Chapter 460

"Classmate, thank you so much, you've really gone out of your way."

"Don't you dare say that, gorgeous. You buy the computer, I assemble it—you pay, I earn—it's only fair."

In the faculty housing building of Southeast University, Wang Yan smiled as he looked at the long-haired, buck-toothed woman before him. She was an acquaintance—formerly Shi Xiao's wife, his sister-in-law, Chen Bing. But now she went by Shi Jie. She had just graduated, three years older than him. In this storyline, she appeared normal on the surface but was inwardly extremely controlling and insecure.

It wasn't coincidence—he'd been focused on selling computers, visiting every university in the area, and his name had spread throughout Jin Ling's student circles; everyone knew Southeast University had a guy who made a fortune selling computers. They couldn't figure out how he managed to slash prices so low while keeping specs so high.

That was information asymmetry. Even twenty years later, when computers entered every household, many still lacked clear understanding of them or knew nothing about pricing. In an era where a single computer cost tens of thousands, beyond the reach of ordinary people who'd sell their pots and pans to afford one, how could they possibly grasp how much markup existed in this industry?

Thus, under the weight of his reputation, even Shi Jie—a graduate—came to buy a computer from him.

Wang Yan had principles. His customers were all students; selling to outsiders would break the rules. Only students received the discounted prices—it was the boss's code of conduct, a return for the guidance he'd received. If he dared offer those prices to outsiders, he'd be inviting trouble.

But since Shi Jie was an acquaintance—and quite attractive—it didn't matter if he sold her one or two computers. Since he'd sold them, offering door-to-door service was only natural.

"You rode all the way here on your tricycle and worked so hard—it's not easy." Shi Jie smiled and handed him a can of almond milk: "Here, drink some almond milk and rest."

Wang Yan didn't refuse, thanked her, pulled the tab, and drank. Lulu almond milk—essential for visiting relatives and friends. Maybe it was psychological, or maybe people back then were still practical and used more ingredients—either way, the almond flavor tasted richer than it would in the future.

"Are you from here?"

Shi Jie paused, then realized he meant why she lived in the faculty housing. She smiled: "Yes, I live here. My dad's a professor in automation; my mom's an associate professor in biomedical engineering."

Good background… Wang Yan nodded: "So what do you do?"

"I just graduated this year—from the Architecture Department here at Southeast University. I'm your senior, actually. After graduation, I was assigned to China Construction Second Branch, interning and running errands."

China Construction—that's China Construction Group Corporation, a direct central enterprise under the State Council. With a national designation like that, it was unquestionably the giant of the construction industry. Graduating from Southeast University's Architecture Department and getting assigned there was a perfect match—definitely not because of her parents.

Wang Yan chatted with her a while longer, thoroughly enjoying the conversation, then stood up: "Alright, Senior, I won't disturb you anymore. You've got my contact info. If you ever have computer issues, just call me anytime."

"Even if you didn't say it, I'd come find you—you're responsible till the end." Shi Jie beamed: "I won't see you off—take it easy."

"Goodbye."

He waved from the stairwell corner, then left decisively, lit a cigarette, and pedaled his tricycle slowly away.

His mind wandered through the unfolding plot—and to certain unmentionable scenes. He knew Shi Jie had no ties to anyone else in this world, but he also knew she'd once been the woman of one of his former underlings. It was oddly amusing—though the issue was serious, it did slightly disrupt the moral order…

He was just bored, idly thinking it over. He always went with the flow. After all, he'd never lacked love, nor did he harbor urgent desires—he simply let things unfold naturally. Most of the time, his actions lacked strong purpose; he acted casually. He didn't seek to control outcomes—his mere presence had already altered many things.

Manipulating the fates of characters in the story was his amusement. It was a bit perverse, admittedly—but at his level, things that could truly amuse him were exceedingly rare…

And he never forced the characters—he merely did certain things at certain times. He couldn't absolve himself entirely, but ultimately, the path was chosen by the characters themselves.

For example, Xu Kaiyang bought a high-spec computer from him for 11,000 yuan.

