I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 169

Chapter 169: I’ll Climb Mountains and Ridges for You

 

“Your computer, if placed in the current market, should be cost around 2,500 yuan or so. However, considering that some accessories have been discontinued, it’s challenging to estimate the price accurately. Even with the addition of a monitor, it definitely won’t exceed 3,000 yuan.”

 

Coming into my room and conducting a simple evaluation of the old computer that had “served” me for several years, Ye Zi stood up and asked, “Nuo’er, how much did you buy this for back then?”

 

“Uh…”

 

At that moment, I instantly experienced the awkwardness that Yin Xiamo had just felt. “Um… can we not talk about that?”

 

My understanding of computers, even after considering it thoroughly, is only slightly more than that of a “novice.” I can roughly estimate the price of this machine by looking at the CPU and graphics card models. The only advantage I have over some girls might be the ability to unplug the cables from the back of the computer case during a move and reconnect them in the new location. The rest involves checking for loose memory, graphics card, and hard drive connections, which are just some basic troubleshooting tricks.

 

Regarding Yin Xiamo’s computer in her room, I had always thought the monitor was 21 inches, but to my surprise, Ye Zi came over and immediately identified it as 24 inches. I thought Xiamo’s computer booted up quite quickly after cleaning up the trash, probably due to having a solid-state drive. However, I was surprised to find it still had a mechanical hard drive.

 

These realizations were enough to prove that there was a significant gap between Ye Zi and us.

 

In Jiang Wei’s words, it can be said that girls who understand computers nowadays are even rarer than successfully enhancing equipment 12 times in a row in a game.

 

I asked Yin Xiamo about her computer before, the main unit was 3,800 yuan. Now she says it’s over 4,000, even 5,000, which means the small 24-inch monitor costs over 1,000 yuan. In response to this, Ye Zi’s evaluation was, “Hurry up and cut ties with that acquaintance.”

 

Strictly speaking, Yin Xiamo didn’t exactly buy the computer from an acquaintance. She purchased it through a distant relative of Ai Luodi, and the two of them didn’t have much real-life interaction. Probably, Xiamo just saw the existence of computers in the real world, got curious, saved some money, and then asked Ai Luodi if she had any connections. Since Ai Luodi herself wasn’t a computer expert, she referred Xiamo to one of her distant relatives.

 

Upon seeing that a distant relative, who isn’t really close, asked them to buy a computer and claimed it was for a friend, the relative probably thought, “Why not make a big profit?” So, the computer Xiamo bought ended up looking like it does now – the main unit for 3,800 yuan, and with the monitor and other accessories, over 4,000 yuan. Judging by Ye Zi’s expression, I estimate the whole setup cost only around 1,000 yuan, and Ai Luodi’s distant relative earned nearly three times the money.

 

“I can roughly guess from your expression, around five or six thousand?”

 

Faced with my awkward appearance, Ye Zi didn’t reveal anything. She walked out of the room and soon returned, carrying a large backpack and a big bag.

 

“Since there’s nothing going on right now, I’ll help you assemble the machines,” she said. While speaking, Ye Zi unzipped the backpack and coolly pulled out a particularly professional-looking toolbox. Opening it, she put on the gloves inside. “You intend to place your computers in this room, right?”

 

“Our computers?”

 

Upon hearing this, I took a while to react, but Yin Xiamo was excited and stepped forward, saying, “Yes, yes, Nuo’er and I will put our computers here.”

 

“I won’t touch this old computer of yours for now. Copy any important data and files by yourselves after I leave. There’s a portable hard drive here, also a gift from Brother Jiang Wei. You can use it to transfer any data or files you need for the new computer.”

 

With the gloves on, Ye Zi seemed to transform into a different person. The image of the girl-next-door from our initial meeting disappeared instantly, replaced by a skilled computer repair technician. She first took out a large box from the backpack. “Blizzard Z690 motherboard, supports the latest DDR5. You can keep this box later, the warranty card and everything are inside.”

