After the college entrance examination, life began to follow one's heart

Chapter 273, Part 193: Looking at Home Renovations with Shang Wanjun, Shang Wanjun's Second Novel, Xu Lin Developing New Software.
"You don't get to visit the renovation sites often, so why don't you outsource the renovation to a renovation company?"

Xu Lin is looking for a renovation company for Shang Wanjun.

"Mmm." Shang Wanjun nodded.

"Don't just say 'uh,' give your opinion."

"Just like you said, I can't go to the renovation site often, and I don't really want to come into contact with strangers, so let the renovation company take care of it."

"Then I'll pick a few renovation companies to check out. Many of these companies are unreliable. It's easy to get ripped off if you offer a full package deal, and they might cut corners. So I need to choose a good renovation company."

Shang Wanjun nodded.

"As for the Song-style decoration you want, I'll design it for you. I'll accompany you to the decoration company tomorrow, and then you'll have to treat me to a big meal tomorrow. I'm not going to work for free."

"Then shall I treat you to bluefin tuna?"

"That's awesome? This thing isn't cheap."

"I have to treat you to something nice!"

"That's all."

Bluefin tuna is very expensive, sometimes selling for as much as 10,000 yuan per kilogram, or even more, depending mainly on its quality.

Xu Lin: "Next, we'll start designing the Song-style interior you want. You can watch from the side."

So Shang Wanjun moved a stool over and sat next to Xu Lin.

"There's only one screen. I wish your computer had two screens. It's uncomfortable to look at just one screen."

"I have another laptop, do you want it?"

"take it out."

Shang Wanjun then took out the notebook she usually uses for class.

"Can you design that kind of interior design style?"

"Are you kidding? It's that simple. Just tell me what you want, and you won't have to waste time with those designers."

"it is good."

For the next two hours, the two of them studied Song-style interior design.

Xu Lin recently acquired a new skill, Visual Feast, which is an art-related skill that enhances his visual expression abilities, such as composition and color matching.

Then there's Xu Lin's computer skills.

With these two abilities combined, designing interior design styles is a piece of cake for him; even international design masters might not be able to match him.

Xu Lin thought to himself that if he were to buy a house in the future, he would design it himself.

Two hours later, Xu Lin had designed a house that perfectly matched Shang Wanjun's desired decorating style, as requested by Shang Wanjun.

This is a 3D stereoscopic image; feel free to take a look.

"Great!"

Shang Wanjun couldn't help but admire Xu Lin's skills.

"Small idea."

Xu Lin: "But I estimate your renovation might cost one or two million, so be prepared."

"Oh, no problem."

"Is there anything else you need to do?"

"I've finished my novel last time, would you like to take a look?"

"Look, this one's been published too?"

"Okay, if there are no problems with publication, I'll submit it."

Shang Wanjun opened her new novel.

This novel has 300,000 words, which is neither too long nor too short.

It tells the story of a teacher-student romance, with the male lead being Xu Lin and the female lead being Shang Wanjun.

Xu Lin had seen a bit of it before, but there wasn't much to say about it, and he wasn't excited.

In terms of plot, Shang Wanjun doesn't write the kind of life-or-death stories. Instead, she writes very exciting stories, and her writing style is particularly good. Through the development of the story, she explores the collision and conflict between morality, social ethics and love that are inherent in teacher-student relationships.

Third-rate novels tell stories, second-rate works have some ideas, and first-rate works create characters.

Xu Lin felt that Shang Wanjun's book could be considered second-rate; she explored an idea, and wrote it very profoundly.

Xu Lin had no idea what this literary youth was thinking about in his mind.

"what do you think?"

"I think it's very well written, but I don't know if the publisher will approve it. Teacher-student relationships, whether in online literature or real-life literature, are a red line, and the review process will be very strict."

"Then I'll submit my application. If it doesn't pass, that's fine."

