Administrative Building, Third Floor, End of the Corridor.
This was the office of the Student Council President, the place with the strictest discipline in the entire university.
At this moment, Lu Chen stood before the dark brown solid wood door, taking deep breaths. He straightened the collar of his hoodie, took the noise-canceling headphones off his neck, and carefully tucked them into his pocket.
For the sake of that 20,000-yuan scholarship, he had to project his most "harmless" side.
Lu Chen turned to the reflective glass window in the hallway, trying to pull the corners of his mouth into a "friendly smile."
In the reflection, a two-meter-tall giant's facial muscles twitched stiffly, revealing two rows of eerie white teeth. The muscles around his eyes bunched together hideously from the excessive effort.
Lu Chen stared at his reflection and fell silent.
Never mind... better not smile. I look like I just finished eating a child.
He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
A cold voice came from inside, flat as a straight line on an ECG monitor, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Lu Chen pushed the door open and entered.
The air conditioning in the office was blasting cold air. The curtains were drawn tight, shutting out the afternoon sun. The air smelled faintly of disinfectant—a calmness that bordered on maddening.
Behind the desk sat a young man.
Snow-white shirt, buttoned to the very top—ascetic and rigid. A pair of rimless silver glasses perched on his nose, and behind the lenses, calm eyes scrutinized Lu Chen as he walked in.
Gu She. Top student of the Jiangcheng University Law School, Student Council President, and the universally recognized "Judge" of the campus.
Lu Chen turned to close the door. Because he was nervous, he was afraid his clumsy hands would make too much noise, so he slowed his movements to the extreme. His large hand gripped the handle, pushing the door shut inch by inch, silently, until the latch clicked softly into place.
Click.
To make sure it was fully closed, he even gave it a gentle push.
But from Gu She's perspective, the scene was horrifying:
A massive "beast" squeezed into the room and immediately locked the door behind him. The movement was practiced and smooth, as if cutting off the victim's only escape route before a locked-room murder.
Especially that final push to check the lock—it oozed a spine-chilling professionalism.
Gu She calmly slipped his right hand into his pocket, gripping a neatly folded white handkerchief. His palm was slightly sweaty, but his expression remained unchanged as he adjusted his glasses.
"Student Lu Chen."
Lu Chen immediately snapped to attention, handed over the application form, and then pressed his hands tightly against his trouser seams. Like a raw recruit waiting for inspection, he stared passionately at Gu She—well, at the pen in Gu She's hand.
Sign it quickly. Just sign it, and my chicken legs are secured.
Gu She met that aggressive gaze and frowned almost imperceptibly. In Lu Chen's eyes, he saw naked "greed" and "hunger."
"Regarding your application for the 'Federal Special Talent Full Scholarship.'"
Gu She glanced at the form, his voice cold. He pulled a few sheets of paper from a stack of documents nearby and spread them on the desk.
"Lu Chen, I never listen to rumors. I only look at evidence."
His long finger pressed down on a freshly printed email screenshot and slid it toward Lu Chen.
"This is an anonymous report received by the Academic Affairs Office ten minutes ago."
Lu Chen paused, leaning in to look.
The screenshot showed a blurry photo taken from a tricky angle. It captured the exact scene before the math class: Lu Chen looming like a mountain over the girl, who was curled up and trembling. Lu Chen, with a "hideous expression," had his head lowered, seemingly issuing some kind of threat.
"Room 302. Intimidating a female student to the point of a breakdown."
Gu She's voice sounded like a judge passing a sentence:
"Lu Chen, your definition of 'excellent character and academics' is quite unique."
Lu Chen's mouth opened, wanting to explain.
No... that's a misunderstanding! I was trying to apologize!
But chronic social anxiety left him tongue-tied at critical moments. His throat only produced stuttering sounds. "Uh... uh..."
Gu She gave him no chance to organize his words. His finger tapped the desk again, the rhythmic tap-tap sounding like a countdown.
"And this." He pulled out another document.
"Regarding the brawl during military training a month ago. On the surface, you stopped a mass fight between the Sports Academy and the Civil Engineering Department, an act of courage."
Gu She's gaze suddenly sharpened. He leaned forward, lacing his fingers under his chin.
"But Mamba—the ringleader from the Sports Academy—said one thing during his interrogation."
"He said: 'That guy has a smell on him.'"
Lu Chen froze. He subconsciously lifted his arm and sniffed his armpit.
