You Chose Your Male Best Friend, So Why Are You Crying After I Let Go? - Chapter 15:

Chapter 15: Setting the Standard, Applying for a Patent

After the trial run, Gu Zhe’s algorithm perfectly met Liu Yuan’s requirements. Moreover, the code was extremely concise and clean—there was none of that abstract mess where only the original developer could understand what was written. It would be easy for Liu Yuan’s team to maintain going forward.

“Mr. Liu, satisfied?” Gu Zhe said with a smile over the phone, casually nudging Liu Yuan’s conscience. “This took me two straight days of overtime to complete.”

How could Liu Yuan not understand what Gu Zhe meant?

In the adult world, every hint at effort or hardship was just another way of saying one thing—”Pay me more.”

But the truth was, Gu Zhe’s work had already exceeded his expectations. He was genuinely thrilled.

“You’ve worked hard, Teacher Gu. Please send me your bank account number. I’ll transfer your payment first thing in the morning… no, I’ll send it over tonight!”

“You’ve put in so much effort. On top of the 15,000 yuan we originally agreed on, I’ll add another 5,000. Would that be alright? Also, if any issues come up later, I hope you can help with maintenance.”

Heh, at least this guy’s straightforward.

Gu Zhe didn’t decline. He sent over his account number right away. He knew exactly how valuable his contributions were—these forward-looking ideas and code weren’t just useful, they were groundbreaking in this time.

Sometimes, code is like literature.

Today, comparing a beautiful woman to a flower may seem cliché. But the first person to do it was a genius.

Algorithms are the same.

What would become mundane and repetitive in the future was still cutting-edge in this era.

Not long after, Liu Yuan transferred a total of 20,000 yuan.

Gu Zhe’s account balance now stood at over 27,000 yuan.

In 2014, that amount wasn’t a fortune, but it was more than enough to accomplish a lot.

By the time Gu Zhe returned to the dorm hugging his laptop, it was nearly 3 a.m. The room was filled with the sound of his roommates snoring. He stretched his stiff muscles and sighed helplessly.

At the end of the day, coders might be called tech elites, but the money they earned was still hard-earned.

His brain hemorrhage at the wedding in his last life had a lot to do with years of overwork and stress.

This couldn’t be a long-term plan.

Reborn in this life, was he really going to keep making money by grinding himself into the ground?

Besides, things had become a bit delicate between him and Lin Nuo’er lately.

Spending too much energy just writing code might not be the smartest move.

He needed to create something that could truly change an industry.

With that thought, Gu Zhe opened his laptop again and began typing—not code this time, but a proposal.

“Optimizing the Three-Way Delivery Order System for Riders, Merchants, and Customers.”

In 2014, Jutuan was still a small group-buying app, focused mainly on movie tickets and event bookings.

The food delivery business that would eventually bring Jutuan massive profits was still just a test pilot.

At the time, their ordering and location systems were extremely underdeveloped. Orders would confuse merchants, disorient riders, and leave customers starving while waiting endlessly.

It was a complex system involving multiple interconnected subsystems and cooperative processes.

By the time the sky lightened with the first hint of dawn, Gu Zhe had only completed the outline.

“Phew… didn’t even notice I pulled an all-nighter again.”

He let out a long breath and grumbled, “Damn, no wonder those people make big money. Pulling this off is no easy feat.”

Just then, Zhao Si and the others began waking up groggily, brushing their teeth and peeking curiously over Gu Zhe’s shoulder.

“Hey, Brother Zhe, what’s that you’re working on? You planning to enter some kind of competition? Take me with you!”

Gu Zhe chuckled and shook his head, “Zhao Si, real impactful projects don’t need flashy presentations or those meaningless competitions to prove their value.”

Zhao Si looked puzzled. “Then why are you doing this?”

With a serious expression, Gu Zhe replied, “I’m going to apply for a patent.”

“Huh?” Zhao Si was dumbfounded.

What the hell?

We’re all under the same roof, worrying about passing our finals, and you’re over here… applying for patents?

Seeing that Gu Zhe had no intention of getting up from his seat, Zhao Si kindly reminded him, “Brother Zhe, today’s C language class with Professor Chen… he’s not someone to mess with!”

Gu Zhe yawned and waved him off, “Can’t do it today. I pulled another all-nighter, I’m completely wiped out. Just make up an excuse for me.”

“Another excuse? Brother Zhe, you haven’t gone to class in days!”

Zhao Si looked like he was about to cry. He wasn’t the smooth-talking type—making up lies to cover for Gu Zhe was way outside his comfort zone.

Gu Zhe had always viewed academics from a practical perspective.

You came to school to gain knowledge. If he already understood the material, why waste the time?

By now, Gu Zhe had crawled into bed and shut his eyes.

“If the professor asks, just tell him the truth.”

“Tell the truth? Brother Zhe, you sure about that?”

Zhao Si felt his nerves tightening.

This… didn’t feel like it was going to end well…

…

Professor Chen Guangxue was a stern, no-nonsense middle-aged man.

Most students considered him “tough to deal with.”

But Chen Guangxue’s strictness was rooted in genuine concern for his students’ futures.

He knew that most computer science majors would likely work in this field after graduation.

If they wrote one more line of code now, they might save themselves ten—or even a hundred—lines of code in the future.

Unfortunately, some students never understood his intentions.

“Class, last time we discussed data management systems. I’ve built a simple version for you to see.”

“This should give you a clear sense of how practical the C language can be.”

As he spoke, Chen Guangxue opened a file.

On the projector screen, large characters popped up—

Student Auto Check-In System.

The students sitting below froze for a second before breaking into a cold sweat.

Professor Chen… was really something.

After a round of name-checking, Chen Guangxue frowned.

“Student Gu Zhe didn’t attend again?”

“Does anyone know what’s going on with him?”

A long silence followed. Seeing the professor’s expression growing darker, Zhao Si hesitated, then slowly raised his hand.

“Professor Chen… Gu Zhe…”

“He’s busy applying for a patent.”