The Game of Global Mining

After his shower and late-night snack, Chun was working up a serious sweat...

Just then, the phone on Xiaoqin’s side of the bed chimed with a text. She grabbed it, glanced at the screen, and her expression froze for a second.

Chun asked, "What’s up?"

Xiaoqin tossed the phone aside and laughed, "Something from the neighborhood office, it’s taken care of. You must be tired, right?"

Chun thrust hard, "How could I be? We’re just getting started!"

Xiaoqin chuckled, "You lie down and rest, I’ll take over!"

Chun was delighted, "Alright then! Just go slow, be gentle."

Xiaoqin laughed, "Don’t hold it in, hurry up, we still need a second round tomorrow morning!"

"Ah, no... don’t—"

Chun let out a long breath, pulled her into his arms and held her tight, needing a while to come back to himself.

Finally, Xiaoqin asked, "Have you decided where we’re going to play tomorrow?"

Chun didn’t want to think at all, "Anywhere as long as it’s not that theme park."

"The mom of Zihan from the group arranged a family cookout, so why don’t we do a picnic with Fan and a few of his classmates’ families?"

"Works for me!"

Xiaoqin smiled slyly, "I see you were having a lot of fun tonight. Dare to play like that again tomorrow?"

Chun was stunned, "You mean... I show up in my delivery uniform?"

Xiaoqin nodded, "Yeah. Once we get there, you ride in on your motorbike later, create that image of a super busy dad still squeezing out time for his kid, and bring a pack of frozen beef with you while you’re at it."

Chun was dumbfounded, "In front of all the other parents?"

Xiaoqin chuckled, "No good?"

If this had been a month ago, Chun would rather die than lose face like that. Now he had some inner confidence, and he’d figured things out.

"What’s Fan going to think?"

Xiaoqin said, "I already told him. Daddy’s got a new job..."

Wasn’t this exactly what he’d imagined back when he first walked into the complex in his delivery uniform?

Chun sighed, "So this counts as educating Fan too, huh?"

Xiaoqin’s expression turned serious, "Yeah. These kids have already started getting really competitive. I want to throw a bucket of cold water on him."

Well, this is Shenjiang after all...

Chun sighed, "Alright then..."

...

Morning.

"Ah, Daddy’s back!!!"

Chun felt something heavy slam onto him, snapping him awake but leaving him dazed!

Then he felt the blanket being yanked away. Chun suddenly remembered he wasn’t wearing anything, and instantly reacted, grabbing the blanket back, "Fan~! Get off!!"

Fan refused to give up and rolled all over Chun, "Daddy, can we go to Dinini today?"

Chun snapped, "Too crowded, too packed. Let’s go out for a picnic instead."

Fan got anxious, "Nooo, I don’t want that!"

From the kitchen came Xiaoqin’s voice, "We’re going with Zihan, Zihan, Zihan, and Zhihuan’s families!"

Fan instantly lit up, "Awesome!"

Xiaoqin added, "Daddy still has one order to run this morning. Don’t get in his way while he’s getting up..."

Fan replied cheerfully, "Got it..."

Chun hurried to get dressed and wash up, then finally put on his delivery uniform, "I’m heading out first. Fan, see you in a bit!"

Fan’s smile froze in place, "Daddy, your new job is... food delivery?"

Chun smiled proudly, "Delivery? What delivery? Daddy’s a district supervisor, with ten thousand riders under him! We dominate Jiangdong! Shenjiang is Jiangdong..."

But Fan clearly wasn’t buying it. He just stared blankly, unable to process.

Kid, your mentality’s already blown? Chun felt a bit helpless. This was exactly why he hadn’t dared say anything back when he first lost his job.

Chun went downstairs to the garage, pushed out his motorbike, and took the initiative to greet the gate guard. The old guy’s smile was full of comfort and tolerance.

Right then, his phone rang. It was Xiaoqin, "Wait for us a bit. Zihan’s mom is worried about traffic and came half an hour early to pick us up. Perfect chance for you to meet and say hi first."