"If this publisher doesn't approve, just submit to a few more. Good works will always find a buyer. If you're rejected by ten publishers, then forget it. Try submitting to the one you submitted to before. Besides, you're now the author of a bestselling book, so publishers should be more lenient with you."

"So this book is fine, right?"

"No problem, it's better than your last book."

"Then I'll vote."

Then, Shang Wanjun submitted the manuscript to Zhuyue Publishing House, the same publisher he had previously worked with.

Nothing happened that night.

Xu Lin will be staying at Shang Wanjun's place tonight.

The next morning, after having breakfast, the two set off to meet with the owner of the renovation company.

Xu Lin and his team selected this renovation company last night. It has a very good reputation in the industry, but the price is a bit high.

But it's understandable; if the reputation is good, a slightly higher price is acceptable.

If you're unwilling to spend this small amount of money, a full-package renovation might lead to many problems.

"I'll tell you later that this house is mine. These renovation companies have a good reputation, but you have to understand that if you want to do big business, you're unlikely to be a good person. They're all shrewd and know how to take advantage of people. You're a girl, and you look quiet and gentle. They'll instinctively think you're easy to bully, so they might drag their feet and not take it seriously."

"And you? You're even younger than me."

"Me? They can't cheat me."

Soon, the two met the owner of the decoration company.

He's just the owner of a renovation company, not some big shot.

Xu Lin and his group arrived at the decoration company.

living room.

A female employee invited them to sit down and then served them tea.

Xu Lin noticed an ashtray on the coffee table.

He also took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

Then pull one out.

Shang Wanjun was quite sensible and offered to light Xu Lin's cigarette.

Soon, the boss arrived.

They weren't any big shots, so there was no need for formalities.

But seeing the boy sitting there with an imposing air about him, the boss didn't dare to underestimate him.

Then, Xu Lin got straight to the point.

"My apartment is 210 square meters, decorated in a Song Dynasty Chinese style. How about your all-inclusive price?"

"Mr. Xu, it's like this. In our first-tier city, the quoted price is between 2500 and 3000 per square meter. The decoration style you want is more complicated in terms of craftsmanship and high material requirements, so the price will be higher. How about 4000? Is that acceptable?"

"Can it be completed within three months?"

"Okay, but in that case, we'll have to raise the price a little. Mr. Xu, how about 4300 per square meter?"

“I’ll raise the price to 8000. You can pick better materials for me. I want to renovate this house as well as possible, and finish it within three months. I’m in a hurry.”

"Mr. Xu is so straightforward!"

"I'm a very detail-oriented person. Now that I'm giving you this much money, I trust you can get it done for me, right?"

"Mr. Xu, don't worry, our company's reputation in Jiangdu may not be the best, but it's definitely in the top ten!"

Xu Lin didn't listen to his boasting, but since the money was in place, there was no reason not to get it done for me.

At 8000 yuan per square meter, a 210-square-meter apartment would cost over 1.6 million yuan in renovation costs. This is a huge sum of money to spend on renovations.

There was no way around it; Shang Wanjun liked it. The two of them had already discussed it last night and agreed to use two million yuan for renovations.

Within a million, it's just a matter of looking at the basics; if conditions allow, renovations will definitely cost money.

If you add in all the soft furnishings later, Shang Wanjun will have to spend several hundred thousand more, because she doesn't want to use anything too cheap, so it will be another large sum of money.

In this way, renovating a new house can cost two million, or even more than two million.

Some interior decorations are quite expensive.

More than an hour later, the specific negotiations came to an end.

Xu Lin and Shang Wanjun then came out.

"When are you going back to school? I'll take you back."

Xu Lin checked the time and decided to leave.

"So fast? I haven't even treated you to bluefin tuna yet!"

"Next time, I'll keep it on my tab. I have something to do during the National Day holiday, and I need to spend these two days with my girlfriend."

"Okay, will you take me back to school?"

“I’ll drive you home in my Panamera GTS, so those guys who’re chasing you will see that you’re the woman of some rich second-generation heir, and they won’t dare to pursue you anymore.”

