Everything I bought on online shopping platforms was genuine.

Chapter 164 Talk, Talk Hard
"Lelele"

"Get up and eat!"

The next day, Lin Mo's shouts echoed through the dormitory after a long absence; everything felt so familiar.

In the morning, after he finished his morning exercise, he brought breakfast to the two unruly students in his dormitory. Today was Saturday, and the freshmen had just finished their military training, so it was the time to sleep in. Therefore, the cafeteria was quite deserted in the morning, and there was no need to queue.

"Old Mo, don't disturb my sweet dreams so early in the morning!" Chuanmei peeked out and mumbled sleepily.

Wang Chu didn't speak, but simply stretched out his foot as a silent protest.

"Oh, I see. That's a shame about all the steamed buns, poached eggs, beef pies, congee with preserved egg and lean pork, crystal dumplings, sausages, and a large cold dish I brought today. In that case, I'll..."

Lin Mo picked up his things and turned to leave, but before he could finish speaking, someone grabbed his shoulder.

"Put your stuff down!"

Lin Mo turned around and saw two starving ghosts standing on the ground where there had been no one before, staring longingly at the breakfast in his hand.

It has to be said that men are incredibly fast; one second they might be lying in bed, and the next they're up, dressed, washed, and ready to go out.

Wang Chu: "Holy crap, why is breakfast so lavish today? Did the imperial court send disaster relief grain?"

Sichuan girl: "It's obviously impossible! This is clearly a last meal before execution!"

The students in their dormitory all have a set breakfast allowance. It usually consists of ordinary meat buns, soy milk, and porridge, with the meal cost controlled to be less than ten yuan per person, averaging around seven or eight yuan.

But today's selection is clearly much more than that; it's all high-quality stuff. Not to mention the xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), there are even crystal pan-fried dumplings. Compared to usual, this is practically a last meal before death.

"Hurry up and eat, this meal is on me. Now get moving and help me move!" Lin Mo said.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Everyone, get to work. Today, he'll be a capitalist for once and squeeze the two of them dry.

The two of them stopped eating abruptly.

Sichuan girl: "I told you it was my last meal before I was executed. Look, I've shown my true colors right away."

Director Wang: "Is it too late to try and clear your throat now?"

Sichuan Girl: "Eat up. Knowing Lao Mo's nature, you can't even poop right here and now. What are you thinking!"

After saying that, the two exchanged a glance and then resumed their ravenous eating. Since they definitely had to do the work anyway, they might as well eat more, otherwise they would easily run out of energy later.

Seeing this, Lin Mo nodded, went to the bathroom to take a shower, and when he came out, he was holding a back brace that was covered in sweat. However, the straps of the back brace had broken, so it was definitely unusable.

Counting the days, today is exactly the 21st day. Without a doubt, this thing has already completed its mission.

He thought this thing could be used forever, and he was even planning to pass it on as a family heirloom so that his children could use it after he got married. But it turns out it's just a one-time trial card.

But it's not a bad deal. At least over the past few days, his posture has become more upright, and now when he stands there, his overall demeanor has improved a lot.

However, this change was gradual, so those around Director Wang and others did not notice it.

As for the items on the shopping page last night, he decisively bought "Professional Chicken Seller for Thirty Years." Although the name was a bit unpleasant, no one else knew it, so it didn't bother him much; at most, it was just a bit of a perverse pleasure.

But the effect is really amazing. Not only that, this should be the most expensive thing he bought, costing a full five hundred yuan.

However, to reach the level of a state banquet chef, 500 yuan is not too much, even if it can only be achieved when cooking chicken dishes, it is still quite impressive.

Besides, 500 yuan is already a lot for a state banquet chef; there are many who earn that salary. What is this compared to that? He spent a mere 500 yuan to master the skills of a state banquet chef, a level that many people dream of.

I wonder if any Minecraft company will try to poach him and offer him a job, since he's a complete newcomer.

After breakfast, the two helped Lin Mo pack his things. Unlike Chuan Mei, he didn't have as many things, so he only needed to pack a few things, mainly clothes, computer, etc.

As for his bedding and books, he left them in the dormitory, planning to go outside later to buy a new mattress and bedding.

That's why the three of them finished moving everything in one trip. Then he took the other two to the mall. Considering the chicken-making skills of the chef who served at the state banquet last night, he also bought kitchen supplies. Of course, snacks and drinks were also essential.

