Awakening Elementary School System in University
Chapter 9 - 8: Since We’re Already Here

Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Since We’re Already Here

This class, *Appreciation of Chinese and Western Literary Trends*, wasn’t one of those massive lectures that filled an entire hall, so getting someone to sign the attendance sheet for you was basically impossible.

Chen Lin had chosen this course purely because its schedule was perfect. It ran from 9:30 to 11:00 AM on Mondays and Fridays, which meant he didn’t have to wake up early and could head straight to the cafeteria after class, avoiding the lunch rush.

Chen Lin walked into the lecture hall and, as usual, headed straight for a seat in the back row by the window.

The course was taught by an elderly professor with white hair, Professor Wang. He was a rigorous academic with an excellent reputation among the students, and he placed particular value on independent thought.

Today, Professor Wang was lecturing on the theme of alienation in modernist literature, using Kafka’s *Metamorphosis* as the core analytical text.

After he finished discussing the novel and its foundational theories, they moved on to the open discussion segment.

"Alright, does anyone have any personal thoughts on Kafka or this novel? Feel free to speak your mind." Professor Wang pushed up his reading glasses, his gaze sweeping across the room.

The words had barely left his mouth when a young man in the front row shot to his feet.

Chen Lin recognized him: Gao Ming, the class’s resident "literary activist." He was always carrying around some dense theoretical tome, couldn’t open his mouth without mentioning Foucault or Derrida, and especially looked down on students like Chen Lin, whom he saw as academically unfocused and reeking of money.

Gao Ming cleared his throat and began to speak, his tone dripping with superiority, "Teacher Wang, I believe that to understand the ’alienation’ in *Metamorphosis*, we must view it through the framework of Sartre’s existentialism. Gregor’s ’transformation’ is, in essence, the alienated expression of ’existence precedes essence’ after his ’freedom to choose’ has been stripped away by social discipline."

"Furthermore, we can analyze this through Foucault’s theory of power and discourse, viewing the family as a microcosm of a power field. Gregor’s fall from the family’s financial pillar to a mere burden is a perfect example of the complete loss of discursive power..."

He went on and on, effortlessly rattling off obscure theories and names, leaving many of the other students completely lost.

Unseen by anyone, Professor Wang’s brow furrowed slightly.

’An abundance of knowledge, but a deficit of genuine insight.’

After Gao Ming finally sat down, looking as though he still had more to say, Professor Wang gave a noncommittal nod and then asked, "Well said. Does anyone else have a simpler perspective?"

The classroom was completely silent.

A smile spread across Gao Ming’s face, the smugness in his eyes undisguised.

Professor Wang adjusted his glasses, his gaze scanning the student roster before landing on a single name.

"Chen Lin, why don’t you answer this question."

WHOOSH—!

Every eye in the room instantly swiveled to the back corner.

Many students knew Chen Lin was always busy working part-time jobs. They watched with the detached curiosity of someone waiting for a spectacle, wondering if he could come up with any sort of answer.

Gao Ming nearly burst out laughing, whispering to the student next to him, "Asking him? Does he even know who Sartre is? Don’t ask him about *Metamorphosis*; you’d have more luck asking how much money he’s made this semester."

To be honest, if this were in the past, getting called on so suddenly would have likely ended with Chen Lin mumbling something like, "I think the author did a great job," before sitting down to a chorus of laughter.

But now, his mindset was different.

’Since I’ve been given a chance to turn over a new leaf, my attitude toward the world should change, too.’

’I can’t keep measuring everything against the yardstick of "Does this make me money?"’

’What was that old saying again?’

’Well, I’m here now!’

’There’s no harm in taking things a little more seriously.’

So, he had actually been listening carefully when Professor Wang was lecturing earlier.

Under the curious, sympathetic, and gloating gazes of his classmates, Chen Lin rose to his feet, unhurried.

He ignored the stares from those around him and thought seriously for a good half minute.

Professor Wang was very patient and didn’t rush him.

Finally, Chen Lin spoke.

He didn’t cite any profound or obscure theories.

He simply posed a simple question:

"After Gregor transforms into a bug, what is his greatest concern?"

