bullyxtreme Chapter 622 - 229: The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease
Chapter 622 - 229: The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease
On the Finance Institute campus, in the professional course classroom.
The group from room 501 arrived early as usual to secure seats for the six boys from the fraternity dorm 302.
They had grown accustomed to this over the years.
Then, Milk Candy pulled out a copy of "East Weekly."
This magazine, published by the Xiangjiang Xin Dao News Group, offers information on current affairs, finance, beauty, fashion, health, tourism, and celebrities, though most of its content is entertainment news.
To put it bluntly, it’s all about the endless and messed-up gossip about Xiangjiang stars.
At this time, domestic entertainment had no high-profile stars, so most fans still focused on Hong Kong and Taiwan celebrities. Milk Candy was a dedicated gossip enthusiast of the Xiangjiang entertainment circle, buying every issue of "East Weekly."
Suddenly finding something, she exclaimed, "The paparazzi caught Xie and Zhang meeting secretly again!"
One of the biggest gossips in the Xiangjiang entertainment circle in 2002 was undoubtedly the sensational Feng-Zhi romance.
"Where, where, Milk Candy, let me see!"
"Really, are they rekindling their relationship?"
"Though Zhang is a latecomer, I think she pairs better with Xie than Wang does!"
"Yeah, they’re close in age, one talented, one beautiful, a perfect match. Wang is eleven years older than Xie, and I’ve long felt sorry for handsome Xie; he deserves someone better!"
"..."
While the young girls were gossiping,
another group walked into the classroom.
Seeing them, the girls’ faces lit up with surprise.
It was the boys from the fraternity dorm 302.
And among them was Su Zelin!
A regular member of 302, it wasn’t surprising to see him.
However, Su Zelin had been absent from classes this semester, making his appearances few and far between.
Although he was familiar with the other boys from 302, without Su Zelin, it felt like something was missing.
Su Zelin was the most important link between the two dorms; without him, 302 lacked a central figure, and the chatter wasn’t as lively.
"Class leader, you finally showed up! I was about to put up missing person notices!"
"Boss, you’re so elusive; I’ve barely seen you this past month."
"No wonder he’s President Su, living as if amidst a thousand busy matters!"
"..."
With Su Zelin’s appearance, the girls even put down their gossip magazines, redirecting their attention to him, joking and teasing.
This real-life guy was far more interesting than any gossip news.
"Sigh, can’t help it, life’s hard, gotta start hustling early!"
Su Zelin sighed repeatedly.
"Oh, please, is this what someone who’s already lined up a great career as a senior executive would say?" Luo Xi rolled her eyes. "Spare us the drama; we’re the ones actually struggling here!"
"Every family has its troubles. I have my worries too, Ah Xi, you don’t understand me."
Su Zelin shook his head.
Luo Xi thought to herself that indeed, he had his worries, and this sister understands.
Having too many women around can sometimes be a delightful dilemma.
Now she finally understood why Su Zelin had been so keen on working out since freshman year.
Preparing early to be a playboy; otherwise, he wouldn’t have the stamina!
With the ’reunion’ with Su Zelin, the interaction between room 501 and 302 became lively once more.
The girls were particularly enthusiastic, but then they noticed something.
Nanaz, who was usually the most talkative before class, was now less outspoken.
More importantly — she and Su Zelin weren’t speeding anymore!
Once, whenever the car king and car queen met, it was more thrilling than countless F1 races.
There used to be an ambiguous relationship, often accelerating from 0 to 100 in mere seconds.
But this semester, their serious chats made others feel uneasy.
Could it be that Nanaz found a boyfriend, so she restrained herself with the class leader and decided not to be a bad girl?
Only Luo Xi understood the reason.
Nanaz’s secret boyfriend was Su Zelin, so why would she have any reservations?
Even though her best friend wasn’t racing with Su Zelin anymore, if you paid attention, you could see them secretly exchanging flirty glances.
This subtle change indicated one thing.
Their relationship hadn’t grown distant; it likely progressed further.
It was said that during the winter break, her best friend didn’t come home for several nights.
In the adult world, could they just chat about life and dreams all night at a hotel?
Even Popcorn, once as innocent as a daisy, doesn’t discuss life and dreams anymore after the junior year but explores the mystery of life with her boyfriend Cai Wensheng.
Expecting Nanaz to stay innocent, how could that be!
Moreover, the class beauty noticed significant changes in her best friend.
Her skin looked amazing, her complexion exceptionally rosy, shedding the innocence of a young girl and naturally exuding the countless charms of a mature woman, which all her roommates envied, asking for her secret to such good care, which she attributed to a new luxury facial cleanser.
While she might fool others, she couldn’t hide it from the class beauty’s sharp eyes.
Nanaz had been using branded facial cleansers and regularly applying masks, yet her complexion never looked this good!
It’s said when women enter a relationship with a man and receive the nourishment of love, their spirit and complexion transform, and Luo Xi believed this was the real answer.
That’s why Nanaz and Su Zelin weren’t racing anymore.
Before they weren’t officially as a couple, a little verbal sparring was all they had.
Now that they’re together, why bother with mere sparring!
Watching her beaming best friend, the class beauty couldn’t help but sigh.
Nanaz still took that step in the end.
But she had sensed it long before.
Her best friend was so deeply captivated by Su Zelin that she lost herself.
Leaving Su Zelin would probably be unbearable for her, a regret lingering for life.
