The Nerd Who Conquered The World

Chapter 5

Lin Chen returned the books to Mrs. Lee in the morning. She looked him over carefully.

"You stayed the whole night?."

Lin Chen scratched his head sheepishly "Yes Mrs Lee, I had to finish something."

She shook her head slowly, then reached under the counter and held out a packet of star biscuits. "I noticed you hadn't eaten properly. Take care of yourself." She paused, lowering her voice slightly.

"Don't mind what people are saying out there, just continue what you are doing."

He looked at her, touched by her genuine warmth in a week that had had very little of it.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lee."

He walked out into the morning, feeling the bright sun but he was tired as he carried himself into the dorm.

As soon as he entered he collapsed on his dorm bed and slept for five straight hours.

When he woke it was noon. The dorm was being prepped for repairs because of the fire. And since he had already graduated, there was no real reason to stay anymore, so he got up, showered, and dressed in clean clothes.

Liang Hao wasn't around, likely at his own apartment off campus. He only stayed in the dorm out of loyalty to Lin Chen.

First things first, he had something to settle. Lin Chen took a bus to the university's finance office. When he walked up to the counter the woman behind the desk looked him over with slow skepticism.

"Hello, I am Lin Chen. I am here to pay off my student loan."

She blinked. "Have you started working already?"

"No."

She looked at him as she frowned as she thought he was here to joke but she still asked him. "Which payment plan"

"Full. I want to pay in full."

She looked at him again in silence and pushed the account details toward him, still convinced this was some kind of dare. Lin Chen opened his bank app and transferred ¥200,000 while she watched.

She picked up her phone to confirm with the bank as her expression changed to surprise after a few seconds.

She put the phone down, putting up a smile as she printed the receipt. Then she turned to her colleague beside her, not quite lowering her voice enough.

"He actually paid it in full. Just now, straight out of his account."

The colleague looked up from her screen. Then looked at Lin Chen nodding as she turned back down.

The woman behind the desk slid the receipt across to him. "Young man.. you've become successful immediately after graduating. I wish you well." She paused.

"I hope you stick to the right path."

"Yes ma. Thank you."

Outside, two female students who had been waiting in line were already talking.

"Did he just pay his loan? In full?"

"Full? Where did Lin Chen get that kind of money?"

He walked past them without slowing down. He had more important things to do.

He packed his bags, loaded his luggage, and texted Liang Hao.

Am not more at the dorm again, am going to get an apartment. Will talk later.

Three seconds passed before his reply came.

WHAT? Since when did you have money for an apartment?? Call me.

Lin Chen smiled, shaking his head and ordered a ride to the real estate office.

The real estate lobby was polished and corporate. When he walked in with his luggage, the staff looked up, a young guy, fresh out of school, no car outside and looked back down.

Nobody moved to answer him as they all acted busy except one. A young agent with a young face named Su Lin crossed the floor toward him.

"Hello. I'm looking to rent an apartment."

"Of course," she said, then gently: "Most of our units here are on the expensive side. You might want to check other places."

"That's fine. Show me what you have."

She led him through the listings without making him feel small. He finally picked a two-bedroom, it looked clean and private just as he liked it.

"Sir a down payment of ¥300,000 is required, company policy."

From across the office someone laughed under their breath. "She's always going after those ones,just watch he can't afford it. That's why she's never been promoted."

Su Lin said nothing, as she brought out the POS machine with a professional smile.

Lin Chen swiped his card and the machine beeped green. The office went completely quiet. Someone actually stood up from their desk to look at it.

Su Lin's face lit up as with this she gets a ten percent commission. She moved quickly, pulling the contracts together, explaining every clause carefully. Then she left him at the apartment door and then she handed him the keys, before she left she handed her business card into his hand.

"That's my number sir, call if you need to ask any questions about the place."

"Thanks."

Lin Chen smiled as he let himself into the apartment. He dropped his bag and Laid back on the bed, looking at the ceiling.

Finally he had a place he could call his own even though it's only rented for now but it's a start.

.

He had grown up sharing cramped spaces, managing every yuan, watching people like Wang Hao move through the world like none of it required any effort. This ceiling plain white, nothing special felt like the first thing he had ever owned completely.

Then his phone buzzed as Su Xiaowan had posted on her social media. Her and Wang Hao at a resort, with wine glasses raised, the ocean behind them.

Caption: This is the life I'm meant to live, Wang Hao had commented a single word beneath it: Always.

Lin Chen looked at it. Something in his chest moved, not anger exactly, more like a quiet reminder that he wasn't fully healed yet. That it still stung, even now, even with ¥2 million sitting in his account.

He put the phone face-down.

It's not yet time, but soon.

Later that evening, heading downstairs for groceries, he spotted a gym on the ground floor of the building. He slowed down, looking through the glass at the equipment inside, just then the system pinged.

Ding!

[New Mission: Master a physical discipline.]

[Health is also a form of wealth. Reward: Cash + Body Constitution alignment.]

“Body constitution alignment?” He didn't know what that was but he would find out.

He pushed the door open. A heavily built trainer named Coach Chen came to meet him straight away.

“Hello, am Coach Chen how can I help you”

“Am Lin Chen, how would like to subscribe to a plan”

Coach Chen smiled at his words as he guided Lin Chen to sit.

"We have three plans: Normal plan which costs ¥3000, Professional plan ¥5000, and Supreme plan which costs ¥10000hich one would you like?"

"Give me the supreme plan for three months."

Coach Chen's expression shifted slightly. He smiled moving with surprising speed as he ran the payment. ¥30,000. Just as it was approved. He looked at Lin Chen differently after that, laughing as he guided himself round the gym, then Lin Chen left as he would come back later for it.

Back upstairs, by late evening, Lin Chen had worked through a significant portion of biomedical engineering material.

DING.

[Biomedical Engineering Foundations — Mastered: 60% → ¥550,000]

He noted it, closed the books, and opened a blank project file on the laptop.

The algorithm. That was the real move, the bridge between everything he was learning and the world he was about to enter. Knowledge was the raw material. But an algorithm was something he could build, something he could sell, something that would keep working even when he was asleep.

He stared at the blank file for a moment.

Three days ago he was just a helpless student. Tonight he was already building something.