Chapter 10: The Failure of Lu Yingshou

Lu Yingshou suffered a significant setback from this incident; however, this individual possesses a tenacious spirit and quickly regained his vitality, even making quite an impression at the traditional New Year's Eve party held by the academy

At that time, only Ni Kai was in the dormitory. He was quite afraid of Tao Jianping, who was dressed in bizarre clothing and had a rogue demeanor. He was puzzled as to how Rong Fei could know such a rogue and worried about how Rong Fei would handle the situation. Unexpectedly, Rong Fei turned hostile and ordered the man to leave. "If it weren't for your sister's sake, I would call the police immediately. When I see your sister, I will also ask her why she sent you here to embarrass yourself. Everything I told you was in vain; even a dog should remember that. When I see your sister, I will also ask her why she sent you here to embarrass yourself. Everything I told you was in vain; even a dog should remember that." The man not only did not get angry but also advised Rong Fei to calm down, stating that he came on his own and was not sent by his sister. "Since you don't want me to make a scene, I will leave right away." The man really left. Rong Fei continued reading as if nothing had happened, only telling Ni Kai not to mention it to other classmates. When Ni Kai asked who that person was, Rong Fei replied that he was just a casual friend. Rong Fei continued reading as if nothing had happened, only telling Ni Kai not to mention it to other classmates. When Ni Kai asked who that person was, Rong Fei replied that he was just a casual friend.

Rong Fei hurriedly descended the stairs when suddenly Lu Ying Shou tripped him with his foot. Caught off guard, Rong Fei fell and tumbled down more than ten flights of stairs. When he got up, he had a gash on his forehead and his face was covered in dust. He wiped the blood from his face, and his anger ignited, "You motherfucking bitch! Are you looking for trouble on purpose?" He scanned his surroundings and picked up a broken chair leg, charging towards Lu Ying Shou, who was standing at the stairway laughing.

The English class is held in the large lecture hall on the third floor, consisting of two consecutive sessions. After class, most students, having addressed their physiological needs, flock to the rooftop terrace, while some boys who have developed a smoking habit begin to indulge in smoking. The high proportion of smokers is a notable characteristic in China, and even thirty years later, smoking is still regarded as fashionable, completely unaware of the harm it poses to their own health and the infringement on the rights of others

Lu Yingshou lit a cigarette, his anger and dissatisfaction reaching a peak. Ever since that incident where Shan Zhen disrupted his relationship with Zhang Xin, it had been a long time—about half a month—since Zhang Xin had ignored him. Only recently had their relationship begun to mend. He attributed this neglect to Shan Zhen and Rong Fei, primarily to Rong Fei. Lu Yingshou was convinced that Rong Fei had used Shan Zhen to speak ill of him in front of Zhang Xin, which led to the current situation. The recently concluded English class had embarrassed Lu Yingshou, while Rong Fei had shone. The teacher had called on him to answer a question, but he hadn't heard it clearly, so he couldn't respond. When the teacher called on Rong Fei next, his answer greatly pleased the new English teacher, who praised Rong Fei's excellent spoken English. This teacher, too, hardly spoke any Chinese during class, using only English from the moment he entered the classroom, which made Lu Yingshou very uncomfortable. He was unaware that, in terms of higher education in China, English was the subject that had made the most progress. In the 1990s, passing the CET-4 was considered fashionable and a source of pride, but by the new century, failing to pass the CET-4 by the second year of university would definitely be seen as a sign of incompetence.

This is the incident referred to as "12.1". The event number was assigned by the students in accordance with international conventions. These so-called international conventions are merely the result of literary enthusiasts having read a few recently acquired Western novels from the library. This incident led to the downfall of Lu Yingshou, the class leader of Mechanical Engineering Class 01, primarily because he was severely beaten, resulting in a bloodied head and a minor fracture in his right arm. The students, especially those from Class 01, believed that the academy would take serious action against the perpetrator, Rong Fei. They thought that although Lu Yingshou could be somewhat arrogant, he was talented and generous, embodying a certain chivalrous spirit. Now, being beaten to a pulp by the relatively unknown Rong Fei, would it not bring disgrace to Class 01?

