Chapter 30 [VIP]
The welcome banquet officially started at 7 p.m.
St. Weston was closed for the day, and from early morning, luxury store vehicles could be seen coming and going all over campus, delivering formal wear to students or even going to apartments to call in models for them to try on.
Tan Quelu was wearing the bright yellow short-sleeved shirt that she had already decided on.
The short-sleeved shirt was worn out from washing, and its color was actually closer to a light yellow to the naked eye, like a yellow bell tree that was about to wither at the end of April, lacking vitality.
However, paired with Tan Quelu's face, this sense of austerity was immediately washed away, instead revealing a classical beauty. It is clear that it is the person who controls the clothes, rather than the clothes overshadowing the wearer.
—Actually, even the yellow vest she wore when she went to prison looked great on Tan Quelu.
The system sincerely praised: "Host, you're so beautiful! Even without pretty clothes, you look better than them!"
Tan Quelu smiled, then turned around when she heard a noise behind her.
He hasn't even spoken yet.
The system was already screaming in frustration in its mind: [What's with the protagonist being the bottom? Is he deliberately trying to match the host's style?!]
Just a few steps away, Xia Xing had also changed into her evening gown.
He wore a light beige dress, with a white oversized shirt over it, revealing his straight, broad, and slender shoulders. His sneakers and backpack complemented each other, giving him a strong student vibe.
The two people were completely different colors.
However, the light apricot short-sleeved shirt, the distressed look of the white shirt, and the style of the sneakers and backpack are completely different from Xia Xing's usual subtle flaunting of wealth.
At first glance, it's actually quite similar to the usual style of Emerald Green.
Tan Chuanlu is not surprised that he dressed like that.
After all, the custom-made suit had been sold, and the three million yuan had gone down the drain. Xia Xing had given all the money to himself, so where would he get the extra money to buy new clothes?
Xia Xing walked over and saw Que Lu's faded collar. She smiled, seemingly quite surprised, and remarked with a sigh, "Que Lu, you really are..."
The sentence was left unfinished.
—You really are a simple and good boy.
Xia Xing swallowed the complex emotions in her voice, and smiled brightly: "Shall we go out for dinner?"
Tan Quelu nodded: "Okay."
The school cafeteria was decorated like a festival today, creating a festive atmosphere. The escalators were adorned with flowers, and even the cafeteria ladies' serving spoons were replaced with gold ones that echoed the celebration.
The two got their food and found seats.
Xia Xing watched as Tan Quelu picked up her phone again, found the right angle to take a picture, and then lowered her eyes to send a message to someone.
He didn't know when it started, but he noticed that Tan Quelu had begun to contact Zhong Wan with every meal.
Taking photos, chatting, and making relaxed expressions have almost become the other person's standard routine.
He couldn't help but sneer, laughing at the naive foolishness of the green-clad bird.
All it takes is typing out a few sweet words and spending a moment of time, yet she's stingy and miserly when it comes to basic money. What's the use of Zhong Wan's time? It's worth less than garbage; she can only fool naive fools like Tan Quelu.
Does Zhong Wan know what dating is?
If we let him come...
Hehe, Xia Xing felt an even deeper resentment in his chest, and he almost wanted to take action right now, kicking Zhong Wan into the pool and drowning her on the spot.
But he had already figured out the scale of tonight's banquet. There were quite a few security personnel in the deep end of the pool, so he needed to find a pretext to disrupt the whole event.
The system is almost giving the protagonist PTSD from that expression.
Before Tan Chuanlu could speak, it said quietly, "[Host, is the protagonist going to be pent up again?]"
During this time, the protagonist was unusually well-behaved—it knew that if the child was quiet, it was bound to cause trouble!
Tan Quelu didn't answer, and glanced at his phone screen.
Wei Guan must have been too busy, because he didn't reply to him immediately.
Tan Quelu didn't touch his chopsticks, but sat there with his eyes down, waiting.
Two minutes later, a person named Vivian added him on WeChat.
[Mr. Tan, hello, I am one of the main coordinators in charge of the welfare home funding project.]
[These are pictures from the orphanage today. The children are eating well, and they are all very grateful to the kind donors.]
[JPG.]
