Chapter 17: Encounter

Although the school had a分流 (分流 means分流 in English, but in this context, it should be translated as "diversion" or "separation"), it still took Zhao Heng and Qiao Yuncai three hours to complete all the procedures. However, what delighted Qiao Yuncai was that both of them were not only students of the School of Economics and Management but also roommates in the same dormitory. This made Qiao Yuncai rub his head and laugh heartily, thinking that having a compatible roommate was better than anything else.

In the scorching heat of the afternoon, after finishing all the enrollment procedures, Zhao Heng and Qiao Yuncai finally breathed a sigh of relief. They entered the school supermarket to buy two bottles of purified water and squatted in the shade to rest. Zhao Heng looked at the bustling corridor and sighed, feeling that he had finally become a freshman at Huadai University. Qiao Yuncai, however, was staring at the legs of the girls, his eyes shining.

"Xiao Qiao, why did you come by train?"

Leaning against the tree, Zhao Heng sipped the mineral water in small gulps and asked Qiao Yuncai, who was panting heavily, "Although you didn't tell me your true identity, I know that the Qiao family is far from ordinary. Despite your rustic appearance, your manners and speech reveal a good upbringing."

"Plus, the strength of your handshake and that analysis."

Zhao Heng looked at the relatively honest Qiao Yuncai, "Could it be that you're just pretending to be simple?"

Qiao Yuncai's hand, which was drinking water, paused slightly. He then turned his head and met Zhao Heng's gaze frankly, "Old Zhao, your eyes are pretty sharp. The Qiao family is doing well in Huaxi, but it doesn't affect our relationship at all. I came to Huadai University to study and make a few friends."

"A few reliable, genuine friends."

Qiao Yuncai straightened his body slightly and finished the last of the water in the bottle.

Zhao Heng did not press further, although he had only known Qiao Yuncai for a few hours, the wealthy but down-to-earth man gave him a sense of honesty. Moreover, as Qiao Yuncai said, university life should be as simple as possible. Getting involved in family backgrounds would only add to the troubles, so he let the matter drop.

"Old Zhao, from now on, we're brothers."

Qiao Yuncai had already finished his bottle of mineral water and then rushed to the supermarket to buy a five-liter bottle of cola. He pulled open his collar and drank it in large gulps, then burped and added, "We'll share prosperity and adversity. There's nothing we can't conquer with a pat on the shoulder. Don't worry, I'll always have your back."

Zhao Heng couldn't help but smile bitterly and then patted his body.

"Let's go to the dormitory, put our things down, and take a shower."

Qiao Yuncai, holding the large bottle of cola, nodded repeatedly, "Sure!"

Just as the two were about to stand up and head to the dormitory, a loud sports car screeched past from behind. Zhao Heng instinctively pulled Qiao Yuncai back two steps. The red sports car narrowly missed them, and if they hadn't dodged quickly, they might have been hit.

Even so, Qiao Yuncai couldn't hold the cola bottle steady and it fell to the ground, shattering under the wheels. The cola splashed onto several passersby, and a small patch of it landed on Zhao Heng and Qiao Yuncai's pants. Qiao Yuncai, heartbroken, immediately started cursing, "How do you drive? You crushed my cola!"

The surrounding pedestrians almost fainted collectively. This fat guy was too much! They all felt dissatisfied with the driver, but seeing the streamlined sports car and the impressive license plate, they knew it was a rich second generation, not someone they could afford to offend. So they could only accept their bad luck, and Qiao Yuncai could only vent his anger with a few curses.

After all, they couldn't catch up to the car to seek justice.

However, to everyone's surprise, the red sports car slowly reversed back and stopped beside the surprised Zhao Heng and Qiao Yuncai. The dark window quickly rolled down, revealing a delicate face. Zhao Heng was slightly taken aback; it was Ding Lingling, whom he had just parted ways with half a day ago. Before he could speak, she coldly snorted, "Zhao Heng?"

She glanced at Zhao Heng, "I didn't expect you to really be a freshman at Huadai."

Qiao Yuncai, seeing the beautiful girl, immediately had stars in his eyes, "Zhao Heng, is she your friend?"

"Shut up!"

Before Zhao Heng could speak, Ding Lingling rudely interrupted, "Who's his friend? I, Ding Lingling, don't have a friend like him. Don't speak if you don't know." Then she glared at Zhao Heng, "I'll say it again, don't get close to her! Or I'll make you regret it, got it?"

Qiao Yuncai was taken aback, not expecting the girl to be so domineering.

