Chapter 170: School Starts
The people from the authorities left quietly, leaving behind a few people to protect the Maglev 1.0 prototype car along with Chen Tingsi. No one in the studio noticed from start to finish.
As his legs stepped out of the room, Xie Shouxun slapped Liu Jiâs shoulder twice with his iron-like palm. “Your Liu family really does produce intellectuals. You and Liu Ji are both very smart!”
Liu Ji grimaced and rubbed his shoulder, which had been slapped painfully, complaining, “Shouxun Ge, we haven’t seen each other for so long. Can’t you hold back your strength a bit? It’s going to be bruised for a few days again.”
“Haha!” Xie Shouxun laughed heartily. “You just lack practice. You’ve got spindly arms and legs.”
After saying that, he looked at Gu Wanrong. “Xiao Gu, you don’t mind me calling you that in private, right? Iâm Yu Yingyingâs elder brother. You can just follow Yingying and call me Big Brother.”
“Big Brother Xie.”
After a few brief pleasantries, Xie Shouxun strode away.
So this was what the elder brother Yu Yingying describedâthe one who granted her every request and could carry her on his neck and run ten laps around the hutong without catching his breathâlooked like.
He was completely different from the “ape-like arms and bear-like back” Gu Wanrong had imagined. Instead, he had a wolf-like torso and tiger-like eyes, with an awe-inspiring righteousness like a sturdy pine.
The filming in the studio continued, racing against time to finish the production of Endless-9âs title MV before the deadline.
With everyone working together, efficiency was higher. While the MV was in post-production, the pre-release track of the first EP was also released on major music platforms as scheduled.
Everything was progressing in an orderly manner according to the plan.
Gu Wanrongâs school semester had also started.
In the car in the parking lot below the office building.
“Counselor, Iâm here to hand in the materials for off-campus study this semester. Should I come to the office to find you?” After dialing the phone of the counselor, Chen Sheng, Gu Wanrong asked.
“Where are you? The dormitory?”
“Below the office building.”
“Come up. Iâm free now.”
Hanging up the phone, Gu Wanrong got out of the car, holding the application materials she had signed in one hand, and went upstairs.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Gu Wanrong pushed the door open and entered. As she walked into the room, she saw Chen Sheng sitting at the desk, expressionless and full of “work weariness,” answering a phone call.
“Your return to school is postponed until after the stitches in your teeth are removed,” Chen Sheng said into the phone, his voice so calm that one could hardly feel any emotional fluctuations.
After saying that, he skillfully held the mouse with his right hand and clicked lightly. The word “Approved” appeared on the computer screen.
Only then did Chen Sheng notice Gu Wanrongâs arrival. He looked up at her slightly and couldn’t help but sigh in his heart. He felt it was quite a pity that this student wanted to end her university career early.
“You’re here.” Chen Sheng put down the phone and looked at Gu Wanrong, slowly saying, “The four years of university are an irreplaceable landscape in oneâs life, with many beautiful memories and growth experiences. Are you really sure you want to compress these four years into just two?”
Facing the counselor’s doubt, Gu Wanrong just simply responded with an “Mhm,” without any hint of wavering.
Clearly, she had already made up her mind about graduating early and wouldn’t change it.
Immediately after, Gu Wanrong handed the application form to Chen Sheng.
Seeing this, Chen Sheng knew that more persuasion would likely be in vain, but he still couldn’t help but try to retain this excellent student once more.
“With your grades, if you don’t leave campus for study, youâre very likely to receive honorary titles such as ‘Triple-A Student’ or ‘Excellent Award’ in the future. These are all pluses for your resume that would be very helpful for your future development! Why don’t you consider modifying your application?”
However, Gu Wanrong remained unmoved, standing there quietly.
“Excellent heirs in a clan might need them, but for me as a power holder, their role as ‘icing on the cake’ is minimal.”
A very faint smile hung at the corner of her mouth, and every word she spoke was beyond doubt. The facts were indeed so.
That was right. This student and himself had never been distinct in rank because of a teacher-student relationship. Her respect for him was only out of upbringing and etiquette.
Just because she never looked down on him didn’t mean she wasn’t a figure looking down on the world.
At this moment, Gu Wanrongâs figure, with her back to the sunlight, cast a long shadow. The pressure of that moment made Chen Sheng think involuntarily.
“The college leadership will have a meeting to decide later. After your application is approved, I will notify you in time.” Between breaths, Chen Sheng regained his composure and explained the relevant information.
At this time, another student came to see Chen Sheng to ask for leave for student union matters.
The male student had ordinary features. Gu Wanrong, who had no impression of him, nonetheless recognized who he was as soon as he opened his mouth with that “ghoulish” voice.
“Counselor, Iâll take my leave then.” Gu Wanrong greeted Chen Sheng and left the office without disturbing them.
The male studentâZeng Nantingâglanced at the cover suppressed by other documents, where the word “Application” was vaguely visible. In his ears, the words Chen Sheng had spoken when she entered, “Approved the application,” kept echoing.
After taking the leave slip signed by Chen Sheng and leaving the office, deep malice was revealed under Zeng Nantingâs thick glasses, which were as thick as the bottom of a beer bottle.
Was it an application for merit or an application for joining the Party?
Why hadn’t there been a notice in the class group, yet Gu Wanrong had already written her application and handed it to the counselor?
She hadn’t joined the student union, nor was she a class cadre. Where did she get the information?
Had Chen Sheng taken a bribe from her? That must be why he didn’t announce it in the class group, to prevent him from also writing an application and handing it in, which would directly squeeze out Gu Wanrongâs quota.
In Zeng Nantingâs view, whether it was merit awards, Triple-A student evaluations, May Fourth evaluations, or joining the Party, these were all things already in his pocket. Since he started school in kindergarten, he had always been a cadre in the class and a cadre in the student union. He had received so many honorary titles like “Excellent Student” and “Triple-A Student” that his hands were soft.
After entering university, he participated in the student union, joined clubs, and competed for class cadre positions. Every day he was so busy he was running in circles.
Gu Wanrong had taken the opportunity to study secretly while he was busy, and it was bad enough that she had snatched away his first-place grades. Now she had even bribed the teacher to prevent him from obtaining honors like “Excellent Student”! It was simply hateful!
On the way from the office building back to the dormitory, emotions of anger and dissatisfaction swept through Zeng Nantingâs entire heart.
“Zhao Ran, come with me.” Zeng Nanting, with a dark face, called his dorm friend Zhao Ran and left the dormitory with a mysterious air.
Zhao Ran climbed down from his bunk. He looked like Zeng Nantingâs twin brother, with thick lenses, a short dark-colored tight-fitting down jacket, blue jeans, and a pair of brightly colored ugly shoes that didn’t match the rest of his outfit.
When the two left the dormitory, they didn’t even give a single glance to their roommates. Their roommates did the same.
After one semester, the two roommates had already become accustomed to the ill-concealed contempt Zeng Nanting and Zhao Ran had for them, arrogantly believing that they were unlearned and unskilled.
What was laughable was that Zeng Nanting and Zhao Ranâs final exam grades last semester were actually not as good as theirs.
Translator’s Note: “Triple-A Student” (ä¸ĺĽ˝ĺŚç – san hao xue sheng) refers to being good in study, work, and healthâa standard honorary title for top students in China. “Work weariness” (çĺł – ban wei) is a popular internet slang term in China describing the exhausted, jaded aura people get from working corporate or office jobs. Zeng Nanting is a classic “little person” villain who thinks the world revolves around his “hard work”!
Recommended Reads
