Chapter 359: A Young Man Arrives in the Socialite Circle

"Newton and Gao Si were born before me~ Is it the slow bird flies first or avoiding my edge~"

"Qin King Ying Zheng was born a thousand years before me~ Is it fearing me by three parts or kings never meeting kings~"

Saturday, 8 AM, Lin Li hummed "God's Rap," wearing a set of worn-out clothes and pants, and arrived at the downstairs of the residential complex.

This rap indeed ruined Lin Li's filter regarding predecessors.

Indeed, the world all praises Gao Si as an absolute mathematical genius, "unprecedented and even to this day still unrivaled," but a problem that took him a whole night to solve, Lin Li only needed one Gao Si formula to solve in seconds.

The difference is clear; who is the shockwave goes without saying.

Carrying a self-satisfied mood, Lin Li arrived at the open space in the residential complex; the previously purchased supplies were still perfectly placed there.

They were the cement, gravel, trowel, putty knife, mixing bucket, and other items bought at the start of this week.

Even if delivered upstairs they would still need labor to carry down, so Lin Li directly had the courier leave them downstairs.

The old residential complex's public security is not too good, but also pretty good, so these things had no loss at all.

Today morning's arrangement is very simple, pull the progress of "Earth," this weekend feels like the elemental mission can be completed.

Using the putty knife to slice open a bag of cement and gravel, looking at the sand dust and gray soil stained on the putty knife, Lin Li raised an eyebrow.

To do a job well, one must first sharpen one's tools.

What Lin Li is going to do next, presumably everyone can guess.

Yes, that's right, Lin Li grabbed the putty knife and began smearing it on his own body and face.

—From the process of completing other elements, Lin Li's gained experience is that this mission is extremely formalistic; eating spicy food with a tough mouth, resisting bribes with sonorous words, can all greatly increase mission completion efficiency.

So, before truly starting work, first making oneself dusty and gray-faced, looking like the intensity is very high, while during the process firmly saying not tired, all help increase efficiency.

The system is still too businesslike.

And unknown if this "Earth" getup is also a link recognized by the system, during the smearing process the mission progressed slowly.

This further increased Lin Li's confidence.

When marginal benefit became minuscule, Lin Li had already become a little mud man.

Only then did Lin Li take out his phone, look up methods and techniques for mixing cement mortar, preparing to start work.

Chen Yuying woke up quite early today, had already replied with her good morning, and sent a few messages.

On the WeChat list, Yan Aosong's name was still on the initial interface, visible without even pulling down.

Able to break through the siege under the pinned Chen Yuying and group chats, Yan Aosong naturally has his own capital.

—His wife.

Last night's misunderstanding was finally resolved, only the time spent was indeed a bit long.

Lin Li actually didn't quite understand, why everyone and Uncle Yan's wife all spoke the truth, but she just refused to believe it?

Yesterday after himself, fearing his Uncle Yan might suddenly die in the car, so he called again.

After it connected, he told Uncle Yan's wife everything in detail: that he is the "Black Stockings Hero," and the original black stockings maxim "Some belong to the night, some belong to black stockings, the night belongs to everyone, but black stockings belong only to me," and so on...

Then got scolded "sick in the head" ne.

Yan Aosong wanted to cry but had no tears, hurriedly told his wife "This is all fact, what Lin Li said is all true ah."

Then got scolded "You still protect him now Yan Aosong you go with Lin Li take the kid too call him mommy" ne.

Lin Li of course refused, he doesn't want a male mommy.

But also don't know what Uncle Yan's kid is called, if Lin Li were to name it, Lin Li hopes regardless of male or female, can be a person useful to society — called Yan She how about it?

Can also be called Yan Yansummer all flavors.

Self naming aspect has always been a genius.

Digressed, after discovering the two could not persuade Yan Aosong's wife, another party involved and the biggest culprit Yang Liang also joined the battlefield.

Of course, "biggest" evaluation comes from Lin Li, after all Lin Li feels, if Uncle Yang hadn't unnecessarily taken out his black stockings, the later things simply wouldn't have happened.

And when another Town Demon Envoy also swore on his reputation that what Lin Li and Yan Aosong said were all true, only then did Yan Aosong's wife quiet down.

Subsequently her worldview slightly collapsed.

This is true.

This is true?!

This fucking can be true???

Counter-questions for verification came one after another, Lin Li explained until mouth dry tongue parched, so he doesn't quite understand how this wild auntie's brain thinks.

Isn't this a very normal thing, if someone else told Lin Li this situation, Lin Li feels he would believe at the first moment and ask how to join this authoritative operation.

What happened later, because the phone hung up, Lin Li doesn't know.

