Chapter 4: The Laptop Turns Into a Watch
They're back from eating?
Chen Xu panicked, hurling the laptop into his bedding and yanking the covers tight. In the chaos, he still had the presence of mind to mutter, "Light as hell, sure, but it's kinda big. If only it could turn into a watch or something."
No time to dwell—he bolted to the door.
He swung it open, and there stood the trio, eyeing him with sly, suggestive smirks. Qin Xiao'an—Second Bro—grinned wickedly. "Third Bro, what's this? Turning your grief into… personal time? Locking the door for a solo session?"
Chen Xu groaned, "Oh, come on! I was just napping—locked it so no more thieves sneak in." He thought his excuse was airtight, but the three perverts clearly weren't buying it. They chimed in unison, "No worries, no worries, we're all guys here. We get it."
Chen Xu was speechless. Then Big Bro Wu Yuan strolled in, spotting the newspaper they'd grabbed that morning on the table. "Wait, Third Bro, don't tell me you weren't… handling business—were you reading about the Chinese soccer team instead?" It was a sports paper, fresh with the latest on the team's humiliating loss.
Chen Xu glanced at it and snarled, "Screw it, fine—I was jerking off!"
The room erupted in laughter, and just like that, the "solo session" suspicions evaporated. Chen Xu checked his watch—forty minutes had slipped by unnoticed. The guys were empty-handed. "Where's my food, huh? Forty minutes—you didn't hit up some greasy spoon by the gate, did you?"
"No way, no way!" they protested, shaking their heads. But their faces were lit up, the sting of their earlier losses forgotten. Qin Xiao'an practically squealed, "Third Bro, you really missed out not coming with us!"
"What the hell? That dramatic?" Chen Xu asked. "Did the cafeteria start handing out free leftovers or something?"
"Nope, better!" Qin Xiao'an shot him a mock-disgusted look. "We saw a goddess! From our department, too—another stunner, right up there with Guan Yi and Zhan Jing!"
Chen Xu knew those names. That morning, first day of class, they'd done nothing but self-introductions. Guan Yi and Zhan Jing stood out—two knockout girls in their info systems crew. A senior who'd dropped by earlier in the week had warned them: the info department was usually a "Jurassic Park"—last year's sophomore class had thirty students, only five girls, dubbed the "Five Golden Flowers"… if "golden" meant "golden disaster." But when the department did produce beauties, they were drop-dead gorgeous, nation-toppling types.
Chen Xu's class had lucked out. During intros, they'd met Guan Yi and Zhan Jing—two fairy-tale-level babes. And Zhan Jing? She was the same girl he'd spotted in the library two days back, quietly tapping away on her creamy MacBook—a shoulder-length wavy-haired vision with streaks of deep blue dye in her locks.
Big Bro had been kicking himself on the walk back, whining about leaving his phone to charge instead of snagging her number right then and there.
So who was this third goddess they'd stumbled across? How'd Chen Xu miss her?
"You don't get it!" Qin Xiao'an beamed. "We were cutting back past the info building, and there she was—hauling bags, just arrived. Her flight got delayed, so she missed the morning intros. And check it—we scored her number!"
Chen Xu groaned, "You've got to be kidding." Qin Xiao'an was the dorm's undisputed creep—how'd he snag her digits that fast? The morning's two goddesses had boldly scribbled their numbers on the board, knowing they couldn't hide them anyway.
Wu Yuan dragged his laptop from the cabinet, chuckling, "This animal saw a girl and bolted over to carry her bags. Counselor Chen was there too, so he roped us into lugging her stuff to the girls' dorm. Then the creep here shamelessly asked for her number—that's why we took so long. Oh, and get this—she's in Building 7, Room 303. Same dorm as Zhan Jing!"
Chen Xu rolled his eyes. "You clowns went inside her room?"
"Heck yeah!" they crowed, buzzing with excitement. "Her bags were heavy as hell, so we carried them up. Girls' dorms, man—night and day from this pigsty we've trashed in two days. You walk in, and it's all sweet, feminine vibes. Big Bro swore it was 'virgin scent'—we roasted him for that one."
"Any hot girls in skimpy pajamas?" Chen Xu teased.
"Nah," they sighed, deflated. Qin Xiao'an smirked, "Heard the bathroom running—probably one showering—but no dice."
"Perv!" Three middle fingers shot up in sync.
Qin Xiao'an cackled triumphantly. "Third Bro, I'll toss you her number for free—heal that wounded soul of yours. Go chase some tail, fall in love! Lost a laptop, but maybe you'll gain a girlfriend!"
Chen Xu snorted, "Screw off, I'm not that desperate." Wu Yuan cut in, "Yeah, right. Girls like that? Out of our league. I overheard the senior animals upstairs plotting over our class's three bombshells already. It's gonna be a bloodbath. Honestly, Creep, that chubby chick in 303 might be more your speed—think about it."
Qin Xiao'an fired back a curse, then sighed with Wu Yuan, "Big Bro's right. Those girls? Untouchable clouds."
Clouds, huh?
