Chapter 15: Studying Computer Science Doesn’t Mean Fixing Computers

The imperial capital in winter was bitterly cold, and night had fallen across the land. At the Entrepreneurship Center, as darkness deepened, the lights dwindled, leaving only a few flickering in the late hours. It was past ten o’clock; even the young dreamers needed rest, gradually returning to their warm little nests.

“Li Fu, we’re heading back first. You should go home early, too. It’s not as if the work can be rushed out in a day or two by staying late,” Li Qi said as he packed his things, addressing Li Fu at the neighboring desk, who was still busily working away. Beside Li Qi, Peng Zhen, Bao Yishan, and the others had already packed up and were waiting to leave together. They were all computer science majors, sharing a dormitory nearby, so they always went home as a group.

“Alright, take care on the way. I’ll head back once I finish here,” Li Fu replied with a smile. Only a few from the product development group remained; Li Fu was always the last to leave. According to him, since he had neither a girlfriend to keep him company nor the social obligations of someone like Zhao Dongye, he might as well stay and work—the time would pass quickly enough.

“Haha, what’s there to worry about for us? It’s you who should be careful not to get swept away by some beautiful woman tonight,” Bao Yishan joked. The entire team enjoyed teasing Li Fu, who always brushed it off with a laugh.

Li Qi, Peng Zhen, and Bao Yishan left Room 602 together, chatting and laughing. The room fell quiet, with only Li Fu remaining, softly tapping at his keyboard.

“Ah!” Time flew by as he worked, and soon it was eleven o’clock. Li Fu stretched and stood up to move his limbs, gazing out at the world beyond, where scattered lights pierced the darkness, and the northern wind howled past, leaving him in a moment of tranquil emptiness.

“Xiao Ying!”

“Yes, Master? Is there something you need?”

Li Fu conversed with Xiao Ying in his mind, easing his boredom and soothing his mood.

At the Entrepreneurship Center’s management office, Wang Yun was still working overtime. Tomorrow was the start of a new month, yet the expense report for the Center had not been completed. Although the school had handed management of the Center to the Student Union, the monthly expense audit remained quite stringent.

On the first of each month, the previous month’s expense report had to be submitted for review, allowing the financial office to approve the next month’s operating funds.

“I knew I had to do the report tonight, and yet I went with my roommate to watch a movie. She’s heartbroken again—so what? It’s not the first time, and every breakup feels like a tragic farewell, always needing company at the movies,” Wang Yun muttered as she skillfully manipulated Excel, compiling statistics and preparing the report.

“Why isn’t it moving?” Suddenly, Wang Yun discovered that her computer, which had been running smoothly, was now frozen. The mouse could move, but the screen was stuck. She clicked repeatedly, and the whole display locked up completely.

“Finished! I’m doomed! I haven’t saved my work yet. If I have to restart, I’ll have to redo everything, and who knows how late I’ll finish?” Wang Yun felt her head spinning. Upon inspection, she realized that while Excel was processing, she’d clicked elsewhere, causing the crash.

“This stupid computer is an antique. It should’ve been replaced ages ago. Everything else in the Center is fine, but this relic remains. Why hasn’t any alumnus donated computers to the Center?” Wang Yun stared furiously at the frozen screen. The computers here were cast-offs from other departments, and crashes were commonplace.

She waited for over ten minutes, unwilling to force a restart because she hadn’t saved her data. Restarting meant all her work would be lost.

“Looks like there’s no hope of going home early tonight.” Reluctantly, Wang Yun pressed the power button to force a shutdown.

Beep!

She rebooted the machine, expecting a slow start but no trouble—she’d done this many times. But tonight, the screen immediately flashed blue.

“No way. A blue screen? At a time like this?” Wang Yun stared at the blue display, feeling utterly defeated.

“What do I do? The report is due tomorrow morning!” Anxiety creased her beautiful face. She didn’t mind working overtime, as long as she could finish the report, but now the blue screen left her helpless. Like countless others, she knew how to use a computer but had no idea how to fix problems.

“Wait, maybe there are still students in the Center. Some of them must know how to fix this—especially those in internet startups!” The thought sparked hope in her eyes.

“It’s late, but maybe someone’s still here.” She anxiously checked the Center’s surveillance feeds, searching for any occupied office.

“Room 602 still has someone. I remember, they just moved in recently—it’s Qian Jin, that playboy, and his roommates. Their startup is internet-based; surely someone there can repair computers.” Wang Yun recalled Li Fu and Qian Jin’s application for the office and hurried toward Room 602, hoping to find help.

Meanwhile, Li Fu was still studying biological technology with Xiao Ying in his mind. The most vital function of the Civilization Seed from the supercivilization was education, and Li Fu used every spare moment to learn from Xiao Ying.

“Xiao Ying, why is using genetic technology to extend lifespan considered a lower-level scientific method? Many science fiction novels feature the concept of a ‘gene lock.’ Breaking it not only increases longevity but grants extraordinary powers.”

“Master, the mysteries of biological genes are not easily explained. Genetic technology can extend lifespan, but fundamentally, life exists because of ‘vital energy.’ Genetic methods address symptoms, not the root. Only by understanding vital energy can you truly strengthen life and prolong its existence.”

In his mind, Xiao Ying was like a patient teacher, always willing to answer Li Fu’s endless questions, each response cutting to the heart of the matter.

Knock, knock! “Is anyone there?”

A clear, melodious voice called from outside, rousing Li Fu.

“I’m here, please come in,” he replied, curious who would visit so late. Judging by the voice, it was surely a beautiful woman.

“Wang Yun?” He recognized her immediately—the renowned campus beauty.

“I remember your name is Li Fu, isn’t it?” Wang Yun smiled, her beauty so radiant it seemed capable of melting the winter snow.

“Yes. Can I help you?” Li Fu nodded, smiling. Lately, his office had been frequented by a crowd of art and design students, so his resistance to beauty had grown; he no longer froze as he had before.

“Well, my computer’s blue-screened. I need it urgently for a report. Do you know how to fix computers?” Wang Yun asked, a little embarrassed, her cheeks tinged pink.

“Just wait a moment while I pack up.” Li Fu laughed as he put his things away. “I’ve taken some computer science courses, but being a computer major doesn’t mean I know how to repair them. I can try, but there’s no guarantee.”

He smiled as he spoke, echoing the common plight of computer science students everywhere—friends always thought they could fix computers, simply because they studied them.

“That’s fine. If you can fix it, wonderful; if not, it’s okay.” Wang Yun glanced around Room 602, smiling.

Soon, Li Fu finished packing and headed to the management office on the first floor. He looked at the old machine, its screen glowing blue, lines of English text flickering.

“Looks like the system crashed,” he observed. Fingers flying over the keyboard, he quickly brought the screen to black and restarted the computer. It came back to life.

“You’ve got too much junk on your computer. It must have been ages since you cleaned it, and that’s probably why it crashed.” Li Fu typed out lines of code, preparing a simple program to clear out the accumulated clutter.

“Junk? It’s true—I haven’t cleaned it in a long time.” Wang Yun relaxed as the computer returned to normal. She watched Li Fu’s focused expression and nimble fingers with interest.

Li Fu appeared quite ordinary, nothing special at first glance. Yet beneath that plainness was a subtle, enigmatic aura—a mystery that invited curiosity.

“Done! From now on, just run this program every so often to clean out the junk. Your computer should freeze much less often, though honestly, this machine is an antique and overdue for replacement.” In a few minutes, Li Fu had written a simple cleaner. He ran it, and countless bits of digital debris were swept away, as if the computer had shed a heavy burden and suddenly worked much faster.

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