Chapter 1: The Red Flag Unfurled

  In July 200x, the square in front of Central South University Library was crowded with people and red flags were flying.

  Zhang Peng saw from afar a large banner with the three big words "Materials Department" reflected on it.

  Compared to many freshmen who carry large and small bags, as if fleeing a disaster, and can't wait to put their family's stools in their luggage, Zhang Peng, carrying only an Adidas backpack, looks like he's here for a picnic or to watch the excitement, rather than to report for duty.

  Just bring a bank card and buy whatever you want. If you don't buy anything, then the extra money is yours.

  Zhang Peng has always been a clever person. From primary school to high school, he basically scored full marks in every exam, and only failed once.

  The only time I didn't pass was because of a single fill-in-the-blank question, "Stop the car and sit under the maple tree at night." Zhang Peng filled in the answer behind me, "XX is a big idiot!" He intentionally wrote that because he calculated that everything else was correct, so even if you take away that one question, it's still over 90 points. But what Zhang Peng didn't think of was that Teacher Pi Juan's name and the name of XX from the neighboring class, with whom he had just gotten into a fight, were the same.

  Someone as clever as him, of course, wouldn't be hiding behind a crowded queue. Hiding like this for half a day, won't he get heatstroke? Zhang Peng took a glance at the crowded queue in front of him and immediately shouted loudly in one direction, "Quickly look, UFO!"

  “ufo?”

  "Where? Where?"

  Zhang Peng was in front of a crowded crowd, suddenly there was a commotion, many people looked around, 150 degrees upwards, looking at where the UFO was in the sky. And just taking advantage of this chaotic moment, Zhang Peng took the opportunity to squeeze forward.

  When squeezing in, Zhang Peng didn't notice that the flag of the Materials Department was surrounded by people, just like the flags of other departments. However, in front of other departments, there were surging crowds, and soon old students would push carts with large and small luggage, followed by three or five groups of newly registered freshmen. But in front of the Materials Department, it seemed that nothing had moved at all.

  The difference was made by Yang Zhen.

  At this time, Yang Zhen was holding a cigarette and standing under the big flag of the Materials Department with his mind elsewhere. The registration desk for new students in the Materials Department was just behind him, but a large group of new students were patrolling nearby and didn't dare to get close.

  Yang Zhan's 185cm tall figure was more like a logo compared to the red flag behind him, his newly shaved head reflecting a faint blue glow. His build and appearance were indeed more like those of a highway robber demanding tolls, rather than a senior student in his third year, vice president of the Materials Department Student Union, and captain of the Materials Department's Interstellar Team. Compared to the top students in their fourth year, he didn't have the qualifications to be sentimental or dazed, but looking at those timid eyes, he couldn't help but think of himself three years ago. He had never felt old in this school before. However, the influx of new students made him realize that some people from the past were no longer there; they seemed to have simply gone home for a peaceful break, boarding the train without any distinction. But Yang Zhan knew that perhaps they would be gone forever.

  Sometimes life is so dramatic, some people are in front of you today, but may be gone tomorrow. The Materials Department team, led by Yang Zhan, was eliminated in the Yue Lu Cup competition after losing to the Foreign Language College in the morning's match, failing to enter the top eight for the first time in recent years. In the past, the Foreign Language College was like a soft persimmon or a woman sitting next to a wealthy man in a nightclub, easily manipulated by the Materials Department. But now, it seems that with the departure of a few people, the Materials Department is no longer its former self.

  "I don't believe that's all there is to the Materials Department." Yang Zhan was not like those sentimental and melancholic people from the Literature Club, who usually boasted about how great they were on BBS but often didn't even dare to kill a chicken. Compared to them, Yang Zhan's personality was more like a bandit who ruled the mountains than his appearance suggested. After spitting out a mouthful of air towards the grey sky, Yang Zhan flicked away the cigarette butt in his hand and grabbed a freshman who had walked back and forth in front of him several times, "Are you here to report to the Materials Department? Just stand there! Don't keep walking around, it's annoying!"

  The freshman hadn't figured out the situation yet, and Yang Zhan had already stuffed a stack of materials into his hands. He signed his name in a daze, hearing Yang Zhan's non-stop string of words in his ear: "From this road down, go to the reception desk at the new front education building to get your dorm number, prepare money to pick up the key, deposit plus accommodation fee for the first year is 1,200 yuan, large luggage can be registered and left here first, student union will find someone to deliver it to you later, valuable items should be kept by yourself. When you arrive at the dormitory, someone will explain what to do tomorrow, if you don't understand anything, you can ask the reception desk at the new front teaching building."

  Yang Zhen patted Xinsheng's shoulder and said, "Next one."

  After a stumble, the new students who had been hovering around the materials department's flag, not daring to approach, suddenly knew that this bald old man was not a robber but a senior welcoming them. A group of people immediately rushed towards Yang Zhan.

  At this time Zhang Peng had just squeezed halfway, and he didn't understand what was going on. The originally calm crowd suddenly became turbulent like the Xiangjiang River.

  "Ah!" Zhang Peng was suddenly kicked twice and pushed twice.

  "Hey, stop pushing! What's the hurry?" Zhang Peng stood firmly and shouted. But just as he finished shouting, someone behind him pushed forward again with all their might. "Are you kidding me?!" Zhang Peng was getting annoyed, turned around and pushed back, "I just said don't push, it's not like we're lining up for a brothel, what's the rush to get to the front?" Zhang Peng originally wanted to say more, but before he could, a loud "ah" of surprise erupted from the crowd in front of him, which had suddenly frozen in place as if petrified.

  A delicate girl in the crowd looked at Zhang Peng with a terrified face. It was obvious that she had just been pushed by someone behind her and accidentally fell onto Zhang Peng's body. But unexpectedly, Zhang Peng pushed her back instead.

  If it weren't for her timely use of her hands to protect herself, Zhang Peng's hand would have pressed against her chest in an instant. But even so, Zhang Peng's hand was still pressing against the arms she had wrapped around her chest.

  Zhang Peng was a bit silly, he thought the place where his hands were pressing was a bit soft, but he found that if this delicate girl's hands didn't hug her chest in time, the place where he pressed would be even softer and more slippery.

  "Misunderstanding, absolute misunderstanding!" A few seconds later, Zhang Peng came to his senses and shamelessly pulled his hand away from the clear and elegant girl's hands. He then pretended as if nothing had happened. Taking advantage of this moment, Zhang Peng also sneaked a peek at the admission notice in the girl's hand and found that she had a very memorable name, Zhou Xiaoyu.

  "This guy is really something!" Many freshmen looked at Zhang Peng with admiring eyes, and someone who could still be so shameless at this time was indeed quite impressive. Zhang Peng himself was also quite pleased, but at this moment a furious roar sounded in his ear, "What are you doing?!"

  "What's wrong? What did I do?" If Zhou Xiaoyu were a dinosaur, Zhang Peng would definitely say that.

  However, Zhou Xiaoyu was extremely delicate and pretty. A girl who is delicate and pretty can easily make people feel pitiful and sympathetic. The more you look at her, the more pleasing she becomes to the eye. If a girl like this were to be harassed in a place like Zhongda University, there would definitely be someone who would come out and play the hero to rescue her.