Oh no, the aloof school beauty has been reborn too!

When Lu Xing returned to the dormitory, the door was ajar, not closed properly.

He pushed open the door and saw Zhao Lin sitting in front of the computer, scratching his hair in front of the screen.

"What's wrong?"

Upon hearing his voice, Zhao Lin immediately turned around:

"You're back just in time."

He quickly waved to Lu Xing.

"Quick, help me take a look at this problem."

"I've been trying to fix this for almost an hour, and no matter how I change it, it won't run."

Lu walked up behind him, his gaze falling on the screen.

In the code editing area, lines of red error messages kept refreshing.

Lu Xing only glanced at it for a few seconds before he roughly understood the crux of the problem.

"Here you are..."

He pointed to the loop logic of the task on the screen.

"There was no effective waiting between each operation."

"The script had barely finished clicking the confirm button for the first task when the next section started clicking on a different coordinate."

Zhao Lin frowned, realizing the problem as well.

Lu Xing flipped through a few lines of code, his tone calm.

"You see, different tasks load at different speeds."

"If it gets stuck on the loading screen, the entire script will keep waiting and eventually get stuck in an infinite loop."

Zhao Lin opened his mouth.

"I've been working on this for an hour, how come I didn't think of using image recognition for this part too..."

Lu Xing bent down, took the keyboard, and began modifying the code.

He typed steadily and slowly on the keyboard, with almost no pauses.

Lu Xing also added a timeout retry mechanism. After making the changes, Lu Xing pressed the run button.

On the screen, the automated script begins to execute.

This time, the character's movements were fluid and graceful.

Step by step, the whole process went so smoothly that it was as if it had been rehearsed in advance.

In the log window, every line of prompts is crystal clear, and there are no more glaring error messages popping up.

Zhao Lin slowly leaned back in his chair, his gaze following the script on the screen as he completed a round of daily tasks.

After a long while, he turned to look at Lu Xing, his tone tinged with emotion.

"Sometimes I really feel like you don't act like a freshman at all."

Lu Xing paused in his movements.

Zhao Lin rested his chin on his hand and continued:

"You seem to know a lot about computer stuff."

"Errors are obvious at a glance, the code is written quickly and cleanly, and even the optimization habits are very sophisticated..."

He clicked his tongue as he said this.

"Even the second- and third-year students might not be as skilled as you, right?"

Lu Xing lowered his eyes, then laughed.

"It's not that exaggerated!"

His tone was relaxed:

"I just listen attentively in class and watch a lot of random instructional videos in my spare time."

"There are still many things I don't know, so don't overestimate my abilities."

Zhao Lin stared at him for a few seconds.

Finally, he shrugged, turned back to his computer, and began studying the script again.

"A humble fellow."

Lu Xing smiled, returned to his desk, sat down, and casually turned on his computer.

But as soon as the computer turned on, he remembered something else.

Should I call home?

Lu Xing picked up his phone and said to Zhao Lin:

"I'm going to the balcony to make a phone call."

Zhao Lin didn't even look up, but stretched out his hand and made an "OK" gesture.

Lu Xing pushed open the door leading to the balcony.

A cool night breeze swept over him, causing the wisps of hair on his forehead to sway gently.

He dialed his home number.

The phone rang only a few times before it was answered.

"Feed?"

Upon hearing his mother's familiar voice, a smile unconsciously appeared on Lu Xing's face.

"Mom, it's me."

Liu Chunmei then realized what was happening, and her tone became more surprised.

"Oh, Xiao Xing."

The faint sound of a water tap could be heard on the other end of the phone, but it stopped quickly.

"I just finished washing the dishes, why are you calling at this hour?"

She then asked:

"Have you eaten yet?"

"have eaten."

Lu Xing leaned against the balcony railing, gazing at the scattered lights in the distance.

Is my dad home?

"Here, he's watching TV over there."

Liu Chunmei said:

"Your dad didn't have much work at the factory today, so he came home early."

Lu Xing then inquired about the family's recent situation.

As usual, Liu Chunmei chatted on and on about the trivial matters at home.

Vegetable prices have gone up a bit again.

Aunt Wang's son next door said he'll be coming home for Chinese New Year this year.

Lu Ningning's grades in this monthly exam were pretty good, but she was criticized by the teacher again for not memorizing vocabulary words properly.

The mother and son chatted casually over the phone for a while.

Lu Xing paused for a moment after hearing his mother's voice before speaking:

"Mom, I need to tell you something."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Do you remember that competition I told you about last time?"

Lu Xing tried his best to make his tone sound calm.

"The results are in, and I got first place!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Then, Liu Chunmei's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

"Huh? First place?!"

Lu Xing chuckled.

"Um."

There was a few more seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

Liu Chunmei knew that her son was not stupid.

From childhood to adulthood, the word "intelligent" was always a staple in the comments teachers wrote for Lu Xing.

But Lu Xing didn't like studying, and they had to take care of Lu Ningning, so they didn't have time to keep an eye on him all the time.

Getting into Jiangnan University through the college entrance examination is already the proudest thing for her and Lu Xing's father.

She was actually very happy when her son said on the phone that he wanted to participate in the competition.

Now that the child is in college, he finally has some initiative.

But she never expected that Lu Xing would not only participate, but also win first place.

Liu Chunmei opened her mouth, wanting to say something complimentary.

But when the words reached my throat, I inexplicably felt a tightness in my throat.

After her son went to university, he suddenly became a different person.

