bookcurios Chapter 736 Even geniuses have differences!
Chapter 736 Even geniuses have differences!
Over the next few days, Lin Bufan's life seemed to settle into a fixed rhythm. Every morning, he would appear at the woodcarving workshop on time, like clocking in for work. Xie Heshun initially approached him with a scrutinizing attitude and a "let's see how long you can keep up this arrogance" mentality. However, as Lin Bufan absorbed, mastered, and surpassed every technique he had taught him at an almost inhuman speed, the old man's expression gradually shifted from shock and disbelief to numbness, and finally, only a complex look of utter disbelief remained as he gazed at a "monster."
In just three days, Xie Heshun had to admit a fact that both pleased and frustrated him: in terms of pure skill and comprehension, Lin Bufan had surpassed him, a master craftsman who had immersed himself in the art for decades. The works created by Lin Bufan, whether intricate openwork flowers and birds or freehand figures and landscapes, achieved an astonishing level of precision in carving, fluidity in lines, and vividness in spirit. What Lin Bufan lacked, perhaps, was only a more refined "feel" for different types of wood, requiring years of experience, and an understanding of the cultural connotations of certain traditional themes; but in Xie Heshun's view, these were no longer obstacles at the technical level.
The "price" Lin Bufan paid for this was the mental exhaustion caused by activating his [Overclocked Brain] at high intensity every day. Almost every day when he returned to Youfeng Courtyard, he was in the same state—pale-faced, with unfocused eyes, unsteady steps, and he could fall asleep immediately upon collapsing onto the bed.
If Lin Bufan hadn't been live-streaming the whole time, everyone in the courtyard would have suspected that he was donating something to charity!
Chen Nanxing went from being worried and nervous at the beginning to gradually getting used to it. She would always prepare warm water and towels and quietly stay by Lin Bufan's side after a long day. She would use her clumsy but gentle hands to massage his temples to relieve his severe headache.
Meanwhile, the wooden carvings Lin Bufan gave to Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing were updated daily. From the initially somewhat immature kittens and puppies, to the later lifelike butterflies, lively fish, and budding flowers... each piece visibly became more exquisite and expressive, as if infused with life. The two girls carefully kept these wooden carvings in their room, making them special records of Lin Bufan's amazing progress.
Every time Xu Hongdou received a new wood carving, although she wouldn't cheer like Chen Nanxing, the surprise in her eyes and the barely perceptible curve of her lips betrayed her inner joy.
The viewers in the live stream witnessed this "miracle" in its entirety. The comments section went from initial skepticism and jokes to later amazement and admiration, and finally, complete adoration.
“I studied sculpture. My teacher watched Mr. Lin’s live stream and is now questioning his life. He said he’s wasted the last few decades of his life…”
"Is this learning speed... even possible for a human?"
"I declare that President Lin is not human! He is a god!"
"Those who previously said that President Lin was building a persona and had a team, come forward and show yourselves? Is this the kind of persona that can be built up?"
"I'm kneeling, I really am, my knees are practically shattered from kneeling!"
"Mr. Lin, I'm bowing down in admiration! Do you need any accessories?"
"The gap between a genius and an ordinary person is indeed greater than the gap between a person and a dog... My husky has been trying to shake hands for three months and still hasn't learned. Mr. Lin is much better than my husky, isn't he?"
"Brother upstairs, you know how to compare..."
……
Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, Lin Bufan had been learning at the wood carving workshop for six days. He originally planned to make a big move on the seventh day to fulfill his bet with Chen Nanxing!
But—things are unpredictable!
He hadn't even made a move yet, and he inexplicably won the bet!
Although he won the bet, Lin Bufan had no intention of giving up his original big plan!
On the seventh day, before dawn, a thin mist shrouded the tranquil Yunmiao Village like a veil. For the first time ever, Lin Bufan didn't stay in bed, nor did he wait for Chen Nanxing to set an alarm. He quietly slipped out of Youfeng Courtyard and went straight to the wood carving workshop.
The woodcarving workshop was empty, save for the cool morning air and the lingering fragrance of wood. He skillfully opened the door, moved two pre-prepared, life-sized pieces of fine camphor wood from a corner, and placed them steadily beside the workbench. These two pieces of wood had fine grain and solid texture, making them ideal materials for carving large works.
