Old Deng awakens: He starts by eliminating the yoga pants in the county town!

As the truck left the factory gate, Lin Dawei's breath slowly subsided.

Just now at the factory, he held on by sheer willpower.

To say I'm not afraid would be a lie.

Yamamoto's eyes were like hooks, and Liu Li's hesitant expression was like a thorn, both sticking out in his back.

But these aren't the most important things right now.

This is Xiaoyu's tuition fee.

Lin Dawei drove the car to the side of the road under an old poplar tree, turned off the engine, and then took out his phone.

The moment the screen lit up, his heart skipped a beat.

The SMS message confirming the receipt of funds is still there.

Lin Dawei stared at that line of text, reading it once and then again.

Fourteen thousand and thirty-two yuan and fifty cents.

It's not a dream.

The money is indeed in his account.

Lin Dawei's Adam's apple bobbed, his rough fingers hovered over the screen for a few seconds, and suddenly his nose felt a little sore.

At 46 years old, after running around selling goods until his back was almost broken, his hands would tremble when he found an extra 10,000 yuan in his bank account.

Without further hesitation, Lin Dawei opened the transfer page.

Enter Lin Xiaoyu's card number and press the numbers in the amount field.

Ten thousand.

He deleted and rewrote the notes section repeatedly, until finally only a short sentence remained.

"If it's not enough, just tell Dad."

He stared at the sentence for a moment, then abruptly pressed confirm.

Transfer successful.

After doing all that, he leaned back in his chair.

The rain has subsided for now.

But he knew very well that the 10,000 yuan was just to stop the bleeding, not to turn his life around.

The phone rang almost immediately afterward.

Two words appeared on the screen.

Light rain.

As soon as Lin Dawei answered the phone, his daughter's trembling voice came from the other end.

"Dad, where did you get so much money?"

"Did you borrow money?"

Lin Xiaoyu's breathing was visibly erratic, as if she was trying to hold back her tears.

"My mom just said that you've been begging for favors everywhere lately, and that you might have taken out a loan at a high interest rate."

"Dad, I don't want to go anymore. I really don't have to. I can work first. Please don't do anything foolish."

As soon as the last sentence came out, Lin Dawei tightened his grip on his phone.

This girl is so sensible it breaks my heart.

Lin Dawei rolled down the car window a little, lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then spoke.

"Listen to your father, he didn't borrow money from loan sharks."

"The money came from my orders today, plus a sum of money that had been held back before."

"Your dad isn't that useless."

Lin Xiaoyu didn't speak, only suppressed gasps could be heard.

Lin Dawei's voice was lower and harder.

"Xiaoyu, don't worry about me. Go pay your tuition, and buy the dorm supplies you need. The provincial capital isn't some small place like ours. Don't dress like this and make people laugh."

"Dad was incompetent in the past, and you suffered a lot because of him."

"It won't happen again."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for several seconds.

When she spoke again, Lin Xiaoyu finally cried.

"Dad, don't overwork yourself."

"I'm fine."

Stop lying to me.

Lin Dawei smiled slightly, a very soft smile.

"I'm not lying to you this time. Your dad's luck has turned around, and he's capable of handling things now."

"Just remember one thing: you don't need to worry about money."

Lin Xiaoyu responded with a tearful "Mmm".

"dad."

"What are you doing?"

You must take good care of yourself.

Lin Dawei stubbed out his cigarette, his throat felt tight, and it took him a while to squeeze out a sentence.

"Nonsense, your dad's tough as nails."

After hanging up the phone, the car fell silent.

Lin Dawei looked at the whitening sky outside the windshield and suddenly felt as if something had gently bumped into his heart.

He's been a coward for most of his life, used to losing face and being scolded.

But as long as Xiaoyu still acknowledges him as her father, he can't just drift along day by day.

Just then, the phone rang again.

This time it's Li Ying.

Lin Dawei's face darkened as he looked at the name.

He didn't want to answer, but then he realized there was no point in hiding, so he swiped his finger across it anyway.

"explain."

Li Ying was silent for two seconds before speaking.

"Did you transfer money to Xiaoyu?"

