Chapter 253: Dorm Room Dynamics

Jiao Tianbo raised an eyebrow and turned to Chen Wenyi, saying coldly:

“Which class are you from?”

Chen Wenyi: “I’m from Class Seven. My name’s Chen Wenyi…”

“It’s great to be at the same school and even in the same dorm with you…”

In front of Jiao Tianbo, Chen Wenyi acted overly eager and deferential, which left Xu Chen standing behind them puzzled.

Jiao Tianbo just nodded without saying a word.

Chen Wenyi smiled and said, “Let me introduce you to our other roommates!”

Only then did Jiao Tianbo set down what he was holding and turn around with a neutral expression.

Hong Xiaoqiang had already gotten up and was walking over with a smile.

Xu Chen felt a bit speechless but played along and stood up.

Chen Wenyi introduced:

“This is Jiao Tianbo, our high school’s top student. He’s been the city’s top in liberal arts a few times.”

Xu Chen frowned slightly, surprised.

So, he’s a real academic star.

Theoretically, as Shanghai’s liberal arts champion, he should’ve aimed for Tsinghua, Peking, or even HKU.

Tonghai University is good, but it feels like he aimed a bit low…

Hong Xiaoqiang looked equally shocked, adjusting his glasses with an incredulous expression.

Jiao Tianbo furrowed his brow, seeming annoyed, and said gravely:

“I messed up on the college entrance exam, so I ended up at a second-rate 985 like Tonghai—and that’s how I crossed paths with you guys…”

“…”

His words hung in the air, and the other three shifted uncomfortably.

Xu Chen thought it was utterly ridiculous.

Jiao Tianbo’s social skills were even worse than Chen Wenyi’s.

Calling it a ‘second-rate 985’—something his roommates had fought hard to get into—and sounding so dismissive about it.

And his last comment dragged down everyone in the room.

Chen Wenyi gave an awkward laugh, while Hong Xiaoqiang’s face turned sour.

Xu Chen said half-jokingly:

“Jiao, you’re quite the charmer with words. Bet you get into fights a lot, huh?”

Chen Wenyi: “?!”

Hong Xiaoqiang smirked, nearly bursting out laughing.

Jiao Tianbo raised an eyebrow: “What do you mean?”

Xu Chen put on an innocent smile: “Just kidding.”

Jiao Tianbo: “Not funny at all.”

Hong Xiaoqiang couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud.

Xu Chen glanced at Hong Xiaoqiang, thinking this ‘computer whiz’ was pretty likable.

Chen Wenyi looked embarrassed and changed the subject:

“Let me introduce you all again!

This is Hong Xiaoqiang, from Zhejiang Province…”

Hong Xiaoqiang kept a polite smile, formally extending his hand to shake Jiao Tianbo’s.

Jiao Tianbo glanced down at it and nodded slightly, like a boss inspecting subordinates.

Chen Wenyi then pointed to Xu Chen:

“This is Xu Chen, from Shandong Province…”

Xu Chen just offered a polite smile, not bothering to shake hands or speak.

Jiao Tianbo raised an eyebrow:

“From Shandong? What a coincidence?

Where in Shandong…”

Xu Chen was surprised but deliberately stayed quiet.

Jiao Tianbo paused:

“I’m from Shandong’s provincial capital. My parents are government officials there…

I went to primary and middle school in Shandong, but my dad thought the education there wasn’t up to par, so he pulled strings to send me to Shanghai for junior high.”

As he spoke, he casually showed a hint of pride.

It was as if being ‘government officials’ or having ‘connections’ was some huge deal.

For most people, it probably was impressive.

But Xu Chen didn’t care at all and even found Jiao Tianbo’s attitude childish and laughable.

Still, he kept his expression neutral and said with a smile:

“Your dad must be amazing. Mine doesn’t have that kind of pull or connections.”

Jiao Tianbo finally smiled:

“Not really… Where in Shandong are you from?”

Xu Chen: “Tiancheng in Shandong.”

Jiao Tianbo: “No wonder—coming from a small place like that…”

“…”

Hong Xiaoqiang and Chen Wenyi exchanged odd looks.

