Chapter 7: The Enemy of Huqing University's Male Students

"Why do you have to go down there? FAW is also great, right? Oh, didn't you study at FAW for a year? FAW is also pretty good, isn't it?" Ding Ruoyan asked curiously.

"It's a bit of personal preference, you know. If I go to those famous large enterprises, it might take 10 or 8 years before it's my turn. In a third-tier unit like this, I should be able to have a say much sooner," Chen Geng said frankly.

"How can this be considered personal preference?" Ding Ruoyan disagreed, clearly not thinking there was anything wrong with Chen Geng's idea. On the contrary, she admired Chen Geng, thinking he was very thoughtful: "Hmm, I understand. I wish you success and hope that our Chinese cars will soon be equipped with engines of world-advanced level made by us Chinese."

"Hehe... Then I'll take your good wishes," Chen Geng said happily, hesitated for a moment, and then boldly invited Ding Ruoyan: "That... I'm about to leave..."

"Are you asking me to have dinner with you?" Before Chen Geng could finish his stammering, Ding Ruoyan tilted her head and asked playfully.

"Yes... Yes..."

Chen Geng felt embarrassed, wondering why he still felt so awkward in front of her, even though he had lived two lifetimes.

"Sure," Ding Ruoyan nodded generously, smiling: "I'm hungry too."

"Ah?" Chen Geng, who had mustered up the courage to invite Ding Ruoyan, was taken aback by her quick acceptance and was momentarily stunned.

They had known each other for over a year, and their relationship was quite good, even quite friendly. However, as the flower of the Chinese Department at Huqing University, Ding Ruoyan was never short of admirers. Chen Geng was surprised that he had never seen her walk with any boy, let alone have dinner with one. Her quick acceptance made him doubt his ears: Did I hear wrong?

He stammered: "Really?"

"Besides steamed, boiled is also fine," Ding Ruoyan chuckled, smoothing her hair behind her ear: "If there's fried food, that's also good. I don't mind."

Young people in the 1980s didn't have the luxury of being picky eaters.

"Ha ha..."

Chen Geng could only laugh foolishly...

...

Chen Geng originally planned to take Ding Ruoyan out for a meal, but she insisted on going to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was also fine, and Chen Geng felt a bit smug inside.

We all understand this smugness: Look, the department flower... actually, many people think Ding Ruoyan is a campus beauty... is now having dinner with me.

But soon, Chen Geng felt a chill.

After leaving the dormitory building, Chen Geng suddenly realized that if looks could kill, he would have been riddled with holes by the angry gazes of the male students along the way.

At Huqing University, beautiful women were an extremely scarce resource. Ding Ruoyan was not only beautiful but also talented. For the young, energetic male students on campus, the combination of beauty and talent was incredibly attractive!

Don't forget, Huqing University was a place where there were many more men than women.

Previously, no one had ever seen Ding Ruoyan walk with any boy, and they could still comfort themselves with the thought that they had a chance. But now, a boy who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere was walking with the beautiful Ding Ruoyan, seemingly declaring his territory. Chen Geng instantly became the public enemy of all the male students at Huqing... well, not all. When Chen Geng saw his dorm mates in the cafeteria winking and giving him the thumbs up, he felt a bit relieved: At least I have a few supporters.

Even though Chen Geng's youthful appearance hid a mature soul, he couldn't ignore the hostile gazes of the young boys. He glared back at anyone who looked at him with ill intent, inadvertently reinforcing his claim to territory.

Ding Ruoyan clearly wasn't very hungry, poking at her food with her chopsticks intermittently. Most of her attention was on Chen Geng, her eyes twinkling as she watched him glare at people from time to time. She smiled, not knowing what she was thinking, and said in a soft voice: "Chen Geng, I think you've changed."

Chen Geng was startled but asked nonchalantly: "Hmm? What's different?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it," Ding Ruoyan shook her head. She couldn't really say what was different about Chen Geng, but her innate female intuition told her that he had changed. This was why she had accepted his invitation. She was starting to feel curious about this boy she had known for over a year: "Just that you seem more mature and steady than before."

