Chapter 165 So happy, so carefree!

The sun was shining brightly on the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year.

The residential compound was filled with people visiting relatives and exchanging New Year's greetings, and the sound of firecrackers could be heard from time to time in the stairwells.

Chen Jianguo had just mopped the living room floor when there was a knock on the door.

As soon as the door opened, a family of three was standing in the hallway.

Walking in front was Zhang Zhicheng, wearing a crisp black woolen overcoat, carrying two red cardboard boxes in his hands, which contained two bottles of Maotai, and two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes tucked under his arm.

His wife followed behind him, with curly hair, carrying two beautifully packaged boxes of imported cherries and several boxes of health supplements.

Zhang Qiang is at the very back.

Zhang Qiang was wearing a brand new bright red sweater today, and he looked very cheerful.

As soon as he entered, his eyes darted around the room until he saw Chen Zhuo carrying a teapot out of the kitchen. His eyes lit up immediately. "Hey, Old Zhang, you're here! Why did you bring so much stuff?"

Chen Jianguo quickly went to meet him and reached out to take the things from Zhang Zhicheng's hands.

"Old Chen, Happy New Year! You're busy with business all year round, so these few days of the New Year are the only time you can relax. I came to visit my old brother."

Zhang Zhicheng laughed heartily as he put his things down and changed his shoes.

Zhang Zhicheng is a shrewd businessman, usually very adept at socializing and quick with words, but today, at the Chen family's house, he adopted a very humble posture. The top student in the country, a student in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology's gifted youth program, a university student under thirteen years old.

Having navigated the business world for so long, Zhang Zhicheng knew best what such a top-notch mind meant—connections and potential that money couldn't buy. "Uncle, Aunt, Happy New Year."

Chen Zhuo carried over several clean glasses, placed them on the coffee table, and picked up the teapot to pour water.

"Good, good, Xiao Zhuo has grown taller again."

Zhang Zhicheng's wife smiled broadly, her eyes filled with indescribable wonder as she looked at Chen Zhuo.

"This child always seems so steady and reliable, and the more you look at him, the more likable he becomes."

The adults sat down on the sofa in the living room and began to chat warmly about everyday things.

Zhang Qiang didn't squeeze in with the adults; he pulled up a plastic stool and plopped down next to Chen Zhuo.

As he peeled peanuts from the fruit bowl on the coffee table, he nudged Chen Zhuo lightly with his elbow.

Chen Zhuo turned his head.

Zhang Qiang winked at him, then reached into the pocket of his newly bought jeans and deliberately shook it a couple of times.

A metallic clanging sound came from inside the pocket.

The sound wasn't loud, but to Zhang Qiang, it was the most beautiful music in the world.

That was a full fifty arcade game tokens.

He secretly swapped some of the New Year's money his elders gave him yesterday.

The biggest arcade in the city center just got two original King of Fighters '97 arcade machines on the first day of the Lunar New Year. The joysticks were brand new, and the buttons were so sensitive that they would trigger a move at the slightest touch.

He came to pay his respects for the New Year today, but his mind was already in the arcade. He was just waiting for the adults to finish their greetings and go through the motions so he could legitimately drag Chen Zhu out.

Chen Zhuo smiled slightly at Zhang Qiang's restless expression, said nothing, and simply picked up his water glass and took a sip. Over on the sofa, the conversation naturally shifted from business difficulties to the children.

This seems to be an unavoidable issue for Chinese parents.

"Old Zhang, your Qiangzi has grown taller now, and looks much stronger than last year. He's in the second year of junior high at the city's No. 1 Middle School, right?"

Liu Xiuying placed a plate of freshly sliced ​​apples on the coffee table and casually asked a question.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhicheng's wife immediately frowned, and the smile on her face turned into a sigh.

"Sister-in-law, don't even mention it. What's the use of being tall? If you were even a tenth as smart as Xiao Zhuo, I'd be laughing in my sleep." Zhang Qiang's mother slapped her thigh, her tone full of anxious disappointment.

"The competition at No. 1 Middle School is so fierce now. After the second semester of the second year of junior high, students will be streamed into different majors. If they don't get into the senior high school affiliated with the school, they won't even be able to get into a good university."

Chen Jianguo comforted him from the side.

"Qiangzi is good too. He's quick-witted. Boys are late bloomers, but he'll start learning in the third year of junior high."

"If only he could understand."

Zhang Qiang's mother glanced at Zhang Qiang, who was sitting next to her shelling peanuts, and sighed.

"For his grades, Lao Zhang and I tried everything: Brain Gold, Life No. 1, and even bringing home boxes of oral liquids costing hundreds of yuan each. We even hired a retired teacher from a municipal high school to tutor him one-on-one on weekends. And what was the result?"

Zhang Qiang's mother became increasingly angry as she spoke, pointing her finger in Zhang Qiang's direction.

"When the teacher is lecturing, he's dozing off. During holidays, his mind is completely occupied with those messy games. He's almost in his final year of junior high, and his grades are still hovering in the middle to lower ranks of the class. I'm so worried that I haven't been able to sleep at night lately."

