The boys' dormitories were assigned based on registration, with personal details posted above each bed. Chen Hansheng's bed hadn't changed; it was still the one by the balcony.
This position had its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was that he could overlook the entire dormitory and see exactly what his roommates were doing; the disadvantage was that the boys' balcony was pretty dirty, and during the summer, it could get quite smelly.
Especially since the balcony was still holding onto some "treasures" left by the previous year's seniors—beer bottles, cigarette boxes, old books, and a few pairs of underwear with holes in them.
Chen Hansheng dropped his luggage and cheerfully said, "I'm Chen Hansheng from Port City in Su Dong Province. Where are you guys from?"
After he spoke, everyone was friendly and introduced themselves.
The oldest was Yang Shichao, from Northern Liaoning; next was Guo Shaoqiang, from Guangling, Su Dong Province; then Dai Zhenyou, from Northern Jingbei.
Chen Hansheng was fourth in age, followed by Li Zhenan from Guangdong and Jin Yangming, a local from Jianye.
After a brief introduction, they started complimenting each other's hometown specialties. This was typical for a second-tier school—nobody could really praise each other's high school exam scores.
After chatting for a while, "big brother" Yang Shichao pulled out a pack of cigarettes and passed them around. Guo Shaoqiang and Chen Hansheng both took one, while Dai Zhenyou hesitated and then lit up his cigarette with some awkwardness. Li Zhenan and Jin Yangming declined.
Seeing that two people had refused, Yang Shichao felt a little embarrassed and tried to convince them, "We're all college students now, what's the harm in smoking a cigarette?"
Guo Shaoqiang added, "There are already four smokers in the dorm. If you don't want second-hand smoke, you could just smoke with us."
Seeing the two younger guys hesitate, Chen Hansheng just smiled and didn't say anything.
After graduation, he didn't stay in touch with Jin Yangming, but he did keep in touch with Li Zhenan. The guy got into stocks and cryptocurrencies after returning home and ended up making a fortune.
When Chen Hansheng went on a business trip to Guangdong, he caught up with him. By then, Li Zhenan had become a regular at entertainment clubs, and smoking was the least of his concerns.
But right now, Li Zhenan was still naïve. After some persuasion, he took one, only to choke and cough heavily. Yang Shichao and Guo Shaoqiang laughed, not maliciously but just for fun.
Jin Yangming teased, "This cigarette's only a few bucks a pack, no wonder it's so harsh. If you're gonna smoke for the first time, try something like Zhonghua or Su Yan. They're smoother and tastier."
Li Zhenan nodded, red-faced. Yang Shichao looked displeased by Jin Yangming's comment, which implied his cigarette was too bad.
"I've always smoked these from my hometown, never tried better ones," Yang Shichao muttered under his breath.
Realizing his mistake, Jin Yangming didn't reply.
The dormitory fell silent, with only Chen Hansheng casually smoking. He thought to himself, college students were really too adorable, turning such small matters into big conflicts.
But he didn't intervene. Dorm life often had its petty squabbles, and most of the time, the people involved didn't even care. It was the well-meaning guys who tried to step in and resolve things, only to make them worse.
Chen Hansheng stood up, stretched, and grabbed a broom and mop to go out onto the balcony.
The smell on the balcony was terrible, so much so that the cigarette smell couldn't even mask the stench. The whole dorm had only cleaned it once a month, and he didn't know how the previous six people tolerated it.
He was very skilled at cleaning, and within no time, he had started scrubbing away. Some of the roommates, watching him go back and forth from the bathroom to get water, couldn't help but speak up.
Li Zhenan was the first to say, "Should we help Chen Ge? After all, this is our shared dorm. We can't just leave it all to him."
Before anyone else could speak, Jin Yangming responded, "The balcony's small. If we go over, we'll just get in the way. We can just treat Chen Ge to breakfast tomorrow."
Yang Shichao, who was quick to act, opened the balcony door and said, "Old Four, want some help?"
Chen Hansheng, who was busy cleaning the black spots on the floor, didn't even know if it was some prank left by someone else. It was so difficult to clean.
