The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Li Zhi felt a little dejected. He’d fallen for Gu’er at first sight. He loved her simplicity, her youthfulness, her maturity, her diligence, and her down-to-earth, hardworking nature. In short, Gu’er was unlike any girl he’d ever met, and she had truly captured his heart. But he was a step too late—she already had someone, and a man from her own village at that.

He was both dejected and impressed by Gu’er. He was disappointed that he couldn’t be with her, but it also proved that she was a loyal woman, not one to be easily swayed. For that, he respected her from the bottom of his heart.

Li Zhi watched as Gu’er took off her gloves to touch the rime ice.

"Gu’er, be careful you don’t freeze your hands," Li Zhi said with concern.

"It’s fine."

Gu’er turned back and smiled at Li Zhi.

The rime ice was crystalline, reflecting the rosy glow of Gu’er’s cheeks. Her smile was lovely and bright—utterly captivating.

’Such a genuine girl. It would be wonderful if she were with me,’ he thought. ’I’m sure we’d be a great match.’

’A shame she’s not mine. Ah, forget it.’ Li Zhi shook his head.

"Are you really moving out after the fifteenth?" Li Zhi asked Gu’er.

The smile on Gu’er’s face faded. She gave a slight nod. ’It’s probably for the best that I move out. Otherwise, Cao Qiu will just keep showing up. Mom can’t handle the way she makes a scene. I don’t want to destroy the little bit of family feeling that’s left.’

"When the time comes, let me help you move."

Li Zhi looked at Gu’er, his expression serious.

"No, it’s okay. I don’t have much. Just a few clothes and some books. I can carry it all myself."

Gu’er didn’t want to trouble him.

"Actually, I don’t just want to help you move. There’s something I need to talk to you about."

Li Zhi smiled slightly.

"Oh? What is it?"

’She really couldn’t imagine what business Li Zhi could have with her.’

"Do you want to make money?"

Li Zhi asked Gu’er, his eyes shining with a startling intensity.

Gu’er was taken aback.

"Of course."

Gu’er answered without hesitation. She did indeed want to make money. ’Who in their right mind doesn’t?’

"Good, as long as you want to make money. After you move, I’ll come find you and we can talk about it properly."

Li Zhi seemed to have guessed Gu’er would answer this way. A girl who refused a job arranged by her father and chose to make money by running a stall herself—that showed she wasn’t afraid of hard work. It also showed she had vision. The fact that she studied business management meant she was ambitious. He had seen all this in her. He believed that even if Gu’er couldn’t be his girlfriend, she could be his business partner.

"Why don’t you tell me now? I want to see if it’s feasible. Otherwise, it’ll just keep bugging me."

Gu’er didn’t take Li Zhi’s proposal too seriously. ’He’s a police officer. Whatever money-making scheme he has in mind probably won’t be a good fit for me.’

"You know about Russia?"

Li Zhi asked Gu’er.

"You don’t mean... you want to go to Russia and be a speculator?"

Gu’er furrowed her brow slightly. She knew about Russia. Even if she hadn’t been there in her past life, she had certainly heard of it. Their region was very close to Russia, separated only by a river. But no matter how close, they were still two different countries.

Gu’er recalled that this era had indeed seen the rise of many speculators. She had heard about them. In many places, people started flocking to Russia in the nineties to make money. But here, because of the proximity, people had been going to Russia as speculators since the eighties. It wasn’t exactly legal, nor was it as frenzied as it would later become.

In her past life, she heard a story about a few people from a village who traded a truckload of watermelons for a Russian tank. At the time, she thought it was unbelievable, a fairy tale. But looking back, it seemed plausible. Scarcity creates value. Things that were unavailable in Russia at that time would certainly fetch a high price. This gave rise to many speculators, made their fortunes, and allowed many people to get rich.

It wasn’t that Gu’er didn’t know about this, but after her rebirth, she had never considered becoming a speculator in Russia. It wasn’t an easy job. She had heard plenty of stories: people getting arrested in Russia, people running into trouble at customs, and countless others getting robbed. Some lost their money, while others lost their lives.

Yes, it was a way to make money, but she was just a woman, a young woman at that. Even if someone like her made money, she would just become a target for others. She could end up losing both her life and her fortune. Because of that, she just wanted to earn a little money safely.

"You know about it?"

Li Zhi hadn’t expected Gu’er to know about this. The light in his eyes grew even brighter.

"Aren’t you a police officer? Why would you give up a perfectly good job as a cop to become a speculator?"

Gu’er didn’t quite understand Li Zhi. It seemed he was obsessed with doing business.

"Being a cop was my dad’s idea. He told me to take the exam, so I did, and I didn’t expect to pass. But I want to do business myself! Why else would I have studied business management? When I heard you were running your own business, I just knew we would click. I wouldn’t have mentioned this to anyone else. So, what do you say? Are you interested in going to Russia with me? We can make money together. I’m sure we’ll be the best partners."

Li Zhi’s eyes shone brightly. In that moment, he was filled with soaring ambition. In that moment, he was also captivating.

’Am I interested?’ Gu’er asked herself. ’Yes, I’m definitely interested.’

’But what if we run into danger?’

Gu’er’s brow furrowed. She was afraid of the risk because she was used to a stable life.

"You don’t want to?"

Li Zhi felt a little anxious. He had thought Gu’er would be excited, but he was surprised to see she showed no signs of happiness.

"No, that’s not it. I’m just scared. I’ve heard there are robberies."

Gu’er didn’t hide her feelings.

"It’s fine, you’ll have me, won’t you? With a big guy like me protecting you, what’s there to be afraid of?"

Li Zhi chuckled. ’Women really aren’t as bold as men.’

"Just the two of us?"

Gu’er was skeptical. ’If Li Zhi is looking for people, there must be plenty of others. Why go to the trouble of asking a woman like me?’

"I have a friend coming too. Don’t worry, he’s very reliable. As for other people, some think business is too unstable, and others I just don’t rate. I’m not interested in asking them."

Since Li Zhi wanted to bring Gu’er in, he wouldn’t hide things from her. Finding a partner in business was crucial. You had to find someone trustworthy, capable, and compatible.

’Three people are better than two.’ Gu’er still trusted Li Zhi, but... ’Still...’

’Should I go or not?’

Gu’er gripped a branch of rime ice tightly.

The ice was cold and hard. The chilling, slightly painful sensation traveled from her hand to her heart.

’What am I afraid of?’

’What is there to be afraid of!’

’I’m someone who’s been reborn. I’ve already lived a whole life, so what is there to fear? Since heaven has given me this chance, why can’t I be a little braver? If I want to make money, I should just go for it! I’ve even cut someone down, so what else should I fear? I need to take that do-or-die spirit and do what I want to do. I’m so young. I should have a daring drive, not be so hesitant and timid.’

Gu’er straightened her back, a confident expression flashing across her face.

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Thank you to ann555141 for the monthly ticket, and thank you all for your support. Any guesses on what Gu’er will take to Russia to sell?