NOVEL WEB Chapter 20: RadioShack
At the classroom door, two figures stood in silence for almost a minute. Alex looked at Mia, who remained silent with her head down.
"I brought a gift as an apology. I hope we can still be friends."
As he said that, Alex placed a gift package in Mia's hands, and she took it without knowing what to say. She was very embarrassed, and her mind went blank.
"It's a perfume I made myself. I hope you like it. I feel like this fragrance suits you."
After explaining, Alex hurried off without waiting for a reply. He wasn't good at apologizing to people.
But Alex believed Mia needed some time to calm down.
Mia silently watched as Alex walked away. After seeing him disappear down the hall, she sighed, entered her classroom, and went to her seat.
Looking at the wrapped gift Alex had given her, she put it in her bag. She would wait until she got home to take a look.
As for Alex's apology, she thought about meeting him later to apologize as well. After a conversation with her mother, Mia realized she had gone a bit too far. That's why she was embarrassed—she didn't know how to explain herself.
But one thing she was sure of: she still wanted to keep her friendship with Alex.
...
When Alex entered the classroom, he sat down in his chair and picked up a book to read. He wanted to make use of the time before class began to read a book he had recently bought.
The title of the book was Diamond Sutra. He had found it in a second-hand bookstore, and for some reason, he had felt drawn to its content. As he'd been busy, he hadn't yet had the chance to read it fully.
While he read, several students arrived, including Sheldon. Sheldon glanced at the battered book and frowned. For someone who liked cleanliness, seeing someone reading something that looked like it came from a dump made him uncomfortable.
Soon the teacher entered, and class began.
The classes proceeded as usual, but there was important news in the next science class taught by Professor Hubert Givens.
He had invited a NASA representative—his former classmate—to come give a lecture to the students.
Sheldon was thrilled. Alex was only mildly interested. He remembered that in the TV series, this speaker had belittled Sheldon for being too young.
...
At the end of class, Alex and Sheldon walked toward the exit while talking.
"I'm going to buy my computer at RadioShack. Would you like to come along?" Alex asked.
"No, thank you."
To Alex's surprise, Sheldon declined the invitation. He thought for a moment and figured Sheldon probably wasn't interested in computers yet at this point.
"Alright. If you ever need a computer to use in the future, you can come over to my house and use mine!"
Leaving those words, he parted ways with Sheldon and went in another direction.
…
After school, Melinda took Alex to buy his computer and some materials needed for his lab.
Alex bought the best desktop PC in the store. He also bought some floppy disks to back up his projects.
Looking at the style of PCs from that era, Alex felt strange. In his previous life, he had only seen those computers in pictures on the internet. But now, he owned one.
Although even the simplest 2025 computers were far superior, he had to make do with what he had. He felt that, with his abilities, he could build computers far better than this one.
Alex knew that, with his current resources, there wasn't much he could do with what he had been researching. This wasn't a novel where he could collect scrap from the junkyard and build black-tech devices.
He had to be realistic. First, the current technology—like circuit boards, chips, and other components—had low efficiency and high energy consumption. And second, energy usage was a problem. Even in 2025, nuclear fusion energy wasn't yet viable.
After returning home, Alex installed the computer in the lab for convenience and began installing the operating system.
His eyes gleamed with hopes for the future—not so distant ones.
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Author's Note:
I got sick and wasn't able to write anything during my recovery, so I apologize for the silence.
This is just a standalone chapter to let you all know that I still plan to continue writing this book.
I know I can't please everyone — I've read the comments and felt like I should address a few things.
I never said my story was set in a typical world grounded in "science." The protagonist's rebirth, the mysterious entity, the characters I've introduced — even the mention of Rick Sanchez from Rick and Morty — were all deliberate choices, meant to spark curiosity and build a sense of mystery around the main character.
I may be a new writer, but I don't just throw ideas around without thought.
Even Dr. Dolittle, whom I mentioned, plays a specific role in the story.
I won't say much more — not everyone enjoys spoilers.
That's all for now. See you next time...