The divorce comeback system arrived right after I was born.

A fine layer of sweat appeared on the tip of Huang Mao's nose.

The cigarette butt was still burning, and the grayish-white ash was about to fall, only millimeters away from his skin.

The high temperature was scorching his nerves.

He could even smell the burnt smell of his own nose hairs being singed.

The surroundings were deathly silent.

Everyone held their breath, watching the elementary school student in flip-flops holding a pair of tongs used for picking up coal, clamping a cigarette butt, only two or three centimeters from the blond boy's nose.

Chen Zhi's wrist remained completely still.

"If you think I'm joking, you can try it."

Chen Zhi spoke calmly, pushing the iron pliers in his hand forward by one millimeter.

"No! No, no, no!"

Huang Mao finally broke down.

He suddenly leaned back, stumbled, and fell to the ground with a thud.

The floral shirt was covered in dust.

"I won't accept it! Okay, I won't accept it anymore!"

The blond-haired man crawled backward on all fours, looking as pathetic as a stray dog.

If this kid really is Captain Liu's nephew, then he'll be in deep trouble at the police station.

"roll."

Chen Zhisong opened the iron pliers.

The cigarette butt fell to the ground and he stomped it out.

Huang Mao felt like he had been granted a pardon. He scrambled to his feet, not daring to utter a single harsh word. He called to his henchmen, and they slunk into the crowd, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The alley was quiet for two seconds.

Then a low gasp erupted.

The way the students looked at Chen Zhi changed.

This boss is a ruthless man.

"What are you all standing there for?"

Chen Zhi threw the pliers back into the coal bin, picked up a brush, dipped it in the oil drum, and flicked it onto the iron plate.

Shila-

A burst of cooking fumes erupted.

"You're quitting business? Want to starve?"

That shout instantly brought everyone back to their senses.

"Boss! Five skewers, extra spicy!"

"Give me ten skewers of gluten! I was so scared just now, I need to calm down!"

"Me too! Me too!"

Business is even booming now than before.

The students seemed to be venting their tension by binge eating, and banknotes were handed over like snowflakes.

Lin Wanwan was still in shock.

She mechanically took the money, gave change, her movements somewhat stiff.

The small, thin figure that had just stood in front of her gave her an unprecedented sense of security.

Is this still the same Chen Zhi who only knows how to play video games?

"What are you standing there for? Collect the money."

Chen Zhi nudged her with his elbow.

Lin Wanwan snapped out of her daze and hurriedly stuffed the money into her waist bag.

Li Zhiyi squatted on the ground, tightly gripping a palm-leaf fan in her hand, fanning herself rapidly.

Sparks flew everywhere.

She secretly glanced up at Chen Zhi.

Amidst the swirling smoke, Chen Zhi's profile was focused and stern, with a few beads of sweat clinging to his forehead and sliding down his cheek.

Li Zhiyi's heart was beating very fast.

For a moment just now, she really thought she was going to be beaten.

But Chen Zhi shielded them behind him.

From childhood to adulthood, apart from her grandparents, no one had ever protected her like this.

For the next hour, the three of them were so busy they barely had time to breathe.

Chen Zhi's hands never stopped.

Turn it over, sprinkle the ingredients, brush on the oil, and bag it.

The movements were so fast that only afterimages could be seen.

Two boxes of gluten and one box of starch sausage were completely sold out in the last minute before the evening self-study bell rang.

"That's all! We need to get up early tomorrow!"

Chen Zhi threw the last bunch of skewers into the trash can and waved to the students who were still in line.

"Huh? That's it?"

"Boss, you're so slow!"

The students who didn't manage to buy any complained a few times and could only leave helplessly.

Chen Zhi slumped onto the stool and let out a long sigh.

My arms are so sore.

Although this body is young and has a strong recovery ability, it hasn't been trained much yet, and it's still a bit too much for this kind of high-intensity physical labor.

"I'm exhausted!"

Lin Wanwan slumped onto another stool without any regard for her image, took off her fanny pack, and slammed it heavily onto the cart.

"But...it felt so good!"

Her eyes sparkled as she poured all the money from her bag onto the stainless steel tabletop of the cart.