Chen Wenyi seemed embarrassed, almost apologizing with his expression.

He also knew about Xu Chen’s ‘Big Boss’ status and worried he might call in those rough guys from yesterday to rough up Jiao Tianbo…

Xu Chen just shook his head inwardly.

He thought with Jiao Tianbo’s talent for offending people, he’d last maybe three episodes in a corporate job after graduation.

If he went into government, without his parents’ strong backing, he might not even survive half an episode…

But Xu Chen wasn’t really angry.

He chuckled, deliberately adding a sarcastic edge:

“Yeah, a small county town like Tiancheng can’t compare to coming from the provincial capital and studying in Shanghai.

My dad, just some minor figure in the county or township, doesn’t measure up to your parents being provincial leaders…”

Jiao Tianbo’s eyebrow twitched; he finally caught the sarcasm and his face darkened.

Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, a knock came from the door.

A boy with a wide, grinning face poked his head in:

“Hey everyone, I’m from the next dorm, 3104. We’re in the same department and class, so I thought I’d come over and introduce myself!”

Xu Chen switched back to his usual friendly demeanor and invited the guy in for quick introductions.

The neighbor from 3104 was named Huo Dashan, from Hebei Province in the north.

He was outgoing and sharp with people—way ahead of Jiao Tianbo, Chen Wenyi, and Hong Xiaoqiang in social skills.

Xu Chen asked:

“Is your dorm all set?”

Huo Dashan: “We’ve got four, but one stepped out for something.”

Xu Chen: “Let’s all get to know each other then!”

Hong Xiaoqiang and Chen Wenyi came over, both smiling and agreeing.

Jiao Tianbo was still aloof but followed along, eyebrow raised.

He was probably still smarting from Xu Chen’s earlier sarcasm, his face even more sour now, no smile in sight.

Huo Dashan found him a bit odd but didn’t ask.

He’d just learned Jiao Tianbo was a top student and felt a bit wary.

“…”

Huo Dashan led the four from 3103 to the 3104 dorm.

Two guys inside greeted them with smiles.

Huo Dashan was clearly a social butterfly, jumping in to introduce everyone.

In 3104, one was Pei Qian from Henan Province.

He was a bit short and stocky, with upturned eyebrows.

Xu Chen noticed right away that Pei Qian was reading a book on stock trading, something like ‘The Buffett Way’.

He seemed like a kid dreaming of getting rich quick, but his name, Pei Qian, didn’t exactly scream success in stocks…

The other was Huang Hao, a clean-cut guy from Shanghai.

Xu Chen took a second look—he was the only local from Shanghai among the eight guys in their class.

With his neat appearance and polished clothes, he gave off that refined Shanghai vibe.

Rumor had it Shanghai locals often looked down on outsiders, though.

Who knew if Huang Hao felt the same…

Huo Dashan kept up his ‘social king’ act, warmly introducing the 3103 group.

He had a sharp memory, repeating everyone’s hometowns and details without missing a beat.

Xu Chen found it amusing.

It was obvious Huo Dashan loved networking and building connections.

His enthusiasm felt a tad forced, not quite natural, like he was trying too hard to be everyone’s friend.

As someone with more life experience, Xu Chen could spot these traits in the kids right away.

Huo Dashan was probably the type to dive into class rep or student council stuff—like a budding ‘official enthusiast’…

After graduation, he’d likely go for civil service exams or something similar.

Though his social skills were a bit over-the-top, they were still impressive for his age.

Deep down, Xu Chen tended to keep his distance from people like that.

In his past life, he’d met plenty of ‘smooth talkers’ who lacked real substance and sometimes played dirty behind the scenes.

Of course, he wasn’t labeling Huo Dashan yet—he’d wait and see how things went.

“…”

When Huo Dashan introduced Jiao Tianbo, he smartly highlighted his academic prowess and past as ‘Shanghai’s top liberal arts student’.

The local Huang Hao seemed to know the name and said mildly:

“I’ve heard of Jiao Tianbo. He was even interviewed on Oriental TV…”

Jiao Tianbo gave a bitter laugh and said:

“That’s all in the past. Didn’t expect to bomb the college entrance exam like that…”

He paused, then added with a smile:

“Still, I’m happy to study advertising at Tonghai University.