Vivian sent many live photos. Tan Quelu opened them, carefully examined the children's diet in the photos, and confirmed that it was no worse than his own. Only then did his expression slowly relax.
[OK. ]
Thank you for your help.
[It's no trouble.]
[You're so kind, this is what we should do.]
[Furthermore, General Manager Wei specifically instructed that we must send you a message at this time, as he was worried you might be waiting without eating.]
The last sentence clearly implies a compliment. Generally speaking, a normal person would ask Wei Guan what he is doing at this moment and why he is not posting it himself.
But I don't understand what peacock green means.
He was hungry, so he sent the other person a cute smiley face, then put away his phone and began to concentrate on eating.
After dinner, Xia Xing left early because she had something to do, while Tan Quelu went back to her dormitory as usual to do practice tests, watch cartoons, and meditate and pray.
The posts on the forum are becoming increasingly active.
[What the hell is St. Weston doing? They actually made the Golden Dome Group's logo bigger than the other two companies, are they trying to get themselves killed?]
[1L: You don't know yet? Zhong Wan has returned to the side of the Zhong family's retired emperor in glory these past few days because the project went very well.]
[2L: Oh my god, why didn't you say so earlier! Is it too late for me to start praising him now?]
[3L: My news is still stuck on how he disobeyed the Emperor last week, escaped from the hospital, and walked all night just to see Little Green Sparrow... His sycophancy is shocking to my whole family.]
[4L: Did the Wei and Xie families agree to enlarge St. Weston's logo? This spiritual shareholder is not happy.]
[5L: Today was just a social occasion for us. Who cares about these little things, elders? Did you really expect President Wei to come? He wouldn't even give you the time of day!]
[6L: Still not happy, no way, I have to take it out on the special admissions students today]
Then came replies about how to bully students admitted through special admissions programs.
Tan Quelu then clicked on the unencrypted forum section. Most of the specially admitted students didn't post much, and a few were replying to posts about part-time jobs to earn credits or renting out discounted dresses.
My phone suddenly vibrated.
Tan Quelu looked at the unfamiliar number that popped up and clicked to answer: "Hello?"
On the other end of the phone, Xie Chenbi's deep voice sounded, and he said indifferently, "Zhong Wan is not free to accompany you tonight."
"I arrived at the dormitory building at 6:40, and came down on time."
F2 is actually coming to pick him up?
Tan Quelu exclaimed "Ah!" and hesitated for a few seconds, seemingly in a difficult position: "But President, I... I've already made plans to go to the venue with my roommate today, so there's no need to trouble you."
"..." Xie Chenbi frowned slowly, his voice cold: "You're rejecting me for your roommate's sake?"
—Are they playing the hard-to-get game again?
Tan Quelu lowered her eyes, offering no explanation, only apologizing softly: "Yes, I have my own principles... I'm sorry, Chen Bi."
The black-haired boy suddenly paused.
The first time he called his name, his voice trembled slightly at the end, as if he was afraid that he would get angry and thus dislike or resent him.
Oh.
Xie Chenbi knew Tan Quelu's humble thoughts.
A flicker of pleasure crossed the boy's dark, sinister eyes, but he remained indifferent, giving a curt "Understood."
After saying that, he hung up the phone decisively.
Tan Quelu was about to put her phone away.
My phone vibrated again, and another unknown number popped up.
This time it's Wei Zhiyan.
The other person's voice was nonchalant and casual: "Awan is going to attend the New Year's banquet with Grandpa Zhong today. She's currently stuck at the old house trying on dresses, and her phone has been confiscated. I guess they don't have time to take care of you."
"Little Green Sparrow, come with me?"
Tan Quelu blinked, then boldly asked, "Wei, are you secretly inviting me?"
"Yes." Wei Zhiyan smiled. "So, will you secretly agree?"
“No.” Tan Quelu refused without hesitation.
He said reservedly, "Thank you, but I'll go with my roommate. Also, could you please keep an eye on Awan later and tell him to take care of himself and not drink too much?"
"......"
Wei Zhiyan chuckled, slightly sarcastic: "Fine—you two are both invincible Casanovas, mutually in love and running headlong into each other, and I'm the one who's being nosy."
"No, thank you for thinking of me." Tan Quelu smiled and said earnestly, "Wei, you should also take good care of your health, drink less alcohol, socialize more, and get plenty of rest."
