The Growth Story of Chenxi Boy

In late spring in Zhangcheng, the sun shone so brightly that the asphalt roads softened, but the junior high classrooms were filled with a youthful energy. Xu Yi was a well-known "sleepyhead" in the class. Almost every night, he would either read or scroll through his phone until the early hours of the morning. Class became his main battleground for catching up on sleep. He would put his head in the crook of his arm, his pen tip still resting against the textbook, and he would drift off to sleep.

Back then, he was obsessed with mobile phone technology. He hadn't memorized all the formulas in his textbooks, but he knew the parameters of Snapdragon chips by heart. Whenever someone in the class had a phone that was lagging or had a cracked screen, they would gather around and ask him for help. His vague answers were more effective than the teacher's explanations.

During recess that day, Xu Yi was dozing off at his desk when he heard his classmates' chatter, mixed with occasional laughter. He lifted his eyelids slightly and heard someone ask him about entry-level chips, so he replied, "The Snapdragon 710 chip is actually not bad; it's sufficient for entry-level use."

The words had barely left his lips when a slightly arrogant voice pierced the air. It was Chen Jian, who was sauntering over, his school uniform collar open, his face bearing his usual mocking expression. Chen Jian was the class's "mouthpiece," always eager to join in the fun and ridicule others. At this moment, he tilted his head, sizing up Xu Yi, his eyebrows raised high: "What do you know? There's no such thing as a Snapdragon 710 chip here. Don't spout nonsense and pretend to be an expert."

Xu Yiben was still so sleepy that his eyelids were drooping, but this disturbance made him half-asleep. He rubbed his eyes, wanting to argue, but Chen Jian wouldn't let it go, turning to the person next to him and muttering, "You guys listen to his nonsense, he can even make up chip names, he's quite a talent."

Some people nearby chimed in, "Yeah, do you even understand anything?"

For the rest of the day, Chen Jian was glued to Xu Yi's desk every time get out of class ended. Just as Xu Yi closed her eyes to catch a nap, Chen Jian leaned in, his voice just loud enough to wake her: "Hey, where's your Snapdragon 710? Why isn't it talking?"

"Are you pretending to be asleep? Or are you afraid of giving yourself away?"

Hearing the commotion, the students in the classroom all gathered around to watch the fun, laughing and joking, completely ruining Xu Yi's attempt to catch up on sleep. He was furious; he hadn't caught up on his sleep from staying up all night, and now he was being mocked like this. Chen Jian, however, was convinced he was bragging and insisted he didn't have the chip. Looking at Chen Jian's confident expression, Xu Yi felt both angry and helpless: This kid probably hasn't even searched it on Baidu, yet he dares to spout nonsense.

The next morning, the classroom erupted in excitement. One student, who had checked Snapdragon chips on his phone the night before, swarmed around Chen Jian, his voice booming, "Chen Jian, there really is a Snapdragon 710! It's Qualcomm's entry-level chip!"

Chen Jian's face instantly turned red, from his ears to his forehead. He had checked it last night, and his earlier arrogance had vanished without a trace. The classmates around him burst into laughter. He scratched his head, and after a long pause, managed to stammer, "I... I just misheard yesterday; I didn't check carefully."

After that, Chen Jian toned it down a bit, but he still liked to chase after Xu Yi and mock her. His sharp tongue hadn't changed at all. Later, when the teacher rearranged the seats, the two of them ended up as deskmates.

Xu Yi initially didn't want to pay him any attention, but as soon as Chen Jian sat down, he leaned over and poked at his textbook: "Hey, tell me more about that chip you mentioned?"

It turned out that Chen Jian was also interested in mobile phone technology. The two hit it off and talked about everything from the Snapdragon 710 to XR modifications, from disassembling mobile phones to identifying original screens. They talked about it secretly in class and after class. Xu Yi's nap time was completely squeezed out by this chat.

Chen Jian's dedication to learning was something Xu Yi had never seen before. He could learn anything that interested him very quickly, even faster than Xu Yi, not even wasting a single ten-minute break between classes. When Xu Yi tried to nap at his desk, Chen Jian pulled him up, preventing him from sleeping, and chatted with him on his phone.

He went home and started watching teardown tutorials and videos on digital technology. Within a week, he was able to debate specifications with Xu Yi, asking questions like, "What's the difference between the screen packaging of this XR modified for the 13 Pro and the original?" and "Which has a more stable frame rate in games, the MediaTek G90T or the Snapdragon 710?" He spoke with great confidence. By the second week, even Xu Yi was stumped by his questions—"What about the Snapdragon 710's 10nm process and the computing power of the AIE engine?"

Xu Yi rubbed his sleepy eyes, looking at Chen Jian with a sudden sense of panic: this kid was probably going to learn all of Xu Yi's "secrets." But Chen Jian also had his weaknesses; he could recite the theories perfectly, but when it came to practical testing, he faltered. Last time, a classmate brought over a used phone. Xu Yi felt the gaps in the frame and glanced at the glue marks around the camera, concluding it had been disassembled and the battery replaced. Chen Jian, however, squatted beside him, examining the phone for a long time, turning it over and over, finally scratching his head and asking, "How did you know? It looks brand new to me!"

Xu Yi smiled and handed him the phone: "Feel this seam. The original is perfectly sealed, but a disassembled one will always have a slightly raised edge. And look at these screws, the Phillips head is worn shiny, they've definitely been tightened." Chen Jian leaned over and felt them carefully, muttering, "How come I can't feel it... I'll have to bring a magnifying glass next time."

