You Were Made to Be Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up a Winner in Life?

Chapter 12: Humble Love 12:

“Morning, Mom and Dad.”

At 7 o’clock the next morning, Chen Nuo came down from his room on the second floor of the villa and greeted his parents, who were sitting on the living room sofa.

“Morning.”

Chen Zhongguo set down his newspaper and nodded, then asked,

“Why not sleep a little longer?”

“Yes, son, it’s only seven. Go back to bed and rest. I’ll call you when breakfast is ready.”

Chen’s mother chimed in.

“No need. I’m heading to work after breakfast.”

Chen Nuo shook his head.

He had only taken one day off and planned to return to work today.

Truthfully, Chen Nuo found computer technology quite fascinating.

Once he mastered it in this world, he could apply it in any other urban world he might travel to, giving him an extra layer of security.

Additionally, fulfilling the former Chen Nuo’s wish to excel at work was important to him.

“Going back to work today? Take a few more days off to relax and clear your mind.”

Chen’s mother suggested.

“Your mother is right. There’s no rush to go back.”

Chen Zhongguo nodded in agreement.

Both parents, highly-paid university professors with multiple research projects, wanted Chen Nuo to rest a bit longer at home.

“I’m fine. Staying at home is boring anyway.”

Chen Nuo shook his head. Not wanting to argue further, he changed the subject.

“What’s for breakfast today? It smells great.”

He glanced at Aunt Liu, who was preparing breakfast in the kitchen.

The family employed a housekeeper to cook their meals, so they never had to lift a finger in the kitchen.

The more comfortable his current life was, the more he pitied his former self.

Before meeting Zhang Ya, he had never cooked. But after getting together with her, he was forced to cook and do laundry for her.

His love had been too humble.

…

At 8 A.M, after having breakfast and bidding his parents farewell, Chen Nuo stepped out of the villa.

He chose an Audi A6 from the garage and drove to ShieldFlash Network Security Company.

As its name suggested, the company specialized in network security and had government contracts, making it well-known in the provincial capital.

The former Chen Nuo had gotten in purely on his own merit, with no help from his parents.

“Chen Nuo, you’re here early. Morning!”

“Why so early today? This is rare.”

“I can’t believe I’m seeing you at this hour. Did the sun rise from the west?”

As soon as Chen Nuo parked his car and walked into his department, many colleagues greeted him with playful banter.

“…From now on, I’ll be coming in early.”

Chen Nuo replied, greeting each one.

The former Chen Nuo had always been late because he had to make breakfast for Zhang Ya and clean the house afterward.

He had once suggested hiring a housekeeper, but Zhang Ya refused, claiming it was an “opportunity” for him to show his dedication.

In reality, she just wanted to treat him like a servant.

“Coming in early from now on? So, you’re not making breakfast and cleaning for your girlfriend anymore?”

A curious colleague asked, though his words were cautious.

The department’s staff had all met Zhang Ya and noticed how she disrespected and bossed Chen Nuo around.

To be honest, many felt he didn’t deserve to be treated that way.

But their hints had always gone unheard.

“We broke up yesterday. I ended it.”

Chen Nuo stated.

“Really?”

“That’s great news!”

“Finally! Honestly, she didn’t deserve you.”

“Breaking up is the best thing!”

“Just don’t go back to her, no matter what!”

His words were met with cheers and genuine joy from his colleagues.

As programmers, they were mostly focused on their work and weren’t prone to office politics.

They truly liked Chen Nuo—he was humble, reserved, and, despite coming from a wealthy family, never flaunted it.

Most importantly, he was exceptionally talented at programming.

Though a recent graduate, his skills often left even senior employees in awe.

“She never did deserve me. I was blind.”

Chen Nuo chuckled and continued,

“Lunch at the cafeteria is on me today.”

“We should definitely celebrate.”

“But the cafeteria? Isn’t that a bit cheap for a celebration?”

…

Laughter erupted as his colleagues teased him.

“What’s going on over here?”

While everyone was joking with Chen Nuo, their manager, Zhao Gang, walked in, curious.

“Boss, Chen Nuo and his girlfriend broke up. He’s treating us to lunch in the cafeteria to celebrate.”

One of the colleagues explained.

Broke up?

Zhao Gang was momentarily stunned, then glanced at Chen Nuo with a hint of surprise.

He hadn’t expected this.

But it was definitely a good thing.

“That calls for a celebration. I’ll join you all for lunch.”

Zhao Gang patted Chen Nuo on the shoulder, smiling.

He genuinely thought highly of Chen Nuo.

“Sure.”

Chen Nuo nodded and continued chatting with his colleagues before heading to his desk.

Despite being a recent hire, his skill and talent had quickly earned him the department’s respect, and he was already contributing to a key project.

Thanks to the former Chen Nuo’s knowledge, he adapted quickly.

…

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Nuo’s routine became consistent: he worked diligently during the day and returned to the villa in the evenings.

In his free time, he continued to study computer technology.

“If it weren’t for Chen Nuo, we’d still be stuck on that bug.”

“How does your brain work? Your skills are way ahead of us old-timers.”

“You were already good, but this past week you’ve improved so fast. We were stuck on that bug for days, but you solved it in minutes.”

“Nothing more to say—Chen Nuo, you’re amazing!”

Several programmers crowded around Chen Nuo, excitement evident on their faces.

Moments ago, he had effortlessly resolved a long-standing bug in their project right in front of them.