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The night was gentle, and the lights in Rui Xiaodan's villa were dim and warm.

After the initial testing, Ouyang Xue's difficult behavior, and their daily interactions, Rui Xiaodan and Ding Yuanying's relationship had long since transcended ordinary romantic feelings, reaching a deep connection and warmth between their souls.

On this quiet night, emotions reached their peak, and a complex mix of love, admiration, and a certain maternal tenderness surged within Rui Xiaodan's heart.

She leaned on Ding Yuanying's shoulder, which, though not broad, gave her immense comfort. Suddenly, she looked up, her eyes shining brightly in the lamplight, with an almost willful yet incredibly earnest expression, and whispered:
"Yuanying, give me a gift."

Ding Yuanying paused slightly, looking at the unusually solemn expression on the woman's face in his arms, and asked gently, "What do you want?"

He thought she would want a piece of jewelry or a trip.

Rui Xiaodan's gaze seemed to pierce through the wall, looking towards the impoverished Wangmiao Village.

Her voice was clear and firm, carrying an undeniable desire:

"Write me a legend in Wangmiao Village! A legend of escaping poverty and achieving prosperity."

This request was like a thunderbolt from the blue, instantly freezing Ding Yuanying in place.

A look of disbelief and astonishment flashed across his deep eyes.

Wangmiao Village? Poverty alleviation and prosperity? A myth?
These words, when put together, carry immense weight.

This is far from being a romantic affair; it means investing his wisdom and abilities into an extremely complex and uncertain reality.

This went against his original intention of living in seclusion in the ancient city, and also contradicted his disillusionment with the world and his unwillingness to be entangled in any more affairs.

Moreover, poverty alleviation is a false proposition; it is simply impossible to escape poverty and become rich.

So he almost instinctively wanted to refuse.

Reason told him that this was an almost impossible task, involving immense energy, risks, and complex interpersonal relationships.

However, when he looked down and met Rui Xiaodan's eyes...

There was no joke in it, only complete trust, fervent expectation, and a pure faith that regarded him as a "god" capable of creating miracles.

At this moment, all his rational considerations and all his words of refusal were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

This weighty trust, based on his lifelong happiness, and this deep affection that "rescued" him from his destitution and hardship, made it impossible for him to say "no."

At this moment, emotions overwhelmed all rational calculations.

He remained silent for a long time, so long that Rui Xiaodan almost thought he was going to refuse, before she heard him let out a barely audible sigh, a sigh filled with helplessness, yet also with a hint of resigned indulgence.

"Okay." Just one word, yet it carried the weight of a promise.

He gently pushed Rui Xiaodan away, his eyes regaining their usual calm and caution: "However, myths cannot be written by mere imagination. I need to go to Wangmiao Village to see for myself and get a detailed understanding of the situation from the villagers. Without a solid foundation, everything is just a castle in the air."

Overjoyed to receive Ding Yuanying's approval, Rui Xiaodan immediately shared the good news with the matchmaker, Feng Shijie.

Feng Shijie immediately notified Ye Xiaoming.

When Feng and Ye learned that Ding Yuanying, whom they regarded as a "master," had actually agreed to go to Wangmiao Village to investigate and might even offer some guidance, their reaction was almost ecstatic.

Feng Shijie was so excited that he kept rubbing his hands together and pacing back and forth in the repair shop: "Great! Great! Teacher Ding finally agreed to help! I knew it! I knew Officer Rui had a solution! There is hope for our Wangmiao Village!"

Ye Xiaoming excitedly pushed up his glasses, his eyes shining: "If Teacher Ding is willing to give guidance, it will be a completely different story! His mind and his perspective on problems are simply unmatched by ordinary people! This matter in Wangmiao Village might really work out!"

They seemed to already see the impoverished Wangmiao Village revitalized under Ding Yuanying's "magic."

A tremendous hope and expectation enveloped them, and this request for a "myth" officially stepped from whispers between lovers into reality.

Ding Yuanying, a lone boat that originally intended to remain forever in a quiet harbor, is being propelled by the tides of emotion and is about to sail into an unknown and turbulent sea.

……

Ding Yuanying's trip to Wangmiao Village may have seemed like a simple visit and inquiry, but his insightful eyes, like the most sophisticated scanner, had thoroughly analyzed the root causes of poverty, human resources, geographical advantages and disadvantages, and even the psychological state of the villagers.

A preliminary plan, based on existing resources and aligned with market demands, has already been clearly outlined in his mind.

From his perspective of overlooking all living beings, designing a path to poverty alleviation for Wangmiao Village was indeed like a high-level chess player's strategy—seemingly complex, but actually with a clear structure, making it "effortless."

However, for a plan to take root, it needs fertile ground, and even more so, a framework that can withstand wind and rain.