The three of them envied Miss Yuan's refrigerator; it was practically inexhaustible, and every time they went up there, they could enjoy it.

Finally, before noon, the three of them had almost finished decorating Lin Mo's new home.

It mainly involves the placement of items in the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.

The anti-hair loss and hair growth tonic was placed in the bathroom, the honey in the kitchen, and the fish oil and Jiuzhitang bone-strengthening oral liquid that he bought for his parents a couple of days ago were locked in a glass display case in the bedroom—these are good things.

As for a desktop computer, he didn't buy one. Firstly, his laptop was enough, and secondly, he already had a tablet, which was sufficient for both gaming and watching videos.

If he wants to team up to play games, he can go to Miss Yuan.

Since Miss Yuan's secret base was built, Lin Mo and his two friends have hardly played games in the dormitory. After experiencing the high-end products, the three of them are a bit disgusted with their own computers. The game graphics are too rough and not smooth. You really get what you pay for.

Lin Mo even considered selling his two computers on Zhuanzhuan (a second-hand marketplace app).

Awards, certificates, banners, and the groundbreaking board game "Creation Mountain" are also displayed in the living room cabinet, placed in the most conspicuous spot.

Despite buying a lot of things from the supermarket, the house still felt very empty.

"Damn, I'm exhausted. Even when Chuanmei moved, she had so much stuff, but she wasn't as tired as you. You live a more refined life, and you even have this Coca-Cola ice cream!" Director Wang complained, panting heavily as he sat on the sofa.

As for the Sichuan girl, she was so tired that she stuck out her tongue and was lying in front of the air conditioner in the living room recovering.

"The refrigerator was just plugged in, it'll be ready in a bit. But you two aren't very stamina-wise. You're already this tired from such a small amount of food?" Lin Mo said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Director Wang was immediately enraged: "How dare you say that? I carried that huge mattress back myself, and all these kitchen utensils—do you even know how to cook?!"

"Just wait a couple of days, I'll show you what a state banquet is all about. Let's skip it today. Come on, call Sister Yuan, let's go out for a nice meal to treat you guys," Lin Mo waved his hand, in a very good mood. Then, he and Director Wang each took one arm and dragged the Sichuan girl, who was slumped in front of the air conditioner, to her feet, and went straight downstairs to the apartment building where Miss Yuan lived not far away.

Just as the three of them turned the corner, a tall, curvaceous figure glanced in their direction.

"Am I seeing things? It looks like I am!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, the man shook his head and then turned and entered the building where Lin Mo and the others had just come out.

Meanwhile, since it was Saturday and the company was closed, Liu Ruyan, the boss, took the opportunity to go home.

You should know that for a period of time before, she would not rest even when the company was on holiday. As the company's leader, she had too many things to deal with, especially since the former general manager, Yang Chuan, had left her with a lot of trouble.

Fortunately, after nearly a month of restructuring, the company is now much more stable, and she finally has a chance to catch her breath.

As for Liu Ruyan's home, it is located in a villa area on the outskirts of the eastern district of Jiangning City.

Because this area is nestled against the mountains and by the water, and is also close to the ancient city of Jiangning, it boasts beautiful scenery and has become home to several villa districts. Many wealthy people from Jiangning City like to live here.

Firstly, it's less noisy in the city center, and secondly, the scenery is beautiful, so wealthy people like to gather here.

Miss Yuan's family lived in one of the villa areas, not far from Liu Ruyan's family home, even very close. In addition, the two families had business dealings, so they got to know each other over time. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been familiar with each other since childhood.

Liu Ruyan's house is a sizable detached villa with a garden and corridors, and the flowers, plants and trees in the yard are clearly well taken care of.

In the living room, Liu Ruyan lay lazily on the sofa, lost in thought.

At that moment, a woman dressed in home clothes came out, carrying a small bowl in her hand.

"Xiao'e, come and try some of Mom's iced tofu pudding."

The person who came was Cheng Qing, Liu Ruyan's mother. Although she was not young, she was very well-maintained. Her eyebrows and eyes had a striking resemblance to Liu Ruyan, and it was clear at a glance that this aunt must have been a stunning beauty when she was young.

Even though she is no longer young, she still retains her charm and exudes a dignified and gentle temperament. Her hair, like Liu Ruyan's, is styled in a bun at the back of her head and secured with a hairpin, giving people the feeling that time has never diminished her beauty.

Liu Ruyan clearly inherited her mother's good qualities, and even subconsciously learned some of her little habits from her mother. For example, she also likes to use hairpins to fix her hair, which makes her look particularly elegant.

