The weapon refiner is not doing her job properly

Chapter 191 Breaking Defense
In the instant she looked away, the corner of her eye caught a glimpse of a furtive figure quickly retreating from the waist-high ornamental grass behind the bar.

She recognized the figure; it was the repairman who used to fix the malfunctioning robots in the bar.

Ever since Su Ninglong learned how to repair robots, Zou Shuyi has never visited his shop again.

What is he planning to do, hiding there and spying?
The bar door was pushed open, and Xingyuan walked out.

He was wearing a slightly out-of-place floral apron and carrying a long-handled brush specifically for cleaning exterior glass walls, clearly ready to work.

His gaze swept across the empty street as he asked, "Ning Long is gone?"

"Yes, they just left." Zou Shuyi withdrew her gaze from examining the bushes, turned to Xingyuan, and a bright smile returned to her face.

Xingyuan nodded knowingly and smiled confidently, "Before that little rascal left, she must have told you not to let me, her 'dad,' win you over so quickly, and to wait until she graduated and came back to take charge, right?"

"No wonder he's her chosen 'stay-at-home dad,' he understands her little thoughts even better than I, her godmother." Looking at Xingyuan's "good family man" attire, she asked, "Aren't you going back to school today? Don't you have classes?"

Xingyuan didn't answer directly. Instead, he naturally stretched out his arm, the one not holding the brush, and wrapped it around Zou Shuyi's slender waist, pulling her closer. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "The child has grown wings and flown away. Parents should always have some personal space."

He chuckled: "Didn't you complain that you were missing a 'strong man' to clean those stubborn stains on the edge of the bar glass?"

"Oh, really? A strong man?" Zou Shuyi tiptoed and quickly planted a kiss on his cheek, then, like a nimble fish, she turned slightly to the side and deftly escaped the encirclement of his arms.

She swayed gracefully towards the bar entrance with captivating charm. Just before entering, she turned back and gave Xingyuan a flirtatious wink that was both playful and hinted at a "we'll see" attitude. "Good luck with the cleaning, Mr. Xing. My 'probation period' is still quite long."

Xingyuan stood there, looking at the closed door, shaking his head and smiling helplessly.

These two in the family, one a mischievous little cutie and the other a cunning big cutie, have different personalities, but their "cuteness" and ability to make people both love and hate them are exactly the same.

The evening air was heavy, carrying the lingering heat of the day and the dust rising from the asphalt road.

Hidden in the shadows behind the low bushes on the side of the bar, a figure's gaze was fixed on the tall, slender figure standing in front of the bar.

Xingyuan was intently holding a long-handled cleaning tool, methodically wiping the bar's huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

The dim, yellowish sunlight of the setting sun slanted across his well-defined profile, outlining his clear jawline.

Even through the green belt and the pervasive dust, one could clearly feel the purity and composure emanating from him, as if he came from another world.

Even through the green belt, you can feel the silent cleanliness and tidiness that belongs to another world.

The repairman behind the bushes unconsciously spread out his sweaty palms, his rough palms covered with calluses and indelible stains.

He took a deep breath of the air, which was a mixture of soil and his own sweat, and the air seemed to carry with it the bitterness and intense resentment that had been building up for nearly ten years.

His gaze returned to the interior of the bar, confirming that Zou Shuyi was no longer in sight.

With a determined look in his eyes, he burst out from behind the bushes where he was hiding, and rushed to Xingyuan in just a few steps.

"Hey, you're the one Zou Shuyi just found?" The repairman's voice was rough, like sandpaper scraping, with obvious bluff. "When...did you two officially become a couple?"

Xingyuan stopped what he was doing, lowered his eyes slightly, and calmly looked at the man who was almost half a head shorter than him.

The other person's old work clothes were stained with oil, his hair was messy, and his face showed a kind of stubborn hostility.

"This seems to be none of your business," Xingyuan said calmly, his voice devoid of emotion. "May I ask who you are?"

He actually knew who he was—the former owner of a repair shop near Zou's Bar, whom Su Ninglong had mentioned before. But this person had never bothered Zou Shuyi and had a very low profile, so he pretended not to know him.

