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

When the key was turned, the engine whirred a few times before starting.

He shifted into gear, stepped on the gas, and the car wobbled out of the construction site, heading towards the labor market in the north of the city.

If there's no traffic, it should take about twenty minutes to get there.

The south gate of the Chengbei Labor Market was packed with hundreds of people, their dusty work clothes even grayer than the gloomy sky.

Gong Yuelong found a corner and braked, but a scene from five years ago flashed before his eyes—

At that time, he was driving a black Audi A6. As soon as the car stopped, a group of foremen banged on the car window and shouted "General Manager Gong!" while vying to hand him cigarettes and announce the number of workers.

He simply needs to roll down the glass and point with his finger:

"You, bring thirty men and come with me."

And now... no one outside the car even glanced at him.

Several people squatting by the roadside waiting for work caught a glimpse of the pickup truck that was about to fall apart and immediately turned their heads away.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath, then pushed open the door and jumped out of the car.

The intelligence report indicated that there were five minutes left in the twenty-minute countdown.

He buried his head in the crowd and squeezed towards the south gate.

He hadn't taken more than a few steps when a pair of muddy canvas shoes tripped him, and as he stumbled, he heard a familiar voice:

"Hey! Isn't this General Manager Gong?"

A scarred man, a former steelworker on the construction site, was squatting in the corner, grinning with yellow teeth.

"Is General Manager Gong here to work alongside the brothers too?"

Amidst the laughter, Gong Yuelong's back stiffened.

He recalled how this man had bent over to light his cigarette years ago, and a wave of nausea washed over him.

Gong Yuelong smiled and pushed him away.

Finally, I squeezed my way to the south gate, not far from the utility pole.

He understands the rules here:

The prime location near the utility poles has been monopolized by a few small-time contractors who have been entrenched there for a long time.

They have regular workers under them, know the market administrators, are well-informed, and get priority when there are good jobs.

A newcomer like him, who goes it alone, can only wait on the sidelines to pick up scraps.

He raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and pulled the corners of his honest-looking mouth upwards again.

The intelligence indicated that the woman was driving a white SUV, and he scanned every passing car.

He wasn't the only one watching the passing cars.

Because most of the people who come down are customers; it's business, it's about the money for meals!

Gong Yuelong silently recited the key points of the intelligence as he squeezed into the crowd:

"A white SUV... with an honest-looking face..."

Suddenly, the crowd stirred! A white car slowly pulled up from the street corner. Anyone with experience would immediately recognize it as someone looking for work. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been moving so slowly.

"We've got a job!" The crowd surged forward instantly, rushing towards the designated parking spot.

Gong Yuelong was pushed forward, his back was hit hard several times, and his liberation shoes were covered in mud.

The white SUV stopped in front of the crowd.

The car window had barely been rolled down a crack when several hands reached up, and shouts erupted:

"Boss! How many people do you need? What kind of work?"

"I'm strong!"

"Experienced! Several people can do it!"

"Is the work tiring? Heavy loads will cost extra!"

The car window was rolled down halfway, revealing the face of a young woman with slightly furrowed brows.

"Just...just assembling a wardrobe and a bed...it might be a bit heavy, it'll take one person..." she raised her voice.

"One person?! Boss, one person is too slow! We two brothers can do it fast and well!" a foreman immediately chimed in.

"Exactly! Big sister, I'll add another helper to lend a hand, and I guarantee it'll be done quickly!" another person chimed in.

Gong Yuelong finally squeezed to the side of the car window.

He maintained a deliberately honest and clean expression on his face, which stood out among the oily faces around him.

Someone caught sight of him and sneered:

"This guy's so quiet, can he handle it? Working all night by himself?"

Some even said directly to women:

"Hey lady, the guy behind us doesn't look quick enough, don't waste our time! It'll be six hundred for the two of us! Satisfaction guaranteed!"

Gong Yuelong's heart sank.

His honest-looking face became a disadvantage. Eight hundred? Others quoted six hundred! How much could he quote?

He checked the system prompts again, unlike the others who rushed to submit their offers.

He forcefully pushed aside the people around him.

Then whisper:

"I can do it all by myself. I guarantee a good installation, and I'll be meticulous." He paused, then asked, "How tall is the cabinet? Are the boards heavy? Is there an elevator?"

"Uh... there's an elevator. The materials are alright... it's just the top of the cabinet that might be..."

Gong Yuelong immediately chimed in, "I can do it! Girl, I'll bring my own tools. After the job is done, I'll clean up all the packaging boards and foam waste and take it all with me, leaving not a single piece of waste. Eight hundred yuan, no problem."

"Eight hundred? For one person?"

The surrounding laughter and calls for price negotiation grew even louder:

"Hey sis, he's ripping you off! 750 for both of you, even faster!"

"Seven hundred! The three of us, half an hour!"

"Six hundred and fifty! Sister, don't believe him. Does he look like he's quick and efficient?"

The woman frowned as she scanned the noisy crowd, her gaze falling on Gong Yuelong's faded but clean coat and his honest, clean face.

"He looks honest...and clean." She was tempted.

"Can one person really manage?" She stared at Gong Yuelong.

"Sure!" Gong Yuelong replied confidently, "We have all the tools. If the job isn't done well, you don't have to pay."

The woman glanced at the noisy group around her and pointed at Gong Yuelong:

"You. Get in the car."

Instantly, countless gazes, a mixture of astonishment, jealousy, and anger, fell upon Gong Yuelong.

Gong Yuelong seemed not to see it and nodded vigorously:

"Thank you, boss! My car is over there. Grab your tools and I'll come with you."

Gong Yuelong quickly grabbed his tools.

The woman gestured for him to get in the car.

Amidst those almost murderous gazes, Gong Yuelong opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat.

The car windows were rolled up, shutting out the noise from outside.

The only sounds inside the car were the low rumble of the engine and a faint scent of perfume.

Gong Yuelong fastened his seatbelt, his fingers still trembling slightly uncontrollably.

Eight hundred yuan! The intelligence is real! The system is real! Enough to eat steamed buns for a few days, and maybe even pay off a little bit of the debt...

He let out a long breath.

Successful.

"Go to Sunshine Residential Area," a woman's voice rang out.

"Okay!" Gong Yuelong immediately sat up straight.

The woman stepped on the gas, and the car started moving.

His gaze swept across the rearview mirror, where those unwilling figures dispersed in the reflection, waiting for their next customer.

In the passenger seat, his fingers unconsciously tapped lightly against his knee—

A habitual action I took five years ago while sitting in an Audi A6—

I reviewed it over and over again: the pushing, the mockery, the malicious slander, the crazy price-cutting, the moment the woman nodded...

If it weren't for the intelligence alert, and if I hadn't honestly followed the system's instructions to wash my face, would I have been able to catch them for those eight hundred yuan?

The work went very smoothly.

In just over an hour, I made 800 yuan.

During a casual chat, I learned that the young woman lived alone and had a slight obsession with cleanliness. I spotted the clean and honest-looking Gong Yuelong at the labor market.

After finishing the work, it was already lunchtime.

I found an Anhui beef noodle shop and added two extra pieces of dried tofu, two seaweed rolls, and even a sausage.

Mei Mei had a delicious meal.

After lunch, we drove to the entrance of the Gold Coast project, which was under construction, to see if there was any work available.

The project is called Gold Coast, but there isn't even a ditch next to it.

Gong Yuelong parked his pickup truck at the entrance of the project department and lifted the plastic curtain of the convenience store.