"But you're not a rich kid."

"Who would consider me a first-generation entrepreneur if they don't know me?"

“That makes sense.” Shang Wanjun agreed.

"The renovation company will message me later. Reply if you can, otherwise take a screenshot and send it to me. If you do reply, it's best to be a little sweary."

The person the renovation company owner added was Xu Lin, but actually it was Shang Wanjun.

She used it specifically to add outsiders; it was like a work number.

Why are you swearing and cursing?

"Because people are all bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. If you act like a shrew, people will behave themselves. If you are easy to talk to, people will think you are easy to bully and that you have a high tolerance for mistakes, so they won't work hard and may cut corners. For example, you might reply, 'I gave you so much money, and this is how you renovated it? Did you even take it seriously? Look, you're even older than me.'"

"Oh, okay, then I'll swear a bit more!"

Soon, Xu Lin drove to the school where Shang Wanjun was pursuing her doctorate. Both her undergraduate and graduate studies were conducted on this campus, which was also quite large.

This is the second-ranked university in Jiangdu.

Xu Lin registered at the entrance and then drove in.

Do you have a dormitory at school?

"No, I live in a rented room."

"Then I can't show off anymore. At least you need to have a dorm room. Then I'll park my car downstairs in your dorm, and the girls will see you get out of a car worth over two million. Then it will slowly spread that, 'Wow, that Shang Wanjun is riding in a luxury car. Her boyfriend is a rich second-generation, or she's being kept by a rich second-generation, or she's being kept by an older man. In short, Shang Wanjun has hooked up with a rich man and become a big shot's woman."

Shang Wanjun couldn't help but chuckle, "That's a pity, I don't have a dormitory."

Xu Lin: "Where do I get off?"

"Let's go to the library up ahead. I'll go look at some books."

"Ok."

Soon, Xu Lin drove up to the front of the library.

"Just let me know if anything happens."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm leaving."

"Go ahead, let me know when you have time, and I'll treat you to bluefin tuna!"

"Ok."

After saying goodbye, Xu Lin went straight back to school.

Today is Wednesday.

In the afternoon, Xu Lin went to Ning Yuhan's classroom for class.

Xu Lin spent the last two days with Ning Yuhan, since he had to spend the National Day holiday with other people.

Xu Lin's main idea is that everyone gets a share.

During the afternoon class time, Xu Lin went to Ning Yuhan's classroom.

He was still wearing the same suit, and didn't go home to change clothes midway.

It's hot now, so Xu Lin left his jacket in the car and was only wearing a shirt on his upper body.

With a height of 1.9 meters and this outfit, he is very attractive to students.

Many third-year students have already had interview and internship experience, so they've definitely worn formal attire quite a bit.

Or they'll definitely wear it a lot later on. In their junior and senior years, students can't be as carefree as they were in their freshman and sophomore years. Except for those from wealthy families, most people have to think about how to develop their future at this time.

Seeing Xu Lin like this made many boys feel inferior.

"Dude, you look really handsome in that suit. How much did it cost?"

Just as Xu Lin sat down next to Ning Yuhan, a boy behind him couldn't help but poke him.

The suit has to be expensive, and it's best if it's tailor-made, so that the overall quality is better.

"Around ten thousand."

In fact, Xu Lin's entire outfit, including his coat, cost 200,000 yuan.

But Xu Lin wasn't trying to show off to the other party; saying it was too expensive was pointless.

"Wow, they really do look good when they're expensive."

The boy got excited, "I want to get a set for National Day too!"

Xu Lin: "You're neither too fat nor too thin, you should look good in a suit."

"Hehe, thanks for the compliment."

Before class started, several people asked him questions, and Xu Lin answered them all.

In real life, Xu Lin was also a nice guy to these strangers. They didn't provoke him, and Xu Lin was always kind and friendly to them.

What are your plans for National Day?

During class, Xu Lin asked Ning Yuhan a question.

