The Foolish Bookworm of the Aristocratic Boys’ School chapter 55

Chapter 55: Don’t Want to Follow

The backend notifications were updating too slowly for Wen Rong to read the content, but Lin Qizheng’s messages were popping up frantically.

[Hey! Youngest, why are you so stubborn? The brain-dead fans of male stars aren’t people you can mess with. You have no idea how ruthless they are.]

[I’ll help you fabricate a set of evidence claiming your account was hacked. Later, you just say you were hacked.]

[If worse comes to worst, just quit the internet. You study mathematics anyway; you don’t need the internet.]

Wen Rong was confused. He didn’t understand why the male star’s fans were not to be messed with.

Could they be harder to deal with than the people at Floriman Academy?

Curiosity getting the better of him, Wen Rong opened Blue Book. Overwhelming abuse immediately filled the screen, and he finally understood why Senior Lin Qizheng was so nervous.

Ignoring the personal attacks, Wen Rong saw a strange inquiry: [Why help this woman speak up? Are you a sugar baby she’s keeping?]

Wen Rong replied: [The evidence of the man cheating is so sufficient, why are you scolding the girl?]

[Who the hell are you? None of your business!]

Wen Rong had accumulated rich experience in dealing with angry words from Shi Ye, so he replied calmly: [And who are you?]

This time, the other party didn’t have time to reply before a new message popped up.

[Family, don’t scold him yet. This is a student from Floriman Academy.]

The style of the comments changed abruptly.

[Wow, a live Floriman Academy student.]

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[Oh my god, I can’t scold him anymore. This guy comes with a prestigious school filter. I support him blindly.]

[Click on his homepage, you’ll find the school filter isn’t important at all.]

[Mommy, I fainted after clicking in. Isn’t this face better looking than your ‘Oppas’?]

[Based on these looks and this education, no matter what, it’s your Oppa’s fault.]

[I went to see the evidence. It’s rock solid. The man married into her family and still bit the hand that fed him.]

[Disgusting. Hope he quits the entertainment industry.]

Wen Rong stared at the messages constantly popping up, falling into deep thought.

Just then, Lin Qizheng messaged again: [Youngest, just pretend you didn’t see those words earlier. Senior forgot to plug your looks into the formula.]

[But many people are talking about “Floriman Academy.” It shouldn’t have anything to do with what I look like.]

Wen Rong guessed that Floriman Academy’s status in many people’s eyes was comparable to Tsinghua or Peking University. Getting support for saying these things was entirely due to piggybacking on the school’s glory.

Lin Qizheng: [It has a little to do with it. With your looks, your words carry more weight.]

Weight.

It was the first time Wen Rong had heard this term used this way, but somehow, he understood a few things.

Because he was endowed with “weight” by the school, his opinions received support from many people.

The next day, public opinion regarding the incident changed completely. Wen Rong didn’t pay special attention to it, but when he arrived at Room 100, Lin Qizheng told him that the girl had not only specifically @Wen Rong to thank him but also mentioned that he had saved her while mountain climbing that day.

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Furthermore, the news of Wen Rong saving Zhang Wanfei and Shi Jing previously was brought up again. The name “Wen Rong” sat firmly on the trending search list.

There was an overwhelming amount of praise for him online, and his followers skyrocketed from 500,000 to 4 million.

Lin Qizheng was the one who told him this as well. Lin Qizheng was paying more attention to his Blue Book follower count than he was.

While paying attention, he beat his chest and stomped his feet. “Sigh, I’m so jealous! I’d have to square myself to have as many followers as Youngest.”

Zhang Lin teased idly, “Blame yourself. You were there that day too, but you didn’t save anyone or help out.”

Lin Qizheng held his forehead. “Being there is exactly why I’m super jealous. I missed a good opportunity to make a name for myself.”

“If it’s not in your destiny, don’t force it.”