"No need, I can handle it myself," he refused.
"Chen Ge, let me help," Li Zhenan insisted, already taking off his shoes.
Chen Hansheng wiped the sweat off his forehead and, impatiently, said, "I told you no, so don't come. Go get the cigarettes off Yang Ge's desk."
It was the first time Yang Shichao heard someone call him "Old Yang." He repeated the name in his mind a couple of times and found it sounded good. From then on, "Old Yang" would be his nickname for the next four years.
Chen Hansheng took the cigarettes and pushed Li Zhenan back outside. He hummed a random tune and continued scrubbing away.
Jin Yangming, laughing, said, "See, I told you. Chen Ge's just a straightforward guy. He must be the kind of person who's always doing things at home."
Guo Shaoqiang nodded. "Old Four is definitely down-to-earth. He probably does all the chores at home."
The two guys had only talked a little and already labeled Chen Hansheng as "down-to-earth." This was a common thing among college students—they'd judge people based on just a few incidents.
"Let's just have Chen Ge be the dorm leader," Jin Yangming suggested.
The dorm leader didn't actually have much power, but Jin Yangming was hoping Chen Hansheng would take over cleaning duties for the dorm.
Chen Hansheng spent an hour and a half cleaning the balcony. By the time he was done, he realized that Jin Yangming had unofficially made him the "leader."
"Chen Ge, after our unanimous vote, we've decided to make you the dorm leader and lead 602 to a brighter future!" Jin Yangming said proudly.
"There was no vote. We could just take turns being dorm leader," Li Zhenan, who had been the only one to oppose, spoke up.
Chen Hansheng smiled, flicked his cigarette butt away, and said, "No problem, then I'll be the dorm leader."
The dorm leader didn't really have any authority, but it all depended on who held the position. Some people could have a big impact even in an unnoticed role.
…
After cleaning the balcony, Chen Hansheng realized he was hungry again, but the cafeteria was closed, and there was no takeaway. He scratched his chin and suddenly said, "It's not even 10 PM yet, let's go out for some late-night snacks."
"What?" His roommates all looked up.
"It's too late, Han Sheng," Dai Zhenyou said.
"Too late? This is the time for late-night snacks! Hurry up and change your clothes, let's go!" Chen Hansheng urged.
Yang Shichao and Guo Shaoqiang both had a strong desire for excitement. They always felt that college was lacking something fun, and the first day of registration was just too dull. Once Chen Hansheng suggested going out, they immediately agreed.
"Old Four's right. We've all come from far and wide; we should at least have a drink together," Yang Shichao said, eagerly getting ready.
Guo Shaoqiang was already changing clothes. Both of them were proactive. Chen Hansheng had to convince the others.
"First dorm gathering, we can't leave anyone out, or I'll get isolated," he thought.
Dai Zhenyou was easygoing; he didn't have strong opinions, so he just went along with whatever.
As for Jin Yangming, before he could protest, Chen Hansheng said, "Jianye is a city that never sleeps. You, as a local, shouldn't be going to bed so early, right?"
Jin Yangming thought about it and agreed. As a superior city dweller, he couldn't let the outsiders look down on him.
"I'm not sleeping. I'm just wondering if I should call my cousin to drive us to the 1912 bar for some fun," Jin Yangming boasted.
"Alright, enough already. Let's keep it low-key. Don't bother your cousin," Chen Hansheng said, turning to Li Zhenan.
Li Zhenan, already in his pajamas, said, "Chen Ge, I really don't want to go. First, I don't drink, and second, I'm used to sleeping by this time. What are you doing…"
Before he finished, Chen Hansheng had already climbed onto his bed, picked him up, and said, "Go or not? If not, I'll strip and cuddle with you all night."
Faced with such a threat, Li Zhenan would rather drink to death than let Chen Hansheng have his way.
The others laughed, but none of them realized that Chen Hansheng's approach to persuasion was tailored to the individual and that it had remained true to his own unique character.
That's emotional intelligence.
...