The day Lin Wei officially left for his new job began with the smell of steamed buns and nervous excitement.
The entire courtyard was awake before sunrise.
Auntie Zhang was bustling about the communal kitchen, scolding anyone who got in her way.Uncle Luo was pacing like an anxious father on exam day.Old Madam Chen sat quietly by her doorway, eyes misty but proud.
And Liu Fang…She stood by the apricot tree, hands clasped behind her back, waiting.
It felt like the whole siheyuan was sending him off, as if he were a soldier leaving for the front lines.
A Morning of Gifts
Before he could even take three steps out of his room, Uncle Luo shoved something into his hands.
"Here! A thermos! For tea! You'll need it. Bureau offices are cold in winter."
He thrust the metal container at Lin Wei as if it were a sacred artifact.
Auntie Zhang swooped in immediately after.
"And this is lunch! Braised pork, two eggs, and scallion pancakes. You'll eat it slowly, you hear me? Slowly! Don't shovel it down like a starving wolf!"
Lin Wei tried not to laugh.
Old Madam Chen shuffled forward next, holding a small cloth pouch embroidered with fading threads.
"This is for luck," she said softly. "It belonged to my son. It kept him safe every day he worked outside."
Lin Wei bowed deeply."Thank you, Grandma Chen."
She nodded, brushing a trembling hand over his hair.
"You're a good boy. You'll do well."
But it was the final person who approached that made Lin Wei's heart tighten.
The Lantern Girl
Liu Fang walked toward him, lantern in hand.
The paper lantern she had painted for him days ago.Still glowing faintly from within, though it wasn't lit.
Lin Wei blinked. "Why are you—"
She pushed it gently into his arms.
"Take it."
Her voice was soft, almost too soft.
"You don't have to hang it anywhere. Just… keep it in your bag. It might remind you of home."
Lin Wei swallowed.
"Thank you."
She hesitated, then stepped closer, lowering her voice so no one but him could hear.
"Work hard," she murmured. "But don't push yourself until it hurts. Heaven rewards diligence, not self-destruction."
A familiar warmth spread through him.
He nodded."I'll remember."
Stepping Out
When Professor Han arrived at the gate, bicycle parked neatly beside him, all eyes turned toward Lin Wei.
"It's time," the professor announced.
The courtyard went still.
Lin Wei lifted his bag.His gifts.The lantern.Everything they had given him.
He turned toward the siheyuan—the apricot tree, the old walls, the red doors, the neighbors who had become more than neighbors.
"Take care!" Auntie Zhang called.
"Don't bully the boy!" Uncle Luo shouted at Professor Han.
"Eat well!""Write to us!""Visit often!""Don't forget your roots!"
Their voices blended into a patchwork of affection.
Lin Wei bowed deeply to all of them.
"I'll come back."
And with that, he stepped out of the gate.
For the first time…The world beyond did not seem frightening.
The City Construction Bureau
Professor Han led him through the bustling streets, past trams rattling over old tracks, past vendors selling sesame cakes, past wide avenues with towering trees.
And finally—They reached a tall grey building with the city emblem carved above its doors.
The City Construction Bureau.
Dozens of employees hurried inside, carrying blueprints, surveying tools, rolled maps.
It was a world far larger than the siheyuan.
Lin Wei inhaled deeply, steadying himself.
Professor Han placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Don't be afraid," he said. "This place is full of old bones and rusty gears. We need young hands like yours."
Lin Wei nodded.
The System Reacts
The moment he crossed the building threshold, the familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[New Environment Detected][Skill Expansion Triggered]
[Unlocked: Blueprint Interpretation Lv.1][Unlocked: Structural Weak Point Detection Lv.1][Unlocked: Supervisor Presence Bonus — +5% Work Efficiency for Nearby Teams]
[Heaven has extended its reach.]
Lin Wei blinked.
Skills… for this place?
He hadn't expected the system to adapt so quickly.
But maybe that was heaven's way of saying:You made the right choice.
A Test of Ability
Professor Han guided him to a drafting room filled with wooden tables and large sheets of paper pinned beneath weights.
"Before you begin official work," the professor said, "I want you to try something."
He placed a blueprint on the table—a drawing of an old residential block scheduled for renovation.
"Find the structural weaknesses," he instructed. "Mark them."
Lin Wei stared at the complex lines, symbols, and measurements.
His pulse raced.
He had never studied this formally.
But then—
[Skill Activated: Blueprint Interpretation Lv.1][Lines clarified.Symbols rearranged themselves.Weak points glowed faintly.]
Lin Wei's hand moved almost on its own.
Within minutes he had circled four critical weaknesses.
Professor Han leaned over his shoulder.
"…Correct."
He circled two more.
The professor's eyes widened.
"Also correct."
He found a final point—one even the professor seemed unsure of.
Professor Han double-checked the measurements twice.
Then he let out a low whistle.
"…That one too."
He turned to Lin Wei with an expression that wasn't just impressed.
It was astonished.
"Boy," the professor murmured, "do you know what you've just done?"
Lin Wei shook his head nervously.
Professor Han grinned.
"You've proven you're not just a craftsman.""You're a natural engineer."
Back at the Courtyard…
Meanwhile, the siheyuan was strangely quiet without him.
Old Madam Chen kept glancing at the gate.Auntie Zhang checked the time repeatedly.Uncle Luo smoked anxiously.And Liu Fang stood beneath the apricot tree, looking at the empty spot where the lantern had hung.
She touched the branch gently.
"…Come back safely," she whispered.
Little did she know—Lin Wei's first day had just begun shaping a destiny none of them could imagine.