 

Taking a small knife from the box, Ye Zi skillfully rotated it in her hand like a magician. Then, with a swift movement, she opened the box and took out a white motherboard, placing it on the table in front of us.

 

I quickly took the box and various manuals, warranty cards, etc., placing them on the nearby bookshelf.

 

“Next is the Intel 12th Gen Core i9, 12900KS boxed version, overclockable, a special edition.”

 

Performing the exact same action as before, Ye Zi stylishly retrieved another large box from her backpack. Carefully taking out a small square from inside, she opened the small board in the middle of the motherboard with a “click,” placed the chip inside, and closed it with another “click.”

 

“Two Blizzar’d co-branded memory sticks, 16GB each with a frequency of 6000, totaling 32GB of memory. It should be sufficient for most games and productivity software. If you feel it’s not enough in the future, you can buy additional ones online.”

 

“And… two 2TB 980 PRO solid-state drives, a total of 4TB of storage. Shouldn’t that be enough for your daily use?”

 

While saying this, Ye Zi turned around and glanced at both me and Yin Xiamo, who were dumbfounded behind her. “Girls usually don’t need that much space unless you’re storing a lot of educational content, right?”

 

I instantly shook my head like a wave. “No… no need. I usually just play some small games, watch movies, and… and do some writing. I can’t write 4TB worth of content in my entire lifetime.”

 

I didn’t expect Ye Zi to understand the meme about “storing educational content.” Could it be that those in the computer field almost all understand this?

 

Nowadays, as long as someone is a working adult with financial independence, when selling computers, they consider the storage capacity for games and “content.” Generally, most people play a few online games along with some standalone games. Enthusiastic gamers might have dozens of standalone games on their computers.

 

However, many standalone games or AAA titles in the market easily occupy several hundred gigabytes, and ten games could easily fill up a 1TB storage. Therefore, for gaming enthusiasts, a 2TB capacity is definitely not enough. Moreover, many guys have the habit of storing images and videos on their hard drives, making it even more insufficient.

 

In contrast, it seems that girls are more… natural in this regard? At least, after becoming a girl, I don’t have this habit – no matter what kind of content, nothing beats my own appearance.

 

Besides, I don’t play games much anymore. The only games left on my computer are a few small ones and the ones Jiang Wei and others used to play, like APEX. They don’t take up much hard drive space.

 

If I had to say, maybe what girls need more is space on the C drive. Because most girls are not familiar with this, nor do they understand data migration. When installing software, it’s just a mindless click of “Next,” and whether it’s data, images, movies saved by QQ, or the data packages of installed software, everything automatically goes to the C drive. Over time, the C drive gets filled up.

 

Not just ordinary girls, I’ve also encountered a situation where the C drive was full. I was using QQ input method, and while writing, there was a power outage. Upon restarting, I found that the entire manuscript was gone. Checking the C drive, it showed zero bytes remaining.

 

After searching online for a while, I realized that QQ input method has a feature where it saves a few megabytes of data files to the C drive every few minutes. Over time, it takes up a significant amount of space. When I opened the corresponding file for QQ input method, it turned out to be a whopping 28GB, all filled with junk files.

 

I had heard Jiang Wei talk about this before, when setting up a computer for a less tech-savvy girl, just allocate a single 2TB C drive without bothering with partitioning. Even the clumsiest user would take a while to fill up a C drive with data files.

 

“Alright, I won’t separate the two drives later. Since you seem to have some computer knowledge, Jiang Wei and I have already moved to Shenzhen. If there’s anything you don’t know, feel free to ask us.”

 

After saying this, Ye Zi continued to take out the computer components from her bag.

 

“360 Blizzard integrated water cooling. Even though it comes with a leak warranty, be careful not to be too rough in this area when you use it. These pipes and fans here.”