Smell? What smell? Sweat? I shower every day! Is it the smell of poverty?
Seeing Lu Chen's "nonchalant" and even somewhat "provocative" gesture, the chill in Gu She's eyes deepened.
"Not sweat," Gu She added coldly. "Mamba has dealt with all kinds of shady characters. He said he's only seen that look in the eyes of one kind of person—someone with blood on their hands."
The air in the office instantly solidified.
Gu She leaned back in his chair, resuming his lofty, judgmental posture. His gaze scanned Lu Chen like an X-ray through his lenses.
"On one hand, potential campus bullying. On the other, suspected ties to organized crime. Lu Chen, as Student Council President, I have reason to suspect you are involved in high-risk illegal activities off-campus—underground fighting? Violent debt collection? Or something worse?"
Lu Chen's eyes widened.
Injustice! Aside from classes, he just went to the cafeteria to eat and worked occasional part-time jobs. Where would he get gang connections?
"I don't..." Lu Chen finally squeezed out a few words, his voice rough and hoarse from anxiety.
"Whether you are innocent or not, the Security Department will investigate."
Gu She picked up a red pen and drew a sharp, glaring 'X' across the application form.
"But according to Article 7 of the 'Jiangcheng University Student Handbook,' there is a major controversy regarding your 'Moral Conduct Score.' This application is rejected."
The word "Rejected" hit Lu Chen like a heavy hammer to the skull.
Boom——
Lu Chen felt the sky collapse. In his mind, those golden, crispy fried chicken legs, the oily salted duck eggs, the steaming white rice—in an instant, they all turned into bubbles and floated away.
No money.
A massive wave of despair swept through him. Due to anxiety about food, Lu Chen's face went pale, and his breathing became rapid and heavy.
Huff... Huff...
The coarse panting echoed in the quiet office, sounding like broken bellows or the low growl of a beast before it strikes.
He didn't want to give up. He couldn't give up. That was his life on the line!
Lu Chen's eyes reddened. Unconsciously, he took a step forward. His massive frame instantly loomed over the desk, his shadow completely engulfing Gu She.
Gu She's pupils constricted violently.
In his perspective, the scene had spiraled out of control: The thug known as the "Beast," after failing his application, had finally torn off his mask.
Face hideous (from despair), breathing heavy (from anxiety), eyes bloodshot (from poverty), stepping closer step by step. This was rage turned into action!
Gu She suppressed his instinct to tremble and didn't retreat a single step. He stared dead at Lu Chen, his right hand quietly reaching for the panic button under the desk.
"What? Student Lu Chen." Gu She's voice remained steady, but the end of his sentence carried a tight chill. "Soft tactics failed, so now you're trying the hard way? You want to make a move here?"
Lu Chen didn't hear a word he said.
His mind was filled with a vicious cycle: No money means part-time jobs, part-time jobs mean no time to study, no studying means bad grades, bad grades mean no scholarship, no scholarship means more part-time jobs. He had to fight for it! Even if he had to beg!
"No... you can't reject it..."
Lu Chen extended both hands and pressed heavily onto the desk, leaning forward, trying to move the other party with his sincere eyes.
"President, give it to me... I really... really need it..."
Because he was too agitated, he couldn't control his strength.
Sizzle——
There was no earth-shattering bang, no splintering of wood.
Under Gu She's horrified gaze, the expensive huanghuali solid wood desk was forcibly pressed into two deep indentations.
The hard wood fibers seemed to melt instantly as if subjected to high heat, caving in softly, exhibiting a "dough-like" quality that defied physics.
This silent destruction was more terrifying than a loud crash. It meant his control over power had reached a horrifying level.
The office fell into a deathly silence.
Lu Chen froze. He looked down at his palms, which were embedded in the desk as if kneading dough, then looked up at Gu She's face—expressionless, but with glasses clearly slipped halfway down his nose.
It's over.
Lu Chen wailed internally.
Forget the scholarship, now I have to pay for the desk... How many steamed buns will this cost?!
But in Gu She's eyes, this was no accident. This was a naked display of force!
It was a message: If you don't approve the application, the next thing to melt won't be the desk, but your skull.
Gu She took a deep breath, pushed up his glasses with trembling fingertips. As a staunch materialist and defender of the rule of law, his worldview had just taken a slight hit.
He looked at the twisted, clay-like corner of the desk, then at the monster opposite him, whose face was full of "gloom," seemingly waiting for his final answer.
