Chapter 683: Extra Chapter: Mu Nian 3

Extra Chapter: Mu Nian 3

In just a few days, the monthly exam results came out, and Mu Nian went to find Yan Yuejiu.

This month's exam's final bonus question was extremely difficult; only five in the whole grade got full marks, and in our class, only Mu Nian and Yan Yuejiu made the list.

Mu Nian's solution differed from the standard answer, and the homeroom teacher said his approach was more concise.

He walked over with the test paper to Yan Yuejiu's seat, smoothly took the empty seat beside her, placed the paper on her desk, and asked, "How did you solve this problem?"

Yan Yuejiu picked up her pen and reworked it on scratch paper, saying, "I approached it from the reverse, which is longer than your backward method, taking two extra steps."

Mu Nian bluntly said, "That's still my concise method."

Yan Yuejiu raised her eyebrows, "Indeed, are you entering that math competition? We could go together."

"No."

"Why?"

"No time."

Yan Yuejiu showed understanding, having heard from her parents that Mu Nian had already begun, little by little, to get involved in company affairs under his father.

She replied, "Fine, actually I don't have much time either; if you don't enter, I won't either."

At the start of sophomore year, Mu Nian, not knowing what had spurred him, formally proposed to his father that he wanted to get involved in company operations earlier.

Mu Yunshuo was naturally eager for that.

From then on, he went to the company two afternoons each week to attend meetings, sit in on negotiations, and sign some documents.

At first, he only handled basic tasks like checking financial reports and organizing meeting minutes.

But his learning ability was astonishing; he could apply knowledge broadly, and not long after, Mu Yunshuo let him take independent charge of project branches, and then gave him full responsibility for the entire business line.

Mu Nian spent increasingly more time at the company, and less time returning to school.

Yan Yuejiu noticed his absenteeism had increased; sometimes he wasn't there for an entire week.

One day, as Mu Nian returned from the company and hadn't even entered the classroom yet, several classmates in the hallway called out to him.

"Mu Nian, the teacher wants you to go to the office."

He passed his backpack to his desk mate and turned toward the office.

Yan Yuejiu heard this and deliberately went to wait for him at the office door.

When Mu Nian came out of the office, he had an extra stack of materials, which looked to be related to the competition.

Yan Yuejiu saw clearly, the words she had planned to say got stuck in her throat, her gaze resentful: "Didn't you say you weren't entering this competition?"

Mu Nian explained, "The teacher won't let me skip too many classes; if I get a recommendation slot, I won't need to come to school. Are you also going?"

Last time Yan Yuejiu had the time, but this time she lacked the energy: "I'm not going; you do your best, year after year."

Afterward, in the National Physics Competition, Mu Nian smoothly won a national-level award.

Yan Yuejiu didn't go to the competition site, but upon learning he had won that day, she placed a box of chocolates in his desk drawer and wrote a congratulatory note.

When Mu Nian returned, Yan Yuejiu was writing homework with her head down, as if she hadn't noticed him.

Mu Nian's lips curled up; he opened the box, ate a chocolate, then walked up to her and said, "Want to go eat together?"

Yan Yuejiu put down her pen, "Let's go, I'll treat."

Mu Nian went along with her, saying, "I'll pay."

Throughout the three years of high school, Mu Nian and Yan Yuejiu maintained this rhythm: whenever Mu Nian came to school, the two often walked together, though they would occasionally drift apart due to their respective busyness.

Most of the class said they had a good relationship, while a minority thought they weren't actually that close.

Mu Nian never responded to such talk.

When Yan Yuejiu heard it, she just smiled and continued with her own affairs.

After high school graduation, once Mu Nian's college entrance exam ended, Mu Yunshuo and Song Ningsheng flew abroad for vacation.

Mu Nian formally assumed the position of president of the Mu Clan Conglomerate.

After the news spread, many acquaintances came to congratulate, while some privately commented that the Mu family's young master was too young, hadn't even graduated from university, and had taken over too early.

Mu Nian didn't respond to those comments, simply continuing as usual to go to the company to chair meetings, sign documents, and look at reports, spending most of his time scolding people.

Mu Nian already had prestige at the company; the majority of employees' impression of this new president was initially not good, thinking he was young and reckless, and scolded people without mercy.

At a core project review meeting, the project lead brought forward a plan full of loopholes to report.

Mu Nian flipped two pages and stopped looking further; he lifted his gaze and asked, "How much over budget is this project? Have you calculated it?"

The person in charge stammered and gave a vague figure.

Mu Nian pressed, "Exactly which stage exceeded the budget?"

