Qin Xiaojun's friend was indeed reliable. He said it would take less than a week, and in less than a week, all eighty-five sets of new computer hardware had arrived.
However, a slight issue arose with the scheduled unloading crew, and they were unable to arrive that same day.
A truck loaded with packaged computer cases, motherboards, power supplies, and other hardware sat right outside the entrance of the internet cafe early in the morning, with no one to unload it.
With no other choice, Qin Xiaojun had no choice but to temporarily draft his good, big nephew Luo Botao to act as manual labor.
Chen Mo had also caught wind of the situation. Although he hadn't been asked to go, pretending to be oblivious to such a matter was completely out of the question. After finishing breakfast and letting his parents know, he headed over as well.
Upon arrival, he found Qin Xiaojun, his nephew Luo Botao, and the internet cafe's on-duty attendant already sweating profusely from the hard work, yet hardly any cargo seemed to have been cleared from the truck.
Since he was already here, he might as well make the best of it.
Chen Mo quickly joined the unloading crew.
Qin Xiaojun took charge of unloading on the truck bed, while Chen Mo and the other two carried the items up to the second floor, doing their best not to disrupt the internet cafe's normal operations.
After just two trips, Chen Mo realized that while this stuff wasn't particularly heavy, it was voluminous, troublesome, and required meticulous care.
By the time it neared noon, only two-thirds of the cargo had been unloaded.
This was the peak of summer, and the weather in the north was scorching hot. Chen Mo was holding up all right, but Qin Xiaojun and Luo Botao were already as exhausted as stray dogs.
Still, Qin Xiaojun was generous, treating the two of them to a hearty meal at noon.
Back at the internet cafe, Qin Xiaojun had just handed the takeout he brought back to the young attendant when he received a phone call saying something had come up, and he bolted away on the spot.
The young attendant was also wiped out from exhaustion and made up an excuse that the internet cafe was too busy, stubbornly refusing to help with the remaining unloading.
In the end, only the ill-fated duo of Chen Mo and Luo Botao remained.
Looking at the remaining cargo, which was still piled as high as a small hill, Chen Mo sighed and lamented:
"At a time like this, I really wish a wealthy sugar mommy could see right through my bravado, let me drop my defenses, and sweep me away into her thousand-square-meter mansion. Clench your teeth, grip the bed tight—no matter how exhausting it is, it's still better than laying bricks."
"Xiao Mo, you're running your mouth again. Don't tell me you actually want to live off a woman?" Luo Botao expressed his utmost disdain.
"Luobo, you must never underestimate men who live off women. What they rely on is genuine, 'hard' skills."
Suddenly, Chen Mo seemed to recall a novel he had read in his past life, and asked:
"By the way, Luobo, do we have any female classmates in our grade who are pretty, well-behaved, academically gifted, and adorably airheaded? Oh, right, and most importantly, her family has to be filthy rich, so she can easily steal—no, I mean 'acquire' six million yuan from her old man to lend me as startup capital."
Scratching his head upon hearing this, Luo Botao replied:
"Xiao Mo, is your brain okay? I've never heard of anyone like that in the entire No. 1 High School."
Upon hearing this, Chen Mo casually cursed:
"Damn it, the sci-fi fairy tale plots in web novels really are all lies. Back to work, back to work."
***
Taking nearly three whole hours, the two of them finally finished moving the rest of the cargo.
And that old fox Qin Xiaojun returned to the internet cafe right on schedule, as if he had timed it to the minute.
Seeing Luo Botao collapsed on the floor from exhaustion, Qin Xiaojun offered a few token words of concern. Then he pulled out four hundred yuan, giving each of them two bills.
The moment he saw the money, Luo Botao instantly sprang back up from the ground.
Chen Mo didn't stand on ceremony either; it was hard-earned money, and only right.
***
The two didn't let Qin Xiaojun treat them to another meal, agreeing before parting ways to come back tomorrow morning to start assembling the machines.
Stepping out of the internet cafe, they randomly picked a spot to stuff their faces. Luo Botao insisted on footing the bill, and Chen Mo didn't refuse.
On the way back, the city lights were just starting to turn on. The two strolled along while chatting.
"Xiao Mo, how come I suddenly feel like you're a bit different lately compared to before?"
It was completely normal for his best childhood friend to notice a few abnormalities, but Chen Mo was never going to tell him about being reborn. Besides, even if he did tell him, who the hell would easily believe it? For all he knew, Luo Botao would think he had lost his mind.
"It's nothing. I just suddenly realized that certain things aren't quite the way I used to see and imagine them."
"Yeah. You accompanied Lin Zhitong for three whole years, and when filling out your college applications, you didn't even go to Beijing Sport University or the Provincial Sports Institute, choosing instead to follow her to Beijing Technology and Business University. But even so, didn't she still reject you on the spot in the end? Anyone in my shoes would be traumatized."
