Chapter 123: Stories from the Dinner Table

The school worker’s skills were quite nimble. He dismantled the window frame while muttering the folding part was broken.

After replacing it with a new one, the window could close properly. Jiang Qin nodded in satisfaction, thinking that regardless of whether he slept here in the future, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about being bitten by mosquitoes and covered in bumps.

Or on the next sudden rainy day when he brought the little rich girl in from outside to take shelter from the rain, they wouldn’t need to huddle together under the same blanket, shivering from the cold.

Hm?

Jiang Qin’s smile suddenly faded, his expression gradually turning serious.

Not huddling together with the little rich girl under the same blanket – was this a good thing or a bad thing?

He couldn’t help recalling the scene of Feng Nanshu, tiny, curled up beside him, her expression silly, her eyes bright. One hand pulling the blanket up to her fair neck, only revealing her lovely little face, obedient as a cat. His expression couldn’t help but turn solemn.

“The window frames at the entrepreneurship base are all old. They’re a bit warped. Even with new folds, you need to use them carefully. Don’t push too hard or they’ll still leak air.” The school worker instructed after climbing down from the ladder.

Jiang Qin came back to his senses and said indifferently, “How to push hard?”

“Grip the handle and push hard.”

Jiang Qin gripped the handle and pushed hard. The school worker froze slightly, “Do you want it to last or break?”

“Just testing it. It’s indeed very sturdy.” Jiang Qin clapped his hands, nodding like a professional quality inspector.

“Of course what I fix is sturdy. Does that even need testing? Hurry up and sign off for me. I’m done.”

Jiang Qin signed the repair form for the school worker. Then the two walked out of 207 one after the other.

At this time, Tang Lin and Hong Yan had also finished their visit to 208 and were preparing to return to the general office.

“It’s almost dinner time. We’re going to the cafeteria. Do you want to have dinner with us?”

Hong Yan had originally been pulled away by Tang Lin but after walking a few steps, she couldn’t help turning her head to ask.

Hearing this, Tang Lin beside her felt very surprised. Although she hadn’t known her best friend for long, she roughly knew her personality. Everyone thought she was humble and polite but in fact, her temperament was cold.

Politeness to her was only a means of maintaining interpersonal relationships. Cold was her true nature.

So Tang Lin had never heard Hong Yan take the initiative to invite someone to dinner. Of course, Jiang Qin’s answer also surprised her.

“Not today. I have a dinner engagement tonight. How about after I finish being busy these couple days? I’ll take a good rest then. Eat what should be eaten, drink what should be drunk.”

“Okay, let’s wait until you’re done being busy then.”

Tang Lin’s gaze grew even more confused. She glanced at Hong Yan and couldn’t help but also glance at Jiang Qin, her mind dazed.

It was already very unusual for Hong Yan to take the initiative to invite a guy to dinner together. For the person being invited to actually refuse to have dinner with her was even more incomprehensible.

Wasn’t this person running to the general office three times a day?

When it came down to it, why was he shrinking back?

The key was her best friend was still willing to wait for him to finish being busy to get another chance to eat together?

Tang Lin didn’t know how much of this was sincere versus just politeness but she had never heard Hong Yan say this to anyone else before.

“Yanyan, do you really want to go to 208 and be the boss’s wife?” Tang Lin finally squeezed out a sentence after holding it in for a long time.

“It’s just having dinner together. That makes me the boss’s wife already? Then Jiang Qin must have too many boss’s wives. Even 208 might not fit them all.”

Tang Lin pursed her lips, “With your stunning beauty, if you really wanted to be, you could be 208’s boss’s wife in a split second. All the others would have to step aside.”

Hong Yan reached out to pull her best friend’s arm, “Self-confidence is great.”

“I’m just telling it like it is. You’re the ceiling of beauty among all the girls I’ve seen. I refuse to believe anyone can resist your charm.”

Jiang Qin had already walked far away at this point and didn’t hear what they were saying.

He got in his car, exited Linchuan University’s gate, and headed straight for Linchuan University of Science and Technology.

Shengshi had already transported the huge PVC ranking board over. It stood in front of the milk tea shop, looking particularly impressive under the night sky.

After a while, the deputy director of the university office, Zhang Mingan, and the Youth League Committee director, Hu Maolin, emerged from the darkness and got into Jiang Qin’s Audi. They looked at the car’s central control panel again and again, unable to help smacking their lips.

College students in Linchuan were too ostentatious. Only a freshman and already driving a BBA (Audi).

Ten minutes later, the car arrived at a nearby restaurant. Under the Chinese-style entrance hung two bright red lanterns. The glass display window faced the silhouettes of dine-in customers.

The three entered a private room in the restaurant, ordered a table of dishes, and opened two bottles of alcohol.

When he was promoting the forum at Linchuan University, he had never treated the leaders to a meal. That was because Professor Yan, who was in charge of the entrepreneurship base, greatly disliked this kind of dinner table culture. In his words, there was no harm in men enjoying good alcohol and it was only natural to call on friends. But using the excuse of drinking to set up barriers, flaunt status, and make one’s presence felt was pure idiocy.

But this was a society of personal connections. It wouldn’t change because of one person’s likes or dislikes. Besides, people like Professor Yan were the minority. So he needed to treat Zhang Mingan and Hu Maolin to a meal.

