Awakening Elementary School System in University
Chapter 39 - 36: Cooperation Plan

Chapter 39: Chapter 36: Cooperation Plan

It was just lunchtime, so Chen Lin took Sun Yu straight to the cafeteria, where they grabbed two meals on the first floor.

After they finished eating, he took Sun Yu straight up to the fourth floor, since they needed to discuss business. He ordered two lemonades, and they found the most secluded corner to sit.

"So, you’re really the one who contacted me about optimizing that computation plan..." Chen Lin lifted his glass and took a sip, looking at the stiff and proper Sun Yu sitting across from him.

"Yes, yes! Master, Phoenix Institute Xiong Zhen, that buyer was me!" Sun Yu nodded eagerly, as if afraid Chen Lin wouldn’t believe him. He frantically fumbled through his briefcase. "You even gave me a discount to test out two problems!"

"..." Chen Lin’s eye twitched as he watched Sun Yu shove his ID card, his employee badge from the engineering design institute, and even a printed-out high-speed rail ticket across the table toward him.

Now, he was thoroughly convinced.

Did Chen Lin regret flatly rejecting the man’s initial request to meet in person?

Not one bit.

Caution had been his primary guiding principle ever since he got the system.

Even if it meant potentially losing a major client, protecting himself and the secret of his system was always the top priority when faced with uncertainty.

But now, the guy had already tracked him down. And judging by his subservient and desperate demeanor, he certainly didn’t seem to have any ill intentions.

Besides, from Sun Yu’s fragmented account, the poor guy had spent three whole days wandering around Yannan University like a chicken with its head cut off, just trying to find him. In the end, he’d only managed it because he happened to see a promotional video Brother Wang had posted outside the Back Street Bar and recognized Chen Lin’s singing.

Having worked part-time jobs himself for over a year, Chen Lin could empathize with the hardships of being a corporate drone.

’Oh, what the hell. I’ll at least hear the guy out.’

Seeing Chen Lin’s expression relax, Sun Yu finally let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point. "Master, here’s the deal. Our President Peng—he’s the head of our design institute—is extremely impressed with your talent! I just told him the good news that I found you!"

As he spoke, he deftly pulled out his phone. He first added Chen Lin on WeChat, then immediately shared a contact card for a user named "Peng Yifeng."

Chen Lin sent a friend request, which was accepted almost instantly.

A few seconds later, a voice call request came through from him.

Chen Lin accepted the call and put it on speaker.

"This must be Chen, correct? Hello, I’m Peng Yifeng." A calm, middle-aged man’s voice, tinged with a smile, came through the phone. It was a pleasant and comfortable sound.

"Hello, President Peng," Chen Lin replied politely.

Peng Yifeng started with some pleasantries, seamlessly weaving in praise for Chen Lin’s mathematical talent. His words were filled with admiration before he cut straight to the chase.

"Chen, I’ll be direct. Our design institute is very serious about establishing a long-term working relationship with you."

Chen Lin raised an eyebrow, a little confused. "President Peng, if you just want to hire me for consulting, why not place an order through the online platform? My consulting service listing hardly gets any takers as it is."

"Haha, you’re a straightforward young man, Chen, so I’ll be blunt as well." President Peng chuckled and explained, "There are two main reasons for this."

"First, for compliance and security. When Sun contacted you online, it technically violated our company’s confidentiality protocols. For any future collaboration, we’d have Sun stationed near Yannan University to act as your dedicated liaison. When we have a project for you, he’ll bring an encrypted company laptop so you can review the materials and do the work on-site. It’s much more secure for everyone involved."

"Second is efficiency. Our firm sometimes takes on extremely urgent projects, the kind that require a final plan within three days. If you’re fully booked when that happens, we’d like the option to pay a premium to jump the queue. And I assure you, the price will be more than satisfactory."

Chen Lin listened quietly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

He had to admit, this President Peng was a sharp businessman who left no loose ends.

The two points he raised addressed all of Chen Lin’s prior concerns perfectly. On top of that, he’d made an offer that was impossible to refuse.

More money for rush jobs.

Wasn’t this the perfect solution he’d been mulling over just last night before bed—a way to scale up his consulting business and increase his profits?

’Talk about a godsend.’ The feeling was incredible.

Chen Lin was thrilled, but he kept his voice calm. "President Peng, I’m open to a partnership. But I have one condition: you must keep my personal information—my university, my major, my grade level—strictly confidential."

"No problem!" President Peng’s reply was firm and decisive. "You have my word. Right now, the only people who know your details are myself and Sun. The other employees who handled the last project only know you by the codename ’CL’ and are aware of your astonishing mathematical abilities."

"Good." Chen Lin relaxed completely. He cleared his throat and stated his rates. "Since this is a long-term partnership, we can stick to the prices on my online listing: 888 an hour, or 2,000 for a three-hour block. For rush jobs, the rate will be 2,000 an hour, or 5,000 for three hours."

"Absolutely no problem!" President Peng’s voice radiated the easy confidence of a man with deep pockets. "As it happens, we have a project that needs your attention right now. Sun mentioned you’re busy preparing for final exams, so let’s book this consultation as a three-hour rush job. Sun will show you the project details."

The words had barely left his mouth when Chen Lin’s phone screen lit up with a DING from WeChat.

An orange transfer notification popped up on the screen. It read—

[Peng Yifeng has transferred ¥5,000.00 to you]

Staring at the number, Chen Lin’s mood instantly soared.

’Ah, the life of a major client. So simple, so unpretentious... so dull.’

He accepted the payment without a moment’s hesitation.

Before ending the call, President Peng sounded as if he’d just thought of something and offered a suggestion with a chuckle.

"Oh, by the way, Chen, forgive me for being nosy. But since you have such a gift for mathematics, and you want to earn money without it affecting your studies, have you considered transferring to the math department?"

"That way, you could handle your coursework with ease—keeping your grades up without needing to cram for exams—and you’d also get to network with more people and organizations in the math world. Wouldn’t that be a boon for your business as well?"