Chapter 94

Shao Lingwu: "It's really nice..."0

Chu Xiao: "When you're marveling at the good weather... could you not pull my pants?"0

Beside them, Chu Tingwu straddled the overturned sailboat, sighing softly.0

In the distance on the beach, Zhou Qiang picked up another skewer of barbecue: Why haven't these guys flipped the boat over yet?0

Not long ago, the four of them had gathered and learned that Chu Tingwu was going to sail at night. They checked the time and found they still had plenty before heading back—0

"Why not rent a boat and practice first?"0

While they were still discussing the practice, the director overheard and said, "You should get some training first. It's quick, just at the sailboat training center."0

The director had originally planned to drive Chu Tingwu there, but they insisted they had their own vehicle.0

Thus, behind the director's van, an electric tricycle followed.0

The sailboat training center was visually close to the winter camp base, but driving there required a detour. Here, even ordinary people could receive basic sailboat training.0

The staff at the training center greeted them and asked, "Are you completely inexperienced and here for your first time?"0

Shao Lingwu nodded, and Zhou Qiang wondered, "Isn't North Sea Province by the sea?"0

Shao Lingwu: "Guess why my hometown is called Bao City..."0

Of course, it's because it's surrounded by other cities and can't see the sea at all!0

Out of the four, only Zhou Qiang had been out to sea before, during a school trip organized by her middle school.0

However, she got seasick, so she decided not to sail this time.0

Besides ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‍sailboat experience, they also asked if they could swim. This time, except for Chu Tingwu, the other two could—0

Shao Lingwu had been swimming for years, going every summer, while Chu Xiao had taken a short training course but was a bit rusty.0

Of course, not knowing how to swim wasn't a problem for sailing, as there were life jackets.0

Zhou Qiang, with some experience, told Chu Tingwu, "There are probably two types of boats here. One has a heavy keel, so it's not easy to flip, while the other, a single-person sailboat for the near sea, is very easy to flip but won't sink."0

The sailboat base connected to the sea, with an internal area for experiencing seawater circulation, and the waves weren't as big as outside. At the moment, many people were training.0

The trainer had them change into their gear and get on the boat to experience it first.0

...After all, some people claim they don't get seasick, but they can't even stand once they're on the boat.0

The trainer had them come one by one to experience it and chatted with them: "Are you classmates traveling together?"0

It's normal for a class to organize a trip after graduation.0

Shao Lingwu: "We're here to travel and take classes by the way."0

Chu Xiao: "We're here to attend class and take a stroll around."0

Chu Tingwu: "We're here to sail."0

The two who answered before her: "?"0

Don't be so upfront about it.0

The trainer laughed, showing a mouthful of white teeth: "Then the one here to sail the boat come up first and stand steady."0

Chu Tingwu jumped onto the boat. Unlike the slightly larger boats they had seen outside, those usually had five or six people, each responsible for steering and raising the sails.0

This time, the trainer was having Chu Tingwu experience a single-person sailboat.0

The trainer explained, "The fun of sailboats is that they don't rely on other power sources; you don't need to fuel or charge them. They sail on the wind... Newbies aren't recommended to go out to sea directly because you don't know how to control the wind, or how to use it to change direction."0

The training area also had natural wind, with signs above indicating its direction. At the moment, though they were on the boat, it hadn't set sail yet and was still docked—the trainer had Chu Tingwu experience the swaying sensation.0

Chu Tingwu placed her hand on the rope, feeling the rocking beneath her—0

The trainer noticed her expression was a bit wooden, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she was experiencing seasickness, though not severely.0

Chu Tingwu indeed felt "dizzy."0

It wasn't from the boat's movement itself but from the sea below... Although it's often said that the sea is level, it's rarely calm. The vibrations from the shore, transmitted through the boat to Chu Tingwu's feet, made her feel an anxious unease.0

The rope was also vibrating, and she felt her senses being disrupted and reorganized, similar to motion sickness from cars or planes. So, Chu Tingwu turned her gaze to the distance.0