Ha! Facing the other parents this early in the morning, huh!

Before long, Xiaoqin came out pushing a dazed-looking Fan. The three of them headed to the street entrance of the complex.

Then a big Benz pulled up. A pretty girl in the passenger seat leaned out and waved, "Ding Xiaofan!!"

Xiaoqin laughed, "Wow, Zihan looks so pretty today!"

Chun also stepped up to greet them, "Thanks for the trouble!"

Zihan’s mom, who was driving, was stunned, "Wasn’t Mr. Ding an IT engineer? How did it end up like this?"

Chun smiled calmly, "Got laid off! I’m doing deliveries for now, then I’ll meet you guys there."

Zihan’s mom immediately said, "It’s really okay, really. All the big companies are doing restructuring lately..."

Chun listened with a constant smile. When you got down to it, where did his newfound calm come from? From the Ten Lords!! When he got back online, he had to hang a one-ton medal on each of them.

After Xiaoqin and Fan drove off, Chun went to the supermarket to pick up a few kilos of steak.

Then he followed them out of the city.

Chun suddenly noticed a very familiar security car in his rearview mirror!

Holy shit!! Could it be...? Fine, just pretend not to see it.

At 10 a.m., Chun arrived at the meeting spot by the riverside in the suburbs. It was early summer; birds chirping and grass growing couldn’t compete with all the cars out for day trips. Chun was suddenly hit with a wave of boredom.

Xiaoqin waved him over.

"Coming, coming!"

In the camp, there were folding chairs, folding tables, a coffee stove, a big blanket, and a very fancy grill. Zihan’s dad was leaning back in a folding chair working on a tablet; Zihan’s dad was playing chess with Zihan’s dad; Zhihuan’s dad was casting a lure for bass by the riverside. You had to admit, each one of them looked like a fashion model exuding international chic.

Chun went around greeting them and shaking hands one by one. Everyone responded with polite smiles, fully displaying Shenjiang manners—and also highlighting how completely out of place Chun was. Honestly, even with his inner confidence, in front of these dads he still felt that confidence didn’t count for much.

Chun suddenly saw Fan sitting off to the side, cheeks puffed, playing on his phone alone instead of with the other kids.

Chun smiled, "Fan, why aren’t you playing with everyone?"

Fan snapped, "I said my dad has ten thousand people under him, and they didn’t believe me. They laughed and said I was lying, and now they won’t play with me! Dad, call your men over and show them!"

Chun was dumbstruck!

Xiaoqin scolded, "Stop spouting nonsense!"

Fan was on the verge of tears, "But Daddy said so, ten thousand riders under him, sweeping all of Jiangdong!"

Pu! Zihan’s dad and Zihan’s dad, who had been sipping coffee and playing chess, both couldn’t help but spit it out.

In that instant, something tugged at Chun’s heartstrings.

Honestly, educating a kid? Even as an adult, this scene was hard to bear! Why had he insisted on pretending to be so strong? In this international metropolis, if you don’t act, you really can’t survive.

He’d overdone it. The kid couldn’t handle it. Neither could he.

Chun could only say helplessly, "Wait a bit..."

Chun walked a bit down the riverside to get some distance and made a call, "President Zhou... I need a favor!"

Zhou Qing laughed, "Brother Chun, just say the word!"

Chun felt embarrassed, "So, I bragged too much in front of my son, and now he can’t hold his head up in front of his classmates. Could you arrange for a few hundred riders from Fandian Delivery to gather here, and just shout one line: ’General Ding, sir!’"

Zhou Qing burst out laughing, "On a picnic, huh? Send me your location, I’ll get on it right away!"

Chun let out a long sigh of relief, "Sorry to trouble you again, President Zhou!"

Zhou Qing chuckled, "A few hundred enough?"

Chun quickly said, "Plenty, plenty. There are a lot of cars around this campsite, don’t block traffic."

Zhou Qing laughed, "It’s fine, I’ll check the road conditions and try to send a few more..."