Chapter 49: The Stadium

  Xiao Xiao made a big jump, jumping down from the bed and coming to Wang Yong's side. He smiled calmly and said: "Oil boy, let's make trouble another day. When the time comes, I'll accompany you to make trouble. Today, you rest first, our dormitory really has something going on." As he spoke, he added strength to his hand and pushed Wang Yong's round belly outward.

  "What's the big deal? What did I do?" Wang Yong wiped his oily forehead, he was absolutely not a thrifty lamp, and had already harbored resentment towards Liu Yu. However, due to his friendship with Xiao Xiao and saving face, he coldly smiled and strongly endured the anger, swallowing his voice as he walked out of the 918 dormitory.

  The dormitory door on the top of the Xiao Xiao Pass, turned back and patted his hands, trying to wipe out the awkward situation just now, said: "Let's go, let's go eat."

  "Where?" Liu Yu, lying on the bed, hesitated and said: "Where shall we go to eat? Now think about it, or else we'll waste time going out of the school gate and hesitating again. Personally, I suggest going to Changchun Xiao Guan across from Changchun Street, which looks more affordable. We're all students, can't be too wasteful."

  He has been eating in the school cafeteria since the start of school and has never gone to Changchun Xiaoguan, nor has he ever eaten outside of school. He passed by Changchun Xiaoguan while strolling around. He thought it looked small from the outside, but always saw students eating and drinking there, so it must be very suitable for students.

  He didn't know where Xiao Xiao and the others were gathering, if it was too luxurious, he might not be able to afford it even with AA payment. He had to save money for more important things like improving his reputation and status, and wouldn't waste it on food and drink.

  Even so, those who eat and drink with him are dormitory schoolmates and brothers.

  So he must first suggest going to a cheaper place, in case they propose somewhere more expensive and then because he can't go or if he goes and can't afford the meal it's embarrassing.

  A person with dignity like myself can't afford to lose face in public.

  "Then go there." Xiao Xiao saw Liu Yu's idea, for the peace and stability of the dormitory, everyone can get along with each other, so he agreed to Liu Yu's proposal. Besides, he himself also liked this small restaurant by the street.

  Liu Yu saw that things were going according to his plan, and he immediately jumped out of bed excitedly, rushed into the bathroom, washed his hair, shaved his face, cut off his nose hair, and brushed his teeth.

  After coming out, I took out a white short-sleeved shirt and put it on my body, buttoning the topmost button. The lower body was wearing a pair of trousers with a straight line, a genuine leather belt buckled, and the buckle shone brightly. White socks were put on my feet, and then I wore a pair of black leather shoes, the toe caps shining brightly.

  Liu Yu dressed himself up neatly and tidily, walking with a swagger, with a badge hanging from his chest, just like a leader inspecting grassroots work. All he lacked was a pen stuck in the breast pocket to complete the look.

  "Damn it!" Xiao Xiao looked him up and down, sneering: "This date of yours, just eating a meal, you've dressed up more formally than if you were marrying a wife. Don't you get tired dressing like this every time you eat? He thought to himself, we're all students, your outfit makes you seem so out of touch with reality, even if you become an official, you won't be able to blend in with the crowd, how can other brothers respect you?"

  Lu Peng and Li Wei looked at Liu Yu's pretentious attire, it seemed that the theme of tonight's dinner party was officialdom, and they decided to give Liu Yu a show.

  Li Wei smiled and said, "Today, we have to compensate for the leader's corruption. However, this leader is quite stingy, having fallen to the point of only eating at roadside stalls." The two of them didn't mind going to Changchun Xiaoguan at all, they just didn't like Liu Yu.

  Liu Yu heard them say he was a leader, knowing it was sarcasm, but felt pleased in his heart. He thought that not being envied by others is mediocre, if he didn't have the aura of an official, others wouldn't even bother to mock him. Even if they did mock him, it wouldn't be related to officialdom; such people are instead ordinary and flavorless.

  Who is willing to be an ordinary person? Let one's life be dull?

  Only by being ruthless, seizing opportunities, utilizing resources, and reaching the pinnacle of every stage can one be considered extraordinary.

  Now that I am in school, there are also school rules and cliques. I must establish my reputation and make a name for myself in school.