When focusing on a still distant scene, the dizziness might naturally subside.0

She knew—0

System: "Little one, you're too sensitive."0

Sharp senses were an advantage in normal times, but when arriving at new places, they made her "spooked." Chu Tingwu usually didn't notice, as she had achieved a balance, but in reality, she was like a cat. In unfamiliar places or environments, the smells and sensations amplified her instincts, just as she struggled more than others to recover during earthquakes.0

She saw seagulls and buoys.0

The buoys on the sea swayed with the waves, and the seagulls perched on them, swaying with them, yet they could stand steadily with one foot raised, turning their heads left and right before suddenly taking flight.0

Chu Tingwu let go of the rope.0

The trainer: "Huh, feeling better?"0

He had just been thinking of suggesting Chu Tingwu sit down, as standing increased the swaying.0

But now, the girl stood on the boat with just her feet, surprisingly steady.0

The system checked the backend and found the little one's [Perfect Control lv1] had gained a bit more experience.0

Then she sat down.0

The trainer began teaching Chu Tingwu how to control the sail and push the rudder.0

Single-person boats were smaller, and many operations were simplified. The user had to handle both pushing the rudder and controlling the sail, but some things still required experience and training... Many people, even after practicing for a while, still didn't know when the best wind direction was.0

Shao Lingwu crouched on the shore, eavesdropping, while Chu Xiao stood with his hands in his pockets, quietly observing others practicing in the training area.0

There were even six or seven-year-old kids on the boats.0

Behind them, a local child from Sang City ran past—here for the winter sailboat training class.0

After teaching the basics, it was time for practical application.0

The wind blew, and the white sail filled, though it wasn't fully released yet, and they were still docked. The trainer taught Chu Tingwu when to push the rudder and her position on the boat—0

"Single-person sailboats are a bit different from larger ones, but we actually use our own weight to change the boat's direction, which depends on wind force and direction."0

Some people see videos of sailors grabbing ropes and leaning over the edge of the boat toward the sea, which isn't for show but because these centerboard boats are small—even slightly larger boats can capsize if everyone sits on the same side.0

But capsizing is fine; as long as the boat isn't damaged, flipping it back is easy.0

The trainer started having Chu Tingwu practice, keeping an eye on her.0

—Newbies almost always capsize when sailing, but as long as it's not at the extreme angle, the boat won't sink.0

On one hand, the large main sail, once released, floats on the sea, providing buoyancy. On the other hand, the person can control it on the water to right the boat.0

The trainer guided Chu Tingwu on how to navigate and round the buoys under different wind conditions, and finally, the sailboat smoothly returned to the starting position.0

He: "..."0

"You've got quite a talent for this..."0

She was indeed a newbie at first, but quickly acted like an old hand.0

What surprised the trainer even more was that once, due to the wind, the sailboat was about to capsize. Before he could call out to Chu Tingwu, she had already adjusted her position, not only maintaining balance under the wind but also changing the boat's directionῳ*Ɩ, avoiding being carried off course.0

Those on the shore had already started chatting.0

Shao Lingwu: "Those single-person sailboats in competitions seem bigger?"0

Chu Xiao: "Since they're coastal races, they have to live on the boat, yet still control it alone, so the difficulty must be higher."0

What they were learning now was like the toddler version of sailboats.0

The trainer glanced at the time and decided to call the two boys up as well—that way, after their training was done, they could all hang out together for a while.0

And then the boat flipped.0

While Chu Tingwu was chatting with Zhou Qiang on the shore, Shao Lingwu and Chu Xiao successfully fell into the water. A boat from a nearby winter camp for kids learning sailboats circled around them and then silently sailed away.0

The trainer was now in high spirits: "You know how to swim, right? Come over to the left side, untie the sail... Climb back up and use your weight to right the boat... Wait, which side are you going to?"0

Floating in the sea, Shao Lingwu: "Huh?"0

Chu Xiao had already successfully righted the boat. He climbed back onto it and asked the trainer, "Can I just sail it back?"0

Trainer: Don't leave your companion behind!0

Despite the chaos, the group still managed to pass the training and learned some basic first aid knowledge, allowing them to move on to the outdoor session.0

The three of them controlled the boat themselves, while the trainer from the base accompanied them in a rescue boat to ensure safety.0