Lu Yingshou had acted on a whim to tease Rong Fei. When he saw Rong Fei tumble down the stairs, Lu Yingshou was taken aback, thinking to himself, "I hope nothing serious happens." When Rong Fei got up and he saw that he had only scraped his skin, he felt completely relieved. Rong Fei charged at him with a chair leg, and Lu Yingshou never imagined that the other party would actually strike him; he thought it was merely a threat to regain some face. As a result, Rong Fei swung the chair leg and struck him on the head, instantly knocking him out. Rong Fei did not calm down even after Lu Yingshou fell to the ground. Under the astonished gaze of Li Jianguang and a classmate from Class 01, he swung the chair leg down onto Lu Yingshou's right arm, shouting, "You damn fool, a fool looking for trouble, I've been patient for too long." Lu Yingshou let out another scream. Li Jianguang, who had regained consciousness, immediately rushed over and tightly held onto the enraged Rong Fei, telling the still-dazed fellow, "Hurry and find someone to take him to the hospital."

The leadership of the college underwent sudden changes, with the former dean retiring due to age reasons. The youngest vice-dean, Wang Lin, unexpectedly assumed the position of the new dean. The College of Engineering is a vice-ministerial level unit, and Wang Lin is likely the youngest vice-dean in the province. The leadership changes in the college naturally affect the heads of various departments and offices, who are considered the so-called middle management of the college. The turmoil is too distant for ordinary students; they are more concerned with immediate events, such as the fight between Class 01 and Class 02. The new dean, however, took decisive action to investigate and address this significant incident within the Mechanical Engineering Department. The college decided to issue a warning to He * Tu * Shu and Rong Fei, along with the previously at-fault Lu Yingshou, and to notify the entire college.

The mastery of vocabulary is not a matter of magnitude

The matter has yet to be resolved when a group of young men from the society came knocking. It is rare to see such individuals within the walls of the Industrial College; even if a few do appear to harass some girls, they are usually chased away by the security guard. However, today the guard clearly failed in his duties. Seven or eight individuals, dressed in a manner that unmistakably marked them as delinquents, strode through the campus—bald, wearing trendy brown-tinted glasses, and causing considerable anxiety among the female students. The leader of the group had tattoos on his arms and asked the male students he encountered if they knew where Rong Fei lived. As a result, Rong Fei suddenly became well-known.

Not many people know about this matter, and it has not had a significant impact; Rong Fei's fame in the School of Engineering would come later. Most of the classmates, especially those in the Mechanical Engineering department, were discussing and speculating about what kind of punishment Rong Fei would receive. They believed that Lu Yingzhou was merely joking, while Rong Fei's actions were somewhat excessive. However, many boys in Class 02 felt that Rong Fei had some guts; not everyone could swing a stick at someone else's head. Li Jianguang privately told Rong Fei that he was too impulsive that day. Rong Fei replied, "If it was unintentional, I wouldn't have acted that way. You don't understand him; I do. For scum like Lu Yingzhou, he should be made to fear even in his dreams." Li Jianguang sighed inwardly, convinced that Rong Fei was taking the opportunity to retaliate because of Zhang Xin. The matter of love truly causes great harm. Li Jianguang, a witness to the story between Rong Fei and Zhang Xin, had long concluded that Rong Fei was not worthy of Zhang Xin, as they were worlds apart in terms of appearance and talent. He, who considered himself superior to Rong Fei, did not dare to pursue Zhang Xin; how could the ordinarily mediocre Rong Fei? However, since the incident with the high-low bar, Rong Fei's change in temperament is an undeniable fact, and there is no need for further debate.