Ning Yuhan said, "I'm planning to go home for the National Day holiday. Do you want me to bring you anything?"

"Pickled cabbage, please bring me some of everything."

"Then I'll bring you some." "Don't take too much, or it will be too heavy."

Ning Yuhan's family has pickled vegetables, like pickled cowpeas, some of which are pickled in Coke bottles, so they can bring them over. Otherwise, the kind of pickled vegetables in jars obviously can't be brought over unless you drive. Otherwise, it's impossible to take some out and pack them over. Once the pickled vegetables are opened, they have to be eaten quickly because they can't be stored for more than a few days.

"Then I'll bring three bottles of pickled cowpeas."

"also."

The three bottles Ning Yuhan mentioned were the kind that come in 1.25-liter Coca-Cola bottles, which are more convenient to carry.

Speaking of which, Xu Lin's mouth felt a little sour; he was really craving something sweet.

That afternoon, Xu Lin accompanied Ning Yuhan to class.

In the evening, Ning Yuhan went to the library.

Entering her junior year, Ning Yuhan had fewer classes, but she was obviously busier.

Professor Huang said that Ning Yuhan would have no problem getting into graduate school, but there are still two years left, so she has to work hard.

To write a thesis, you need to study and write, and you should aim to have one or two SCI papers.

There are all sorts of miscellaneous things to learn and complete.

Xu Lin then returned home.

After washing up, Xu Lin opened his Weibo account.

Young Master Xu.

Has anyone asked him to take orders?
Fifty million at a time, it's not like you can just get an order whenever you want.

However, only two days have passed, so Xu Lin is not in a hurry.

We need to find some ways to make money!

For a tech guru, making money isn't too difficult. Even if he can't make big money, he'll never lack small amounts.

Xu Linhua spent more than ten minutes thinking about what she should do.

Then a brilliant idea struck me: I could develop a browser specifically for reading academic papers and literature.

There are specialized readers for reading academic papers, similar to software for reading novels.

However, this kind of reader is terrible; anyone who has used it knows.

Moreover, it cannot translate foreign languages.

If you want to read foreign languages ​​and translate them, you will need to use other web tools.

At this point, using other tools would cost money, and then there would be all sorts of messy and troublesome things.

Can web pages be translated?
The website's poor translation function is completely unusable for reading academic papers.

Xu Lin is going to develop a browser specifically for reading academic papers.

He also thought of something else.

This browser can not only read local documents, but also open any academic paper website. It has a built-in VPN function, so you can open any foreign journal website in this browser and translate it directly, or download the paper and then translate and read it with one click.

That's what Xu Lin thought.

He had no idea how many people dreamed of having this kind of software.

Xu Lin acted immediately.

Because this type of browser doesn't need the messy features of a proper browser, such as video playback and various complex and bloated functions, it doesn't require Xu Lin to write too much code.

Xu Lin used English code this time because he wanted to target a global audience.

Xu Lin wants to start charging fees.

It costs 15 yuan a month.

If just a few out of a hundred people pay Xu Lin, he can make a fortune.

Don't underestimate these students; they are really willing to spend money, and the higher they go in their education, the more they are willing to spend.

But then again.

For 15 yuan, you can read all kinds of papers, access all kinds of foreign journals, and even get access to databases that your school doesn't have access to. We've even saved you the trouble of using a VPN. If you still don't want to spend the money, then go back to raising pigs.

In three hours, Xu Lin used two computers to write more than 4,000 lines of code to get the basic functions of the browser working.

There are only a few functions at present, and those are the main ones.

First, reading academic papers is a basic function.

Secondly, it can translate foreign languages ​​with one click, and the translation is very accurate. It's not some low-quality translation; anyone who frequently reads foreign literature will know its value.

Third, the browser has a built-in VPN function, which allows you to bypass internet restrictions and access any academic website abroad.

Xu Lin specifically set up a system for this.

