CIATB Chapter 138 Who isn't a baby at heart!
Chapter 138 Who isn't a baby at heart!
"Tens of thousands of yuan?"
Upon hearing this number, Nie Qingcheng instinctively wanted to speak.
Let alone tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands or millions, it's just a matter of a word for her.
But before she could finish speaking, Zhang Yan stopped her with a look.
Zhang Yan knew her too well, and he knew Dean Wang too well.
While simply throwing money at the problem might solve it, it would also hurt the elderly person's simple self-esteem.
"Dean, I studied mechanical engineering, and I know about boilers."
Zhang Yan spoke with a smile, his tone as relaxed as if he were talking about a trivial matter.
"I'll go take a look first. Maybe it's just a minor problem that can be fixed by replacing a part. It won't cost much."
Dean Wang was skeptical, but seeing Zhang Yan's confident eyes, he nodded: "The boiler room is in the backyard, I'll take you there."
"Need not."
Zhang Yan waved his hand and pushed Nie Qingcheng forward, "You and Qingcheng chat for a while, and keep an eye on her for me, don't let her run around."
He leaned down and whispered in Nie Qingcheng's ear.
"Your time to test yourself has come. Your 'family' is all here. If you behave well, there will be a reward tonight."
"Get lost!"
Nie Qingcheng blushed and pinched his waist in an annoyed manner.
Zhang Yan laughed and dodged away, took off his coat and handed it to her. Wearing only a thin sweater, he rolled up his sleeves and strode towards the backyard.
Inside the boiler room, the old coal-fired boiler lay quietly like a silent steel behemoth, covered in rust and dust.
Zhang Yan stepped forward and activated [God-level Mechanical Mastery].
In an instant, the machine that he had initially found complex was deconstructed into a series of dynamic three-dimensional blueprints.
Every component, every circuit, every solder joint was vividly presented in his mind.
"Tsk, what era is this? Still using this old-fashioned hand-cranked blower..."
Zhang Yan shook his head, reached out and tapped on the cold outer shell of the boiler, listening intently to the echo inside.
"Severe carbon buildup in the combustion chamber reduces thermal efficiency to less than 30%."
"The bearing of the main circulation pump is worn and making abnormal noises."
"The pressure relief valve is also stuck. If we force it to ignite, what's the difference between that and a bomb?"
He saw all the problems at a glance.
Indeed, as Dean Wang said, this boiler is on the verge of being scrapped.
But for him, none of this mattered.
No parts? Then make them yourself.
Structural aging? Then redesign and improve it.
He could even modify the interior of the original shell into a semi-automated gas-electric hybrid power system with a thermal efficiency of over 90%.
For him, this was much simpler than building a mecha by hand.
Just do it.
Zhang Yan found his toolbox, and wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers flew through his hands like the most skillful musical instruments.
The rusted bolts were unscrewed one by one by his precise force.
……
Meanwhile, in the front yard of the orphanage.
Nie Qingcheng is experiencing the most severe "social test" of her life.
As soon as Zhang Yan left, she was surrounded by a group of little ones.
The children were initially a little afraid of her, after all, this aunt was too beautiful, as beautiful as a TV star, making people afraid to get close.
But soon, they were drawn to the piles of gifts that the bodyguards were unloading from the car.
"Wow! It's Ultraman!"
"And Barbie dolls! The latest Elsa princess doll!"
"That remote-controlled car is so cool!"
The children let out excited screams, but no one dared to go forward and take it.
They all looked up at Nie Qingcheng with longing yet timid eyes.
As Nie Qingcheng was stared at by dozens of pure eyes, the iceberg in her heart melted at a visible speed.
She took a deep breath, trying to make her expression look less like a "domineering CEO".
She crouched down, trying to get her line of sight to the children, then picked up a plush rabbit and handed it to the little girl with pigtails closest to her.
"Do you like it? It's for you."
Her voice sounded somewhat stiff, even to herself.
The little girl looked at her, then at the rabbit in her hand, and timidly shook her head.
Nie Qingcheng was stunned.
Throughout her life, she has given away gifts ranging from jewelry worth millions to contracts worth hundreds of millions, and no one has ever refused them.
Today, I was actually rejected by a five-year-old girl?
"Why not?"
Nie Qingcheng was somewhat puzzled.
Grandma Wang said, "You can't just take things from other people."
The little girl answered in a sweet, childlike voice, but with clear logic.
Nie Qingcheng was speechless for a moment.
She discovered that her methods, which were invincible in the business world, were completely useless here.
Just as she was feeling a bit lost, a chubby-faced little boy squeezed through the crowd.
"Sister, are you my brother Zhang Yan's girlfriend?"
"Yes."
Nie Qingcheng nodded.
"Then...do you know how to play Eagle Catches Chicks?"
