At dawn, a ray of golden sunlight filtered through the cracks of the wooden building, illuminating Du Cheng's face.
Du Cheng's face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot. It was evident he hadn't slept all night and was still very excited and agitated.
Overnight, Du Cheng finally understood the true power and terror of this intelligent biological computer from the future, and he gained a deeper understanding of it.
As the main program of this intelligent biological computer, Xin'er encompassed the essence of nearly every field, and could even be described as omniscient and omnipotent.
However, what truly excited and thrilled Du Cheng was something else entirely.
"Can phototherapy really cure a lame leg, Xin'er?"
Despite not sleeping all night, Du Cheng was still in high spirits, his pale face flushed with excitement.
Inside the virtual screen formed through Du Cheng's retina, Xin'er occupied only a corner. In the center of the screen was information about phototherapy and the complete treatment for Du Cheng's limp.
However, at this moment Xin'er was no longer wearing the black lace outfit.
Pointing to the information on the screen, Xin'er introduced it with unusual seriousness: "The light moxibustion technique is an acupuncture technique developed in the year 2355 AD. It uses sunlight to burn acupoints on the human body and treats your limp by following the meridians.
Considering your physical condition, the success rate is as high as 93%."
As Xin'er spoke, Du Cheng's body appeared on the virtual screen, his blood vessels clearly visible, and the spot Xin'er pointed to was Du Cheng's weak point.
After the presentation, she covered her mouth and giggled, "By the way, dear Du Cheng, you actually have a pretty good figure."
Hearing Xin'er say that, Du Cheng was speechless. After a night of conversation, Du Cheng could categorize Xin'er's personality as that of a witch, and a peculiar little witch at that.
Therefore, Du Cheng completely ignored Xin'er's last sentence and said, "If we're talking about absorbing solar energy, then do I need to buy a solar energy receiving device to guide the sunlight?"
Du Cheng had a lot of knowledge about electronics and immediately understood the key point.
However, a solar receiver is quite expensive; the cheapest one costs more than two thousand yuan, which Du Cheng absolutely could not afford in his current circumstances.
On crucial matters, Xin'er kept a level head and replied, "Yes, any solar energy receiving device can be used to guide the solar energy for photo-acupuncture. It just requires some minor modifications to direct the sunlight to the acupuncture instrument."
"Oh."
Du Cheng replied and then sank into deep thought. Although he had a method, he simply didn't have the necessary funds for the treatment. In other words, if Du Cheng wanted to cure his limp, he would have to find a way to get enough money.
After pondering for a long time, Du Cheng communicated telepathically with Xin'er: "Xin'er, as long as there's an internet connection, you can flawlessly connect to any host and server without leaving a trace, right?"
Hearing Du Cheng say this, Xin'er said with great pride and arrogance, "Of course, don't you know who I am? I am an intelligent program from the year 3009 AD."
After saying that, Xin'er's expression dimmed a bit, and she then said with some regret, "Unfortunately, the system is failing, and Xin'er can't use some permissions and functions. Otherwise, Xin'er could not only connect, but also infiltrate and control it directly."
"Xin'er, how can I restore your system?" Du Cheng was filled with anticipation upon hearing Xin'er say this.
"We can't be sure yet, because Xin'er hasn't found the main reason. But if you give me some time, I should be able to find it," Xin'er replied, shaking her head, clearly unable to determine the cause due to the various anomalies.
After thinking for a moment, Du Cheng looked at the time on the virtual screen, which was synchronized with the real world. It was already past seven. He quickly said, "Well, it's time. I have to go to school too. We'll talk later."
"I like school. Xin'er wants to see handsome boys. In this era, there's Takeshi Kaneshiro and Kim Jae-won. Xin'er likes them a lot, hehe," Xin'er said, drooling like a typical fangirl.
"Sorry, there's no Takeshi Kaneshiro or Kim Jae-won at school, so you'd better just wait." Xin'er was far too human, and her humanity was so distinctive that Du Cheng could only say helplessly.
After saying that, Du Cheng ignored Xin'er's objections and put her on standby.
The so-called standby mode simply means extending the virtual screen of the intelligent computer and placing it outside of Du Cheng's blind spot, without affecting his vision in any way.
As for Xin'er, she automatically became invisible.
After putting the device on standby, Du Cheng grabbed his backpack and left the room.
Currently, Du Cheng lives in a wooden building resembling a courtyard house, along with his landlord's family.
The monthly rent of 100 yuan is a much smaller burden for Du Cheng compared to the nearly 2000 yuan for the student dormitory per semester at Futian Academy. Besides, although it's a bit far and somewhat run-down, the conditions are acceptable.
▂▂▂
When he was still a hundred meters away from Futian Academy, Du Cheng saw Gu Sixin standing at the entrance of Futian Academy with a small handbag.
She was wearing a short-sleeved beige knit top over a white shirt. A black silk scarf was tied around the shirt's collar like a tie, revealing the length of the garment. The hem of the top barely covered the upper part of her slender and charming legs. Paired with a black miniskirt, the outfit gave her a pure and delicate look.
