A simple system

In early June 2024, at the main entrance of Zijin Aviation School in Zijin City.

The golden characters "Zijin Aeronautics and Astronautics University" shimmered in the sunlight, and Lin Yuan, shielding his eyes with a hand, carefully scrutinized them under the scorching sun.

His yellow uniform at that moment was as brilliant as those golden characters. However, emblazoned on Lin Yuan's yellow uniform were the prominent words "Good Group Waimai".

Lin Yuan was an ordinary second-tier undergraduate who graduated in 2023. Like many undergraduates after the expansion of university enrollment, Lin Yuan seemed to have attended university, and yet seemed not to have.

As a software engineering major, he sent out hundreds of resumes after graduation, but most of them sank without a trace. Even when he occasionally received interview invitations, he was either eliminated in the first round or offered a menial CRUD role.

After working for a few months, Lin Yuan grew tired of the endless nonsense at work every day and the predicament of not learning any real technical skills. He resolutely decided to pursue postgraduate studies.

After being beaten down by society, Lin Yuan reflected deeply. He had considered taking the civil service exam to secure a stable job, but after looking at the study materials, he realized that his brain seemed to be a sieve, naturally unreceptive to civil service exam content. He tried everything, but still couldn't reformat his brain.

This was like the file system of a computer hard drive; NTFS and FAT32 simply had compatibility conflicts.

Thus, Lin Yuan then chose to change his bleak life trajectory by pursuing postgraduate studies.

Since it was about changing his destiny, Lin Yuan clearly knew that pursuing a master's degree at a mediocre school would only waste another three years. Therefore, Lin Yuan was determined to either not take the exam or to aim for a prestigious university.

However, getting into a prestigious university was easier said than done. First, he had to pass the written exam, and then the interview.

The more prestigious the university, the more emphasis they placed on interview performance. If during the interview they found that you were merely an exam-taking machine, had rarely been in a laboratory, and had little ability or interest in research, they would almost certainly not pass you.

And for an ordinary second-tier undergraduate like Lin Yuan, passing the written exam was already extremely difficult.

Therefore, the difficulties Lin Yuan faced were like towering mountains.

But Lin Yuan had no choice.

If he didn't want to waste his life in a rented room, if he didn't want to be without a place of his own in this city, then he had no choice but to burn his bridges and give it his all.

Lin Yuan ultimately decided to go all out.

He then quit his job, but the savings from half a year of work quickly became insufficient. So, Lin Yuan naturally chose to "don the yellow robe."

Nothing else. Just because delivering food offered more freedom.

When he was tired of studying, he could go out and deliver food, which not only earned him money to live on but also allowed him to breathe fresh air and exercise.

That was the thought, but the reality was quite different.

Under the heavy study load, Lin Yuan, dizzy and disoriented, accidentally got into a car accident while delivering food.

Fortunately, when he woke up, he found a blessing in disguise: something extra in his brain.

Current Accumulated Computing Power: 1024P.

Task List: XXX.

Lin Yuan didn't know what to call this thing. Recalling the web novels he had read, he temporarily referred to it as a system.

But this system was simply too unpretentious.

The entire interface only had "Task List" and "Accumulated Computing Power."

Completing tasks would earn computing power accumulation. Consuming computing power could be used for calculations.

After obtaining the computing power system, Lin Yuan felt as if a long drought had ended with a timely rain.

His original decision to pursue postgraduate studies had been somewhat blind. He wasn't pursuing it for any grand ambitions, but merely to change his own destiny.

It could be said that Lin Yuan's goal was clear, but he was lost regarding the means to achieve it.

Lin Yuan was also undecided about which university and which major to apply for.

Considering that his undergraduate degree was in software engineering, Lin Yuan's first thought was to pursue a computer-related major. Given the current popularity of AI, Lin Yuan's first choice was the AI branch of computer science.

He hadn't originally thought of applying to Zijin Aeronautics and Astronautics University, but the computing power system gave him this task.

Based on his half-year experience using the computing power system, Lin Yuan instinctively trusted the system's judgment. Therefore, he followed the system's task guidance.

