Chapter 6

Kane Brook spoke with a blank expression, his words dripping with sarcasm about love.

"Falling in love wastes money-making time, and chasing after someone blindly is just a waste of your life. The bloody lessons from my past life are proof enough of this. Women only slow down the speed at which you make money—nothing more, nothing less."

He had endured the agony of a teenage crush and experienced the horror of a 300,000 yuan bride price. It wasn't that he had no interest in women; he just believed that in this new life, he needed to set his priorities straight.

"But… that's just your assumption. What if Sophie Chase really plans to date you as soon as she starts college? Don't you think it's a loss to give up now?"

"Hansel, the moment a man entertains such thoughts, it's like drawing a prison around himself. Whether it's love or work, if it's not in your hands, no matter how convincingly others talk about it, don't believe a word."

Kane's gaze grew slightly distant as he suddenly recalled the promises he'd been given when he first started working: project bonuses, company shares, overseas trips, family allowances. It was no different from Sophie Chase saying, 'Try harder, and I'll date you.' A legend everyone's heard of but no one's ever seen.

Holding on to hope for legends? Hell, you might as well believe in light itself.

Thinking of this, Kane couldn't help but recall Ultraman Tiga. A hero of the universe? Hell no, just a damn freeloader.

Borrowed my light back in the day, ran off the moment it got tough fighting Gatanozoa, and when my future turned pitch black, not even a word about returning that light.

Don't be a simp for anyone. Don't be a corporate slave for anything.

Meanwhile, Hansel Grant suddenly started scratching his head furiously, making a hissing sound.

Kane glanced over, puzzled, and couldn't help but stare for a moment.

"What's wrong with you? Forgot to wash your hair before leaving?"

" No… I think your words just made my brain grow a little smarter."

"?????"

At 4 PM, Kane and Hansel walked out of the restaurant, full and satisfied.

But Hansel still couldn't shake his curiosity about bars and tried to persuade Kane to take him for a round. Before they could go far, though, two familiar figures appeared right in front of them.

One was Rachel Warren, the math class representative. The other was none other than the class beauty, Sophie Chase.

The two girls were walking arm-in-arm, emerging from the pedestrian street—Rachel holding a starchy sausage, Sophie with a stick of candied hawthorn.

The sweltering summer heat had left them with a light sheen of sweat. Even the hair on their foreheads was slightly damp, and their flushed faces glowed with warmth. Their quickened breaths caused their modestly developed chests to rise and fall noticeably.

Rachel had delicate features with a sweet, girl-next-door charm. Her dimples showed when she smiled, and her overalls gave her a youthful, lively look. On her own, she could easily be considered pretty, but standing next to Sophie, she faded into the background.

Sophie wore a beige dress that fell to her knees, her eyes sparkling with life, her features finely sculpted, lips full, and skin fair as snow—making Rachel seem like nothing more than an accessory.

When the four of them crossed paths, Rachel was the first to react, her gaze straight ahead until she noticed them. She immediately raised her hand in greeting.

"Kane Brook, Hansel Grant! What are you guys doing here?"

Hearing his name, Kane instinctively looked up, his gaze inadvertently meeting Sophie's in the bustling crowd.

His smile faded instantly, replaced by an indifferent glance as he turned his head away.

Perhaps it was the remnants of memories from his past life, but Kane always viewed relationships with a god-like detachment, making it hard for him to feel any warmth toward Sophie Chase.

Still, the soul of a nearly forty-year-old man had gifted him enough maturity to avoid walking away outright—but that's about as far as his courtesy went.

"We're doing business!"

Hansel Grant was the type who could greet anyone with a beaming smile. If he had been a bit more handsome, he could've easily passed as a charming guy-next-door. Unfortunately, his looks didn't quite make the cut, leaving him somewhere between enthusiastic and, well… a slightly overzealous goblin.

So when Rachel Warren asked what they were up to, Hansel proudly spilled the beans about their lunchbox-selling venture, speaking with the kind of confidence that made it sound like an accomplishment worth bragging about.

In truth, Hansel wasn't wrong—this was the kind of thing that did sound impressive when shared out loud.

After all, in this day and age, most high schoolers were still quite shy. Even asking a stranger for directions could make them nervous, let alone stepping out to make money. Sure, some teens wanted to experience life and had thoughts of earning their own cash, but at most, they'd pick up part-time gigs like handing out flyers.

But Kane Brook? He'd managed to pull off a clever hustle, flipping goods for a few hundred bucks with nothing but sharp wit and a knack for spotting opportunities. Who wouldn't be baffled by that?

Rachel's father was an elementary school teacher, making barely three thousand yuan a month. After deductions for insurance and pension, his daily take-home pay wasn't even a hundred. While income isn't always about averages, the fact that Kane could earn 270 yuan in a single day was a worldview-shaking revelation for her.

Especially when Hansel animatedly described how Kane casually tossed a cigarette to an internet café manager and effortlessly made 200 yuan just by providing an address. In that moment, Kane's image grew significantly taller in Rachel's heart.

"Kane, why did you suddenly start doing business?" she asked, curious.

"Saving up to get married," Kane replied offhandedly, clearly joking.

Rachel burst into laughter. "Starting this early? Just how expensive is this wife of yours going to be?"

Kane's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Depends on how many I'm marrying. The more wives, the more money I'll need."

"Oh, you're planning on having several? Keep dreaming!"

After that, Rachel and Hansel drifted into a conversation about college applications, their voices filled with excitement and longing for university life.

Kane, however, remained an observer, smiling quietly without joining in. He had already experienced college once, so it didn't hold the same allure for him. He had no real urge to chime in, even when Hansel and Rachel's idealized visions of university life were wildly off the mark.

Life, after all, is something you have to experience for yourself to truly understand. No one has the right to shatter someone else's dreams just because they think they know better. Even if you do know a lot, you still have to consider whether the other person wants to hear it.