 

“And the Thunder God Generation II… Titanium-certified 1600-watt… power supply. This power supply can handle even the upcoming 40 series graphics cards, no problem.”

 

“Speaking of the power supply, the biggest issue with your computer is the power supply. The brand is very poor, and it’s highly unstable. It’s barely suitable for pairing with this CPU and graphics card. The main thing that unscrupulous dealer did was cutting costs on the power supply. I heard from Jiang Wei before that your gaming experience was laggy, aside from the inadequate graphics card, this power supply is a major problem too. If you attempt overclocking on this computer, it might just… BOOM, explode. I suggest that after setting up the new computer, transfer your data and directly use the new one. This old computer is a potential hazard.”

 

“……”

 

At this moment, Ye Zi appeared in my eyes like a war goddess, continuously wielding a spear in a realm that was completely unknown to me. Despite wearing clothes similar to what we usually wore and not having particularly outstanding looks – even having two cute dimples that looked soft and charming – Ye Zi, who unpacked everything and explained it to us, truly gave me the feeling of a “Warlord,” specifically, a Warlord in the field of computers.

 

“And the computer case is custom-made by Jiang Wei for online illustrators. Nuo’er, it’s themed after the summer park, Summer Snow Lily…”

 

I have no idea how many things she took out from the bag, how many she installed on the motherboard. Finally, when Ye Zi took out the largest item from the bag and I saw the design on it, I felt like the CPU in my brain was about to short-circuit again.

 

Because on this white computer case were printed photos of both me and Yin Xiamo.

 

It’s that kind of 2D art, like taking real photos and commissioning an artist to turn them into a 2D design. The patterns are generally typical of the 2D style and are drawn exceptionally beautifully.

 

The biggest picture on the computer’s case is the one I just posted not long ago, showing Yin Xiamo lying on my lap and falling asleep after “making out” with Xiamo in the park. The remaining smaller images seem to be selected from Ouyang Xue’s promotional videos. Several of them are pictures of us dressed in maid outfits.

 

The entire setup, from the motherboard, memory, and graphics card to the computer case, is all in white. The maid-themed setting in the café is also white, complemented by dazzling lights of unknown origin. Watching Ye Zi assemble these computer components one by one, connecting various tangled power cables, and meticulously organizing all the cables with zip ties behind the computer case, I suddenly felt the immense difference between myself and a “professional.”

 

Honestly, I could understand the process of installing the CPU, memory, and hard drive earlier, but when it came to placing things inside the computer case, connecting the power, and dealing with that mess of cables, I started to get confused.

 

How can she remember the interfaces and positions of so many cables? Wouldn’t she plug them in the wrong way or mix them up? And… um, would there be a risk of short circuiting?

 

Moreover, this computer looks really beautiful…

 

Before this, as someone who had little understanding of computers, I never imagined that a computer’s mainframe could be so beautiful—it’s like a piece of art.

 

“This…”

 

As Ye Zi organized the cables, I carefully approached and asked, “Was this computer case customized by Jiang Wei?”

 

“Yeah, he selected a few scenes from your café promotional video and that dynamic photo you posted. Then, he found an artist who created sketches based on your appearances. After that, he took the drawings to a printing factory.”

 

While connecting the cables, Ye Zi continued, “This computer case is the only one in the world.”

 

Is… isn’t this too valuable?

 

“You don’t have to worry too much. He considered the times when you used to beat him in games, complaining about lag and all. Plus, you’ve helped us before, consider this a return gift.”

 

“I… helped you?”

 

I became even more puzzled, “When did that happen?”

 

“Our wedding is scheduled at the café. Didn’t your manager only charge us 8888 yuan? If we went to a formal hotel, it would probably add another zero.”

 

It’s not the same. Shangjing Cat Cafe isn’t a five-star hotel. Our daily turnover is at most a few tens of thousands, and renting the place for an afternoon wouldn’t cost that much—though Ouyang Xue did give us a discount.