In the days that followed, Chen Jian relentlessly pursued practical skills. While others joked around during lunch breaks, he clutched Xu Yi's phone model, repeatedly touching and examining it, his fingertips rubbing against the seams of the frame. He even pondered the wear marks on the screws while eating. Xu Yi, catching a nap at the table, vaguely felt someone poking his arm. Opening his eyes, he saw Chen Jian holding up the phone, leaning close: "Look at this one, hasn't it been taken apart? I feel the seam is a little raised!"

About two weeks later, Zhang Wen from our class brought over an iPhone 4S that had been sitting at home for a long time. He said he found it at home and had three more, wanting the two of them to check if it had been tampered with. Xu Yi had just buried her head in her arms when Chen Jian snatched the phone and squatted down at the corner of the table to examine it closely. He first felt around the frame, then flipped the phone over to look at the camera lens, and finally frowned as he looked at the charging port at the bottom. When he looked up, his eyes were frighteningly bright: "This phone has been taken apart! Look at the camera lens adhesive, the edges are frayed, and these screws, the Phillips head is almost worn flat, the battery has definitely been replaced!"

Zhang Wen was stunned for a moment. The next day, he went to ask his parents. When he came back, he patted Chen Jian on the shoulder and exclaimed, "You were right! My dad said we changed the battery once before!"

The surrounding classmates swarmed around, and Chen Jian stood in the middle, her ears burning red, but she deliberately kept a straight face and raised her chin at Xu Yi: "See? I can do the machine check now, no worse than you!"

Xu Yi rubbed her eyes and sat up. Looking at Chen Jian's smug and barely concealed smile, she smiled too: "Well done, President Chen. These past two weeks haven't been wasted. From now on, the machine inspection work is yours. I'll go back to catching up on my sleep."

Chen Jian immediately waved his hand: "That won't do! It has to be split evenly! You're in charge of feeling the texture, and I'll be in charge of explaining the theory. If we team up, no one in Zhangcheng Junior High School can compare!"

Xu Yi thought that since he knew so much about mobile phones, he might as well sell some to earn some pocket money. Unlike other sellers who only focused on selling, he handled after-sales service. If anyone's phone had a minor problem, he could definitely fix it; if someone was undecided about buying a phone, he could give them practical advice. What's even more amazing is that he could tell whether a phone had been disassembled or had parts replaced just by touching the phone a few times and looking at the seams. No one in the class could match his skill.

Chen Jian became his "partner," helping Xu Yi answer students' questions in class every day. The students trusted them and often asked them questions; they would even ask them about buying phones first.

While Xu Yi was catching up on sleep at the table, Chen Jian couldn't resist poking him again. Xu Yi was woken up and glared at him, but Chen Jian grinned and withdrew. A couple of minutes later, he came over again, asking all sorts of questions. Their little business was thriving; classmates loved buying their phones from them because they were reliable and honest. Chen Jian was in charge of explaining the specifications and configurations, convincing his classmates completely; Xu Yi was in charge of checking the phones and fixing minor problems, ensuring the final quality control.

At this time, Chen Tao would always join in the fun. He was Xu Yi's friend, a lively and mischievous guy who loved to tease Xu Yi until he fell asleep. Every time Xu Yi had just fallen asleep, Chen Tao would slam his hand on his table: "Xu Yi, wake up! Do you really think that modified XR machine can fool people?"

Unable to bear the noise any longer, Xu Yi sat up and began explaining the ins and outs of modifying the memory and casing of the XR. As they talked, the conversation drifted to A Dong. Remembering how she had introduced A Dong to Chen Tao before, Xu Yi smiled and said, "How are things going with A Dong lately? The one I mentioned to you last time."

Chen Tao slapped his thigh, a mischievous smile spreading across his face: "I remember! That kid called me his big brother and said he'd buy me cigarettes every week, but I never saw a single cigarette. I even 'punished' him later!"

Xu Yi listened and couldn't help but laugh: "That kid never keeps his word, he only dares to put on an act with you."

Chen Jian, who was listening to the two talking about A Dong, chimed in, "A Dong? Is he the boy from the alley in Zhangcheng you mentioned last time? He sounds interesting."

"That's right," Xu Yi nodded, and started telling Chen Jian about A Dong...

As they talked, Xu Yi brought up the topic of XR modifications again, teasing Chen Jian: "Look at you, is your brain modified by an XR? You don't even know what a Snapdragon 710 is, but you can recite the theory better than I can, and you can even guess the correct device during inspection."

Chen Jian retorted, sticking his neck out: "What do you mean by guessing right! I'm really good at it! From now on, we'll split the business equally, and neither of us will steal the other's share. I'll definitely save enough money to buy a new phone before you do!"

Sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, falling on the two figures whispering to each other, on Xu Yi's still tired face, and on Chen Jian's defiant expression. The breeze from Zhangcheng blew in from outside, carrying the scent of grass, mingling with the laughter of the boys, swirling around the small classroom, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere unique to them.

Xu Yi thought that catching up on sleep was out of the question, but chatting with Chen Jian on his phone and talking to Chen Tao about A Dong was much more interesting than sleeping. He glanced at Chen Jian and saw him clutching that old iPhone 4s, his fingertips rubbing against the frame, muttering to himself. He couldn't help but think: This talkative guy has such a strong learning ability, it's quite strange.

Earth Online Zhangcheng Character Introduction: Chen Jian, rated T2. In the early stages, he likes to follow trends, stir up trouble, and mock others. He is interested in mobile phone knowledge and sells mobile phones with Xu Yi, demonstrating his extremely fast learning speed. The two often talk about A Dong's amazing deeds. He also likes to play pranks and tease others. Later, he becomes more Zen-like and changes his talkative personality. He feels sorry for A Dong, but also dislikes him.