one hour.
He transformed a decommissioned boiler into a small-scale new energy center!
This is no longer a matter of technology.
This is a miracle!
"Zhang Yan..." she murmured, "How can you do everything?"
"To support you," Zhang Yan replied matter-of-factly.
"After all, with our CEO Nie spending money like that, how can we afford to support him if he doesn't learn a few more skills?"
Nie Qingcheng was both amused and wanted to cry.
She threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.
"Zhang Yan, thank you."
Thank you for coming into my life.
Thank you for letting me see the warmest light in this world.
The two embraced quietly.
Outside the boiler room, it was getting dark.
The aroma of dinner wafted from the kitchen.
It's just simple cabbage, tofu, and a few steamed buns.
Zhang Yan's stomach growled at an inopportune moment.
He touched his nose, somewhat embarrassed.
"Hungry?" Nie Qingcheng looked up, her eyes sparkling.
"Um."
"What would you like to eat? I'll have a Michelin three-star chef fly over right now."
"I don't want to eat that." Zhang Yan shook his head.
He looked out the window at the children peeking out from under the eaves, their faces filled with longing and curiosity.
A thought suddenly came to his mind.
"Wife."
"Um?"
"I want to cook a nice meal for the children."
"Cook a real, big meal."
Nie Qingcheng looked at him, at the tenderness and determination in his eyes.
She smiled.
"it is good."
"The kitchen is too small; there's not enough room to work properly." Zhang Yan glanced around the simple courtyard, a confident smile playing on his lips.
"We'll do it right here in the yard."
He looked at Nie Qingcheng, a hint of playful invitation in his eyes.
"Mr. Nie, would you be interested in becoming my chief kitchen assistant?"