Cashing it out was out of the question.
Even if it killed him, it was out of the question,
since that would ruin the rules.
Yan Xiao was actually just joking, because he did not care much for that kind of lukewarm reward.
After all, he was also a man about to get his hands on two million.
Of course, when it came to human relations, Yan Xiao still handled things with a very steady grip.
After thanking Principal Guo Zhaofu profusely, he bid farewell and left.
Guo Zhaofu watched Yan Xiao's departing back and nodded with satisfaction. You truly live up to your name!
Emerging from the school, Yan Xiao saw Lin Fangxin standing under a tree at the school gate, intently reading a newspaper.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, striking her body
and leaving Yan Xiao momentarily dazed.
Lin Fangxin finished reading the paper, looked up, and upon seeing Yan Xiao's expression, immediately put the paper away, waved, and called out excitedly, "Over here, over here, over here!"
Yan Xiao snapped out of it, walked over to Lin Fangxin,
and before he could even speak, she immediately said with excitement, "You are amazing! When did you learn Oracle Bone Script?"
"That thing..." Yan Xiao looked unusually embarrassed. "I just learned it casually."
"Then are you going to test for the School of Ancient Literature at Jida University?"
"Of course not!" Yan Xiao shook his head, his face full of disdain.
He had a very clear grasp of this matter.
No matter how profitable translating Oracle Bone Script was, it still had a ceiling.
What if one day all the Oracle Bone Script was completely translated,
and the speed of new Oracle Bone Script being unearthed could not keep up with his spending needs?
What meaning would life even have then??!!
Besides,
translating Oracle Bone Script was something one could do just as well without going to the Department of Ancient Literature.
This sort of thing was equivalent to side money.
It belonged to the same system as freelance writing or driving for rideshare after getting off work.
"Then which department do you want to take the exams for?" Lin Fangxin asked with a curious expression.
She was also considering whether she should enter the same department as this fellow.
That way, there would at least be a rival in her life with a matching academic capability.
And besides,
if they really ended up falling in love in the future, it would also be much easier for them to soar wing to wing...
"I figure I might go to Yuanpei College first, and then decide on a specific major depending on the situation," Yan Xiao replied.
"Mhm, I chose Yuanpei too. My dad told me that young people should try more things; who knows what we might end up being interested in the future."
"Your dad said it very well." Yan Xiao expressed his agreement.
His experience from his past life told him that rather than choosing a sunrise industry and then disliking it, it was better to choose an industry one loved and cultivate it deeply.
After all, no matter the industry, as long as one put their heart into it, it would not turn out too badly.
At the very least, life would pass much more happily.
This was a principle many people only figured out after bustling about for a lifetime right before they died.
"Shall we go get something to eat?" Yan Xiao did not want to stand at the school gate and be gawked at anymore.
Many older uncles and aunties passing by gave the two of them rather odd looks.
Yan Xiao interpreted this oddness.
Skipping class to date at such a young age... Good thing they aren't my grandson or granddaughter...
"Let's get moving."
"What are we eating?"
"Let's go grab skewers again."
Grabbing skewers was a new vocabulary word Lin Fangxin had learned from Yan Xiao.
She felt it was particularly vivid...
"Then let's go."
The two of them strolled over to the familiar West Gate Barbecue.
Because it was not peak dining hours, the restaurant appeared very empty.
The waiter might have been busy all noon, as they also looked somewhat listless.
They found a spot near the window, sat down, and ordered their food.
Lin Fangxin took out the newspaper, handed it to Yan Xiao, and chuckled.
Yan Xiao took the newspaper and looked at it, feeling a slight sense of shame...
Though mostly it was still the terror of being dominated by the savage older sister...
"You have to treat me for a whole week once the paper is published," Lin Fangxin said with a smile.
"Isn't it a bit bad of you to keep bleeding a wealthy sponsor like this?"
"What's so bad about it?"
"Then I get to decide what we eat!" Yan Xiao barged into bargaining.
"Fine!"
The two of them struck a deal instantly.
Then Yan Xiao thought to himself: If I treat you to skewers for a consecutive week, I refuse to believe you won't feel terrified the next time you mention skewers. Heh heh, trying to fight me...
Just as they were eating, Yan Xiao's phone suddenly received a text message notification sound.
He picked it up, took a look, and the corners of his mouth split all the way to his earlobes.
"Hehehehe...hehehehe..."
"What are you silly-smiling about?" Lin Fangxin found his expression strange.
"The money has arrived, hehe..."
"What money has arrived? You mean the prize money for us participating in the essay contest?"
"No." Yan Xiao shook his head. "It's this."
As he spoke, he pointed at the newspaper.
"This?"
"Yeah, the literary contribution award given for translating Oracle Bone Script, hehehehe..."