Chu Tingwu also released a drone and turned on the live stream, allowing her fans to feel more involved.0

Fans quickly entered the live stream room, greeted Chu Tingwu, and also greeted the system. Then they noticed that the camera was on the sea—0

[Today it's not studying or playing chess!]0

[Probably because the camera isn't shaky, but the sea seems really choppy!]0

[Going to Sang City must mean trying sailing, right? But I remember you can also rent sailboards there. Should Chu Tingwu give it a try?]0

Chu Tingwu: "Today's a holiday, so I'll try it when I have time—"0

She turned her head to look at the shadow cast by a larger sailboat approaching from the side. There were five or six people on the boat, and the sails were billowing in the wind. Suddenly, a seagull landed on the bow of their boat.0

The camera moved closer to capture the seagull, which was turning its head around curiously.0

[VIP viewing spot! Makes me want to go to the beach... Wait, that seagull isn't going to peck at the drone...!]0

The seagull leaned in, and the drone quickly retreated. The fans screamed in surprise but also shouted, "Do it again!"0

Chu Tingwu: "=="0

She had the system capture a diving shot.0

The drone flew to the side, suddenly dove, and skimmed along the surface of the sea, following the waves. No water splashed onto the screen, but the rolling waves could be seen, with shadows beneath the surface that might have just been the drone's own shadow.0

Then, the drone made a climbing maneuver and landed among a flock of seagulls circling overhead. The seagulls began flying toward the shore, and the drone weaved through their wings, its surface reflecting a silvery light.0

Then, a piece of bread was thrown onto the screen.0

[?]0

The system shook the bread off and did a little mid-air spin, allowing everyone to notice that this was probably a feeding spot for seagulls, as many people were throwing bread, and the seagulls naturally landed to eat.0

Some people looked puzzled at the drone, wondering how it could fly among the seagulls.0

The system reluctantly flew back.0

Chu Tingwu picked up a piece of bread that had been stuck on top of the drone, which no one else had noticed, and fed it to a seagull that had landed on the boat's bow.0

The seagull squawked and then flew away without a second thought.0

Chu Xiao stared intently at the sail, ready to take control at any moment. Their clothes had dried, and Shao Lingwu had lost his chance to steer the boat, staring at the distant dots of other boats and birds, suddenly poetic: "Compared to the sea, we're really just slightly larger buoys."0

Chu Tingwu: "Buoy, sit on the other side, we're against the wind."0

And they flipped the boat again.0

The real sea was much choppier than the training area, and while the three of them usually had some coordination, once it came time to take action—0

Their coordination plummeted.0

Everyone thought they should take the lead.0

Then, "plop" "plop," two splashes indicated that two people had fallen into the sea, and the sailboat had capsized.0

The sail of the sailboat collapsed, barely touching the surface of the sea. Theoretically, to right the boat, one should swim to the other side, pull on the rope, and use their weight to press the boat back down, allowing the mast to stand upright again. But as the boat tipped over, Chu Tingwu grabbed one side and instinctively jumped up, crouching on the raised side of the boat, not getting a single drop of water on her.0

The trainer in the rescue boat beside them: "=="0

He rubbed his eyes, feeling like he might have just seen a large seagull land.0

Meanwhile, Chu Xiao was trying to climb back onto the boat but was unexpectedly grabbed by Shao Lingwu, who was spinning uncontrollably in the water, holding onto Chu Xiao's pants.0

Chu Xiao: "..."0

Exercise patience.0

Chu Tingwu no longer slacked off and helped them successfully right the boat, only for the splashing waves to drench her teammates once more.0

Chu Xiao: "........."0

Exercise patience.0

The sailboat swayed unsteadily, and the three of them couldn't sit on the same side. Chu Tingwu moved to the opposite side. At that moment, a nearby sailboat also flipped over, clearly carrying some beginners. While others tried to right the boat, a newbie was clinging to the sail, floating with the waves.0

Chu Tingwu glanced at that boat, then at theirs, and said to her teammates, "With my balance, I should be able to stand on the sail instead of just clinging to it."0