He spouts nothing but fallacies.
Wei Zhiyan lowered his eyes and chuckled lazily: "No, you should worry more about your giant baby Awan."
"Hang up."
The call ended shortly thereafter.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a car door opening and closing downstairs in Wenhua Building, followed by a polite and careful knocking sound outside the dormitory.
Tan Quelu opened the dormitory door in a daze.
Three groups of employees from different high-end stores stood respectfully at the entrance of room 401, blocking half of the corridor and extending all the way to the dormitory building, attracting countless surprised and curious glances from students in the same building.
"Mr. Tan, this is a formal suit that Young Master Zhong asked me to deliver..."
"Mr. Tan, these are the jewelry pieces that Young Master Xie asked me to deliver..."
"Mr. Tan, these are shoes and bags that Young Master Wei asked me to deliver..."
Many brand-new, expensive packages were piled on the floor.
The system, hands on hips, laughed smugly: "Serves you right for being so stubborn!"
[They still have to line up and be the host's lapdogs! Ha, they'll just keep licking him!]
......
Tan Quelu stuffed all the gifts into the wardrobe.
I was a little worried after I finished stuffing it all in. I thought this floor-to-ceiling wardrobe was big enough to hold plenty of gifts, but I didn't expect it to be so full in just over a month.
The system was quite pleased and helped him calculate how much cash he could get after completing the task.
Listening to this, Tan Quelu suddenly asked, "Tell me, what can this money do?"
The system exclaimed, "Wow! That's a lot! With the bonus of over 100 million, the host can eat delicious food, wear beautiful clothes, live in the most expensive houses, and use the best things!"
In short, regardless of the economic system in either the original world or this world, the host is among the top 100% at the very top of the pyramid—how wonderful!
Tan Quelu blinked: "What about the remaining 99%?"
Just as the system was about to reply, it suddenly became alert, fearing that this might be a precursor to the host's illness.
It nodded a few times and said cautiously, "The remaining ninety-nine percent... the merciful god will watch over them! That's right, the merciful god is neither tired nor suffering, host, you don't need to worry about them!"
That's what I meant.
They even forced an electronic life form to become a believer.
Tan Quelu smiled and said nothing more.
At 6:30 p.m., Xia Xing finally returned to her dormitory.
After a short rest, Tan Quelu and he set off together for the welcome banquet.
In early October, Vis City already had a touch of autumn. It was the blues season, a cool evening breeze was blowing, the streetlights were lit up, students walked along chatting and laughing, and occasionally the aroma of roasted chestnuts wafted through the air.
Tan Quelu looked up and said, "It's almost autumn."
Xia Xing hummed in agreement, took off her shirt, and gently draped it over the shoulders of the peacock green shirt.
"Wear it. I went to the venue and the air conditioning was really strong. You'll be cold if you wear short sleeves."
Tan Quelu didn't refuse. She turned her head and thanked her with a smile, "Thank you, Xiaoxing."
Xia Xing looked at his face and suddenly felt a pang of longing for this moment.
Ordinary, the kind of moments I used to hate the most, the kind that are not worth mentioning.
The street smelled of chestnuts, and he was beside me, always smiling. Occasionally, a few leaves would drift down from above. We walked side by side, slowly and leisurely, as if we could walk until the end of time.
Xia Xing looked up.
His life was like a calculated path of thorns; taking a step back meant mediocrity, while taking a step forward meant the abyss.
He was surrounded by malicious encouragement, and although he knew it was a lure, he remained obstinate and jumped headfirst into the carefully laid trap.
Because he loves this abyss, he loves himself more than anything, and is willing to be a spineless and unscrupulous dog before he can become noble.
However, he has been living with Tan Quelu for more than a month.
They went to class and left get out of class together, ate together and chatted together.
He remembered his 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. schedule, his usual posture when writing exam papers, his cheerful steps when going to the cafeteria, and the way his eyes curved when he looked at Zhong Wan.
He didn't know if all fireworks were so alluring for a fleeting moment.
Xia Xing only knew that when he was with Tan Quelu, he longed for things to stay like this forever.
Like two tiny insects frozen in amber, forever intertwined.
