Chapter 336 - 184: Go (2)

Chapter 336: Chapter 184: Go (2)

Chen Zhuo nodded.

"If water flows out of the outlet, bypasses any waterwheel or obstruction, and goes straight back to the inlet through a big, thick pipe with no resistance..."

"Then it would flow too fast! The pump would burn out, and the pipe would burst!"

Zhang Qiang immediately pictured a water pipe bursting.

"That’s what a short circuit is."

Chen Zhuo withdrew his hand.

"I get it."

Zhang Qiang drew out the words and slapped his thigh.

"So the red is freshly boiled water, and the blue is the water that’s already cooled down, right? When the hot water meets the cold water, the cycle is complete. If the hot water touches the cold water directly, the whole thing blows up!"

Chen Zhuo glanced at him but didn’t say anything.

The analogy was crude, but for middle school physics, it formed a complete logical loop. It was enough for Zhang Qiang to handle his exams.

"Alright, I’m gonna go tackle this on my own."

Zhang Qiang didn’t care if Chen Zhuo was going to praise him. He righted the overturned stool, picked up his remaining slice of watermelon, and sat down again.

He flipped to the next page of exercises and enthusiastically uncapped two markers.

"I’m going to color my way through this entire workbook today! Nothing’s gonna stop me!"

Chen Zhuo ignored his bold declaration and turned his head back to the computer screen.

The penguin icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen was still flashing.

He clicked open the chat window.

The chat in the group had already veered off course, turning from a discussion on educational philosophy to complaints about their boring summer vacation.

[Wind-Chasing Boy]: Where’s Shian? Haven’t seen him surface in a few days. He didn’t use the summer break to go on a trip abroad, did he?

[Guiqu Laixi]: He didn’t go abroad. He called me the day before yesterday.

[Wind-Chasing Boy]: Oh? What’d he say?

[Guiqu Laixi]: He said his family has him booked solid with all sorts of activities, at home and abroad. His schedule is planned down to the minute. He said it makes him really miss the days we all had together under Old Wang.

[ZK]: Sounds even worse off than me.

[Wind-Chasing Boy]: Sigh. Everyone’s got something to do. Old Zhou’s tutoring elementary school kids, Brother Zhuo’s leading a middle schooler in a coloring game, He Gui’s in a lab watching cicadas, Miao Shian’s jet-setting at home and abroad. And then there’s me, stuck at home getting on my mom’s nerves every day. I don’t have to do anything, but I can’t do anything either.

[Wind-Chasing Boy]: Brother Zhuo, when are you coming back to school?

Chen Zhuo put his hand on the keyboard.

[C]: When the semester starts.

[Guiqu Laixi]: Let me know when you come to Shuimu. I’ll treat you to the roast duck in our cafeteria. It’s crazy good.

[C]: Okay.

[Wind-Chasing Boy]: Damn, why don’t you invite me? He Gui, you’re playing favorites! We all ate roast duck together back during the training camp in Jinling!

[Guiqu Laixi]: Aren’t you busy getting prodded with a mop handle at home? Besides, it’s not like you haven’t eaten plenty of it whenever you’re at Shuimu, right?

[Wind-Chasing Boy]: ...He Gui, you’ve been corrupted. You used to be such a nice guy!

[.]: Logging off.

Lin Yi dropped those two words, and her little white rabbit avatar instantly turned gray and went dim.

It was as if she had only appeared to take a jab at Zhou Kai, disappearing as soon as her mission was complete.

[Wind-Chasing Boy]: Big Sis is cool as ever, comes and goes without a trace. Alright, I’m logging off too. My mom was just yelling at me from outside to take out the trash. If I don’t go now, that mop handle is probably gonna land on me again. Bye Brother Zhuo, Zhou Kai, He Gui, see you in the Capital City.

[ZK]: See you at the start of the semester. I’m gonna go check if that two-fifths has finished his problems.

[Guiqu Laixi]: See you in the Capital City.

The group chat gradually fell silent. One by one, the flashing avatars turned gray.

Chen Zhuo didn’t close the window right away. He gazed at the familiar IDs and the carefree banter in the chat log.

The room was cool, the air conditioner humming softly. From outside the window came the occasional long, lazy drone of a cicada, along with the sound of a downstairs vendor’s loudspeaker hawking popsicles from his bicycle.

Behind him was the sound of Zhang Qiang vigorously scribbling on paper with a marker.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

Before Zhang Qiang could say anything, the door was pushed open a crack, and his mother leaned in, wearing a floral apron.

In her hands was a small tray holding two bowls of chilled mung bean soup, with a few pieces of translucent rock sugar visible inside.

"Ah, Xiaozhuo, you must be tired from studying on the computer, right? Auntie made some mung bean soup and chilled it in the fridge. Come have some to cool off."

Zhang Qiang’s mother walked in, beaming, and set the tray down in an empty space next to the computer desk.

She glanced at Zhang Qiang, who was sitting on the stool and buried in his work, and a flicker of surprise showed in her eyes.

"Qiangzi, why are you working so hard today? Did the sun rise in the west? Usually, when I ask you to even look at a book, you act like you’re being led to the execution ground."

Zhang Qiang didn’t even raise his head, drawing a straight line on the paper with a red pen.

"Mom, don’t bother me! I’m on a roll! This stuff is ridiculously easy!"

Zhang Qiang’s mother, somewhat in disbelief, leaned in for a look. Seeing the page full of red and blue lines, even though she couldn’t understand it, her smile grew even brighter when she saw the serious, almost fanatical expression on her son’s face.

"Xiaozhuo, you really have a way with him."

Zhang Qiang’s mother turned to Chen Zhuo, her voice full of gratitude.

"This kid Qiangzi is just too playful. No matter what Old Zhao does, it’s no use. You come over once, and it’s like he’s a completely different person. Auntie doesn’t even know how to thank you."

Chen Zhuo stood up and picked up a bowl of the mung bean soup.

"You’re too kind, Auntie. Zhang Qiang isn’t dumb; he just hadn’t found a method that works for him."

Chen Zhuo’s tone was gentle, with the perfect amount of politeness for a junior.

"His logical thinking is actually quite good."