Led by Aunt Li, Lin Chu, Liu Junfeng, and Gu Jiayan toured the entire welfare home.

A curious feeling bloomed in Lin Chu’s heart.

’I’ve read my share of novels, and the orphaned protagonist is a classic trope.’

’I wonder if any of these kids will turn out to be a real-life "protagonist"?’

’Perhaps.’

"This area is for the deaf and mute children. We have special education teachers to teach them basic reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. When they’re old enough, they’re sent to a special education school. As for how much they learn, well, that’s up to them."

Aunt Li explained in a soft, gentle voice as they arrived at one of the wings.

Lin Chu scanned the room, looking at the children—the budding flowers of the future. After a moment, he asked, "Do you have all the necessary medical devices to help with their hearing?"

Aunt Li paused, slightly taken aback. Lin Chu’s phrasing was far from professional, but she understood him perfectly. She glanced at Gu Jiayan, then back at Lin Chu, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"The state provides a certain number of slots for free treatment each year, but they’re limited. It’s not universal healthcare, after all. Cochlear implants are just too expensive. The domestic ones usually cost over fifty thousand, and the imported ones are even more. We can only do what’s within our means."

She explained in detail.

She often felt a sense of helplessness. The children with the most severe conditions were always prioritized, while those with milder symptoms could only wait their turn.

Lin Chu glanced at her and smiled. "Why don’t you make a list? I’ll pay for it. Let’s get them all fitted out."

At his words, Aunt Li was completely dumbfounded.

She stared at Lin Chu in disbelief.

It wasn’t as if they hadn’t received donations from the public before—they had, and quite a few—but she never imagined that this "Mr. Lin" would be so generous.

"There are nearly twenty children who need them but are still on the waiting list, Mr. Lin..."

Her voice trailed off. She almost wanted to ask, ’Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?’

’After all, this isn’t a small sum of money. I have to consider the financial burden on the donor.’

’But she really, truly wanted it for them.’

Lin Chu also smiled, his tone gentle. "I know, and it’s no problem. To me, this amount of money is nothing. Just prepare the list and coordinate with Jiayan. I’ll take care of the bill, okay?"

’At this point, I don’t care if it involves men or women,’ Lin Chu thought. ’When it’s for children, why get hung up on details like that?’

’Twenty kids... even at fifty or a hundred thousand each, that’s only one or two million.’

Gu Jiayan stared at Lin Chu, her eyes misting over. Tears welled up, on the verge of spilling.

This "heroic deed" felt like a miracle, allowing her to sense a sort of magnificent power, an unparalleled nobility.

Lin Chu waved his hand with an air of nonchalance. "It’s settled."

’Whatever wrongs I’ve committed in my first twenty-four years, they’re all wiped clean now.’

...

Next, Aunt Li took them to see the other wings. She was a very capable director, radiating a gentle warmth. Yet, her words made Lin Chu and Liu Junfeng feel as though they were undergoing a "baptism" by "fate."

"This is the AIDS wing. Most cases are from mother-to-child transmission. From the day a child is born, you can pretty much guess the year they will die. Everyone here is just counting down the days, hoping for a miracle from on high. But a miracle has never come."

...

"This is the leukemia wing. Many of these children were abandoned by their birth parents. We’ve dedicated staff to help find their parents, and we’ve succeeded. But we were almost always met with verbal abuse, a refusal to be tested for a bone marrow match, or they would just pack up and move."

...

"This is the PKU wing. The children here can’t eat food with protein. When the other kids are eating meals or snacks, I have to lock one of the boys up. He used to scream at me, curse me, even hit me. But there was no other choice. Over time, he’s come to understand."

...

"And this is the psychiatric wing. It’s for hereditary mental illnesses. Their conditions usually worsen with age. Once they reach adulthood, most are transferred to a dedicated psychiatric hospital."

...

She introduced each wing, one after another.

Seeing all this, Gu Jiayan began to cry silently once more, despite having visited many times before. She quietly wiped her tears away.

Lin Chu and Liu Junfeng didn’t go so far as to cry, but their hearts grew heavy.

’This thing called fate... it’s really something else.’

After they had seen all this, Aunt Li finally led the two men to the orphan wing at the back.

Her face softened into a slight smile as she spoke. "Compared to those other children, the ones here are the lucky ones. They may have lost their parents, but at least they’re healthy and full of life. When they’re old enough, they’ll be sent to school. And when they enter society and can support themselves, they’ll be making their own contributions."

Lin Chu nodded, his mood finally lightening a bit. It suddenly occurred to him that the order of the tour must have been carefully planned.

’Go from the worst cases to the bad ones,’ he mused. ’At least it leaves you with a slight sense of upward momentum.’

"On behalf of the children, thank you for the supplies you’ve donated, Mr. Lin. We will distribute them shortly. We also welcome you to visit again anytime to see how we’re doing."

Suddenly, Aunt Li gave Lin Chu a deep bow.

Lin Chu quickly helped her straighten up, letting out a long sigh.

"I’ll visit often."

"If possible, I’d like to sponsor a few specific children. I’m not sure if your rules allow for that?"

A complicated expression crossed Aunt Li’s face. "Of course you can, but the procedure is a bit more involved. We’ve had some unfortunate incidents in the past, so we usually suggest either donating anonymously or taking a longer time to observe before choosing."

"For one, it’s to protect the children’s self-esteem. For another... Mr. Lin, you aren’t married yet, are you?"

Lin Chu quickly grasped her unspoken concern and smiled. "I see. I understand. We can do it anonymously. It’s better to observe them over the long term anyway, see what their character is like."

Aunt Li smiled and nodded.

...

After touring the facility and getting a general understanding of the situation, Lin Chu realized it was quite different from the exceptionally heartwarming picture he had painted in his mind.

This was a public institution, after all, with standardized rules and procedures.

Furthermore, when it came to donations, the thought behind them was more important. The material goods were important, yes, but the right intentions had to come first.

’If you tried to do this with a condescending or self-congratulatory attitude, Aunt Li and the other staff would actively discourage you.’

’You might get your rush of satisfaction,’

’but what about the children?’

’What do you take this place for?’

’Just a background for your charity photo-op?’

This wasn’t a place for one-off visits. It was meant for regular, frequent involvement.

Donating money or supplies, of course, was always welcome regardless.

Having come to this understanding, Lin Chu donated another million in cash. It was getting late, so he decided to take his leave.

For his part, he felt the day had been incredibly rewarding.

It hadn’t gone exactly as he had fantasized—with him showing up with money and supplies, all the little kids calling him "Foster Father," kowtowing in gratitude, and then setting off to conquer the world.

But that was fine. ’One step at a time.’

An even bolder idea was beginning to form in Lin Chu’s mind.

’What if... I started one of my own?’

...

...