Obviously, he thought it would attract Zheng Wei. And crucially, the computer wasn't wasted—he could actually use it. He could play crude PC games, browse the web, chat, make friends, study on it—after all, modeling tasks were all doable. Spending over ten thousand yuan also gave him face. So even if Zheng Wei wasn't impressed, it didn't matter—he gained multiple benefits.

Aside from slightly worse food and a significant drop in spending power, there was nothing bad about it…

"Old man, give me ten tea eggs."

At the entrance of the male dormitory building, Wang Yan greeted the guard. This was standard duty for every dorm guard—only one per building. Boiling tea eggs, selling instant noodles—anything brought profit.

"Little Yan, I'll get you those right away." The old man quickly scooped tea eggs from the rice cooker, chatting warmly with Wang Yan. At first, this kid woke up too early and disturbed his sleep—he hadn't liked him. But what could he do? The kid, being a college student, just knew how to handle things…

After dealing with the downstairs guard, Wang Yan carried the plastic bag of tea eggs, greeting familiar faces along the way. There was no help for it—reputation had its price.

Quickly reaching the third floor, he passed Room 310 and saw Zheng Wei and Xu Kaiyang tinkering with a computer together, laughing happily, while Zhang Kai watched from the side—the scene was harmonious.

He spotted Wang Yan with the tea eggs and called out: "Instant noodles? Perfect—I'm hungry. Count me in, count me in." He knew Wang Yan's habit: instant noodles must come with eggs and sausage. He grabbed his own bowl and joined in. Wang Yan had bought cartons of instant noodles and sausage, stacked in the dorm.

"Hmph."

Zheng Wei, seeing Wang Yan at the door, gave her usual cold snort and a side-eye. She still remembered, after all this time.

Wang Yan ignored her and walked away. Zhang Kai didn't speak up either—he wasn't about to be the third wheel—and turned left out the door.

Xu Kaiyang sighed: "Come on, Weiwei, how long has it been? It's just a small thing—why hold a grudge? Why keep picking on Wang Yan?"

"I just can't stand him. He's just some guy who made a few dirty bucks—acts so high and mighty, looks down on everyone. Just thinking about it makes me angry. And you—you bought a computer from him? Aren't you just giving him money?"

"Sis, I checked the prices—outside, the cheapest one costs over 12,000. I got it from him for 11,000—I'm not the fool here."

Zheng Wei knew she was wrong—she wasn't bad at math—but she sighed: "Fine, fine, forget it. Let's get back to work."

The two resumed fiddling with the computer. Back then, nobody was proficient—even though their university had computer labs, hands-on opportunities were scarce due to heavy usage. Many still typed with two fingers; outside, there were even typing classes—internet cafes didn't exist yet. The situation was obvious. As for other computer functions, they'd need to study hard to figure them out…

Back in the dorm, everyone automatically poured hot water into their bowls to soak instant noodles. Eating together was always joyful.

There was no help for it—Wang Yan had made money. He didn't have to share, and technically it wasn't wrong—but it still felt off.

After all, most people were ordinary. Though his three roommates—Sun Mingbo and others—hadn't done anything, his wealth was obvious, and most people naturally wanted to take advantage. Taking a little was fine; if they couldn't take anything at all, they'd judge him. Some didn't care and reflected on themselves. Others resented him for not letting them benefit.

So he simply gave a little—it wasn't much money—just enough to buy dorm harmony and his own peace of mind, avoiding unnecessary hassle.

Zhang Kai rhythmically tapped his bowl with chopsticks, waiting for the noodles to soften for an extra snack. Zhou Jianguo sighed: "Old Zhang, stop tapping your bowl—you know that's bad luck, right? You'll end up begging someday."

"What century are we in? You still believe that?" Zhang Kai said, but stopped tapping, turning to Wang Yan: "I heard Mingbo say today—you said you're done with this whole thing?"

"Yeah, I already said it—just selling for a while, enough to make some cash. Sure, I've sold over a hundred computers, but the big guys above me take most of the profit—I get little. If I wanted to keep doing this long-term, I'd need factory connections. I could get them, sure—but continuing would hurt my studies. Not worth it."