But Yan Aosong at 1 AM in the middle of the night sent himself a message:

"Uncle's side all cleared up, already no problem, when free come to Uncle's house for a meal, your auntie really wants to see you."

Another three minutes passed.

"Lin Li, best not bring black stockings."

Another three minutes passed.

"Lin Li, best after arriving at my house don't speak."

Another three minutes passed.

"Lin Li, best don't have time."

Waking up in the morning seeing the originally quite moved Lin Li, after reading the later messages, he wasn't heehee anymore.

Seriously suspect the first was Uncle and Auntie sent together, the later all Uncle added after deep consideration.

Alas, Xiling people one by one are still too cold.

This point differs from Freljord for long — a society where a "bottle cap" and a "sorry bro" can solve all problems, envy.

Is this far-fetched or not?

However, since Uncle Yan didn't want to go himself, I'll just find a chance to visit another day.

"Lin Li?"

"Eh!" Hearing someone call his name, Lin Li's thoughts broke away from how to torment Uncle Yan, and he turned to look at the source of the voice, "Grandma Zhang, what's up?"

It was Zhang Fang, currently looking at him with a face full of curiosity.

"Wow, it really is you, ya," Zhang Fang looked at the little local bumpkin before her with slight surprise, and after confirming it was Lin Li, raised an eyebrow:

"Grandma didn't even dare recognize you just now, what are you doing, how did you get yourself into this state, are you okay?"

"Oh, Grandma, I'm completely fine." Upon hearing this, Lin Li hurriedly gestured for her to set her mind at ease, then pointed at the materials before him and explained:

"Grandma, I saw that a lot of the ground in the community isn't all potholed, right? Whether walking or riding a bike normally, it's uncomfortable, and our community doesn't have a property management that actually does anything. It just so happens I'm free on weekends too, so I planned to go repair it a bit, convenient for me and convenient for everyone."

Zhang Fang suddenly realized: "Oh oh, so all these things were bought by you? I was saying a few days ago in the group I asked everyone whose this was, and no one replied."

"Sorry Grandma, I don't really check the group normally." Lin Li scratched his head.

Pulled into the community group chat, the first thing Lin Li did was mute group notifications.

"It's fine, it's fine, Grandma understands," Zhang Fang waved her hands repeatedly, then looked a bit embarrassed:

"If anyone should say sorry, it should be Grandma. Our community has no property management, but we have a residents' committee; this kind of thing was originally supposed to be our responsibility.

You say, this matter... everyone definitely noticed the road and all that too, but in the end it took a kid like you to come help everyone solve it, Grandma doesn't even know where to put her face."

"It's everyone's community, what's there to say, it's all the same." Lin Li said politely.

"You've gotten yourself into this state," Zhang Fang looked at Lin Li's current dusty, dirty face again, the meaning in her eyes completely changed, a bit moved: "Too hard, how could this kind of thing be left to a kid alone, wait, Grandma's going to rally people right now!"

"Grandma, no need, I should be able to do it alone."

"Tch, you said it yourself it's everyone's community, so naturally everyone should come together, and where's the logic in a kid running around busy while us adults and elderly enjoy the blessings.

Just right, the community indeed needs tidying up, these weeds and benches and such also need organizing or cleaning, no more talking, Grandma's going to rally people."

Not giving Lin Li a chance to refute, Zhang Fang walked away briskly.

Lin Li didn't mind too much either, and it didn't hinder him from completing the task; after all, such a large community would always have places that could be improved.

Music drifted from the community park not far away.

Lin Li looked up.

On the plaza, several grandmas were dancing square dance to the music's rhythm as usual.

Wait.

Zhang Fang was among them, and she was the lead one.

Sway sway~

Lin Li: "... (；o_o)?"

Wait.

Grandma, so the "you go rally people" you just said turns out to be THIS kind of rallying people?

Th-that's... that's too rallying people.

So Grandma Zhang is this abstract too?

But Lin Li soon realized he had misunderstood, because after a few minutes, a grandpa walked over looking around, and upon seeing Lin Li, immediately had a direction and walked straight over.

"Grandpa Fu."

Lin Li wasn't too familiar with the uncle/auntie generation in the community, but the grandpa/grandma generation he was more familiar with because he saw them more mornings and evenings, so he could call out names directly.

"Eh, Lin Li." Fu Wenda nodded, then also went straight to the point, rolled up his sleeves and walked over, looking at Lin Li's appearance, exclaimed in admiration:

"Working this hard, huh."

"Grandma Zhang said in the group about your plan, good kid, Grandpa used to do this stuff, now I'm here to help you."

"What step have you reached now? Done a lot already, right? Where do I need to start?"

Lin Li froze upon hearing this.

