Chapter 3

Chapter 3: An Old Friend Men's Dormitory Room 614. When Jiang Xiang returned to the dormitory, all his roommates except Han Chenlong were gone. It was already half past nine. If they were still out this late, they had most likely gone looking for internships. Although third-year students had not yet reached the official internship period, their major did not have many classes. As a result, most of the third-year students in their department went out to find part-time jobs, giving themselves an early taste of the harshness of society. As for why Han Chenlong had so much free time, his family was well-off, and they had already arranged everything for him after graduation. “Yo, you’re back. Want to play a game?” “No. I have other things to do.” After returning, Jiang Xiang took a quick shower, then sat down at his desk and turned on his computer. Han Chenlong came over beside him. Looking at the various spreadsheets and proposals on Jiang Xiang’s screen, he could not help exclaiming in surprise, “Son, starting a business as a college student isn’t easy these days. If you make even one careless mistake, all the money you’ve saved over the years could go down the drain.” At that, Jiang Xiang smiled faintly and said slowly, “I know. But even if a thousand people are crossing a single-plank bridge, someone will still make it across. If I don’t try, how will I know whether that person might be me?” “Good ambition. Then keep at it. I’m going to play a round.” An hour later, it was nearly eleven o’clock. Li Mubai and Wang Wei returned to the dormitory one after the other, both looking utterly exhausted. After washing up, they lay down on their beds and soon fell asleep. Jiang Xiang closed his computer and returned to bed as well, but he still could not sleep. Once his mind had quieted down, he began looking back on everything he had experienced during his two years at university. He spent about an hour thinking before finally falling asleep. The next morning, he was still the first person in the dormitory to get up. Today, he was going to meet someone… An old friend. Jiang Xiang dressed himself carefully. His features were already refined, and after taking the time to dress up, his air improved by another level. At university, he could certainly be considered quite handsome. At half past eight in the morning, he went to the cafeteria for steamed buns, eggs, and milk. Then he set out for downtown Hangcheng. Half an hour later, Jiang Xiang arrived at the entrance of a chain hotel. He sent a message to his old friend, telling him that he had arrived. Not long afterward, a young man walked out of the hotel. When he saw Jiang Xiang, his eyes lit up, and he immediately quickened his pace. “Long time no see.” Seeing his friend, whom he had not met in so many years, Jiang Xiang was delighted as well. He smiled and looked at the young man before him. The young man had a buzz cut, but it did nothing to conceal his handsome appearance. Jiang Xiang said with some emotion, “It’s been five or six years since we last saw each other, hasn’t it?” The young man’s name was Mu Shi, and he had once been Jiang Xiang’s neighbor. Their families had been very close in the past, and Jiang Xiang and Mu Shi had grown up together as close friends. They had been so close that they were practically inseparable, and they had been classmates ever since kindergarten. Unfortunately, when Jiang Xiang was in his third year of middle school, his parents divorced. His mother took him back to her own family’s hometown. Although the two of them still had each other’s contact information, they each had their own lives, and they had rarely kept in touch after that. Thinking of this, Jiang Xiang asked curiously, “Why did you suddenly come to Hangcheng? Aren’t you studying at university in Modu?” “I came to see you. Oh, right—I changed my name. You probably didn’t know that, did you?” At this, Jiang Xiang asked in surprise, “You’re not called Mu Shi anymore?” “That’s right. I added another character to my name. I’m called Mu Zhishi now. But my old friends still like to call me Mu Shi, so it doesn’t really matter.” Hearing this, Jiang Xiang nodded. Then he looked at Mu Zhishi suspiciously and continued pressing him. “So why exactly did you suddenly come to Hangcheng?” “You still love asking questions.” Clearly, Mu Zhishi had no intention of answering Jiang Xiang’s question, and Jiang Xiang did not press him further. At noon, the two of them had a barbecue together. In the barbecue restaurant, they had endless things to talk about, reminiscing about the past. As they chatted, Jiang Xiang suddenly thought of someone and asked, “Oh, right. Mu Yu must have grown up too, hasn’t she? I’ve forgotten what she looks like.” At this, Mu Zhishi gave him a meaningful look and said, “She had only just started middle school when you left. Girls change completely as they grow up. After all these years, it’d be strange if you could still remember what