Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 258 Photo Magic
On New Year's Eve, the Dongyang County Welfare Home became the liveliest place.

Adults, children, teenagers, and young girls.
Each household also brought their own New Year's Eve dinner, including braised pork, eight-treasure rice, fried cakes, and cat's ear noodles.

Colorful lights stretched from the trees in the courtyard all the way to the rooftops of the low buildings, like a series of colorful bridges, weaving together a dream that the children had never experienced before.

The huge round table was pieced together, enough to seat twenty people, but it was still not enough compared to the small courtyard at the time. The welfare home's own long tables were arranged around the round table, eventually resembling a Bagua formation.

At this moment, the large iron gate that locked the outside world was wide open.

But no one will ever want to escape again.

The hot pot restaurant serves "mini hot pots." The initial 20 mini stoves weren't enough, so the staff went back to make sure everyone had their own mini pot.

Even earlier than the hot pot restaurant was the barbecue grill next to it, where Xu Xuejun sat grilling lamb skewers, surrounded by a group of children.

Zhai Da had already recognized that it was the frame that had been modified from the previous "tank track," and wondered if Old Xu had cleaned it properly.

The lamb skewers sizzled and dripped with oil, their aroma tempting the appetite. Each skewer was devoured as soon as it was grilled, leaving not a single piece. The old man, annoyed, started chasing people away.

Zhai Da and Lu Zetao each wrote two Spring Festival couplets. Their handwriting was comparable, but the content was quite different.

Lu Zetao craned his neck to take a look: "Not too early, not too late, someone who's destined to be apart from their parents found this online?"

Zhai Da: "Purely original, what did Uncle Lu write?"

Lu Zetao chuckled dryly, "I'll just stick to traditional content."

Zhai Dayan was overjoyed to see that the Spring Festival was approaching and everything was going well.
"Well, that's a pretty good horizontal scroll, isn't it?"

"Not written yet."

"Oh, just don't write two characters."

Not far away, Chu Xiang called out, "Everything is ready! Everyone can take their seats! The condiments are on the left, the hot pot ingredients are on the right, and the braised meat and fried cakes that each family brought are in the middle. Please don't be shy!"

Everyone took their seats, giving the best spots to the children from the orphanage. In addition to the children from Utopia, there were also quite a few parents present.

Each of them wore a gentle smile, proud of their own child and happy for the children in the welfare home.

Quite by chance, Wu Yue brought back a few barrels of craft beer, originally intending to let his father try them, but in this atmosphere, he naturally wouldn't keep them hidden anymore.

Let Dad drink Tsingtao beer by himself.

Zhai Da sat at the table, the small hot pot in front of him bubbling away, but he had no time to eat. He was either handing things to someone or making way for someone. People kept getting up and people kept sitting down.

When there are many people, the food on the table is no longer the main focus; the people are.

Zhai Da took a sip of the "monastery" and smiled as he looked at everyone in the courtyard.

Xu Xuejun's "Tank Barbecue" was so popular that he would sit there as if his buttocks were rooted to the spot, his face almost blackened by the smoke, and he would grumble and curse.

But they won't refuse any child's request for "another string of them".

Fan Junwei was dragged to an open space at the edge by several boys and forced to start a performance of "beating up the air".

Xiao Mutou, Lu Siwen, and Lin Shuyao were also forced to perform, re-tying the hair of several little girls who had gotten carried away with their fun.

County Chief Li and Lu Zetao sat down together naturally, chatting about something, with Lu Zetao nodding occasionally.

Zhai Da noticed that Ms. Yu Xiaoli held Tang Xiaokui's hand the whole time, and the mother seemed to really like the child.

Or perhaps, Tang Xiao Kui took the initiative to approach him?

Never mind, it doesn’t matter.

He did not intend to bring a group of people here to evoke their "sympathy".

But deep down, they knew that everyone would be much happier to move the second show here than to "99 Luochuan Road".

For the children here, that's double the joy.

If you feel embarrassed to do good deeds out of "sympathy".

Then let's change our approach and do it for the sake of happiness.

For one's own happiness.

Take Old Man Xu, for example. Isn't he happier reading in his small room than in his own little world?

Zhai Da turned around with a smile and said, "Old Xu! Do you still have any lamb skewers? I haven't had any yet! Grill me a few."

Old Xu's hands were shaking so badly from sprinkling cumin that he finally found a suitable track: "Grill, grill, grill, you look like a lamb skewer! I owe you something, being dragged around doing chores."

He handed a skewer to the child next to him: "Here you go, no spice, lots of cumin, lots of fat, it's yours, right?"

“It’s mine, thank you Grandpa, you’re so kind.”

"Oh~ such a good girl~"

Xu Xuejun smiled briefly, then switched his expression in an instant, saying to Zhai Da, "Go eat something else, why are you fighting with a kid over something?"

Zhai Da chuckled, turned and clinked glasses with Fan Junwei, who had just sat back down, and took a small sip: "When is the next competition?"

