TITCFRIBN 13

 Chapter 13

Trekking through the rain while maintaining formation is a challenging task for contemporary delicate college students.

The rain soaked the hair under their military training caps, and the wind carrying the rain squinted their eyes. Everyone held their breath, thinking that once they reached the gymnasium, they could pull out their phones and resume their gossip.

While Chen Hao and his wife's gossip was heavy and serious, Chen He's gossip was light and entertaining, and it was engaging without being burdensome.

However, when everyone finally arrived at the gymnasium and looked up to see a burly man in camouflage standing on the high platform, an inexplicable sense of foreboding arose.

The chief instructor placed the microphone close to his mouth and spoke firmly, “Alright, all teams present, attention! At ease!”

An Cheng wiped the rain off his face and reluctantly adjusted his position.

The chief instructor's voice was deep and hearty, “The training time is limited, just half a month. Everyone needs to make the most of it, and the rain shouldn't be an excuse for not giving your best.”

The whole room of students immediately groaned in dissatisfaction.

“Alright!” The chief instructor suddenly became stern, “Attention! Begin practicing the marching steps.”

“One, two, one, freeze!”

An Cheng's expression was as cold as poison, his gaze unyielding.

At this moment, his tough guy image was probably not just an act.

Half an hour later, the chief instructor relaxed and allowed everyone to rest.

An Cheng walked to the open space behind the gymnasium, picked up his bag that he had set down earlier, and looked inside. Seeing the empty water bottle, he paused in silence before putting it back.

A light blue cup was held out to him, containing more than half a bottle of water. Bai Qing leaned over, her face still pale despite the grueling military training.

“Cheng-ge, have some of mine.”

An Cheng accepted without refusing, tipping the cup back to drink without touching the rim.

After drinking, An Cheng was not eager to return to his original position.

The gymnasium was a confined space. Even though there were ventilation openings, with so many people crowded together, the mix of dampness and heat made it feel muggy and stuffy. He was already drenched in sweat, while Bai Qing seemed unaffected.

Is this the magic of a paper doll?

Bai Qing stood next to An Cheng, his back against the wall. He held his military cap in one hand, fanning himself lightly. Although it looked like he was fanning himself, most of the breeze ended up going toward An Cheng.

An Cheng glanced at Bai Qing.

Bai Qing smiled, “Let’s fan each other, it’s not awkward.”

An Cheng nodded, quietly saying, “Thank you.”

He was dying to discuss Chen Hao and his family's sensational gossip with Bai Qing. It was so explosive, even more thrilling than TV dramas, but his current persona severely shackled his soul.

Bai Qing seemed to think An Cheng wouldn’t talk about such things. He looked at An Cheng with bright eyes and asked, “Cheng-ge, do you have any younger siblings?”

An Cheng thought of the Ultraman pictures his younger brother had sent recently. His irritation eased a bit, and he nodded, “Yes, I have a younger brother.”

“Just as I thought,” Bai Qing looked up at the ceiling of the gymnasium, “I feel like Cheng-ge must be good at taking care of others. You must be quite a responsible older brother.”

An Cheng: “…No.”

[System, system! I’m not out of character, right? I haven’t really taken care of him! I’m not responsible for this! I was just helping him, not taking care of him!]

The little cat ignored An Cheng because he had previously complained about wanting to discuss the juicy gossip, but An Cheng found him too unpersonable, lacking in feeling for meaningful communication.

Even the system has its limits!

As An Cheng fumed silently, the sound system suddenly crackled to life.

The chief instructor started speaking, “Does everyone’s phone have no signal?”

A chorus of students responded, “Yes!”

Bai Qing pulled out his phone and saw that it had only a 2G signal. No wonder so many people were holding up their phones, trying to find a signal.

A 2G network was indeed quite a struggle for students eager to catch up on gossip.

The chief instructor continued, “I noticed some of you were about to fall asleep during training, so I need to wake you up.”

He paused for a moment, building suspense, “Are there any students willing to come up and perform?”

The atmosphere immediately heated up. Many people began to push their friends toward the stage, but no one wanted to be the first. It wasn’t until the chief instructor took the lead and sang a military song that students began to step up.

Most of the performers were girls from the finance department, and their singing and dancing were like vibrant flowers, brightening the eyes of the drowsy boys.

An Cheng didn’t watch, as he was apologizing to 007.

[I’m sorry, I can’t do without you.]

The little cat pouted, “So, you only come to apologize after you’ve bullied me? Am I just a system you can treat however you like? I’m clearly undervalued.”

[You can punish me however you want.]

The little cat wagged its tail, “Go up and perform something for me. You’ve experienced so much of the world, you shouldn’t be afraid.”

An Cheng: …Go to hell.

Will my persona collapse!?

On the stage, after a young lady finished her dance, the chief instructor, holding the microphone, said regretfully, “Where are the boys from the finance department? Don’t you have any pride or face? How about coming up and showing what you can do?”

Although the boys cheered, few actually volunteered. Going up meant being in the spotlight, and not performing well meant losing the chance for a lifetime of potential partners.

Instructor Wang, sitting in the crowd, began searching for Bai Qing and finally spotted him.

He had bragged to his team about a handsome young man in his group, and now that the opportunity had arrived, he couldn’t let it go without making use of it.

He cleared his throat and called out, “Bai Qing, go up.”

People in the formation who were close to Bai Qing wanted to cheer him on but held back, as no one was eager to volunteer.