Lin Dawei replied coldly.

"I hit him."

"Where did it come from?"

"Earned."

"Lin Dawei, let me tell you, Chen Jianjun was telling me this afternoon that truck drivers like you who work at the bottom of the industry are prone to resorting to those predatory lending schemes when they're desperate, with interest rates that snowball to an alarming rate."

"Did you go to loan sharks to save face in front of Xiaoyu, just to appear as a good father?"

Upon hearing the name Chen Jianjun, Lin Dawei's fingers tightened around his phone.

This is Li Ying's current man.

He used to be a minor leader in charge of logistics in the workshop. With the little power he had, he managed to seduce Li Ying, who was a snob.

Lin Dawei gritted his teeth, but his tone remained calm.

"Who does Chen Jianjun think he is? What right does he have to analyze my affairs?"

"How dare you talk like that!"

Li Ying was angered by his bland words.

"Jianjun manages over a dozen people; he's seen more of the world than you!"

"He's afraid you'll borrow dirty money and end up dragging me and Xiaoyu down with you! If the debt collectors throw red paint at the entrance of my apartment complex, how can I face anyone?"

Lin Dawei suddenly felt very bored.

His eyes turned cold.

"Has the money arrived yet?"

Li Ying paused.

"arrive."

"Can I pay the tuition?"

"able."

"That's fine then."

Li Ying clearly hadn't expected him to be so tough, and her tone became even more aggressive.

Don't give me that!

"Xiaoyu is my daughter. I need to know if this money is clean. Don't save face today and end up with a mountain of debt tomorrow, which will only drag the child down with you."

Lin Dawei laughed as he listened.

"Li Ying, I accepted your insults about me being incompetent before! But now that I've put the money out, you're complaining that it's ill-gotten. So, in your eyes, I, Lin Dawei, am nobody no matter what."

"I don't need to explain too much to you."

"Just remember one thing: I've covered Xiaoyu's tuition."

"I will cover any expenses she needs in the future."

His voice was more composed than ever before when he argued back.

"Lin Dawei, have you taken the wrong medicine?!"

Li Ying didn't believe he could turn his life around at all. In her mind, Lin Dawei was a good-for-nothing who had been wallowing in the mud at the bottom of society all his life.

"Don't try to act tough with me. How many more years can this piece of junk run? In three to five years, you won't have a dowry, and then we'll see how Xiaoyu looks down on you!"

Beep beep.

Lin Dawei had no interest in listening to her endless ramblings and hung up the phone immediately.

He tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and let out a long sigh.

Whenever I talked to Li Ying before, he always seemed inferior, always putting on a show of humility regardless of whether he was right or wrong.

But today is different.

From the moment the money arrived in his account, a bone in his heart that had been bent for many years seemed to finally straighten out a little.

Although Li Ying's words were harsh, she was right about one thing.

This 10,000 yuan isn't enough to turn things around.

The car needs its annual inspection and parts replacement. The treads of all four tires have worn down to the warning line, and the bridge gaskets are severely aged.

After paying Xiaoyu's tuition, the remaining four thousand yuan in the card was only enough to cover the tolls and fuel costs for two or three trips to other provinces.

In a small county town, within the freight industry, without money, power, or connections, you'll forever be cannon fodder, someone like Wang Yan, who can be kicked aside at any time by a stationmaster.

A single reward is not enough; we still need to rely on the system.

Lin Dawei closed his eyes and refocused his attention on the light screen in his mind.

A green light flickered.

[One-star objective: Liu Li (female receiving clerk at a Japanese-owned factory) has started the second phase of the mission.]

[Second Stage Mission Objective: Liu Li, 0/10 kills]

Ten times.

Having been interrupted at the factory earlier and not having had time to think it through, Lin Dawei frowned slightly as he looked at the number.

It gave him a new lease on life in just one time. If he completes these ten times, the reward will definitely turn his life around completely!

But Liu Li wasn't stupid. She could get away with it today by using Yamamoto as an excuse, but it wouldn't be so easy to find another opportunity next time.

If she becomes suspicious and defensive, forcing her won't work.