American Farmers: Facing a Cutoff at the Start

Upon hearing this, Lina's previously tense expression instantly softened.

"Alright, at least you know how to talk."

Fett breathed a sigh of relief and welcomed Lina inside; the two went into the house.

Since we're going to have to face this sooner or later anyway, we might as well introduce Lyra to Lina now.

Fett was about to speak when he looked around.

The living room was empty, the fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, but Leila was nowhere to be seen.

His heart skipped a beat.

Just now, wasn't Leila quite magnanimous, smiling and urging me to come out and pick up the person?

Why isn't anyone in the living room right now?

Could it be... that he's still in his own bedroom?

Still in your own bed?

An ominous premonition crept up his spine, and Fett felt a chill run down his spine.

Lina looked around the living room, which had a rustic feel to it.

"Oh, right."

She turned around, looking at Fett with some anticipation: "What about the hunting knife called 'King'?"

"I saw it on TV, the burl handle was so beautiful."

"Can you show me something?"

"It's on...the bedroom windowsill."

Fett hurried a few steps to the half-open door:

"I'll get it for you, please make yourself at home."

"I'll go too." Lina's eyes were full of teasing as she followed.

"Is your room a mess?"

"I'll take a look around, you probably don't mind."

"Well--"

Fett tried to reach out to stop him, but it was too late.

"Squeak—"

Lina reached out and gently pushed open the wooden door.

The room was dimly lit, with only the flickering firelight from the fireplace.

Fett's heart jumped into his throat.

Fortunately, Leila did not stay in bed as he had feared.

At that moment, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, head down, bending over, putting on her somewhat worn ankle boots.

She looked up when she heard the door open.

A few strands of golden-brown hair fell across her forehead, and the collar of her somewhat oversized knitted sweater slipped slightly with her movements, revealing half of her delicate collarbone and rounded shoulders.

Although the person got up, the blanket behind them was still partially lifted, and there were obvious marks on the dark blue sheets.

The air was filled with a faint fragrance of a young girl.

Lina stood in the doorway, her gaze sweeping across the messy bed like a searchlight, finally settling on Leila.

Leila put on her boots, straightened up, and showed no embarrassment whatsoever.

She casually patted the wrinkles on her jeans and generously extended her hand to Lina standing at the door:

"I am Lyra, Fett's childhood friend."

"You're the one who helped Fett, aren't you!"

"Thank you again on behalf of Fett!"

Lina's friendly smile, which she had just shown to Fett, vanished abruptly.

Their gazes met in mid-air, the atmosphere tense like a bowstring drawn but not yet released.

Lena slightly raised her chin, a professional, slightly condescending smile playing on her lips. She reached out and gently grasped Lyra's fingertips, the touch fleeting.

"Hello, I'm Lina."

She glanced at Fett beside her, her eyes conveying a meaningful look:

"I am his...good friend."

"Besides, Fett has already thanked me, so there's no need for anyone else to thank him on his behalf."

Although both of them were smiling, the fighting spirit burning in their eyes was almost setting the small bedroom ablaze.

[Judgment complete!]

[Reward: The keyword "左右逢源" (meaning "having connections with everyone") has been awarded.]

Instantly, Fett's tense nerves were soothed as if by an invisible hand, and his thoughts became clearer than ever before.

Their emotions were laid bare before him.

Although the two sides are currently at odds, they are not irreconcilable.

He has grasped the crux of the problem!

His affairs are what the two of them care about most!

The solution to resolve the chaotic situation is becoming increasingly clear!

"cough."

Fett cleared his throat at the opportune moment, walked to the window with a nonchalant expression, picked up the "King" sword, and handed it to Lina, as if their confrontation had never occurred.

"The knife is here."

"However, Lina, I have something more important to ask you than looking at the sword."

"Layla, I need both of you to help me get this sorted out."

Lina took the knife and held it in her hand without bothering to examine it.

She merely ran her fingertips lightly over the smooth, burl handle twice before shifting her gaze from the blade back to Fett's face, her brow slightly raised, a hint of curiosity in her eyes:

"What is it?"

Lyra composed herself and waited for Fett to speak.

Fett crouched down in front of the bedside table, turned the laptop screen toward Lina, and pointed to the search pages on it about farm tours and family activities:

"this."

Lina glanced down at it.

Instead of immediately offering an opinion, he glanced at Leila standing next to him.

Then, wearing those exquisite Chelsea boots, she walked to the bedside and unceremoniously plopped down on the slightly wrinkled spot.

Seeing this, Leila raised her eyebrows, but didn't react.

She snorted and walked over to Fett's side, squatting down and pressing her arm tightly against Fett's, as if to assert her dominance.

Fett pretended not to notice the tension that was about to burst between the two.

He cleared his throat, pointed to several web pages on the screen, and began to lay out his entire plan.

Lina sat quietly by the bedside, listening intently. Her beautiful eyes gradually brightened as Fett spoke.

There was now a hint of genuine surprise and appreciation in his eyes.

After finishing his sentence, Fett sighed and spread his hands helplessly:

"But neither Leila nor I have much experience in this area, and we discussed it all morning without reaching a conclusion."

"You must have unique insights into this area to have gotten a job at a bank."

"This is a matter of life and death for the farm."

"Could you give us some advice? Which of these ideas is reliable? Which one can be implemented the fastest?"

Lina didn't answer immediately. Instead, she tapped the scabbard on her knee with her fingers, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke, her tone carrying a hint of admiration:

"Fett, you're too modest."

"First of all, your previous 'referral' strategy was a classic viral marketing model, and it couldn't be more suitable for this situation."

"However, the popularity of the news is a variable; it helps you instantly expand your customer base from residents of surrounding towns to the middle class in nearby cities."

She leaned forward slightly, her eyes fixed intently on Fett:

"You are keenly aware of changes in customer needs, and you even thought of ways to enhance the user experience and interactivity to capture this wave of traffic."

"This kind of business acumen isn't something everyone has."

"You are very talented. When I was in Wharton, many of my classmates didn't have your kind of intuition."

Hearing Lina's professional affirmation, Fett felt even more confident.

Lyra, who was squatting to the side, had been feeling a little smug because Fett had been praised, but her face instantly froze.

Although she had never been to the East Coast, she knew that it was home to the top universities in the United States. Looking at Lena's high-quality outfit, a hint of unease flashed in her eyes.

Lina paused, her gaze sweeping over the colorful web pages on the screen:

"As for specific implementation measures... just looking at these online examples is useless; you have to consider the actual situation of your farm."