The beef fat, taken from a slightly marbled cut near the brisket, had rendered most of its fat on the grill. Mixed with rich seasonings, the first bite was crispy, savory, and perfectly chewy without being greasy.

Many Mingde employees trying this for the first time were stunned. Who would’ve thought a piece of fat could taste this good when grilled?

Ma Le tried a skewer and was equally surprised.

Yan Hai, of course, had nothing but praise.

The beef fat skewer was as good as, if not better than, the best he’d ever had, both in texture and flavor.

As he ate, he couldn’t help but exclaim to Jiang Bai, “It’s been years since I’ve tasted this. One bite, and it’s like I’m back to our university days. We were so poor back then, counting every penny to order skewers. But man, no matter how broke we were, we were just so stupidly happy.”

Jiang Bai chewed on a crispy cube of beef fat, smiling faintly. “Yeah, we were like fools back then.”

Yan Hai laughed. “Isn’t it funny? Back then, we were dirt poor but happy. Now we’ve got money, but all we feel is pressure. That kind of joy is just gone.”

Jiang Bai fell silent.

The tender, chewy pork tendons coated in sauce released a salty, savory flavor as he chewed.

Suddenly, Yan Hai’s eyes lit up as he noticed something. “Whoa! Are they really going all out?”

Ahead, Jin Yaotiao was directing several employees to carry over whole marinated lambs, hanging them upside-down in what Yan Hai initially thought was some sort of specialized equipment—a massive roasting oven.

The lamb was marbled with fat, and the sight of it made Yan Hai laugh and slap Jiang Bai on the back. “Brother Jiang, do you remember?”

Jiang Bai asked, “Remember what?”

Yan Hai grinned. “Our first year at university, when we left our hometown and moved to Chongqing. That’s when we found out about roasted whole lamb. One time, when we were eating skewers, you said, ‘When we make it big, we’re not going to eat at these stalls anymore. We’ll go have whole roast lamb together.’”

Jiang Bai thought for a moment, then chuckled. “Oh yeah, I did say that.”

Yan Hai laughed so hard he couldn’t stop. “Back then, we all thought eating whole roast lamb was the pinnacle of success. Funny thing is, after I made some money, I did try it a few times. It’s just okay. We were so naïve back then.”

Jiang Bai shook his head. “Back then, roast lamb was such a distant dream for us. It wasn’t just us—even our parents probably never tasted it.”

Hearing this mention of their parents, Yan Hai paused briefly.

Jiang Bai’s parents had both passed away before their company went bankrupt last year.

Yan Hai’s tone grew cautious. “Yeah.”

He then lowered his head with a bitter smile. “Thinking about it now, college wasn’t even the poorest time of our lives. Childhood was worse—our tuition fees came from loans our families had to take out.”

Jiang Bai opened his mouth to speak but stopped.

From such abject poverty, they had clawed their way to where they were today. The struggles of the past seemed so distant now that he could hardly remember them.

The aroma of roast lamb wafted through the air, driving not just the employees of Mingde but also other barbecue groups at the resort nearly insane.

Inside the massive grill, the sizzling sound of oil dripping onto the fire was crisp and enticing. Jin Yaotiao listened attentively, and when she noticed a subtle change, she decisively gave the order, “It’s ready.”

At her command, all the employees surged toward her, leaving the smaller skewers on the barbecue grill behind without a second thought.

As they ate skewers of grilled beef fat, tendon, and vegetables, everyone was still unsatisfied, eagerly watching the grill. The lid was lifted, and a few Mingde chefs heaved with all their might, pulling out a whole lamb, roasted to a golden, oily perfection, from the deep oven.

The lamb’s skin had been roasted crisp by the fire. Even after being removed from the heat, the internal warmth continued to melt the fats, creating faint sizzling sounds that were incredibly tempting.

The lamb fat, along with the juices, oozed out of the crispy skin and trickled down, releasing a tantalizing aroma that filled the air.

The roasted lamb was simply… too irresistible.

The employees erupted in cheers.

Even teams unaffiliated with Mingde cheered from afar.

After cheering, they realized the roasted lamb had nothing to do with them: “…”

However, Mingde’s employees were genuinely happy.

Several plump roasted lambs were placed on the table.

Jin Yaotiao drew out a gleaming knife and sliced off a piece of leg meat for herself. After one bite, she declared, “Not bad. It doesn’t quite match the quality of lamb roasted with professional equipment in the shop, but for an outdoor setting, it passes.”

Hearing this, everyone assumed the taste was just average. But as soon as they tried it, they were nearly moved to tears.

The lamb, air-shipped from Qinghai, was plump and robust without a hint of gaminess.

Marinated and roasted until the skin was crispy and the interior tender, it was juicy and succulent, with no dryness or toughness.

Beyond being delicious, it left them struggling to find the right words to describe it.

Even Yan Hai, who had just said the lamb wouldn’t taste as good as he’d imagined, widened his eyes in astonishment after a bite.

After graduating, he no longer had to worry about money and had tried roasted lamb from many renowned restaurants. But none of them compared to the bite he just had.

The weather was still a bit chilly, and in the greenery-filled mountain resort, with outdoor cooking equipment and ingredients spread out, everyone was bustling, waiting for the piping-hot delicacy fresh from the grill.

“Brother Jiang,” Yan Hai muttered, watching Jiang Bai, who was equally surprised after tasting the lamb. “Maybe the roast lamb we dreamed of having when we were broke and ambitious tasted just like this?”

Jiang Bai, still holding an unfinished skewer, paused for a moment before replying, “Maybe.”

Back then, though they were poor, they were optimistic and full of hope.

