Lin Chuan held the stack of money in his hands, feeling somewhat emotional. Nuo Xiaoxi's family was already poor, but the fact that she could still persevere like this was truly not easy. Lin Chuan said, "Alright, I will take the money. But you can't continue with this job."

"Why?" Nuo Xiaoxi asked, puzzled.

"It's too dangerous," Lin Chuan shook his head, "You should go back to the classroom and focus on your studies."

Nuo Xiaoxi hung her head low. How could she not want to return to the classroom? But the classroom that seemed so close was actually so far away from her. Nuo Xiaoxi shook her head: "I can't go back. I have debts to pay off. My mom isn't capable of working and relies on me for support, so, I need to earn money."

"Don't worry about the money," Lin Chuan took Nuo Xiaoxi's hand, shoved the three thousand yuan back, and said, "I will figure out a way to pay off your family's debt. Additionally, I'll try my best to help you with your schooling. Study hard for college. You can only truly be capable when you have a good job. Otherwise, despite all your effort, you'll never be able to clear your current debts, and even if you do, you won't be able to clear your regrets. Understand?"

"Brother Lin, I..." Nuo Xiaoxi looked at Lin Chuan awkwardly.

"Don't say anything, and if you feel uneasy or guilty, write me a promissory note for the full amount when I give you the money," Lin Chuan smiled. "After you graduate and start working, you can slowly repay me. Is that okay?"

Nuo Xiaoxi thought for a long time, the cold wind making her nose tingle and her eyes redden, she nodded firmly: "Brother Lin, thank you, you are a good person."

"Silly girl," Lin Chuan patted Nuo Xiaoxi on the shoulder and then embraced her, "Come on, I'll take you back."

The two walked back to Changlin Community step by step along the Huai Mountain South Road.

"Brother Lin, you also work at Changlin Factory?" Nuo Xiaoxi exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes," Lin Chuan nodded, "Surprising, isn't it?"

"That's great," Nuo Xiaoxi said cheerfully, "It will be convenient to find Brother Lin in the future."

"Feel free to reach out if you need help," Lin Chuan assured her, thumping his chest. "I promise to help you."

However, Nuo Xiaoxi was a bit confused. Did Lin Chuan really have that much money? She owed a total of a hundred and ten thousand yuan. For her, that was an astronomical figure, and it was a huge sum for people of Changlin Community as well. People here were relatively poor, so Lin Chuan...

After sending Nuo Xiaoxi home, Lin Chuan returned to his own house, pondering all the way about how to secure a sum of money. There are millions of ways to make money, but one must adhere to certain principles and not act recklessly. When he arrived home, he fell into a confused sleep.

......

The next day, Lin Chuan woke up feeling groggy, with thoughts of money in his head.

It seems I am indeed too kind-hearted, inadvertently giving Nuo Xiaoxi a promise. At that moment I was so confident, and now, like an eggplant hit by frost, I'm all deflated. He raced to the City Committee and entered the break room. It was rare to not see the Song family brothers, even Li Minghua wasn't there. Some of the other drivers were whispering, chatting quietly.

"Old Zhang, where's Li Minghua?" Lin Chuan curiously asked.

"Oh, he went out with Song Wen," Old Zhang hastily replied, then continued chatting with others in a low voice.

The other people in the break room were basically influenced or threatened by the Song family brothers, and no one wanted to lose a respectable job, so everyone consciously maintained a certain distance from Lin Chuan. News from the hospital also came that Luo Guoqing's injuries were improving, but he would need some more time before he could get out of bed and move around, probably at least a month before he could return to work at the City Committee.

Lin Chuan sat in the break room undisturbed, which gave him some peace.

Thud thud thud...

Suddenly, Secretary Tang's assistant, Xiao Xue, entered. Everyone looked at Xiao Xue all at once. Xiao Xue was one of the few beauties in the City Committee, with high education and broad knowledge, and crucially, she was extremely beautiful. Many young department-level officers in the City Committee had tried to pursue her relentlessly, but it seems few could win over this somewhat arrogant girl.

"Lin Chuan, Secretary Tang is looking for you," Xiao Xue glanced around the room, pinched her nose, and left.

The room was full of men who smoked and picked at their feet when idle, so indeed, the air and smell inside were quite heavy.

Seeing Xiao Xue leave, several old hands chuckled: "That girl is charming."

"Old Zhang, don't even think about it, heard she's a master's graduate from Cambridge University," a young chap teased.

"I'm married, so I don't think about these things," Old Zhang laughed heartily. "Xiao Li, you are not married, why don't you try your luck?"

"Not me!" the young guy shook his head. "Didn't you hear that Director Liu from the commerce bureau chased her? Yeah, heard she ruthlessly rejected him, even harshly humiliating him, making Liu not know where to put himself now."

"Haha..." Everyone burst into laughter.

