Chapter 386: Chapter 309: Kiss in the Corridor

In the living room, Chen Jieyu, sitting on the same small sofa as Cheng Zhu, was completely baffled!

She had deliberately kept a certain distance from Cheng Zhu, so they didn’t sit too close together.

Based on her understanding of Cheng Zhu, she didn’t believe for a second that this man was swayed by sentiment and thus followed the trend by donating 6666 yuan.

He was simply not that kind of person!

Asking herself, Mr. Chen would naturally not think of Cheng Zhu as a bad person.

Because she had received a lot of kindness from him.

Oh, that’s not right, during the time at the B&B and the faculty dorms, he was quite bad, and he was that kind of… that kind of… anyway, that kind of bad!

In Mr. Chen’s heart, Cheng Zhu was definitely a prime example of a bad student, after all, he was one to partake in attacking his own master.

But if you were to say that this person was all about money and really unwilling to donate, that certainly wasn’t the case.

“Just that, he’s actually quite stubborn deep down and won’t easily be swayed by external forces,” Chen Jieyu thought to herself.

“He must have had his own reasons for donating over six thousand, and it definitely wasn’t because he was moved as he had claimed.”

“Even… perhaps he had been laying the groundwork for today already?” Chen Jieyu wasn’t very sure about this idea.

But just the thought of it made her scalp tingle with how elaborate that would be.

Where in the world are there college freshmen like this?

But what about reality?

Cheng Zhu had indeed been planning this from that day.

Since he brought it up, it must be true, and he did indeed fork out an extra 6666 yuan on the day he donated to the school.

To Cheng Zhu, over six thousand yuan was just a trifling amount, a very small investment.

He didn’t care.

But if used well, it could be a killer move!

Moreover, this money wouldn’t be wasted; his donation was put to good use.

Of course, this was his second killer move!

If Cheng Zhu knew the sentiments in Mr. Chen’s heart, he might find it a bit amusing.

How could there be such a college freshman in the world?

Well, think about it, when I lent you fifty thousand yuan, wasn’t there some similar ingenuity involved?

Wasn’t that premeditated groundwork too?

Of course, you have to have money to do this!

— Posers, don’t try this at home.

Cheng Zhu’s words hit the nail on the head for Dean Zhang.

This old trickster had been wanting to show off in front of his wife; who says I can’t understand the games young people play nowadays?

The simple mechanics of this game, even a kindergartner could grasp in a heartbeat.

But the key is, I’ve completed it!

Only three people in the entire school have completed it, and he took some pride in that.

Especially since his old friend Director Li was having a tough time getting through it.

But now, Cheng Zhu’s additional donation of 6666 yuan seemed to elevate the whole affair!

Dean Zhang was originally going to show off a bit, but now he could really strut his stuff!

He used to think Cheng Zhu’s appearance and temperament gave a wild vibe, seeming truly wild in his actions.

Now, looking at him again, he seemed inexplicably more and more agreeable!

–“Good kid!”

He looked at Cheng Zhu and smiled, “I didn’t want to tell you something, but after listening to what you said, I feel like I can share it with you.”

“Because I have something I want to ask you about later,” Dean Zhang added.

Cheng Zhu replied earnestly, “Alright, please do.”

“Who do you think is the person who didn’t come to claim the prize?” the little old man with a Mediterranean hairstyle chuckled.

Cheng Zhu of course thought it was him, but still deliberately locked eyes with him for a few seconds before pretending to suddenly understand.

“Dean, it couldn’t be you, could it?” he asked knowingly.

Dean Zhang nodded with a calm face.

The last time he visited Room 212 of the East Building, Cheng Zhu found this little old man quite amusing.

Now, seeing the carefree way he admitted to it, Cheng Zhu found him even more entertaining.

In his youth, the esteemed dean might well have been a force to reckon with!

Some people try to boast and it comes off as clumsy, while others lay the groundwork beforehand.

Cheng Zhu was acting like a setup man, promptly letting out a surprised and somewhat admiring “Ah?”

Professor Jian sat to the side, frowning as she glanced between her husband and this student.

She was struggling to keep up with the pace of events.

How had things suddenly turned out this way!

Chen Jieyu was watching Cheng Zhu’s face, feeling a bit like laughing but had to hold it back forcibly.

Previously, while she was in the faculty dorm, lying in Cheng Zhu’s arms, they had discussed whether the person who completed the game was Dean Zhang.

They were unanimous in their opinion that it was him.

The old man was quite the schemer, even at his age, he knew how to play a hand titled “Friends out of Nowhere”!

Thus, she was essentially watching Cheng Zhu perform.

The atmosphere among the four people in the living room was quite delicate.

One in shock, one smug, one playing it up, and one watching the show.

…

…

Cheng Zhu’s strategies were indeed effective.

He could feel from Dean Zhang’s eyes that the old man’s attitude towards him seemed to have changed.

If I know you’re the one who didn’t claim the prize, and I donate 6666 yuan just like you did, it looks like I’m just sucking up.

But if I didn’t know it was you and I did the same, that’s completely different.

It must be that I was genuinely moved. I absolutely was!

At the same time, it shows once more that–I’m a person with high awareness!

For a school like Technology University, Cheng Zhu donating less than thirty thousand yuan in total wasn’t really significant.

Some outstanding alumni who graduated years ago donate staggering amounts at a whim.