Shao Lingwu: "That's amazing!"0

Chu Tingwu: "I'll show you when the boat flips again."0

Shao Lingwu: "Great!"0

Chu Xiao: Can't take it anymore!0

He finally did what he had been wanting to do all along—0

He flicked Shao Lingwu's forehead twice.0

Shao Lingwu: "?"0

Wait, why not Chu Tingwu?0

Chu Xiao: "I can't hit her."0

Chu Tingwu was too fast; as soon as he raised his hand, she seemed to sense what he was about to do and dodged instantly.0

So, the slow one gets extra punishment.0

Chu Tingwu eventually demonstrated her skill of walking on the sail—not by flipping the boat but by having her teammates stabilize it at a 45-degree angle to the water, allowing her to walk across.0

Even the trainer beside them was confused—0

This kid, when pressing down on the boat, felt quite heavy, but at other times, her movements seemed incredibly light. What exactly is her weight?0

One of the teammates below, expressionless: Feels like I'm doing something really stupid...0

Shao Lingwu: "Hehe."0

The teammate: "Definitely because there are too many idiots around."0

The group spent half a day on the sea, and only when their sailing time was over did they head back to shore. As soon as they stepped onto land, they almost stumbled.0

They had gotten used to the swaying of the boat, and now they had to readjust to the stability of the ground.0

Zhou Qiang came over to help them, and the trainer said, "Just stand for a while, or find something else to distract yourself with."0

Zhou Qiang: "Got it."0

Then she started asking them questions about animal behavior and animal cell biology, making them answer and recite the relevant materials.0

The trainer: "..."0

He couldn't help but take a step back, feeling like he hadn't gotten seasick out on the sea, but standing here listening, he was about to faint.0

The fans, however, were already used to this.0

The only thing they weren't used to was—0

[Why are the answers already on the screen as soon as the questions appear? No classroom experience at all! I wanted to answer too, refund!]0

Teacher Fu, who was also watching the live stream, felt the same way:0

It was the students' first full day off, and those who went out to play naturally needed extra attention, as sending them to the winter camp wasn't just about keeping them safe.0

He knew the locations of the other students, but Chu Tingwu and her group were easier to keep track of—just check her video account.0

Chu Tingwu's account was about to hit three million followers, which wasn't a lot compared to the country's total population, but the number of people who had heard of her was definitely over three million, and her fame had already surpassed that of some minor celebrities.0

She could still attend school and experience life peacefully, partly because her fan base consisted mostly of adults and young people who were not overly fanatic, and partly because she was underage, and it was inherently unethical to disturb the life of a minor student.0

There were originally some extreme fans, professional fans, and even stalkers, but all of them were dealt with by the system.0

There was a rumor in the industry that if you became a stalker fan of Chu Tingwu, your real-life finances would easily go bankrupt, but following her through live streams and videos posed no problem.0

Tianshi, upon hearing this rumor, was a bit confused: She herself was someone who frequently interacted with her idol, but her real-life situation had improved, and she even earned more money from private work.0

Teacher Fu, on the other hand, felt that Chu Tingwu was actually a very diligent student: He had initially thought that Chu Tingwu would be out and about all the time, but in reality, they rarely went out for leisure. This time, even while going out to play, she didn't forget to study. The Q&A on the screen showed her diligence, and she even imported relevant question banks into her live stream...0

Zhou Qiang: "We won't go back tonight, right? I'm already full."0

Shao Lingwu: "Then the barbecue you just ate must have been pretty good. Let me try some... Sigh, the buffet at our training camp is better than most restaurants outside, but eating it every day does get a bit monotonous."0

Chu Tingwu: "Yue Miao recently mentioned she found a good restaurant. I'll ask her to recommend one."0

Chu Xiao: "Recommend two, so we can have breakfast there tomorrow before heading back."0

The buffet at the base really needs to develop some new dishes!0

The four of them got on a tricycle, silently riding away with the camera on, with the base located on the mountainside behind them. Teacher Fu: "?"0

So, you don't go out often because you haven't found any good restaurants nearby?0

-0

Chu Tingwu asked Yue Miao to recommend a restaurant because Yue Miao had been posting photos on her social media lately, featuring delicious-looking food with captions full of happiness about having found great meals.0

