Meanwhile,
Su Ruoxi was also coming to a stark realization. Perhaps the planner she had paid a fortune to hire...
...was truly an incompetent fool, or worse, had malicious intentions.
During their conversation, Su Ruoxi found herself looking at Tian Xiaowu in a new light.
Even though Tian Xiaowu was just a high school graduate from a remote mountain village,
his train of thought and logical reasoning were incredibly sharp.
He even had some exceptionally novel ideas.
Looking at the crumpled paper in Tian Xiaowu’s hands, it was as if Su Ruoxi could see the blueprint for an entirely new amusement park.
It had been a long time since Tian Xiaowu had such a satisfying and unrestrained conversation.
After all, most people he usually talked to were more interested in mocking him.
They weren’t like Su Ruoxi and Lin Feng, who listened so attentively.
Even his own father, Uncle Tian, had never fully listened to his son explain these things.
And during this explanation, Tian Xiaowu used simple, easy-to-understand language.
Before he knew it, Uncle Tian found himself drawn in as well.
As everyone became engrossed in what Tian Xiaowu was describing...
...the only person who wasn’t completely lost in the ideas was Lin Feng.
Halfway through Tian Xiaowu’s presentation, Lin Feng had already realized that the man before him was undoubtedly talented.
When it came to planning and design layouts, he genuinely had his own insights and a solid foundation.
So, upon realizing this,
Lin Feng, without a second thought, used his system’s rating function.
When he saw Tian Xiaowu’s score, even Lin Feng was stunned.
Putting aside Tian Xiaowu’s other scores, like for his appearance and so on,
in the category of ’Planning Talent,’ he scored an astounding ninety-two.
This meant that even without any formal theoretical training,
he was still an incredibly gifted individual.
This also meant that Tian Xiaowu was a diamond in the rough.
Once the dull outer layer was polished away,
what lay beneath would surely be a radiant, dazzling gem.
Lin Feng hadn’t expected that just by casually strolling around with Su Ruoxi today,
he would actually stumble upon someone so full of talent.
The rating system’s criteria for Tian Xiaowu were also different from others.
It focused more on scoring his personal abilities.
Lin Feng could see that Tian Xiaowu’s score for ’Social Skills’ was extremely low.
Barely thirty or forty points.
But in every aspect of design, his scores were what you could call high.
Seeing these scores gave Lin Feng a certain understanding of Tian Xiaowu’s personal abilities and character.
It was clear from the ratings that Tian Xiaowu was not suited for being a cement mason on a construction site.
Tian Xiaowu was much better suited for intellectual work.
Lin Feng had unexpectedly struck gold.
Tian Xiaowu had his own unique insights into the Joy City project.
And they were specifically in the area of planning and design.
Coincidentally, the plot of land Lin Feng owned in Cyan Mountain Town would also likely be developed into commercial projects, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
It might even include some entertainment facilities.
A person like Tian Xiaowu was practically a gift from the heavens.
To meet such a naturally talented prospect at such an opportune moment...
Though Lin Feng’s face remained impassive, inwardly he was already ecstatic.
Before they knew it,
Tian Xiaowu had talked until his mouth was dry.
He finally managed to finish explaining all his ideas for Joy City’s regional planning.
Tian Xiaowu scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "These are just some things I daydreamed about... If I didn’t explain it well, or if there are mistakes, please don’t laugh at me!"
Su Ruoxi looked Tian Xiaowu sincerely in the eyes and said, "I think your ideas are absolutely brilliant!"
"And I think your concept is a perfect fit for Joy City’s plan!"
It was the first time anyone had affirmed him so strongly.
Tian Xiaowu’s eyes first lit up, then dimmed again.
"I’m just telling you guys this privately. The person in charge didn’t approve of my ideas, so I’m not going to waste my time thinking about this stuff anymore."
"Honestly, just working diligently is fine too!"
Just as Su Ruoxi was about to speak, she felt Lin Feng tug on her sleeve.
So, she instinctively closed her mouth.
Beside them, Uncle Tian remained silent for a long time after hearing his son’s presentation.
"Son," he began, "I don’t really understand all that complicated stuff, but I do think what you said makes a lot of sense."
"So my boy is a person with such big ideas!"
Uncle Tian’s gaze was filled with affirmation as he looked at Tian Xiaowu.
It was the first time Tian Xiaowu had received such validation from his father.
His face flushed red with excitement.
But in his mind, none of it mattered anymore.
He had already promised his father he would be a good worker on the construction site.
He wouldn’t waste his time daydreaming about these things anymore.
"Thank you both for listening. It’s been a long time since anyone heard me out completely."
"Thank you!"
Tian Xiaowu thanked them again.
But at that moment, Lin Feng, who had been silent for a long while, finally spoke.
"Are you really willing to be a manual laborer for the rest of your life?"
"A life where you can see the end from the very beginning—are you truly willing to accept that?"
"This life on the construction site, exposed to the wind and sun... even if you can bear it now, how long can you really endure it?"
Lin Feng’s tone wasn’t forceful.
But it was precisely this calm tone that was most effective at stirring up a person’s discontent.
Tian Xiaowu was silent for a long time, then suddenly let out a choked sob.
"Mr. Lin, I’m not like you. My dad and I need to eat."
"Back in the mountains, finishing high school is already considered a high level of education."
"But in the nearly ten years I’ve been out here trying to make a living, I could never find a good job. I don’t have the right qualifications."
"It’s so hard... Compared to the other jobs I’ve done, being a cement mason actually pays a lot."
It was as if he had suddenly found an outlet for all his frustrations.
The more Tian Xiaowu spoke, the more choked up he became.
Uncle Tian smoked a cigarette off to the side.
The smoke was acrid.
It was so sharp it made Uncle Tian cough until tears streamed down his face.
"Son... this is all my fault. I let you down. We were just too poor back then..."
For the first time, Su Ruoxi felt the helplessness of ordinary people—or rather, those living at the bottom rung of society.
For the formerly pampered Su Ruoxi, this was a reality she could never have imagined.
Although Su Ruoxi’s life hadn’t been entirely happy before,
what with her struggles against Liu Yan,
she at least had the inheritance her mother left her.
She never had to worry about food or clothing.
Seeing the father and son before her,
Su Ruoxi truly felt the hardship of life.
Among the four of them, the only one not controlled by emotion was Lin Feng.
Lin Feng’s expression was still calm.
But in a voice neither heavy nor light, he repeated, "Are you truly content with this?"
"Are you truly willing to just be a cement mason?"
Tian Xiaowu fell silent for a long, long time.
Then he suddenly snapped his head up.
His eyes held a torrent of complex emotions. "I’m not willing!"
Once the words were out, it was as if Tian Xiaowu had found his release valve.
His voice grew louder. "I’m not content with this, Mr. Lin!"
"But—"
Lin Feng didn’t wait for him to finish his "but."
He cut Tian Xiaowu off directly:
"If I gave you another chance, would you dare to present your complete plan to the person in charge one more time?"
The refusal that was on the tip of Tian Xiaowu’s tongue
changed the instant he saw the conviction in Lin Feng’s eyes.
"I would dare!"
Tian Xiaowu declared with absolute certainty!

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