Old Man Qin departed, flanked by a retinue of school administrators and their hangers-on. Wang Zhuo walked them to the entrance of the dormitory building, watching the motorcade pull away.

Back in room 305, Li Guangran asked, "Wang Zhuo, you still don't know who that old gentleman was, do you?"

Wang Zhuo shook his head. "Wasn't he an old subordinate of Yang Jingyu? I never heard what high office he attained later."

"I knew you couldn't guess!" Li Guangran lowered his voice, speaking with eager intensity. "His son is Mayor Qin of Jiangzhou—a high-ranking official at the ministerial level! A man who has a real shot at entering the Central Government; quite remarkable!"

"Entering the Central Government? Doesn't that mean becoming a national leader?" Wang Zhuo was instantly stunned. So this elder had such powerful connections?

"Exactly! Otherwise, you think Principal Ma would accompany him the entire time? Don't let the fact that he's Vice Principal fool you; that's a director-general level post, equivalent to a mayor."

"I really don't understand this..." Wang Zhuo couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He had only just enrolled today; he hadn't realized the gap in status between a university vice-principal and a high school one could be so vast.

Liu Yun suddenly recalled something. "Oh, right, Secretary Xiao gave you a business card just now, didn't he? Hurry up and get it out."

Wang Zhuo pulled out the card. Li Guangran and Liu Yun leaned in close. The card listed the title of the Jiangzhou Municipal Government, followed only by the name Xiao Wanjun and several contact numbers—curiously, no official title was listed below the name.

"Wait, the Mayor isn't more important than the Party Secretary, right? Does that mean the old man's son is the number two figure in Jiangzhou?" Wang Zhuo suddenly recalled a movie about a Mayor Shen Yi; he couldn't remember seeing the Party Secretary featured prominently in it...

"The number two figure? Come on, brother, he’s only forty-nine this year! Advancement is just a matter of time!" Li Guangran was running out of patience with Wang Zhuo. These freshmen kids were truly ignorant!

"Truly fearless because of their ignorance. When you mentioned the old man was ill earlier, I saw Director Wang’s expression freeze stiff," Liu Yun teased, appraising Wang Zhuo. The drama of the preceding events was still vivid.

"Wang Zhuo, you have such excellent resources; don't waste them later on," Li Guangran offered, speaking frankly despite their short acquaintance. He still had two years left before graduation, so such words weren't entirely out of place and served to establish an early rapport with Wang Zhuo.

"Brother Li, I understand." Wang Zhuo smiled sincerely. He wasn't some pretentious upstart; he grasped the meaning behind the advice.

While he wouldn't fawn over Old Man Qin simply because he had a high-ranking son, maintaining a friendly connection wouldn't hurt. If he had known such an elder years ago, perhaps Wang Zhengdao wouldn't have been wrongly imprisoned, and his grandmother wouldn't have passed away so soon.

Having already experienced life’s sharp turns and setbacks so early, Wang Zhuo’s psyche was remarkably mature. Life was just this realistic; all this talk about equality was utter nonsense. Some people were slated from birth for which university they'd attend or which country they'd study in, while others, after scrambling for a few days of education from a substitute teacher, watched their thirty-year careers as temporary staff teachers get summarily abolished!

...

The two days dedicated to registration concluded, followed by a succession of large gatherings: the general assembly, the departmental meeting, and finally, the class meeting.

Wang Zhuo's class consisted of thirty students, two-thirds of whom were male—a respectable proportion of women for this particular major. The class advisor, Liu Chenggong, was an uncle in his early fifties who claimed he was on the verge of retirement and seemed rather hands-off.

The class meeting covered two items: appointing student leaders and announcing that due to continuous heavy rain, the usual location for the freshman military training had encountered issues, so the training would now be held on campus.

Student leadership positions in university were not mere formalities; they were recorded in one's official file and factored into future job evaluations. This was why some schools saw the absurd spectacle of dozens of student council presidents emerging from a single graduating class.