However, no matter how slowly you slow down, this road will eventually come to an end.
Not far away, the huge stadium was brightly lit.
Fountains on both sides flowed gently, their green water meandering past fresh, dew-kissed flowers at the banquet entrance. Students, dressed smartly, passed by, while security guards stood on either side, silently and respectfully checking their identities.
This is a bustling world.
Even just a glimpse of it revealed to Xia Xing was enough to make him feel almost mesmerized and bewitched.
Several specially admitted students stopped behind them, clearly also there to attend the welcome banquet.
However, they were simply dressed, looked uneasy, and seemed a little nervous and uneasy.
Xia Xing didn't even want to look at these lowly, worthless people.
He walked into the venue with the green peacock. It was only 6:50, ten minutes before the welcome banquet was to begin. There were already many students who had arrived early, and waiters were moving among the elegantly dressed students. The sounds of taking photos and discussing were endless.
Xia Xing was preoccupied with something and told Que Lu to put on her coat so she wouldn't catch a cold.
Seeing that the boy also looked a little nervous, Xia Xing quickly smiled and comforted him, "It's okay, Que Lü."
"Just sit here and don't go to the pool. The banquet shouldn't go too late today. I'll come find you as soon as it's over."
"good."
Tan Quelu smiled and nodded at him, watching Xia Xing's figure disappear into the distance.
After waiting a moment, Elm Green leisurely followed.
A cool breeze emanated from overhead. The venue was large, divided into several social areas, decorated in a solemn and luxurious style, with gold as the main color, very much in line with the Golden Dome Group's usual style.
It seems that Zhong Lin did indeed increase the sponsorship at the last minute tonight, in order to boost the event's popularity and create momentum.
—Anyway, everyone in the room was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old junior, and no one dared to object. He could praise his own people however he wanted.
Tan Quelu trailed far behind Xia Xing, passing through winding corridors and through crowds of people, yet she never lost him.
[Host, you're amazing!]
"You flatter me," said Que Lü modestly.
Traitors had escaped from within the church before, but they never escaped Green's clutches. No matter how winding the road, he could always find his target.
Because that's how Tan Quelu herself got through it.
One of the tests in childhood was to lock all the children in the basement of the temple, while the fathers aimed iron crossbows at them, and whoever could dodge the crossbows best would survive.
Tan Quelu tried every method, and finally, covered in blood, he gritted his teeth and persevered to the end. Later, he was able to crawl on all fours to his fathers' feet and kick them over. Finally, Tan Quelu could appear in front of them in an instant and cripple the hand holding the crossbow.
Tan Quelu concluded: "Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth."
system:【......】
Xia Xing turned left and right without changing his expression, finally stopping not far from the outdoor swimming pool. By the pool, the wealthy students were divided into several small groups, leisurely chatting on lounge chairs.
Xia Xing glanced at the security guards around her, then casually picked up the water glass on the table and turned on her phone.
Tan Quelu: [System, go check the surveillance footage for this area.]
The system immediately checked and quickly returned: [Host, this surveillance source contains a virus. It will activate in ten seconds and can control the camera screens to go black for five minutes.]
Five minutes?
What can you do in five minutes?
Xia Xing leaned against the table.
On my phone, the post on the forum already had many replies.
Rent out-of-season dresses at 50% off!
The housekeeper bought a dress two years ago, which I don't really like. The special student can rent it for only 500 tonight, so consider it my good deed for the day.
I'm by the outdoor pool behind the venue. Anyone interested in renting can just come over; there are changing rooms next door, very convenient.
[1L: Really, OP? Are you male or female?]
[2L: Looking for rental. Does the poster have any part-time work? I can lend you two days' worth of part-time work for free.]
[3L: Me too!]
......
They really are a bunch of poor losers.
It has nothing but worthless time.
Xia Xing sent private messages to two or three people and received replies full of gratitude. Judging by the time, the people would probably arrive here soon, overjoyed.
A reply popped up in a private message.
[OP, what are you wearing?]
They've taken the bait.
Xia Xing put down her water glass and walked out casually, passing several specially admitted students who looked both reserved and happy as they approached.
[Apricot-colored suit, short brown hair, tortoiseshell glasses]
[Blue trendy short-sleeved shirt, black hair, wearing a watch]
[Pink mini dress, long wavy hair, white high heels]
They are the main force in the forum discussions who want to destroy the special admissions students.