After preparing everything, Lin Bufan started his live stream. Although it was still early, fans who received the notification to start streaming quickly flooded in.
Good morning, Mr. Lin!
"Mr. Lin, why are you up so early today? Did you wake up needing to pee?"
"Wow! What are these two big pieces of wood for?"
"Is President Lin planning something big today?"
……
Lin Bufan looked at the camera, his face bearing that familiar, slightly roguish, confident smile. He patted the two enormous camphor wood blocks beside him, each as tall as a person, and spoke loudly:
"Dear family, friends, and buddies in the live stream!"
After these few days of live streaming, I'm sure everyone has clearly recognized my progress!
but--
I must solemnly declare!
What you've seen these past few days is far from the whole picture; it's just the tip of the iceberg!
Based on my performance these past few days, at best I'm just an ordinary genius, far from showing my true talent, which is as vast as the starry sea and as profound as the universe!
So today! On this seventh day, I've decided to go all out and open the eyes of all you ordinary folks!
See for yourself what it means that even among geniuses there is a difference!
Let me show you what it means to be an ordinary genius—they're just a stepping stone to meeting me!
"Let me show you what it means to say—before you, I've seen countless geniuses, and they all called me a genius!"
As expected, these outrageously arrogant words caused an uproar in the live chat:
"?????"
"Wow! I'm totally blown away! That was a perfect performance, I give it full marks!"
"Versailles! A naked Versailles!"
"Brothers, I don't know why, but I actually feel like there's some credibility to what President Lin said. Brothers, am I sick?"
"Hey bro upstairs, you're not the only one who feels this way! Think back carefully, every single outrageous thing Boss Lin said before, it all came true in the end!"
"+1. Although I really don't want to admit it, my subconscious has already told me not to question it, just wait and see the miracle!"
"I'm numb to it all. Even if President Lin said he could create nuclear fusion by hand right now, I'd probably believe him a little..."
"Ordinary geniuses are just the threshold... then your threshold isn't built on the top of the Himalayas, is it?"
"Come on! Show me! I'm ready to kneel!"
……
Seeing the reactions in the live chat, Lin Bufan smiled with satisfaction. He said nothing more, took a deep breath, and his eyes instantly became incredibly focused. He casually picked up a broad-bladed chisel he usually used for working with large pieces of timber and walked over to one of the camphor woods.
Without sketches or precise measurements, he seemed to have the whole plan already in mind. With a flick of his wrist, the chisel cut into the wood with a sharp, forceful motion!
The broad-bladed chisel in Lin Bufan's hand seemed less like a hard tool and more like an extension of his fingers, imbued with an indescribable spirituality and power. Facing the tall, hard camphor wood, he struck without hesitation, his movements so swift they left afterimages.
Viewers in the live stream only saw sawdust flying down as if drawn by an invisible force. Under Lin Bufan's knife, the hard wood seemed to turn into soft clay or a piece of smooth tofu. He shaved, chiseled, carved, and dug, and the huge piece of wood was "tamed" at a visible speed. The rough surface quickly faded away, and the initial outline began to appear—it seemed to be a graceful, elegant human figure.
Just as Lin Bufan was completely absorbed in his work, the door to the wood carving workshop was gently pushed open, and Xia Xia walked in, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Seeing that Lin Bufan was already working, and handling such a huge piece of wood, he was immediately startled and instantly became much more awake.
"Master Lin? You...you've arrived so early?" Xia Xia looked at the rapidly taking shape with awe and greeted him softly, afraid of disturbing Lin Bufan.
Lin Bufan didn't stop what he was doing; he just turned his head slightly and nodded to Xia Xia in response before his gaze quickly returned to the wood in his hands.
Xia Xia didn't dare to say much. He quietly moved a small stool to a spot not far away and sat down, watching Lin Bufan's carving intently, his eyes filled with admiration. After watching for a while, he couldn't resist his curiosity and cautiously started a conversation: "Master Lin, you...you're from Shanghai, right?"
"Hmm." Lin Bufan hummed a syllable through his nose, and the chisel drew a graceful arc, shaving off a thin piece of wood veneer.
"Is Shanghai... really big and bustling? I've heard people say that it's full of skyscrapers, and when the lights are on at night, it's as numerous as the stars in the sky!" Xia Xia's tone was filled with longing.
