Chapter 145: Island Love Day

Although Chen Jianhai was still unsure how the system measured the satisfaction of the island's residents, he followed the principle of pursuing both major and minor goals.

"Don't worry, your café will thrive and last a long time," Chen Jianhai reassured.

Feng Di was taken aback but then gratefully responded, "Thank you for your support. I will do my best."

Sometimes, during the toughest times, it is the kind encouragement from strangers that can warm one's heart and provide strength.

Just as Feng Di was moved and about to cut a fruit plate for Chen Jianhai, he heard Chen Jianhai's voice behind him:

"I see your café is struggling to stay open. How about I invest some money and become your partner? We can run this café together."

Feng Di turned around abruptly, shocked, thinking he had misheard. He knew better than anyone the state of his café. Who in their right mind would invest in it?

Chen Jianhai calmly said, "I've visited this café once before. Although the coffee isn't the best, I genuinely like the ambiance. I heard your business isn't doing well, and I don't want to see a new owner or a different business here the next time I visit."

He added, as if to ease Feng Di's concerns, "To put it simply, I want to invest just to have a comfortable place to sit when I come back to the island."

Feng Di stood stiffly, looking at Chen Jianhai as if he were a fool. Investing in a soon-to-be-bankrupt café just to have a comfortable place to sit? Was he crazy or just had too much money to spend?

Chen Jianhai took another sip of coffee and elegantly placed the cup back on the tray. "You don't have to agree right now. I'll be back in a few days. You can tell me your decision then."

With that, Chen Jianhai stood up, put on his sunglasses, and walked out of the café, leaving a bewildered Feng Di behind.

...

At 1:50 PM, Chen Jianhai arrived at the dock early. By then, many people had already gathered around the elderly man in a singlet, waiting for cleaning tools to be distributed.

The elderly man beamed when he saw Chen Jianhai from a distance. "You actually came!"

Chen Jianhai picked up a broom. "I promised, so of course I came. What do we need to do?"

The elderly man cheerfully explained, "The main task is to clean up the beach, picking up trash and clearing debris. Once we distribute the tools, follow me."

Gradually, more and more islanders emerged from their homes. Chen Jianhai stood by the elderly man, helping to hand out the cleaning tools. When it was Feng Di's turn, he glanced between Chen Jianhai and the elderly man, trying to figure out their relationship. Chen Jianhai, pretending not to notice, let him guess.

Once all the tools were distributed, Chen Jianhai followed the elderly man to the beach, broom in hand.

"Grandpa, the island looks pretty clean. Do we really need so many people to clean up?" Chen Jianhai asked.

"Of course, we do," the elderly man replied. "If we didn't clean up every week, how do you think the island stays so clean? The tides bring debris, and to maintain the beach's smoothness, regular upkeep is necessary. Plus, with more tourists recently, there's more trash. We can't just wait for the waves to take it away; we have to clean it ourselves."

After saying this, the elderly man took off his straw hat and placed it on Chen Jianhai's head. "Why are you giving me this?" Chen Jianhai asked, slightly dismayed. He was wearing a Huluwa T-shirt, and the straw hat didn't match.

The elderly man saw Chen Jianhai trying to take the hat off and scolded him, "Keep it on! Don't mind the heat; you'll appreciate it soon enough. I don't give this hat to just anyone."

Then, he pulled a small handkerchief from his sleeve, tied it around his head, picked up a long-handled grabber, and began picking up debris and throwing it into a mesh bag, leaving Chen Jianhai stunned.

...

As time passed, Chen Jianhai and the group spread out across the beach, picking up trash. Although the island was small, some places accumulated debris due to the ocean currents, which were their main targets.

The afternoon sun was scorching. Even in a T-shirt, Chen Jianhai felt his back burning. Large drops of sweat fell to the ground.

"This is tough!" he thought. No wonder the elderly man gave him the straw hat. Without it, he felt his hair would have burned off.

After a while of bending over to pick up trash, Chen Jianhai's lower back grew stiff, and his legs began to tremble. His eyes also suffered from the glare of the sun reflecting off the white sand, making them hurt even with sunglasses.

Seeing Chen Jianhai struggling to straighten up, the elderly man said, "If you need a break, go drink some water and rest in the shade." He then added dismissively, "Young people today, really! They don't have the stamina of my generation. Just a little work and they're already exhausted."

With a small handkerchief tied around his head, the elderly man continued picking up trash, leaving Chen Jianhai speechless.

Not wanting to be outdone, Chen Jianhai pushed through.

After about an hour, Chen Jianhai had cleared most of the nearby beach. As he prepared to dump the trash and continue, he realized something.

The entire beach was bare; there wasn't a trash can in sight.

"Grandpa, what should I do with this full bag?" he asked, holding up the mesh bag.

The elderly man looked at him, exasperated, and pulled another mesh bag from his pocket. "When one bag is full, use this one. Young people should think for themselves. If one bag is full, find another! Don't bother me with such small matters."

Chen Jianhai's eye twitched as he held the new bag. What he wanted to ask was if there was a trash can, not just get another bag...