Meng Suihuan immediately ordered someone to bring over the list upon hearing this.

As she flipped through the names, she found it: Liang Jiayan.

No wonder this person could afford to buy so many floors in one go—it was him! However, this development seemed slightly different from the storyline in the book. From what she remembered, Liang Jiayan had originally invested in the Feiyun Group, with Lu Linshen’s company being one of its standout performers. So why had he suddenly turned his investment to her?

Although she couldn’t figure out the reason, she was more than happy to see it happen. Still, it seemed like this fire wasn’t burning bright enough.

Raising her eyebrows, Meng Suihuan decided to fan the flames a bit more.

Before long, a new piece of news emerged and spread rapidly.
“Hey, have you heard about Xuyu Real Estate? Some outsider just bought ten, twenty units all at once!”
“Isn’t their property still under construction? Would anyone really buy in this situation?”
“You’re behind the times. It’s been reported that Xuyu filed records with the judicial department. Plus, if you’re dissatisfied later, you can get a refund. With conditions like these, what’s there to worry about?”
“You guys are still out of the loop! Their promotion just got even better: if you make a pre-sale purchase, you might win a free house in the lottery!”
“…”

As this buzz spread, the entire Ning City was in an uproar, particularly among women, who played a vital role in supporting Xuyu’s performance.

Seeing this, Meng Suihuan flashed a satisfied smile. No matter the era, never underestimate the power of women!

In just five days, they had raised over 30 million yuan in liquid funds. Finally, Meng Suihuan could breathe a little easier. She shared the good news with Lao He, who looked at her with admiration in his eyes.

“You’re still the same as ever, full of clever ideas!”

Handing over the relevant documents, Meng Suihuan responded modestly, “It’s just necessity.”

“Alright, I’ll submit your documents for review. You just wait for the good news.”

Hearing this, Meng Suihuan exhaled deeply. Over the past half-month, she hadn’t relaxed for a single moment, staying busy to resolve the issue ahead of schedule. Thankfully, her hard work had paid off, and the matter was finally coming to a close.

—

“Lao Lu, we’ve failed so many times already. How about we take a break? I know you’re worried about Sister Meng and want to help, but research isn’t something you can rush. The more anxious you get, the less effective it’ll be,” Qin Yu said, his tone earnest as he looked at Lu Linshen, whose bloodshot eyes revealed his exhaustion.

Ever since he returned from his outing, Lu Linshen had been acting like a man possessed. He had taken a two-week leave from the institute and locked himself in his dorm, tirelessly conducting research.

It had been a week now, and he’d barely had ten hours of rest in total.

His approach to experiments had also taken a drastic turn. He had abandoned his usual methods, opting for a more extreme approach that maximized efficiency but significantly increased the difficulty. Such methods were rarely used unless one was utterly desperate.

Qin Yu wanted to continue persuading him, but a piece of bread was suddenly stuffed into his mouth. Looking up, he saw Xu Xuanyi standing there.

“You should stop pretending to be the voice of reason. You’re over here lecturing Lao Lu, but the data in your hands doesn’t look any lighter than his,” Xu Xuanyi said.

Qin Yu muttered, “What do you know? I’m just trying to lighten the mood. If this goes on, I’m afraid you’ll all end up driving yourselves mad.”

While rebutting, he mercilessly crossed out a set of erroneous data.

Xu Xuanyi couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Following suit, he crossed out two more sets of incorrect research data and continued working.

It was unclear how much time had passed when a set of data caught Lu Linshen’s attention. His tired demeanor brightened instantly. However, he didn’t rush but patiently recalculated everything twice more.

Finally, the results confirmed that this set of data worked. Even someone as composed as Lu Linshen couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. His fingers gripped the edge of the table tightly, and his voice trembled as he said,
“Lao Qin, Lao Xu, Lao Xie, this data… it seems to have worked.”

Hearing this, Qin Yu and the others froze momentarily before rushing over as quickly as they could.

“Lao Lu, where’s the data?!”

Lu Linshen pushed the calculations he had just completed toward them. Qin Yu quickly grabbed it, trying to stay calm despite his excitement. After glancing over it, he began calculating on the spot.

When he finished, the results matched perfectly with the original data. Qin Yu’s expression betrayed his excitement, but he suppressed it.
“Lao Xu, you calculate it too!”

Everyone verified the data in turn. To ensure accuracy, they stayed up all night writing the necessary code and inputting the data for final testing.

After meticulous work, the results confirmed it: the data was viable!

At this point, Qin Yu couldn’t hold back anymore. He jumped up and shouted at the top of his lungs,
“We did it!”

They had spent sleepless nights poring over materials and recalculating over and over again. Although no one voiced it, the mental and physical toll was immense. Short-term stress was manageable, but extended periods would have led to collapse.

Their success in such a short time felt like a miracle—a surprise so overwhelming it left them momentarily stunned. Even now, they felt like they were walking on clouds.

While Qin Yu and the others were reveling in their success, Lu Linshen quietly left the dormitory, holding his small flip phone, and found a quieter spot. He dialed a number etched deeply into his memory.

After a long while, the call was answered, followed immediately by a barrage of scolding. But Lu Linshen wasn’t fazed. He cut in quickly to deliver the news.

“Suihuan, we’ve cracked the primary data for the smartphone chip.”

Even Lu Linshen didn’t notice that his manner of addressing her had subtly changed.