[Okay, I see you!]
Tan Quelu stood in the shadows on the other side, watching Xia Xing leave without any remorse.
Meanwhile, the few specially admitted students, dressed in simple clothes, looked around and, based on the information he had given them, found the wealthy students and boldly inquired about the payment methods for renting formal attire.
These people naturally felt it was bad luck to be approached by a poor wretch who looked down on them. What's more, they had originally planned to vent their anger on the special admissions student that night.
Questioning, shoving.
The conflict escalated rapidly within half a minute.
The system, having witnessed everything, was somewhat unable to accept it: [Host, what is the protagonist doing? Is he deliberately testing someone first?]
The outdoor swimming pool was heavily guarded by security, and he wanted to check first whether the deep end was deep enough to drown someone.
And then cause some kind of accident, preferably a big one, to attract everyone's attention.
But this would mean maximizing security measures here.
The discussion about Peacock Green didn't address the system's issues.
Not far away.
The boy raised his hand and slapped the girl across the face, his handsome eyes filled with a cold smile: "You've got some nerve, daring to raise your voice at my girlfriend? Who the hell rented you a dress? Are you fucking broke?"
The girl's cheek was red and swollen, and she stared at him coldly, as if trying to memorize his face. After a while, she turned to leave.
The boy laughed in exasperation, grabbing her bra strap, but she reflexively pulled away and instinctively slapped him: "Don't touch my clothes!"
"...Damn it, I won't believe I won't kill you today!"
The boy's eyes were filled with anger and malice. He grabbed the girl's long hair, wanting to strip her naked and shove her into the pool, and preferably take some photos that this bitch would never forget.
A sharp pain suddenly came from my back shoulder.
Tan Quelu raised her hand and swiftly crushed his right shoulder joint. She then grabbed his upper arm with her palm down, pulled at his scalp, and forcefully twisted his upper body.
A terrifying sound of bones cracking suddenly rang out.
Before the boy could even groan, he turned deathly pale and fainted instantly.
A few seconds later, an indescribable stench of urine and excrement suddenly filled the air.
—Tan Quelu went too far, and the man was paralyzed and incontinent on the spot.
The air was eerily silent.
After a long while, screams and roars finally broke out.
"Security? Catch this monster! Catch them, these special recruits are in cahoots!"
Tan Quelu casually kicked aside the body at her feet, blinked, and looked at the group of special students who were paralyzed with fear.
The boy, with his innocent and pure eyes, said, "Let's go."
"......"
The group staggered away in a daze.
Security personnel arrived quickly, but the captain glanced at Tan Quelu's face and suddenly raised his hand: "...Wait a moment."
Upon seeing this, the people by the pool immediately shouted, "Captain Zhou, it's true that this special admission student is Zhong Wan's boyfriend, but the one who got into trouble is the only son of the Shen family!"
"The Shen family is a partner of the Zhong family. Now that things have turned out this way, neither the Shen nor the Zhong family will forgive this person!"
The security captain seemed not to hear, lowered his eyes, and found General Manager Wei in the contact list.
Tan Quelu remained completely unfazed, taking two steps forward, intending to paralyze the group as well.
The system was terrified, but this time it stammered: "Host, kill them! The protagonist has already hacked the surveillance system anyway, so if they die, no one can identify you!"
[Then we'll beat up the main character again, keep a close watch on him every day, and beat him again if he causes trouble again! Otherwise, even the merciful gods will be driven mad!]
A cold, trembling palm suddenly grabbed Tan Quelu's wrist.
Tan Quelu paused, turned around, and saw that it was the girl.
She didn't leave; she stared at Elm Green with a terrified, deathly pale face, opening her mouth to say, "You...you run..."
Tan Quelu blinked: "Why should I run?"
He suddenly remembered something, bent down and pointed to a fitting room across the pool for the girl.
"There are two new evening gowns inside that no one else wanted. They were just thrown away by the waiter a few minutes ago. Didn't you want to rent them?"
The boy said earnestly, "That one's free, pick that one."
It's also free.
girl:"......"
A profound sense of absurdity appeared on her face.