Lin Chuan stubbed out his cigarette and then headed for the office of the City Secretary.

After last night's incident, he didn't know what Tang Yumeng wanted from him. But it was probably nothing good. She must have thought that he took advantage of her when she woke up, so now she was probably furious.

"Well, if I'm fired, then I'm fired," Lin Chuan scratched his head, thinking it might be good to leave this dreadful place, so he wouldn't have to deal every day with how to deal with the two from the Song family.

Being fired was the worst scenario in Lin Chuan's mind.

When he arrived at the office door, Lin Chuan knocked and entered, and to his surprise, Tang Yumeng's assistant, Xiao Xue, opened the door. Tang Yumeng was still working at her desk, seemingly unaware of Lin Chuan's arrival. Just as Lin Chuan was walking in, Tang Yumeng spoke, "Xiao Xue, you go out first."

"Yes, Secretary Tang," Xiao Xue nodded and turned to leave.

After she left, Tang Yumeng finally stopped working, Lin Chuan standing in front of her, feeling slightly nervous. This was the first time Lin Chuan had felt this way, and it was incredible.

"Secretary Tang, you wanted to see me?" Lin Chuan asked awkwardly.

"Yes." Tang Yumeng looked up at Lin Chuan and said, "I want to apologize for what happened yesterday."

"What?" Lin Chuan was startled, then laughed and said: "No problem, no problem, I thought it was something serious. It was what I should have done. But, Secretary Tang, you were drunk yesterday and kept shouting someone's name, who is that person?"

"Tang Hao." Tang Yumeng glanced at Lin Chuan.

"Tang Hao is…" Lin Chuan looked at Tang Yumeng, puzzled.

At this moment, Tang Yumeng's face showed a hint of sadness and reminiscence. She paused her work, stood up, and slowly walked to the floor-to-ceiling glass behind her, staring at the scenery outside for a long time without moving.

Just as Lin Chuan was losing patience and wanted to inquire further, Tang Yumeng spoke, "He was my younger brother."

"Where is he… now?" Lin Chuan asked curiously.

"He has left me forever." Tang Yumeng lowered her head, gently wiping tears, "He died because of me, and I, live with the guilt and pain all my life."

"He's gone, what's the use of your pain?" Lin Chuan quickly tried to comfort her, "Secretary Tang, you should grieve properly."

"No, you won't understand my pain." Tang Yumeng pinched the flesh on her arm, her nails digging into the skin, the pain wasn't just physical, but a kind of spiritual suffering. This kind of pain could only be silently endured, and could not be spoken of.

"I know." Lin Chuan nodded, saying: "Some pains indeed can't be expressed in words, but, at least, we can choose to forget, right? Time is a great healer that can cure any wounds, physical and mental…"

"It's been three years, and I haven't forgotten him for even a minute." Tang Yumeng, in agony, hugged her head and slowly squatted down, curling up her body.

Lin Chuan looked at her with pity, quickly walked over, grabbed her arm, and hurriedly pulled her up, saying, "Look at me, look at me…"

Tang Yumeng stared into Lin Chuan's eyes.

"In front of you is a green meadow, the wind blows, the grass sways, and herds of cows and sheep are grazing…" Lin Chuan's voice was gentle, trying to provide Tang Yumeng mental relief and comfort. This method of psychological therapy was a simple way to heal the mind.

On the battlefield, especially for new soldiers experiencing their first battle, many suffer from a kind of battlefield phobia. Once this fear strikes, the soldier cannot distinguish friend from foe, which can easily lead to friendly fire. Therefore, some veterans have learned some healing techniques that have a significant effect in relieving battlefield phobia. And this healing technique is nothing but a kind of psychological suggestion that provides mental enlightenment to the patient, helping them gradually move out of mental distress.

A few minutes later, Tang Yumeng's emotions finally stabilized, and her previously pained expression gradually became clear and bright.

"I…" Tang Yumeng looked at Lin Chuan in surprise and said, "What happened to me?"

"Nothing." Lin Chuan smiled and said, "You have a severe case of psychological autism."

"Psychological autism?" Tang Yumeng looked slightly stunned, she quickly stood up, slightly straightened her disheveled clothes, especially her business skirt, which during the squatting process had gradually moved upwards towards her upper thighs, offering an unrestrained view under the right angle from the front.

"Yes." Lin Chuan nodded, seriously explaining, "Psychological autism and the common form of autism are fundamentally different. Autism can be congenital or acquired, being triggered by some stimulus, leading the person to lose any interest in their environment, often resulting to self-isolation, sometimes referred to as 'Children from the Stars'; Whereas psychological autism is a demon lurking deep in the heart, more terrifying than autism, it is a chronic psychological disease, accumulating day by day, the frequency of outbreaks can gradually increase, each lasting longer, and the chances of recovery are relatively low."

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