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

The pale blue light screen appeared as if summoned:

[Item investigated: High-value intelligence, phased implementation, low-risk monetization strategy]

Current progress: 76%

"...Still calculating."

Gong Yuelong breathed a silent sigh of relief, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly.

Thankfully, it wasn't a dream.

The opportunity for those ten tons of steel bars, and the system's frantic efforts to calculate and find an entry point for that opportunity, both truly exist.

Although the monotonous, grueling life didn't immediately change, something entirely different...

It has already been placed on the scales of his fate—a fulcrum that could potentially move everything is being meticulously crafted.

He wanted to ask something else, such as his prediction of Chen's attitude today.

But when the thought touched it, the light screen only rippled slightly, as if all the computing power was firmly locked on the unfinished 76%, unable to respond to other commands.

"That's right... Don't bite off more than you can chew."

Gong Yuelong immediately understood the system's rules.

While a deduction that has yet to yield results is underway, it seems unable to be distracted by new, equally significant inquiries.

This makes sense, just as one cannot simultaneously delve into two completely different major issues.

Cause and effect are continuous; if the deduction of the previous cause fails, the new effect cannot be discussed.

He felt a little regretful; if he could have asked a few more questions, he would have felt more at ease.

But upon further reflection, this only made him value the strategy he was about to receive even more.

The solution that the system focuses all its efforts on refining is bound to be the only optimal solution that best suits its current predicament and is most likely to break through that barrier.

I lay quietly for a while, feeling the distinct soreness coming from all parts of my body.

Gong Yuelong threw off the thin blanket and sat up.

He rubbed his face vigorously to dispel the last bit of drowsiness, then got out of bed and walked to the washbasin.

The cold water splashed on his face, bringing a real, icy sensation and completely waking him up.

Pushing open the creaking door, I saw Old Niu brushing his teeth by the tap in the shared courtyard. He mumbled a greeting, then hurried off to the labor market.

The door to Widow Qin's room was closed; it was unclear whether she hadn't gotten up or had already left.

It was an ordinary morning, and everything was as usual.

But Gong Yuelong knew that some things had changed.

Let's get the old timber sorted out today, and do it quickly.

Gong Yuelong swallowed the last half of the hard, dry steamed bun with cold water, then walked over and picked up the bundle of simple tools he had brought with him from the corner—

Pliers, a sledgehammer, several crowbars, and a pile of sacks were brought out of the shared apartment.

The weather was hot and humid.

He started the beat-up pickup truck, and after a few lurches, he got on the road and drove towards the Gold Coast project.

When Gong Yuelong arrived at the construction site gate, it was still early, but there were already a few workers and vehicles coming and going.

He parked his car in a temporary area marked out on the side of the road, and instead of rushing to the project office, he headed to the security room first.

Inside the window, Grandpa Sun was already drinking his morning tea from his large enamel mug, while the radio played the soft strains of traditional opera.

Upon seeing that it was Gong Yuelong, the old man raised his eyelids slightly as a greeting.

"Good morning, Master Sun." Gong Yuelong had a perfectly timed smile on his face. Without saying much, he took a box of new white liquor from his pocket and pushed it through the window.

"Thank you for your guidance yesterday. I'll head over to Engineer Chen's place now."

Grandpa Sun glanced at the cigarette, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out a little:

"Yes, Engineer Chen usually has breakfast in his office around this time. See that pile of wood in the southwest corner? That's it. Behave yourself and don't wander off."

"Okay, I understand, thank you, Master Sun."

Gong Yuelong nodded in agreement, then turned and walked towards the two-story prefabricated building of the project headquarters.

Following Grandpa Sun's directions, he found Engineer Chen's office on the east side of the second floor.

The door was ajar, and the sound of slurping noodles could be heard from inside.

Gong Yuelong knocked on the door.

"Go in." A slightly muffled voice said.

Pushing open the door, I saw a slightly overweight middle-aged man looking up from a bowl of instant noodles.

This is Engineer Chen, his face showing the typical fatigue of a project manager.

"Hello, Mr. Chen. This is Xiao Gong, Gong Yuelong. Master Sun said you have some scrap wood that needs to be cleared out..."

Gong Yuelong stated his purpose directly, while turning to the side so that Engineer Chen could see the tools he was carrying.

Engineer Chen glanced at him a few times, his gaze lingering on the bundle of tools for a moment.

"Oh, Old Sun mentioned it. That pile in the southwest corner, you see it? It's a mess, with nails still in it, it'll be a hassle to clean up."

He slurped up a mouthful of noodles, his tone flat, "Make sure it's clean. Take the waste away and dispose of it yourself. Don't pile it up on the construction site, and don't cause any trouble. Is that alright?"

"Don't worry, I guarantee I'll clean it up neatly, remove all the trash, and it won't cause any delays," Gong Yuelong replied crisply.

"Okay, go ahead. When you're done... come and let me know."

Engineer Chen waved his chopsticks, as if giving permission, and then went back to eating his instant noodles.

With the permit in hand, Gong Yuelong felt reassured.

He didn't linger; he immediately went downstairs and drove his beat-up pickup truck slowly toward the southwest corner of the construction site.

Sure enough, there was a small mountain of scrap wood there, mainly broken scaffold planks and some timber, some with bent nails and cement residue, piled up haphazardly in the corner, covered with a layer of dust.

As Gong Yuelong watched, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily, and he almost burst out laughing.

This project team is really extravagant! In his eyes, this is nothing but a pile of troublesome garbage.

Many of those timbers only had cracked ends or were covered in cement, but the main trunks were straight and intact. With a little cleaning and repair, they could be used like new without any problems.

Many of those planks only had tenons at the joints; the planks themselves weren't rotten.

These are things that they carefully recycled back when they were doing engineering work.

It seems this company's on-site material management is a bit rudimentary... but this rudimentary management costs a lot of money!

Gong Yuelong was in a great mood. He put on his work gloves, spat on his palms and rubbed them together before starting to work.

Once the action begins, the time algorithm changes.

There is no morning or afternoon, only this piece and the next piece.

His body quickly settled into a familiar rhythm: bending over, examining the color of the wood, and using pliers to grip the exposed nail heads.

With a sudden, heavy thud, the rusty nail was pulled out and tossed into a nearby scrap metal bin.

Then, they carried or dragged the cleaned planks and timber, sorted them, and loaded them onto the truck.

The heavy templates required two people to lift, but he was alone. He could only rely on a crowbar for leverage, grit his teeth, and carry them piece by piece into the pickup truck bed.

Dust rose up, covering his hair, face, and clothes. Sweat quickly seeped from his forehead, mixing with the dust and running down, carving several lines on his face.

He worked with great focus and care, not only cleaning up the wood but also picking up and bagging the scattered plastic packaging and foam fragments.

Occasionally, other workers or managers on the project would pass by, glancing at this unfamiliar face working diligently, but no one stopped or gave this dusty, disheveled figure a second glance.