Fan Junwei drank water; he didn't even have a beverage: "It was in March, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia."

Zhai Da's eyes widened: "You've already gone abroad? So fast?"

"I'm going to broaden my horizons, mainly because there are few heavyweight competitors and events in China."

Of course, Fan Junwei was being modest. His overwhelming strength on the field was also one of the keys to "going abroad".

His club is very optimistic about this promising talent and is willing to give him experience through major competitions.

Fan Junwei counted on his fingers: "In March, we went to Malaysia; in May, Shanghai; and in June, Japan. Once we left the country, we faced opponents from all over the world, from Thailand and the United States. Boxing is very popular in places like Canada, and even second-tier boxers are very strong."

"However, if I can achieve one or two good results, I might have a chance to participate in this year's National Games."

Zhai Da:
Is this some kind of wish-fulfillment novel protagonist storyline? And this is already the National Games?
"If you win the National Games, won't you be on a complete roll?"

The public doesn't pay much attention to random events; only the fighting community and fighting fans care. But the National Games are different!
Each province values ​​it even more than the Olympics.

Fan Junwei quickly said, "It's not that easy to win the championship. I'm going there to gain more experience in major competitions. Actually, our club's Zhang Lei is the favorite to win the championship. He won the silver medal at the Olympics last year and will most likely defend his title this year."

"I only got this opportunity because there weren't enough heavyweights. There were five spots in the preliminary round, but only three were confirmed to participate. The remaining two spots were for young athletes to compete for. The National Games are at the end of the year, so we have a year to prepare."

Zhai Da asked curiously, "Then which province do you represent?"

"Naturally, it's the location where the athlete is registered, Henan Province."

If this really produces results, wouldn't the provincial leaders be furious and wouldn't the sound of Berlin echoing in their offices?

Zhai Da immediately thought of any equipment that could help Fan Junwei, whose growth rate was much faster than expected. He opened the system and looked through it, and it seemed that there were only [Extreme Bracers] and [Ten Thousand Mile Water Bottle].

However, the [Extreme Wristband] was too powerful. Even with his amateur-level training, he had made tremendous progress in height and physical fitness. He couldn't imagine what kind of monster Fan Junwei, a professional athlete who spent all his time training except for eating and sleeping, would become with the [Extreme Wristband].
Especially after half a year passed without Fan Junwei by Zhai Da's side, Fan Junwei became Fan Ma.

That might be taken to be sliced.
On the contrary, the [Wanli Water Bottle] has a gentler effect. Drinking water can restore up to 5% of physical strength and energy, and it is less likely to cause problems. It can also be used to assist in training.

Zhai Da himself doesn't need it. With the [Extreme Wristband], his recovery and stamina are already very strong, especially during the day.

I kept this idea in mind and will make some simple modifications to the [Wanli Kettle] later, such as changing the stopper and adding a blessing.

Just then, a new guest appeared outside the courtyard. Zhai Da looked over curiously and was surprised to see it was Wang Guofeng.

The enforcement officer stood outside the courtyard, carrying large and small bags, looking somewhat bewildered.

Has the welfare home been turned into a hot pot restaurant?
Wait, isn't that the county magistrate? The county magistrate is eating hot pot inside?!
Still feeling insecure, she took two steps back and looked at the sign for the orphanage.

Zhai Da waved and said in surprise, "Executive Wang?! What brings you here? Why didn't you go home for New Year's Eve? You came all this way to offer your condolences?"

He didn't inform the other party, and the two weren't that close.

Wang Guofeng walked in carrying his things, and roughly understood what was going on. This top scholar always seems to get things done, no matter where he goes.
Wang Guofeng grinned and said, "Why wouldn't I go home? I'm here now, aren't I?"

Zhai Da was taken aback, not understanding what he meant.

Several children from the orphanage, especially the older boys, have already provided the answer.

"Brother Feng! You're finally here! Come on, let's eat some lamb skewers! They're so delicious!"

"Brother Feng is back! Brother Feng is back!"

Zhai Da asked in surprise, "You?"

Wang Guofeng put the two bags of snacks aside; it seemed he wouldn't need them tonight, since he'd already set up the hot pot.
"Me? I'm a child who came from here, but not through adoption. I grew up, started working, and left."

Li Huifen greeted him with a smile: "Leader Wang! Please have a seat, please have a seat. Tonight is going to be very lively."

"Yes, that's really rare."

He has been away from this courtyard for ten years.

He studied hard, worked hard to get into university, and worked hard to become a civil servant. The boy from the orphanage eventually became a man who could stand tall and live a full life, even if he was all alone.

Back then, Li Huifen wasn't the dean yet. After the old dean passed away, it was Wang Guofeng who went to great lengths to find Li Huifen as the new dean.

Li Huifen was a client in one of his cases. After her husband passed away, she had no source of income, but she was an honest person. Wang Guofeng persuaded her to take over the small welfare home.