Zhao Heng glanced at her and coldly said, "I have one word for you: scram!"

Ding Lingling laughed in anger, pointing at Zhao Heng with a murderous look, "Fine! You've got guts. We'll see how this plays out. I'll show you who Huadai belongs to." With that, she stepped on the gas and the red sports car sped away, enveloped in unbridled anger and arrogance.

"Zhao Heng, who is that girl?"

Qiao Yuncai had recovered from the cola incident, "So aggressive."

Zhao Heng patted his clothes and said calmly, "Just a passerby, not worth mentioning."

Seeing that Zhao Heng didn't want to talk about it, Qiao Yuncai wisely didn't press further. Instead, he pointed at the surroundings and chatted with the girl, trying to shift the mood from the unpleasant incident. He then took another sip of cola and the two continued toward the dormitory area, quickly leaving the unpleasantness behind.

At the top floor of the male dormitory in Southwest 701, after climbing sixty steps, Zhao Heng didn't even pant. This amount of exercise was nothing to him, as he had been training himself like a machine since he was ten, carrying bricks and running in the wilderness. Perhaps climbing seventy floors would make him feel a bit of pressure.

However, for Qiao Yuncai, the seven floors were a major challenge. He cursed the leadership of Huadai University and was so angry that he almost wanted to pay someone to install an elevator. If Zhao Heng hadn't stopped him in time, Qiao Yuncai would have called the newspaper to criticize Huadai University for tormenting the freshmen, making them climb like dogs.

When Zhao Heng dragged Qiao Yuncai into the room, he immediately collapsed on the bed, panting.

"This Huadai University... says it has good welfare... but no elevator..."

Before Qiao Yuncai could finish his complaint, he was surprised to see Zhao Heng neatly tidy up the bed in less than five minutes. A warm and tidy bed appeared, with a few books and a small lamp on the bedside table, and even a glass of water. This made Qiao Yuncai exclaim at Zhao Heng's efficiency.

"Quick, tidy up your bed."

Zhao Heng took off his clothes and went to the bathroom to shower. Qiao Yuncai took a deep breath, drank two large gulps of cola, and then started to tidy up his luggage. Although he was good at budgeting, his ability to take care of himself was lacking, and no matter how he tried, the bed was not satisfactory.

While tidying up the bed, he glanced at the empty bed.

Song Qingguan!

After tidying up the bed and resting for two hours, Zhao Heng, feeling refreshed, was ready to go to the cafeteria for dinner. However, Qiao Yuncai insisted on taking him to the food street outside the campus, saying that the university cafeteria would be crowded and that they should treat themselves on their first day to celebrate their acquaintance.

Unable to resist Qiao Yuncai's persistence and enthusiasm, Zhao Heng followed him out of the university gate. Although he was usually cold and silent, he was quite easy-going with the people around him. Qiao Yuncai's straightforward and lively personality made Zhao Heng less stubborn, so he directly headed to the food street next to Huadai University.

That was the famous Huadai Food Street.

In Huadai, a southern economic center, it was not uncommon to find banquets costing tens of thousands of yuan per table, but it was also easy to find cheap snacks for a few yuan. The Huadai Food Street, which gathered snacks from all over the country, might not be entirely authentic, but it was perfect for a satisfying meal without too much fuss. The street was bustling with people from all walks of life, including sweet couples, groups of citizens or tourists, and even some troublemakers. The noise was deafening, and the steam from the food stalls mixed with the appropriate lighting overhead.

The urban flavor of the international city was vividly portrayed.

Although the evening lights brought a slight chill and the crowd was dense, the sight of the delicate snacks and the warm calls of the vendors subtly reduced the bleakness of the season. Zhao Heng's appetite was whetted, and Qiao Yuncai indulged himself, eating to his heart's content.

Steamed dumplings, beef offal, fish balls—Qiao Yuncai's stomach was round and full.

"I heard there's a grilled chicken stand at the corner of the street, and it's quite good."

Qiao Yuncai, who had just swallowed three beef balls, seemed insatiable and pulled Zhao Heng to another corner. Zhao Heng, helpless, followed him. Perhaps because the food street attracted so many people, the corner Qiao Yuncai aimed for was relatively quiet, with few people walking by except for the occasional speeding car.

Just as Zhao Heng and Qiao Yuncai were about to head to the grilled chicken stand about fifty meters away, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps came from the dark road ahead, accompanied by male shouts and desperate cries for help, "Help! Help!"

Zhao Heng's heart stirred, and he instinctively pulled Qiao Yuncai behind him.