Zhang Qiang lowered his head, pretending not to hear, and tossed a peanut into his mouth, inwardly urging his mother to end this annoying topic. If he could just endure these few minutes of nagging, the world would be wide open outside.

He had even started mentally reviewing Iori Yagami's infinite combos.

Chen Zhuo put down the water glass in his hand.

He looked at Zhang Qiang's mother, whose face was full of anxiety, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips.

"Auntie, don't worry too much."

Chen Zhuo's voice was steady, carrying a convincing sense of calm.

All the adults' eyes immediately turned to him.

"Qiangzi is actually very smart and his logical thinking is not bad. It's just that he doesn't usually focus on organizing the framework of knowledge points. The exams at No. 1 Middle School in the city seem to have a lot of questions, but there are only so many basic test points."

Chen Zhuo spoke slowly and deliberately.

Zhang Qiang was deeply moved when he heard Chen Zhuo speak up for him. He was truly a good brother; in a crucial moment, Chen Zhuo knew to stand up for his comrade. He gave Chen Zhuo a grateful look.

Chen Zhuo didn't look at him, but stood up.

"The second year of junior high school is indeed a watershed moment. If you don't build a solid foundation, you won't be able to do the comprehensive tests in the third year."

Chen Zhuo looked at Zhang Qiang's parents.

"During my six months at USTC, I had some free time in the evenings, so I took some time to break down the challenging questions and underlying logic from the past few years' high school entrance exams for students directly entering the senior high school section of the city's No. 1 High School."

Zhang Qiang's hand, which was peeling peanuts, paused.

Chen Zhuo turned and walked towards his bedroom.

"I organized it a bit and made a set of notes specifically for breaking through."

The bedroom door was not closed, and a dozen seconds later, Chen Zhuo came out with a black hardcover notebook.

He walked to the coffee table and handed the black notebook to Zhang Qiang's mother with both hands.

"Auntie, this is it."

Chen Zhuo's eyes were as sincere as a clear spring.

"This contains a tree diagram of all the knowledge points in junior high school math and physics, as well as a set of brute-force problem-solving templates that I summarized for him. You don't need to memorize them by rote; just follow the logic and apply them."

Zhang Qiang's mother was stunned.

She stared blankly at the black notebook handed to her, unsure of what to do with her hands.

Zhang Zhicheng, who was sitting next to him, reacted very quickly.

As a man who had worked his way up in the business world, he knew all too well the significance of this unassuming black notebook in front of him.

What is this?

This is a secret guide to passing the exams at the No. 1 Middle School in the city, meticulously crafted by the national competition champion, a 13-year-old genius from the University of Science and Technology of China's Junior Class!

Let alone an oral liquid costing a few hundred yuan, even if you spend tens of thousands of yuan to find a top-tier teacher in the provincial capital, they still can't write something that has been streamlined and simplified by a top-notch brain.

This isn't just a notebook; it's practically a paved road to heaven for his son!

"Oh dear, small batch..."

Zhang Zhicheng suddenly stood up, took the notebook with both hands, and his voice trembled with excitement.

He opened the cover.

Inside were extremely neat handwriting, with various clear mind maps drawn in blue ballpoint pen, and common mistakes and shortcuts to solving problems marked in red pen. There was not a single wasted word; it was all about breaking down the most critical test points.

"Old Chen, sister-in-law, this...this is too precious!"

Zhang Zhicheng turned to look at Chen Jianguo and his wife, his eyes slightly red.

"Xiao Zhuo is so busy studying over there, yet she still thinks about Qiangzi's studies every day. What can I say about this thoughtfulness!" Zhang Qiang's mother finally realized what was going on.

She snatched the notebook from her husband's hands and held it in her palms as if it were a priceless treasure.

"Xiao Zhuo, thank you so much. I really don't know how to thank you enough."

Zhang Qiang's mother was so excited that her voice choked up.

She turned her head and looked at Zhang Qiang, who was sitting on a plastic stool, completely petrified.

One second she was complaining about her son's lack of ambition, and the feeling of indulgence and helplessness completely transformed into an unyielding steely will the moment she touched this notebook.

With this secret manual written by the top scholar himself, even a pig would be able to get into the high school affiliated with the city's No. 1 High School!

"Zhang Qiang!"

The mother's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Zhang Qiang shuddered, and the half-peeled peanut in his hand fell to the ground.

"Look at Xiaozhuo! She works so hard in college, and she still worries about you! How dare you go out and have fun?"

The mother pointed at Zhang Qiang and immediately issued the strictest ban during the Spring Festival.

"I'm telling you, starting this afternoon, you're not going anywhere this winter break! You're staying in your study every single day, studying this notebook! If you don't finish it and understand it, you can forget about getting any New Year's money!"

Zhang Qiang's face turned pale instantly.

He felt like his world had collapsed.

The fifty arcade coins that had been warm in his pocket just moments before now felt like fifty cold, hard lumps of iron, weighing heavily on his thighs. The crisp sound of the newly released King of Fighters '97 in the arcade, the cheers of his classmates—all vanished in that instant. He stared at Chen Zhuo in horror.