But she didn't expect that Yue Miao had been eating at the Fangyuan Restaurant, which was actually the cafeteria of the Starcloud Charity Foundation.0

Though it was called a cafeteria, it was actually run by the foundation's own staff, and the food was quite delicious—0

Auntie Chef, while cutting meat, happily explained: "I actually never formally learned how to cook. My dad was a chef who did village banquets, and I helped him for many years."0

Later, Auntie Chef opened a small restaurant right across from Sang City Coastal Elementary School, primarily providing lunch and a place to rest for students whose homes were too far from school. Of course, the "rest" just meant sleeping on the table.0

After Sang City Coastal Elementary School closed down.0

Auntie Chef was also looking for new opportunities when she learned that several regular students who often ate at her place couldn't continue their education, all of them being girls.0

Although the country had universal compulsory education, it was harder to implement in remote and impoverished areas.0

Auntie Chef thus came into contact with these girls who couldn't attend school and, over the following years, gradually learned about the living conditions of other children. She went to a university for adults, volunteered in mountainous areas, and then returned to Sang City.0

"At first, I just wanted to support them in going to school," Auntie Chef said, taking the boning knife handed to her by Chu Tingwu. "Most boys' families would support them, so I was relieved, as it meant I only needed to help the girls—"0

At least that reduced the pressure by half.0

Initially, she contacted local organizations to donate money and goods, occasionally checking the feedback. But sometimes she wondered: If I work hard to earn money and donate it to them, how much of it would actually reach them, becoming textbooks, breakfast, and sanitary pads?0

The age group she focused on didn't have their own electronic devices, nor could they call or text her. She only knew their names through the intermediaries.0

One day while cooking at the restaurant, Auntie Chef thought: Why don't I just cook for them directly? That wouldn't be much different from my previous life.0

Then, she discussed it with the friends she had made over the years and together they founded "Fangyuan."0

The new Fangyuan Restaurant was located in the residential area across from Sang City Experimental Elementary School, operating as a small private restaurant.0

It served regular customers in the mornings and evenings, but at noon, it provided free lunches for the students supported by Fangyuan. The meals were for in-house consumption only, not to be taken out.0

The list of students was provided by the organization, vetted by school teachers, and even recommended by the students themselves who had previously been supported.0

Currently, Fangyuan was consistently supporting 32 girls from three nearby elementary schools. On weekends, some of them would come to the restaurant to help out.0

They also had their own small video account, mainly live-streaming the cooking and running of the restaurant, allowing viewers to experience what it's like to be a chef and a restaurant owner.0

Recently, the Starcloud Charity Foundation began promoting its services. Although it wasn't entirely clear how this "charity foundation helping other charity foundations" worked, Fangyuan still submitted their "resume."0

After about a week of negotiations and understanding the details, the Starcloud Charity Foundation sent Yue Miao over.0

Yue Miao didn't tell them that Chu Tingwu was the big boss of the foundation, so the others thought Chu Tingwu and her friends were Yue Miao's relatives and classmates.0

Coming to eat here was naturally no problem.0

While eating, they could also chat. Auntie Chef said: "I know we're doing charity work, but we're not really an organization, are we?"0

So when she saw the application requirements for the Starcloud Charity Foundation's funding assistance, she felt a bit hesitant.0

She felt that all she had been doing was cooking and, along with her friends, supporting some little girls in going to school.0

Chu Tingwu poked Yue Miao, asking how the foundation was planning to handle this—0

She had the drone filming but didn't turn on the live stream, only recording it as material.0

Yue Miao explained to the curious group: "Fangyuan isn't a project that can expand its operations."0

Fangyuan's current revenue and expenditure are balanced because Auntie Chef is really good at cooking. It's now a somewhat famous private restaurant with a stable customer base.0

The income from customers, after covering necessary costs and living expenses, is used by Auntie Chef to support girls in going to school. Other friends also contribute; some work directly at the restaurant, while others trust Auntie Chef more and send her their monthly income to arrange donations.0