As for 'Xiao'e', that's Liu Ruyan's nickname. Of course, it has nothing to do with Lou Xiao'e in the courtyard. It was just a nickname chosen specifically for her when they were named.

Although the name Liu Ruyan may seem abstract now, it is indeed a very good name.

When naming Liu Ruyan, her parents put a lot of thought into it, and finally got inspiration from the poem "Passing the Imperial Examination" by Shu Fen, a top scholar in the Ming Dynasty.

The foremost immortal among the five hundred, her beauty is like silk and brocade, her willows like smoke;
The green robe is newly donned, a sign of imperial favor; the imperial edict is newly issued, its ink fresh and vibrant.
Leaving the humble dwelling with feet firmly planted on the clouds, ascending to the heavens with hands grasping the osmanthus tree;
People are not surprised that he passed the imperial examination early; the moon goddess Chang'e loves young men.

So the name was decided, and the nickname was taken from the last sentence. Anyway, it sounds pretty good.

"Thank you, Mom." Liu Ruyan snapped out of her daze, smiled, and took the small bowl from Ms. Cheng's hand, eating it in small bites.

"You child, you've been back for so long, but you don't know how to come back and visit more often. No matter how busy you are at the company, you should still take a break, shouldn't you?"
"Don't listen to your dad. So what if you can't do it well? When we get old, everything in the house will be yours, right? Look at you, you've lost weight lately." Ms. Cheng looked at her daughter with heartache.

But both father and daughter are workaholics, and there's nothing she can do about it. If it were up to her, she could just quit the business and that would be fine. She's already made a lot of money, and her children and grandchildren have their own lives. She only has one daughter, and she treats her like a son. No wonder she feels bad for her.

"Oh, Mom, I just took over, so there's a lot to do. But things are much better now. I'll come back to visit you more often when I have time," Liu Ruyan said, clinging to her mother's arm.

Hearing this, Ms. Cheng rolled her eyes at her daughter: "You just know how to sweet-talk me. You and your dad are the same, both valuing work more than anything else. But you have gotten a lot fairer, your face is so tender, what did you use?"

"Maybe it's because I've been keeping a better sleep schedule lately," Liu Ruyan said. If Lin Mo hadn't said that he didn't have the secret recipe anymore, she would have bought more of it no matter what.

"Really? But recently, Aunt Jiang from the Yuan family has been using something that makes her look much younger. I asked her about it, and she said it was a secret recipe that's gone now. She's so stingy," Ms. Cheng sighed, still feeling a bit resentful about it.

She had always been superior to him in looks, but unexpectedly, in her old age, he surpassed her.

Liu Ruyan was stunned when she heard this. She had only gone home to wait for a while because she was upset about Lin Mo yesterday. She didn't expect to hear news about him even after she got home.

Just then, Ms. Cheng suddenly spoke:
"You should take advantage of your youth and beauty now and find someone handsome and someone you like. If you wait a few years and your looks start to decline, no amount of money can buy it back."

Liu Ruyan had just been thinking about Lin Mo when she suddenly heard these words, and her pretty face flushed red. She quickly said, "It's still early, no rush."

But Ms. Cheng was no ordinary woman; she immediately noticed something was wrong with her daughter. Her eyes widened, she sat up straight, and excitedly pressed for an answer:
"What? You have a target now?"

"No, no!" Liu Ruyan's voice suddenly rose an octave.

"You still say no? Why are you in such a hurry? And look how red your face is!" Ms. Cheng said with a smile, tapping her daughter's forehead.

Liu Ruyan perfectly learned the habit of tapping people's foreheads, following it exactly like her own.

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Liu Ruyan touched her face with both hands.

Ms. Cheng smiled and said, "Now we have some, but not all of them. Okay, tell me, and I'll analyze it for you."

After thinking for a long time, Liu Ruyan slowly said, "Actually, we haven't talked. It's just that recently a guy around me has been getting a little closer to me."

Ms. Cheng: "Let's get to the important part, isn't he handsome?"

Liu Ruyan: ? ? ?

So you're a huge womanizer? You don't ask about my identity, what I do, how old I am, or my family situation. All you ask is if I'm handsome?

But after thinking about Lin Mo's appearance, she nodded:
"He's actually quite handsome!"

Ms. Cheng: "Talk, talk hard!"

Liu Ruyan:
(End of this chapter)