Note that this software is only for academic websites. It is designed for academic purposes only and does not have any other functions. You cannot access other websites through this software.

In other words, this software is only intended for use by students, teachers, researchers, and other groups who need to read and write academic papers.

How large are these groups?
Xu Lin felt he should be able to make a lot of money.

It's only 15 yuan a month, which isn't much, but the sheer volume of it makes up for it.

Moreover, it seems that he is the only one in the world who develops this kind of software.

No one else has his level of development ability.

A world-class programming master, that's no exaggeration!
"We'll launch the Windows and PC versions first, followed by the Mac version and the Android and iOS versions for mobile devices."

These are the four major mainstream platforms, and Xu Lin cannot afford to overlook any of them.

Next, Xu Lin began registering the software online.

It's not a game software, so it doesn't need a game license, but it does need online registration.

It can be done online, it's very simple.

But Xu Lin doesn't need to worry about any of that; he just needs to get the cloud server sorted out.

Approval is a matter for later.

As we all know, the internet has a law of unbridled growth.

You can do whatever you want before that.

Do those shady apps, like those for watching porn, have they been registered? Their servers are all located overseas.

But users can still use it, and even pay for it.

and so.

Xu Lin wouldn't care about all that; he'd deal with everything once it was online.

Software name: Academic Browser.

Unpretentious.

At 11 p.m., Xu Lin uploaded the software to his personal website.

Xu Lin then posted a notice on Weibo: "I have developed a browser specifically for academic use, with functions including paper reading, foreign language translation, and access to any external academic website. Students, teachers, and researchers with academic needs are welcome to use it. Furthermore, it costs 15 yuan per month, a globally unified price. Those unwilling to pay should not contact me; this is not suitable for non-academic users."

"What the hell? I have to pay for software? Why should I use it?"

"People use it specifically to read academic papers, so there's no need for them to pay. You might not even be part of their target audience."

"Can it log into any external academic website? Really?"

"Downloaded, let me check it out!"

This type of software is still relatively niche to some extent.

Domestically, there are over one billion internet users, but less than 5% of them have an undergraduate degree.

This group definitely all go online.

However, although the undergraduate rate is over 4%, this group is not all academic users. Many people go directly to work after graduation and never touch papers again in their lives. Undergraduates generally only have a need for papers when they are about to graduate. Above that, there are master's and doctoral students, and these two groups use them more, especially doctoral students, but the number is not large.

Finally, there are university teachers and researchers, but these two groups are even smaller.

Xu Lin's software is actually quite niche.

Therefore, XuLin can only be marketed globally, and features like translation support two-way translation between any language and English.

Why English?

Because English is the primary language of academic study, it becomes increasingly important as you progress through your studies.

After Xu Lin posted on Weibo, many students immediately went to Xu Lin's personal website and downloaded the software.

There are two hours of free usage privileges available initially.

Here's the problem: the two-hour free trial is over, can't I just delete the software and download it again?
Ok?
Xu Lin had already anticipated this; once your computer installs something, it will mark it, so uninstalling and reinstalling it later won't make a difference.

However, people who seriously read academic papers usually pay for them. If you read a paper carefully, it may take you one or two hours to finish it. Before that, you would spend at least an hour searching for papers.

After uploading the software, Xu Lin did not pay attention to it for the time being.

He also needs to develop another computer software.

The second computer software is a magnet link downloader, and it only supports downloading.

This can be understood as Xunlei, without playback or cloud storage functions.

However, Xu Lin can maximize the download speed, depending on your internet speed.

It's still a monthly subscription, but this time it costs 10 yuan.

Because it targets a larger group of people.

As for not supporting playback, it's because a significant portion of magnet links contain erotic content.

Xu Lin supports downloading, but he's just acting as a middleman. What you download is none of my business, and I don't know anything about it.

Finally, it only supports magnet link downloads and lacks other functions.

Therefore, Xu Lin needs very little code.

A few dozen lines will suffice.

