Xiong Wan had previously set her sights on Ren Yu, a junior who was starting her own business and had a monthly turnover of tens of millions. However, after officially starting university life, Xiong Wan discovered that not only was Shui Mu University full of talented individuals, but also many super rich second-generation heirs.
Take the senior in front of her, for instance.
Xiong Wan gathered her soft black hair to one side, revealing her slender neck, and tilted her head to look at the senior beside her, a perfectly calibrated smile gracing her lips. Her voice, with a Taiwanese accent, was sweet and melodious, "Senior, you're amazing. I struggled with it for so long, and you solved it so quickly."
The senior, who had been praised, wore a Burberry down jacket. He closed the adjusted laptop and put it back on the desk before casually surveying the 305 girls' dormitory they were in.
Almost at first glance, he determined that the first bed with the door open belonged to junior Liu Chen. The reason was simple: he had already seen a four-person group photo on the desk.
One of the individuals in the photo was a still somewhat naive-looking junior Liu Chen.
In fact, when he learned that the campus belle and top student had enrolled, he had considered pursuing her. However, upon learning that her family background was merely that of a vegetable vendor's daughter, he lost interest.
His family background did not permit him to marry a daughter from an ordinary family. After all, how could his personal excellence compare to the legacy of his family? His family was Yang Run, one of the four major meat processing enterprises in China today, and they had even been listed in Hong Kong a few years ago. He was certainly not someone from an ordinary family that such daughters could aspire to.
Xiong Wan, who had been striking poses for a long time, even tidying up her bed and desk specifically because the rich second-generation senior was coming, and even dabbed a faint perfume on herself the night before, couldn't help but roll her eyes when she saw where the senior's gaze landed.
If she hadn't heard that this rich second-generation senior's family owned a listed company, she would never have bothered to spend a month trying to get close to him.
Thinking of his family's assets, Xiong Wan stepped in front of the senior, tilted her head slightly, and with a gentle smile, suggested, "Senior? Thank you for fixing my computer. Can I treat you to a meal?"
...
When Liu Chen entered with her professional textbooks, she saw a strange male standing in the dormitory.
She placed her professional books on the desk and turned to face Xiong Wan, who was standing with the male in the dorm. She frowned slightly, with a hint of disapproval, "Xiong Wan, you let a male into the dorm without telling everyone."
This was only because they usually kept their beds tidy. If it were someone with a more casual personality like Mi Zhuzhu, wouldn't their underwear left on the bed be seen by a strange male?
At that time, if the male who came here were a bit of a gossip, then the entire dorm, no matter what its state, would be described exactly as he chose to portray it!
The rich second-generation heir, Wei Chang, seeing Liu Chen standing before him, was initially captivated by her appearance. It was only when he heard Liu Chen speak that he frowned slightly and stood beside Xiong Wan, saying, "This junior, I was only helping junior Xiong Wan fix her computer. I've been here for no more than ten minutes from when I entered to when I'm about to leave. Besides, the dormitory is for everyone. Junior, you don't need to be so aggressive."
Liu Chen glanced at the male who was shielding Xiong Wan. After working non-stop for more than half a month, her patience was truly running thin.
"First, this is our shared dormitory. If it was just to fix a computer, you could have done it outside.
Second, the so-called ten minutes is what you said. I don't know the actual time, nor do I want to know.
Third, there's no need to be aggressive. Any normal person would react as I am, unless she's not normal."
Seeing Liu Chen's aggressive demeanor and the long string of words she spoke in one breath, Wei Chang's initial amazement faded, replaced by a hint of a smile.
"Your words sound familiar. They're a bit like what the female protagonist said in that idol drama aired this summer. Classmate Liu Chen, you don't actually think you can find a rich second-generation heir at Shui Mu University who will fall head over heels for you, just like in the TV shows, do you?"
After hearing the male, who called himself a senior, finish speaking, Liu Chen was dumbfounded. She couldn't understand how, at Shui Mu University, besides Xiong Wan, anyone else could have such a peculiar train of thought.
Could it be that the saying, "Education is education, and a person is a person; they cannot be confused," was true?
"How should I put this? I suggest you read more books in your major if you have nothing else to do. You've watched too many strange idol dramas, and your brain seems to be a bit... unusual."
After saying this, Liu Chen suddenly felt bored. She took her phone charger from the drawer and then rushed out of the dorm, heading straight for the laboratory.
Wei Chang stood in place, and after a moment of processing, he realized that Liu Chen was implying he had a problem with his brain!
"Unacceptable!"
Wei Chang chased after her, intending to argue with Liu Chen, but found that Liu Chen had already disappeared down the hallway.