On the other end, Meng Suihuan had been sleeping soundly when the flip phone under her pillow began ringing like a death knell. She had a notorious case of morning grumpiness. Under normal circumstances, she could maintain her composure and keep up her “fairy-like” persona.

But she had been severely sleep-deprived, busy with the commercial tower project. Finally, with that issue temporarily resolved, she’d just managed to fall asleep when this call rudely interrupted her.

Naturally, she didn’t take it well and unleashed a stream of curses before realizing who it was. The familiar voice finally penetrated her groggy mind. She froze for a moment, then sat up so quickly that she almost pulled her back.

She gasped but ignored the pain, her voice urgent.
“What did you just say? Say it again!”

Patiently, Lu Linshen repeated himself.

At this, Meng Suihuan was fully awake. Her mind felt like it was playing an endless loop of this monumental news: they had successfully cracked the chip data for a smartphone.

This was groundbreaking. The chip was the most critical component of a smartphone, and its data was its heart.

If what Lu Linshen said was true, it meant that a fully functional smartphone was now within arm’s reach!

There was no way she could remain calm. She wanted to scream in excitement but forced herself to hold back, wary of disturbing her neighbors and risking complaints the next day. Instead, she redirected her focus to a pressing question.

“How did you manage to develop it so quickly?!”

In the original storyline, it had taken Lu Linshen almost nine months to crack the chip data. Now they had accomplished it in just over four months—not even five yet! Their speed had doubled!

As she asked her question, the person on the other end of the call also spoke up, and the two of them asked almost simultaneously:

“I heard you call out just now.”
“What happened on your end?”

Both paused for a moment before Lu Linshen answered her question first. His voice was hoarse, but his tone was sincere.
“This way, you can raise 20 million.”

Meng Suihuan’s breath hitched when she heard his response. She hadn’t expected such an answer, leaving her momentarily overwhelmed and at a loss for how to react. After taking a moment to collect herself, she responded in a tone that was almost playful.

“I appreciate the gesture, but you’re seriously underestimating the value of the chip you developed. Its worth is far greater than that.”

The advent of smartphones didn’t just enrich people’s lives—it became an indispensable part of the 21st century. Most people couldn’t imagine life without their phones. And the critical chip at the heart of these devices? It was worth far more than the 20 million Lu Linshen had casually mentioned.

In the next moment, his voice came through again.
“But you need it, and that’s how I determine its value.”

For some reason, Meng Suihuan felt her breathing grow lighter. She knew he likely meant it out of a sense of responsibility and a genuine desire to help, but to her, his words carried an added layer of meaning.

Quickly dismissing these thoughts, she forced herself to stay focused and replied in a composed tone,
“You don’t need to worry about the money—I’ve already handled it on my end.”

Not wanting to give him a chance to say anything else that might surprise her, she quickly shifted the topic.
“Let’s talk about the chip instead. I’m really interested in this. Can you explain it in detail?”

Hearing that she’d resolved the financial issue, Lu Linshen let out a breath of relief. Since she was interested in the chip, he refocused and began explaining. This time, he abandoned his usual serious style and adopted a more accessible approach, making the dry and technical knowledge as engaging as possible. Whenever he encountered technical terms, he provided simple explanations.

To her surprise, Meng Suihuan found that while she couldn’t fully grasp the professional aspects, she actually understood the gist of it this time. It was a far cry from the feeling of listening to an incomprehensible lecture.

By the end, she felt enlightened and couldn’t help but exclaim,
“So this research is really that complicated?!”

She started reflecting on how she might have been too demanding before—treating this as just another task and expecting results within a set timeframe. Feeling genuinely apologetic, she sincerely said,
“I’m sorry.”

On the other end, Lu Linshen was stunned, unsure of what she meant. Before he could figure it out, she explained,
“I don’t understand much about research, and many of my past actions were inappropriate. I hope you can forgive me.”

“As for the research itself, I won’t interfere much going forward. You can handle it your way and on your own timeline.”

“You’re great,” Lu Linshen blurted out.

Realizing how abrupt his words sounded, he quickly added in his hoarse voice,
“What I mean is that your suggestions and ideas have been really helpful throughout the research process. You’ve…helped us a lot. We all really appreciate this version of you, so don’t change anything. Just keep being open with your thoughts. There’s no need to hold back.”

“…Huh??”

Meng Suihuan hadn’t expected to receive such high praise. Even she felt embarrassed when she recalled her earlier behavior. She never thought Lu Linshen would respond like this.

For a moment, she couldn’t describe her feelings—a mix of guilt and gratitude. After all, her initial approach had been more about pressuring him. Yet from his perspective, her actions seemed to have helped instead.

Finally, she could only sigh to herself: No wonder he’s the protagonist—his generosity is beyond what a mere mortal like me can match!

Since he’d already reassured her, Meng Suihuan didn’t hold back. Drawing from her memory and the details he’d just shared, she offered her thoughts and suggestions.

Once they had discussed the chip sufficiently, Lu Linshen circled back to his earlier question.
“So, why did you suddenly call out earlier?”

“Ah?”

Meng Suihuan, who had been thinking about how to wrap up the conversation for the night, was caught off guard. She froze for several seconds before resigning herself and answering awkwardly,
“Honestly, it’s nothing. I just got a bit too excited—”

“…and accidentally twisted my back.”