The person in charge couldn't say; he had been lazy these days and thus let himself slack off.

Mu Nian closed the plan and pushed it back, saying, "I don't care what method you use; within two days, figure out this account clearly, and resubmit the plan before next Monday."

His voice trailed off slightly as he swept his gaze over the assembled executives, his tone gaining irritation: "And what have you been doing these days? How is it that every one of you is making such a basic mistake? You reversed purchase and shipping costs on the budget sheet—an error even an intern wouldn't make—so how did you approve it?"

In these early days of taking over the company, Mu Nian wasn't that tired; he could even slack off in the office……

Seeing them all with their heads down, he felt weary: "Thank goodness you're still senior managers! How else could you lead the staff below?"

The executives feared losing their bonuses and dared not respond.

After the meeting dispersed, a few executives whispered in the hallway: "President Mu scolded people again today."

"But he's right; that plan really does have problems."

"But he can't talk to us like that; if it weren't for the high pay here, I wouldn't want to stay."

"Say a couple less; the company gives you such high pay not to watch you make mistakes—just go back and fix it."

"If you do well, will President Mu still criticize you? If you don't want to change, could you talk to President Mu and let me take your position?"

The person in charge panicked: "I'll go fix it right now."

After that, discussions about Mu Nian in the company gradually turned positive.

In the days before the college entrance exam results were released, several top universities in the country sent invitations to Mu Nian.

On the day the scores were announced, there was no suspense; Mu Nian's score far exceeded the admission cutoff.

Mu Nian hesitated not, chose a local university, planning to juggle school and the company.

As for Yan Yuejiu, she had already been studying abroad.

During university, Mu Nian also sponsored several batches of impoverished students in his own name.

He never publicized this; only when a relative of a helped student inquired widely, found the Mu Clan Conglomerate's front desk, and came specially to the company to thank him did outsiders learn of it.

The front desk called to ask if he wanted to meet them.

Seeing the assistant enter, Mu Nian reflexively switched the computer screen from the game, pretending to work, calm and composed, saying, "Let them come up."

After the relatives came up, carrying several bags of local specialties, they stood helplessly in his office, repeatedly saying thanks.

Mu Nian listened for a while, had his assistant accept the gifts, and then had finance arrange a follow‑up sponsorship amount for them.

Upon entering his sophomore year, Mu Nian ran for the student council president position.

Among prestigious universities, there are countless students from wealthy families with outstanding abilities, making the student council president seat highly coveted.

On election day, the auditorium was packed; the front rows held professors from each college and current student council members, while the back was a solid mass of students come to watch the spectacle.

Mu Nian stood in the wings, flipping through the PPT he had compressed to just four pages, calm and unhurried.

A lanky male student came over, saying, "Mu Nian, you really intend to use this version? Li Bo has prepared eighty pages over there, with the animations alone taking half a month."

Mu Nian felt completely relaxed, retorting, "So?"

Zhou Shang was choked by that retort, "They have eighty pages, you have four—are you running for office or going on trial?"

"Who's supposed to be on trial, I don't know."

Zhou Shang is his childhood friend; his family is in real estate, they attended different high schools but ended up at the same university.

Zhou Shang could do nothing about him, turned his gaze to the stage, and said, "Fine, you're awesome."

Li Bo was the biggest contender in this election—a sophomore in the business school, heir to a certain real estate conglomerate, who spent two months on publicity, canvassing, and even posted his campaign posters across several campuses.

He was currently on stage, flipping through his PPT at lightning speed, from his vision to his plans, then to the resources he could bring everyone, each page resembling a prospectus.

Someone in the audience whispered, "Is Li Bo running for president or recruiting partners?"

"He's got resources, haven't you heard? He promised that if elected, he'd bring in sponsors to multiply the student council budget fivefold."

"Multiplying the budget fivefold isn't necessarily a good thing—the wool comes from the sheep."

Zhou Shang patted Mu Nian's shoulder from the wings, "Did you hear? They're going to quintuple the budget—what about you?"

Mu Nian: "I'm not doubling it."

Zhou Shang: "……"

When it was Mu Nian's turn to go on stage, he walked to the center, skipped any opening remarks, opened the first slide, hardly looked at the PPT thereafter, basically delivering it orally—clear logic, highlighted points, feasible.

Looking down, the judges nodded repeatedly.

Zhou Shang muttered from the wings, "Explaining others' eighty pages with just four slides—are you really lazy or actually capable?"

Li Bo's face stiffened a little; he stood in the front row of the audience downstairs, still holding his own hard‑cover campaign booklet.

The voting took place in the afternoon; although Li Bo received more votes than Mu Nian, the judges' scores were equally important, requiring several segments to be combined.