Without waiting for a response, he answered his own question. "Not being late for work. He’s afraid his manager will be angry, afraid he’ll lose his job."

"And his family? What is their greatest concern?"

"It’s how to deal with this useless burden. It’s what the family will do now that its source of income is gone."

Chen Lin’s voice wasn’t loud, but it reached every ear in the room with perfect clarity.

"When he was able to earn money, he was the pride of the family. His sister loved him, and his parents were proud of him. After he turns into a bug and loses his utility, the first thing he thinks about is still his family’s livelihood. But his family? They just want to kick him out."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, before delivering his conclusion.

"So, this so-called ’alienation,’ in my opinion, isn’t some complex philosophical concept. It’s the purest form of loneliness and fear a person feels when, after losing their value to others, they are completely abandoned by their closest connections."

"Kafka wasn’t writing about an ’-ism.’ He was writing about fear."

When he finished, the classroom was dead silent.

Gao Ming’s expression turned black as thunder.

He opened his mouth to object but found that he couldn’t. Chen Lin’s argument was grounded in the text itself; it was irrefutable.

CLAP. CLAP. CLAP...

A glimmer of genuine appreciation shone in Professor Wang’s eyes. He was the first to start clapping.

"Well said!" The old professor’s voice carried a hint of unconcealed excitement.

"The foundation of literature is humanity and emotion, not theoretical labels! Chen Lin, that was excellently put! That’s all for today. Class dismissed."

As the professor spoke, Chen Lin found himself the target of countless gazes, all a mixture of admiration and shock. He noticed a few of the girls, in particular, were looking at him with sparkling eyes.

Gao Ming, however, packed up his things and slipped away the instant the professor dismissed the class.

Chen Lin was in high spirits.

It didn’t really matter that Gao Ming had a low opinion of him.

Chen Lin was self-aware enough to know his own reputation. University was a relatively idealistic place, so it was perfectly normal for some people to look down on him for being so focused on making money.

But Chen Lin really did think Gao Ming was kind of a jackass. ’If you like literature, then just like literature. What’s with looking down on everyone all the time? It was nice to see him taken down a peg once in a while.’

After grabbing a quick bite on the first floor of the cafeteria, Chen Lin headed back to his dorm.

He didn’t have any classes that afternoon. When Shen Yan had contacted him, he’d actually considered doing her paid consultation today.

But after some thought, Chen Lin decided he should sort out his own affairs first.

He decided to spend the rest of the afternoon doing some research and organizing his thoughts.

Since he’d decided to make money using his "Little Mathematician" ability, it was essential to gather information and formulate a plan.

...

Back in Dorm Room 406, Chen Lin opened a blank document on his computer to take notes.

Even before the system had given him the "Little Mathematician" title, Chen Lin wasn’t a complete stranger to mathematics.

Fundamentally, less than two years had passed since he’d taken the college entrance exams.

Back then, Chen Lin had scored over 140 in math and had been admitted to Yannan University with the third-highest overall score in his high school class.

However, his score had only just barely met the cutoff for the university, so he was forced to choose his current major: Chinese Language and Literature.

So, at the very least, he was still familiar with the high school math curriculum. Even if he couldn’t necessarily solve the problems anymore, he knew what the topics were.

While filling out his college applications after the exams, he had researched the various majors, so he had some understanding of the mathematics program as well.

He knew, at least, that mathematics was divided into two main branches: theoretical and applied.

The main theoretical fields included algebra, number theory, topology, and mathematical analysis. Applied research focused on areas like differential equations, numerical analysis, optimization theory, probability, and mathematical statistics.

The optimized plan for modeling and calculation he had previously created for Shen Yan and her team fell under the purview of applied mathematics.

It wasn’t that theoretical mathematics had absolutely no real-world applications for making money—aerospace, for example, used topology for lightweight design and complex structural analysis.

But on the whole, applied mathematics was simply the easier path to making money in the real world.

With his thoughts organized, Chen Lin typed a query into the DS dialogue box: "What are the fastest ways to make money with applied mathematics?"

An hour later, Chen Lin looked at the document, which was now filled with notes, and stretched.