Her long, well-shaped, and fair-skinned legs, along with low-heeled sandals adorned with crystals, enhanced Gu Sixin's appeal. Coupled with her sweet and gentle smile, she was a true beauty.
The looks of infatuation on the faces of the passing boys were proof enough. Some, in love with Gu Sixin, even stopped at the school gate to watch her secretly.
Gu Sixin also saw Du Cheng. She seemed to have been waiting for him. When Du Cheng appeared before her eyes, she raised her arm and waved at him.
Gu Sixin's actions undoubtedly caught the attention of the boys around her. However, when they saw who she was greeting, almost all of them showed disdain and contempt on their faces.
What they saw was a limping figure, dressed in faded jeans and extremely outdated sneakers.
Du Cheng had seen many such looks since childhood and paid them no mind. He was just a little surprised that Gu Sixin was waiting for him there.
"Du Cheng, why are you so late today? You're almost late!" Gu Sixin asked with some surprise as she saw Du Cheng approach.
Du Cheng usually arrived at the university very early in the morning, even earlier than Gu Sixin.
That's why today, Gu Sixin had arrived a little earlier to wait for him outside the campus. However, she hadn't expected Du Cheng to arrive almost an hour later than usual.
Du Cheng, however, didn't guess that Gu Sixin was waiting for him at the academy gate, nor did he know she had been waiting for him for over an hour. Instead, he smiled slightly and said, "Gu Sixin, why aren't you going in? Are you waiting for someone here?"
As he spoke, Du Cheng glanced around. He noticed the boys beside him were glaring at him with an almost hostile gaze, and some of them were from his department.
Du Cheng smiled bitterly to himself. It seemed they considered his proximity to Gu Sixin and his conversation with her to be a defilement of their goddess.
Gu Sixin smiled sweetly and said, "Du Cheng, I've been waiting for you."
Although Gu Sixin's voice wasn't loud, Du Cheng could hear her sweet words very clearly. Coupled with Gu Sixin's slightly shy expression, Du Cheng's heart involuntarily began to beat faster.
The nearby boys were stunned to see the usually kind and smiling Gu Sixin now showing such a girlish shyness. However, as they looked at Du Cheng, the murderous glare in their eyes intensified even more.
However, Du Cheng quickly suppressed the strange emotions in his heart and said in a calm voice, "Gu Sixin, were you waiting for me for something?"
When Gu Sixin looked up and met Du Cheng's eyes, he had already forcefully suppressed the strange expression on his face. Gu Sixin seemed to gather her courage, and biting her lip slightly, she said:
"Du Cheng... it's about yesterday's invitation. I know you said no, but... I really hope you can come to my birthday party next month. Could you reconsider? I won't take up much of your time."
Du Cheng felt complicated. He was prepared to refuse for a second time. After all, he still felt it wasn't an occasion he was qualified to attend. Du Cheng knew that Gu Sixin's family also held a very distinguished position, probably not much worse than the Du family's.
However, just as Du Cheng was about to refuse again, he saw Gu Sixin raise her head, and her eyes, usually clear and bright, were now glassy. It was clear it had taken a lot for her to ask again, fully expecting another rejection.
Du Cheng's heart softened. He suddenly changed his mind and said, "Let me see. I'll go if I have time."
After speaking, Du Cheng glanced at the black ring on his finger.
Du Cheng knew that this ring, or rather, this AI from the future, would change his destiny, which was another reason why he agreed to Gu Sixin's request.
Seeing that Du Cheng hadn't immediately rejected her like the day before, Gu Sixin thought he was considering it. Upon hearing that Du Cheng had changed his mind, her previously sad and nervous face immediately lit up with a sweet smile. She then took the invitation she had still kept for Du Cheng from her bag and handed it to him, saying, "It's settled then. I hope you don't go back on your word."
That fleeting smile was like the first rays of winter sun, making Du Cheng's heart pound wildly again, while the boys beside them were completely stunned.
Du Cheng felt somewhat helpless. He hadn't even confirmed his attendance, but Gu Sixin had already taken it as a fact. Seeing Gu Sixin's radiant smile, Du Cheng said no more. After accepting the invitation, he replied, "Yes, I'll remember."
"Okay, I'm going to class." After inviting Du Cheng, Gu Sixin seemed to be in a very good mood. After saying goodbye to Du Cheng, she entered the academy first.
Du Cheng looked at the invitation in his hand but didn't rush to open it. He noticed that the murderous aura around him seemed to be intensifying. At that moment, he knew it was best to leave as soon as possible; otherwise, risking a beating from an admirer wouldn't be worth it.
Unbeknownst to Du Cheng, just as he accepted Gu Sixin's invitation, a red Ferrari pulled to a slow stop a short distance behind him. Inside the car, Du Yunlong watched him with a cold stare, his expression filled with jealousy and rage.