When the results were announced, the auditorium erupted in a moderate commotion.

Mu Nian was successfully elected president, Li Bo elected vice‑president.

After the meeting dispersed, Li Bo approached, wearing a proper smile, "President Mu, congratulations."

Mu Nian shook his hand, demeanor warm and modest, showing no victor's arrogance, "A few points in your plan are actually not bad; we can discuss the budget together."

"Huh?" Li Bo probably hadn't expected him to say that, his smile turning genuine, "Sure, then I'll wait for you to set a time."

Zhou Shang popped out from the side, "Wow, you're already shaking hands and making peace? I thought you were going to fight."

He thought, Mu Nian is still as sharp as ever, letting this big sucker handle the budget.

Mu Nian glanced at him, "You go up, I'll watch."

Zhou Shang: "……Thanks for the invite, but no thanks."

That night, Mu Nian returned to the dorm, opened his phone, saw several unread messages—none from important people, he couldn't be bothered to reply, and first opened Yan Yuejiu's message.

Yan Yuejiu: 【Heard you were elected president today? Year Zong, you've made it, congratulations】

Below the message was a photo she took abroad, showing an indoor scene with a design book spread on the table and a freshly sliced cake beside it.

Mu Nian typed: 【Thanks, are you having fun out there?】

The reply came quickly: 【Yeah, just finished a stage exam, came out to blow off steam—how about you? How's the company?】

Mu Nian: 【Not bad, just got done scolding someone and then got elected】

Seeing that, Yan Yuejiu couldn't help laughing and replied: 【Again scolding people? Can't you temper your temper?】

Mu Nian: 【My temper's fine; it's just that they do a poor job, leaving me no rest time】

Yan Yuejiu sent a little emoji pack, didn't continue the topic, and said: 【I'll only be able to come back by year‑end; then let's go out for a meal】

Mu Nian: 【Okay】

Yan Yuejiu: 【Can you bring my little sister over?】

"What her sister?" Mu Nian: 【That's my sister【smile】】

Yan Yuejiu: 【All the same】

Mu Nian: 【Not the same】

Yan Yuejiu: 【Niannian, why are you so nitpicky? Is my little treasure okay?】

A few minutes later, Yan Yuejiu sent another: 【Anything fun going on in your student council? I heard Zhou Shang say you crushed their eighty‑page PPT in the election】

Mu Nian: 【Not bad, what else did he say?】

Yan Yuejiu: 【He also said you're very handsome; if he were a girl he'd chase you】

Mu Nian: 【……】

They chatted a few more sentences; Yan Yuejiu, because of the time difference, needed to sleep first, sent a good night and went offline.

He and Yan Yuejiu have known each other for many years; the other went abroad to study, so they rarely meet in person, most of the time they just chat like this across the screen.

Each was busy with their own affairs in their own worlds.

The next morning, Zhou Shang pulled Mu Nian to the school's entertainment center, saying he wanted to celebrate his success.

The activity center had a few pool tables set up; a few new members of the student council were also present, and upon seeing Mu Nian enter, they all made way.

Zhou Shang passed over a pool cue, 'Come on, Chairman, show us.'

Mu Nian took the cue, 'Are you sure you want me to play with you?'

Zhou Shang was full of confidence, 'You look down on me? I've seriously studied for a month,'

"One month?"

"Yeah, how?"

Mu Nian didn't answer, bent down to break, found the angle, struck, the balls scattered widely, four went directly into pockets.

Zhou Shang's Expression changed from confident to silent, 'I'm not playing, you play by yourself.'

The surrounding friends laughed out loud, someone jeered, 'No way? How can you not even play?'

"Next time I'll have to be the Chairman's caddy."

Mu Nian put the cue back, sat down on the nearby sofa, and took out his phone.

His sister hadn't sent a message, so he opened the chat window with Yan Yuejiu.

The other side sent a picture ten minutes ago, plus a sentence: 【How does my dinner look tonight?】

The picture showed a delicately plated dish of noodles, with a half cup of milk beside it.

Mu Nian replied: 【So-so】

Yan Yuejiu was still resting, but replied quickly: 【Can't you give me a compliment?】

Mu Nian slightly curled the corners of his mouth, withdrew that sentence: 【Looks alright】

Yan Yuejiu: 【That's about right】

Mu Nian sent over a photo of his pool shot, Yan Yuejiu replied: 【You're playing pool, I don't know how to play】

Mu Nian: 【If you're interested, when I return to the country I'll teach you】

Yan Yuejiu: 【Wow, Nian Zong is really capable】