"Do you mean I'm getting old?" Chen Geng touched his face and smiled bitterly: "No way, I'm only one year older than you. How can you make me sound like a middle-aged man?"

"Middle-aged man? Hahaha..." Ding Ruoyan burst out laughing, her body shaking with laughter. She nodded repeatedly: "That's right, now you give me the feeling of a middle-aged man."

"Oh no, if you say that, I feel like I won't be able to find a girlfriend. Do you think any girl would like a middle-aged man?" Chen Geng looked aggrieved, then pointed at his face and pleaded: "No, you have to look carefully, you must look carefully. This is a matter of my lifelong happiness, so you can't get it wrong..."

"Hahaha..."

In the 1980s, such jokes were not common, but when brought to the 1980s, they had a devastating effect. Ding Ruoyan, hearing this humor for the first time, laughed uncontrollably. Although she tried to keep from falling under the table, she was already gasping for breath: "I never knew you were so funny. Oh, I'm dying of laughter... Uncle? I like this nickname, I'll call you Uncle from now on..."

The other boys in Dorm 302 were only a few tables away from Chen Geng and Ding Ruoyan. Seeing Ding Ruoyan laughing uncontrollably, Luo Weilai, Liu Changzhi, and Hong Qianjin were all wide-eyed.

Luo Weilai spoke first, his voice full of envy and jealousy: "Damn! When did the third brother become so good at making girls happy?"

"I suspect my eyes are playing tricks on me."

"I also suspect my eyes are playing tricks on me..."

"This third brother is hiding his true colors."

"I think the third brother is too bad, hiding such good skills from us."

"He should be interrogated."

Hong Qianjin added: "If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time Ding Ruoyan has had dinner with a boy..."

Ma Chao, feeling a bit schadenfreude, said: "I think the third brother has become the public enemy of all the male students at Huqing..."

The others nodded in agreement: "Thank goodness the third brother is graduating soon, otherwise I can't imagine what his life at Huqing would be like..."

With a sense of reverence, Chen Geng reported to the National Defense Department building. But looking at the address Li Jianguo had given him and the sign on the building, Chen Geng was stunned: Isn't this the National Defense Department building? Why is it the Office of the Central Military Commission?

Chen Geng, a country bumpkin, of course didn't know that in September 1982, the Fifth National People's Congress (NPC) passed a constitutional amendment that established the Central Military Commission to lead the nation's armed forces. The Central Military Commission operates under the chairmanship system, with the chairman elected or removed by the NPC, and is accountable to the NPC and its Standing Committee. This established a highly centralized and unified national defense leadership system.

Since then, the National Defense Department no longer functions as the "external name" of the Central Military Commission. It is merely a military work agency under the State Council, with no decision-making or executive power. The National Defense Department is nominally responsible for public military diplomacy, conscription, and national defense education, but the actual work is carried out by the headquarters of the Central Military Commission.

Currently, the National Defense Department is a standard "three-no" unit: no specific organization, no specific structure, and no formal office. Although it is commonly known as the National Defense Department building, it is actually the Office of the Central Military Commission.

There are so many twists and turns, and the tangled mess is like an unsolvable ball of yarn. How could Chen Geng, a country bumpkin, know? Fortunately, on the last wooden sign hanging at the entrance, he saw the name of the National Defense Department.

The National Defense Department building in 1985 was quite simple. There were no luxurious crystal chandeliers worth millions in the hall, no exclusive elevators for leaders, and the paint on the floor was even peeling off in some places. Although it was clean, it remained simple.

Before reporting, Chen Geng had specifically asked his classmates who had already reported about the rules and precautions. He was prepared to be cold-shouldered by the personnel department, but the reality was quite comforting. When he heard that Chen Geng was a student reporting, the officer who looked like the head of the personnel department was reserved but warm: "Oh, you're here to report? Give me your documents... Which school are you from?"