Nonetheless, speaking of this, Luo Xi was indeed curious about what it would be like to have someone like Su Zelin as a boyfriend.
He was handsome, young and wealthy, romantic and witty, and full of energy, full of boyfriend power.
However, on the other hand, because he was so perfect, he might attract a lot of attention, causing frustration.
Putting herself in his shoes, the class beauty thought that if she were his girlfriend, she might feel very conflicted, happy yet worried.
But for now, Nanaz was more happy than worried. At least these days, she was always in high spirits and in a great mood.
There are two types of jerks, and their attitudes towards girls vary greatly.
One type hooks up and runs, constantly getting bored with the old and craving the new, seeing past lovers as burdens to discard as soon as possible.
This kind of jerk may have many women around, but they only become passers-by in his life, commonly known as heartless and unfaithful jerks who easily turn hostile after a breakup.
The other type doesn’t mind after hooking up, enjoying new company while not disliking the old. When choosing a girlfriend, he is very careful; without a certain emotional base, girls throwing themselves at him may be rejected. Even if they break up, this type doesn’t bear much resentment.
Su Zelin belongs to the latter.
He didn’t quickly lose enthusiasm after getting together with Nanaz. Daily interactions were well-maintained.
During holidays, he would text, chat on Q, or call, never missing a beat.
After school started, they went on a few dates, so Nanaz was quite satisfied.
Actually, she was not most worried about other women around Su Zelin but rather that he would become lukewarm after getting her.
But now it seemed her worries were unnecessary.
Su Zelin was still the same Su Zelin, a bit like a central heater, but every lover could indeed feel its warmth.
"It’s that time of blooming flowers again, I really want to go for a drive."
Ding Linna said casually.
This was actually meant for Su Zelin to hear.
Just like with Song Yuwei, Nanaz also had a special code between the two.
During their driving lessons, their relationship developed rapidly into a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, so once Nanaz mentioned wanting to go for a drive, the mixed-up guy understood what she meant—her intentions were beyond just a drive.
After experiencing love affairs, Ding Linna completely liberated herself.
Su Zelin understood the implicit meaning from her words.
He stopped twirling the pen in his hand.
He tapped the table a few times in response.
It meant he was free tonight and they could meet up.
Skipping class only sacrificed class time, but for the mixed-up guy, campus life became even more enriched.
Now he could almost always join in dorm dinners, occasionally play games or have a pickup game, and go on dates with Nanaz and visit Song Yuwei often.
If it were the last semester, he couldn’t have managed that, having missed several dorm dinners.
So Su Zelin thought applying for skipping classes was wise, no need to waste too much time in class.
For the average student, skipping classes without special circumstances is unwise, but the mixed-up guy is not an average student.
Having fewer classes didn’t mean Su Zelin completely neglected his studies. In fact, during the winter break, he got the textbooks for this semester’s specialized courses and self-studied, occasionally reading in the dorm and submitting assignments assigned by his advisor, not falling behind in the slightest.
Ding Linna couldn’t help but feel happy; she gave Su Zelin a flirtatious glance.
She was already considering which outfit to wear and what makeup style to use that evening.
Sitting nearby, Luo Xi, who decoded the Sherlock Holmes’ password, found it all quite amusing.
You two are still playing coded messages like underground party members, assuming my decrypting skills are invisible.
...
After the afternoon class ended, on the way back to the dorm, his phone rang. It was a call from Brother Xiao Yang.
"The provincial government voiced support in a work meeting, saying that municipal governments and units should do their utmost to support quality local enterprises, and they specifically named a few companies, with our New Era being one of them!"
Upon answering Yang Fen’s call, Brother Xiao Yang said this right off the bat.
Everyone was a shareholder and partner in New Era, so they usually got straight to the point without unnecessary pleasantries.
Su Zelin perked up.
Great news!
As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Indeed, the saying holds true.
A while ago, he asked Brother Xiao Yang to tell the provincial government about their struggles, and now the help came quickly and amply.
The provincial government’s support and naming meant New Era had a place in government procurement.
"Besides that, related media units organized an award event with companies, and our New Era won two awards, ’Innovative Model Enterprise of the Year’ and ’Most Promising Enterprise’!"
Brother Xiao Yang added.
This second wave of provincial support mainly dealt with reputation, a common practice.
Giving an enterprise an award was an encouragement that didn’t cost much.
Meanwhile, the company could brag about it, achieving the goal of enhancing its reputation, making everyone happy.
The provincial government was quite clever.
A baby cries, and you have to respond.
But if you want it to help with something like tax cuts or subsidies, that kind of visible support isn’t so easy to get.
However, these two waves of support were quite good.
New Era not only needed money but also fame!
The louder your name, the more investors will have confidence in you, and the faster you can open franchise stores.
So these two awards were quite useful, boosting the company’s reputation.
"Excellent!"
Su Zelin expressed great satisfaction.
The goal of crying poor to seek support was achieved.
"President Yang, as long as there are favorable policies in this industry from the top, like computer subsidies for rural areas, we must cry for it from time to time!"
"Of course, we should exercise moderation, crying occasionally will melt a mother’s heart to feed, but too much will become annoying and lead to scolding!"
"This balance is crucial to maintain!"
Su Zelin advised.
"Haha, understood!"
Brother Xiao Yang was quick to grasp his point. With his ability to manage relationships with provincial and municipal governments, the mixed-up guy wasn’t worried.
...