"Wow~~" Lin Fangxin did not even ask how much was given.
In truth, she did not care about the amount of the prize money either.
She was simply genuinely happy for Yan Xiao.
"Waiter! Bring me the menu! I want to order more dishes!" Lin Fangxin waved excitedly. "Bring us a dozen cold beers!"
Yan Xiao quickly stopped Lin Fangxin's impulse and said to the waiter, "Just two bottles will do."
"A dozen!"
"Two bottles, order more after we finish those."
"Well, all right then..."
"Right, aren't taxes deducted from prize money?" Yan Xiao picked up a skewer of meat tendons, took a bite, and asked.
"What tax would be deducted from prize money?" Lin Fangxin felt it was very strange that Yan Xiao lacked even this kind of common sense.
"I thought it was like lecture fees; once it exceeds 800, a portion of tax has to be deducted."
"It's not deducted. My dad once received 200 million for the highest science and technology award, and that arrived in full too," Lin Fangxin said, taking a bite of a tendon.
"How much?"
"200 million? It should be. Anyway, that's what my dad told me when he mentioned it a few years ago. I don't really know if there are higher awards in recent years."
Lin Fangxin tilted her head and recalled as she spoke.
"Are scientists this rich?" Yan Xiao found it utterly inconceivable.
Back on Earth, being rewarded one or two million was already considered an extremely high prize.
"Of course, science and technology change the world, don't they? Without scientists, how would humanity progress?" Lin Fangxin felt that this kind of common sense question was simply not something someone like Yan Xiao should be asking.
"Then..." Pausing for a moment, Yan Xiao asked next, "Movie stars, singers, comedians, and the like-who earns more, them or scientists?"
"They're the same, pretty much the same." Lin Fangxin thought about it. "Let's put it this way: top scientists and top superstars have about the same income. Then, ordinary scientists have better living conditions and income levels than ordinary celebrities."
Lin Fangxin's words dealt a massive shock to Yan Xiao.
What kind of world was this?
It was completely different from Earth!
Scientists actually earned the same as celebrities,
and might even earn more?
"What about doctors and lawyers?" Yan Xiao asked again to confirm his guess.
"About the same as celebrities, I suppose." Lin Fangxin was also a bit uncertain.
She pulled out her phone, opened the browser, then opened Baidu, and typed in a line of characters-
'World Celebrity Rankings Classified List'
She clicked confirm,
swish...
Lin Fangxin's jade-like fingers tapped back and forth on the screen,
then handed the phone to Yan Xiao and said, "This is the classified ranking. Any category that makes it onto this list represents an industry with very high income and social status."
Yan Xiao took Lin Fangxin's phone, his eyes locked onto the screen,
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and his breathing grew hurried.
This damn thing
was too miraculous.
As it turned out, the high-profile industries in his memory all had celebrity rankings in this world.
For example, the Famous Lawyers List;
for example, the Famous Doctors List;
for example, the Singers List;
for example, the Literati List;
and also, the Physicists List, Mathematicians List, and so on.
If the peak figures of these classified lists were all ultra-high-income people,
then,
relying on the system,
could he pull off a clean sweep of the rankings?
Living his life over once,
perhaps it really was a very interesting experience.
As he thought about it, his face flushed slightly from excitement.
Lin Fangxin, however, assumed that Yan Xiao's convictions had been shaken by looking at the rankings,
and said, "Don't look at one mountain while standing on another. I think that since heaven gave us the talent for learning, we should just charge straight toward the scientists' list in the future."
"Mhm." Yan Xiao answered absentmindedly; he was already starting to fantasize about life after sweeping the rankings.
Suddenly, he thought of a question: "Where does your old man rank on the list?"
"Him? He should be in the top twenty of the math, physics, and chemistry lists? I don't remember the specifics very clearly."
Lin Fangxin replied.
Good!
Very good!
The top twenty came with hundreds of millions in prize money,
and more than once!
Huh?
Did I sell my black light insect-killing patent and the Oracle Bone Script translation paper too cheaply?
People
were afraid of overthinking things.
Once they started overthinking, there would always be various discomforts.
Fortunately, Yan Xiao was a person willing to ask questions. "This paper only netted me one million; did I sell it too cheap?"
Before Lin Fangxin could answer, he added, "Did the paper for that patent sell too cheap as well?"
Lin Fangxin shook her head and said, "No, these rewards all have explicit regulations; whatever the amount is, that's what it is.
Didn't you fail to donate the patent?
That's why the reward for the paper alone was just that much.
If you had donated it along with the patent, I guess the prize money would have been even greater."
"How much greater?"
"I don't know."
In an instant, Yan Xiao wondered whether he should have donated that patent together with it.
However, he immediately abandoned the thought.
