Don't You Guys Know About Diminishing Marginal Utility? (Seeking Follow-ups and Collections)

Chapter 15: You Should Know About Diminishing Marginal Utility, Right? (Please Read and Bookmark)

The three of them were eating at the same table, so Luo Yao naturally heard Wang Ye's voice.

"Showing off?" Luo Yao recalled that back in the small town, classmates had said the same thing about him.

"Why would you say that? Didn't the school you enrolled in give you any rewards?" Luo Yao didn't understand why mentioning the school's reward made the other person think he was showing off.

At that moment, Wu Tianming felt the meal wasn't as tasty anymore.

"Bro, we got in through the college entrance exam, only about twenty points above the admission cutoff. Being able to get into Microelectronics Science and Engineering was already lucky for us. What rewards would we get?" Wang Ye complained from the side.

Only then did Luo Yao realize why Wu Tianming and Wang Ye had reacted so strongly when he mentioned the reward earlier.

But this also showed that these two weren't particularly smart.

"It's okay. Even though you didn't get the reward, still..." Luo Yao paused mid-sentence.

Wu Tianming and Wang Ye both looked at him, their hearts anticipating what he would say next.

"Still, since you're such good people, there will be other opportunities later."

Wu Tianming and Wang Ye nearly fainted.

This brat—he'd eaten their big chicken legs and couldn't even say something nice. His emotional intelligence really didn't seem high.

As good-natured people, they naturally couldn't hold it against Luo Yao.

After all, who could argue with someone who seemed smarter than them?

Afraid that Luo Yao would keep talking and ruin the meal, Wu Tianming changed the subject. "So, what are you planning to do with the school's reward money?"

"You could get a new phone. Yours looks like... it has pretty limited features."

Wu Tianming was being tactful. In his eyes, Luo Yao's phone wasn't just limited in features—it looked like a senior citizen's phone!

Luo Yao pulled out his phone and said, puzzled, "Phone? I think it's fine. A Nokia 5310XM—sturdy, durable, and one charge lasts three days."

"This is the first time I've heard someone praise a phone for being sturdy," Wang Ye muttered quietly.

"It's a Nokia. You could crack walnuts with it."

"But Luo Yao, can this phone install apps like Weixin or Tencent QQ?" Wu Tianming asked curiously.

Luo Yao shook his head. "No, and I don't use those either."

"Huh? Then how do people contact you?" Wang Ye was shocked. In this day and age, someone not using Weixin or QQ was really a weirdo.

"You can call or text me."

Wang Ye was speechless. He felt like Luo Yao's gaze was that of someone pitying an idiot.

"But Luo Yao, everyone in the class uses smartphones..." Wu Tianming meant well, worried that Luo Yao would be laughed at because of his phone.

Luo Yao said dismissively, "Just because they use smartphones, does that make them as smart as me?"

"So the only thing smart is the phone, not them. Switching to a smartphone means nothing to me."

That made so much sense, he couldn't argue.

Wu Tianming didn't give up. "What about a computer? You'll have to buy one, right? You need it for homework."

Luo Yao shook his head. "Instead of buying a computer I need separately, I'd rather use the school's. You should know about the law of diminishing marginal utility. In the scenario of buying a computer, the one I purchase might only be slightly better than the school's, but the cost increases significantly." The computer he wanted was a supercomputer, not an ordinary one.

"So why would I be stupid enough to spend extra money on a regular computer?"

Wu Tianming and Wang Ye, who usually spent money carelessly, had never considered this. Hearing Luo Yao's words, they were stunned.

Seriously, why was a top student's brain so different from theirs?!

He used economic theory to make decisions even when buying a computer.

Wasn't he tired?!

If it were them, with a five-hundred-thousand-yuan reward from the school, they'd buy whatever they wanted.

Wu Tianming and Wang Ye were deeply shaken and gloomily attacked the food on their plates.

Seeing them silent, Luo Yao happily retreated into his own little world.

On the other side, Teacher Ouyang was eating with the Luo family.

"Auntie, don't worry. We've specially arranged two roommates for Luo Yao, and there's a counselor keeping an eye on him. I guarantee nothing will go wrong."

Sun Xiulan had wanted to go see Luo Yao, but Teacher Ouyang dissuaded her.

"Mom, Teacher Ouyang has arranged everything so well. You don't need to worry about Luo Yao. He's just started college. If you stick too close, the other students will laugh at him."

Not to mention Sun Xiulan, even Luo Zhu felt it wasn't appropriate for her to visit Luo Yao at school.

If others found out Luo Yao had a sister who hadn't even started college yet, they'd definitely mock him.

Luo Xingguo, who had been mostly silent, finally chimed in. "Zhu'er is right. Look at those college students—do any of them have their parents following them to school? Do you want Luo Yao to make friends?"

"If people see you hanging around every day, who would dare get close to him?"

Sun Xiulan thought this made sense and gave up the idea of visiting Luo Yao.

"Now that Luo Yao has entered university, Auntie, what are your plans?"

"Several cafeterias in University Town are hiring staff. The work is fairly light each day—everyone divides the tasks, and after preparing the three meals, it's free time. If you're willing to go, I can arrange it directly."

Sun Xiulan was taken aback. She said uncertainly, "Teacher Ouyang, didn't you say before that you could help us find a storefront to run a business?"

"Ah, that. I just thought running your own shop would be too tiring for you. If you and Uncle work in the cafeteria, it's easy and worry-free."

Only then did Sun Xiulan realize that Ouyang meant well, thinking she'd find running a shop exhausting.

"Tired? Nothing's as tiring as what my two kids have been through. Luo Zhu gave up going to college to take care of the family, and Luo Yao—since he was little—has stayed up late reading every single day."

Teacher Ouyang's eyes widened slightly. "Auntie, you're saying Luo Yao reads late into the night every day?"

Sun Xiulan nodded. "That's right. Luo Yao always says there's so much knowledge he hasn't learned yet, so he has to make the most of his time."

Outstanding. Truly outstanding.

It's not scary to be mediocre—what's scary is when outstanding people still work hard!

Teacher Ouyang felt that Luo Yao was indeed a rare genius, and he couldn't help feeling fortunate to have snatched him up.

"Auntie, since you want to open a shop, let's go look at storefronts this afternoon. There are vacant spaces in University Town—you can pick from those."

"Also, regarding Luo Zhu's school, I've already contacted someone. Once everything's arranged, we'll get her enrolled!"

"That's wonderful! Thank you, Teacher Ouyang!" The Luo family repeatedly expressed their gratitude to Ouyang. But in a moment no one noticed, a flicker of worry crossed Sun Xiulan's face.

She was a little concerned—would Luo Yao be bullied at school?