Ryden was in a great mood.
It turned out women really were the best seasoning for life.
He had to thank the nannies at home. Otherwise, those dull scientific experiments would have driven him insane.
No wonder Howard was such a flirt.
So this was the secret.
In high spirits, Ryden continued tinkering with his computer.
Now that the display screen was complete, what he needed next was a keyboard and the internal components of the main unit.
A true expert-more precisely, a computer expert-used a keyboard, not a mouse.
Keyboard shortcuts were numerous and complex.
But once memorized, efficiency skyrocketed.
Many people wouldn't believe it, so here was a simple example.
Copy and paste.
Using a keyboard was absolutely faster than using a mouse.
It was that simple.
A few keystrokes beat clicking around for half a day.
The display wasn't hard to build.
The real challenge was the motherboard design.
That required extreme precision.
Ryden took a deep breath and steadied himself.
Otherwise, this kind of irritating design work would make anyone smash a keyboard in frustration.
The casing.
Wiring harnesses.
Capacitors.
Diodes.
Power supply.
Circuit layouts.
The most annoying part was this-
He couldn't buy a motherboard.
They weren't even being sold yet.
So he had to make it himself.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
It wasn't until he heard the bell that Ryden snapped out of the endless tinkering.
This kind of work couldn't be rushed.
One wrong component and nothing worked.
And checking mistakes took even more time.
That was exactly why he needed a smart computer.
Covered in grime, Ryden went home, took a quick shower, informed the nannies, and then headed to Mrs. Jennifer's place.
The door opened.
Mrs. Jennifer appeared in casual clothes.
She was still wearing high heels at home.
Ryden didn't know if it was habit or personality.
Either way, she looked good.
"Oh, Ryden, you look exhausted," she said with concern.
Ryden waved it off.
"It's nothing. I was too focused on an experiment. Burned a lot of energy," he said calmly.
"A good night's sleep will fix it."
"That's good," she replied. "Don't rush. Take your time. You've already done well enough."
"Starting tomorrow, we'll go over your fundamentals again."
She taught him patiently, passing down decades of accumulated experience.
Because of his talent, she didn't hold anything back.
Ryden nodded, eating while listening.
A great teacher's words naturally made sense.
Whether something suited you or not depended on personal habits.
Just like preferences.
Some liked men.
Some liked women.
Normal.
No need to overthink it.
Ryden liked women.
No explanation required.
"This is a ten-year-old wine from France," Mrs. Jennifer said as she poured.
"The climate there is perfect for grapes. Try it-but don't be greedy."
She hadn't forgotten her promise.
Her mood was good.
Another patent.
Another achievement from her student.
A quiet satisfaction rose in her chest.
She had money.
She had reputation.
Her life seemed complete.
And yet... something still felt missing.
Ryden, whose head was swollen from complex circuitry, drank glass after glass.
The wine was excellent.
Not bitter.
Slightly sweet, mixed with a sharp grape acidity.
The fragrance filled his mouth.
Steak and red wine.
It almost felt like a hotel date.
The food was good.
The wine was good.
The woman was beautiful.
Then-
They both got drunk.
Ryden was still barely conscious.
Seeing Mrs. Jennifer already tipsy, he carried her into the bedroom.
A long night passed.
Ryden hummed quietly, left a note, and headed out.
He felt fantastic.
Today, he was sure he could finish the motherboard.
Once that was done, the computer would be halfway complete.
Mrs. Jennifer was calm.
She woke after Ryden left, sat quietly for a while, then went to make breakfast.
She picked up the note on the table and smiled.
While frying eggs, she hummed softly.
They had perfect chemistry.
No explanations needed.
Sometimes, a single action said everything.
Before returning to the lab, Ryden went home for a meal.
Then he asked Aunt Laura to bring him lunch at the lab.
He was full of energy today.
Aunt Laura asked, puzzled, "Why is Ryden so energetic today?"
Sarah smiled as she placed fried eggs on a plate.
"What do you think?"
"He must've had a little 'snack.'"
Aunt Laura felt a bit embarrassed.
But she didn't mind.
Women their age were open-minded.
In American culture, this was nothing unusual.
For two days straight, Mrs. Jennifer didn't show up.
She seemed to be resting at home.
Ryden wondered if he'd overdone it.
Maybe she hadn't recovered yet.
On the third day, she returned.
Arms full of books.
She began teaching Ryden the most detailed and comprehensive mechanics knowledge she had.
For an entire week, they studied nonstop.
Mrs. Jennifer's teaching style was distinctive.
She started with the principle.
Then the process.
Then the formula.
Then an example.
And immediately moved on.
Fast.
Direct.
No unnecessary chatter.
Studying and experimentation were monotonous.
But after that night, things changed.
After class, Mrs. Jennifer would occasionally drink some wine.
Ryden would take her home.
And after that-
After that, they both felt very good.
Every time, Ryden felt energized.
Like he could genuinely focus and study.
At night, he would work on assembling the computer.
Some components required special processing and would arrive in a few days.
Once they did, he could build the simplest, most primitive calculator.
He also sold the color display technology.
Mrs. Jennifer worked so hard for him because her name was on the patent too.
As for Howard-
That old man was constantly running around.
Endless parties.
Endless social events.
With Wayne Enterprises pushing the battery's application, countless appliances were revolutionized.
And they made a fortune.
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