Chapter Twenty-One: A Newfound Respect (Part One)

My legendary rebirth, without any distractions—staring at the computer screen, I had no idea what was happening downstairs at that moment. I poured all my energy into developing the MSN software, flying fingers dancing across the keyboard as the program took shape from nothing, filling my heart with waves of satisfaction. After all, designing a software ahead of its time was exhilarating; turning the knowledge in my mind into reality brought a sense of fulfillment unimaginable to ordinary people.

Yet, despite my excitement, after more than an hour of intense work, both my hands and brain began to ache. I possessed knowledge, but the tool to realize it was my own body—unfortunately, while my mind had been opened by the alien octopus, my body remained that of a seventeen-year-old high schooler, and this high-intensity mental and physical exertion quickly took its toll. Only then did I truly appreciate the wisdom of that great person: health is indeed the foundation of revolution...

Shaking my head with a wry smile, I pushed onward. I could just barely endure a few hours of high-level work, and seeing the MSN software gradually take shape on the screen gave me renewed confidence. My future depended entirely on this program!

I had no idea how long I’d been coding in VC language—back in ’97, only this seemingly simple yet incredibly complex programming language existed for such tasks. Java was not yet mature, and I resolved that when I had the means, I would develop a sophisticated Java program, earning a fortune from it.

As I typed and pondered, the door to Su Xin’s room was gently opened. Absorbed in my programming, I didn’t notice Su Xin and Chu Zhengsheng enter. Su Xin quietly signaled for Chu Zhengsheng to keep silent, and he nodded in understanding, raising his head to study me intently as I sat before the computer, deeply focused. His brows furrowed slightly; though he couldn’t see exactly what I was doing from a distance, my concentration gave him a familiar feeling—just like the software engineers in his company. When he saw my fingers flying over the keyboard, his astonishment turned into profound awe. If I was truly coding software at this speed, wasn’t I even more skilled than his senior engineers?

Quickly, Chu Zhengsheng shook his head, dismissing the thought. How could a high school student surpass professional engineers? It was utterly ridiculous—surely I was just posturing. With this thought, he smiled at Su Xin and quietly stepped further into the room.

Seeing Uncle Chu enter her room, Su Xin had no choice but to follow. Now, with her mind finally calm, she suddenly wondered, “Why did I care so much about Xiao Qiang’s image in my father’s eyes just now? Why did I challenge my father and ask Uncle Chu to come upstairs? What was I trying to prove? Why did I want to prove it? Could it be that I really care about him?” Her heart fluttered wildly, her neck burning red with embarrassment. Watching my focused expression, she couldn’t help but think, “If only he were always so confident and hardworking, never lazy or sleeping in class, he’d actually be a pretty good guy.”

At that moment, I had no idea that Su Xin’s biggest grievance with me was my habit of sleeping in class. If I’d known, I would have forced myself to stay awake every lesson, enduring the teachers’ endless lectures, just to avoid falling asleep!

Su Xin’s room was not small, but certainly not overly spacious. Chu Zhengsheng, tiptoeing, took barely ten steps before reaching my side. When he finally saw what was displayed on the screen, his mouth formed a wide O, and his eyes were utterly stunned.

Chu Zhengsheng arrived just as I was wrapping up the MSN development, moving into software testing. By then, the MSN interface had vanished, and in the lower right corner of the fifteen-inch monitor, a flawless, beautifully designed chat program had come into being. Beneath it, I marked the software with the initials SX. From this moment, MSN had been replaced by the SX chat program—naturally, SX stood for the initials of Su Xin’s name.

As I tested each function and connected the program to the internet, Chu Zhengsheng finally couldn’t contain himself. His eyes flashed with excitement, as if he’d discovered a vault of gold, and he pointed at the SX software on the screen. “What... what is this?” he exclaimed. “Is this a chat tool? This... this...” He was about to ask if I was the creator, but seeing the command lines and VC language still open beside it, the answer was obvious. Now, he regarded me with newfound respect—a seventeen-year-old first-year high school student who could build such a perfect program? He knew that his own team had once attempted to develop a chat software. Chu Zhengsheng had fully supported the project, recognizing the vast potential of chat tools in the coming internet era. Yet, despite half a year’s effort from over a dozen engineers, the project had failed. His software company was merely a small subsidiary of the larger group, and he’d eventually forgotten about it. Now, seeing the SX program on the screen, how could he not be excited? How could he not be moved? This boy before him was more than a genius—he was extraordinary!

It was only then that I noticed someone behind me and jumped up from my chair, startled. Turning around, I saw a well-dressed, middle-aged man I’d never met before, standing next to Su Xin. Puzzled, I asked her, “Su Xin, who is this?”

“Young man, I need to confirm—did you write this software?” Chu Zhengsheng pointed to the SX program, his hand trembling slightly. He knew he’d struck gold today. Though his software company was just a small part of the larger group, his interest in computers far exceeded any other business. If this software were to become widespread, it would mean a torrent of wealth...

Though I felt slightly curious, I nodded, “Yes, I just wrote it. May I ask who you are?”

“Xiao Qiang, this is Uncle Chu, my father’s good friend.” Su Xin nearly burst out laughing at Chu Zhengsheng’s expression; she’d known him since childhood, and nothing had ever surprised him like this. She could already imagine her father’s reaction when she told him of her victory downstairs. Still, she was careful not to reveal that Chu Zhengsheng was Chu Qitong’s father, fearing I might resent him or that he would tell Chu Qitong she’d invited me over.