"Huh? Why has my phone been so sluggish lately?"
"Son, could you check whether it's picked up some kind of virus?"
When Lin Guodong tried to open the payment app on his phone, he found that the screen wouldn't respond no matter how much he tapped it, as though it had crashed.
"Let me see."
Lin Zhe took the phone from his dad and looked down at the screen.
Good grief. The screen was crammed with apps like Huoshān Video Lite, Toutiao Lite, and Douyin Lite.
There were at least a dozen apps that paid users to watch videos, along with all sorts of shady adware throwing up random pop-ups.
"Dad, let's delete all these useless apps."
"Your phone's lagging because you've installed too much junk software. It's taking up too much memory."
The instant Lin Zhe saw his dad's phone, he understood what was making it lag, though he was also a little puzzled.
His dad had never watched this stuff before.
Lin Guodong hurriedly said, "They're useful, they really are. Don't delete them if you can help it.
"I've got nothing to do in the hospital anyway. A whole day of watching videos earns a few yuan, enough to pay for a meal for your mom and me."
Lin Zhe's fingers froze at his dad's words, and a sudden ache filled his heart.
His dad had once owned an inn, a successful businessman earning hundreds of thousands a year.
Now, just to earn a few yuan for meals, he was watching videos and ads on every short-video app he could find!
At that moment, Lin Zhe's desire for money burned stronger than ever!
If his family had tens of millions to their name like Fatty's family, they wouldn't have to worry about loan repayments every day.
And they certainly wouldn't have to spend an entire day watching videos just to earn a few yuan for food!
Make money. Make big money. Hit that hundred-million-yuan "small goal"!
Before picking up the Check-In Panel, Lin Zhe wouldn't even have dared to dream of such a thing. It would have been pure fantasy.
But now, not only did he dare to imagine it, he even felt it wouldn't be all that difficult!
The Check-In Panel let him check in once a week. That meant four rewards a month and forty-eight a year!
Four hundred and eighty in ten years, nine hundred and sixty in twenty. Thirty years, forty years...
With all the resources I can get from checking in, can't I reach that "small goal" Mr. Wang talked about so casually?
I can. I definitely can!
"Haha, if watching this stuff ruins your eyesight, no amount of money will fix it. Even if your eyes are fine, wearing out your phone isn't worth it either!"
"You and Mom should spend that time getting more rest. The better you rest, the faster you'll recover and get out of here."
"From now on, you and Mom don't need to worry about making money. Just leave it to me."
As Lin Zhe joked cheerfully with his dad, a few taps of his fingers deleted dozens of apps.
"All right, all right. Delete them, then."
Lin Guodong watched his son with a smile, feeling that he truly had grown up.
After clearing the assorted junk apps from his dad's phone, Lin Zhe cleaned up his mom's too. She had at least as many installed as his dad did.
"Son, stay and have something to eat with us tonight. You bought so much food, and we don't have a fridge here. We shouldn't let it spoil."
Han Li briefly sorted through the items in the little trolley. There was meat, eggs, and milk-enough to feed her and her husband for ten days or half a month.
"Oh, right, Mom, Dad. I brought you some of the egg fried rice that's selling so well at our inn."
"I'll heat it up in the microwave so you can try it."
"Mom, pass me that insulated bag. Yes, the orange one."
"Just wait a little. You're about to witness a miracle."
Lin Zhe handed the cleaned-up phone back to his mom, took the insulated bag she dug out of the trolley, and went to heat the food by the nurses' station.
Each floor of the hospital had a communal microwave beside the nurses' station for patients and their families to heat food.
It was only a little after five in the afternoon, and nobody was using the microwave yet, so there was no need to queue.
Lin Zhe took three full plastic containers of egg fried rice from the insulated bag, put them in the microwave, and set it for two minutes.
After one minute, the rich aroma of the egg fried rice began to drift out, making the nurses handing over their shifts at the station ravenous.
"That smells so good. I haven't smelled anything this delicious in ages."
"Ah! That's egg fried rice! I hadn't decided what to have for dinner tonight. Egg fried rice it is!"
"Wait, I've only been dieting for a month or so. Has egg fried rice evolved to smell this good already? That's ridiculously tempting!"
"I had egg fried rice for lunch today, and it didn't smell anything like this."
"They probably got it from some fancy restaurant. The little places outside the hospital definitely can't cook like that."
As the nurses chatted, their eyes all turned toward Lin Zhe, who was waiting beside the microwave while his egg fried rice heated.
Ding!
When the microwave dinged, Lin Zhe opened the door and took out the heated egg fried rice.
While the rice was inside the microwave, some of its aroma could escape, but not much.
Now that he had taken it out, it was like a mighty boss breaking free of its seal. Its fragrance instantly flooded the air.
Almost the entire floor could smell the distinctive aroma of egg fried rice.
The nurses who had been discussing it all fell silent.
If they weren't careful and drool spilled out the moment they opened their mouths, that would be far too embarrassing!
It smelled good. So incredibly good!
The aroma completely overturned everything they thought they knew about egg fried rice.
Creak, creak, creak, creak...
The instant the egg fried rice came out of the microwave and "broke its seal," the doors of seven or eight wards on both sides of the corridor opened at once.
Several patients' family members stood in the doorways, all looking toward the nurses' station.
"Excuse me, handsome, where did you buy that egg fried rice? It smells amazing. I'd like to buy some after work and try it."
An outgoing female nurse who had already changed into her own clothes hurried over and caught Lin Zhe before he left.
Lin Zhe looked at her and smiled politely. "Our inn's kitchen made it. You won't find it anywhere else."
"Huh? You mean I can't buy it even if I want to?"
The nurse couldn't hide her disappointment at his answer.
Being able to smell such delicious egg fried rice but not eat it was simply too cruel!
Realizing that she had misunderstood him, Lin Zhe explained:
"Not quite. Our inn serves it at all three meals."
"Where's your inn?"
When she heard that the rice was available to buy, the nurse's expression changed in an instant, all her disappointment vanishing.
Lin Zhe answered honestly, "The Fortunate Inn, in the Mount Sanqing scenic area. You're welcome to visit us and try the food."
"Mount Sanqing? I know it, I know it! I'll definitely come try your egg fried rice when I get the chance!"
The nurse decided on the spot that she would spend a day at the Mount Sanqing scenic area during her next time off.
Of course, the egg fried rice was the bigger draw.
The other nurses at the station were craning their necks to listen to the conversation too.
They weren't especially interested in the scenic area, but they were very interested in the egg fried rice in Lin Zhe's hands!
"Well... if you don't mind, I could give you a portion to sample."
"I only brought three portions today. Two are for my parents, so you can all try mine."
"You're all welcome to visit Mount Sanqing when you have time, and especially to stop by our Fortunate Inn and try the food."
"I really don't have any more to share, so please don't think I'm being stingy."
As he spoke, Lin Zhe handed one of the containers to the nurse in front of him.
"Oh! Thank you so much! I feel bad accepting it!"
Despite saying that, the nurse reached for the container faster than anyone, as though she feared Lin Zhe might change his mind if she was too slow.
Before you continue