 

“Your shop manager is really nice. When we called her, we chatted a lot. She mentioned that Nuo’er and Xiaomo have been a great help to the cafe these days, and she even received recognition from Tongmeng Network for it. Since we’re your friends, she assured us she would take good care of our wedding. This computer is also a gift from our family to you.”

 

Finally, with the computer assembled, Ye Zi wiped off the sweat from her forehead, revealing a cheerful smile. In a half-joking tone, she said, “If you really feel uneasy about it, then on the day of your wedding, we won’t bring a red envelope when we come for the celebration. Consider this computer an early congratulations. Look… you two are such a perfect match.”

 

“Um…”

 

Going around in circles, is this still a society where favors are repaid?

 

Have my efforts at the cafe these past few days… earned me this computer as a reward? Is that the right way to understand it?

 

Before I could say anything, Yin Xiamo, who was standing nearby, had already happily approached, “Of course! You must come on the day of our wedding!”

 

“Hey!”

 

I pulled Yin Xiamo back, saying, “What are you talking about? You’re already thinking about the wedding?”

 

“Think about it, why not?”

 

Yin Xiamo’s smiling face said, “After all, we already looked like an old married couple.”

 

“Oh?”

 

Ye Zi became interested, “Are you two progressing so quickly? Can you share how you met?”

 

I lost my composure, “Sister, don’t you… find it strange? We’re both girls, you know?”

 

“I don’t find it strange at all. In fact, I think it’s even better. Or should I say, I believe girls are better suited for each other.”

 

Ye Zi swiftly removed her gloves, then carefully moved the computer case next to the table, positioning it so that we could see the inside.

 

“Jiang Wei is a writer, and I often read books online. The genre I read the most is yaoi and yuri novels. This might be one of the few different hobbies Jiang Wei and I have. He prefers male protagonist stories, while I enjoy novels with themes of time-travel, yaoi in ancient settings, or yuri.”

 

“And, excuse me for being a bit forward, but after seeing the two of you, I really feel like there’s no boy in the world who could match either of you. Nuo’er is too cute, Yin Xiamo is too beautiful. You two together are simply a perfect match made in heaven. It’s impossible for anyone else in this world to be more suitable for each other than you two.”

 

You… are doing this on purpose, aren’t you?

 

Upon hearing this, I instantly understood Ye Zi’s “well-intentioned efforts.” Indeed, being part of Jiang Wei’s group, they knew how to speak nicely when selling computers.

 

“Really!”

 

As expected, after hearing Ye Zi’s words, Yin Xiamo was so happy that she almost jumped up, saying, “I knew it! Nuo’er usually hesitates even to hug at home. From now on, you are my good friend too, Sister Ye Zi. Let’s stay in touch more!”

 

Look… Xiamo, are you really that easy to please? Where is your wisdom at over six thousand years old? Your… where’s your broader perspective?

 

You called Ye Zi “Sister.” This isn’t…

 

“Thank you, thank you. You’re Jiang Wei’s friends, so you’re definitely my good friends too.”

 

Ye Zi sneakily gave me a look that seemed to say, “Little one, you better get along well with Xiaomo,” then turned and walked towards the assembled, all-white mainframe. “Let’s take a look at the computer first.”

 

After saying that, she took the power cord, bent down, and plugged it into the socket under the table.

 

“This is the computer power button. The computer doesn’t come with a display screen, but there are two screens on the mainframe. This… do you see it? The smaller one is a regular screen, mainly for displaying photos of you two, Nuo’er. It doesn’t have any special function, just looks cool when showing slideshows. And this… this is the temperature display screen.”

 

When she stood up, Ye Zi pointed to several areas inside the computer case and said, “This screen can display the temperatures of the main components such as the CPU, GPU, and motherboard. It automatically updates the data. When you encounter any problems while playing games, you can quickly assess the computer’s status through this screen.”

 

Then, Ye Zi found the power button of the computer and pressed it—*beep*.

