They're already in university, and the primary school system is only just starting out?

Two hours later.

"Bang!"

Chen Lin slammed his hand on the keyboard, leaned back in his chair, and let out an angry groan.

"What is this thing?!"

On the screen, the little bug wearing a pale white mask from Hollow Knight lies helplessly on the ground, its body turning into a broken black shadow.

【fail】

Li Houzi is such a jerk!

Is this the "masterpiece" he's been praising to the skies?

This game experience is either about being brutally beaten by various bosses or getting lost while running around the map!

Chen Lin became increasingly angry, so he simply pressed the power button to shut down the phone, hoping to avoid the problem altogether.

However, after he took a shower, changed into his pajamas, and lay down on the bed, his lustful desire gradually subsided.

After thinking it over carefully, Chen Lin realized that Hollow Knight was actually quite an interesting game.

Although the bosses are tough and the maps are winding, the sense of accomplishment from exploring the unknown world, discovering new areas, and unlocking new abilities is truly addictive.

Moreover, the death penalty in the game wasn't too severe. At least, although he suffered a lot, the spirit of "I can do it again if I try again" never faded away.

This is so much better than those games he tried before that were supposedly hardcore but were actually full of the developers' malice.

"Learn more and practice more when cooking."

Chen Lin muttered something to himself, then readily opened his phone and started searching for strategy videos on a long video app.

Knowing shame is the first step to courage; it's not shameful.

……

……

The next day, July 15th, at 9:26 AM.

Metro Line 2, Liuzhuang Station.

Chen Lin yawned and squeezed out of the crowd at Exit C.

Last night, he watched walkthrough videos for Hollow Knight, watching about half of a full walkthrough video made by a content creator, and finally drifted off to sleep around 1 a.m.

As a result, I was woken up by the alarm clock at 8:30 this morning, and I didn't even have time to eat breakfast before rushing out the door.

He stood at the subway entrance, raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sunlight, and looked towards the south gate of the residential area, about 300 meters away.

His enhanced vision, amplified by the title of "Little Champion," allowed him to lock onto his target instantly.

A slender man wearing a light blue polo shirt was standing at the entrance of the residential complex, looking down at his phone.

It was Sun Yu.

Chen Lin quickly crossed the sidewalk, went around behind Sun Yu, and gently patted him on the shoulder.

"Brother Sun!"

"Ouch!" Sun Yu was startled, and his phone almost flew out of his hand. He turned around abruptly, and when he saw that it was Chen Lin, his face immediately lit up with a warm smile.

"Chen Lin! You've finally arrived!" he said, putting his phone back in his pocket. "I was just thinking of sending you a WeChat message, in case you couldn't find the place."

Sun Yu looked at Chen Lin with such sincerity, it was as if he had seen a long-lost brother.

No wonder he was so excited.

This is the first time Sun Yu has seen Chen Lin in a month since June.

In his heart, Chen Lin was his benefactor.

The first online consultation solved a technical problem that had stumped the entire project team. Although the consultation fee was a bit expensive, Mr. Peng reimbursed it!

Later, in order to maintain stable contact with Chen Lin and to ensure that company personnel were present during consultations, General Manager Peng granted Sun Yu special permission to be stationed in Tianjin. Not only was his salary paid as usual, but he also received a large travel allowance every month.

But in reality, he spent the most time looking for Chen Lin after arriving in Tianjin.

Most of the time I just leave the game running by myself. I only contact Chen Lin occasionally when the company needs consulting services. It's like I'm on paid leave, and I'm having a blast.

The last time Chen Lin returned to Jiangdu, he was unaware of his own work mistake, and Chen Lin even went to Shanghai himself to cover for him.

Sun Yu now feels genuine gratitude towards Chen Lin.

"Come on, let's go inside and talk." Sun Yu enthusiastically took out the access card he had prepared beforehand, swiped it on the gate, and led Chen Lin into the community.

As Sun Yu walked, he enthusiastically introduced the apartments: "Chen Lin, your previous requirement was to live alone. I looked around, and the one-bedroom apartments on the market now are either old and dilapidated buildings that are twenty or thirty years old, or mixed-use apartments that are mixed-use and have poor environments."

"This neighborhood is the best option I could find; it's not too old and not too far from your school. It's a building from 2008, so the age is acceptable."

Chen Lin nodded. He had already checked the map app yesterday, and the community environment was indeed quite nice, with wide spacing between buildings and excellent landscaping.