But Yue Miao could see that such a "organization" ran entirely on passion.0

This kind of small-scale institution was the most common she had encountered since joining the Starcloud Charity Foundation... After evaluating them, Starcloud would help verify accounts, provide resources, and make regular payments.0

For Fangyuan, this meant adding an official donation channel and a fixed feedback tracking window. They already had their own account, and the Starcloud Charity Foundation had its own media operation department, which would provide operational advice and help increase traffic...0

Actually, the foundation could also provide a whole team of operators for the boss's account, not to mention the media department was always eager to get the chance.0

A big account with nearly three million followers!0

But the system was in charge of this part of the work, so no one else had the opportunity.0

Chu Tingwu nodded: She wouldn't use her own account to help forward and encourage her fans to donate, which was why she turned off the live stream when she arrived.0

On one hand, professional matters should be left to professionals.0

On the other hand, she wasn't just a passing influencer doing a good deed by providing traffic. As the actual responsible person of the Starcloud Charity Foundation, she couldn't be biased and only help one side.0

But—0

Shao Lingwu: "Can I donate?"0

Why does it sound like Fangyuan never accepts donations?0

Auntie Chef waved her hand: "No need, no need. We have enough money right now. If you want to donate, just give it to an official organization!"0

They had previously received donations for a period of time. Initially, everything seemed normal. However, since the people at Fangyuan Restaurant interacted closely with the recipients and knew the details of the children's daily lives, some donors wanted to ensure that "my money is being put to use" and would frequently inquire about the children's situation.0

Auntie Chef realized something was off when a particular donor kept prying into the details of a little girl's life. She promptly returned the donation and made sure the children traveled to and from school together.0

Whether or not she was overthinking it, she later decided not to accept donations from strangers. Money from strangers felt like a hot potato.0

The Starcloud Charity Foundation, however, was not an individual but a "collective" with a systematic process and formal contracts. After some consideration, Auntie Chef decided to accept their support.0

Chu Tingwu asked, "Can we accept donated labor?"0

Although she wouldn't use her personal account to promote it, "Ah Chu and Three Five Five" could be seen separately from Chu Tingwu herself. With some time before her sailboat shoot, she could easily spare two hours to volunteer.0

And indeed, there were tasks at Fangyuan Restaurant—0

During school breaks, the girls weren't old enough to work and legally earn money, and Fangyuan couldn't employ child labor. However, they could collect materials from the restaurant and set up stalls at the night market to sell jelly.0

The night market managers turned a blind eye to such activities.0

Sang City's night market was not far from here. Even as the sun still hung in the sky, the place was already bustling. Adjacent to a park, various small stalls formed a street, selling almost identical items. The night breeze carried the scents of various foods... Even if one knew these foods might not be healthy, they still made the mouth water.0

A little girl beside them reminded the older siblings, "Make sure to keep your wallets and phones safe, or you might get pickpocketed."0

In the crowded, chaotic night markets of small towns, especially during peak times, pickpockets were active.0

And so were the cats.0

Another girl stroked a gray tabby sitting nearby and told Chu Tingwu, "This is Captain. He helps catch mice—"0

If the tabby was lying down, it meant there were no small animals around. But if it was alert and circling the food cart without begging for food, that was bad news.0

Captain meowed, sprawled out, and glanced at Chu Tingwu before swishing his tail.0

Chu Tingwu, lacking a tail herself, reached out to stroke him from his chin to his belly. After a couple of passes, she managed to annoy the cat, who flipped over and ran off.0

In Sang City, rats and cockroaches were unusually large. Although they hadn't seen any in the training camp, they had encountered a couple outside.0

Shao Lingwu worried, "Now that the cat's gone, what about the rats?"0

The little girl reassured him, "Usually, there won't be any..."0

Chu Tingwu added, "I can catch them too..."0

Shao Lingwu was shocked, "You don't have to push yourself."0

Chu Tingwu: "=="0

Among the four, Shao Lingwu was particularly clumsy. Soon, the little girl asked him to handle the cash register. Since most payments were made electronically, his job was simply to calculate the bill and ensure the money was received.0

This was truly a joint effort in part-time work and study.0

The workload wasn't heavy, as the children around them worked even faster, actively inviting customers and making the four high schoolers seem somewhat redundant, just standing by.0