Looking at the materials before him that were almost completely untouched, Lin Li thought for a moment, then spoke seriously to Fu Wenda: "Grandpa, I've already slit open all the packaging bags."

Fu Wenda nodded, smiling gently at Lin Li, waiting for him to continue.

Although he felt this sentence could have been left unsaid, Fu Wenda thought, it should be that Lin Li is detail-oriented, thinking about whether "slit" was the right word.

Mm, this kid has heart.

So— "Slit well!" Fu Wenda nodded, kids need more encouragement, his gaze carrying admiration: "Then what."

"..."

"..."

Lin Li qaq: "Grandpa, that's it."

Fu Wenda froze: "Hm?"

What do you mean Grandpa that's it, Grandpa I ah, am still alive, you know.

"Grandpa, I only did up to this step, the rest hasn't started yet." The two gazed at each other, facing Fu Wenda's expectation, Lin Li's gaze drifted.

Fu Wenda: "(；o_o)?"

Freezing again, Fu Wenda widened his eyes, looking at Lin Li covered head to toe in gray dust and mud, face full of disbelief.

This means, in the time it took this kid to slit two cuts on two bags, he got himself into this dusty, dirty state?

—Then Fu Wenda would rather believe "Lin Li just single-handedly built a building then blew it up then cleaned the site and completely restored it to the pre-building environment"!?

"Then what's with you..."

"Grandpa, not important anymore," seeing the message on his phone, Lin Li handed his phone to Fu Wenda: "Grandpa, can you help me take a photo first."

"Ah? Eh? Okay..." Although he didn't know why the turn went here, Fu Wenda still nodded, took the phone and prepared to take a photo.

However, looking at the phone, at Lin Li holding a mud shovel striking a cool pose against the sandbag, Fu Wenda pondered a moment, pupils contracting!

Understood! Fu Wenda instantly understood!

Fu Wenda had heard that in today's society, all kinds of fake socialites are popular; they go to various places to pose for photos to piece together a false image of themselves, aiming to land a rich suitor, or simply to make others envious.

Long ago, he had seen a news story: "63 socialites split the cost of a single Balenciaga stocking, but because one socialite had athlete's foot, it ultimately led to 32 people getting fungal infections."

And the Lin Li before him might just be a... construction site socialite!

Tsk, the male equivalent would be better called a gentleman, so that would be... a civil engineering gentleman!

Eh, damn, how is this civil engineering student so scheming.

Although Fu Wenda's mind was racing with countless thoughts, he still helped Lin Li finish taking the photos and returned the phone to him, merely looking at Lin Li with some regret, wondering if there was still a chance to straighten out his values.

From a certain angle, Fu Wenda's thinking was correct.

"Lin Li: 【Image】"

"Lin Li: Serving the community 'hard' 'hard'"

The posed photos Fu Wenda took for Lin Li indeed became Lin Li's capital for fishing for a mermaid.

Truly a construction site socialite.

"Chen Yuying: I'm also on the way to Grandpa and Grandma's house."

"Chen Yuying: 【Image】"

A selfie leaning against the car window, cute and adorable.

Look, fishing successful!

This is what a genius is!

Fingers need no thought! Long press! Select original! Save locally!

"Lin Li: Damn, at first glance I thought it was AI-generated, only after looking a few more times did I realize it turns out I've fallen for her!"

"Lin Li: Slurp slurp~"

"Chen Yuying: 【Little Bear Flying Kick】"

"Lin Li: Isn't the praise good."

"Chen Yuying: I love you too."

"Lin Li: Sweet, then I'll continue serving everyone. My hands will be covered in dust soon so I can't look at my phone, so if I don't reply, don't go crying to the police, you can cry a bit later."

"Chen Yuying: Got it~"

"Lin Li: Right, when you get home, remember to tell me, I might call you then."

"Chen Yuying: Okay~"

"Chen Yuying: 【Plush Bear Salute】"

After finishing chatting with Chen Yuying, Lin Li stuffed his phone into his pocket, did a few stretches, and looked at Fu Wenda: "Grandpa Fu, let's begin."

Fu Wenda froze: "We're really starting?"

The construction site socialite really intends to plaster?

Lin Li also froze: "We're not starting?"

If not starting, what did you come down for?

Lin Li had always been sharp, so he quickly formed a guess — could it be that Grandpa Fu also wanted to make Zhang Fang happy, so he responded immediately and came downstairs, but actually wanted to slack off?

Eh, damn, how is this Grandpa Fu so scheming.

The two faced each other, both full of suspicion.

Fu Wenda probed: "Then... shall we start?"

Lin Li also probed: "How about... we start then?"

Fu Wenda laughed: "Alright, Lin Li, you please."

Lin Li also laughed: "Okay, Grandpa, you please too."

In this day and age, where are there so many misunderstandings that can last so long by sheer coincidence.