 

At that moment, the computer, originally pure white and already beautiful with our two-dimensional photos, instantly lit up. All the fans were equipped with LED light tubes, and when they spun at high speed, the lights twinkled. The fans on the water cooling tubes and nearby LED lights also blinked, complemented by some light tubes and breathing lights around the mainframe. This pure white computer case now looked like a bride waiting to get married—pure, sacred, and clean.

 

The most noticeable difference between this computer and my previous one was… it made almost no noise. My old computer used to make a buzzing sound upon startup, possibly due to a fan issue. This noise forced me to wear headphones and play music while typing.

 

If this new computer could stay this quiet when used, it would be helpful for me, especially when writing.

 

“All right, successfully powered on.”

 

Seeing the computer running normally and the corresponding images appearing on the two small screens, Ye Zi breathed a sigh of relief and neatly organized the parts boxes on the table.

 

“By the way, Brother Jiang Wei asked me to help check your monitor. I just checked it, and your screen isn’t very good. Moreover, it has a 60Hz refresh rate and a small resolution. This is one of the reasons why you find it challenging to play shooting games. Nowadays, most people play shooting games with a minimum of 144Hz, and those with the means go for 180Hz or even higher, paired with a 27-inch screen and a resolution around 2K to be considered passable for shooting games.”

 

“If you don’t plan on primarily playing shooting games or just want to casually entertain yourselves, you can stick with a lower refresh rate screen. However, I still recommend getting a better computer monitor with a high color gamut, at least 300 nits of brightness. Your current screen isn’t good for your eyes.”

 

Like a seasoned mentor, Ye Zi then looked at my mouse and keyboard, saying, “And this keyboard… If you’re going to do a lot of typing, it’s best to use a decent mechanical keyboard. Any switch type other than blue should be fine. I suggest going for Cherry MX or Tea Axis. As for this mouse… Nuo’er, can you extend your hand over for me to take a look?”

 

“Uh?”

I curiously extended my right hand.

 

Ye Zi grabbed my hand and compared it with her own, saying, “Hmm… very small hands. I knew your mouse is too big, this one is obviously suitable for your hand. Take some time to replace the mouse.”

 

Huh? Are my hands really that small? Ultra-small?

 

“Well, on the next day off, when Nor and I go out to have fun, let’s take a look at the keyboards, mice, and screens in the computer mall.”

 

Clearly, after being praised by Ye Zi just now, Yin Xiamo already regarded this young girl as a true friend.

 

“Nuo’er, don’t worry. I will make lots and lots of money to support you.”

 

“I don’t need you to support me!”

 

Slightly indignant, I walked to the table, looking at this beautiful computer that resembled a peacock in full display. I couldn’t help but ask jokingly, “You guys configured it so high for me… will it make me type faster?”

 

“I don’t know about that, but Brother Jiang Wei’s task for me is complete.”

 

Ye Zi searched through her bag again and took out a USB drive, saying, “Next is the final step – installing the operating system.”

 

“Um…”

 

Ye Zi’s serious demeanor piqued my curiosity, and I couldn’t help but ask the question I had been holding back for a while, “Sister Ye Zi, can you tell me how you and Brother Jiang Wei met back in the day?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Ye Zi was momentarily taken aback, a hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes. However, she quickly returned to her serious demeanor and asked, “Why suddenly ask about this?”

 

“Just share it with me.”

 

I pressed on, “Jiang Wei told us it was back in elementary school when he rescued you from the hands of some troublemakers. You fell for him at first sight?”

 

“He said that?” Ye Zi couldn’t help but chuckle. “That stubborn blockhead is still thinking about some hero saving a damsel in distress?”

 

“Isn’t that what happened?”

 

“Ah, Jiang Wei… how should I put it? He’s quite single-minded and stubborn. If any girl falls for him just because of a heroic act, that would be like a fairy tale.”

