After my divorce at thirty, I developed an intelligence network.

The light curtain quietly unfolded in my consciousness:

[Current Status]

Total debt: RMB 4199728 (unchanged)

Deposits: 2661.5 yuan

Key contact status updates:

Engineer Chen: Goodwill +1 → Trust +2 (Complete the task cleanly and efficiently)

Widow Qin: Affinity +5

Gong Yuelong looked at the updated data on the screen, especially the deposit figures, his chest heaving slightly.

A busy day didn't just earn me a little over a thousand yuan.

The network of connections has gained several more robust nodes, and more importantly, a possibility called a positive cycle has begun to show extremely faint signs.

He could feel that his combined control, judgment, and action—after a series of successful small operations—made him feel more at ease.

But if you want to truly turn things around and pay off this astronomical sum, relying on such piecemeal efforts and dependence on others is ultimately just a mirage.

He clearly recognized the current situation of having no capital, no team, and no barriers to entry.

Following the current path, one might be able to barely make a living and slowly pay off debts, but breaking through the survival level, reaching the development level, or even returning to the level of one's former career is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

He suppressed the slight restlessness that arose in his heart from today's small victory and prepared to go to sleep.

I glanced at the time; it was 10:42.

An idea flashed into my mind.

At this time, for the construction site supervisor, it's either because he's just taken off his safety helmet and stepped out of the prefabricated house, and his stomach is empty;

Most project management personnel live and work on the construction site. After leaving the banquets outside, their stomachs are full of grease, and they want to find something with soup and sour taste to cleanse their palates. They usually go to the project office.

Those project managers, material handlers, and construction workers, no matter how impressive they are during the day, are mostly just ordinary people who are hungry and tired at this time, and they come over in their slippers.

He silently made his plans.

The system's intelligence, like a needle, pierced through and pointed out the shortage of personnel at the sports center.

Even if you can see the seam, it's all for nothing if you don't have a needle or thread.

Engineer Chen... is that needle that can lead the thread.

When we met at the construction site during the day, there were many people and all we talked about was cleaning up the waste materials.

Some things can only be discussed in depth in a less formal setting, in the everyday atmosphere.

"We might run into each other at this time."

In the time it takes to eat a bowl of wontons, a few words are exchanged.

The matter of the concrete team, through a chance encounter and matchmaking, might just be quietly settled amidst this everyday atmosphere.

Sure enough, having intelligence is not enough; you also need people. This treatment is much more proactive than when I was just waiting idly at the labor market.

Gong Yuelong had a sudden thought, got up, dressed, and headed straight for the wonton stall at the entrance of Gold Coast.

As soon as Gong Yuelong sat down in front of the wonton stall, the stall owner turned around.

"Hey bro, wanna have some wontons? Five yuan a bowl, bone broth."

The sound was crisp and familiar.

Gong Yuelong looked up and was stunned—it was the young girl from the Gold Coast project department's convenience store.

Her ponytail was replaced with a neat bun, and her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing two sections of her fair arms.

Under the light, a fine sheen of sweat glistened on his nose, and his eyes shone brightly.

"It's you?" Gong Yuelong was somewhat surprised.

The girl recognized him too, and a smile bloomed on her face, revealing her little tiger tooth:

"Oh, it's you, brother! What a coincidence."

She quickly wiped the edge of the table:

"You really know how to find a place. My dad said there are a lot of people at the construction site entrance at night, so he insisted that I set up this stall at home, saying it was... a way to diversify my business."

He laughed first as he spoke, looking a little embarrassed.

Gong Yuelong nodded:

"That's good. These days, having extra income is a good thing."

The girl kept turning back to look at him as she put wontons into the pot:

"That cigarette from last time... When my dad came back, he said a few words to me."

The strainer in her hand stirred the soup:

"He said I was being unreasonable, that the cigarettes were for my coworkers and shouldn't be sold indiscriminately... But after I told him about your situation, he didn't really yell at me, he just said it wouldn't happen again."

The wontons tumbled in the boiling soup, releasing a fragrant aroma mixed with the steam.

The girl scooped up the wontons and put them in a bowl, sprinkled them with cilantro and dried shrimp, and then ladled out an extra spoonful of soup before gently placing it in front of Gong Yuelong.

"This bowl is on me, please eat it while it's hot."

Gong Yuelong looked at the bowl of wontons, which were packed tightly together and each one was plump.

He took out five yuan and placed it on the table:

"Whatever the amount, that's what it should be."

The girl quickly waved her hand:

"Really, no need. Last time you..."

"One thing at a time." Gong Yuelong's voice was gentle, but he didn't back down. "In business, the rules can't be broken."

The girl looked at him, bit her lip, and finally accepted the money, whispering:

"Well... I'll add a fried egg for you, it's a free gift, no extra charge."

As he spoke, he turned around, took an egg from a small basket next to him, and skillfully cracked it into a frying pan.

With a sizzle, the aroma of eggs filled the air.

Indeed, being kind to others, even without showing your kind side, will never leave you feeling cheated.

The portion of this bowl of wontons is much more substantial than that of a typical diner.

Gong Yuelong had a sudden thought and lowered his head to blow on the steam rising from the soup noodles.

"Food, clothing, shelter, and transportation; human relationships are like debts," he added silently. "This little girl is kind of cute!"

Gong Yuelong sat on a low stool in the corner of the stall, with a few wonton wrappers floating in the bowl in front of him.

He didn't touch his chopsticks again, but simply opened the pack of cigarettes and placed it in the center of the greasy folding table, with the filter facing outwards.

At that moment, a figure emerged from the darkness.

It's Engineer Chen.

His collar was ripped open, his face was flushed from drinking, his eyelids drooped, and every step he took felt like walking on cotton.

He walked straight to the stall and mumbled, "Boss, a bowl of wontons, extra... vinegar."

After saying that, he let out a weary sigh.

Gong Yuelong looked up at the opportune moment, a smile spreading across his face: "Engineer Chen? Just finished? Have a seat here."

He pointed to the empty seat opposite him and casually pushed the cigarette pack on the table forward another half inch.

Engineer Chen squinted at him for two seconds, as if only then could he focus.

"Oh, Xiao Gong..." he mumbled in response, his body sinking into the plastic stool, making the stool creak.

Without any hesitation, he reached into the open cigarette case, took a cigarette, lit it on the lighter Gong Yuelong offered, took a deep drag, and exhaled smoke mixed with a strong smell of alcohol.

"Damn it..." Engineer Chen cursed abruptly.

When the wontons were served, he picked up a spoon, tasted the soup, grabbed a bottle from the table, and sipped some vinegar.

He gulped down two whole before he seemed to catch his breath. "The supervisor is a real bastard... I treated them to a meal, poured them a lot of alcohol, and said a lot of nice things, but it still wasn't enough!"

We had to go somewhere else to sing karaoke! The place was so smoky and noisy, and the screaming gave me a headache…”

Gong Yuelong listened quietly, and only after the other party's cursing subsided did he continue the conversation in a calm tone:

"It's not easy for anyone. I just came back from the west with some fellow villagers. We poured a layer of concrete and got covered in dust."

Engineer Chen glanced at him and said, "Kid, you've got a pretty wide range of business. I thought you just collected scrap or something."