Over the past six months, under the system's guidance, Lin Yuan's study efficiency soared. In the recently concluded National Postgraduate Entrance Examination, he finally reached the score line for Zijin Aviation School.

Today was the day Lin Yuan came to Zijin Aviation School for his interview.

Task: Enroll in the Computer Science major at Zijin Aeronautics and Astronautics University. Reward: X amount of computing power.

Better: Choose the AI direction.

"Better" meant an advanced task, which would yield more rewards. Lin Yuan tentatively considered this as a task completion rating.

Due to financial constraints, Lin Yuan had no choice but to deliver a few orders on his way to the interview.

Currently, Lin Yuan was still just a second-tier university student who had passed the written exam for a prestigious university, not yet qualified to find a tutoring job. He still only had the option of delivering food, which offered more flexible hours and a lower barrier to entry.

Lin Yuan planned to endure this period. As long as he could successfully enroll, he could leverage the prestige of a reputable university to enter high-income educational fields and shed this yellow uniform.

"You have five minutes left for your order," the urging prompt from the delivery system came through his headphones.

Lin Yuan had no choice but to withdraw his gaze and quickly twisted the throttle of his electric scooter, speeding away.

In a corner Lin Yuan didn't notice, a mother pointed at Lin Yuan's retreating figure with her child.

"See, if you don't study hard, you'll end up like him."

---

After Lin Yuan placed the last delivery order on the delivery rack at the dormitory entrance, he planned to find a place to change out of his uniform.

He wasn't without a sense of shame; he wouldn't go to an interview wearing a "Good Group Waimai" uniform. He even brought a large mask.

"Master, I really can't find it!"

The girl's voice on the phone was pleasant, but her mind was clearly not very sharp. Even though Lin Yuan had sent her a picture, she still couldn't find her delivery.

"It's on the first rack to your left when you exit the door, third shelf from the bottom, in the middle," Lin Yuan patiently replied.

"There really isn't any! Can you come and help me find it?"

Lin Yuan often encountered such situations while delivering food. Based on the principle of avoiding complaints, Lin Yuan had no choice but to return. After all, he still had to rely on food delivery for a while.

Lin Yuan returned to the girls' dormitory building he had just left. A tall figure was anxiously waiting in front of the delivery rack.

"Hello, Master. Look, there really isn't anything," the girl said, frowning at Lin Yuan, pointing to the empty delivery rack.

Lin Yuan followed her finger, then was speechless.

"Student, the rack to your left when you exit the door. The one you're pointing to is to your left when you enter the door."

"Huh?" The girl looked confused. "Left, right. Which one is it, exactly?"

Lin Yuan walked directly to the rack, picked up the delivery, and handed it to her. "Here you go, student."

It was clear from her reaction that her brain's computing power was insufficient. If his computing power system could transfer computing power, Lin Yuan would have loved to give her some.

"Thank you, Master."

Lin Yuan then turned and left, not lingering because of her beauty.

"Master, wait," the girl called out, stopping Lin Yuan. She then walked quickly forward, tearing open the delivery bag and taking out a cup of milk tea.

"I'm sorry, Master. I made you come all the way back."

Lin Yuan realized that she probably thought his return had affected his ability to take more orders, which was why she specifically gave him a cup of milk tea.

Such kind-hearted customers were truly rare; most people would at most offer a few apologies and that would be it.

"No need, I didn't run that far," Lin Yuan said. In fact, the building where Lin Yuan was about to have his interview was not far from there, so he hadn't been delayed much.

But the girl clearly couldn't have imagined that the delivery rider in front of her was there to attend a postgraduate entrance interview. "Just take it."

With that, the girl placed the milk tea into Lin Yuan's electric scooter basket and then turned and walked away.

Lin Yuan no longer stood on ceremony. Although the June weather wasn't scorching, Lin Yuan, having run back and forth, was parched.

He immediately took off his mask, but then realized...

"Student, your..."

The girl stopped upon hearing him. "Oh, Master, don't be so polite with me."

"No, you didn't give me a straw."

"Ah? Hahaha~~~" The girl looked embarrassed, then fumbled in the bag for a straw and handed it over.

Lin Yuan then disappeared from her sight.