Later, when they had money, they couldn’t find the taste they had dreamed of during their days of poverty.

And now, when the company was already bankrupt, they tasted the roast lamb that had once symbolized their grand ambitions.

They also found the smoky, oil-laden charm of roadside stalls again.

Though the lambs were large, they couldn’t withstand the employees’ enthusiastic attacks and were soon reduced to skeletons.

Even that wasn’t enough—someone cut off a leg bone and gnawed on it directly.

The whole lambs had been marinated for a long time. With the heat of the fire, the flavors had seeped into the bones. Gnawing on them now was unexpectedly delightful.

While Jin Yaotiao was busy with the employees, she lost track of where the “billionaire in the wheelchair” had gone.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar shout from not far away: “Brother Jiang! What are you doing?!”

It was Yan Hai, Jiang Bai’s partner, shouting.

The Mingde employees were instantly alarmed. Jin Yaotiao put down what she was doing and went to check.

Sure enough, she saw Yan Hai at the edge of a high observation platform on Haishan Cliff, tightly gripping Jiang Bai’s arm and dragging him away from the edge.

Before being pulled away, Jiang Bai had been sitting cross-legged at the very edge of the platform—a sight that was nerve-wracking to behold.

Yan Hai was furious, but Jiang Bai didn’t resist being dragged away. He lazily retreated a few steps and said, “I was just sitting there enjoying the view.”

Yan Hai froze, hesitating, and asked, “You weren’t… thinking of anything drastic?”

Jiang Bai’s tone lightened. “I’ve been broke before. Back then, we had nothing but still made it through together.”

Yan Hai finally let go, sniffled, and softly said, “Brother Jiang, actually, I discussed with the others. We’re planning to sell the houses we have back home to help you pay off your debts.”

Jiang Bai was stunned, looked at him for a while, and then turned his gaze to the sky.

Finally, he said, “No.”

“But you’re still in debt,” Yan Hai insisted. “You’ve already sold everything you could.”

“I still have people I can rely on.” Jiang Bai turned to Jin Yaotiao, who had come over out of curiosity. “Director Jin, the position your company offered earlier—can I still compete for it?”

Jin Yaotiao, confused after watching the dramatic scene unfold, asked, “?”

Wait—what just happened? Why did this billionaire suddenly change his mind? Why would he want to work for her?

Had she done something?

Jin Yaotiao couldn’t recall. But with no reason to refuse—and seeing that he seemed to need money—she nodded. “Of course.”

Reinvigorated, Jiang Bai smiled. “What does Mingde need me to do?”

Jin Yaotiao glanced at his perfectly functional legs and said, “First, you’ll need a physical exam.”

Jiang Bai: “…?”

Jin Yaotiao, true to her word, promptly arranged for Jiang Bai to undergo a thorough medical examination.

Jiang Bai spent an entire day completing various screenings, emerging at the end utterly bewildered.

In his entire life, he had never experienced such a comprehensive health check.

Every inch of his body, inside and out, was examined meticulously.

The package Jin Yaotiao had selected for him was so extensive that it almost seemed like she wanted to include gynecological tests.

Jiang Bai had been a business owner before and had arranged health checks for his employees. But company budgets always came into play—how could something as extravagant as an MRI be included?

When the final report showed that his health was generally fine aside from irregular sleep and stress-related deviations, he felt a mix of relief and gratitude.

Still, he decided to offer his new boss some advice. “Chairwoman Jin, I think the company should manage its employee expenses more carefully. Spending tens of thousands on a single medical checkup is excessive.”

Jin Yaotiao carefully reviewed the report, hoping to identify any potential triggers for his future paralysis, but found nothing definitive.

Distractedly listening to Jiang Bai, she nodded in agreement, leading him to think she shared his perspective. Then she suddenly added, “Should we include a mammogram next time?”

Men do have breast tissue, after all.

Jiang Bai was speechless.

He couldn’t deny her thoughtfulness, though. As a boss, he would never have gone to such lengths for his employees.

But was Mingde’s generosity sustainable?

Having experienced both the heights of success and the depths of failure, Jiang Bai had seen the darker side of human nature. Starting from scratch and working under someone else after being in charge for so long left him feeling uneasy and melancholic.

Still, Mingde’s genuine care for its employees touched him.

From the moment he stood on the edge of his company’s rooftop, he had considered every day he lived thereafter a bonus.

If Mingde hadn’t needed someone with his skills, if the headhunter hadn’t found Yan Hai, and if Yan Hai hadn’t happened to call him at just the right moment…

Since this opportunity had appeared, he decided he would make the most of it.

---

Not long after Jiang Bai joined, many of his former colleagues—who had started the business with him and fallen alongside him—followed suit.

Some of them had initially planned to return to their hometowns after the crushing blow of their failed startup.

These were seasoned management professionals, each highly capable on their own, and together they formed a cohesive and formidable team. Recruiting such talent was a dream come true for any company owner, and Jin Yaotiao was no exception.

She heard that Yan Hai and the others had sold off their hometown properties to help Jiang Bai repay debts. By the time the debts were mostly cleared, they were left penniless.

Jin Yaotiao arranged for Mingde to rent housing for them and even advanced a portion of their salaries so they wouldn’t struggle too much.

After selling their homes, being displaced for months, and believing they had no future in the city, the group finally moved into the accommodations Mingde had arranged.

Once their luggage was settled, they stepped onto the balcony and looked out at the vibrant cityscape.

They stood in silence for a long time before exchanging smiles.

Leaning against the railing, Jiang Bai softly said, “From now on, let’s start fresh.”