Because if this thing could find a company to develop and mass-produce it, the subsequent profits would definitely be much more cost-effective than donating it directly for an award.
Once someone had a goal, their whole spirit changed.
Lin Fangxin was keenly aware of the subtle change in Yan Xiao.
"What's gotten into you? Why do you suddenly seem so fired up?"
"Nothing. I just suddenly found a goal in life. I figured I couldn't keep lazing around forever. Time to work hard," Yan Xiao replied.
Lin Fangxin was delighted by Yan Xiao's newfound determination.
She felt she had done a good deed.
To celebrate, she ate several extra skewers of chicken wings...
"I feel awful..." Lin Fangxin rubbed her stomach as she strolled slowly beside Yan Xiao.
"That's what you get for pigging out on someone else's dime!" Yan Xiao showed her no mercy.
"You!" Lin Fangxin was speechless with indignation...
"All right, I'm teasing. Wait here. Don't move. I'll just go buy something." With that, Yan Xiao ran into a pharmacy by the road.
Watching him enter the pharmacy, Lin Fangxin thought he must be feeling unwell.
Five minutes later, Yan Xiao came out of the pharmacy,
carrying a plastic bag.
He walked over and took out a box of medicine. "These are Hawthorn Digestive Pills. Chew one so you don't end up with a stomachache."
Then he opened the box, took out a wax-sealed pill, unwrapped it, and handed it to Lin Fangxin.
Lin Fangxin accepted the pill with a troubled look.
She knew it would help her digestion,
but she could barely swallow another thing.
"Can I skip it? I really can't eat any more..."
"Force yourself. It's better than feeling miserable and getting a stomachache. If you get sick, I'll just text you and tell you to drink more hot water."
Clearly unfamiliar with the joke, Lin Fangxin asked, "Why would I need to drink more hot water?"
"Why so many questions? Are you One Hundred Thousand Whys?"
"One hundred thousand? Isn't it Three Hundred Thousand Whys???"
"Focus on the point!" Yan Xiao said helplessly.
"Oh..."
Though she felt miserable, Lin Fangxin still ate the Hawthorn Digestive Pill in tiny bites.
She burped as she ate it.
Yan Xiao found this thoroughly amusing.
They strolled around for nearly an hour before Lin Fangxin finally stopped feeling painfully stuffed.
By then, it was six in the evening.
"Want to get some more skewers? My treat." Yan Xiao thumped his chest, looking the very picture of generosity.
Lin Fangxin was so annoyed that she sank her teeth into his arm.
"Ow... Are you a dog or something...?" It hurt, but Yan Xiao didn't dare jerk his arm away too hard, afraid he might knock her teeth loose.
Of course, although Lin Fangxin was biting him,
she didn't dare use much force either.
Her heart was fluttering wildly, and she kept asking herself, What am I doing...?
Night fell,
the city lights came on,
and the streets gradually filled with pedestrians and cars.
Each lost in their own thoughts, they walked to a residential complex outside Jida University's west gate. Lin Fangxin said,
"This is my place."
"Okay, head on in. See you tomorrow." Yan Xiao nodded with a smile.
"I'm going, then?"
"Okay."
With that reply, Yan Xiao turned and walked away.
Lin Fangxin stamped her feet in frustration!!!
An utterly clueless straight guy!!!
Just like Dad!!!
Only after Yan Xiao disappeared around the corner did Lin Fangxin go upstairs.
When she opened the door, she discovered that her father, Lin Wushu, was actually home.
He was reading a newspaper.
Lin Fangxin crept over and saw that he was reading the report about Yan Xiao's translation of Oracle Bone Script.
"Dad, what are you reading?" Her sudden voice startled Lin Wushu so badly that he nearly dropped the newspaper.
He recovered only after turning and seeing his daughter. "You sneak around more quietly than a professional burglar."
Lin Fangxin pouted. "If I'm a burglar, what does that make you? Hmph..."
"You little brat!" Lin Wushu pretended he was about to smack her.
Lin Fangxin wasn't afraid in the slightest. "Dad, Dad, listen. Yan Xiao is seriously amazing. You've read about his Oracle Bone Script translation, right?
"You know, some of the judges from the National Agricultural Science Essay Competition came to our school today and asked us to run another field trial.
"Then Yan Xiao said the equipment needed to be rebuilt, so we'd have to wait a week.
"After that, they started chatting with him.
"I realized that Yan Xiao doesn't just know about insect phototaxis when it comes to agriculture. He also has his own insights into the diseases and pests that affect all kinds of plants, and how to control them.
"Several of those judges were even taking notes while they talked."
What Lin Fangxin wanted to tell Lin Wushu was that Yan Xiao was amazing.
But as her father, Lin Wushu wasn't interested in that. He was concerned about something else-
"Are you going along to his next field trial too?"
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