Seeing that Chen Lin seemed satisfied, Sun Yu spoke even more enthusiastically: "I even made a special inquiry. The property management company for this community was just changed last year. Although the property management fee has increased a bit, the service quality is impeccable! Look, the security guards patrol 24 hours a day, there are dedicated cleaning ladies who clean up the garbage at any time, and the green belts are also trimmed neatly."

He pointed to a gardener watering a flowerbed not far away and lowered his voice, saying, "Besides, if there's any minor problem with the water pipes, electricity, gas, or anything like that at home, just call the property management, and they'll send someone to repair it for free. It's only from June to September each year; there's a 100 yuan high-temperature fee for daytime visits, but it's free at other times!"

As they spoke, the two arrived in front of a building.

Sun Yu swiped the access card again and led Chen Lin into the building.

Upon arriving on the third floor, Sun Yu took out his key, opened the door to room 302, and gestured "please" to the side.

"Chen Lin, we've arrived. This is the place."

Chen Lin carried his backpack and stepped inside.

When Chen Lin opened the door, he was somewhat shocked.

Open, bright, and clean.

This was Chen Lin's first impression.

It's called a one-bedroom apartment, but the living room is already bigger than their entire 406 dormitory room!

Further inside, there was an open-plan kitchen, a bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, and a balcony with a great view. Chen Lin estimated that the apartment was about 80 square meters.

Even more outrageous is that everything in the room was brand new.

A light gray fabric sofa, a natural wood dining table, and a 1.8-meter bed in the bedroom covered with sky blue sheets... all the furniture and appliances are complete.

Chen Lin even saw toothbrushes, toothpaste, and towels still in their packaging on the bathroom sink.

This isn't just "move-in ready"; you can move in without even bringing your bags!

He instinctively walked to the sofa and plopped down on it.

The soft cushions instantly enveloped him, and Chen Lin felt as if he were glued to the sofa, never wanting to leave.

He admitted that he didn't actually have high requirements for housing.

Unfortunately, he had just come from the dormitory.

Compared to this, 406 is practically a birdcage!

The difference is just too big!

Chen Lin stood up from the sofa and started wandering around the room.

He casually opened the refrigerator door; it was empty, but the brand-new interior walls and glass shelves were clean and smooth under the LED lights.

He went into the bedroom and pressed his hand against the 1.8-meter-long bed. The mattress was just the right firmness and very elastic.

"Brother Sun, isn't this a bit too much?" Chen Lin turned around, looking at Sun Yu who was following closely behind him, with a wry smile on his face. "All the furniture in this house belongs to the landlord?"

"No." Sun Yu quickly waved his hand, a hint of pride on his face. "This house has been vacant for almost two years. The furniture and appliances inside were old and broken. All of these were new, arranged by President Peng last week, specifically for you."

He pointed to the standing air conditioner in the corner of the living room, whose label hadn't been removed yet, and added, "Last week, General Manager Peng specifically instructed me to hire a professional cleaning lady to give it a thorough deep cleaning, inside and out. See? It's cleaner than a hotel!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Lin sighed inwardly once again, impressed by Peng Yifeng's generosity and sincerity in trying to win him over.

However, after a brief moment of emotion, Chen Lin's brain immediately began to work at high speed.

He hesitated for a moment, looked at Sun Yu, and asked seriously, "Brother Sun, how much did the rent for this house, as well as the cost of these furniture and appliances, amount to in total? Do you have the bills?"

"Huh?" Sun Yu was clearly taken aback. Hadn't it been agreed that the design institute would reimburse the expenses?

Chen Lin smiled and explained, "Even close brothers should keep clear accounts. I appreciate Mr. Peng's kindness, but I can't let him pay for this. I'll transfer the money to Mr. Peng in one lump sum at the beginning of next month when I have some money on hand."

他默默打开面板看了一眼：【小小理财师（已加强）：你的净资产每个月增长20%！（当前净资产：55719.632)(距离下次净资产增长： 397：49：37）】

The monthly earnings for the "Little Financial Planner" title should be settled at the end of the month.

Waiting two more weeks before paying will allow me to earn a few hundred more dollars.

Chen Lin insisted on repaying the money because he was about to seriously discuss cooperation and start a company with Peng Yifeng.

Personal relationships are personal relationships, and business is business.

Setting clear accounts is a sign of respect for oneself and for one's partners.

In this way, future cooperation can go further and be more stable.