"Who I am is none of your business."

The repair shop owner rudely interrupted Xingyuan, as if stung by his calm attitude, and kicked the bucket of dirty water at Xingyuan's feet.

With a loud crash, the bucket tipped over, spilling murky sewage all over the ground.

"The important thing is that I've been by Zou Shuyi's side for ten years! A full ten years! Ever since she brought that little girl Su Ninglong back to the bar, I've been here. I know better than she does what flowers she likes, what kind of weather she hates, what she's like when she's happy, and what she's like when she's angry... I know her better than she does herself."

He was breathing heavily, his voice rising in agitation, tinged with an almost indignant accusation, "I know every bone in her body, every bone is heavy and light! And you? You've only known her for a few days! What do you know about her?"

He stared intently at Xingyuan, his chest heaving violently, sweat streaming down his temples.

He hoped to see even the slightest hesitation or anger of offense on Xingyuan's face, anything would do, as long as it proved his existence and posed even the slightest threat to him.

No, what do you mean no!
Xingyuan remained calm. "Ten years is indeed a very long time."

"To be able to silently watch over someone for so long without interfering with their life, this sentiment itself deserves respect."

Xingyuan used the word "respect".
It was a place where flames of malice raged and a twisted possessiveness burned, never expecting to be described by such a noble, even compassionate, word as "respect."

The "weapons" he had accumulated along the way, which he had prepared to use to shatter Xingyuan's perfect facade—his boasting about Zou Shuyi's subtle habits, and his "ironclad proof" that he truly understood her and had accompanied her through the long years—suddenly became utterly pale and laughable in this instant.

They are like inferior paint exposed to the midday sun, instantly losing all luster and adhesion, peeling away completely from the "dignity" shell that he relied on, revealing the vulnerable base underneath.

“Respect? Ha!” He let out a short, sharp laugh, trying to regain some of his momentum. “Don’t give me that! What do you know, you rich kid? You have no idea what she really needs.”

"Then what do you think she needs?" Xingyuan asked tentatively.

Right now, a vicious voice screamed in the repairman's chaotic mind.

"What does she need? Money! She just needs your money and your face to put on a show." He felt the veins in his forehead throbbing, and his temples throbbed with pain. "You think she's really as aloof as she seems on the surface? Ha! Let me tell you, in private... in private, she's incredibly good at dealing with those rich and powerful clients. That look in her eyes, that tone... she's got a knack for flirting! Otherwise, how do you think she could run such a successful bar, how do you think she could raise that girl of unknown origin? Because of her aloofness? Don't dream! She..." Xingyuan's pupils suddenly contracted, a surge of anger rising within them.

He was extremely dissatisfied with the other party's malicious slander and defamation of Zou Shuyi, which tarnished her character.

But the remaining rationality acted like a cold gate, preventing him from losing control.

Anger won't solve anything. He can't, and shouldn't, engage in pointless arguments with someone who's clearly out of sorts. He certainly can't stay by Zou Shuyi's side all the time, shielding her from all the malice coming from the shadows.

The person in front of me may seem honest and even somewhat cowardly on the surface, but inside he has long been corrupted by unfulfilled desires and jealousy, resulting in a despicable mentality.

Provoking him and getting bogged down in an argument will only make things worse and subject Zou Shuyi to even more vicious rumors.

"You may have misunderstood something." Xingyuan's smile remained perfectly curved, but deep within his golden eyes, a bone-chilling ice had formed.

He calmly raised the cleaning tool in his hand, which was covered in foam and water stains. "If I were some kind of rich young master, I wouldn't be standing here doing this work myself."

His tone shifted, becoming sharp and insightful: "And precisely, every word you just said revealed that you don't understand the real Zou Shuyi at all."

"I gave you a chance. Wouldn't it have been better to maintain a semblance of dignity, turn around, and leave?" He turned slightly, gesturing with his chin towards the building behind him. "See this building? Every brick, every corner belongs to Zou Shuyi and Su Ninglong. And I'm just her handpicked 'pretty boy.' She spent so much time choosing my face. A naturally beautiful face, untouched by surgery. She's incredibly wealthy, so what if she's a little aloof? Now, tell me, in your narrow-minded worldview, what 'advantage' do you have that I can boast about?"

