Lin Mo had a new rule.
Never answer unknown numbers.
It had already caused him enough trouble.
Unfortunately, his university life had apparently decided to test that rule.
At 8:17 on Monday morning, his phone rang.
Lin Mo looked at the screen.
Unknown Number.
He immediately declined.
It rang again.
Declined.
Again.
Declined.
Again.
Lin Mo stared at the phone.
“Persistent.”
Xu An looked over from the other bed.
“Who is it?”
“Someone I don't know.”
“Maybe it's important.”
“Then they'll text.”
The phone stopped ringing.
Lin Mo smiled.
See?
Problem solved.
Three seconds later, a message arrived.
He opened it.
«Chen Yu: It's me. Sorry. I got your number from Professor Zhang.»
Lin Mo blinked.
Oh.
Right.
He had forgotten that Chen Yu now had his number.
«Lin Mo: What happened?»
«Chen Yu: Nothing bad. I need to ask you something about the library project.»
Lin Mo relaxed.
Technical issue.
Fine.
«Lin Mo: Ask.»
«Chen Yu: Could you come to the research room after class?»
Lin Mo stared at the message.
He was about to refuse.
Then another message arrived.
«Chen Yu: I'll buy lunch.»
Lin Mo's fingers moved immediately.
«Lin Mo: What time?»
Xu An watched him.
“You just changed your mind.”
“Lunch is important.”
“Of course.”
---
After class, Lin Mo went to the research building.
He found Chen Yu waiting outside.
“You came.”
“You promised lunch.”
Chen Yu laughed.
“I remember.”
“Good.”
They entered the research room.
There were several computers along the walls, stacks of documents, and a whiteboard covered in diagrams.
Lin Mo looked at it.
Then stopped.
“This is familiar.”
Chen Yu nodded.
“That's why I asked you to come.”
He pointed toward the board.
“We've been trying to understand why the university's network keeps behaving strangely during peak hours.”
Lin Mo walked closer.
He studied the diagram.
“This part.”
Chen Yu nodded.
“That's what you mentioned before.”
Lin Mo frowned.
“No.”
He pointed somewhere else.
“This.”
Chen Yu looked at the diagram.
“What about it?”
“Your routing priority is wrong.”
Silence.
Chen Yu slowly turned toward him.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because this connection is being treated like normal traffic.”
“And?”
“It isn't.”
Lin Mo picked up a marker.
He made two quick changes to the diagram.
“This should have priority.”
Chen Yu stared.
“That's it?”
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
“I'm not sitting inside your network.”
Chen Yu laughed.
“You really don't like giving confident answers.”
“I don't like pretending.”
That answer made Chen Yu quiet.
Then he nodded.
“Fair.”
---
They spent the next hour testing Lin Mo's theory.
It worked.
Not perfectly.
But the network response improved significantly.
Chen Yu stared at the results.
Lin Mo looked at the clock.
“Lunch?”
Chen Yu laughed.
“Yes. Lunch.”
---
They went to a small restaurant near campus.
Lin Mo ordered immediately.
Chen Yu looked amused.
“You don't even need to see the menu?”
“I've eaten here before.”
“What do you recommend?”
“The dumplings.”
“Anything else?”
“No.”
“That's it?”
“Yes.”
Chen Yu ordered the same thing.
While waiting, he asked,
“Do you know why the company representatives were interested in your proposal?”
Lin Mo shrugged.
“Because their computers are also slow?”
Chen Yu laughed.
“Not exactly.”
“I don't really care.”
“I noticed.”
Lin Mo looked at him.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because you keep proving it.”
Lin Mo didn't understand what was so interesting about that.
To him, the situation was simple.
Someone had a technical problem.
He knew how to solve it.
That was all.
---
At the same time, Shen Yichen was reading Chen Yu's report.
The results were clear.
Lin Mo had been right again.
Shen leaned back.
His assistant stood nearby.
“The university team confirmed the improvement?”
“Yes.”
“And the student?”
“He didn't ask for anything.”
Shen's fingers stopped on the page.
“Nothing?”
“Not even access to the company system.”
“Payment?”
“He accepted lunch.”
Shen looked at him.
“Lunch?”
“Yes.”
A faint smile appeared.
That sounded like Lin Mo.
The assistant continued.
“He also refused when Professor Zhang suggested adding his name to the external research team.”
“Why?”
“He said he already has enough assignments.”
Shen was silent.
For some reason, that answer didn't surprise him.
Lin Mo wasn't chasing recognition.
He wasn't even chasing opportunities.
He simply solved problems when they appeared in front of him, then went back to whatever he had been doing.
Shen closed the report.
“Don't contact him through the company.”
The assistant nodded.
“Understood.”
“If the university needs him, let the university handle it.”
“And if he continues finding problems?”
Shen looked at the report.
“Then we continue observing.”
Not interfering.
Not approaching.
Just observing.
There was still no evidence that Lin Mo had any connection to the Shen Group beyond coincidence and ability.
Until there was, Shen had no reason to involve him.
---
That evening, Lin Mo returned to his dorm.
He threw himself onto his bed.
“I'm exhausted.”
Xu An looked over.
“You only went to the research building.”
“They made me think.”
“That sounds terrible.”
“It was.”
Xu An laughed.
Lin Mo opened his laptop.
He planned to play for an hour.
Then sleep.
Simple.
Peaceful.
Predictable.
His phone vibrated.
He looked down.
This time, it wasn't an unknown number.
It was Shen Yichen.
Lin Mo stared at the name.
He hadn't expected that.
The message was short.
«Shen Yichen: I heard the network issue was resolved.»
Lin Mo frowned.
He typed:
«Lin Mo: Yeah.»
A moment later:
«Shen Yichen: Chen Yu mentioned you helped.»
Lin Mo thought about it.
«Lin Mo: He bought me lunch.»
There was a pause.
Then:
«Shen Yichen: So that's your payment?»
Lin Mo smiled.
«Lin Mo: A reasonable payment.»
Another pause.
«Shen Yichen: Then I owe you one.»
Lin Mo immediately became suspicious.
He typed:
«Lin Mo: No.»
The reply came quickly.
«Shen Yichen: You haven't even heard the offer.»
«Lin Mo: That's why I'm saying no early.»
For several seconds, there was no reply.
Then—
«Shen Yichen: Understood.»
Lin Mo put down his phone.
That had gone surprisingly well.
He had refused politely.
Shen Yichen hadn't pushed.
Perfect.
He opened his game.
Then his phone vibrated once more.
He glanced down.
«Shen Yichen: For what it's worth, thank you.»
Lin Mo stared at the message.
He smiled faintly.
«Lin Mo: You're welcome.»
He put the phone away.
This time, he didn't feel uneasy.
Maybe Shen Yichen wasn't as troublesome as he'd assumed.
Maybe they could simply remain acquaintances.
People who had met a few times.
People who occasionally exchanged messages.
Nothing more.
That would be fine.
Lin Mo opened his game.
Five minutes later, Xu An asked,
“Who were you texting?”
“Shen Yichen.”
Xu An nearly dropped his phone.
“You what?”
Lin Mo looked at him.
“He thanked me.”
“And you replied?”
“Yes.”
Xu An stared.
“You're becoming social.”
Lin Mo looked horrified.
“No.”
He immediately returned to his game.
“I refuse.”
Xu An laughed.
Outside the dorm window, the university lights slowly came on.
Another ordinary evening.
And somewhere across the city, Shen Yichen looked at the final message from Lin Mo.
You're welcome.
For the first time, he wasn't looking at Lin Mo as a problem to investigate.
He was simply beginning to understand him.
And that, perhaps, was more dangerous.