Bai Qing walked back to the formation, “Instructor, I’d rather not.”

Instructor Wang was dissatisfied, “What’s the matter? Didn’t you play the guitar?” This was something he had heard in a previous conversation.

Bai Qing replied, “The guitar isn’t here right now.”

Instructor Wang: “No problem, we can get it from the gym. Just ask, and it will be delivered.”

An Cheng squinted and walked over.

How could he let Bai Qing go up and attract the attention of those potential perverts by performing two pieces?

But just as he took a few steps, the chief instructor suddenly spoke, “Wang Chong, what are you hesitating for? Is there anyone from your group who wants to come up?”

Wang Chong was the name of Instructor Wang, and being called out, he had no choice but to pat Bai Qing on the shoulder, “He’s the visual representative of our team and can play the guitar. Let him go.”

At these words, a thousand pairs of eyes turned toward Bai Qing.

Bai Qing: …

An Cheng: …

At this point, what could he do to stop it? He took a step back and retreated.

Then the chief instructor pointed at An Cheng, “You.”

An Cheng stopped in his tracks as he heard, “Yes, you. Why are such a handsome young man hiding at the back? Come up with that handsome guy from earlier.”

An Cheng: …

The little cat sneered in his heart.

An Cheng and Bai Qing stood on the stage, facing the gaze of over four thousand people.

Bai Qing gave a faint smile, looking relatively at ease, clearly accustomed to such occasions. As for An Cheng… he was the cool guy, and his expression remained unchanged.

The chief instructor handed the microphone to Bai Qing, “Alright, both of you, introduce yourselves.”

Bai Qing spoke softly, “My name is Bai Qing, a student from Finance Class 1.”

An Cheng took the microphone and nodded slightly, “An Cheng.”

The chief instructor was at a loss, dealing with such a taciturn person was more difficult than handling his own headstrong subordinates. He smiled to warm up the crowd, “Earlier it was mentioned that Bai Qing plays the guitar. What about you, An Cheng? What can you do?”

An Cheng: “Drums.”

This instrument was a carefully considered choice. Firstly, he actually knew how to play it, and secondly, he didn’t believe the gymnasium would have a drum kit.

...

Two minutes later, both the drum kit and the guitar were brought up.

The students below began to cheer, “Encore! Encore! Encore!”

Bai Qing looked at An Cheng, who, with a resigned expression, rolled up his sleeves to reveal his long, smooth arms and picked up the drumsticks.

“Any song will do, as long as we can find the sheet music,” An Cheng said.

Bai Qing thought for a moment and chose a simple song, “Let’s go with ‘This Life Won’t Change.’”

An Cheng nodded, found the sheet music, and placed it in front of them. They exchanged a glance and began to play.

The combination of drumbeats and guitar chords created a stirring, nostalgic melody. However, the girls in the audience were no longer paying attention to the music; their eyes were fixed on An Cheng and Bai Qing, unable to look away.

The cheap military training uniforms suddenly seemed so fitting, like impromptu performance outfits, and the two performers on stage appeared to be glowing.

When the song ended, the entire room erupted in applause.

The chief instructor clapped as well, his voice full of satisfaction, “With such skills, why hide them? Next time, step up and show everyone like a real man.”

Bai Qing nodded repeatedly and then led An Cheng off the stage.

Back in the formation, Instructor Wang wore a pleased expression but also showed hints of jealousy and desire. He approached Bai Qing and complimented him, “You did really well.”

Bai Qing nodded politely, “Thank you.”

As for An Cheng, when Instructor Wang looked his way, he met his gaze coolly, making Wang Chong feel uneasy enough to quickly look away.

Truth be told, An Cheng hoped Wang Chong would have a hard time at the finance university. Thanks to him, this performance would likely attract even more attention to Bai Qing.

Instructor Wang choked on his drink unexpectedly, coughing painfully.

An Cheng and Bai Qing returned to their original spots. Wang Qimeng came over and whispered, “I recorded a video of your performance. It’s a bit blurry, but I’ll send it to you when we’re back online.”

By the end of the afternoon training, it was already 5:30 PM. An Cheng maintained his usual expression, but inwardly he was suffering as he walked back.

Once he had internet access, he ordered takeout. He planned to eat, freshen up, and then lie down to play some games.

Yes… that’s right, lie down and play games.

Bai Qing opened WeChat and accepted the video Wang Qimeng had sent. The file was large and took a while to load. He waited patiently, walking in sync with An Cheng’s pace.

Suddenly, a notification popped up:

Announcement: The Education Department has established an investigation team to thoroughly examine Professors Chen Hao and Sun Hua. If the allegations of “misappropriating student achievements” and “embezzling national research funds” are proven true, they will be severely punished. We also ask for your patience as we conduct the investigation and provide a result as soon as possible. In the meantime, please approach online discussions rationally.

Bai Qing’s heart skipped a beat. He clicked to read the full content.

The announcement confirmed that the Education Department had set up a team to investigate the professors, and if the allegations proved true, they would face serious consequences. This made Bai Qing believe that the day of reckoning for Chen Hao and his wife might be approaching sooner than he had hoped.

Excited, he handed his phone to An Cheng, who took a quick glance and understood that 007 had already spilled the beans.

An Cheng thought for a moment and asked, “Feeling reassured now?”

Bai Qing nodded vigorously.

An Cheng nodded back, “Good. Tonight, let’s relax and play a couple of games together.”

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