Lin Qizheng slumped onto the table, wailing, “Waaah, I don’t even ask for 4 million followers, just give me 40,000, please.”

“Is there any use in having many followers?” Wen Rong’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two, his face full of confusion.

“Of course it’s useful.” Lin Qizheng sat up abruptly. “Look at whatchamacallit, the one in our school who holds concerts. Although I think his songs are terrible, he has tons of brain-dead fans. He holds concerts all over the world every year and makes so much money. Don’t think just because Senior’s family is rich that I don’t need money. It’s precisely because I’ve been a rich person that I know the joy of having money.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Wen Rong acutely captured a piece of information: Floriman Academy students all wanted fame because fame could easily make money.

Senior Lin Qizheng too.

Wen Rong hadn’t forgotten the Yellow Card Lin Qizheng carried on his back for him.

Was there a way to make Senior Lin Qizheng a great hero who allowed all Floriman Academy students to have fame?

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Wen Rong hardly thought for long before a vague plan slowly formed in his mind. His gaze shifted from the phone to Lin Qizheng.

Lin Qizheng froze. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Having been in contact for a while, Wen Rong understood Lin Qizheng’s personality. If he said it directly, Lin would definitely refuse and claim he wasn’t capable enough.

So Wen Rong shook his head first. “Nothing.” Then he opened the Black Pigeon forum and posted a thread:

[This kind of software can help everyone succeed]

This editor has discovered that ordinary people, due to their upbringing, personal qualities, and other reasons, do not know how to protect their rights when facing difficulties.

I hope capable alumni can help create a software that realizes the function of a group of people using their talents to provide advice to the ordinary masses.

Because this title sounded too much like a marketing account for middle-aged and elderly people, everyone clicked in out of morbid curiosity, only to finish reading the main text and realize the poster was Wen Rong.

[What the hell?]

[Is there a need for this kind of software?]

[Why help ordinary people?]

[Is the News Club rushing for end-of-year KPIs too?]

The results were not outside Wen Rong’s expectations. He showed these complaints to Lin Qizheng. “Senior, I’m being scolded.”

Lin Qizheng flexed his fingers. “Wait for it, Senior will curse back for you right now.”

“Senior, I don’t want you to help me curse back.”

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Lin Qizheng: “Hmm?”

“Can you help make this software?”

“Huh?” Lin Qizheng’s fingers hung in mid-air. “What did you say?”

Wen Rong said excitedly, “Senior, you’re a hacker, you can make this kind of software, right?”

“I… this…”

Lin Qizheng wanted to explain to Wen Rong that Black Pigeons (hackers) and programmers were different branches! But thinking that Wen Rong was so dense he surely wouldn’t distinguish between them, and seeing Wen Rong’s face full of expectation…

Usually, Wen Rong rarely had such a vivid expression on his face. Being looked at like this, Lin Qizheng found it hard to say anything too harsh.

Next to him, Zhang Lin finished reading Wen Rong’s post on his phone and answered for Lin Qizheng, “He can.”

“Thank you, Senior! Senior, do a good job!”

Lin Qizheng: “I didn’t…”

Wen Rong interrupted him, “Senior, I’ve already posted the news. If no one responds, I’ll lose so much face.”

Since when do you care about face?! Lin Qizheng felt Wen Rong was acting weird everywhere, but Zhang Lin shoved the phone in his face—it was full of doubts from the thread. He sighed helplessly. “Fine.”

I’ll just make something to muddle through, he thought. Can’t actually let Wen Rong lose face.

Wen Rong was full of joy. He took out his small notebook and wrote down “Step 1: Senior Lin Qizheng makes the software.”

“I’m just saying, how did you think of making this kind of software?” Lin Qizheng began working unwillingly, venting his resentment along the way.

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“The advice Evelyn and Shi Ye gave that girl during the hike was very good. If they hadn’t mentioned it, that girl probably wouldn’t have known what to do. And…” For a period of time, Senior Leon had given him a lot of help, so Wen Rong suddenly thought just now that many people were like him and needed correct help.

