Ordinary Friends (Two-in-One)

In late June, Jiangcheng was sweltering with heatwaves.

Today was the day the college entrance examination scores were released.

After millions of students battled across the single-log bridge of the exam, this was the moment the results were finally unveiled.

Chen Jun and Zhang Guifang had been waiting in front of the computer early on to check the scores, while Chen Zhi had gone out early for a date.

He was currently being dragged around the pedestrian street in the city center by Lin Wanwan.

"Zhizhi, I want to eat that!"

Lin Wanwan pointed at the ice cream truck ahead.

The two, having just officially established their relationship, were currently in the sweet honeymoon phase.

"Eat, eat, eat. You just finished the takoyaki and now you want ice cream. Are you trying to fatten yourself up like a pig for the slaughter?"

Chen Zhi complained with his mouth, but his body honestly walked toward the ice cream truck.

"Hmph, I am naturally beautiful and won't get fat no matter what I eat!" Lin Wanwan proudly raised her chin. She was wearing a light yellow slip dress, revealing her collarbones and shoulders. She looked youthful and beautiful, turning heads everywhere she went.

Just as Chen Zhi finished paying and turned around with two ice cream cones in his hands, the phone in his pocket vibrated crazily.

He took it out and saw the caller ID: [Mom].

"Chen Zhi! Where the hell did you go, you little brat?!"

"You disappeared the moment we opened our eyes this morning! Do you not know what day it is today? It's the day the exam scores are released! Your dad and I have been guarding the computer since early morning, and you decide to play missing?"

Chen Zhi slowly licked his ice cream and mumbled, "Mom, calm down. It's just the scores coming out. Is there a need to make such a fuss? They won't run away."

"Just the scores coming out? Listen to yourself, is that human language?" Zhang Guifang was furious. "Get your ass back here right now and check your scores!"

"The emperor isn't worried, but his eunuchs are anxious," Chen Zhi replied casually.

The other end of the phone went silent for a second before erupting into a roar: "Who are you calling a eunuch?! Chen Jun! Listen to the nonsense your son is spouting! Bring me the belt!"

Chen Zhi shrank his neck and quickly steered the topic back. "Alright, alright, Mom, there's really no need to rush. Everything is under my control. Don't worry, taking first place in the province is a piece of cake. I'm a man that Tsinghua and Peking University will fight over. I won't run away."

"Keep bragging! Three days without a beating and you're scaling the roof to rip off the tiles. Get back here right now! If you're not home in ten minutes, don't even think about coming inside!"

Lin Wanwan, biting her ice cream spoon on the side, listened to Zhang Guifang's roaring on the phone and whispered:

"Zhizhi, should we go back? Auntie seems really angry."

Chen Zhi glanced at the worried Lin Wanwan next to him, rolled his eyes playfully, and casually said to the phone, "I can't go back, Mom. I'm hanging out with a friend outside. I'll be back later."

"A friend?" Zhang Guifang froze for a moment. "What friend is more important than checking your scores?"

At the same time, Lin Wanwan, standing next to him, stiffened.

The ice cream in her hand suddenly didn't taste sweet anymore.

"Friend?" Lin Wanwan let go of Chen Zhi's arm, standing in place and looking at him in disbelief.

As if he didn't see her expression, Chen Zhi continued speaking into the phone, "Yeah, just a regular friend. It's rare for me to come out, I can't just leave like that."

"Regular friend?"

Lin Wanwan's voice was trembling.

She threw her ice cream into the trash can, her eyes instantly turning red.

How many days had they been together?

Last night they were kissing passionately, and today she was just a regular friend?

"Chen Zhi!"

Lin Wanwan stomped her feet in anger, forcefully shook off Chen Zhi's hand, turned around, and angrily walked forward.

Chen Zhi hurriedly chased after her with the phone still connected, grabbing her wrist.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong? My young lady, you haven't even finished your ice cream yet."

"Don't touch me!" Lin Wanwan struggled hard, tears welling up in her eyes. "Go find your regular friend! Don't come looking for me!"

"Are you really mad?" Chen Zhi leaned in with a cheeky smile.

"How can I not be mad?" Lin Wanwan stopped, pointed at her own nose, her voice laced with a sob. "Chen Zhi, you jerk! I'm your friend? We're still just friends?"

"Yeah." Chen Zhi nodded, looking completely innocent.

"You—" Lin Wanwan was so angry her chest heaved, and her tears finally fell. "Then what am I? Tell me! What am I to you?"

"Aren't I your girlfriend?!"

With this shout, the pedestrians around them all turned their heads to look.

Chen Zhi looked at the aggrieved girl in front of him who looked like she was about to shatter, and he could no longer suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.

He picked up the still-connected phone again and slowly said into the receiver, "Mom, did you hear that? I need to go coax your daughter-in-law now."

On the other end of the phone, Zhang Guifang's expression changed instantly.

"Oh my! Is that Wanwan?"

"You brat, why didn't you say so earlier! Making Wanwan angry! Wanwan, don't cry, don't cry, Auntie will help you beat him up!"

