At the break of dawn, the orange sun quietly rose from the distant horizon, piercing through the window to illuminate Zhou Chao's face.
"Good morning, Wang Lao. Why are you up so early?" Zhou Chao descended the stairs to find Wang Lao and Wen Bin sitting on the sofa, engaged in conversation. Wen Bin occasionally scribbled notes in his notebook.
Upon hearing Zhou Chao's voice, Wang Lao and Wen Bin paused their conversation, smiling as Zhou Chao descended the stairs. "As one gets older, waking up early becomes a habit, especially on such an important day. We need to prepare well to avoid any mistakes."
Zhou Chao felt a tinge of embarrassment. Although the gold mine belonged to him, he hadn't paid much attention to it. Instead, it was Wang Lao and the others who took the matter to heart.
"Wang Lao, I appreciate your concern. Have you had breakfast? If not, I can prepare something," Zhou Chao glanced at the time; it was only 8 in the morning.