But Xu Lin's version was a bit more complex, and it took him more than two thousand lines of code to complete.

It's past three in the morning.

Xu Lin created a Baidu Cloud link and put the software in his WeChat official account. He also created a Douyin (TikTok) account specifically to introduce how to use the software.

He didn't upload to his personal website either. You have to know who ultimately uses this magnet link download function? Most of the time it's not for legitimate use, such as for pornographic resources.

The Douyin (TikTok) introduction begins with: "Brothers, I've discovered a magnet link downloader that's 100,000 times better than Xunlei..."

After releasing the video, Xu Lin invested another 20,000 yuan in Douyin (TikTok).

What is evil cultivation?

Xu Lin is an absolute heretical cultivator who never follows the usual path and will always take the shortcut if possible.

"Here it comes, let me see what it is?"

"Huh? You can give me the maximum download speed? Really?"

"Is this some kind of deceptive tactic?"

"Let me take a look first."

Most people who come across the video won't use it, but a small number of people will use it, and then it will gradually spread.

Around 3 PM, I finished making the video for my secondary Douyin account.

Xu Lin then opened Xu Gongzi's Weibo account.

What's the situation now?

Xu Lin glanced at the comments section and found that four hours had passed and the comments were already overwhelmingly positive.

"Young Master Xu, you're practically my father! I've always dreamed of having such a convenient paper browser!"

"Same here, it's really amazing! It can access all journal websites on the internet, saving the need for a VPN. It can also access databases that the school doesn't have access to. It's so convenient, and it even has one-click translation, and the translation function is very accurate!"

"Only those who frequently read academic papers know how powerful and convenient this software is. I've already recommended it to everyone I know!"

After watching for a while, Xu Lin checked the payment details.

Four hours have passed, has anyone paid yet?
Have!
"Huh? More than two thousand people have already paid?"

With over two thousand people, each paying fifteen yuan per month, the total income was only a little over thirty thousand yuan.

But Xu Lin wasn't in a hurry. He estimated that he could earn a lot of money once the platform gained traction. Moreover, it was a global platform, not just for domestic use. Once he had a million users, Xu Lin could earn 15 million yuan every month.

Globally, Xu Lin doesn't believe there aren't at least a million users.

It could even reach over a million users domestically.

It's important to know that there are over ten million graduates every year, including nearly five million undergraduates and over one million graduate students, totaling at least six million. Xu Lin only needs to secure one-tenth of that number.

Adding in other teachers, researchers, and so on, Xu Lin expects over one million domestic users per month, which is theoretically not a problem.

From now on, the monthly income will start at over ten million.

This is clearly a very promising opportunity!

"We need to find another online payment method from abroad. We'll work on international promotion tomorrow."

Xu Lin won't overlook the overseas market either; it's a global market, much larger than the domestic one.

That entire night, Xu Lin worked on these two software programs.

Before I knew it, it was dawn.

Xu Lin didn't even sleep tonight, and arrived at school on time this morning.

He also attended Ning Yuhan's class.

Why aren't you in class?

The latter was somewhat puzzled.

"I don't usually have much time, so I'll just spend some time with you today. Besides, it won't affect me since I don't have classes. Look, I've had the highest GPA in my major for two semesters."

"Oh!"

Ning Yuhan then said, "Honey, I also received the national scholarship in my sophomore year."

"Are the results out?"

"Out!"

"That's good."

Starting in 2024, the national scholarship amounted to 10,000 yuan, which was a considerable sum for Ning Yuhan. Moreover, the national scholarship was a great honor for students, proving that they were outstanding students.

"By the way, I'll send you a paper viewing software. You can install it on your computer and use it to view papers."

Xu Lin sent the academic browser to Ning Yuhan; it was a free version, so she could browse it freely without paying.

"Software for reading academic papers?"

Xu Lin gave her a brief introduction to the specific functions, saying, "You can just use it to read papers; it's very convenient."

"oh oh."

(End of this chapter)