The Future Path of Biao Guo

The first day of the Lunar New Year.

Early in the morning, Lin Mo greeted his grandmother as soon as he saw her: "Happy New Year, Auntie! Did you win at cards last night?"

His grandmother chuckled and nodded. "Ah, Happy New Year to you too."

With that, she pulled two red envelopes from her pocket and handed them to Lin Mo.

"Here, make sure to study hard this year, stay healthy, and be full of vigor."

"Thanks, Auntie. But your grandson here is already the top student in school—my grades are great," Lin Mo said proudly, pointing at himself with his thumb.

"Good, good. Now go wake Binbin up for breakfast," his grandmother replied, dressed in new clothes and smiling warmly.

Lin Mo turned to rouse the others for breakfast.

The rule in his grandmother’s house was that the first day of the New Year had to be vegetarian.

Even shrimp roe noodles were off the menu.

Plain congee, fried dough sticks, and soy sauce stir-fried noodles.

Not a single scallion in sight.

But Feng Binbin was used to it. A little extra salt in the congee, soaked with fried dough sticks—no problem at all.

Lin Mo didn’t mind either. He could even go without eating if he had to.

Today was really just about wearing new clothes and taking a stroll outside.

No one came to visit on the first day of the New Year, so everyone had plenty of free time.

"Looking sharp, little bro. Who picked out this outfit for you?"

Feng Binbin could tell at a glance that this wasn’t his cousin’s usual style.

A navy-blue trench coat paired with a turtleneck sweater—it had a sophisticated vibe.

Most importantly, Lin Mo had grown taller, his shoulders broader, so the trench coat fit him perfectly.

The weather wasn’t too cold, nowhere near needing a down jacket.

The turtleneck and trench coat combo was just right.

Right after midnight, Feng Binbin took Lin Mo out on his motorcycle for a late-night snack.

Even in the dead of night, there were plenty of options.

Congee, rice noodles, stir-fried noodles, rice—everything was available. The only thing missing was barbecue, since the vendors had gone back to their hometowns.

Otherwise, they could’ve had some grilled skewers.

Lin Mo ordered stir-fried noodles, a bowl of congee, and a few dim sum dishes.

As soon as they sat down, Lin Mo looked up at Feng Binbin.

"Alright, out with it. Whatever’s on your mind, just say it."

Lin Mo could see Feng Binbin’s hesitation at a glance.

Originally, Feng Binbin hadn’t planned to discuss these things with someone younger than him.

But Lin Mo seemed far more mature and steady now.

His cousin had always been smart, but there used to be a strong childishness about him.

Now, with the New Year, that immaturity had vanished.

In its place was a maturity that far surpassed his peers—even his classmates had remarked on it.

So Feng Binbin wanted someone to confide in, to help him weigh his options.

He just wasn’t sure where to start.

Lin Mo noticed his hesitation. "So, are you here to ask about love or your career?"

"Let’s start with love," Feng Binbin sighed.

But Lin Mo shook his head. "I’d rather talk about your career first."

Feng Binbin’s temper flared for a second, but he quickly let it go.

"Fine, go ahead."

"You studied civil engineering because your uncles pushed you into it, right?"

Feng Binbin nodded.

Back in 2013-2014, civil engineering was still a lucrative field, especially if you went abroad for infrastructure projects in developing countries.

Sure, there were some risks, but the pay was unbeatable. A decade in, and you could easily land a white-collar position.

But Feng Binbin had followed his uncles’ lead.

Fresh out of college, he’d been sent to Hunan to mix concrete and operate excavators.

Yet his salary was average, with barely any bonuses.

Years passed, and by the time Lin Mo returned, Feng Binbin was still just an excavator operator.

He hadn’t even used much of his civil engineering knowledge.

By then, leaving felt impossible.

It was a tangled mess.

Lin Mo tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"If you want a better future, aim for an overseas construction assignment through a state-backed program."

Feng Binbin froze at the word "overseas."

"Abroad?! How many years would that take? What about Auntie?"

"I’ll look after her. You think you’d be able to visit often if you stuck with your uncles?"

Lin Mo had a point.

How many civil engineers ever stayed close to home?

Feng Binbin took a deep breath and lit a cigarette.

"Then... what about love?"

"If it’s about Lv Ning'en—Sis En—you should wait until you’re back before confessing. You can’t expect her to wait years for you, can you?"

"But if I stay with my uncles..."

"Same problem. From what Auntie said, their projects aren’t even in Crane City."

In other words, he’d still be working out of town.

So what was the difference between another province and another country?

Hearing this, Feng Binbin finally deflated.

"So my best option is still mixing concrete overseas?"

"It wouldn’t be forever. Uncle’s almost out anyway, isn’t he?"

Feng Binbin fell silent for a moment.

Lin Mo’s uncle was no pushover. Once released, he’d started rebuilding his connections, diving back into business with his merchant instincts.

During Lin Mo’s lowest moments, his uncle had reached out repeatedly, trying to pull him up.

But back then, Lin Mo had been too far gone—unwilling to drag his uncle down with him.

Seeing Feng Binbin’s indecision, Lin Mo finally said, "If you really can’t bring yourself to go abroad, then just stick with your uncles’ projects."

Lin Mo thought to himself, Worst case, I’ll just help him bet on the 2014 World Cup.

Straight-up match scores.

No need for the finals—just bet on Germany’s 7-1 semifinal against Brazil.

Instant fortune.

Lottery tickets might lie, but the World Cup and Bitcoin never would.

"Let me think about it. If I confess, would I be asking Sis En to wait for me?"

"And if she agrees but doesn’t wait, wouldn’t that hurt even more?"

Lin Mo’s counter left Feng Binbin speechless.

No matter what, it was a tough spot.

Seeing his cousin like this, Lin Mo could only pat his shoulder.

"If she’s meant to be yours, she will be. If you do well and come back with money, you’ll have even more confidence."

Feng Binbin lowered his head and dug into his stir-fried rice noodles.

The choice was clear. He knew he’d have to stick with construction either way, and Lin Mo’s suggestion of working abroad was clearly the better path.

But his uncles had been good to him.

"Should I talk to them about it? Feels wrong not to."

That wasn’t unreasonable.

After all, Feng Binbin had grown up under their care.

He still held deep affection for them.

"Tell them. If they support you going, then go. If they don’t... well, then you can still go."

It sounded confusing at first, but the meaning quickly sank in.

Feng Binbin blinked, then caught on.

"That’s... not right, is it?"

Lin Mo didn’t push further. Feng Binbin didn’t know what the future held, but if things played out like before, Lin Mo could always back him up.

No matter what, in this life, Lin Mo would make sure his cousin lived comfortably.