I really like the field, and I’m confident I can shake up and revolutionize the domestic advertising industry someday!”

“…”

His words left an awkward silence for a couple of seconds.

Xu Chen stayed quiet, thinking, Is this really the guy who was once the city’s top student? Such naive talk—what’s missing in that head of his?

Huo Dashan’s laugh broke the tension.

He steered clear of Jiao Tianbo’s grandiose claims and shifted to introducing Xu Chen.

When they heard Xu Chen was from Shandong, Pei Qian said:

“Shandong’s close to my hometown. Where exactly are you from?”

Xu Chen: “Tiancheng in Shandong.”

Pei Qian thought for a moment: “Sorry, I don’t know where that is.”

Xu Chen smiled, about to explain, but Jiao Tianbo jumped in:

“Tiancheng’s just a small, rundown spot in Shandong.”

“…”

The room went awkward again for a few seconds.

Xu Chen thought to himself, Looks like Jiao Tianbo’s got it out for me. Did I even really offend him?

He paused, then couldn’t resist repeating his earlier line:

“Jiao, with your chat skills, you must get beat up a lot, right?”

Everyone burst out laughing instantly.

The awkwardness vanished in a flash…

In that moment, people had imagined Xu Chen feeling embarrassed, but his joke flipped it around.

It showed he didn’t care and could laugh it off.

Amid the laughter, Jiao Tianbo’s face soured, his raised eyebrows and narrowed eyes screaming annoyance.

It was clear this ‘star student’ couldn’t take a joke—they’d have to watch what they said around him.

Hong Xiaoqiang glanced at Xu Chen and chimed in:

“Xu Chen’s awesome—he’s already running his own company!”

The group murmured in amazement:

“Running a company? That’s incredible!”

“Seriously? Is it a startup? Can you loop us in?”

Xu Chen downplayed it:

“I’m just messing around with it as a side hobby. Don’t think of it as anything serious.

It’s not a big operation—just got it registered recently.”

Now Xu Chen was the center of attention, and Jiao Tianbo, still irritated, said sarcastically:

“A shell company, huh?

Does it have an office? We should check it out!”

He probably figured Xu Chen had just filed paperwork without any real setup.

Xu Chen inwardly smirked at the jab.

“Sure, my office is in the Tonghai Creative Design Building on Chifeng Road. We can swing by sometime!”

Everyone lit up with surprise:

“Wait, you actually have an office? That’s got to be legit!”

“Xu Chen—er, Boss Xu!

Hook us up if you make money!”

“What kind of business is it?”

“…”

The proud academic Jiao Tianbo looked deflated, his eyebrows arching unevenly.

Xu Chen played it cool, teasing a bit:

“It’s really just for fun. The office is mostly empty—I go there to browse the web now and then.

We can grab tea together sometime…”

Pei Qian stepped forward:

“Renting in the city center isn’t cheap, though.

Guess we’ve got a rich guy in class.”

Xu Chen stayed modest:

“Not at all. My spot’s tiny.

Plus, there’s design contest subsidies for university startups, so the rent’s a steal…”

To change the topic, he added:

“3104 still has one more roommate, right?”

Huo Dashan grinned: “Yeah, the ‘Jiangsu-Zhejiang Prince’. He’s a Zhejiang rich kid—out picking up a car right now.”

Hong Xiaoqiang exclaimed: “Picking up a car?! That’s next-level!”

As a Zhejiang native himself, he was shocked and a bit envious of the flashiness.

Huo Dashan explained:

“The ‘Jiangsu-Zhejiang Prince’ fits the name—it’s Qian Xin.

He showed up this morning like a big-shot boss, head to toe in designer stuff worth at least ten grand…

Today, he mentioned his family bought him a ride, so he went to get it.”

Xu Chen laughed: “Now that’s a real rich kid and big boss!”

Hong Xiaoqiang added:

“But I think Xu Chen’s cooler—making money by starting his own thing.

Spending money’s easy; earning it takes skill.”

His words carried a hint of disdain for that fellow Zhejiang heir.

“…”