Reborn: I'll Never Fail My Childhood Sweetheart Again

Late December.

The cold wave subsided, and the temperature in Lin’an warmed up a bit.

The weather cleared up, and there was even sunshine; by late afternoon, the sports field at the Finance Institute became lively again.

The university students, who had been lying low for a while, took advantage of the good weather to stretch their limbs.

Su Zelin was running on the track in a full Anta tracksuit.

The slacker wasn’t running fast, leisurely not even breaking a sweat, contemplating some things while engaging in light exercise.

In mid-December, the three branches located at the Normal University, Technological University, and Electronic Technology University were completed on schedule.

The official opening was set for New Year’s Day, but they had already started trial operations. The stores were open to the public, and the demo machines inside were available for play, but for now, only for testing, not for sale. Official sales would wait until New Year’s Day, but orders could be placed in advance.

This time, the level of promotion and hype was completely different from the previous two stores.

When the Finance Institute branch opened, they could only write a few native articles on the campus BBS, organize a marketing activity, invite a bunch of actors to join the fun—it seemed lively but was limited to the campus. Apart from the staff and students at the Finance Institute, hardly anyone in Lin’an had heard about it.

Back then, Su Zelin also wished to keep it low-key. If a reporter came and found out it wasn’t really a chain store and still reported it, it wouldn’t benefit New Era much. So keeping it quiet and making money in the background was better.

When the Zhejiang University branch opened, the situation was similar, except there were more people at Zhejiang University, and because of the now-classic fan-marketing stunt, the event was even more lively but still kept within the campus atmosphere and didn’t break out of it. Many university students from other schools might not know that the Finance Institute and Zhejiang University both had such large digital stores.

However, a few observant individuals took notice of New Era, such as that competitor, who, unsurprisingly, only got involved after seeing the success of the Zhejiang University branch and realizing the feasibility and high profitability of this model.

But overall, New Era’s fame was still limited to these two universities.

Now that low-profile growth had come far enough, with five large branches, there was no need to remain so low-key.

Su Zelin had Yang Fen actively contact various news media in Lin’an, inviting all the local newspapers and even having TV stations come for interviews, striving to get the name of New Era out beyond the universities and known to all of Lin’an.

Of course, money needed to be in place; otherwise, others might not be willing to seriously report about it or might just give it perfunctory coverage.

During the trial operation, Brother Xiao Yang and Kang Baohong reported great success, with orders pouring in like snowflakes for the three new stores.

The students at those three universities, upon hearing that there were five such digital stores in Lin’an, each with a considerable scale, good service, and after-sales support—even one in Zhejiang University—and very booming business, felt it was amazing and thus placed their orders with confidence.

Those orders alone ensured turnover on the first day of official opening, not to mention others coming in to have computers built on-site.

"Hey, class leader!"

A female voice interrupted Su Zelin’s thoughts.

Then, Ding Linna caught up from behind.

Nanaz was also a frequent late runner, often bumping into each other.

"What are you thinking about, so absorbed?"

"Thinking about Cao Cao!"

Su Zelin laughed.

"Cao Cao?"

Ding Linna was astonished.

"Think of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives."

Su Zelin solved the riddle.

"Oh, come on, you have plenty of beauties around you, and you can still think of me?"

Nanaz rolled her eyes.

"There’s no such thing as too many beauties!"

The slacker chuckled.

"Hey, you rascal, with such a fickle heart, be careful not to get caught out someday in a tailwind rain!"

"That won’t happen. Do you think I endure washing in cold water in winter and running morning and night for nothing? Being a ’bad guy’ takes determination and perseverance!"

"You describe such shameful acts so honorably, class leader, you really are something!"

"..."

The two of them ran side by side, chatting as they went.

Exercising with a beauty, whether it’s light or intense exercise, always put the slacker in a great mood.

Besides, Nanaz was a sporty beauty, adept at yoga, highly flexible, with movements that were pleasing to the eye.

"Casanova, let me see how much stamina you’ve got!"

Ding Linna raised her eyebrows at Su Zelin, stretching her long legs and quickening her pace, passing by Su Zelin with a laugh.

Yo, Nanaz, you’re pretty confident, huh?

Soon, I’ll show you what "exhaustion" really means!

Su Zelin laughed.

No girl has ever dared compete with me in endurance, you’re the first!

I’m like a fabled endurance racehorse, gotta show you something impressive!

Su Zelin picked up speed to chase after her.

Half an hour passed this way, no matter how hard Ding Linna pushed herself, the slacker always closely followed right behind her.

By then, Nanaz’s athletic T-shirt was soaked with fragrant sweat, a few strands of hair playfully escaping her hairband, sticking to her snow-white neck, and her originally steady breaths turned rapid, with her bosom rising and falling significantly faster.

"Whew, I... I can’t go on."

She finally stopped, one hand on her slender waist, panting heavily.

She had thought that after practicing yoga, her stamina wouldn’t be much worse than the slacker class leader, but she hadn’t expected their capacities were still not on the same level.

Her limbs were already trembling, yet the slacker class leader, although slightly sweaty, clearly still had plenty of energy left.

"Nanaz, you’re giving up so soon?"

The slacker teased, "Need a hand?"

"Yes, you said it yourself!"