Ding Yuanying knew better than anyone that starting a business was extremely difficult.

Especially given the impoverished state of Wangmiao Village, the difficulties, pressures, and even open and covert attacks they were about to face were far beyond what Feng Shijie's enthusiasm and Ye Xiaoming's skills could withstand.

They lack capital, and even more so, they lack the mental fortitude and resilience to weather the storms of the cutthroat business world.

So, Ding Yuanying went to Su Ning.

In the tranquil tea room of "Tranquility Leads to Far-Reaching Vision," he explained his vision without reservation, and then frankly pointed out the key weaknesses: "Feng Shijie has a strong sense of local identity and is willing to put in the effort; Ye Xiaoming is technically skilled and has a spirit of inquiry. These are all good. But the two of them can't handle things. In the early stages, they couldn't even raise decent start-up capital, and if they encounter any storms later on, they are likely to be the first to collapse."

He looked at Su Ning, his gaze deep and sincere: "Therefore, I would like to invite you to join us. We will invest in your name as the controlling shareholder. At the same time, you will be needed to advance the share capital owed by Feng and Ye in the early stages. We need you to be the stabilizing force."

"Fine! I'll take this as my capital for being ruthless."

"Haha, that's exactly right! I still feel most relaxed talking to you."

“A few days ago, Feng Shijie also came to see me. When I reminded him that he needed to consider the risks, he completely dismissed it.”

“That’s right! That’s why I don’t join! They’ll treat me like an all-powerful ‘savior’.”

Then something even more intriguing happened: Ding Yuanying made it clear that he would not hold any shares in the soon-to-be-established company, nor would he receive any remuneration; he would simply act as a "senior advisor" who remained uninvolved.

He strictly limited his role to that of a "strategist" who offered advice and clearly assigned all commercial interests and risks to Suning.

At almost the same time, another person with a keen sense of smell but impure motives, Liu Bing, also squeezed in.

Liu Bing is Ye Xiaoming's friend. He runs a small audio-visual store in the ancient city. He is shrewd, calculating, and only cares about profit.

He listened to Ye Xiaoming's enthusiastic description of how "powerful" Ding Yuanying was, and heard that a big boss, Suning, wanted to invest. He felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get rich quick, and insisted on joining.

Privately, however, Liu Bing was full of doubts. He had personally witnessed Ding Yuanying's dire situation of selling records and could not reconcile the image of that down-on-his-luck middle-aged man with that of a "master".

So he secretly pulled Ye Xiaoming aside and whispered, "Xiaoming, what do you think this Ding Yuanying is like? He was so poor before that he had to sell records. How capable can he be? Is he just trying to fool us? Don't lead us astray!"

“If you’re worried, you don’t have to join. Nobody’s forcing you.” “This…” However, Liu Bing was extremely afraid of missing out on this “wealth express,” and this conflicting feeling led him to decide: “Never mind, I’ll just join you guys for now and see how things go!”

Although Ye Xiaoming and Feng Shijie knew Liu Bing's character, they felt obligated to help him and thought that more people would be more helpful. They also thought that Liu Bing could raise some money. So, after some hesitation, they finally asked Ding Yuanying and Su Ning to let Liu Bing join them.

Upon hearing this request, Su Ning and Ding Yuanying exchanged a glance, both of them displaying a knowing, or even expected, expression.

However, they didn't ask any more questions and nodded in agreement almost without thinking.

Because they all understood that the path to "myth" designed by Ding Yuanying was by no means an easy one, but an adventure that required dancing on the edge of a knife, and the process was bound to be "thrilling and exciting".

Given the limited vision, temperament, and abilities of Feng Shijie, Ye Xiaoming, and Liu Bing, it would have been impossible for them to complete the entire journey.

Their most likely scenario is just as Ding Yuanying later accurately predicted...

"Peering over the edge of the well" allows one to glimpse the vast world outside, feast their eyes, and then, when the real storms come, fear, shortsightedness, or selfishness ultimately cause them to fall back to the bottom of the well.

Agreeing to Liu Bing's inclusion was not an endorsement of him, but rather a recognition that both Ding Yuanying and Su Ning understood that this seemingly unstable factor was precisely a pawn destined to be sacrificed in this grand scheme, used to test human nature and assume a specific role.

The prototype of the Wangmiao Village poverty alleviation company was quietly established amidst this situation where everyone had their own agenda, strengths, and risks.

A grand test of ideals, wealth, cultural attributes, and humanity is about to unfold.

……

With the basic conditions such as funding, personnel, and venues initially in place, Ding Yuanying's plan to "rob the rich and help the poor" began to enter the substantive operational stage.