Wen Rong thought for a moment and said, “Everyone on Blue Book is arguing; there’s no reasoning at all. I want to make a software that has ‘weight’.”

Zhang Lin laughed. “This is called professional popular science. Youngest’s idea is good. There is too much gossip and fake news on Blue Book; someone needs to stand up and say what is right. This concept is powerful. If made, it will definitely be popular. Just do it, don’t miss out on millions again.”

Lin Qizheng questioned, “But if we make this software, will anyone use it?”

Wen Rong had already thought of this. He held up his phone to proudly display his 4.01 million followers. “Didn’t you say I have many fans? When the time comes, I’ll only advertise this software.”

Lin Qizheng added, “Getting approval for listing software is very troublesome.”

“Senior, you just build it. I’ll research the formalities.”

Lin Qizheng finally stopped making excuses and hung his head in agreement. “Alright.”

Wen Rong could see Lin Qizheng’s reluctance, but he genuinely felt many people needed this software.

As for the professionals conducting the popular science inside… Wen Rong thought of Senior Leon first.

“Senior, you start working. I want to go find Senior Leon and ask if he can be a professional science popularizer in the software.”

Wen Rong packed his things as he spoke, shouldered his bag, and knocked on the door next to 101.

“Who is it?”

The door didn’t open. Wen Rong answered with a muffled voice against the door, “It’s Wen Rong.”

Click.

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A boy covered in dust opened the door. Seeing Wen Rong, he paused. “Oh, you’re Leon’s little junior.”

“Hello, I’m looking for Senior Leon.”

“He’s not here.”

Not expecting the Senior to be absent, Wen Rong was a bit surprised.

He planned to ask Leon on Black Pigeon, but upon opening his phone, he realized abruptly that they hadn’t messaged each other for several days.

“Hey.”

The boy called out to Wen Rong.

Wen Rong turned back. The boy closed the door with his hands behind his back, walked up to Wen Rong, and whispered, “Leon left the school. Some… special matters. He probably won’t be back for a month. He’s a bit busy and can’t receive messages.”

Wen Rong wondered why the Senior hadn’t told him in advance that he was leaving school, then reflected that he hadn’t sought the Senior out to chat either, so he was also at fault.

“Okay, thank you.”

Senior was a no-go for now. Wen Rong thought of Jiang Zhiyue next in line and sent a message to her.

As expected, he received Jiang Zhiyue’s support.

Wen Rong had an inexplicable feeling that what he wanted to do was also what Jiang Zhiyue wanted to do. From the cheating inside the marriage to the girl they met hiking, their opinions had strangely always remained consistent.

Third in line, Wen Rong tapped open Shi Ye’s chat box, closed it, opened his contacts, and the pitifully few friends he had forced him back to Shi Ye’s chat interface.

Wen Rong typed as he walked: [Are you there?]

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Shi Ye: [?]

[I’ve been following your Blue Book for a while.]

Shi Ye: [?]

Because their relationship wasn’t very close, Wen Rong couldn’t ask for a favor without giving Shi Ye anything. He beat around the bush first. [Why don’t you follow me back?]

Silence on Shi Ye’s end.

Wen Rong was a little afraid Shi Ye would ignore him again, so he hurriedly typed the matter about the software into the input box, even listing unconvincing benefits like “It will make you more famous (even though you are already world-famous).”

Suddenly, Shi Ye sent another message: [Don’t want to follow.]

Wen Rong’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt. His finger moved from “Send” to “Delete,” pressing down hard with every tap, his fingertips making a thump thump sound against the screen.

In the span of a breath, he finally deleted the large paragraph of text he had typed.

He scrolled the screen, reading the messages he had sent from top to bottom, confirming there was nothing annoying about them, and replied angrily:

[You are so annoying.]

[I won’t try to be friends with you anymore.]

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