Zhang Mingan was the type to not say much. The students taught by Professor Yan all seemed to have a steady personality.

Hu Maolin, as the director of the Youth League Committee, had a rather high position. Logically he also shouldn’t say too much but at this meal, he actually spoke a great deal.

He told Jiang Qin that entrepreneurial promotion was his own business. But if it was carried out under the name of work-study, it was no longer a one-man show.

Regardless of Linchuan University or Linchuan University of Science and Technology, there were many impoverished students enrolling each year. Although there were scholarships, they were just a drop in the bucket. Some students had to desperately work part-time during summer break in order to attend school. Some even had to not only raise their own tuition but also supplement the family income.

Director Hu didn’t say how many impoverished students Jiang Qin should recruit but he very solemnly instructed not to withhold wages or fire them without cause.

Director Hu spoke very sincerely. Jiang Qin also nodded very swiftly. He definitely wouldn’t withhold wages, let alone the wages of impoverished students.

Over an hour later, Director Hu stood up and left the restaurant. Jiang Qin saw him out and casually handed over a bag of Xitian milk tea.

“Director, this is a new milk tea flavor from the shop. Chinese flavor.”

“New flavor? Great! My daughter loves milk tea.”

Director Hu wasn’t polite either. He took the milk tea bag and got into a taxi. When he left, he even waved affectionately.

Afterwards, Jiang Qin and Zhang Mingan returned to the restaurant to continue eating and drinking. When it was about to end, the silent Zhang Mingan finally spoke.

“Actually, what Director Hu said wasn’t to pressure you. It’s because he had to clean up a mess before and has some lingering fear.”

Jiang Qin wasn’t the least bit surprised, “I know, Ye Ziqing’s mess.”

“Professor Yan told you all this?” Zhang Mingan was a bit surprised.

Jiang Qin shook his head, “I found out myself. Although there wasn’t a lot of information, my ability to fill in the gaps is very strong. I heard Ye Ziqing privately terminated the project back then. Apparently she owed many part-time college students’ wages that were never paid. It caused quite a stir. The school had no choice but to clean up her mess.”

Zhang Mingan pressed his lips together, “Actually you can’t blame Junior Sister Ye for this. She had no idea when her website suddenly had that many part-time college students, none of whom she knew. Of course she wouldn’t pay.”

“Mm, I understand this. Pests appear when the scale grows. It’s inevitable.”

“It’s good that you know about this. Especially since your project is under the name of work-study. If something really goes wrong, it would be much more serious than Ye Ziqing’s situation. So you need to pay extra attention in this regard.”

Jiang Qin’s expression was solemn, “Director, I won’t hide it from you. Actually, I’m also a child from a poor family.”

“Put your Audi car keys in your pocket before you say that!” Zhang Mingan looked exasperated.

“I earned the money to buy the Audi myself but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m poor and passionate and determined about work-study!”

“There’s no one else here. Don’t make a big show of it.”

“Even if the Jade Emperor came, I’d still say the same.”

Zhang Mingan looked at him helplessly, “As long as you don’t throw in the towel like Ye Ziqing, it’s fine. But you’re doing a forum. She was doing group buying. You shouldn’t reach that stage. It’s just that monetization is a bit difficult for you now. Have you thought about your next plan?”

“My next step is to do group buying.”

“????????”

Jiang Qin saw Zhang Mingan’s face turn pale and hurriedly added, “Director Zhang, don’t be nervous. My path is completely different from hers. Don’t panic.”

Zhang Mingan let out a small sigh of relief, “You still need to be down-to-earth. Don’t follow others’ old paths.”

“I know. I definitely won’t back myself into a dead end.”

Zhang Mingan nodded. He thought of something else, “I recently heard some news that Linchuan Youth Daily plans to do a feature interview on you to promote your entrepreneurial story. You need to mention Linchuan University of Science and Technology’s help a few more times. Also mention their support for work-study.”

After hearing this, Jiang Qin froze slightly, “Interview me? I’m just an ordinary college student. What is there to interview?”

“You’ve only been enrolled for two months and have led more than 30 college students in entrepreneurship, earning over 500,000 yuan. You still think you’re ordinary?”

“But Director, I just want to make money, not become famous.”

Director Zhang raised his eyebrows, “That won’t do. We can’t help you for nothing either. You’re a student of Linchuan University. Your entrepreneurial project has nothing to do with us. You’re not even willing to say a few words for us?”

Jiang Qin reluctantly agreed, “Alright then. I’ll say a little something.”

Zhang Mingan nodded in satisfaction. He couldn’t help sighing with some feeling, “When I was your age, all I thought about was studying and dating. I never thought about entrepreneurship. If you’re poor, you still drive an Audi. You shouldn’t be short on money. It’s really strange.”

“This only has to do with the desire for money. It doesn’t conflict with studying and dating.” Jiang Qin gave an answer.

“So your grades are pretty good?”

“…”

Jiang Qin recalled his advanced mathematics.

Zhang Mingan was amused, “So you have a girlfriend?”

“…”

Jiang Qin recalled his motto.

“Don’t give up what you should have for the pursuit of money. Money is indeed a good thing but the youth is not only good, it’s also short.”