He couldn't believe that his brother, whom he had risked his life for, would actually execute his entire family on the second day of the Lunar New Year, a joyous occasion, right in front of the adults!

Chen Zhuo stood by the coffee table, looking at Zhang Qiang's desperate expression, which looked like he was about to cry.

Instead of laughing, his expression of concern deepened.

"Auntie, please don't push me too hard."

Chen Zhuo sighed, like an extremely protective older brother, trying to plead for his younger brother.

Upon hearing this, a faint glimmer of hope flashed in Zhang Qiang's eyes.

"There are a few questions here that combine spatial geometry and quadratic functions, which are slightly beyond the scope of the curriculum."

Chen Zhuo looked at Zhang Qiang's mother, his voice gentle.

"If Qiangzi encounters a problem he can't solve and cries in frustration, please don't scold him, and please don't let him give up. Just leave the problem blank, and a few days before school starts, I'll take an afternoon to come to your house and explain it to him personally."

The last glimmer of hope in Zhang Qiang's eyes was completely extinguished by Chen Zhuo's words.

In short, even his feigning illness, playing the victim, and trying to find an escape route that was too difficult to implement were all shut down.

No problem if you can't do it. Your genius brother will come to your door to tutor you before school starts. Can you escape that?

After hearing this, Zhang Qiang's mother nodded repeatedly, tears of gratitude streaming down her face.

"Don't worry, Xiao Zhuo, Auntie will definitely not hit him. If he dares not to study, I'll have his dad stand by with a belt every day and watch him write!" Zhang Zhicheng readily agreed, looking at Chen Zhuo as if he were a living Buddha.

The New Year's greetings ceremony was completed quickly.

When Zhang Zhicheng and his family of three left, Chen Jianguo and Liu Xiuying saw them off to the stairwell.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhang were beaming with joy, feeling that their New Year's visit today was an incredibly lucky find.

Only Zhang Qiang.

He was like a soulless puppet, clutching the heavy black notebook tightly in his arms, his steps unsteady as he followed behind his parents. As he went down the stairs, he turned back and glanced at Chen Zhuo standing in the doorway.

His eyes were filled with accusation, grief, and a deep despair for the world.

Chen Zhuo leaned against the door frame and waved to him.

That smile was as warm as spring.

The security door was closed.

The room fell silent.

Chen Jianguo tidied up the cups on the coffee table while sighing.

"Xiao Zhuo, you really care about Qiangzi. He's the only son in the Zhang family. If you can really improve his grades, Old Zhang will treat you like a god."

"It's nothing, just a small thing."

Chen Zhuo casually picked up his cup and took a sip of water, which flowed down his throat and soothed his stomach.

Thinking about Zhang Qiang's miserable life over the next twenty days, Chen Zhuo felt that even the water tasted sweet today.

He didn't feel guilty. The second year of junior high was indeed a crucial period for academic advancement, and he couldn't just watch Zhang Qiang become a drifter who only knew how to play arcade games. Since they were brothers, he would pave the way for him, even if it meant going through a little bit of pain.

Just then, the landline in the corner of the living room suddenly rang.

"Ring ring ring"

Chen Zhuo put down his thermos, walked over, and picked up the receiver.

Hello.

There was an extremely noisy background noise on the other end of the receiver.

There was the frantic clatter of mechanical keyboards, the deafening roar of computer case fans, and even a few shrill gaming sound effects: "Fire in the hole!"

"Hey, Brother Zhuo!"

A hoarse voice, yet tinged with an eerie excitement, came through the receiver.

Chu Ge.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Chen Zhuo switched the microphone to his other hand and walked to the window.

Outside the window, someone downstairs lit another string of firecrackers, the crackling sounds exploding on the snow.

"Good my ass."

Chu Ge cursed on the other end of the line, and in the background, it sounded like someone was yelling for the boss to add more instant noodles.

"I spent the entire New Year's Eve in this run-down internet cafe in the county town, staying up for two whole days and nights. My keyboard was practically smoking from all the typing."

Chu Ge's voice carried the excitement unique to a tech fanatic.

"What? Did you mess up your underlying architecture?"

Chen Zhuo looked at the firecracker debris exploding outside the window, his tone relaxed.

"The architecture didn't collapse, but the database is stuck."

Chu Ge took a deep drag on his cigarette on the other end of the phone.

"My friend in Beijing who works on the six degrees of separation and I built the model for the first-generation campus social network. But as soon as the concurrency increased, the multi-dimensional cross-searching of thousands of users directly caused his rented server to deadlock."

Chugo paused for a moment, then his tone became serious.

"Brother Zhuo, could you rewrite that discrete algebra matrix dimensionality reduction technique you taught me in the dorm during finals into a database query? We don't need to worry about continuity, just cutting the redundancy of multi-node concurrency in half."

Chen Zhuo's gaze pierced through the glass covered with frost flowers, looking towards the gray-blue sky in the distance.

"It can be changed."

Chen Zhuo looked out the window, his voice steady.

"Find a piece of paper, take a pen, I'll read it, you write it down."