This outcome surprised those in the know and the academic community. Not to mention the harm suffered by Lu Yingshou in this incident, it is further complicated by the fact that his father is the deputy district chief of Beicheng District, which is equivalent to a deputy department-level official. The school's status does not equate to the power of the dean; in terms of actual authority, Wang Lin cannot compare to the leaders of the district. Although the school is located in Nancheng District, there is a mutual protection among officials, and the school must give the government some face, yet this is the result. The leaders and teachers participating in the discussion of this matter in the institute were astonished by Dean Wang's protection of Rong Fei, believing that Lu Yingshou was at fault first and that the nature of his actions was severe. What if Rong Fei were seriously injured as a result? What if his eyes were damaged? What responsibility would our school bear? I know that Lu Yingshou's father is Lu Tianguang from Beicheng District, but the children of leaders should be held to stricter standards—Secretary Lin, the head of the institute, has remained silent but cast a vote in favor of Dean Wang.

Lu Yingshou believes that Rong Fei is a person of weak character. An incident he witnessed firsthand proved his point. It happened on the large playground in the East Campus during a soccer game, where unavoidable physical collisions occurred. Rong Fei, who temporarily took on the role of goalkeeper, went up to mediate but ended up being beaten by students from the 79th class of the Electronics Department. Logically, he should have fought back, or if it were someone else, they would definitely have retaliated. How could one simply endure such a beating? However, Rong Fei merely defended himself and did not dare to strike back. The physical education teacher, Liu Fangcheng, known as "Demon Liu," arrived to stop the fight and ordered the opposing side to apologize to his team. If it were someone else, the burly men from the 79th class of the Electronics Department would not easily surrender. But when faced with Liu Fangcheng, a graduate of Beijing Sport University, they had no choice but to comply. The students from the 80th class felt wronged and naturally were not satisfied; was an apology enough? It was not that simple. Yet, Rong Fei, who had suffered an undeserved misfortune, urged everyone to let the matter rest. Although the incident was quelled, the impression left on Lu Yingshou and the library was that Rong Fei was a coward.

As the bell rang, Rong Fei and Li Jianguang concluded their conversation and walked towards the doorway leading to the lower classroom. They saw Lu Yingshou and a male student from Class 01 standing at the top of the steps. Li Jianguang greeted Lu Yingshou, saying, "Class is starting, hurry up." Lu Yingshou replied with a forced smile, "What's the rush? There’s nothing much to learn in a few trivial classes anyway." Li Jianguang scoffed, "You’re quite something, just keep being impressive."

The weather has become quite cold, and pedestrians on the opposite street have already donned their winter attire. Rong Fei and Li Jianguang are standing on the balcony chatting, pointing at the pedestrians on the street. Outside the school wall is a main road. Faced with the bustling crowd of people riding bicycles or walking hurriedly, Li Jianguang naturally feels no sense of abnormality, but Rong Fei perceives the predominance of black, gray, and blue on the streets as a failure in color. Why can't winter clothing be adorned with vibrant colors? Ever since Lu Feng mentioned that his cousin's uncle is in the clothing business, he has been constantly pondering over matters related to fashion.

This group of people found Rong Fei's dormitory. The leader instructed his brothers to wait downstairs, and he said to Rong Fei, who was lifting dumbbells in the dormitory, "Brother, I heard from my sister that you have been bullied. She asked me to come and check on you. Tell me, which fool dares to bully you? Just tell me, and I will immediately bring people to take care of him.

Li Jianguang and the classmates from Class 02 who came out upon hearing the news pulled Rong Fei back to the dormitory. Li Jianguang looked at Rong Fei, whose anger had not yet subsided. "Why are you so angry today? This isn't like you." "Damn it, that despicable bastard thinks he can bully anyone? I just want him to remember this..." Li Jianguang, Lu Feng, and the others all believed that Rong Fei was upset because of Zhang Xin, but in reality, Rong Fei felt a deep-seated hatred towards Lu Yingshou and had an indescribable aversion to this person.