 

While plugging in my mouse, keyboard, and screen into the new computer, Ye Zi continued, “We lived quite close back then. His family… his parents hadn’t reached that point yet. Every morning, they gave him a pack of milk and an egg. I could only buy two steamed buns for five cents from a roadside breakfast shop. I don’t know when this blockhead found out about it, but afterward, he’d give me his egg and milk every day, asking for one of my buns in return, saying he hated eating that stuff.”

 

“Jiang Wei’s family planted a lot of longan trees at their doorstep. Longans mature around July, and his parents would pick them to sell. It happened to be our summer vacation. Every time the longans were ripe, he would bring a bunch to my house, saying these were leftovers from their selection. Every time I opened the basket, I could see a whole bunch of the biggest and juiciest longans… If he claimed not to like me back then, I wouldn’t believe it!”

 

As Ye Zi spoke, she seemed to be lost in some memories. “As for the times I was bullied by those delinquents, I almost can’t recall, but what I remember most is that back then, I wasn’t scared at all because I knew Jiang Wei would always come to my rescue.”

 

“Afterward, Jiang Wei’s family faced some issues, but he still willingly brought me milk every morning. On weekends or holidays, when I had to help with farm work at home, he’d occasionally come to assist with planting and farming. That’s roughly how he accompanied me throughout my entire elementary school years. During that time, my mom even told me, ‘Ye Zi, if you end up growing up and still have a connection with this person, Mom wouldn’t oppose you marrying this poor boy.'”

 

“Wow…” Yin Xiamo was moved and asked, “What happened later?”

 

“Later, Jiang Wei moved to a distant place. His parents divorced, and we maintained a faint connection. It lasted until he changed his phone number without informing me.”

 

While waiting for the computer to install the operating system, Ye Zi turned around and looked at the succubus-themed bedsheets in our bedroom. “I knew Jiang Wei was going through a low point in his life back then. No one read his novels, the computer shop was not making enough money, and it was on the verge of closing. That’s why he cut off all contact… He has always been like this. If he feels he can’t give happiness to a girl, he’d rather let go. He thinks marriage is too tiring and believes he’s not qualified to be a father, so he chooses not to marry. He even hoped I would find a wealthier man to enjoy life…”

 

“Of course, I didn’t want that. However, at that time, Jiang Wei refused to tell me his new phone number. He went to work in a big city alone. I silently memorized his social media accounts. If Jiang Wei liked computers, I learned about computers. If he liked playing certain games, I played those games. I even pretended to be a random uncle in his favorite game, Dungeon & Fighter, asking him to run dungeons together. I liked every video he posted, subscribed to and supported every piece of writing he published, and even joined his fan group.”

 

“Until recently, this month, my job stabilized, and I saved some money. That’s when I gathered the courage to find him and confess my feelings.”

 

This… Ye Zi’s story left me somewhat moved.

 

Is this what love stories are like nowadays?

 

“What about you…”

 

I organized my words a bit, “You haven’t been in contact for so long, and Jiang Wei said he doesn’t want to get married. Aren’t you afraid he’ll reject you?”

 

“Not afraid. Besides, even if he refuses, it doesn’t prevent me from being with him.”

 

Ye Zi appeared quite relaxed, “When we were kids, Jiang Wei took care of me for so long. Now that we’re grown up, it’s my turn to take care of him. Even if he insists on not getting married, it’s okay. We can still play games together and be good buddies, just like before.”

 

“……”

 

Just then, the newly assembled high-performance computer completed the system installation and smoothly entered the Windows interface.

 

“So, this machine is not only a blessing from Jiang Wei but also a personal blessing from me. Don’t mind the worldly opinions, and please continue to support each other.”

 

Seeing that the system had been successfully installed, Ye Zi silently put all the tools back into the slightly loosened backpack. Then, with a somewhat aggrieved look, she glanced at me.

 

“By the way, I’m hungry. Do we still have the seaweed and green bean soup you made earlier?”

 

“……”

 

……