  Although it's said that you can't necessarily get money in school, the girls in school are still very innocent and haven't been corrupted by men yet, they're at their purest.

  Their pure hearts were filled with admiration and fantasy for their heroic idols.

  As his reputation rose in school, with a wave of his hand, many girls naturally admired him. At that time, wanting women was not difficult to obtain.

  Moreover, she is still a clean and intact virgin.

  Liu Yu thought of this, slightly with a black belly, and awkwardly smiled, his figure was elegant, and he walked in front of the 918 dormitory with a strong spirit. Xiao Xiao, Lu Ting, and Li Wei followed behind him, becoming his little followers.

  Liu Yu came out of the 918 dormitory and greeted the neighbors in the surrounding dormitories. The people in the surrounding dormitories also greeted him.

  A student with acne all over his face, holding a steamed bun in his left hand and a large scallion in his right hand, wearing thick glasses, saw Liu Yu's outfit and said he was really handsome today, like a big leader, his idol.

  It seems he has gained quite a reputation in his dormitory and has an extraordinary influence.

  Liu Yu waved his hand and smiled at everyone one by one, indicating that he wanted to leave quietly.

  Xiao Xiao and the other three people came out of dormitory building No. 3, rushing towards the school gate. On the way, they met several passing students, Liu Yu greeted them one by one with a smile.

  "My god! Don't you recognize people? You're as familiar as a brother. So presumptuous." Li Wei said from behind Liu Yu's back.

  Four people stepped onto the pedestrian overpass on Changchun Street, walking directly above the flow of cars, and arrived at the Changchun Tavern, where they found it was not crowded inside, just right for a good drink.

  They found a small table by the window, Lu Peng and Li Wei sat on one side of the table, Xiao Xiao and Liu Yu sat on the other side.

  Liu Yu saw that the Longchun Xiaoguan was very clean, with a window view of people coming and going, and a gentle, elegant atmosphere, suitable for working-class consumption, which suited her taste.

  Xiao Xiao familiarly took over the menu from beside him, slammed it on the table and shouted: "Order, order."

  Liu Yu took the menu and flipped through it lightly, seeing that the dishes were all ordinary home-style cooking, but the prices were not low. He thought to himself, this can't be helped, Tianjing City is a first-tier city, high consumption is something everyone knows about. Wanting to eat outside of school, no matter what, you have to take a loss.

  A man in his forties, thin and weak, handed over four cups of tea, letting them quench their thirst first. He saw Liu Yu's clean attire and couldn't help but be taken aback. In his heart, he suddenly felt that this was a clean and sensible child who was likable. Such children usually study well too. This is what a true university student should be like.

  Look at Xiao Xiao and Lu Teng, these two people, dyeing their hair, wearing earrings, they're obviously rascals, squandering their parents' money. And then look at Li Wei, so young but already looking exhausted, no energy, like a bad egg, must be staying up all night playing games. These three always come here to eat and drink, looks like my guess was right.

  Liu Yu suddenly became excited and enthusiastic when he heard the boss's accent, his eyes brimming with tears. "Boss, are you from Jin City? I am too, we're fellow townspeople!" He stretched out his hand to shake hands with the boss.

  The boss was observing the four people, when he suddenly heard Liu Yu speak up and stretch out his hand for a handshake. He immediately also stretched out his hand, awkwardly half-gripping Liu Yu's hand. Only then did he remember what he had said earlier, and his eyes became embarrassed, with a bitter smile, stuttering in response: "No, I'm not, I'm from Macheng."

  "Oh?" Liu Yu thought that after getting close to the boss, the boss would still give himself a discount, but unexpectedly the boss and he were not on the same page. His enthusiasm immediately decreased, and he quickly pulled back his hand, lowered his head, and shifted his attention to the menu.

  Xiao Xiao, Lu Teng and Li Wei exchanged a glance, their eyes communicating silently, all understanding that Liu Yu was trying to curry favor with the wrong person, and couldn't help but want to laugh.

  The boss also reluctantly withdrew his hand and looked at Liu Yu with embarrassment, feeling that he had really let him down.

  Liu Yu spent half a day flipping through the menu seven or eight times and finally chose a relatively cheap braised tofu.