The little boy asked with expectant eyes.
"Eagle Catches Chicks?"
This old-fashioned game term instantly transported Nie Qingcheng back to her distant childhood.
It seems she's played it too.
At an age when there weren't so many tutoring classes or business courses.
"I... I'm not very good at it anymore."
Nie Qingcheng answered honestly.
"I'll teach you!"
The little boy volunteered, "You be the eagle, we'll be the chicks, and Grandma Wang will be the mother hen!"
"Yeah, yeah! Let's play!"
The children immediately chimed in excitedly.
Looking into those expectant eyes, Nie Qingcheng nodded as if possessed.
"it is good."
Then, a strange scene appeared.
In the empty courtyard of the orphanage.
The billionaire female CEO, dressed in a Chanel haute couture suit and Jimmy Choo high heels, was surrounded by a group of children.
She awkwardly took off her expensive coat and casually draped it over the stone bench.
Then, under the children's guidance, they spread their arms and, imitating an eagle, made what they thought was a fierce expression.
"I'm coming to arrest you!"
Her voice was still a little restrained.
"Hehehe! Run!"
Dean Wang chuckled and spread his arms wide, protecting a long string of "chicks" behind him as he ran around the yard.
Nie Qingcheng, wearing high heels, chased after him, stumbling and almost falling several times.
But the smile on her face became more and more genuine and radiant.
That smile, devoid of any commercial motive or pretense, was as pure as the winter sun.
She tried several times, but couldn't catch those agile little loaches.
Instead, he was amused by the children and laughed heartily.
"No, no, you guys are running too fast!"
She stood with her hands on her hips, panting heavily.
"Sister, you're so silly!"
"You have to flank them from the side!"
The children offered her a cacophony of advice.
"Okay, watch me!"
Nie Qingcheng simply kicked off her expensive high heels and stepped barefoot onto the cold cement floor.
She gave up.
She was like a real cheetah; her eyes instantly became focused, and her movements became much more agile.
With a clever feint, she evaded the "mother hen's" defense, then suddenly reached out and precisely grabbed the slowest little fat boy at the back of the line.
"Got it!" she shouted excitedly, like a child who had won a battle.
"yeah!"
All the children cheered.
In the sunlight, her smiling face was dazzlingly bright, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead and a few strands of hair playfully sticking to her cheeks.
At this moment, she was neither "Bamboo Leaf Green" nor a female CEO.
She's just a big kid who's having a lot of fun.
……
Inside the boiler room, Zhang Yan had just finished replacing and welding the core pipeline.
He straightened up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and prepared to go outside for some fresh air.
He had just reached the gate of the courtyard when he saw this scene.
Then, he froze completely.
His girl, the always aloof, lazy, and pampered Nie Qingcheng, was now barefoot, laughing and chasing after a group of children.
Her laughter was clear and melodious, like a wind chime.
The sunlight shone on her, giving her a golden halo, making her look otherworldly.
Yet it felt so real, so warm.
Zhang Yan's heart felt as if it had been violently struck by something.
It's sour, bloated, and full of flavor.
He instinctively took out his phone, without turning on the flash, and quietly pressed the shutter.
Let this moment be frozen in time forever.
【Ding! 】
[Host behavior detected, causing a benign shift in the world line. The host and related individuals (Nie Qingcheng) receive special buffs.]
[Congratulations, host, you have acquired the passive skill: Charity Aura (Beginner).]
[Charity Aura: When you and your partner engage in charitable activities, your luck will slightly improve, making it easier to trigger positive random events.]
Zhang Yan looked at the system panel, smiled slightly, and put away his phone.
He did not go up to disturb them.
He simply leaned quietly against the door frame, gazing at the figure in the yard that stirred his heart, his eyes filled with tenderness.
however.
This tranquility and beauty was quickly shattered by a screeching sound of brakes and arrogant shouts.
"Get the hell out here, you all!"
The orphanage's already dilapidated iron gate was violently kicked open.
A middle-aged man with a floral shirt, a thick gold chain, and a fierce-looking face swaggered in, accompanied by seven or eight thugs wielding sticks.
"Who is in charge here?"
The middle-aged man, a cigarette dangling from his lips, glanced at the trembling children in the yard and the panicked Dean Wang with the look of utter disdain.
"That's me!" Dean Wang immediately shielded the children behind him and mustered his courage to step forward.
"Hmph, old man."
The middle-aged man spat out a mouthful of saliva. "My name is Wu Dajin, and I am the development manager of Haitian Real Estate."
He pulled a document out of his bag and waved it in front of Dean Wang.
"The lease on this land expired last month."
"According to the contract, our company now has the right to reclaim the land."
"You have three days to clear this place out."
"Three days later, the bulldozers came in!"
Wu Dajin's voice was extremely arrogant.