she looked like.” Jiang Xiang had been in his third year of middle school when he left. Although he had changed too, the changes were not that great, consisting mostly of differences in temperament. Anyone who had been through it understood that during the three years of middle school, a person changed every year. A third-year student looking at a first-year student was practically looking at a child. “That girl was always clinging to you. When you moved away, she was heartbroken for a long time.” “That happened?” Jiang Xiang and Mu Zhishi chatted and laughed together. After finishing their meal, they said goodbye to each other, and Jiang Xiang returned to the university. The annual freshman assembly was taking place on the school athletic field. When Jiang Xiang passed by, it happened to be time for the freshman representative’s speech. The broadcast carried the host’s voice to every corner of the field. “Please welcome this year’s freshman representative, Mu Zhiyu, to the stage to give her speech.” Hearing this, Jiang Xiang paid no attention. After all, he was already a third-year student, and the freshman assembly had nothing to do with him. The freshman assembly was not the same as the orientation ceremony. Its main focus was military training^[1]. At the end, the instructors led their respective formations and assigned them their training locations. Every year, the school went through the same things. The only difference was that each new class had its own youth. Although third-year students did not have many classes, Jiang Xiang was actually busier than he had been during his first and second years. He was already looking forward to the Student Council’s election. Once he stepped down from his position as vice president, he would have much more free time. During this period, the Student Council was also responsible for the logistical support of the freshmen’s military training. Their work area was at the entrance to the athletic field, where they handled various freshman-related issues and stored water, food, and basic medicine. The two campus doctors from the infirmary also took turns standing guard there. After all, every year during freshman military training, some students suffered heatstroke or felt unwell. The Student Council members took turns there as well. Xu Sui and Jiang Xiang were required to have at least one of them remain on duty. In other words, during the fifteen days of military training, Jiang Xiang would have to spend at least a week stationed there. If he had a choice, he would actually much rather go out and deliver more food orders. Although autumn was approaching, the weather in September was still scorching. Inside the Student Council’s tent, a high-powered electric fan had been placed in front of Jiang Xiang’s desk. The noise of its blades spinning could practically be called a racket, but it brought a rare coolness to everyone inside the tent. Jiang Xiang had brought his computer over and was working on the various proposals saved on it. He was preparing to start a small animation company. Short-video platforms had already developed at an astonishing speed, and the animation industry had also broken free from its former state of having to rely on various video platforms. As long as the animation’s content was good enough, they could post it directly on short-video platforms and rely on traffic to generate profits. The costs were much lower than under the old model. However, this placed even greater demands on the quality of the animation. Jiang Xiang therefore had a great deal to do to ensure the company’s future development. The female campus doctor beside him seemed to have grown tired of playing with her phone. Propping up her chin, she watched Jiang Xiang’s computer curiously. “Classmate Jiang, what are you working on?” Jiang Xiang was so absorbed in his own work that he did not hear her. It was only after she asked a second time that he realized she was speaking to him. He patiently explained, “I’m working on some fanciful ideas.” “Classmate Jiang, you’re one of the most diligent students I’ve ever met.” Just then, a male student came running over with a female student on his back. He said anxiously, “Doctor, her leg cramped up.” “Put her here. Just keep an eye on her.” The campus doctor spoke with a slightly helpless expression. At that moment, a whistle sounded. Military training was suspended, and the students entered a twenty-minute rest period. During this time, both of the school’s supermarkets would be packed. The freshmen carried ice cream or cold drinks and hurried back toward their formations. The campus was quite large, after all. It took more than ten minutes to make a round trip from the athletic field to the supermarket. On top of that, the supermarkets were packed shoulder to shoulder, and even paying required waiting in line. The milk tea and coffee shops next to the supermarkets were even worse. There was barely any line to join at all.