"There are only thirty of us in this class, so these cadre positions... everyone gets a piece of the pie, alright," Old Liu scratched his graying short hair, shaking off a visible dusting of dandruff. "The Cultural and Entertainment Representative, Logistics Representative, Hygiene Representative, Labor Representative—the young ladies will take these roles. I'll assign them; anyone dissatisfied can speak up."

He rapidly distributed these posts, asking each nominated girl to stand up so everyone could see her. However, it seemed he was assigning them randomly, not even knowing what the girls looked like before assigning them.

"The Physical Education Representative must be a male student with good physical conditioning." Old Liu became slightly more focused this time, glancing at the students below the platform. He pointed at Wang Zhuo. "That young man, you look capable. What’s your name?"

Wang Zhuo smiled and stood up. "My name is Wang Zhuo."

"Wang Zhuo... sit down for now." Old Liu nodded slightly, then pointed instead at a large, heavy-set boy next to Wang Zhuo. "You, take the PE Representative role."

With that settled, as if nothing had happened, he assigned positions like Study Representative and Vice Class Monitor, finally pointing directly at Wang Zhuo. "You will be the Class Monitor."

The position of Class Monitor was highly coveted, and immediately several students looked eager to compete. But Old Liu waved his hand impatiently. "The initial appointments for class cadres are tentatively set. I will conduct an assessment next month; the capable stay, the incompetent go. Those without positions for now will be assigned as subject representatives in a few days. That will be all."

Wang Zhuo was like a mute enjoying dumplings—he knew the score. Liu Cheng looked carefree and casual, but the assignments were clearly predetermined. Department Head Wang Taiping had specifically called yesterday to arrange an important cadre position for him; this was no idle talk.

It was worth noting that Wang Zhuo had served as Class Monitor for three years in elementary school, not due to any particular talent, but because the homeroom teacher back then seemed to have had a certain rapport with Wang Zhengdao...

Since all the students hailed from different parts of the country, no factions had formed yet. Everyone was a top scholar; even the lowest college entrance exam score in the class was 620, and each possessed considerable self-control. Although some had reservations about the cadre appointments, they did not express them overtly.

Liu Cheng checked his watch, perhaps feeling that ending the meeting in just half an hour was insufficiently solemn. "Uh... we still have a bit of time, so let's welcome our new Class Monitor to the stage to say a few words."

Applause immediately rose from the back rows, including the sound of some waiting for Wang Zhuo to stumble so they could push him out and take his place. Friendship hadn't been forged, but competition was already sharp.

Wang Zhuo was indeed caught slightly off guard. Standing on the podium, he first chuckled. "My appointment as Class Monitor feels a bit sudden; I'm not entirely prepared."

Laughter rippled through the room. Wang Zhuo paused, then continued, "But since I've accepted the role, I must do it well. Just consider me a friend you can trust. If you encounter any difficulties, don't hesitate to ask. If I can offer help, I absolutely will!"

Applause sounded again, though this time it carried more genuine warmth.

"Class Monitor, I'm facing financial difficulty. Can you lend me some money?" The first heckler appeared—a clean-cut boy sitting in the front row, his hair permed into a messy mop, wearing frameless glasses with tinted lenses.

"Yeah, Class Monitor, everyone can shout slogans. Shouldn't you show us some practical action first?" The second heckler was the chubby boy just appointed as the PE Representative. However, he didn't seem malicious, merely joining in for the spectacle.

Wang Zhuo had weathered storms far greater than this minor disturbance and paid it no mind. He smiled faintly and addressed the boy with the glasses. "Write me an IOU, and find me at my dorm later."

"As for you," Wang Zhuo gestured subtly toward the fat boy. "I think what you need most right now is help losing weight. Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

The fat boy grinned widely. "How will you take care of me?"

Wang Zhuo shrugged casually. "I’m quite familiar with Director Wang in our department. Getting you an auxiliary post cleaning the morgue shouldn't be a problem. I hear that job drastically reduces appetite; the weight loss results are excellent."

The classroom erupted in loud laughter; even Advisor Liu Cheng couldn't suppress a chuckle. The fat boy’s expression instantly collapsed. He wiped his mouth sheepishly and bowed slightly toward Wang Zhuo, clearly conceding defeat.

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