The colorful banknotes were piled up into a small mountain.

There were one-yuan coins and five-yuan and ten-yuan banknotes, all crumpled and stained with oil and the smell of cumin.

But in Lin Wanwan's eyes, this was more appealing than anything else.

"Count them quickly! Count them quickly!"

Lin Wanwan rubbed her hands together excitedly.

Li Zhiyi also came over and carefully stacked the coins one by one.

Chen Zhi unscrewed a bottle of mineral water and tilted his head back to take a big gulp.

The cool liquid slid down my throat, taking away the heat from my body.

"Chen Zhi".

While counting the money, Lin Wanwan asked curiously, "When did you get a second uncle who's a captain in the urban management brigade? How come I didn't know?"

The two families are neighbors and know each other very well.

Chen Zhi knew better than anyone else what relatives her family had.

Chen Zhi crushed the empty bottle and casually threw it into the trash can.

"He's lying."

Lin Wanwan paused in counting the money.

She stared wide-eyed at Chen Zhi as if he were a monster.

"You lied...you lied to him?"

"Um."

Chen Zhi stood up and began cleaning up the scraps on the grill.

"It's just a psychological game. Those thugs look fierce, but they're actually the most afraid of death. The calmer I am, the more guilty he feels."

Lin Wanwan opened her mouth wide, unable to close it for a long time.

That's mental fortitude.

That's some acting skill.

It's such a shame he didn't become a movie star.

"What if... what if he really does make a move?"

Li Zhiyi asked softly, her voice still carrying a hint of lingering fear.

Chen Zhi poured the charcoal ash into the iron bucket, making a splashing sound.

"Then I'll smash this whole furnace of glowing red charcoal in his face."

He spoke of it casually.

The two girls shivered simultaneously.

Chen Zhi wasn't joking.

If the blond guy had really dared to make a move, he would definitely have struck first.

To deal with these street thugs, you have to be even more ruthless and fearless than them.

"Three hundred and forty-two yuan and fifty cents!"

Lin Wanwan finally finished counting the money and excitedly raised her hands in cheers.

"After deducting costs, we made a net profit of over three hundred! My God, that's faster than robbing a bank!"

In this day and age, three hundred yuan is definitely a huge sum of money.

Chen Zhi remained unfazed by this.

This amount of money isn't even a fraction of what he used to spend on a meal.

But for the current initial capital accumulation, it's a good start.

"Pack your things and go home."

Chen Zhi folded up the folding table and placed it on the cart.

The three of them pushed the cart, walking on their way home.

The streetlights cast a dim yellow light, making the three people's shadows very long.

Lin Wanwan was still excitedly planning how to spend the money, while Li Zhiyi silently followed behind, glancing at Chen Zhi from time to time.

We arrived downstairs.

Chen Zhi stopped in his tracks.

"Distribute the money."

Lin Wanwan immediately took out the money and divided it into three portions.

"We agreed on a 40/60 split. This 120 is for me and Zhiyi, and this 180 is for you."

She handed the thick wad of change to Chen Zhi.

Chen Zhi did not answer.

He pulled out a twenty-yuan note from the pile of money and stuffed it into his pocket.

"This twenty is for my materials."

Then, he took the remaining 160 yuan, along with the portion that Lin Wanwan was holding.

Lin Wanwan was stunned for a moment.

"Hey? What are you doing?"

Chen Zhi ignored her and turned to walk in front of Li Zhiyi.

He grabbed Li Zhiyi's hand and forcefully stuffed a large handful of loose change into her palm.

"Take it."

Li Zhiyi seemed to have burned her hand and desperately tried to pull it back.

"No...no! I can't take it!"

Her face flushed red, and her eyes were filled with panic.

"I just fanned myself, I didn't do anything... I can't take this money!"

"Just take it if I give it to you!"

Chen Zhi frowned, and his tone instantly turned cold.

"Why all the nonsense?"

Li Zhiyi shrank back in fright at his fierce tone, tears welling up in her eyes, but she dared not refuse any longer.

She looked down at the heavy banknotes in her hand.

This money is enough for her and her grandparents to live on for half a month.

"And this too."

Chen Zhi pointed to the cart next to him and the complete set of equipment on it.