Therefore, Li Huifen always called him "Leader Wang".

When Zhai Da first came, the children were all asleep, and he hasn't bumped into them since, otherwise you could tell from the children's reactions.

Wang Guofeng shook hands with Zhai Da and took the initiative, saying, "Thank you for coming to visit us on New Year's Eve instead of going home."

Zhai Da shook his hand emphatically, giving the handshake weight: "We're not here to offer condolences."

"Oh?"

"We're just here to have fun together, with the kids."

“Haha, that makes sense!”

After calming himself down, Wang Guofeng immediately went to greet Li Kangda. Li Kangda didn't recognize him, but he couldn't pretend not to know him.

Li Kangda, who was having a lively conversation with Lu Zetao, turned around and was somewhat surprised to hear that Wang Guofeng came from an orphanage. He unconsciously made a mental note of this young man.

Although he was only a "philanthropist" tonight.

But that won't be the case tomorrow.
That's how small towns are.

No matter how you look at it, it's all a complex web.

There may be interests, kinship, opportunities, and even hatred and goodwill on the internet.

Because humans exist on this web called the human world.

Unbeknownst to many, in Dongyang, Zhai Da had become the center of the network.

Amidst the comings and goings of people, Zhai Da took a moment to eat something, then checked his watch; it was already eleven o'clock.

He knew there would be fireworks at midnight, so in order not to miss it, he decided to do the last thing he wanted to do.

Zhai Da approached Yu Xiaoli, where Tang Xiaokui was sitting on Yu Xiaoli's lap eating, having not moved for quite some time.

Zhai Da said, "Mom, can I borrow this kid for half an hour?"

Yu Xiaoli asked warily, "What are you going to do?"

"Would I eat her? I'll give her a gift separately. There are many children here, so let's not let anyone see."

In the end, Yu Xiaoli released the girl, and Zhai Da, holding the little girl's hand, walked towards the low-roofed dormitory.

Tang Xiao Kui was a little curious, tilting her head back, but didn't ask anything.

Finally, they arrived at Tang Xiaokui's dormitory, a six-person room with bunk beds, but there was no one there at the moment.

To avoid any misunderstanding, Zhai Da did not close the door, but instead took a chair and sat down.

He pulled Tang Xiaokui in front of him.

She had her own stubbornness, and she was still wearing that thick red wool dress and carrying a yellow bag.

With big eyes, a high nose, an oval face, and impeccable style, she is indeed very likable.

Zhai Dacheng said earnestly, "Xiao Kui, I have something to tell you, it's very important."

Tang Xiaokui nodded expectantly. Was this special call to discuss something with Brother Zhai? Was he planning to adopt her?

Zhai Da said in a gentle voice, "To be honest, I am a magician."

Tang Xiao Kui:
With a flick of his right hand, Zhai Da produced a pure gold prayer wheel, which he tossed from his right hand to his left, and with another flick, it disappeared again.

The little girl's eyes widened.

"Is it great?"

Tang Xiao Kui nodded: "Amazing."

Zhai Da plucked a cumin from Tang Xiao Kui's face, making the little girl blush.

Then, laughing, she said, "I know a lot of magic, like card magic, coin magic, car magic, and maybe even tree magic in the future. But today I'm going to perform 'photo magic' for you."

"But this 'photo magic' requires borrowing a camera. My brother didn't bring one today. Can I borrow yours?"

Tang Xiao Kui was somewhat disappointed; Zhai Da hadn't brought up the matter of adopting her.

It's still my own Polaroid camera.

Brother Zhai seems to have always cared about and wanted something.

Tang Xiaokui carefully opened the small yellow bag and took out the Polaroid camera.

Zhai Da took it and immediately said, "Then, close your eyes and wait for the magic to begin. Don't peek."

A few days ago, she wouldn't have been willing to give it. But now, she is.

Even if the other party bullies the child, refuses to return her, or disappears, Tang Xiao Kui can accept it.

Because she was almost resigned to her fate.

There was a faint sound of the Polaroid camera's back cover being opened, but Tang Xiao Kui still didn't open her eyes.

The big hand took the little hand and made her turn around so that her back was to Zhai Da.

"This magic requires your cooperation. Now, think of the happiest thing in your mind."

"The happiest thing?"

"Yes, be more specific. For example, when you went to the amusement park with your dad, do you remember what happened that day? What was the weather like? What were you wearing? Ideally, it would be from a third-person perspective, you understand?"

Tang Xiaokui closed her eyes tightly, her little fists clenched tightly. She had a vivid memory of that scene and was trying her best to visualize it in her mind.

Blue sky, white clouds, and smiling faces
"Have you thought it through? Stay focused, don't get distracted."

"Think about it"

Zhai Da smiled and pointed the Polaroid camera at the back of Tang Xiao Kui's head.

"Click."

(End of this chapter)