After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

The bigwigs who were ruthlessly rejected were not angry at all. Instead, they quickly took the opportunity to back down, raising their glasses with smiles and using even more praise to cover up their previous abruptness.

In their view, the less Lin Fan was swayed by money, the more it proved that he was a person with real talent.

This kind of person is someone you can only befriend, never offend!

Round after round of tea offerings, conversations, and tugging at each other.

Lin Fan maintained his calm and composed demeanor throughout, handling all the compliments and tests flawlessly.

It wasn't until the host of the banquet walked onto the stage and gently tapped the microphone that the situation changed.

"Distinguished guests, excuse me. Our tasting session is drawing to a close. Next, we will move on to the most exciting part of the evening—the charity auction!"

The host's impassioned voice echoed throughout the hall:

"All items auctioned tonight were donated by the kind-hearted individuals present, and all proceeds will be donated to the Jiangcheng Leukemia Children's Aid Foundation!"

Hearing the words "children with leukemia"...

Lin Fan, who had been sitting calmly in his chair, paused slightly in the teacup he was holding.

A glint of light flashed in his eyes.

The image of Old Liu, the shop owner who knelt down in despair and kowtowed until his head bled in front of his new shop in order to save his son who was suffering from leukemia, suddenly appeared in his mind with unparalleled clarity.

Looking back, his current success and the ability to open "Lin's Shop" in such a prime location as Phoenix Golden Street were largely due to a series of coincidences and thanks to Lao Liu's favor.

If it weren't for the fact that Lao Liu was driven to desperation by his son's medical expenses, suffered endless humiliation at Zhang Dawei's hands, and ultimately transferred that "hidden gem" shop to him for a paltry 250,000 yuan—essentially a freebie—it would have been a different story.

Even with a system, Lin Fan would likely face countless obstacles if he wanted to gain a firm foothold in Jiangcheng and even reach the head table at tonight's banquet.

Moreover, although life had bent his back, Lao Liu was an extremely honest, kind, and righteous man at heart.

Not to mention that for the past two weeks, even though his son was still lying in the sterile ward of the hospital and needed someone to take care of him at any time, Lao Liu still managed to squeeze out time to run around and help Lin Fan.

Old Liu handled everything perfectly, from the shop transfer procedures and business license changes to fire safety inspections and even the transfer contracts for water, electricity, and gas, leaving Lin Fan with absolutely no trouble.

Every time they met briefly at the store to deliver materials, Lao Liu would be covered in sweat, repeatedly calling him "benefactor" and expressing his deepest gratitude, humble to the point of being insignificant.

But Lin Fan knew in his heart that the 250,000 yuan was only a temporary solution for childhood leukemia, which is a bottomless pit that often requires bone marrow transplants and anti-rejection treatments.

The subsequent medical and nutritional expenses for Lao Liu's son will still be an astronomical figure that could crush an ordinary family.

"Mr. Lin, are you interested?"

Zhao Hongming, who had been closely watching Lin Fan, keenly noticed the change in his eyes. He cautiously leaned closer and whispered with great bravado:

"If there's anything you like, I'll buy it for you today, just to be friends!"

Lin Fan slowly put down the teacup in his hand and gently shook his head.

"I appreciate Chairman Zhao's kind offer."

"Since it's about raising funds for children with leukemia, I'll do my part too."

Lin Fan spoke calmly, but his eyes revealed a hint of seriousness.

Although he was not a wealthy or philanthropic man, the way Old Liu humbled himself to the point of dust and even kowtowed until his head bled in order to save his son truly touched his heart as a father.

Moreover, the excellent location that "Lin's Shop" enjoys today is all thanks to Lao Liu's kindness.

Upon hearing that Lin Fan was willing to help, Zhao Hongming and the other bigwigs at the table nodded in approval, their eyes filled with respect.

Soon, with a crisp sound of the gavel falling from the stage, the charity auction officially began.

"Distinguished guests, our first item for tonight's auction is a pair of Qing Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain vases donated by Mr. Wang of Changsheng Group! Starting bid: 500,000!"

"Six hundred thousand!"

"Eight hundred thousand!"

"One million two hundred thousand!"

As exquisite antique paintings, calligraphy, and precious jewelry were displayed, the atmosphere in the banquet hall gradually reached its climax.

Wealthy individuals and celebrities frequently raised placards, spending money without batting an eye, both for charity and for saving face.

Lin Fan sat at the main table, sipping tea and quietly observing the items up for auction.

"This authentic work by Zhang Daqian sold for 1.5 million!"

"This top-quality imperial green jadeite necklace sold for 1.8 million!"

Hearing the astronomical figures constantly being announced, Lin Fan paused slightly, his brows furrowing imperceptibly.

He quietly took out his phone and glanced at his bank account balance.

During this period, although the store was extremely busy, and with the sale of high-priced crab roe buns and lotus flower pastries, his cash flow did indeed see a great leap. All in all, he had about 500,000 to 600,000 yuan in savings.

This amount of money is definitely a huge sum for ordinary people.

But tonight, at the most prestigious venue for fame and fortune in the entire Jiangcheng, at this charity auction where prices start at hundreds of thousands or even millions... his hundreds of thousands wouldn't even make a ripple.

The jade pendant with the lowest starting price was bid up to 800,000.

He wanted to do his part to help children with leukemia, but with his current cash flow, he simply couldn't afford to bid on even the cheapest item.

"Brother Lin, what's up? Which one have you got your eye on?"

Sitting behind him, Qin Lang, with his sharp eyes, noticed Lin Fan's slightly furrowed brow and immediately leaned forward, lowering his voice to say:

"If you don't have the money, just say the word, brother, I'll raise the paddle and take it down for you right now!"

Zhao Tianyi, who was standing nearby, heard this and quickly chimed in, "Yes, Master Lin, my dad just said that anything you like will be on Junyue's tab!"

"Thank you for your kindness, but it's alright. Is it really charity if you're using other people's money for charity?"

Lin Fan shook his head, put his phone away, and gave a self-deprecating laugh:

"I just suddenly realized that I'm still too broke. I wanted to do my part, but these items aren't cheap. I'm afraid I don't have enough cash in my account."

Using other people's money for charity would be distorted, and Lin Fan would never do such a thing.

"Hey, what's the big deal?"

Qin Lang was immediately delighted upon hearing this.

Zhao Tianyi was taken aback by Qin Lang's reaction: "Young Master Qin, what do you mean...?"

Lin Fan was slightly taken aback: "Besides being a cook, I don't have anything of value to offer for auction."