ning to soft music, and sipping bitter coffee, calling it her “elegant leisure.”

Dressed in a light yellow leisure outfit with a green silk scarf under the sunset, Liu Xiaoyan exuded youthful energy. Behind her, under a banyan tree, a sneaky head peeked out, its eyes darting around, fixated on her back.

Suddenly, two drunken, unsteady ruffians blocked Liu Xiaoyan. One, tall and thin with a scar on his face, circled her, sniffing exaggeratedly.

“Little girl, want to hang out with us?” the scarred ruffian leered, making his companion laugh out loud.

“Wang Ruozhi, get out here!” Liu Xiaoyan shouted. The ruffians looked confused, glancing around but unsure of what to do.

“Here,” Wang Ruozhi stepped out.

As Liu Xiaoyan saw Wang, she gave a disdainful “humph” and walked away, entering the café. The ruffians, realizing the situation, saw that they had been bested by a smaller, weaker Wang Ruozhi and laughed.

“Kid, you trying to be a hero?” the scarred ruffian sneered.

“N-no, not really,” Wang stuttered, feeling relieved that Liu Xiaoyan was safe.

“Protector, huh?” the shorter ruffian jabbed Wang in the forehead.

“B-big brothers, I-I think I’ll just run!” Wang tried to flee but was easily caught by the scarred ruffian. Predictably, he endured a thorough beating, yelling desperately before passing out, “Liu Xiaoyan, I like you.”

At the southern gate of reform and opening, not only commercial myths were created but also significant economic progress, drawing many hopefuls southward. Their ideals and beliefs were unwavering and unstoppable.

The miraculous southern gate, a modern city, fueled countless dreams. Fresh graduates Fu Le and Liu Xiaoyan rejected the steady “iron rice bowl” jobs Elder Min offered, launching themselves into the paradise of dreams, determined to ride the economic waves.

After Fu Le and Liu Xiaoyan headed south, Elder Min took permanent residence in East Village, living with Secretary Liu. With his presence, the village’s iron mine operations proceeded smoothly, bringing endless joy to Secretary Liu, who treated Elder Min with more reverence than his own father.

Surprisingly, Secretary Liu, known for his arrogance, learned humility and diligence under Elder Min’s guidance, akin to a diligent student. This transformation wasn’t complete without showing off to Deputy Secretary Fu.

Whenever Deputy Secretary Fu returned from investment trips, Secretary Liu would always invite him for meals, competing for their shared mining venture. Eventually, East Village’s mining industry started thriving under their collaboration.

Astonishingly, the deputy governor of the three northeastern provinces visited, although his purpose remained unknown. He went straight to Secretary Liu’s house to visit Elder Min and left without even glancing a

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