After saying that, Tan Quelu turned around, wanting to quickly deal with these twisted souls.
A tremendous force suddenly came from behind my waist.
Tan Quelu sensed the other party's intention, but instead of struggling, she turned around with a puzzled look.
But the next second, a crisp sound rang out.
The girl slapped the green-clad man across the face, then turned to look at the security guard who had disappeared sometime earlier, and then at the group of people they had blocked at the pool entrance.
She suddenly ripped her clothes to shreds.
"Hurry up! I'm going to slap you a few more times and push you into the pool. You'll definitely pass out!"
She murmured in a nervous, hoarse voice, "When you wake up, you say you don't remember anything. You have a mental illness; your brain can't comprehend what intentional harm means, do you understand?!"
Her anxious expression suddenly overlapped with a moment from my memory.
It was on a night like this.
Tan Quelu walked out with a serious expression, to protect her mother and father, to protect the merciful God, and to protect everyone.
He wanted to rid the demons outside with their wailing sirens.
Someone grabbed him and slapped him hard across the face: "Are you crazy? What do you think you're doing? Tan Quelu, wake up! There are police outside!"
"Your god doesn't exist! He's a fake! This is a cult! Do you know how many people these beasts have killed and how many families they've broken up? You're not helping them at all; this is a crime!"
The boy's cheek was red and swollen from the slap. After a moment, he turned around and looked at her seriously: "Auntie, you don't need to lie to me. I can protect you."
"Even if you betrayed the temple, even if you ran away, even if you brought demons from outside."
"I will protect you too."
The woman stared at him blankly: "...Why?"
Tan Quelu remained silent.
After a moment, the boy suddenly lowered his head, looking at her helplessly and blankly: "I'm sorry."
"I didn't know your son would die."
"The temple's medicine has always been very effective, I don't know why he died."
"Holy water can cure late-stage cancer; it has been successfully treated before."
"He's so young, I'm sorry."
"I'll help you pay off your debts."
"After I deal with the demons outside, come find me secretly, and I'll give you the money."
"I will create an absolutely wonderful world."
"No hunger or disease, only justice, peace, and happiness."
The woman took two steps back, stared at him for a long time, and suddenly let out a painful sob.
Then the situation spiraled out of control like a floodgate being opened.
When he came to his senses, he was being held down by the woman, who was frantically and roughly smearing warm ashes on his face.
"Just say you don't know anything, you're mentally ill!"
"You have a mental illness, you were deceived, you have never broken the law! Quickly repeat after me!"
Fire can burn away all suffering.
In a daze.
The boy was pushed into the deep blue, warm swimming pool.
On the silent, chaotic riverbank, a girl cried and screamed, "Someone's been pushed into the water! Save him, please save him!"
At the entrance of the exhibition hall in the distance, the dazzling lights, symbolizing the start of the event, finally lit up joyfully.
Tan Chuanlu held his breath, silently gazing at the rippling water, like a bird curled up in amber, with only a deep, hazy darkness in his ears.
A profound emotion burned in his heart, causing his body and consciousness to sink heavily to the bottom of the water, from which he could not escape.
In the absolute, frozen silence.
Suddenly, someone leaped down, submerged to the bottom of the pool, wrapped their arms around the boy's waist and back, and gently but firmly pulled him into their embrace.
The sound of splashing water rang out.
Tan Quelu took a deep breath of fresh air, coughed a few times, and blinked blankly: "...Wei Guan."
The man hummed in agreement, lowered his eyes, and carefully wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
The scarlet lettering on the retina kept flashing—
[The plot is at risk of collapsing. Please, NPC, choose whether to reload the save file immediately.]
Please note: You only have one chance to load a save! Loading will return you to five minutes ago!
If you reload a save, the welfare NPC will lose its storyline arrow and will no longer forcibly refresh the weekly encounter!
[Please select the welfare NPC immediately!]
[Loading save file has been selected!]
The next second.
The cold boy, soaked with water droplets, disappeared from his arms.
Wei Guan returned to the quiet car, lowered his head, and stared intently at his fingertips.
The lights outside the window were dazzling.
The young man thought with an inscrutable expression.
It turns out that when Tan Chuilu truly cried.
She doesn't even sob.
A note from the author:
Happy New Year everyone!
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