Chapter 227: Dinner Gathering of the Four Major Universities
Chapter 227: Dinner Gathering of the Four Major Universities
TL: Etude
Evening had arrived, the first lights of the city twinkling to life.
The boys of Room 208 were bustling about in preparation, each tending to their grooming with great care. Some were combing their hair, others were applying hair gel, all eagerly anticipating the upcoming celebration dinner.
Room 208 at Linchuan University was the project’s main base, its members were the core team, each carrying a sense of pride.
This pride became even more apparent when gathering with students from other universities.
It was akin to…
The feeling a capital official might have when meeting local ones, determined not to be outdone in presence.
“Brother Dong, how do I look in this?” Lu Feiyu had chosen a black trench coat and, after putting it on, popped the collar with a flair.
“Nice, your aura instantly elevates with it,” Dong Wenhao nodded approvingly, his compliment costing nothing.
“Should I slick back my hair to look more spirited? But I’m hesitant. It might make me look too handsome, overshadowing the boss and making him seem ordinary.”
“Feiyu, I think playing mute at the party might actually add to your charm.”
Lu Feiyu: “…”
Dong Wenhao sighed, somewhat exasperated with his protégé.
Damn it, has his emotional intelligence been eaten by a dog?
Even if the boss wore a sack, you should praise him for his outstanding valor, charming elegance, and being a fashion trailblazer. That’s the essence of workplace dynamics.
Meanwhile, in Room 207 next door, Su Nai was also changing her usual look. Swapping her overalls for a youthful skirt.
Lu Xuemei, usually tomboyish and not fond of skirts, opted for black shorts with fishnet stockings, following Wei Lanlan’s suggestion.
During the outfit change, the girls playfully compared their figures, filling the room with their cheerful laughter.
“I didn’t expect yours to be that big, Miaomiao?”
“I think Tan Qing’s are a bit larger than mine,” Shi Miaomiao replied modestly.
Tan Qing glanced down: “No, Miaomiao, I’m not as endowed as you. You should be the first.”
“No way, you’re just being too humble,” Su Nai chimed in.
“How can that be? Even our school’s beauty contest has rankings; we can’t just tie for first place,” Lu Xuemei added with a laugh.
Wei Lanlan nodded in agreement: “How about we ask the boss to be the judge?”
“Sure, as long as the boss lady agrees, I have no objections,” Tan Qing responded with a warm, welcoming smile.
“Be careful, or the boss lady might let Richie bite you!”
Su Nai adjusted her glasses, imagining a scene where the boss is crawling on the ground with a broken leg.
Damn, what a beautifully brutal image.
At this moment, Jiang Qin was in the main office on the first floor, oblivious to the charming chatter he was missing.
He was there to inquire about Chen Anhua’s situation, only to find that Senior Sister Cao was unaware of her boyfriend’s part-time job.
After all, most senior students are busy, either preparing for postgraduate studies or attending job interviews. Who would set aside time for a campus part-time job?
“I remember now.”
“Hm?”
“It’s my birthday next week. He asked me a few days ago what gift I wanted.” Cao Xingyue suddenly realized, finding her theory quite plausible.
Jiang Qin tapped on the bald monk figurine on the desk: “A gift? When did he ask you?”
Cao Xingyue checked her phone: “Last Monday.”
“The day we issued salaries. So, Chen might be working part-time at our place to buy you a gift? Damn, does true love really exist in this world?” freewebnøvel.coɱ
“Aren’t you jealous?” Senior Sister Cao boasted.
Jiang Qin replied disdainfully: “Not at all. If that’s the case, then don’t ask him. Pretend you don’t know and just enjoy the surprise.”
Cao Xingyue put down her phone and looked up: “Junior, remember I was one of the first to support your startup. Be nice to my boyfriend and don’t make things hard for him.”
“That goes without saying, I promise not to find any trivial reasons to dock his pay for the first three months.”
“?????”
While they were talking, Tang Lin, who had gone out for dinner, returned. Spotting Jiang Qin, she immediately rushed over: “My idol, are you still single?”
“Of course, but you better not take an interest in me. Even though I’m more handsome than Daniel Wu, I don’t date.”
Jiang Qin was cool as a cucumber.
Tang Lin pursed her lips, thinking how impervious he was. Even the stunning Feng Nanshu couldn’t win him over. No wonder Yanyan gave up, he really was as tough as iron. (If you made it this far, you probably already know stuff like Yanyan are like a cute nickname; in this case, for Hongyan)
“By the way, where’s Hongyan? Haven’t seen her these past few days.” Jiang Qin played with the little monk figurine on the table, making a clicking sound.
“Yanyan just finished organizing last year’s application files a few days ago. She was almost worn out and is now resting in her dormitory.”
Jiang Qin nodded and, after some idle chatter, prepared to leave.
It was already half-past six, only half an hour away from their scheduled time. The people of 208 were probably all dressed up and waiting for him.
But coincidentally, as soon as he stood up, Professor Yan silently emerged from his room.
He appeared to have just had a haircut, his face flushed and looking quite spirited, not at all like a nearly seventy-year-old man, more like sixty-nine.
“Jiang Qin, don’t leave yet, I have something to ask you. Answer me honestly.”
Jiang Qin straightened up: “What’s up, Professor? Craving hotpot again?”
“Stop mentioning hotpot. I’ve been hearing a dog barking upstairs these past few days. What’s that about?”
