The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

"No way, buddy, are you messing with my boss thinking he's Japanese?"

Gu Shuchang frowned, pointed at the configuration list, and immediately became furious.

"What i9-level processor? It's clearly an outdated E5 junk!"

"And your so-called 'high-definition graphics card' is an old model from many years ago. It has been discontinued for a long time. All that's left on the market are mining cards that have been phased out by mining farms. They won't last long before they start having problems."

"The remaining SSD, RAM, and motherboard are clearly a huge shipment of junk. You dare to sell it for this price? Are you really not afraid I'll call the market supervision bureau to investigate you?"

The computer store owner's face darkened, his complexion alternating between pale and flushed. He glared at Xu Xi with resentment, his back teeth practically grinding to powder.

Why would they hire a lion as a bodyguard when they've already got this fat sheep in their mouths?

His dream of slaughtering sheep and eating meat has now been completely shattered.

Faced with Gu Shuchang's questioning, he was powerless to refute it and could only smile sheepishly, not daring to play any more tricks.

For the next hour, Gu Shuchang personally took charge, writing out configuration lists while rummaging through the computer store's warehouse for the best hidden gems. For each piece of hardware he selected, he compared prices online, managing to slash the price of each piece down to the lowest possible level, no higher than the online retail price.

Soon, Gu Shuchang moved the two assembled computer towers in front of Xu Nian and Xu Xi.

"Sister Xi, Brother Nian, the machine is set up. The configuration is all top-of-the-line: a 14900K CPU, a 5090 graphics card, a Samsung SSD, and G.Skill Trident Z Royal memory. It can run any game on the market, including AAA titles, without any problems..."

As Gu Shuchang explained, he gestured for them to take a look.

Xu Nian crouched down and carefully examined the two brand-new computers through the transparent glass of the chassis.

Xu Xi's computer, with its main colors of pink and white, has a soft, humming fan that emits a gentle light, giving it a very girly feel.

His machine, on the other hand, was a dignified and sophisticated black, with a display screen on the water block flashing mechanical logos. Its sharp lines exuded a sense of technology.

In addition, Gu Shuchang's wiring arrangement was perfect, with straight lines and squares, like a fine work of art. Paired with the color-changing light strips, it was like pulsating blood vessels, continuously transmitting current to every piece of hardware.

Gu Shuchang carefully checked both machines, and after confirming that there were no problems, he clapped his hands and said to Xu Xi, "Sister Xi, everything's done, and the system is installed. We can use it as soon as we get back. I still have things to do at the company, so I'll head back now."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Xu Xi smiled faintly and watched Gu Shuchang leave the computer store.

Then, she reached out and tugged at the arm of the man beside her. "How are you, brother? Happy?"

Xu Nian looked at the two exquisite mainframes in front of her and nodded slightly.

No boy hasn't fantasized about becoming a powerhouse warrior when he was a child. And no man can resist such a high-tech computer case.

The sense of control that technology and machinery bring is definitely a man's killer weapon.

Just as they were about to leave, the mother and child from before reappeared in their sight.

The middle-aged woman, carrying a cheap computer case, walked reluctantly toward the cashier.

The computer case had no glass side panel and looked very retro, like something from the last century. I wonder how much junk the computer store owner had stuffed inside.

Despite this, the little boy was still very happy, his eyes brimming with excitement.

She reluctantly paid at the cashier, her brows furrowing even more as she looked at the bill notification on her phone.

"I bought you this computer, and you can only use it for studying, do you hear me?" The middle-aged woman said sternly, leading the little boy out of the store. Her tone was full of impatience. "If I find you using it to play games or do anything else, I'll smash it to pieces!"

Upon hearing this, the little boy lowered his head in disappointment and gave a barely audible "hmm".

The middle-aged woman walked along, muttering a lecture. For example, she said, "It wasn't easy for me to give birth to you and raise you. Now I'm spending a lot of money to buy you a computer. You have to study hard to repay me in the future." She also said things like, "The internet is poisoning teenagers. If a child touches a computer, he will have no future."

Looking at the little boy's dejected expression, Xu Nian felt a pang of sadness inexplicably rise in her heart.

This little boy earned the computer by achieving the goal set by his mother through his own efforts.

However, this middle-aged woman treated the agreement she was obligated to fulfill as an act of charity, and scolded the little boy with a guilty-feeling reprimand.

The little boy seemed to have received the reward he deserved, but in reality, he received a debt of gratitude, along with numerous constraints, expectations, and accusations, leaving him with no joy whatsoever.

Xu Nian felt some sympathy for the little boy, but he also knew that every family has its own problems and he shouldn't interfere in other people's family affairs. So he put his hands in his pockets and sighed silently.

Xu Xi noticed his change in mood, her beautiful eyes shifting slightly as she quickly understood his thoughts.

She cleared her throat, deliberately raised her voice, and said to Xu Nian, "Brother, do you know? Gu Shuchang, who just installed the computer for us, was a total internet addict when he was a kid. He secretly went to internet cafes to play games when he was in the third grade of elementary school."

Xu Nian raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised: "So he was exposed to computers at such a young age. No wonder he's so good at internet technology."

Xu Xi smiled and said, "Yes, he is now the director of the information department in the company. His annual salary is several million, not including the year-end bonus. He has long achieved financial freedom and is much more capable than many of his classmates with excellent grades."

Xu Nian glanced at the retreating figures of the mother and son, and murmured, "Fortunately, he has an open-minded family and wasn't restricted in his hobbies by his elders; otherwise, how could he have achieved what he has today?"

Their words clearly reached the ears of the middle-aged woman not far away. The middle-aged woman trembled slightly, stopped in her tracks, and looked at Xu Nian and Xu Xi in astonishment, her face showing a complex expression, including surprise, guilt, and a hint of confusion.

She remained silent for a moment, then lowered her head and led the little boy quickly away from the mall.