  "What tofu to eat, not even chicken breast meat." Xiao Xiao took the menu, ordered Wushan roasted fish, a big pot of braised pork ribs, and two hot dishes, one cold dish. Then said: "Not enough, want more."

  "Awesome!" Liu Yu gave Xiao Xiao a thumbs up, admiring his generosity. After admiring him, he took the menu and estimated the prices of several dishes. Adding the wine they would have later, it would probably cost over 300 yuan. For one person, that's almost 80 yuan. He had never spent over 80 yuan on a meal before.

  However, since everyone has come out and had a good time today, let's just consider it eighty plus.

  Liu Yu thought of this, closed the menu, leaned back in his chair, rubbed his temples with both hands, and meditated. In his mind, he saw over eighty yuan, a fifty, a twenty, and a ten. Or four twenties, or eight tens. Or sixteen fives, or forty twos, or eighty ones.

  Li Wei took out a pack of cigarettes worth 10 yuan, tore open the plastic wrap, removed one corner of the cigarette box, shook out three cigarettes, and handed one to Lu Ting and Xiao Xiao each.

  "Give me one!" Liu Yu lowered his head and stretched out his hand to ask Li Wei for a cigarette.

  "What the...?! The sun is coming out from under the ground?!" Li Wei exclaimed in surprise. He knew that Liu Yu never smoked, and every time he saw someone smoking in the dormitory, he would immediately make a disgusted face. So what's going on today? He asked: "You don't usually smoke, why are you doing it today? Aren't you following your own principles?"

  "What's the matter?" Liu Yu took the cigarette away, pulled one out and inserted it into his own mouth, biting on the filter tip, speaking with a muffled voice: "Smoking is a symbol of a man's demeanor and taste. If you don't smoke, you can't even learn to smoke. This kind of etiquette for socializing in official circles is indispensable, you'll have to learn it sooner or later. Come on, give me a light." He gestured with his hand.

  "Come on, give our leader a light." Li Wei took out his lighter and lit the largest flame, holding it under Liu Yu's cigarette.

  Liu Yu anxiously watched as the flame burned half of the cigarette, then pulled it out from the blazing fire and took a hesitant puff into his belly.

  Smoke choked him, unable to enter his lungs, and burst out of his nostrils. Dizzy and nauseous, he immediately spat out the smoke in his mouth and took a big gulp of saliva towards the ground.

  Li Wei sighed, Liu Yu is just a rookie when it comes to smoking. With this level of smoking skills, what's the point of pretending to be a big leader? He can't even handle social interactions properly. If he really smoked with other big leaders, with his poor smoking technique, he'd fill the whole room with smoke and end up "smoking" them like rabbits. Forget about rising through the ranks, he'd be suspended from duty immediately.

  He held a cigarette in his hand, took a sip of tea, and decided to find a topic to keep the conversation going. After some thought, he remembered his alma mater, Agricultural University. "To say that Agricultural University is great in every way, but the sports field is too small."

  "Little? You mean the old stadium, right." Liu Yu didn't really smoke, he just symbolically played with the cigarette pack. He amusingly manipulated the cigarette in his hand, almost pinching it into a flat fish shape that was thin on both sides and thick in the middle.

  Is there still a distinction between old and new in the sports field of Agricultural University?

  The desolate and depressing atmosphere, he himself had seen a cement sports field with several basketball hoops. He always wanted to find a place to run in the morning, but thinking of that small sports field with many basketball hoops on the cold cement ground made him give up the idea.

  Liu Yu saw that Xiao Xiao didn't understand the new sports stadium at all, and sneered after a slight smile. He flicked his cigarette ash with his fingers, took another drag, and exhaled slowly. With both hands on the table, he spoke in a tone similar to a leader's opening speech: "Our Principal Tao Qingcheng is an alumnus of Tianjing Agricultural University himself. Think about it, how eager he must be to build up his alma mater on the eve of our school's centennial anniversary."

  He also knew that the original stadium was shabby, so as early as last year, he integrated Tianjing City's resources and concentrated all his efforts to build the best stadium in all universities in Tianjing City.

  Now, this magnificent stadium is under construction opposite the east gate of Nongda.