"Bring Wanwan home for dinner tonight! Auntie will make a big feast for you guys! I'm hanging up, hanging up, I won't disturb your date!"

Beep—

The call disconnected.

Lin Wanwan stood frozen in place, tears still hanging on her face, her expression shifting from anger to astonishment, and then to a blushing red.

"You... you just..."

"I hadn't hung up the phone yet." Chen Zhi reached out to wipe the tears from her face.

"Chen Zhi!!!"

Lin Wanwan finally realized she had been tricked.

The shame and annoyance of being teased rushed to her heart.

"You're bullying me again! You bully me every day!"

She charged into Chen Zhi's arms and viciously headbutted his chest.

Thud!

"Murdering your own husband!" Chen Zhi exaggeratedly clutched his chest and took two steps back, taking the opportunity to pull her into his embrace. "Alright, alright, stop crying."

Lin Wanwan rubbed her tears and snot into his embrace, treating Chen Zhi's new T-shirt like a rag.

"Alright, you've vented your anger and dirtied my shirt." Chen Zhi rubbed her head; it felt as good as always. "Let's go, let's go, let's head back and check the scores."

"You're so annoying."

...

Chen Zhi's home.

Before they even entered the door, they could hear Zhang Guifang's hearty laughter coming from inside.

"Oh my, Lao Zhang! Long time no see, long time no see!"

Chen Zhi pushed the door open, only to see Zhang Guifang holding her phone, calling everyone around to show off.

"Yes, yes, yes, he just finished the exam. Sigh, it's just alright. I didn't even see him study much normally, he just played games every day."

Zhang Guifang sounded modest, but her face was blooming with a huge smile. "He did okay, just 723 points."

"How much? Oh, it's not high, not high, just a few points higher than last year's provincial top scorer. Tsinghua or Peking University? That's a given, but it still depends on the child's mood. If he's in a good mood, he'll go; if not, we can always have him repeat a year! Hahahaha!"

Chen Zhi: "..."

Lin Wanwan: "..."

Chen Zhi changed his shoes and whispered to Lin Wanwan, "Come on, let's go check your scores."

The moment Zhang Guifang hung up, she immediately dialed the next number.

"Hello, Sister Tong! Oh my, the scores just came out today, how did you know my Chen Zhi placed first in the whole province? Sigh, it's only 723 points, I'm worried to death. This score is barely enough for the Tsinghua and Peking University admission cutoff..."

Chen Zhi really couldn't listen anymore. He pulled Lin Wanwan and slipped into the bedroom, turning on the computer.

"Don't mind my mom, she's at the peak of her life right now." Chen Zhi skillfully opened the score-checking website. "Come on, let's check yours."

Lin Wanwan finally got nervous, wringing her hands together. "Zhizhi, I'm a little scared... What if I didn't make the cut?"

"What are you afraid of? You have your dad. If you didn't make the cut, we'll just let your dad provide for us."

Chen Zhi entered Lin Wanwan's admission ticket number.

Enter.

[Examinee: Lin Wanwan]

[Total Score: 562]

"Wow!" Lin Wanwan covered her mouth and exclaimed, her eyes instantly lighting up. "562! That's over thirty points higher than I estimated!"

Chen Zhi also breathed a sigh of relief. "It's a sure thing. With this score, plus your first-place provincial art exam results, the Central Conservatory of Music will definitely be no problem."

Lin Wanwan excitedly hugged Chen Zhi's neck and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. "That's wonderful, Zhizhi! We can go to Beijing!"

But after the excitement passed, her little face fell again.

"But... Peking University is in Haidian, and the Central Conservatory is in Xicheng." Lin Wanwan counted on her fingers. "The two schools are over ten kilometers apart! We'll even have to transfer on the subway!"

"That's so far. Does this count as a long-distance relationship for us?"

Chen Zhi looked at her distressed expression and couldn't help but pinch her cheek. "Sis, we'll both be within the Fourth Ring Road of Beijing, and you call that a long-distance relationship? It's just a forty-minute subway ride."

"Isn't forty minutes far?" Lin Wanwan pouted. "I want to see you every single day, I want to see you as soon as I open my eyes, I want to be able to kiss you anytime and anywhere..."

"Stop, stop." Chen Zhi felt like he was getting goosebumps. "Are you going to school or going to date? If we stick together every day, even if you don't get annoyed, I will."

"You think I'm annoying?!"

Lin Wanwan instantly bristled. She sat on Chen Zhi's lap, "Fine, Chen Zhi, you're already tired of me before we've even started college! Tell me, do you want to go to Peking University to find other older female students?"

"I'm telling you, no way! I'm going to go to Peking University every day to check up on you! I'm going to install a GPS on you!"

"How is it troublesome? You just think I'm too clingy, don't you?"

The two playfully fought in the small bedroom. Lin Wanwan was straddling Chen Zhi's lap, her hands tickling him.

The bedroom door wasn't closed tightly.