Looking at the unwavering seriousness on Chen Lin's face, Sun Yu hesitated for a few seconds before finally nodding: "Okay, I'll go back and organize the bills and send them to you."

His admiration for Chen Lin grew even stronger.

After looking the room over again, and confirming that there were no problems, Chen Lin was satisfied and prepared to leave.

Just before leaving, he seemed to remember something and casually asked, "By the way, Brother Sun, do you also rent in this neighborhood?"

"Yes," Sun Yu replied immediately, "I live in Building 7 over there, just two buildings away from here, a two-minute walk. If anything happens in the future, just give me a call, and I'll come right away."

Chen Lin nodded; this arrangement was indeed very convenient.

The two went downstairs and walked all the way to the south gate of the residential area.

"Then I'll go back to school and move my luggage over," Chen Lin said to Sun Yu.

"Shall I help you?" Sun Yu immediately offered enthusiastically. "The apartment I rent is about the same size as this one. I usually live alone, so it's just sitting empty. If you don't mind, you can stay at my place for one night and move out tomorrow."

"No need, no need, I don't have much stuff, I can manage on my own." Chen Lin smiled and waved his hand, politely declining his offer.

Seeing that Chen Lin insisted, Sun Yu said no more. He took out an access card and a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to Chen Lin.

"Okay, Chen Lin, be careful on your way. Here's your access card and key."

"Okay, thanks, Brother Sun. You should go back and rest too."

After saying goodbye to Sun Yu, Chen Lin turned and walked towards the subway station.

On the subway back to school, the carriage was a bit crowded. Chen Lin found a corner to stand in, holding onto the handrail, but his thoughts had already wandered far away.

Although Sun Yu's technical skills are average, his execution ability is quite good, and he is not naive in dealing with people. I have been in contact with him for a while and have helped him a bit. The two of us have a good relationship.

A thought popped into Chen Lin's mind: Once his company is officially established, should he try to poach Sun Yu from the Shanghai Design Institute?

As a technology consulting firm, the clients we face in the future will undoubtedly have a wide variety of needs.

Chen Lin's current knowledge accumulation is concentrated in the field of artificial intelligence, and it is still very basic.

I know almost nothing about other industries.

This means that there must be a "translator" role between oneself and the client.

This role requires certain industry knowledge, the ability to accurately understand customer needs, and then to transform and refine those complex and vague problems into a clear and pure mathematical problem.

Then, return it to yourself and provide the final solution.

Sun Yu has a master's degree in applied mathematics and has worked in a design institute for several years. Both his professional background and industry experience are very suitable for this position.

Moreover, this matter is not difficult to carry out.

Since Peng Yifeng wants to invest in my company, I should have an open and honest talk with him and ask him to bring someone over from his team. I'm sure he won't refuse.

However, when he was thinking about the role of "translator", another figure inevitably came to mind.

—Shen Yan.

If we only consider mathematical talent and comprehension ability, Shen Yan is undoubtedly the best candidate.

However, there are two problems here.

First, I haven't mentioned to Shen Yan that I'm planning to start a company.

Chen Lin planned to wait until Principal Chang Kai's team and Peng Yifeng's side had finished coordinating and everything was basically settled before finding a suitable opportunity to tell her.

It's too early to talk about things now, there's no hope at all.

Secondly, and most importantly, Shen Yan had previously told him that her future plan was to pursue a purely academic research career.

Chen Lin still wanted to respect Shen Yan's own wishes.

Therefore, if Chen Lin can secure Sun Yu's joining his company, then regardless of whether Shen Yan is willing to join or not, he can ensure that once the company is up and running, there will be clients seeking consultations and the company will be able to support order taking.

As Chen Lin was thinking this, a message popped up on his WeChat.

Chen Lin opened WeChat and saw the long-dormant "406 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" group:

Fatty Zhao: Holy crap, Brother Lin is awesome!

Chen Lin: [?]

Wang Tao: [?]

Li Houzi: [?]

Fatty Zhao: [Forum Link]

Fatty Zhao: [Video Link]

The first link was to the campus forum, where a user named LZH posted a live stream thread. Chen Lin was certain that this LZH was Li Zihan.

The post contained a live feed of the modeling competition, and Yunqing probably saw this post.

Chen Lin knew how the students from Yannan University would react to the post without even looking at it, so he skipped it.

The second link led to a long video website. Chen Lin clicked on it and saw a very long title: "Modeling Competition: Originally intended to film a beautiful math whiz, but ended up filming a genius showing off!"