This small misunderstanding was immediately dispelled once they formally started mixing the cement mortar; both sides could see the other truly intended to do this.

Especially Lin Li, for the sake of mission progress he was truly giving it his all, fully focused, wholehearted, utterly inhuman.

After discovering this kid Lin Li had plenty of strength, Fu Wenda just directed from the side and made fine adjustments.

Still meaningful.

Online guides and such are all too vague; beginners just looking at those words and pictures have no real feel for it; in reality, because of subtle differences in materials, both ratios and techniques differ.

Plastering truly is an art.

Civil engineering students smell strong, no need to sniff much, especially right after getting off work.

Lin Li learned many experiences and knowledge that books and the internet cannot truly convey.

At the same time, as time passed, more neighbors who responded to Zhang Fang's call came down, mostly grandpas and grandmas, a small portion uncles and aunties.

Including Zhang Fang, who also quickly finished her square dancing and brought those grandmas over to join in helping.

Naturally, with so many people, they couldn't all crowd around the few things Lin Li bought; some brought their own new tools and materials, more started handling other community affairs — sweeping the ground, clearing overgrown weeds, replacing anticorrosive paint on outdoor benches...

A scene of thriving vitality and myriad things vying for growth, the realm still before one's eyes.

"Lin Li."

Lin Li, already squatting on the ground filling gaps, heard someone call him and looked up, then greeted: "Zi'ang Ge?"

It was the university student he met at the community DIY mooncake event during the previous Mid-Autumn Festival, Ceng Ziang.

"It's me, also dragged down by family. Good thing you're here, I'll help too." Ceng Ziang held a trowel at this moment, squatted beside him, and nodded.

"Bro, how come you're in Xiling today too, came home this weekend?" Lin Li's hands didn't stop moving, while asking to not seem like he had nothing to say.

Nansang has no university, so university students are all "out of town"; normally they wouldn't come home every weekend, too wasteful of money; most only return on holidays, or even less often.

"I, I have no classes in senior year, plus I found an internship in Nansang, so I've been staying at home for over a month." Ceng Ziang explained.

"Internship, you're not taking the civil service exam anymore?"

Lin Li recalled Ceng Ziang's previous plan and asked again.

"I actually did sign up, and the exam is next weekend, but look at my current state — not doing any final prep at all, and dragged down here by my family to serve the residential community — you can tell I've already given up.

As for whether I'll go next week just to experience it so the registration fee doesn't go to waste... we'll see."

Ceng Ziang answered with a smile, but then, to explain he hadn't given up for no reason, he didn't stop there:

"I decided to take the civil service exam originally because jobs were hard to find, but now I've found an internship, the tripartite agreement is already signed, and I've got their offer too — I can officially start after graduation.

The job I found is pretty satisfactory, plus I wasn't confident I'd be the one to stand out among hundreds of people anyway, so I gave it up, and my family thinks it's fine too."

"Then congratulations." Lin Li nodded.

It was worth congratulating, and counted as landing a secure position early.

"Thanks, it really is great," Ceng Ziang had a bit of an urge to share, or rather, to show off:

"Local job, though not in Xiling, it's in the neighboring town — less than half an hour by car, don't even need to rent a place, almost no overtime, performance targets won't drive you to death, and the colleague atmosphere is very harmonious.

And, Lin Li, do you know what's most important? This job has two days off — not one day off, not alternating weeks, it's genuine two days off!"

"What! Two days off!" Lin Li very cooperatively gave emotional value.

Who knows when it started, but two days off — which should be common sense — has actually become a shocking bonus.

But two days off is indeed not bad; even for myself, it's still incomplete two days off — Sunday night is taken up.

Starting senior year of high school, Sunday afternoon is gone too.

Of course, compared to those extreme schools that only rest half a day a week, I already count as happy.

"Yeah! Very good!" Ceng Ziang nodded heavily: "Lin Li, did you know, I calculated — a one-day-off person works 53 more days a year than a two-day-off person, that's two months!

Based on forty years, that's eighty months more for one-day-off people, seven years of work!"

"Find a two-day-off job! Equals working seven fewer years!"

Lin Li frowned slightly at those words, sneering a little at this answer: "Wrong."

Ceng Ziang: "I calculated..."

Lin Li: "Where can a one-day-off person live that long."

Ceng Ziang: "(；o_o)?"

Lin Li continued: "By my estimate, a one-day-off worker's lifetime work years will be many fewer than a two-day-off worker's, anywhere from several years to over a decade less."

Ceng Ziang, who had been ready to retort after the first sentence, started to speak then stopped, stopped then started, and finally nodded:

"... Sorry, Lin Li, my calculation method was biased."

(End of chapter)