Zhang Guifang, who had just finished making a round of phone calls and was feeling deeply satisfied, walked over carrying a plate of sliced watermelon, and happened to see this scene.

The two kids were messing around on the chair, their posture, the atmosphere...

Zhang Guifang paused her steps, an "I understand everything" auntie-like smile appearing on her face.

She quietly backed away, gently pulling the door shut behind her.

"Sigh, it's so good to be young." Zhang Guifang happily took a bite of watermelon. "I wonder when I'll be able to hold a grandchild."

...

Evening

After seeing off the last wave of admissions officers from Tsinghua and Peking Universities, Chen Zhi felt a little tired.

These people were too enthusiastic; they almost started fighting in his living room just to snatch him up.

Lin Wanwan ate the watermelon sliced by Chen's mom while saying sourly, "Is this the treatment of a study god? Being fought over by two top universities, tsk tsk tsk."

"It's just average, nothing special." Chen Zhi sprawled on the sofa. "If you want to experience it, repeat a year of high school, and I'll tutor you."

"Get lost!" Lin Wanwan threw a watermelon rind into the trash can. "I'm going to Beijing to become a big star, I'm not going to repeat a year!"

After dinner, Lin Wanwan acted affectionate for a while longer before going home.

The room finally quieted down.

Chen Zhi lay spread-eagled on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The college entrance exam was over, his school was chosen, and his life seemed to have suddenly entered a blank period.

For a moment, he actually felt a bit lost.

He rolled over, picked up his phone, and opened that notepad app.

It was densely packed with records of his asset distribution.

In the eighteen years since his rebirth, he hadn't been idle.

He had gone all-in with all the money he had previously earned, investing it in Yingweida and the not-yet-listed NoteDance.

Looking at the dense string of zeros in his account, Chen Zhi smacked his lips.

Yingweida was currently on the eve of taking off. According to his memories from his previous life, by 2025, its market value would break through the sky.

Sell it now? That would just mean he had water in his brain; he would lose at least tens of billions.

As for NoteDance, that was the future traffic overlord. It was currently in a period of rapid development, and the shares in his hands were a goose that laid golden eggs. If he sold them, he wouldn't be able to buy them back.

"Sigh, who can understand the pain of having money but not being able to spend it."

Chen Zhi sighed.

Originally, according to his plan, being a wealthy man with a net worth of tens of billions in this life, collecting rent and playing games every day, would be quite pleasant.

But now...

The situation seemed to be getting a little out of control.

Three faces involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

His childhood sweetheart Lin Wanwan, the aloof and scheming Pei Ningxue, and the gentle as water Li Zhiyi.

If...

Just saying if.

If he wanted to be a little greedy, and wanted the future lives of these four people to all be harmonious and happy.

Relying solely on these dead shares in his hands, the annual dividends would only be a few hundred million, which seemed a bit insufficient.

To support this massive Shura field, he had to have even greater strength.

He needed to have his own business empire, an endless stream of cash flow, and a right to speak that would make people not dare to underestimate him.

"It seems that lying flat won't work, I have to start a business."

Chen Zhi rubbed his temples.

Starting a business was a near-death experience.

Once he made a move, half of the savings he had worked so hard to accumulate might have to be thrown in.

But if he wanted to be a little greedy, he had no choice but to start a business.

Chen Zhi felt a bit distressed.

Just as he was thinking, the phone placed by his pillow suddenly vibrated.

Chen Zhi picked it up to take a look.

On the WeChat pop-up window, a contact with the remark [Bad Woman] sent a message.

It wasn't a leg photo this time?

There's no love left.

[Help me, Chen Zhi.]

After reading the message clearly, Chen Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

This wasn't right.

With her personality, even if the sky were falling, she would probably elegantly hold up an umbrella and mockingly say, "This sky is falling with no class."

Now she was actually sending this kind of distress message?

Before he could reply to the message, that somewhat unfamiliar light blue panel suddenly popped up in front of his eyes.

[Task: Elope with your ex-girlfriend]

[She is a wealthy heiress whose fate is not in her own hands. She looks glamorous on the outside, but in reality, she has no control over herself. Right now, her profit-seeking father and vicious stepmother are attempting to use her as a bargaining chip in a commercial marriage, once again taking control of her life.]

[Task Description: Oh, penniless poor boy, break through the shackles of class! Take her and escape from that cold cage, take her to elope, and anger her parents to death.]

[Task Reward: AI Large Language Model (Primary Source Code and Architecture).]

Chen Zhi looked at these words, his mouth twitching madly.

What do you mean by "penniless poor boy"?

Have you ever seen a poor boy with a net worth of billions?

However...

Chen Zhi's gaze landed on that task reward.

AI Large Language Model!

As a reincarnator, he knew the weight of this thing all too well.

Future AI was hailed as the Fifth Industrial Revolution, the next trend of the era.

If he could get his hands on the source code for this thing right now, even just a basic version, it would be enough for him to blaze a trail through the internet industry, leapfrog the competition, and build his very own tech empire.

This was an absolute godsend!

"Let's do this!"