After years as an overworked engineer, Qin Yuanqing unexpectedly awakens in his final year of high school, given a chance to rewrite his life. Along with his rebirth comes a mysterious Academic Genius System that rewards learning with points and powerful abilities. Determined not to repeat his old regrets, Qin devotes himself to study, rises from an ordinary student to a national academic prodigy, and enters the world of advanced science. His journey soon expands far beyond exam scores, leading him into mathematics, physics, engineering, energy, artificial intelligence, and aerospace research. As his discoveries reshape technology and society, Qin sets his sights on an even greater goal: pushing humanity beyond Earth and toward the stars.
Chapter 41: The Villa
The renovation of their family home would be nearly complete in just over half a month. His dad told him he’d already consulted a fortune-teller to pick an auspicious date, and the housewarming was set for October 5. Qin Yuanqing would be able to make it for the housewarming, but he wouldn’t be able to attend his second older brother’s engagement party, which was scheduled for mid-November. That’s just how it is in the countryside—they place great importance on these traditional customs. Whether it’s moving into a new home, an engagement, or a wedding, they have to consult a fortune-teller to pick an auspicious date before proceeding. Qin Yuanqing was also very excited. This time, it was the grand military parade marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and he was determined to see if he could get a ticket to witness the Republic’s grand parade with his own eyes. He was still a child during the 1999 Millennium Military Parade and didn’t know much about it at the time, but watching documentaries about it later always made his blood boil with pride. And now that he was right here in Beijing, missing this grand military parade would truly be a tremendous regret. Watching it live versus watching it on TV is a completely different experience—there’s simply no comparison. Unfortunately, the military parade is a major event—not just anyone can attend—and getting a ticket is no easy feat. Early the next morning, the real estate agent drove to the hotel entrance to pick him up. As soon as the agent saw Qin Yuanqing and recognized him, his face lit up with excitement, but he felt too shy to ask too many questions, which made him feel rather uncomfortable. “Mr. Qin, this neighborhood was just completed this year. It’s surrounded by condominiums, with a cluster of villas arranged in a staggered pattern in the center. The development emphasizes luxury and quality of life—each villa is completely private, which greatly minimizes disturbances,” the agent explained as he drove, giving an overview of the community. Like many other places, Beijing is also tearing down old neighborhoods to build new ones; many areas have been demolished and replaced with high-rise buildings. It took only five or six minutes to reach the community, which was already largely complete and looked quite nice at first glance. The real estate agent parked the car, led Qin Yuanqing to the sales office, and gave the sales manager a brief overview of the situation. At first glance, the sales manager thought Qin Yuanqing was too young to possibly afford a home, and a hint of disappointment flashed across his eyes. But after hearing the agent’s introduction, his eyes lit up with excitement, and his attitude became much more friendly. With someone like this coming in, the chances of closing a deal were far higher than with an ordinary buyer. For those in sales, the most important source of income comes from sales performance—selling a single unit can earn tens of thousands in commission. “Hello, Mr. Qin. It’s a great honor to have you visit our community. Construction on Lanhuayuan began in 2007, and the project is now essentially complete. Our community is the most popular among the many in the surrounding area, and the residential units are virtually sold out.” The sales manager described the community: “Our community has a total of 108 villas, which perfectly aligns with the numerological significance of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stems and Seventy-Two Earthly Branches. Currently, 38 villas are still available for sale!” Using a laser pointer, he highlighted the villas currently available. A river winds through the entire community, connected by small bridges. The model of the community was exceptionally well-crafted; it was clear a great deal of effort had gone into it. Although he hadn’t seen the site in person yet, just looking at the model, Qin Yuanqing could tell it was a great place. “Our community is a 5-minute drive from Shuimu University and just 5 minutes from the Beijing Film Academy. It’s surrounded by university neighborhoods, so the cultural atmosphere is excellent…” After finishing the tour of the community, he began describing the surrounding area, amenities, and key advantages. Afterward, he personally took Qin Yuanqing on a tour of the community to view the villas currently for sale. The villas come in two sizes—larger and smaller—so they looked at two of them. The villas were reasonably well-furnished—not exactly luxurious, but definitely move-in ready. The larger villas all had their own private courtyards, separated by wooden fences with lockable gates, and came with two underground parking spaces. After seeing them, Qin Yuanqing was very satisfied—they seemed very comfortable to live in—so they went to view another villa that he thought had a prime location. This villa was situated by the lake, in the best spot, and would be bathed in sunlight every morning at sunrise. After entering and taking a thorough look up and down, Qin Yuanqing decided to buy this one. Back at the sales office, Qin Yuanqing completed the contract formalities and paid a down payment of 2. 5 million on the spot. As for the loan paperwork and the “Three Certificates,” the sales manager would handle everything; all Qin Yuanqing would need to do later was come in to sign a few documents. Seeing that Qin Yuanqing had signed the contract and paid the down payment, the real estate agent was overjoyed. With this deal closed, he would receive a 40,000 commission from the developer—enough to make up for the hard work of the past two months. Qin Yuanqing hadn’t expected that just two days later, the sales manager would contact him, asking him to come in to process the loan paperwork. Since he hadn’t contributed to the housing provident fund, the loan would be a commercial mortgage—which carries a higher interest rate. However, Qin Yuanqing wasn’t the least bit worried about being unable to repay it. With the start of the high school semester just around the corner, his *Qin Family Handbook* was sure to be a bestseller; by then, he certainly wouldn’t be short on money to repay the loan. Moreover, Qin Yuanqing didn’t opt for a short-term loan; he went straight for a 30-year term. Since the RMB is constantly depreciating, he figured he might as well borrow as much as possible—he wasn’t worried about being unable to repay it later. A few days after finalizing the loan, Qin Yuanqing received the three property certificates, and from that moment on, the villa was officially his property. Qin Yuanqing laughed triumphantly. A true winner in life! Even if he stopped working hard from now on, the rising property prices alone would be enough to ensure he lived a carefree life, never worrying about food or clothing. Of course, he wasn’t about to become a freeloader! Bro! It’s not time for that kind of cutthroat competition yet. Qin Yuanqing returned to the hotel and couldn’t wait to send the photos he’d taken—including those of the three certificates—to the young lady. “Are you excited? Are you happy? I bought a villa!” Qin Yuanqing boasted. “It’s only 300 square meters—so tiny! Not even a third the size of my place!” The young lady’s reply dealt Qin Yuanqing a 9,999-point critical hit. When he saw the photos of the luxurious villa she’d uploaded, Qin Yuanqing finally understood what it meant to be a “rich kid”! Sure enough, poverty limits your imagination—you’ll never truly understand what the world of the wealthy is really like! Qin Yuanqing retreated to a corner to draw circles on the wall. In this cruel world, he really wasn’t cut out for such complicated social circles—he’d be better off sticking to the academic world. Even a lifetime’s worth of salary couldn’t compare to a single moment of pure bliss! Qin Yuanqing silently resolved that it was better to stick to the academic world—the outside world was too dangerous, with far too many bad people! After chatting with the young lady for over half an hour, she signed off to attend a promotional event for a TV drama. Qin Yuanqing wasn’t optimistic about this show—he’d never even heard of *The Great General of the Northern Wei*; it probably wasn’t any good, otherwise how could it have zero fame? Qin Yuanqing surfed the web for a while, then packed away his laptop. He folded the clothes from the closet and put them in his suitcase. Tomorrow was registration day, and he would head to campus to register and move into the dorms.