Chen Xu's mind drifted to the library—Zhan Jing, wavy hair cascading, fingers dancing over her MacBook, lost in focus. Was she really just a fleeting cloud?
He zoned out for a second, long enough for Qin Xiao'an to flop onto his bed with a dramatic stretch. "Man, I'm wiped—hauling that girl's stuff was no joke!" Chen Xu's bed was closest to the door, so Qin Xiao'an sprawled right across it—onto the blankets hiding the laptop.
Chen Xu's heart stopped. He scrambled for an excuse to boot him off, but Qin Xiao'an yelped, "Whoa, Third Bro, what's under here? It's poking me!" Before Chen Xu could react, he flipped the blanket back.
Chen Xu braced for disaster, lunging forward—but froze mid-step. No laptop. Just… a watch?
"Huh? Third Bro, this watch is slick! Where'd you snag it?" Qin Xiao'an grabbed it, already sliding it onto his wrist like it was his.
Chen Xu snapped out of it, snatching it back. "Hey, hands off, you animal! Stop pawing through my stuff—get up, move it!"
He shoved a bewildered Qin Xiao'an aside and stealthily patted under the blanket—no laptop. Where'd it go? And this watch—where'd it come from?
Qin Xiao'an sulked, "Geez, Third Bro, don't be so stingy. It's not gonna break from a touch. Where'd you get it? Looks dope!"
Chen Xu's brain was a mess. He mumbled, "Relative brought it from abroad," then bolted out, ducking into the bathroom like a fugitive.
"How? How?!" He perched on the toilet, staring at the sleek, trendy watch. "Where'd this come from? Where's my laptop? Wait… no way this is the laptop, right?"
The wild thought jolted him. A transforming computer?
"Xiaomin, Xiaomin, is that you?" he whispered urgently at the watch. Its LCD flickered, and a beam of light shot out—3D Xiaomin materialized in midair, smiling like a fairy. "How may I assist you?"
"Holy—!" Good thing this bathroom was private. In the older dorms, with their rickety wooden stall dividers, Xiaomin popping up like a genie—floating near the ceiling—would've sent some poor guy on the can tumbling into the pit!
"Shh! Quiet!" Chen Xu pressed a finger to his lips, hissing, "Is this watch the laptop?!"
Eighty years of tech had some serious perks. Xiaomin, just a program, had killer judgment—spotting his "shh," she dropped her volume. "Yes, the Magic Box Generation One Bio-Computer has a transformation feature. It can shift into tech items of similar mass within a certain size range—like a watch or camera—letting you enjoy multiple gadgets in one."
"No way! That's insane!"
"Since it's made of bio-materials, it can split and reassemble into different forms, optimizing functionality for each. It's fast, convenient, and a huge hit with users."
Who wouldn't love it? A decent laptop ran 8,000 yuan, a good camera 2,000, a camcorder 3,000 or 4,000—now one purchase got you all that, morphed into a lightweight watch! For Chen Xu, it was a godsend—no more paranoia about losing it.
"You can still use computer functions in watch mode," Xiaomin added. "Some programs might be trickier, but others get easier. For example, the 'Health Doctor' app can check your vitals via pulse. Want to try it?"
"Hell yeah, run it!"
A minute later, data scrolled beside Xiaomin: pulse rate, heart rate, organ stats. The verdict: "Your liver's a bit fired up—likely from emotional stress. Try deep breaths, stay positive, exercise, and ease up. Or brew 12g of Prunella vulgaris, 10g of mulberry leaf, and 10g of chrysanthemum—soak for 30 minutes, boil, add rock sugar to taste, and drink."
"Damn, that's nuts!" A personal doctor on his wrist?
"That's not entirely accurate," Xiaomin cautioned. "This program holds thousands of Chinese and Western medical cases, but it's not foolproof—especially with pulse readings. Traditional Chinese medicine demands precision; similar pulses can mean wildly different conditions, and wrong meds could be risky. Minor issues? Follow the tips. Serious stuff? See a real doctor. If this program's advice backfires, head to a hospital ASAP."
"What? It could be dangerous?" Chen Xu gaped.
"Theoretically, yes—it's up to you to decide. The program's built for health, but complex conditions need pro diagnosis. Don't over-rely on it—accuracy is only 99%."
"Only 99%?" Chen Xu caught on. It was a humble disclaimer—like a top doc admitting rare missteps or a compass failing near a magnet. No one claimed perfection. Smart move—kept expectations in check.
"Can I use it on other people?" He smirked, picturing a side hustle as a watch-wearing doc if jobs dried up. Medicine paid fat stacks!
"Of course."
"Every time I use it, will you pop up like this? Can you stay silent instead?"
"Absolutely. Silent mode displays results on the screen. For privacy, you can lock it—turns it into a basic watch until you unlock it with two of your password, voice, or fingerprint."
Talk about thorough!
"Also, thanks to its bio-construction, it's super shock-resistant. Per user specs, it can withstand a 6mm handgun bullet's impact. No worries about damage during rough stuff—it'll self-repair anyway."
Chen Xu had no words—just a goofy, ear-to-ear grin.