NOVPUB
Chapter 602: Chapter 506: The Identity of Qiu Jie (Happy Valentine’s Day!)_1
After finishing breakfast.
The first-year freshmen quickly gathered in the classroom. Once roll call was completed, they were led by their counselor to the place where the freshman orientation ceremony was being held.
Upon arriving at the playground.
The "ancient" and "familiar" opening music began to play. This was the "Athlete’s March," composed in 1971 by three musicians from the Huaxia Military Band. This music had been passed down to the present day and would continue to be used as the opening music for nearly all sports meets and important conferences in the country for many years to come.
It never gets old.
Jing Xiang first settled the location for her class, and then brought Tang Qing to the preparation area behind the stage. There were already a large number of Student Union members here, busy arranging the venue and checking the equipment.
"Tang Qing, you are the fifteenth speaker, just after the president of the Student Union, Mi Rui. Don’t get nervous, don’t be timid, and don’t mispronounce any words when the time comes. Are you familiar with the script I gave you?"
Jing Xiang reminded him again. According to custom, every year there would be outstanding students coming up to say a few words. There had been controversy in the past due to differences in exam difficulty across provinces, but this year there was no disagreement about Tang Qing. He was the undisputed champion, crushing the competition.
She took such rare opportunities very seriously.
"Teacher Jing, I am quite familiar with it. Don’t worry." Tang Qing smiled and said. It was just a speech script. He could remember it after reading it once. As for feeling timid, what was that feeling?
Jing Xiang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then you should take out the script and get more familiar with it."
"Umm, is that necessary?" Tang Qing said awkwardly.
He didn’t bring it. He’d placed it in his dormitory drawer after reading it. He didn’t intend to discard it. He wanted to keep it as a souvenir. Perhaps he could auction it in the future. It might bring him some money.
"Just in case, read it a few more times." Jing Xiang didn’t understand what Tang Qing was implying in his words.
Seeing that he could no longer hide it, Tang Qing had to admit, "It’s just that I didn’t bring it."
"What? You didn’t bring it? Don’t tell me you’ve memorized it." Jing Xiang was flustered and just about to scold Tang Qing when she remembered his academic achievements. An audacious idea suddenly came to her.
"Yes, Teacher Jing. I’ve memorized everything on that paper. It wasn’t challenging. Don’t forget my achievements. Believe in me." Tang Qing appeared very confident.
Seeing that Tang Qing didn’t look like he was joking, Jing Xiang was 80% convinced but still remained 20% anxious.
"Look here. Recite it for me." To eliminate this 20% uncertainty, Jing Xiang said.
"No problem, ahem, distinguished leaders, teachers, students...", Tang Qing recited the nearly eight hundred words of the speech without hesitation or pause.
Half a minute later.
Jing Xiang was completely convinced. Tang Qing had really memorized it all. Her eyes were filled with disbelief as she looked at Tang Qing. It wasn’t surprise that he could recite it, but... it was just a speech script. Was it worth wasting time to memorize it? Just reading it smoothly was good enough.
"How long did it take you to memorize it?" Jing Xiang couldn’t help but ask.
"Not too long," Tang Qing replied vaguely. He couldn’t exactly say he remembered it after reading it just once. Life already wasn’t easy, why should he cause embarrassment for others?
Tang Qing didn’t go into detail, and Jing Xiang didn’t probe further. It didn’t matter, as long as he could recite it. "Well, slow down a bit when you’re speaking later. Don’t rush. If you forget one sentence, just say the next one, okay?"
"I got it. Don’t worry. I can handle a small audience," Tang Qing said nonchalantly.
Jing Xiang was speechless.
Could you handle it?
What major events have you experienced before?
Nevermind, Jing Xiang chose to trust Tang Qing. She hoped there wouldn’t be any speech accidents later. Speaking of which, seeing a middle-aged man coming over, Jing Xiang quickly pulled Tang Qing over.
"Director Liu, this is speaker number fifteen, Tang Qing. This is Director Liu from the school office." Jing Xiang introduced Tang Qing to Director Liu.
"Hello, Director Liu." Tang Qing nodded and greeted with a smile.
Seeing Tang Qing, Director Liu’s eyes lit up. What a handsome young man. He smiled and nodded back, "Hello, Tang. Welcome to Fudan. It is our honor to have you. I’m curious. Why did you choose Fudan?"
Having said that, Director Liu was waiting for Tang Qing to compliment Fudan. After all, with Tang Qing’s grades, he could have easily entered Tsinghua or Peking University. Choosing Fudan likely meant he had a deep appreciation for it, understanding its long and glorious history...
"My girlfriend wanted to come here," Tang Qing replied bluntly.
"..." Director Liu was left speechless.
So, if she didn’t want to come, you wouldn’t have come either? That’s quite willful of you, but very manly. This implied he was a man of passion. Director Liu’s eyes were full of admiration. For a woman, this reason, was as simple as it was impacting.
This was a real honest answer.
Although it could be a little hurtful to some.
"Good boy. Heroes are always weak in the face of beauty. You can sit here for a while and prepare your speech. The event will start soon." As the overall commander, he obviously couldn’t chat with Tang Qing for long.
"Okay, Director Liu. You carry on with your work," Tang Qing said.
"Hmm."
Having said that, Director Liu left. There were still many things waiting for him to handle.
Jing Xiang also came back to her senses from Tang Qing’s blunt answer. She couldn’t help but laugh and admire at the same time.
"Tang Qing, you sit here for a while. I’ll go back to the class. There’s something I need to take care of." Jing Xiang decided to return to the class and ask the students to create some atmosphere, clap more, and boost morale.