Ambitious, hardworking...

His speech is different now; he seems to have become more composed and mature.

This should have been a joyous and wonderful thing.

But what welled up in her heart was not just happiness, but also a kind of heartache.

It seems like the child has grown up quietly overnight.

Liu Chunmei remained silent for a moment.

Lu Xing also noticed the silence on the other end of the phone.

So he continued in a relaxed tone:

"By the way, Mom, I've been working on an open-source project recently."

Liu Chunmei's attention was indeed diverted.

"W-What project?"

"It's about writing software, putting it online, and letting others use it for free, and also improving it together."

Lu Xing tried to explain in the simplest terms possible.

"If you do well, you can use it when looking for a job or starting your own business in the future."

Liu Chunmei gave an "Oh" that sounded like she understood but didn't quite.

"Then don't overwork yourself."

She instructed:

"Rest when you need to, and don't stay up all night."

"Okay."

Lu Xing smiled and agreed.

Just then, Lu Ningning's crisp complaining voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Mom, is that my brother?"

Her voice suddenly drew closer.

"He promised to buy me food, but I haven't seen a thing yet!"

Lu Xing was stunned for a moment when he heard this.

He then remembered that he had indeed promised Lu Ningning that he would send her snacks after he arrived at school.

On the other end of the phone, Liu Chunmei lowered her voice and scolded:

"Get out of here, your brother's busy studying, he doesn't have time to send you food."

Lu Ningning muttered a few words in frustration, and her voice gradually faded into the distance.

Liu Chunmei returned to the phone, her tone softening.

"Don't listen to your sister's nonsense. Just take good care of yourself in college."

She paused, then said:

"If you don't have enough living expenses, just tell your family. Your parents will find a way."

Lu Xing smiled helplessly.

The two parents together only earn so much each month.

They had to support him through university and also pay for Lu Ningning's education.

If he asks for more money again, the family's finances will only become more strained.

"Mom, this is enough."

"I received a bonus, so I have plenty of money."

Lu Xing paused for a moment, then said:

"Let's wait another month or so..."

"When I go home for winter break, I'll bring some food back for Ningning."

Liu Chunmei seemed relieved at that moment.

"Okay, I'll talk to her about it later."

After chatting for a few more minutes about everyday things, Liu Chunmei hung up the phone.

Lu Xing put his phone in his pocket, leaned on the balcony railing with both hands, and looked at the distant, dimly lit city.

He took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

Because the girl gave him the computer at a discount, the budget he had originally prepared is now completely free.

If you just keep the money in your card and spend it slowly each month, it should be enough to last through two semesters.

But Lu Xing did not intend to sit idly by and live off his savings.

He wanted to take on some small outsourcing jobs online.

In his previous life, when he worked at the company, he occasionally took on similar side jobs.

Write a small tool, create a mini-program, and build a simple backend management system.

These orders aren't very expensive, but they add up to a decent income.

More importantly, if you're lucky, you can gradually build up some fame through these connections.

In short...

We can't waste such a good computer of hers.

Lu Xing turned around, pushed open the balcony door, and returned to his dormitory.

I turned on the computer, and the screen lit up.

He then opened his browser.

……

It was evening of the second day.

As soon as Lu Xing finished class, he walked quickly toward Mingde Building.

There were about ten minutes left until the time I had arranged to meet the girl.

The campus was bustling with activity in the evening.

Groups of students walked by on the roadside, their laughter carried away by the wind.

As Lu Xing walked forward, he wondered to himself what his girlfriend was up to...

Just then, my phone in my pocket suddenly vibrated.

Lu Xing took it out and glanced at it; the caller ID showed Lin Yuanzhou.

He answered the phone.

"Feed?"

On the other end of the phone, Lin Yuanzhou's voice came through, his tone filled with an irrepressible sense of satisfaction.

"Lu Xing, this is big news!"

"What is it?"

"The punishments for those who spread rumors have been announced!"

Lin Yuanzhou spoke twice as fast as usual.

"Cheng Yue, fined and detained for seven days."

Lu Xing paused slightly in his steps.

Lin Yuanzhou continued:

"Liang Yuwei and Deng Jiaqi received the same punishment, but they were only detained for five days before being released."

Lu Xing was silent for a moment, then sighed softly.

"Is the news accurate?"

"It's absolutely certain!"

Lin Yuanzhou said with a smile:

"Zhou Lian just came back from the legal aid center. He said it himself, 'Oh, it felt so good...'"

He paused, then couldn't help but sigh:

"Zhou Lian really has a knack for this."

"Now, even if they get out of the police station and go back to school, they'll be the center of everyone's gossip."

The police station's punishment is only the first step.

Once Cheng Yue and the others return to school, the news will naturally spread far and wide in class groups, forums, and other similar places.

At that time, they will also experience what it feels like to be talked about and pointed at.

Lin Yuanzhou then said:

"As for Cheng Yue, he is the principal offender and his circumstances are the most serious."

"The school will probably give an explanation, but it's unclear whether they'll put him on probation or expel him outright."

Lu Xing nodded slowly.

"I see."

"Thank you for telling me."

"Don't mention it!"

Lin Yuanzhou reverted to his usual carefree and irresponsible manner.

"Alright, go ahead and do your thing. We'll talk again in the dorm later."

"it is good."

The phone hangs up.

Lu Xing put his phone back in his pocket and continued walking towards Mingde Building.

He sighed silently to himself.

Those who harm others will ultimately harm themselves.