—So this guy had attributed the reason for his change to suffering a blow after a rejected confession.
Chen Mo didn't feel like explaining, so he just kept walking forward.
Luo Botao hurried to catch up and spoke again:
"Xiao Mo, we're going to college soon. Do you have any plans?"
"Plans? To study hard, of course."
"Mm, study hard. My mother says that when I eventually return to my hometown, I should work hard to pass the civil service exam, find a wife who also works in the system, and my life will be set."
Looking at Luo Botao, whose mindset remained identical to their past life, Chen Mo smiled and said:
"I'm also going to work hard to make money."
"Make money? In college?"
"That's right." Chen Mo made no attempt to hide it.
Luo Botao seemed even more astonished.
"How are you going to make money in college? You don't have capital, and nobody's going to give you a leg up. You've got to be kidding me."
Hearing this, Chen Mo turned around.
Looking at this brother who had once given him a helping hand during his darkest and most destitute days, he said solemnly:
"Luobo, you must understand one thing from now on, and that is: In this society, when you're at your lowest point, the one who can give you a hand is a brother, and the ones who can give you a few 'hands' are girlfriends. However, you can't always rely on a brother to give you a hand, nor can you always rely on a girlfriend to give you a few 'hands'—the hands you can use as many times as you want are your own pair of hands."
Without waiting for a reply, Chen Mo turned directly and walked ahead, leaving Luo Botao standing frozen in the wind, completely bewildered.
"What the hell, why do I feel like you're running your mouth in code again?"
With that, he quickly chased after Chen Mo.
***
Beijing Capital International Airport.
Standing in the arrival hall passage, Luo Jiaqi drew the lingering gazes of countless men. Her fair, jade-like face carried a natural flush, and her pair of sparkling, intelligent eyes featured distinct black and whites, radiating an intoxicating and mesmerizing charm. In particular, a tight crimson Roman dress accentuated her nearly flawless figure to the utmost.
Yet Luo Jiaqi seemed entirely unconcerned with these glances, standing there anxiously craning her neck in eager anticipation.
Finally spotting that tall, thin figure wearing a hat, she shouted out loud:
"Xiaoyuer, I'm over here!"
Xiaoyuer raised her head and slowly walked over, dragging her suitcase with visible effort.
Luo Jiaqi hurried over to take the suitcase from her. Seeing her emaciated and frail appearance, she instantly felt heartbroken, frowning as she asked:
"Xiaoyuer, why did you come back so suddenly? Did you really have to be in such a rush?"
Xiaoyuer didn't pick up on her conversational thread, asking only:
"You didn't tell my mother, did you?" Her voice remained as detached as ever.
"How could I ever dare to go against something you specifically instructed me not to do?"
"Good. Let's go."
With that, Xiaoyuer walked straight ahead. Her footsteps were somewhat ethereal and lacking substance, as if she could be blown away by a gust of wind.
Walking behind her, Luo Jiaqi shook her head, then suddenly noticed something and hurried to catch up.
"Xiaoyuer, why are you wearing a wrist guard on your left hand again?" Luo Jiaqi asked with a nervous expression.
Xiaoyuer raised her left hand to take a look, and said expressionlessly:
"It's nothing. I'm just used to it."
Luo Jiaqi didn't dare press further, though she knew the origin of that wrist guard all too well.
She remembered it was three years ago, when Xiaoyuer's pen pal had sent it to her as a souvenir after winning their first high school league match. It seemed Xiaoyuer had even taken the initiative to ask the person for it.
And ever since that accident, she had practically worn it on her wrist almost all the time.
Exiting the terminal building.
On the way to find the car, Luo Jiaqi pulled out a cigarette and offered it to her.
"Want one?"
"No. I'm not smoking anymore from now on." Her voice remained icy cold.
Luo Jiaqi didn't force the issue, lighting one for herself as she continued walking.
Finding the black Cayenne, the two got in.
Xiaoyuer seemed extremely weak, closing her eyes and leaning back against the seat without moving a muscle.
"Where are we heading now?" Luo Jiaqi asked cautiously.
"Let's find the nearest post office first. I wrote a reply letter to him." Mentioning "him" seemed to inject a bit of vital energy back into Xiaoyuer.
"And then? Didn't you say..." Luo Jiaqi trailed off, leaving her sentence unfinished.
Xiaoyuer took a deep breath and said with force:
"My current physical condition doesn't allow for long-distance travel; I need to rest and recover for a few days. Let's head to your place first, and we'll set off once I'm feeling a bit better."
It seemed that by taking a flight back to the country this time, she had pushed herself to the absolute limit just to endure the journey, which had left her physical condition even worse than before.
Though she was already burning with impatience, reality simply wouldn't permit it.
"Alright."
Luo Jiaqi acknowledged, started the car engine, and quickly vanished into the night.