"Okay," Tang Qing agreed.
After watching Jing Xiang leave, Tang Qing looked around out of boredom. He didn’t go help the Student Union. Suddenly, his gaze fell on the nameplate of the school leaders on the stage.
Tang Qing’s eyes narrowed.
Can it really be such a coincidence?
No way.
There it was, ’Qiu Jie’s’ name prominently among the others, placed on the desk of the chairman’s podium. Even though his position was not written on it, Tang Qing inferred that Qiu Jie must be a high-ranking school official when he recalled Qiu Jie mentioning how coincidental it was that he too worked at Fudan.
No wonder Qiu Jie had an air of nonchalance in Thailand, not hesitating to clash with the travel guide. To think, he had such credentials.
At the same time, Tang Qing couldn’t help but silently mourn for that travel guide. Tang didn’t exactly know how much pull a vice-principal of Fudan had, but if Qiu Jie wanted, he could make sure that travel guide never sets foot in the domestic travel industry again.
As it turns out, that’s precisely what happened.
After Qiu Jie returned, he made a phone call, leading to a freeze on the travel agency’s operations, to re-evaluate their business. As for the exploitative guide, not only did he face hefty fines and detention, but he was also blacklisted in the industry. To date, no domestic travel agency dared to hire him. All he could do now was work in a factory, earning a meagre salary, longing for his past days of fine dining and fine drinking.
However, no matter how hard he racked his brain, he could not figure out who he had offended. A series of misfortunes hit him as soon as he returned. Blaming it on bad luck, no one came forward to explain the situation to him.
Tang Qing looked at Qiu Jie’s nameplate.
A smirk appeared at the corners of his mouth.
Hmm.
This is getting interesting.
Just as Tang Qing was deep in thought, a female student came up to him and handed him a bottle of mineral water.
"Here you go, mate," she said.
Tang Qing was slightly taken aback but quickly declined, "I’m not thirsty, thank you."
The girl flashed him a bright smile, "This is for everyone here, especially the ones going on stage. Don’t worry, it’s all on the school, just take it."
Only then did Tang Qing notice a badge on the girl’s chest representing the Student Union. Realizing his misunderstanding, he quickly accepted the water and thanked her.
"You’re welcome." The girl walked off cheerily after hearing the thanks, delighted at having an interaction with a heartthrob.
Tang Qing idly sat on a small stool, sipping his water.
The school leaders arrived in a group a moment later. Tang Qing saw Qiu Jie amongst them, who, having noticed Tang Qing, gave him a nod from afar without striking up a conversation, as it was not the appropriate time.
Nine ten.
The enrolment ceremony began on time.
The same old cliches. The leaders took turns to give speeches. At this point, Tang Qing finally discovered Qiu Jie’s position, Vice Principal of Fudan University, his status was nothing short of revered.
There are thirty-one sub-ministerial-level universities in Huaxia, with Fudan making the list. This would mean that Qiu Jie holds an authority equal to a provincial-level Department Director. The university’s principals and secretaries are managed by sub-national level central officials.
Tang Qing guessed that Qiu Jie might even reach a sub-national level position before retirement, a treatment far better than that of a Department Director.
"Are you Tang Qing?"
At this moment, a young man in a suit came over, looking at him curiously.
"Yes, I’m Tang Qing. And you?" Tang Qing replied, acknowledging the question.
The man reached out a hand with a generous smile, "Nice to meet you, my name is Mi Rui. I’m the chairman of the Student Union. Rumor has it that an exceptional student has joined our batch this year. Having met you today, I see you are indeed uncommonly handsome. Are you interested in joining the Student Union?"
Tang Qing remembered that Jing Xiang had mentioned that the person speaking before him would be this Mi Rui.
"Well... I might be a bit busy." Tang Qing didn’t want to join any Student Union. There would be no need for training or making friends.
"Is that a polite rejection?" asked Mi Rui, surprised.
"Sorry." Tang Qing was quite blunt.
A tad disappointed, Mi Rui didn’t press the issue, "It’s alright. To each their own. But in University, even if you don’t want to join the Student Union, joining other clubs to network is not a bad idea. Maybe we can hang out some time."
"Sure thing." Tang Qing nodded his agreement.
Mix in with a club?
Tang Qing was somewhat interested.
However, not in any existing clubs, but creating one of his own seemed more like it.
"Okay then, I have to go now." Hearing his name being announced on the stage, Mi Rui quickly fixed his suit.
"Hmm."
Without betraying any nervousness, Mi Rui, experienced as he was, confidently delivered his prepared remarks. His speech was emotive and enthusiastic. It was nearly Tang Qing’s turn.
Tang Qing showed up in casual wear that day, specifically from Sheng Tang. All the clothes Qi Yan had gifted him had been delivered to his villa. His impressive collection filled up several large wardrobes, dwarfing Lin Jiaxue’s collection.
Upon learning that Tang Qing was the owner of the Sheng Tang Group, Lin Jiaxue expressed her intention to wear only Sheng Tang clothes from then on. For this, Tang specially asked Qi Yan to make a batch of clothes tailored to Lin Jiaxue’s measurements. But they weren’t ready yet and would take a few more days to reach.
Next up was Tang Qing.
Walking up to the podium,
suddenly, he came into the students’ view. With his handsome and extraordinarily confident demeanor, along with his mesmerizing charm, he immediately became the center of attention following the host’s introduction, creating a buzz among the crowd.
PS: Yesterday was Mouse’s birthday, even though it has passed, I’m still asking for votes and subscriptions.
