Chapter 231 - 229: Tsinghua Science Park

Chapter 231: Chapter 229: Tsinghua Science Park

The process for getting university textbooks was for each class monitor to first pick up all four years’ worth of books from the registrar’s office, then distribute them to their classmates one by one, and finally have everyone sign to confirm receipt.

A few helpful guys were handing out the books, and it was soon Lin Yanwan and her friends’ turn.

Jiang Xia even saw his other two roommates, but he wasn’t familiar with the people from the School of Computer Science. They just nodded at each other, and he didn’t go over to say hello.

After signing to confirm, the group headed back to the dorms, carrying textbooks that weighed over ten pounds. The girls kept stopping and starting, turning what should have been a twenty-minute walk into a half-hour ordeal.

In contrast, some students from other majors were much smarter. They had probably borrowed bikes from upperclassmen and were cruising along, looking effortlessly cool.

"I need to buy a bike, and fast!" Cui Jiaying said fiercely, rubbing her sore arm.

"Agreed," Si Si chimed in with a nod. "A bike would make getting to class so much easier. No one can stand walking like this every day."

Tang Qiuting, however, felt it was fine. She was used to walking mountain paths growing up and had often carried sacks of grain weighing dozens of pounds up and down the hills. This little weight was nothing to her.

’But if everyone else gets a bike and I’m the only one without one, won’t that make me seem like I don’t fit in?’

The thought sent the young woman into a fresh spiral of anxiety.

’I don’t want to be a burden on my family, but bikes are so expensive. How can I earn a little money?’

’Maybe I should just run to class. At least I’d get some exercise.’

Lin Yanwan wasn’t tired either. She had only carried two sets of military training uniforms the whole way, having dumped all the textbooks on Jiang Xia. ’A husband definitely needs to be put to good use,’ she thought.

But she wholeheartedly agreed about buying a bike.

When they finally reached the girls’ dormitory, Jiang Xia handed the books back to Lin Yanwan. He was tempted to try and persuade the dorm manager to bend the rules again so he could carry them all the way up for his wife.

But with so many girls carrying their own books, it would be an inappropriate request.

So, he had no choice but to wait downstairs.

’Come to think of it, if I hadn’t been able to come back this afternoon, Nanny Su would have had to carry books for two people. But he’s a fitness nut, so this little bit of weight is probably a piece of cake for him.’

"Yanwan, are you heading out?" Si Si asked, watching Lin Yanwan put down her books.

"Yeah, I have something to do," Lin Yanwan said with a slight nod, taking a sip of water.

"What about lunch? Are you coming back?"

Lin Yanwan hesitated for a moment. "It’s hard to say. I probably won’t be back. You guys go ahead and eat, don’t wait for me."

"Okay."

After she left the dorm room, Cui Jiaying came out of the bathroom, noticed someone was missing, and asked, "Where’s Yanwan?"

"Gone for a secret rendezvous," said Si Si. "Ask Qiuting if you don’t believe me."

Cui Jiaying scoffed. "You call that a *secret* rendezvous? She might as well have had the word ’date’ written on her forehead. You’d be more believable if you said they went to get a room."

"Good point."

◇

Lin Yanwan walked out of the girls’ dormitory building with a bottle of mineral water and immediately spotted a certain someone waiting under a tree.

She went over and handed him her water bottle. He’d been carrying the books the whole way and hadn’t had a single sip of water yet.

"Are we taking a taxi?"

Jiang Xia twisted open the cap, glanced at the faint lipstick mark on the rim, and then nonchalantly pressed his lips to the same spot and took a large gulp.

"Yeah. Tsinghua Science Park is near the school, but it’s still a bit of a walk."

Luckily, the Dashiqiao North Bus Station was right behind Bauhinia Apartment. The two of them held hands and didn’t have to wait long before a taxi pulled up in front of them.

Jiang Xia’s choice to locate the company in Tsinghua Science Park was very deliberate. Firstly, it was close to campus, right next to the East Gate. Secondly, university students starting businesses in Tsinghua Science Park were eligible for various subsidies, making it worlds better than those expensive high-end office buildings elsewhere.

The most important factor, however, was that Tsinghua Science Park was located in the core of the Imperial Capital’s Zhongguan Village Science and Technology Park. Construction began in 1994, and the park, which covered 25 hectares—690,000 square meters—wasn’t officially completed until 2005.

In the future, it would become home to numerous famous research institutes and high-profile tech companies, making it the largest and one of the most intellectually-dense regions in the country, and indeed the world.

But for now, a great deal of its office space lay vacant. In this information age, on the cusp of a technological explosion, he could truly make his mark.

A little over ten minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of the main gate of Tsinghua Science Park.

Jiang Xia looked up at the two towers before him. It was just as he had expected. Many floors still had banners advertising "For Lease" or "Investment Opportunities." No matter how prosperous this place would become, it was still in the embryonic stage of its development.

He took a deep breath, then turned to his wife, his eyes filled with a smile. "Babe, I’ve decided. We’re moving the company here. This is it."

"Mhm!" Lin Yanwan nodded emphatically. She was also a reincarnator, and even if she didn’t know the specifics of this place, she had heard of it.

Take Tsinghua Tongfang, for example. At this point in time, they were still manufacturing MP3 players here.

Jiang Xia walked up the steps and looked at the words "Tsinghua Science Park" arranged in the flowerbed. His brand new future would begin right here.

"Why aren’t you going in?" Lin Yanwan glanced at him.

"Waiting for someone," he said with a smile.

"Who are you waiting for?"

"Well..."

Jiang Xia was about to be mysterious, but his gaze shifted to the roadside just in time to see a taxi pull over. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Wang Ming slowly got out.

"See? There he is."

Lin Yanwan followed his gaze. Wasn’t that Wang Ming?

"Old Jiang, you’ve gotta reimburse me for the taxi fare! I took a cab the whole way here. Thirty-two yuan! The cost is killing me," Wang Ming shouted from a dozen meters away.

"I just paid you a huge salary not long ago, and you’re already trying to nickel-and-dime me?"

"What do you mean, nickel-and-dime? This colossal sum of thirty-two yuan could feed me at school for days!"

"Got a receipt? No receipt, no reimbursement," Jiang Xia chuckled.

Who would have thought Wang Ming would actually open his palm and produce a handwritten receipt from the driver. "Heh, I knew you’d say that, you bastard. Already got it ready for you."

Jiang Xia’s cheek twitched. This guy’s shamelessness had grown to a whole new level.

"What are you giving it to me for? Give it to whoever’s in charge of finance."

Wang Ming blinked, his eyes immediately shifting to the side. "Hehehe, Sis, what do you say? Reimbursement?"

"Of course, but it’s no use giving it to me now. You need to fill out a reimbursement form according to procedure. Otherwise, it’ll cause big problems during a future audit," Lin Yanwan said with a sweet smile.

Wang Ming was dumbfounded. ’Reimbursements are this complicated?’

"Alright, alright, stop getting hung up on this little bit of money. From now on, any business-related expenses can be reimbursed. Let’s go inside and take a look around. Seriously, Tsinghua Science Park is a great place."

Jiang Xia slung an arm around his good friend’s shoulder and strode inside.