Chapter Twenty-Six: The Fight (Part One)

My legend of rebirth, without interruptions—Days passed swiftly, more than a week had slipped by. Lately, I had begun to shed my bad habit of sleeping during class, all for the sake of letting Su Xin see a brand new version of myself. Ever since I failed at Su Xin’s house that day, I swore to rid myself of everything she disliked, to strive for her to become my wife for the rest of my life! Ha, "for the rest of my life" was perhaps a little exaggerated—at least as long as we remained strangers...

During this week, I buried myself in design work at some shady internet cafes, perfecting the designs and software for the GBA handheld console to be sold to Paradise Company, as well as the SX6.0 mobile system software for Baoyiang Company. Afterward, I secretly went to Su Xin’s house again, sending the files to both companies via email. Of course, this time I didn’t linger, and her parents weren’t home either. The Japanese Paradise Company was the first to affirm my design and remit payment, while Baoyiang Company responded a few days later, transferring ten million dollars to my account. The fifty million dollar deposit from SoftDanger was the last to arrive—I only received this largest sum yesterday. However, the vice president of SoftDanger, who mentioned the president of the China branch, Zhang Zihua, postponed our meeting to next month due to urgent matters. As for IntellCorp, I have no idea what they’re thinking—they haven’t called me yet. But it doesn’t matter; with this startup capital, whether I earn money from IntellCorp or not is no longer important.

Now, I’m practically a billionaire—my steps naturally grew a little lighter. Honestly, if you suddenly had several hundred million yuan, you’d be excited too; if you claim your heart wouldn’t race, you’d be lying! Still, despite my excitement, I kept quiet, telling no one. After all, this is only the beginning—I want to create a legend that belongs to me in this world!

“Hey, Xiao Qiang, why are you spacing out again? Pay attention in class!” Su Xin, sitting beside me, shot me a displeased glare. Seeing the grinning, lovestruck look on my face, she couldn’t help but laugh. She had no idea what had me so happy.

“Oh, got it, got it, my dear wife,” I teased, nodding quickly, which earned me another eye-roll from Su Xin. She scolded, “Who’s your wife? Watch your words, or I’ll get angry!”

“Alright, alright…” I pretended to be very disappointed, turning away to look out the window.

The girl, thinking I was really upset, tugged nervously at my sleeve and whispered, “Xiao Qiang? Are you mad? I was just joking. Actually, I should be the one angry, shouldn’t I?”

Hearing this, I was secretly delighted—my efforts these past days were clearly paying off. Though I couldn’t say for sure if Su Xin had feelings for me yet, I knew she was definitely paying more attention to her deskmate. I turned back, smiled, but kept silent.

Seeing my expression, Su Xin blushed and said softly, “Xiao Qiang, your match with Tong Tong is coming up. Are you confident?”

“Me? Sigh, I don’t think I have much chance,” I joked, sighing dramatically. “After hearing you talk about her, I realized Miss Chu is quite formidable—what chance do I have? Maybe I should just admit defeat.”

“Admit defeat? That—that won’t do! If you lose, then we…” Su Xin stopped mid-sentence, realizing her words sounded ambiguous. Her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head, fiddling shyly with her white skirt as she continued in a soft voice, “If you lose, Tong Tong will surely gloat and force us not to be friends. You’re my only male friend; if that happens, I’ll lose another friend…”

Looking at her increasingly sad eyes, I felt a wave of warmth inside. Gently, I took her fair hand and whispered, “Silly girl, don’t you know my abilities? I was just teasing you. Even if I can’t beat her in studies, I can definitely win in computers, right? Don’t worry, I’ll defeat that arrogant Miss Chu—even if it’s for my god-sister, I will win!”

“Hmph, easy for you to say. Be careful—Tong Tong has always been competitive. She’ll give it her all. Sure, you don’t sleep in class anymore, but I know you’re still absent-minded. Sometimes, Xiao Qiang, I really think you’re strange—always so lazy, but you somehow manage to surprise everyone. You’re impossible to figure out.” Su Xin’s beautiful eyes swept over me, as if trying to see through me.

Just then, I felt a cold, sinister gaze from the diagonal corner, fixed intently on me. I didn’t need to look to know it was Xia Jianren. Ignoring him, I smiled at Su Xin and said, “Heh, it’s not as complicated as you think. People are slowly revealed over time. When we’re together, you’ll know.” I laughed. Su Xin rolled her eyes at me, turned away, and focused on the lesson.

Listening to the teacher’s voice from the podium, I gradually sank into contemplation. With nearly half a billion yuan in hand, my funds were more than robust, yet I was plagued by a deep sense of helplessness. Yes, the money was there, but the tasks ahead were countless. At this moment, I had no idea what my next move should be. Even more worrisome, since my rebirth, I had always relied on my own efforts to generate capital. Now, funds were no longer a concern, but to truly start a business, I would need trustworthy and competent people to manage my future ventures. Without management talent, relying on myself—a seventeen-year-old high school student—no matter how much technical knowledge I had, it would all be a pipe dream. Before setting sail on this commercial journey, I must find reliable partners.

So, I spent the whole class lost in thought, making no progress. Helplessly, I packed my bag with Su Xin and Zhang Li, heading home together. On the way, I noticed Zhang Li and Wang Lili were much more intimate, and I chuckled, understanding what was going on. Looks like Zhang Li really won Wang Lili over. But thinking of Su Xin beside me, I felt a sense of powerlessness. I had done all I could, yet no matter what I tried, Su Xin always seemed to dodge me, intentionally or not. I knew she cared for me, but she wouldn’t break the ice, and I couldn’t force her. After some thought, I shook my head, resigned—let things go as they will.

Soon, we reached the school gate. The red Flag sedan picking up Su Xin had already arrived. It seemed our meeting was over for today. Su Xin smiled, signaling she was leaving. I nodded, watching her delicate figure walk away, entranced. This was the girl I liked—so beautiful and captivating, even her silhouette was unforgettable…

“Boss, if you like her so much, why not confess? You only get one chance at a flower in bloom—don’t wait until it’s gone!” Zhang Li nudged me, grinning slyly. “Want me to help?”

I shot him a look, laughing, “Get lost! I don’t need your advice. I know what I’m doing. Step by step. Anyway, I’ll leave you and Wang Lili to your little world.”

Wang Lili blushed at my mention, casting a flirtatious glance at Zhang Li. I laughed aloud and headed down the small path by the school gate, still thinking about Su Xin. In my previous life, her mature, beautiful face remained vivid in my memory. Honestly, it’s funny—I’ve had a crush on Su Xin since high school in my past life, never dated anyone before my rebirth, so I had no experience in romance. Now, I have no idea how to win her heart, and aside from working hard, I’m completely at a loss…

“Hmph, Xiao Qiang, you kept me waiting so long!” Just as I was deep in thought, a familiar cold voice sounded ahead. I looked up, frowning tightly. Wasn’t that Xia Jianren standing before me? He waited in this little path on purpose—what did he want?