"It's alright, it's all the same after a while.
"Then... you must have eaten a lot of good food, right? Like... that really expensive kind, what's it called... Wellington steak? And... French cuisine? Japanese food?"
"Eat."
"You must have played a lot of things! Like... those real VR games? And... being able to watch esports competitions live? I heard there are huge esports arenas in Shanghai!"
"I've played it and seen it."
Hearing that Lin Bufan had experienced all of these things, Xia Xia looked envious and murmured, "That's so nice..."
Not long after things quieted down, Xiaxia seemed to suddenly remember something. She straightened up abruptly, her face lighting up with excitement, and her tone became urgent: "By the way, Master Lin! You're from Shanghai, so... so do you know Brother Kai?"
"Brother Kai?" Lin Bufan paused in his chisel, his brows furrowing slightly. He glanced at Xia Xia and asked, "Who is he? Is he from your village too?"
"He's an online friend of mine. All the questions I just asked you were told to me by him. He's really amazing!"
Upon hearing that they were just online friends, Lin Bufan immediately lost interest: "Never heard of it. There are tens of millions of people in Shanghai. Do you think I know everyone?"
Upon hearing this, Xiaxia's high spirits deflated instantly, like a punctured balloon!
Without Xiaxia's interruption, Lin Bufan refocused his attention on the carving in front of him. The carving knife in his hand moved along the grain of the wood, shaving off a piece of curled wood shavings. Only the rustling sound of the carving knife rubbing against the wood could be heard in the room.
However, as he carved, Lin Bufan's movements slowed down almost imperceptibly. A flash of inspiration struck him—in the original drama, Xia Xia, that naive young man, was swindled out of all her savings by a conman from Shanghai? Could it be this so-called "Brother Kai"?
"This Brother Kai..." Lin Bufan asked casually, his carving knife still in his hand, "Could he be your number one supporter?"
"Brother Lin, how did you know?" Xia Xia blurted out, his face full of surprise. As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately met Lin Bufan's eyes, which had suddenly become sharp and carried a hint of warning. He panicked and quickly changed his words, his voice dropping eight octaves: "Ah, no... Master Lin... I mean, how did you guess?"
Before Lin Bufan could answer, Xia Xia explained somewhat shyly, "I had some free time before, so I tried live streaming a few times, carving some small things. Nobody watched, except for Brother Kai... He gave me some tips a few times and often messaged me to chat, telling me about the latest happenings in Shanghai. We... we became friends."
Lin Bufan thought to himself, "Just as I expected," as the tip of his knife carved a deep mark on the wood. Looking at the young man before him, whose eyes still held longing and naivety, he hesitated for a moment.
To help or not to help?
The two had only known each other for a few days and weren't very close. If you directly told him, "Your friend is a fraud," would he believe you, given his current emotional state?
In the original drama, his sister, his mother, and even Xiao Taiyang couldn't persuade him, so how could his few words be effective?
My friend is right. The worst thing you can do between people is to speak too intimately with someone you don't know well. Going out of your way to call someone a liar is just asking for trouble.
what? !
You said that compared to Xia Xia now, she's even less familiar with Nana back then, right? Why are you willing to help Nana but not Xia Xia?
It’s very simple!
Nanxing already said it!
Because Nana is beautiful!
Moreover!
Some people have to suffer certain losses, otherwise they won't be able to calm their minds!
As for whether the loss would be too great, that was not something Lin Bufan needed to consider!
However, considering that Xiaxia had been quite obedient and hardworking these past few days, Lin Bufan decided to offer her some advice.
"Xiaxia, Shanghai is indeed a big place with many opportunities, a dazzling array of things to do. But precisely because there are so many opportunities, there are also many young people like you who are eager to explore and have simple minds. Therefore, there are also... many more scammers there."
So you need to remember one thing: if he mentions something like "I have a way to make money that's super easy," or "If you invest your money, it will double in a while," or boasts about some sure-fire, risk-free business...
Lin Bufan lowered his voice, carrying an undeniable warning: "If you encounter this, remember this: immediately, without looking back, run! It's 100% a pig butchering scam, just waiting to fleece clueless little pigs like you! Understand?"