He truly wasn't selling computers anymore. He never expected to make much from them. Next, he planned to use his money to buy stocks—no need to watch constantly, just occasional trades. China's stock market was still in its infancy, many stocks were surging—he didn't need to trade often, just hold. Mostly, he hadn't acted yet, so he had no impact on the market. He knew the timing well, his capital was small, and he couldn't affect the big picture—he was basically earning while lying down.

"You're the real deal." Zhang Kai gave a thumbs-up: "If I had your talent, I'd drop out and sell computers full-time. I don't need much—one computer's profit per month would make me happy."

Wang Yan shook his head, lifted the book covering his bowl, stirred the noodles—done—and peeled a tea egg as he spoke: "Do you know how many stores on Zhujiang Road have gone under since October 1st—almost a month now?"

"Computers are so profitable—how many fools could possibly go bankrupt? I'd guess one or two at most." Zhang Kai peeled his egg, utterly unconvinced.

Understandable—young people always think everyone else is stupid and only they're sharp.

"Eight shops closed. One or two fools? You don't think all eight were idiots? They'd been in the business for two or three years—not because of lack of capital. Think—could it really be that easy? Even vegetable sellers fight. What about computers, worth tens of thousands? Don't dream—just focus on your studies."

Seeing Wang Yan wouldn't explain further, Zhang Kai shrugged and turned to Wang Kang, asking curiously: "Hey, Xiao Wang, have your acne spots decreased?"

Wang Kang beamed, touching his face: "Ah, this is thanks to Wang Yan—he's got a family tradition in Chinese medicine. He checked me out, and I've been drinking medicine for a month."

Zhang Kai widened his eyes, staring at Wang Yan, who was slurping noodles: "Holy shit—you can treat illnesses too?"

"Didn't you hear about my family's tradition? I just prefer architecture—otherwise I'd have gone to a Chinese medicine university. It's just a simple treatment—nothing big. Don't go spreading it around—if people start coming to me for help, what then? If I cure them, fine. If I don't, I'll be in trouble."

"Relax, bro, you think I'm the type to blab? I swear I won't say a word."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Wang Yan kept eating. Treating Wang Kang's acne was for his own peace of mind. Not letting them spread it—was to avoid trouble.

Soon, it was time to sleep. Wang Yan grabbed his basin and went out with his roommates to wash up. But as soon as he opened the door, he saw Chen Xiaozheng returning down the corridor with a large bag—something wooden inside, vaguely visible.

Wang Yan greeted politely: "Just back? Making a model?"

"Mm." Chen Xiaozheng nodded dully, then opened the door and entered the dorm.

Sun Mingbo chuckled and shook his head: "He really is… You guys, what's going to become of someone like him?"

"Enough, stop worrying about him. Come on, come on, go wash up." Wang Yan paid no mind to Chen Xiaozheng's attitude and turned toward the washroom.

The items Chen Xiaozheng had taken were clearly pre-cut; with a few all-nighters, he could finish them by tomorrow. Judging by this, he must be just a few days away from Zheng Wei meeting him.

It was amusing, really: Chen Xiaozheng was completely absorbed in his studies, with a rigid daily routine—mostly in the library or the self-study room. Zheng Wei kept coming here, yet the two had never once met.

Now they should finally meet, since he hadn't interfered with anything, so what was meant to happen couldn't be avoided.

He wondered whether he should help Chen Xiaozheng…

The next day, Wang Yan rose as usual, ran and practiced boxing by Xuanwu Lake, then arrived at Hao Yun Baozi Shop.

"Xiao Bei, the usual? No class this morning?" As he spoke, Wang Yan nodded to Zhu Dajie, walked in, found an empty table, and sat down. The old man who used to share a table was nowhere to be seen, and the number of customers had slightly decreased. Mostly because autumn had arrived—people were less eager to rise early, and busyness came later.

"Second-period class." Zhu Xiao Bei smiled brightly, her hands never stopping as she quickly finished serving everything.

"Don't go yet. It's not busy now. Sit down, let's talk."

"Something wrong?"

"Yeah, I need your help." Watching her sit across from him, Wang Yan nodded: "I want to take one of your civil engineering classes. Can you give me your schedule later?"