Behind him, Xiong Wan, hearing Wei Chang's furious voice from inside the dorm, chuckled to herself. This was good. With Liu Chen having put him in his place so thoroughly, he would better appreciate a considerate and equally matched beauty like herself.
Liu Chen, who had rushed out, was indeed very busy. The experiments in the laboratory had reached their final stage recently; it was a make-or-break moment. She had to admit that Old Master Chen had foresight in placing her in such a project. Even if she couldn't inherit the Beautiful Food Company in the future, she would still have a bright future ahead of her.
Beijing in November had entered late autumn. Liu Chen was still wearing a hoodie, but with a thermal undershirt beneath, sweatpants, and athletic shoes.
Arriving at the laboratory, Liu Chen first entered the experimental results piled on the table into the computer. After checking them, she entered the laboratory itself, where a scene of jubilation greeted her.
Several seniors were embracing each other, choking back tears as they celebrated, "It's successful! It's successful!"
Successful?
Liu Chen looked at the group leader in the laboratory. Receiving a smiling nod from him, her heart finally relaxed.
"Everyone, don't let your guard down. Now, repeat the experiment several more times. After confirming the experimental data and results, I will submit the outcome of this experiment to the school."
"Yes! Boss!"
Liu Chen saw everyone responding with excited shouts and quickly returned to the computer to organize the previous experimental procedures.
As soon as she finished organizing, Liu Chen looked up and saw the sunset outside the window. Through the glass, she saw the joyful laboratory inside, and yet, a sense of confusion washed over her.
She didn't seem to possess the same extreme passion for experiments as her senior female classmates; instead, she felt a deep fatigue and a sense of relief.
Relief from what?
Before Liu Chen could figure it out, the laboratory door opened, and her doctoral supervisor, He Long, emerged, still wearing his lab coat. He Long, nearing fifty, took off his lab coat and walked over to Liu Chen.
"Liu Chen, this experiment has been successful. The five million your grandfather invested was listed in your name as the investor. Now, you will receive ten percent of the future profits from this new additive. Based on the initial assumptions of the experiment, this is expected to bring in a subsequent return of nearly tenfold."
After speaking, doctoral supervisor He Long looked at Liu Chen with a complex expression.
"May I ask a question?"
Liu Chen nodded, "Boss, please speak."
"That old gentleman claimed to be your grandfather, but his surname is Chen?"
Liu Chen had no intention of concealing anything. She replied,
"Grandpa Chen is my stepfather's father."
Liu Chen's explanation only made He Long more perplexed. It was one thing to have a wealthy stepfather, which could be considered true love, but why would the stepfather's own father go to such lengths to pave the way for his son's step-granddaughter?
To be honest, not only was doctoral supervisor He Long confused, but Liu Chen herself didn't fully understand. However, at this moment, she was beginning to form some conjectures.
Old Master Chen was providing her with a fallback, a path even if she failed to develop any formulas herself.
In this light, Old Master Chen and Chen Long, the father and son, were quite similar. Both were unwilling to admit defeat verbally, but in reality, they were people who left all escape routes open for the other.
With this thought, a smile flickered in Liu Chen's eyes as she asked doctoral supervisor He Long, "Boss, after this experiment concludes, do you have any new ideas?"
He Long waved his hand, indicating he did not, and added somewhat awkwardly, "Your senior female classmates call me boss because I issue subsidies, but as one of the actual investors in our laboratory, you don't need to call me that. It feels a bit awkward."
Liu Chen nodded and changed her address, "Then, Teacher, could I borrow this laboratory for three days during this period? I will pay the school for the equipment used."
He Long nodded.
"This laboratory belongs to the entire Food Science department. Any student within the department can apply to use it. As far as I know, there are no projects in the department currently. If you need to use it, submit an application to me, and I will approve it."
Liu Chen's eyes lit up.
"Thank you, Teacher!"
After a month of preparation, Liu Chen felt it was time to unveil her formula.
Liu Chen took only three minutes to fill out the experimental application form, and He Long approved it on the spot.
"Coincidentally, three days from now, the students who participated in this experiment will have a gathering on the weekend."
After all the senior students in the laboratory had left, Liu Chen cleaned all the instruments in the laboratory. The sky outside gradually darkened, the crimson clouds giving way to a deep blue sky.
Liu Chen turned on the laboratory lights. The cold, white light illuminated the entire laboratory, and then she drew the curtains.
For three days, Liu Chen stayed in the laboratory. Even her meals were brought by Sang Ling in a thermal container, placed outside the laboratory door. If Sang Ling hadn't seen traces of the food being consumed from the thermal container, she would have thought Liu Chen had fainted inside the laboratory.
On the evening of November 7th, the third night since the heating system had been turned on, Liu Chen walked out of the laboratory, and simultaneously, she had finally figured out the problem that had been bothering her.