Professor Yan looked stern as if he’d already identified the culprit.
Most people would feel guilty when asked this and apologize for keeping a dog.
But Jiang Qin was unfazed and had Cao Xingyue call him on the spot.
Seconds later, a melodic dog bark sounded from Jiang Qin’s pocket, sounding quite cheerful.
“Professor, this is my new ringtone. Would you like one too?”
“No, the sound from upstairs doesn’t quite match this.”
Professor Yan said suspiciously, but he couldn’t really tell the difference in barks. He was just doubtful of Jiang Qin’s character.
“Of course it sounds different through floors.”
“…”
Professor Yan was convinced there was a dog in 208 but had no proof. He waved Jiang Qin off, planning a surprise inspection in a few days.
But what if he found a dog during the inspection and Jiang Qin invited him for hotpot with his secret sauce? How would he respond?
Professor Yan shook his head, realizing he had no counter.
…
Returning to 208 from the Entrepreneurship Center, everyone was almost ready. Both the men and women were dressed to impress, radiating vitality.
Jiang Qin told them to take a taxi, while he drove to the Finance Department dormitory to pick up Feng Nanshu.
The little rich lady was wearing a black long dress with a red belt around her waist. A diamond teardrop pendant adorned her pale collarbone, and her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, looking cool and fierce, ready to command attention.
“Wow… Why are you so beautiful today?”
Feng Nanshu, hearing this, beamed like a blissfully ignorant orange cat.
Amused by her expression, Jiang Qin helped her with the seat belt, then drove off towards Juxianlou in the city center.
Wei Lanlan was already waiting at the entrance. She greeted Jiang Qin’s car and led them to the second floor of Juxianlou.
They had reserved five out of ten private rooms on the second floor, a display of sheer extravagance.
The manager, who had never seen such a scene, thought to himself how the average spend at Juxianlou was two to three hundred per person, usually for business meetings or upscale family dinners. He was stunned to see it being used like a cafeteria by students today. Modern university students really had too much money to throw around.
He personally greeted Jiang Qin at the door, shaking hands and making small talk. Unwittingly, he revealed last month’s revenue and even discussed the cost prices with Jiang Qin. It wasn’t until after Jiang Qin left that the manager broke out in a cold sweat, thinking how frighteningly savvy these university students were.
“Jiang Qin, I need to use the restroom,” Feng Nanshu whispered.
Jiang Qin released her hand and turned to Wei Lanlan, “Lanlan, could you take the boss lady to the restroom?”
“Sure, boss lady, I’ll accompany you.”
“Okay.”
Watching them leave, Jiang Qin thought to himself that the little rich lady still seemed a bit socially anxious. Every time they dined out, she seemed nervous and always needed to visit the restroom first.
Taking this opportunity, Jiang Qin visited each private room, exchanging simple pleasantries with the part-time workers and reminding everyone to enjoy their meal.
In the room reserved for the Polytechnic University, Gu Tiantian sat, her heart sinking as she watched Jiang Qin shimmering under the lights, feeling a profound sense of loss.
She had the nagging feeling of having missed out on the whole world, a sensation even sourer than heartbreak.
“Why can’t he be my boyfriend?” she thought, her gaze fixed on him, seemingly unable to look away.
However, Jiang Qin didn’t notice her and quickly moved on to the next room, and then the one after that.
Finally, he entered the Ruyi Hall, where the core staff of 208, along with two managers from the Polytechnic and Normal Universities, were seated.
He had already met Chen Anhua and Min Yue that morning. They stood up to greet him respectfully.
The managers from Normal University, chosen by Dong Wenhao, were Qiao Shunmin and Cong Yi. They were a bit nervous greeting Jiang Qin, as they didn’t see him often.
“Where are the others?”
“Boss, they’re still on the way.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the door was pushed open, and Lai Cunqing, Ding Qiaona, and Guo Zihang made their entrance. Following them was Zhang Zixuan, the spokesperson for their group buying initiative.
She wore a strappy dress, a style typically loose, but it fit snugly due to her ample figure, exuding a stepmotherly charm.
As soon as Zhang Zixuan entered, she greeted everyone and then noticed three empty seats. Two were beside Ding Qiaona, and the other was right next to Jiang Qin.
After a moment’s hesitation, she started walking towards Jiang Qin.
Thinking that the seat next to the boss was intentionally left for her, she assumed it was because of her status as the campus beauty and her attractive figure. The boss probably wanted her company for dinner, the cheeky devil!
But in the next second, the room erupted into noise as everyone stood up, their chairs scraping against the floor. Calls of “boss lady” filled the air.
Zhang Zixuan paused, then turned to see a stunningly beautiful girl walk in, her presence commanding attention.
After a brief moment, Zhang Zixuan picked up a thermos next to her, sweetly calling out “boss lady,” and casually walked back as if she had just come for the thermos.
The boss lady was truly beautiful. Zhang Zixuan sat next to Ding Qiaona, relieved she hadn’t taken the seat and glad she wasn’t the type of woman who relied solely on her looks.
“Alright, everyone’s here, let’s start the meal.”
Jiang Qin signaled the waiter, then felt a warm hand slip into his.
“Today there are many people, so as the boss lady, I need to act the part. I can’t feed you.” Jiang Qin looked at Feng Nanshu.
The little rich lady nodded obediently, “I understand.”
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