Ye Qiu realized he had been set up by Yang Le and Li Dazhuang.
When filling out names for the vote, Ye Qiu noticed Yang Le and Li Dazhuang exchanging glances. Ye Qiu thought Yang Le wanted to be the class monitor and had asked Li Dazhuang to vote for him. Without much thought, Ye Qiu cast his vote for Yang Le. Unexpectedly, both of them wrote down his name. Since Lan Kexin only knew Ye Qiu in the class, she naturally wrote down his name as well. The other vote wasn't Ye Qiu's, and he couldn't figure out who had thrown in that curveball.
Ye Qiu felt he was unsuitable for the class monitor role and stood up to say, "Mr. Chen, I don't think I'm suitable for being the class monitor."
Chen Hailiang, with a smiling gaze, studied Ye Qiu. He saw a steady young man who lacked the arrogance and brashness typical of new students at Shuimu University. He was quite satisfied with Ye Qiu as the class monitor and had no intention of changing his mind. Smiling, he said, "Ye Qiu, why do you think you're not suitable? There's nothing too difficult in life; it's just about having the determination. If you put in the effort, you can do well as the class monitor. It's not like we're asking you to be the president of the United States. Besides, your classmates voted for you because they trust you; you shouldn't let them down."
Ye Qiu still wanted to suggest Yang Le for the role, but Chen Hailiang gave him no chance to speak. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Ye Qiu, let's settle this for now. If it turns out you're truly unsuitable, I'll replace you. Now, let's talk about the freshman rules and military training guidelines."
The student handbook, distributed during registration, detailed the rules. Chen Hailiang emphasized some key points and potential pitfalls. Freshman military training was scheduled for a month later when school activities had settled down, and students were familiar with their surroundings. The training would take place at a nearby military base in Beijing, following past practices.
Shuimu University, as a top-tier institution, aimed to develop students comprehensively in morals, intellect, and physical fitness. This approach was understandable.
"Does anyone have any questions?" Chen Hailiang asked after explaining all the key points.
Seeing no questions, he looked at Ye Qiu and said, "Ye Qiu, come to my office."
Reluctantly, Ye Qiu followed Chen Hailiang to his office.
Chen Hailiang's office was a private one, about twenty square meters, simply decorated. It was quite an achievement for a counselor to have a private office.
"The archaeology department is Shuimu University's smallest department, so I'm the only counselor. The benefit is that I get a private office, which is quite a privilege compared to other departments," Chen Hailiang explained with a laugh. He pulled up a chair and said, "Have a seat."
He fetched a pack of cigarettes from his drawer, offering one to Ye Qiu. Ye Qiu accepted, and after lighting up, Chen Hailiang took a deep drag, observing Ye Qiu through the smoke.
Chen Hailiang suddenly thought of an old saying: "This is a person with a story." Indeed, it was the only way to explain how such a young student could be so calm and composed, even more so than himself, a teacher with years of social experience.
"Why don't you want to be the class monitor?" Chen Hailiang asked, flicking the ash off his cigarette.
"Never done it before. Don't want to do it," Ye Qiu replied with a brief smile that quickly faded.
"Do you think being the monitor for a dozen people is meaningless?"
"Even if it were for two hundred people, I still wouldn't be interested," Ye Qiu admitted frankly.
Chen Hailiang's interest in Ye Qiu grew. Smiling, he said, "Do you know why I insisted on you being the monitor?"
"No idea."
"Because aside from your four votes, everyone else only received one vote each," Chen Hailiang said, his eyes gleaming with wisdom behind his glasses.
Ye Qiu understood. Yang Le, Li Dazhuang, and Lan Kexin had voted for him, leaving no votes for themselves. The others had cast their sole votes for him as well.
Ye Qiu smiled bitterly, recognizing the pride and ambition of these university students.
Seeing Ye Qiu's reaction, Chen Hailiang nodded in satisfaction. "Do a good job. Though our archaeology department is small, the benefits for the monitor can be significant. When the school offers perks, we can't be completely overlooked. While we may not get as much as other departments, the competition is also less fierce. These perks usually go to the monitor. When you graduate, we'll even get you an outstanding graduate award. Isn't that prestigious?"
"Why don't I feel the slightest bit tempted?" Ye Qiu thought, finding the idea of being an outstanding graduate of a twenty-person department ridiculous.
After leaving Chen Hailiang's office, Ye Qiu collected the textbooks for the class with Li Dazhuang, Yang Le, and Lan Kexin. He declined their invitation to lunch and called Tang Guo, learning she was in her dorm. He rushed to the school gate to wait for her.
Soon, Tang Guo and Lin Bao'er appeared, capturing the hearts of countless boys. As their gaze shifted to Ye Qiu, many stared at him with envious eyes. Fortunately, Ye Qiu was mentally prepared for this.
"Ye Qiu, guess what? Sister Tang just got elected as the Youth League Secretary," Lin Bao'er said with a smile. Being elected in the Economics and Management department, a large department, was no small feat. At Shuimu University, one of the top universities, becoming a student leader could boost future job prospects.
"Really? Congratulations," Ye Qiu responded with a calm smile, wondering if he should mention his own election to shock them a bit.
The three took a taxi back to the Blue Apartment, noticing several cars parked at the entrance. As Ye Qiu followed Tang Guo and Lin Bao'er into the courtyard, Tang Buyi came out, smiling, accompanied by a beautiful woman Ye Qiu had met before.
This was the first time Tang Buyi had visited the Blue Apartment since Ye Qiu moved in. Normally, he left matters to Wang Bo.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8