"This cart, this stove, and the remaining seasonings are all yours."

Even Lin Wanwan was stunned.

"Chen Zhi, are you crazy? This is our livelihood!"

Chen Zhi ignored Lin Wanwan's shouting and stared at Li Zhiyi.

"You've memorized the recipe, right? The ratio of chili powder to cumin is 3:1. Brush on the oil twice, and sprinkle that special powder before taking it off the heat. That's the core technology; don't sprinkle too much, or it will taste bitter."

Li Zhiyi raised her head blankly, and tears finally welled up in her eyes.

"Chen Zhi... what... what are you doing?"

She doesn't understand.

Why give her so much money?

Why give her these things?

"I quit."

Chen Zhi yawned, looking at his hands covered in grease with disgust.

"It's too tiring with all the smoke and fire. Besides, I'm too lazy to go to school every day."

"But……"

Li Zhiyi sobbed, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls.

"I...I can't...I'm not good enough..."

She has never run a business on her own.

She was afraid to face those strangers, afraid to miscalculate the accounts, and afraid to encounter bad people like Huang Mao again.

"What's wrong with that?"

Chen Zhi interrupted her somewhat impatiently.

"You saw it yourself, how profitable this stuff is. As long as you're not stupid, you can sell it once you've cooked it."

He paused, looking at Li Zhiyi's pitiful appearance, and softened his tone slightly.

But it still carries that unquestionable domineering air.

"Li Zhiyi, listen carefully."

"No one in this world can protect you for a lifetime. If you don't want to be bullied and if you want your grandparents to have a better life, you have to stand up for yourself."

"This stall is your first step."

Li Zhiyi bit her lip and gripped the money in her hand tightly.

The knuckles are turning white.

She knew Chen Zhi meant well.

But this kindness was too heavy a burden, making it hard for her to breathe.

"I……"

She wanted to refuse.

Chen Zhi, however, did not give her a chance at all.

"Alright, stop crying and whining, it's so annoying."

Chen Zhi waved his hand and turned to walk into the apartment building.

"It's settled then. Tomorrow you take your grandpa to buy supplies and set up the stall together. If I see this cart gathering dust in the stairwell, I'll throw it in the garbage station."

After taking two steps, he stopped and looked back at Li Zhiyi, who was still frozen in place.

"Oh, right."

A playful smile curved Chen Zhi's lips.

"I didn't give it to you for nothing."

"I'm an investor, you understand?"

"From now on, every time you make money, you have to give me 20% of the profits from every meal. If you dare to embezzle any, I'll smash your stall up."

Li Zhiyi was stunned.

Looking at Chen Zhi's somewhat roguish face, she suddenly understood something.

He was trying to save face.

It's also giving myself a reason to accept it.

If she hadn't said that, given her personality, she would absolutely never have dared to accept these things.

"Did you hear me?"

Seeing that she didn't speak, Chen Zhi pressed her for an answer again.

Li Zhiyi sniffed and nodded vigorously.

"I...I heard it."

Her voice still trembled with tears, but it was firmer than before.

Chen Zhi then gave a satisfied hum.

"I'm gone."

He put his hands in his pockets, dragged his flip-flops, and sauntered into the dark stairwell.

Lin Wanwan stood there, watching Chen Zhi's back, and then looked at the pile of "huge sums of money" and equipment in Li Zhiyi's hands.

She suddenly felt like she was meeting Chen Zhi for the first time.

This kid...

When did you become so handsome?

"Zhiyi, don't cry."

Lin Wanwan walked over, put her arm around Li Zhiyi's shoulder, and wiped away her tears.

"Since this shady merchant has said so, just accept it. Let's go buy the goods together tomorrow! I'll help you bargain!"

Li Zhiyi looked at the money in her hand, then at the still warm cart.

Under the streetlights, the old handcart seemed to be edged with gold.

That was her hope.

It was also Chen Zhi who gave her confidence.

"Um."

Li Zhiyi nodded heavily and carefully put the money into her inner pocket.

She looked up and gazed in the direction where Chen Zhi had disappeared.

I made a silent vow in my heart.

We must get this business up and running.

We must make money.

Then... it was given to Chen Zhi.