"No problem. I'll give it to you tomorrow morning." Zhu Xiao Bei agreed without hesitation, then paused, eyes wide: "You're not planning to pursue a second degree, are you?"

"Of course. I study architecture—can architecture be separated from civil engineering? You don't know, right? My dream is to design something and build it myself. No need to enter competitions for fame, no one hovering over me to tweak my designs—I'll build it exactly how I want."

"That's great. Go for it—I believe you can do it. After all, you're already making so much selling computers; you'll make even more doing something else. One day you'll make it. Don't forget to bring me along when you do—you design, I'll build it for you."

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "It's settled."

After chatting a while longer, Zhu Xiao Bei smiled: "I've got something funny to tell you—I've wanted to for ages, but kept forgetting."

"Go ahead."

"You remember when we recruited new students? You'd just started selling computers, right? That night, you performed on the playground? That same night, the four of us were talking in the dorm, and someone came by with flowers. We didn't know what kind they were—Ruan Wan said they were baby's breath. Then Zheng Wei said you sent them, claiming you saw Ruan Wan from afar while singing, exchanged glances with her, and obviously it was you…"

Wang Yan listened patiently, answering every question, then shook his head with a smile: "It wasn't me. You're right—if it were me, I'd have delivered them right to her face."

"So do you like Ruan Wan?" Seeing Wang Yan look at her, Zhu Xiao Bei waved her hands quickly: "I don't mean anything by it—I'm in the same dorm as Ruan Wan. If you really like her, I can be your inside contact."

"Come on, I'll be honest with you: any normal guy likes beautiful women, and no guy can help staring at them. When a pretty girl walks by, your eyes lock on her—your neck practically stretches two miles long. I'm not that extreme, but I do enjoy looking at beautiful women. Ruan Wan really is pretty—that's all it is, just looking."

And what Zheng Wei said about eye contact? That was just politeness. Otherwise, two people just staring blankly at each other would be awkward—there's gotta be some interaction, right? It didn't go that far.

And help me as an inside contact? She already has a boyfriend—why are you stirring up nonsense? You've got nothing better to do, always obsessing over useless stuff.

Zhu Xiao Bei chuckled, rubbing her short hair. After thinking a moment, she asked: "Hey, what do you think if I grew my hair long?"

"I think it'd be fine. That old man was right—you're a big girl, and your hair's shorter than a boy's. It looks awkward. Your face and eyes are nice; if you grew your hair out and dressed a bit better, you'd be a beauty. You thinking of growing it?"

Zhu Xiao Bei nodded: "Winter's coming in two months. It'll keep me warm."

"Nonsense. Can hair be warmer than a hat?"

"You mind your own business." Zhu Xiao Bei huffed, stood up, and went to help Dajie.

Youth… Wang Yan shook his head with a smile and kept eating his breakfast in big bites.

Nearly a month into classes, students, through personal experience and advice from seniors, had roughly figured out which courses mattered, which didn't, which professors were easygoing, and which were strict. Naturally, the more classes they took, the fewer students showed up.

Wang Yan, of course, skipped many classes—advanced math, geometry, English—he already knew them all, so there was no need to attend. As for major courses, he could mostly learn the essentials on his own. Listening to professors was mostly about their experience—after all, the teachers teaching them weren't there by accident; they were all experienced.

Still, he didn't go too far out of his way—he mostly attended major classes with everyone else, otherwise he had nowhere to go and nothing to do, too idle.

The second afternoon class was English—he didn't go. Instead, he typed away at the computer. This was the unfinished data replication work he'd started earlier; it was also his last time doing such work. After all, he now had a hard drive that spanned two graduating classes—he could carry out finished applications, detailed blueprints, and complete theories—why bother with such tedious, boring tasks anymore?

Zhang Kai also skipped class and stayed in the dorm, not hovering near Wang Yan—he was watching a new movie in his own room. He enthusiastically invited Wang Yan to watch with him, but Wang Yan refused. Zhang Kai sat alone, grinning, staring at the passionate scenes on screen, daydreaming…

He felt, in some unseen way, someone watching him. He turned his head toward the door and saw Zheng Wei leaning against the frame, arms crossed, smiling at him…