After helping with some food prep, Chu Xiao glanced at a neighboring stall where people played blind chess and said, "I'm going out for a bit."0

The blind chess, though it seemed like a game, was more akin to gambling. Participants paid a fee, flipped chess pieces for a few minutes, and if they won, they could take a plush toy from the stall. Losing meant they got nothing back.0

Since it was largely a game of chance, many people participated.0

Soon, Chu Tingwu and the others noticed their workload increased—especially Shao Lingwu, who was busy with the cash register. He noticed more people were paying.0

Zhou Qiang remarked, "Chu Xiao seems to have won all the toys..."0

He had challenged the stall, crushing the opponents and seemingly reaching an agreement:0

From then on, he would flip the chess pieces. If a customer won, they could take a toy; if they lost, they would receive a coupon for a dollar off the jelly. This dollar would be covered by the blind chess toy stall.0

Some customers felt they had already gotten the coupon, so not buying would be a loss.0

The blind chess stall agreed because Chu Xiao had quickly written a small program for electronic coupons on the spot.0

Fine, you can handle it.0

The collaboration with the jelly stall made their business even better, as customers believed they didn't lose out by getting a coupon.0

Chu Xiao, of course, let some wins through, giving customers the hope of possibly winning.0

After all, blind chess was a game of luck.0

Shao Lingwu continued collecting money when he noticed Zhou Qiang was gone.0

Shao Lingwu: "?"0

Chu Tingwu explained, "She went to talk to the night market management—those with red armbands. The current crowd flow is good, but the route planning is poor. Many people get pushed back before reaching us."0

So, Zhou Qiang went to offer some suggestions that would benefit everyone.0

Soon, Zhou Qiang returned with a stack of jelly stall flyers—both paper and cloth—which she handed to Chu Tingwu. Chu Tingwu had asked her to prepare these.0

Shao Lingwu: "Are we handing out flyers?"0

Though he hadn't done it before, he felt he could manage this simple task—the little girl beside him also leaned over curiously to look at the flyers. However, Chu Tingwu pulled out a long-handled clamp from under the cart and said, "Not us."0

She was going to recruit some free little working cats.0

Thus, the group saw Chu Tingwu walk to a sausage stall across the way, tap the cart with her clamp, and speak to the vendor. After an unknown conversation, her clamp suddenly held a squeaking mouse.0

Vendor: "..."0

Were you here to challenge me?0

But the mouse had indeed been caught from the grass behind their stall. The vendor was worried that having Chu Tingwu stand there with the mouse would deter customers, so he agreed to let her stick the jelly stall's advertisement on his cart.0

Then, Chu Tingwu left, avoiding the crowded areas. She meowed a few times in the distance, calling over the night market's cats.0

After offering the mouse as a tribute to the cats, Chu Tingwu pulled out a cat treat from her pocket. Though she hadn't specifically brought it—somehow, her clothes always seemed to have cat food, toys, or even half a cat wand in them.0

The cat treats successfully won over the local cats.0

This was different from the greasy, spicy smells of the night market!0

Soon, the mouse-catching expert Chu Tingwu officially started work.0n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Shao Lingwu and the others noticed that some cats leading customers over had cloth scarves around their necks—the same ones Chu Tingwu had taken as flyers.0

Shao Lingwu: "..." Why did it feel like I was the only one not contributing?0

Suddenly, he turned and called out to a departing customer:0

"Wait, you didn't pay!"0

Some people's phones were slow to process payments, and by the time they paid, it was too late. Their business was booming—but this particular person hadn't bought any jelly. They were just passing by.0

Shao Lingwu repeated:0

"You bought jelly thirteen minutes ago, extra spicy, and left without paying. I may not have seen your face, but I remember your voice!"0

The person gave a baffled look: "What are you talking about? I just got here. I didn't buy anything."0

Shao Lingwu: "=="0

Chu Tingwu came over, and Shao Lingwu grabbed her arm, poking his head out from behind her to say, "Can you catch a mouse and throw it at him now?"0

The person who hadn't paid: "..."0

Hey! I heard that!0