"Don't you believe it?" Fang Zhiyi said as he picked up a light bulb, connected it to the small device, and began cranking the handle. After a few turns, the bulb gradually lit up.
"This..." Lin Jianguo was astonished, but then he shook his head. "What a shame—it's just a little toy."
Fang Zhiyi grinned. "Yeah, just something I made for fun."
Lin Jianguo studied the young man before him. He looked much fairer now, bright and cheerful.
"I came to ask if you’d have time to come over for dinner tomorrow?" He had always wanted to invite his daughter’s savior for a meal, but hearing Lin Xiaowei mention Fang Zhiyi so often made him uneasy. His daughter ought to be with someone like a college graduate.
But later, when he learned Fang Zhiyi had turned down Lin Xiaowei’s invitation, he saw the young man in a new light. This kid had potential! He could’ve easily gained advantages by staying close to his daughter, yet he refused. Now, everyone in the factory spoke highly of him, and Lin Jianguo couldn’t help but take notice.
"Dinner?" Fang Zhiyi thought of Lin Xiaowei and shook his head like a rattle-drum. "I’d rather not. The cafeteria food suits me just fine."
Lin Jianguo was even more surprised. He’d even turned him down?
It stirred a competitive urge in him.
"Come on. I haven’t properly thanked you yet."
Fang Zhiyi replied earnestly, "Saving your daughter was the right thing to do—I didn’t do it for a reward. Besides, you brought me into the electrical machinery factory and let me work on what I love. If anything, I should be thanking you."
Lin Jianguo raised an eyebrow. "So you’re saying no?"
Fang Zhiyi just smiled.
"Ah, that pile of scrap metal is taking up space. I’ll have someone clear it out tomorrow." Lin Jianguo sighed and started walking away.
"Director, I’m free! Very free!"
Seeing Lin Jianguo’s triumphant grin as he left, Fang Zhiyi sighed inwardly. Was this man always so extreme? Couldn’t he just take a middle ground? Still, he needed to get closer to him. In the original storyline, Lin Jianguo was due for a promotion soon—though it wouldn’t end well.
When Fang Zhiyi arrived with a bag of fruit, Lin Jianguo nodded approvingly. "No need to be so formal," he said.
Lin Xiaowei greeted him with a smile and led him inside.
Watching the two, Lin Jianguo thought they looked well-matched. But then he remembered Fang Zhiyi’s family background and sighed inwardly.
"Xiao Fang, you drink, right? Have a couple with me."
Fang Zhiyi scratched his head sheepishly. "Uncle, I’m not much of a drinker."
An hour later, Lin Jianguo was slumped in his chair, slurring his words. Fang Zhiyi got up to help Lin Xiaowei’s mother with the dishes, but she shooed him away. After a few polite words, he left.
The next morning, a hungover Lin Jianguo stared blankly at his daughter’s displeased face, struggling to recall the night’s events.
"What’s wrong? Last night, after a few drinks, you made Xiaowei call Fang Zhiyi her ‘sworn brother.’ Don’t tell me you forgot?" His wife handed him a bowl of congee. "But I think it’s fine. That boy seems reliable."
Lin Xiaowei huffed and stormed out without breakfast.
Lin Jianguo sat frozen. He’d made Fang Zhiyi his daughter’s sworn brother? Really?
Fang's Mother had grown fond of visiting the county town lately. Fang Zhiyi treated her to meals, bought her things, and even gave her money. Her once-worthless eldest son now seemed perfect. She’d asked around and learned that the factory wages were about two hundred yuan. Yet Fang Zhiyi spoiled her with food, shopping, and even handed her a hundred and fifty. Wasn’t he the epitome of filial piety?
Fang Zhiyi also worked on reshaping her mindset, preaching about women’s independence and self-reliance. He even had fashionable accessories sent from out of town. Slowly, Fang's Mother began feeling her current home was beneath her. Fang Zhiyi even promised to move her and Third Son into his future company housing, making them city folk. She loved the idea and warmed up to him more each day.
Third Son was easier—Fang Zhiyi slipped him pocket money and encouraged his carefree habits.
The rest of Fang Zhiyi’s time was spent on his new project: a hand-cranked generator. The principle was simple—a DC motor, gear assembly, crank handle, nickel-cadmium battery, and a bulb socket. The challenge was keeping it compact, easy to crank, and efficient enough to power small appliances.
During lunch breaks and after work, he scavenged the factory’s scrap piles. An electrical machinery plant never lacked spare parts. He salvaged motor casings, gears, and steel rods, then bought wires from the sales department and had them fetch nickel-cadmium batteries from the battery plant.
His dormitory desk became his workbench. Fang Zhiyi focused intently—this device was his crucial first step.
A week later, the first prototype was ready. Cranking the handle lit up the small bulb! Though dim, it was enough for emergency lighting during blackouts. He even crafted a simple plastic casing to give it a finished look.
At a quiet street corner, Fang Zhiyi sat cross-legged behind his makeshift stall, displaying a few hand-cranked generators.
"Hey, young man, what’s this?" Finally, someone stopped to ask.
Fang Zhiyi flashed a grin. "A handy little tool." He picked one up and demonstrated.
"It’s a hand-cranked generator. Crank it during a blackout, and it’ll light up for over half an hour. Ten minutes of cranking gives you enough light to read half the night! Buy one, and your family won’t be left in the dark. Twenty yuan each, no bargaining!"
A crowd gathered, intrigued by the novelty.
The first man frowned. "Twenty? That’s steep. It’s not even that bright—a flashlight’s better."
Fang Zhiyi nodded. "You’re right, flashlights are convenient, but they eat up batteries. This costs you nothing—just a quick crank for temporary light. Think of it as a toy. And how much is a flashlight? Forty? Even the cheap ones are thirty. Mine’s just twenty."
People murmured in amazement, but no one reached for their wallets. Fang Zhiyi wasn’t worried—this was the early days of economic reform, and shrewd minds were everywhere.
Suddenly, a man pushed through, grinning. "Buddy, I’ll take them all."
Fang Zhiyi hesitated. "All of them?"
The man nodded, eyes scanning the generators, already scheming. People were like that—hesitant until someone else showed interest, then filled with regret.
"Hey, boss, sell me one?" The first man pulled out cash.
"I want one too."
The would-be bulk buyer panicked. "Hey, hey, these are mine!" He turned to Fang Zhiyi, still smiling. "Deal?"
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
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!