The repairman seemed to have been struck by an invisible hammer, frozen in place, his lips moving but unable to utter a sound.

Xingyuan's words were like cold needles, piercing through all his self-deceiving fantasies.

That face, twisted by jealousy, was now nothing but ashen paleness and bewilderment.

Xingyuan gave him a deep look: "Every word you just uttered is ten thousand times dirtier than the dirtiest, rustiest, and most useless scrap metal on the ground..."

Just then, the bar door was gently pushed open.

Zou Shuyi appeared at the doorway. She seemed to have overheard part of the conversation and calmly walked over to Xingyuan and stood beside him.

Xingyuan almost instinctively reached out his arm and naturally wrapped it around her waist, pulling her to his side. At the same time, he leaned forward slightly to form a protective posture.

His wary gaze never left the repairman, worried that the man might have a mental breakdown under the immense pressure and do something rash.

Zou Shuyi sensed Xingyuan's nervousness and gently patted the back of his hand that was wrapped around her waist to reassure him.

The repairman kept his head down, listening to Zou Shuyi's calm words.

“I don’t deny that I pretended to be poor, but there’s nothing wrong with that, and it has nothing to do with you. I used to buy second-hand machinery to make Ninglong understand that money doesn’t grow on trees. The people in the bar spoiled her too much; she got whatever she wanted. But as her mother, I couldn’t just watch her develop a wasteful and ungrateful habit.” Her tone was unusually calm, as if she were recounting a past event that had nothing to do with her.

"It seems she hasn't changed much now," Xingyuan said with a smile.

"Who did she take after?" Zou Shuyi glanced at Xingyuan and said irritably, "It's all because of you, her stay-at-home dad, spoiling her."

The repairman was as if struck by lightning; in his muddled mind, he finally grasped a clear point.

Xingyuan noticed the repairman's odd behavior and turned his gaze back to him, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes. "I've been to this bar quite a few times. What? You've never noticed?"

He had noticed the man, who seemed out of place in the noisy bar environment, coming and going frequently.

He simply... deliberately chose to ignore it.

Every time he saw Xingyuan, he would subconsciously look away, comforting himself that he was just an occasional guest and there was no heartbreaking intimacy between him and Zou Shuyi.

When he asked others who Xingyuan was, they said he was Su Ninglong's dad. He became even more absorbed in his own world, thinking that Zou Shuyi wouldn't like someone like that.

After all, being a stay-at-home dad is just a job for working people, not a good match for a "goddess".

He knew he had no reason to lose, and that he deserved to lose so decisively.

The man before me was impeccably groomed and clean, and even his speech carried a calm and composed air that was as pleasant as a gentle breeze.

And what about him? He's clumsy with words, has an average appearance, is just a small shop owner, and even spreads rumors about the goddess in order to get closer to her.

I am not good enough for her at all.

He said nothing in the end, turned around dejectedly, and staggered away.

"Be careful when you go out in the future, his mental state might be unstable." Xingyuan kissed Zou Shuyi's temple.

Zou Shuyi reached out and wiped the spot where he had been kissed, then pinched his waist. "Don't take advantage of me. Only I can take advantage of you, you pretty boy."

"Why is there no fat on your waist? How do you exercise? Teach me."

Xingyuan: "..." The mother and daughter are equally domineering.

……

The formal bidding process for Kabistar's light board project will take some time before it can begin.

Su Ninglong wasn't idle. Through Xingyuan, she had one of her medium-sized technology companies, which she had previously invested in, symbolically participate in the bidding process.

Her goal was clear: she only needed to let the outside world, especially certain potential eyes on Planet Kabi, "know" that she was interested in the project.

Just two days after the company submitted its letter of intent to bid, its stock price inexplicably began to soar. The magnitude of the increase left the company's originally ambitious young boss dumbfounded and completely baffled.