Looking at An Xin’s stubborn expression, Kaizi stomped his foot and gritted his teeth before saying,
“How about this? Today, you keep driving the cargo truck, and I’ll pay you the same rate as yesterday. Tomorrow, I’ll reserve a taxi for you and waive the rental fee. How does that sound?”

In order to recruit An Xin, an excellent driver, Kaizi was willing to make sacrifices. Increasing An Xin’s wages wasn’t realistic since that would upset Sanmao and Xiaozhong, who had been following him for so long. They might grow resentful of An Xin.

After all, they were brothers who had stuck by him for years. He couldn’t create a rift just because An Xin made more money driving for a day or two. However, waiving the taxi rental fee was manageable since Kaizi owned those taxis. As the boss, he had the final say on whether or not to collect rent.

An Xin, understanding his position, didn’t push further. She merely adjusted the conditions.
“Alright, Brother Kaizi, but I might be busy tomorrow and unable to drive the taxi. Let’s waive the fee the day after tomorrow instead. Also, as long as I don’t say otherwise, I’d like you to reserve a taxi for me every day. I want to keep working in this industry. Is that okay?”

Tomorrow was her mother’s surgery, and she couldn’t leave An Yang, a child, to handle everything alone. She needed to be there, waiting outside the operating room. She wasn’t sure how long the surgery would take, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to drive tomorrow. The day after should work.

Kaizi’s gaze toward her became meaningful after hearing her request. The cigarette in the corner of his mouth, now nearly burned to the end, bobbed as he spoke slowly.
“An Xin, I didn’t realize you were such a far-sighted young woman.”

Her ambition was apparent, but that was fine. In their line of work, ambition was practically a prerequisite. When An Xin had first approached him to rent a car, he’d known she wasn’t an ordinary person.

It was even better this way. Having been in the game for so long, Kaizi understood that it was always better to have more friends than enemies in business.

An Xin caught the deeper meaning in Kaizi’s words but pretended not to notice. She concluded decisively,
“Then I’ll take that as a yes!”

Her bright and straightforward demeanor was free of pretension. Kaizi couldn’t help but admire her decisiveness. Grabbing her slender arm, he began dragging her outside, muttering,
“Alright, it’s settled. Let’s get to work!”

Not used to being dragged around like a sack of potatoes by a grown man, An Xin struggled and protested,
“Hey! Don’t pull me like that; I can walk by myself.”

Kaizi, unbothered, discarded his spent cigarette and kept pulling her along. He replied nonchalantly,
“Stop wasting time. I’m just trying to hurry things along!”

“Ugh, let go! What if someone sees us? It won’t look good!”

As a married woman, being seen pulling and tugging with a man, especially a stranger, wasn’t ideal. Her reputation was already poor enough. If someone saw this, it would only invite more rumors and slander.

At that moment, a large cargo truck roared past, kicking up dust and debris.

The young man in the passenger seat, his face grimy with dirt, withdrew his gaze from the window and turned to the driver, Huzi. He muttered,
“Hey, that woman pulling and tugging with that guy back there—doesn’t she look like our sister-in-law?”

Huzi kept his eyes fixed on the road, focused on driving. He glanced in the rearview mirror, catching a fleeting glimpse of two figures disappearing into a narrow alley.

“Sanzi, you must’ve seen wrong. Our sister-in-law’s a country girl. She married our big brother to stay at home, cook, and do laundry. Why would she be out here?”

Sanzi scratched his head, embarrassed.
“You’re right. Sister-in-law is so pretty, though. Big Brother really lucked out. No way he’d let her come to the city by herself. He probably treats her like a treasure.”

After following Bai Yichen for so long and meeting countless women, both urban and rural, they’d never encountered someone as stunning as their sister-in-law. Her fair complexion, delicate figure, and youthful charm were unforgettable.

It was a blessing she’d married their big brother—a rough but kindhearted man who could be trusted with her happiness.

“Enough with the commentary on Big Brother’s life,” Huzi said sternly while keeping his eyes on the road.
“Sanzi, focus on the side mirrors and keep an eye on the cargo. If someone steals anything off the back, you’ll be the one left starving.”

Duly chastised, Sanzi straightened up in his seat and saluted,
“Got it, Huzi. Don’t worry; I’ll keep an eye on it.”

This shipment carried everything Bai Yichen had invested in. Losing any of it would be a disaster—not only for him but for the team as well.

Over the years, Bai Yichen had taken in every child from the Red Star Orphanage who sought him out, providing them with jobs and support. He sent them out with Huzi to travel and work, ensuring they had stable futures before letting them go.

Some moved on, while others continued to join the group. They had all earned a decent living under Bai Yichen’s leadership, but the money went right back into the orphanage—to the children still in school or sent directly to Red Star.

As for Bai Yichen himself, he lived like a monk. Even his sudden marriage had been surprising. But everyone had seen his wife on their wedding day—a radiant beauty with the allure of a city girl and the innocence of the countryside.

No matter what, she was now Bai Yichen’s wife, and all his brothers hoped he could finally find happiness.

Bai Yichen had endured too much, like a lone wolf wandering the wilderness, constantly searching for hope and new opportunities and bringing this hope to his desperate brothers time and time again.