The essence of this plan lies in using minimal effort to penetrate the seemingly impregnable audio market, and to carve out a piece of the pie for Wangmiao Village (the poor) from the mouths of those already established and well-funded brands.

He chose the upcoming 13th International Audio Exhibition as his breakthrough point.

This is a platform for industry professionals and high-end users worldwide, the best battlefield to make a name for yourself and achieve instant fame.

But this move requires precise and powerful placement.

That's why Ding Yuanying approached Su Ning, whom he had never been able to understand. His plan was clear and bold: First, ask Su Ning, either personally or through his subsidiaries, to act as the controlling shareholder and legal representative of the Wangmiao Village project company.

This is not only leveraging Suning's financial strength, but also taking advantage of its established reputation and credibility in the business world to equip this fledgling company with a solid armor, deter potential competitors, and add significant leverage to any future business competition.

Secondly, he devised a roundabout strategy of "blooming outside the wall but fragrant inside".

He asked Rui Xiaodan to use her planned family visit leave to go to Germany to visit her mother.

One of the important tasks of this trip was to bring the top-quality speaker samples produced in Wangmiao Village, which he and Ye Xiaoming had rigorously tuned, to Europe.

The aim is to leverage Europe, the birthplace of modern audio technology and the market with the most stringent evaluation system, to "certify" the product.

If it can gain recognition from professional European institutions or seasoned audiophiles, and then spread back to China through the media, the resulting sensation and brand premium will far exceed the effect of self-promotion in China.

……

Meanwhile, watching Rui Xiaodan busily preparing for this trip to Europe, a deeper idea emerged in Ding Yuanying's mind.

He knew that Rui Xiaodan's intelligence, comprehension, and drive were far beyond what a grassroots criminal police officer could fully utilize.

He saw greater potential in her and believed that if she could break free from the constraints of the system and devote herself to a broader field of business or culture, she would surely achieve even greater things.

On a quiet night, Ding Yuanying earnestly offered Rui Xiaodan a suggestion: "Xiaodan, this trip to Europe is an opportunity. Have you considered... resigning after you come back?"

Rui Xiaodan was very surprised to hear this: "Resign? Why? I'm doing a very good job as a police officer."

Ding Yuanying tried to persuade her with his logic: "Your abilities should not be limited to the routine civil service system. The outside world is bigger and needs your wisdom and courage. For example, you can truly participate in the Wangmiao Village project, or do something more creative and impactful."

However, Rui Xiaodan has her own unwavering values.

She has a deep sense of honor and mission towards the police profession, and upholding justice and protecting the people are her life's creed.

In her view, this is not a simple "job", but a weighty responsibility and pursuit.

“Yuanying, I understand your good intentions.” Rui Xiaodan shook her head, her eyes clear and firm. “But I’m different from you. You pursue reason and rules, and can transcend worldly concerns. But I need to be rooted in the ground. My value lies in this police uniform. Solving a case and helping a citizen gives me a sense of security and satisfaction that money and so-called ‘greater achievements’ cannot replace.”

This conversation about life choices ultimately ended inconclusively due to fundamental differences in values.

Ding Yuanying failed to persuade Rui Xiaodan.

In Rui Xiaodan's quiet villa in the ancient city, the moonlight, like mercury spilling onto the ground, filled the room through the window lattices.

The two embraced by the window, as Rui Xiaodan was about to depart for Europe.

In the stillness, nestled in Ding Yuanying's arms, gazing at the moonlight outside the window, she suddenly whispered:

“Yuanying, I know that everything you did was for my ‘myth’ gift. I am very grateful, truly. But for me, the greatest ‘myth’ is not how much money Wangmiao Village can make, but… meeting you. You showed me that a person’s spiritual world can be so vast and powerful. That’s enough.”

She paused, her voice becoming even softer, yet carrying a penetrating power: "So, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Whether the Wangmiao Village matter succeeds or not, you will always be my Ding Yuanying. I just want you to be safe, happy, and not too tired."

These intimate words between lovers, devoid of flowery language, are filled with the deepest understanding and tenderness. They transcend success or failure in one's career, reaching the very essence of emotion.

Ding Yuanying listened, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He was proud and aloof all his life, and had seen through the ways of the world, but at this moment, he was deeply moved by the purest love of the woman in his arms.

He held her tightly, all his unspoken emotions turning into silent gratitude.

This affection is more precious and real than any "myth" he is planning.

"Yuan Ying, why do I get the feeling that you trust that Su Ning a lot?"

"He's no ordinary person! His true strength should be no less than mine."

"No way? He's so young, could he be a second-generation rich kid?"

"I don't know! He's the only person I can't figure out so far."

"Won't he sabotage Wangmiao Village's poverty alleviation plan?"

"On the contrary! His presence is what allows this poverty alleviation program to continue."

...(End of chapter)