For someone of Lei Bu Si’s caliber, he even donated several billion in one go!

But for a student who had just started less than a semester ago to donate like this, it seemed particularly notable.

Moreover, this included Dean Zhang’s prize of over six thousand yuan.

Some high-principled professors or school leaders have chosen to donate certain national awards they received.

To Dean Zhang, making such a contribution to the school was nothing extraordinary on an ordinary day.

But this was money won by an old man playing games!

I’ve even beaten at least several thousand college students from the school!

Thus, the money became special to the little old man.

So, he was quite concerned about where the money went.

Originally, he wanted to ask the school staff responsible for managing the funds where the money was being used.

But recently, he’s been busy, overwhelmed by trivial matters; and age was taking its toll–things he had on his mind yesterday could easily be forgotten in the bustle of the following day.

Today, Cheng Zhu happened to visit, so why not ask him?

“Where is your donation going to be used?” Dean Zhang asked.

“It’s meant to support students from impoverished backgrounds,” Cheng Zhu answered.

“Hmm?” Dean Zhang was surprised to hear it was for this purpose and asked, “Could you explain in detail?”

This was Cheng Zhu’s second killer move.

It was only 2014, and the social issue of assistance for impoverished students wasn’t yet as blown out of proportion as it would be in a few years.

In the years to come, there would be endless skepticism around this matter.

For example, some people who shouldn’t have, ended up receiving this money.

There were even news reports of students using Apple’s full range of products and still going for this financial assistance, including attending celebrity concerts.

Many people who had attended college had seen such blatant examples in person, which were disgusting and nauseating.

In his previous life, Cheng Zhu hadn’t majored in computer science, so he wasn’t part of the second computer science class. His class back then had witnessed such scenarios.

Although this social issue wasn’t as pronounced as in later years, Dean Zhang, as a college dean, was certainly aware of the chaos that existed in various universities!

Hence, he asked Cheng Zhu to elaborate on how the money was used, how it was allocated.

Cheng Zhu looked at him and said, “Dean, I grew up in an ordinary family, and I’ve met classmates who genuinely came from poor backgrounds.”

“Sometimes, you can tell these students are more sensitive and have stronger self-esteem.”

Chen Jieyu listened quietly, her fingers on her lap instinctively curving inwards slightly, eyelids drooping a little.

Cheng Zhu continued, “These students fear others knowing their family’s specifics, fear being looked down on, fear whispers and pointed fingers…”

Dean Zhang and Jian Wanyu nodded repeatedly; in their careers, they had encountered such students.

Or rather, there was one sitting in the living room right now.

Chen Jieyu’s family situation wasn’t about being too poor to lift the pot; it was excessive gender preference.

“Even for some impoverished student applications, many charity programs require them to speak publicly, to disclose their home conditions, and perhaps even undergo voting by classmates.”

“Some of them, even if the school provides a charity lunch, are too embarrassed to attend; others don’t dare apply for public impoverished student funding or charity projects from businesses and companies, fearing the gaze of others, maybe preferring to just drink the free soup from the school.”

Many times, it’s the more self-conscious individuals who are more sensitive.

On the flip side, more confident people can live with an ‘I don’t care’ attitude.

Cheng Zhu went on, “So, I asked some people in the school for help, collecting some data from students’ meal card usage.”

“If an alumnus, over the span of two consecutive months, eats at the school cafeteria more than 60 times each month, but the total expenses don’t reach 240 yuan, we’ll add 150 yuan to their meal card.”

“The whole process doesn’t require application, it isn’t announced publicly, the money is directly credited to the meal card, and then notification is sent individually.”

Cheng Zhu was well aware that this method could still miss some people, for example, impoverished students who might have occasionally bought meals for their roommates and thus would exceed the card spending limit.

But when doing charity, everyone’s capacity is limited. You have to be clear that you can’t help everyone immediately, but you can try your best to ensure you’re helping those who really need it.

Dean Zhang heard this and nodded slightly.

Cheng Zhu’s method couldn’t be said to be perfect, but it was clear that the student had put thought into it and was willing to execute it, with his own ideas in mind.

Moreover, to accomplish this, cooperation from people within the school was needed.

This showed that he was capable in interpersonal relations too.

He had already appreciated Cheng Zhu, but now with the two moves demonstrated today, he admired him even more.

From then on, everything was easy to discuss.

Only, Chen Jieyu at the side seemed to grow more and more silent.

Cheng Zhu stayed there until eight thirty before leaving with Chen Jieyu.

The two walked out of the house, and Cheng Zhu gently closed the door.

Dean Zhang’s house was on the third floor.

They reached the resting platform between the second and third floors, Cheng Zhu ensured the surroundings were secure, and then, with a thunderous swiftness, he planted a fierce kiss on the somewhat downcast counselor’s cheek!

Chen Jieyu’s eyes, behind her gold-wire glasses, widened suddenly, sweeping away her negative emotions.

Now she felt nothing but nervousness, confusion, surprise, and indignation…

“Listen to me, don’t move,” Cheng Zhu whispered softly, “Don’t dwell on the past, you’ve got me now.”

The staircase lights were motion activated; the two standing still caused the lights to soon go out.

He was waiting for the lights to extinguish.

In the dark, he skillfully found her lips.

In the deep, prolonged kiss of the corridor, the sensor light flickered on and off.

…

(ps: First update, request for monthly votes.)