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.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
