After divorcing my celebrity wife, I became the world's richest person

"Aren't there many boys here?"

Chen Yu asked subconsciously, at the same time he set down his recording pen.

Chu Hong next to him seemed to have heard something terrifying and quickly tugged on Chen Yu's arm.

Chen Yu was puzzled and before he could ask, a middle-aged woman nearby casually spat out a sunflower seed shell.

"You really don't know what's good for you. It's already not bad that they brought out a girl for you, yet you still want a boy? They are treasured by their families for continuing the lineage; how could they possibly let them go?"

Chen Yu's head buzzed. He had guessed some situations before coming here, but he hadn't anticipated such ignorant thinking.

No wonder these people never left the mountains in their whole lives.

Just then, a petite figure suddenly ran out from the village.

"Take me with you. I can do all the work that a boy can do! And I only need half the wages."

The sudden shout startled Chen Yu. He saw a frail-looking young girl stumble and scramble to his table.

The girl appeared to be only about fourteen or fifteen, but when she slapped her ID on the table, Chen Yu realized she was already eighteen.

"What are you doing, you foolish girl? They're offering seven thousand yuan. How many people in this place have been willing to give seven thousand yuan all these years? Yet you refuse to marry. Are you trying to turn the world upside down?"

An angry voice followed, making the girl tremble with fear. She quickly got up and hid behind Chen Yu.

Chu Hong also noticed this girl and looked at her carefully before suddenly stepping forward excitedly.

"Xiaoyu! How did you end up like this?"

Xiaoyu was initially stunned and then rose excitedly to hug Chu Hong.

"Xiaohong, I thought I'd never see you again in my life!"

As they spoke, Xiaoyu's parents had already caught up, each wielding a pickaxe, seemingly ready to beat Xiaoyu to death.

Chen Yu quickly stepped forward to stop the couple.

"What are you doing? She's your own daughter after all; how can you treat her this way?"

To his surprise, the couple showed no respect for Chen Yu.

"Who's this meddlesome brat? Dare to interfere with our family matters? Get lost, or I'll break your legs, too."

Chen Yu was immediately infuriated. Ever since he arrived in this village, everything seemed to go against his sense of reason.

Even if the people here were ignorant and backward, that was no reason to treat one's own flesh and blood so harshly.

As he was about to argue, Chu Hong suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

"Brother Yu!"

Chen Yu turned and saw that Chu Hong had stuffed a bulky envelope into his hand.

"Give them this money, and they'll let Xiaoyu leave with us."

Chen Yu was dumbfounded. What kind of reasoning was that?

Moreover, weren't the couple chasing Xiaoyu because they wanted to marry her off? Could it be that anyone who offered seven thousand yuan could take Xiaoyu away?

Before he could react, the couple had already moved two chairs aside and sat down.

"You outsiders really have no reason. My daughter is getting married, and you want to take her away! Since that's the case, leave ten thousand yuan and we'll act like nothing ever happened."

Chen Yu felt all his values being destroyed, the change was just too abrupt.

An elderly aunty next to them, threw a handful of sunflower seed shells in front of the couple.

"You two are absolutely shameless. Xiao Yu wasn't even your biological daughter. Ever since she arrived at your place, you treated her nothing better than an animal, and now you have the audacity to come here and scam money! Tell me, when has little Xiao Yu ever been betrothed?"

Following the lady's comment, the onlookers joined in the uproar, spewing insults and belittlement that even Chen Yu couldn't bear to listen to.

Yet, unbelievably, the couple sat as if they were being showered with compliments, composed and unaffected.

Chen Yu instantly understood that these people merely wanted to extract a sum of money from him using this charade.

No wonder Chu Hong had prepared several envelopes before they left Suzhou City; it looked like they would come in handy right about now.

Chen Yu let out a frustrated sigh, then stood on top of the stone mill.

"I want to ask all the kids who are here in line; if I want to take them with me, do I also have to pay a sum of money?"

The aunty who had been cracking sunflower seeds laughed as if she'd heard a joke.

"Young man, you think you can just take our village kids without paying? Are you delusional?"

Chen Yu felt his heart cool; if real criminals were to come here, couldn't they easily take these children away?

In a daze, he noticed the eager eyes of all the children around him.

After all, Chu Hong had managed to leave this place, and most of them had been her playmates since childhood.

In the eyes of those children, Chu Hong was someone who had escaped from a life of suffering. If they could leave with Chu Hong, they too could escape the mountains.

Chen Yu took a moment to steady his breathing and then picked up the suitcase next to him, which was filled with a box of money.

Originally, he had intended to pay half a month's salary in advance whenever he hired someone, as a way to display his credibility.

But now, he was grateful that he had brought a suitcase full of money.

The aunty who had been eating sunflower seeds suddenly became excited and promptly pulled a little girl out from the crowd.

"Since you gave little Xiao Yu ten thousand yuan, the rest of the kids should get ten thousand each too!"

Without saying much, Chen Yu distributed the money in the order it was asked for.

Those so-called parents, upon receiving the money, couldn't contain their excitement, and their children were handed over to Chen Yu like toys.

In the end, many people pushed forward their little boys.

As Chen Yu left with thirty-six children, he did not feel the joy of having successfully recruited people. Instead, he felt a sense of accomplishment for having rescued thirty-six children from a life of misery.

He began to despise this place from the bottom of his heart!

Once they were on the train leaving the village, the children began to act strangely excited.

To them, they were facing a brand new life.

However, Chen Yu couldn't feel happy. Upon arriving at Suzhou City, he handed the children over to Chu Hong to manage and went straight to the relevant authorities.

The hall was already in an uproar, Zhou Shengtao stood in front of the big screen, incessantly pointing at the suspects there.

"Can someone explain to me what exactly is happening here? We were about to close in on them, how could you let these thugs slip right under your noses?"

The leaders of the various action teams seated below were silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to even breathe loudly, with one of them holding a thermos and taking a trembling sip.