Chapter 182 Library Opening

June 20th, early morning.

In the west of Lianzhou City, a courtyard that had been deserted for a long time has been transformed into the tallest building in Lianzhou City after three months of meticulous construction.

Since its construction began, it has been under the curious and expectant gaze of the people of Lianzhou.

Therefore, when the sound of firecrackers suddenly rang out in the early morning, even though it was still early, many people quickly gathered around to watch.

The crowd was bustling and lively, all of them were curious and eager to explore this tall building.

At this moment, the door of the building slowly opened from the inside, and Chu Ci and Mrs. Fan Jingrui walked out of the building side by side.

"Oh, isn't this Chu Ci, the principal of the 'Women's College'?" Chu Ci was indeed a prominent figure in Lianzhou City. As soon as she showed up, she was immediately recognized by the sharp-eyed person.

However, compared to Chu Ci's identity, people are more interested in the function of this building.

Some people, based on Chu Ci's past deeds, speculated: "This building was built in the West City. Could it be another place similar to 'premarital training'?"

At this moment, a businessman who lived nearby slowly stepped forward with a mysterious look on his face and said, "That shouldn't be the case. I saw someone transporting quite a few books in a while ago."

"Is it possible that Principal Chu is planning to open a bookstore?" However, as soon as this speculation was put forward, it was immediately met with strong opposition from others.

"Why would a bookstore need such a huge building? This is five stories high. There aren't many buildings of this size in the entire Great Zhou, are there?"

…

Chu Ci saw that everyone was making enthusiastic guesses but no one guessed correctly. She looked at everyone like this, raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and then walked slowly to the plaque with Fan Jingrui.

Then, Chu Ci and Fan Jingrui raised their hands at the same time in perfect tacit understanding, and gently but firmly removed the red cloth on the plaque.

As they moved, the red cloth slowly slid down, and gradually, the three big words "Library" on the plaque appeared clearly in front of everyone.

Faced with this unprecedented plaque, the scene, which had just quieted down a little, suddenly became noisy again.

"What on earth does this 'library' mean? I've never heard of it before." Someone shouted in confusion.

"Well, it should be similar to a bookstore, right? Look at the name, I think the books sold there should be more diverse than those in a bookstore, right?" Another person speculated, touching his chin.

"It's indeed possible, but how exactly it happens is really confusing." The person next to him also echoed.

"Then let's see how Principal Chu explains it." Someone suggested.

"Well, that's the only way." Everyone nodded in agreement, their eyes all looking at Chu Ci, eagerly waiting for her answer.

At this time, Chu Ci finally stepped forward, took out a loud speaker, and said with a smile: "Everyone, listen to me. This library is a place where all kinds of books are collected for everyone to read, study, and consult information."

Everyone was surprised, and those with students at home immediately asked loudly, "Master Chu, is it expensive just for reading, studying, and looking up information?"

Chu Ci smiled and said, "To borrow books from our library, first of all, you must apply for a library card. To apply for this card, you need to pay five cents per month..."

Only five cents, that's ridiculously cheap! Are you sure this isn't some kind of charity?

Some harbored good intentions, while others harbored dark thoughts. "Master Chu, can we all go in and read as we please?"

Chu Ci was not angry, and said slowly, "Of course it is fine. But everyone must remember to maintain silence in the library, never damage the books, and be careful to protect the public environment."

"That's natural." Someone responded immediately, thinking that Chu Ci's requests were natural and normal.

However, some people have vague concerns, wondering whether there may be some hidden traps.

At this moment, a man in a coarse cloth shirt appeared in the crowd. After a moment's hesitation, he finally asked, "Shanzhang Chu, if any books are accidentally damaged, how should compensation be provided?"

"It depends on the extent of the damage to the book. If it doesn't affect reading, then the person will be restricted from borrowing the book again for a certain period of time. If it does affect reading, compensation will be paid based on the extent of the damage."

Chu Ci slowly explained the rules that had been set in advance.

Seeing that the other party still had doubts, Chu Ci continued, "Don't worry, each of our books has a price tag. You don't need to worry about us blackmailing you."

Seeing Chu Ci express his worries so accurately, the man's face flushed instantly and he stammered, "I... I'm not..."

At this time, Fan Jingrui hurriedly comforted him, "Don't be nervous, brother, and don't be embarrassed. It's normal for people to have doubts and thoughts when facing these rules for the first time."

Chu Ci then spoke up, "Please rest assured, everyone, all the library's rules are fair, reasonable, and transparent. There is absolutely no deception or fraud. Everything we do is to help everyone learn better and create a positive atmosphere for learning."

"Very good!" With this loud shout, everyone moved aside, because at this time the teachers, students and Zhang Yaoyang's adjutant were carried here together.

Chu Ci and Fan Jingrui exchanged a glance, then stepped forward steadily and bowed, saying, "I, Fan Jingrui (Chu Ci), respectfully pay my respects to the Governor and the Commander-in-Chief."

"No need for formalities," the Governor said with a smile and a wave of his hand. "I heard that Principal Chu has opened a library for the students of Lianzhou at his own expense. It's such a meaningful and beneficial undertaking for the students. I'd be remiss not to join in the fun and show my support!"

If there were previous rumors that Chu Ci had a powerful background, those were just rumors.

However, now, after everyone witnessed all this, everyone looked at the library with a completely different meaning.

Chu Ci held his breath, but since the benefits were delivered to his door, he couldn't let it go easily.

Chu Ci immediately seized the opportunity and said politely with a smile, "How about you two also apply for a library card?"

Seeing the two hesitate, Chu Ci immediately said, "The types of books in our library are extremely rich and diverse, covering astronomy, geography, history, literature, and many other fields. It can be said that we have everything."

The teachers, students, and common people didn't fully believe Chu Ci's words, but this was the original reason for their visit. "That's fine, then what do you need me to do?"