Gu She remained silent for three seconds. Then, he slowly released the panic button under the desk and picked up the application form again.
Not only did he pick it up, but he also very cooperatively and quickly unscrewed the cap of his fountain pen.
"Well..."
Gu She's voice was even calmer than before, tinged with a hint of undetectable... cowardice.
"I might have been mistaken just now."
He quickly signed his name on the form, stamped it with the official seal, and then, holding the two corners of the paper with both hands, respectfully handed it to Lu Chen.
"Student Lu Chen, the organization has fully understood your difficulties. Barring any accidents, the application will pass review within three days."
"Also," Gu She glanced at the ruined desk, his eyelid twitching, and added, "The desk quality was poor, old and in disrepair. You don't need to pay for it."
Lu Chen held the regained application form, a bit dazed by the sudden arrival of happiness.
This guy... although he looks cold, he's actually a great person! Not only did he approve the application, but he also waived the compensation for the desk!
Lu Chen was so moved that his eyes grew moist.
"Thank you, President! You are truly a good person!"
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Lu Chen instinctively extended his right hand—the same massive hand that had just "melted" solid wood—to shake Gu She's hand in thanks.
Gu She's pupils shrank. His body instinctively leaned back, pressing hard against the chair, as if facing the grim reaper's summon.
Lu Chen didn't notice the other's fear. Seeing that Gu She had no intention of shaking hands, he simply withdrew his hand sincerely, scratched his head, and gave a simple, honest smile, revealing two rows of eerie white teeth.
"President, you're a saint! If you have any heavy lifting in the future, just call me. I'll do it for you even if I have to skip a meal!"
With that, he grabbed the form and turned to leave—afraid Gu She might change his mind.
Bang. The door closed.
Gu She was left alone in the office.
The President, an inviolable figure of authority in the students' eyes, slowly slumped into his leather chair. He took off his glasses and tremblingly pulled out the white handkerchief to wipe the fine, cold sweat from his forehead.
Looking at the shocking, sunken palm prints on the desk, Gu She muttered to himself:
"A good person?"
"This Lu Chen... is absolutely an extremely dangerous element."
Just then, the red landline on the desk rang suddenly.
The shrill ring echoed in the dead silence. Gu She frowned, his mood at rock bottom, and snatched up the phone.
"Hello."
On the other end came the anxious voice of the counselor, Old Wang.
"Oh, Gu She, are you in the office? Emergency! The Archives Office is demanding we move that batch of old sealed files from the 'Old Lab Building' basement today. My lumbar disc herniation is acting up, I can't move. I asked around, but the moment students hear it's that haunted place, no one dares to go..."
"If no one goes, leave it." Gu She was about to hang up.
Wait.
Old Lab Building... basement?
That was the most remote, gloomy place on campus. Rumors said it was haunted year-round, and several security guards had resigned inexplicably after working there.
Gu She's hand paused in mid-air. He slowly turned his head, his gaze landing on the terrifying "dough" palm print on the desk corner.
The fear in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a glint of calculation.
Since he's a dangerous element, send him to a more dangerous place.
If it's that "Humanoid T-Rex," maybe we can fight poison with poison.
"Teacher Wang." Gu She put the receiver back to his ear, his voice regaining its usual calm and composure. "No need to find anyone else. I have the perfect candidate."
"Oh? Who's brave enough?"
"Lu Chen." Gu She looked at the sunken palm print, the corner of his mouth curving into a meaningful arc. "He was just here, expressing a very... strong desire to prove himself through labor."
Five minutes later.
Just as Lu Chen walked downstairs, his phone vibrated.
[Student Lu Chen, in view of your positive attitude in applying for the scholarship, President Gu recommends you to assist in moving a batch of important files at the Old Lab Building. This is an assessment of your labor qualities and will help with your scholarship application. Please perform well. — Teacher Wang]
Lu Chen stopped, looked at the screen, and scratched his head.
"Recommended by President Gu?"
He looked back at the window on the third floor, a warm current surging in his heart.
That President Gu is really a great guy!
He even arranged such a good job for me to earn impression points! This must be what they call... a benefactor?
Lu Chen slung his backpack over his shoulder, strode out with his long legs, and headed toward the Old Lab Building in the northwest corner of the campus.
It was noon, the sun shining brightly. But for some reason, the closer he got to the red brick building covered in withered creepers, the more the surrounding temperature seemed to drop out of nowhere. Even the birdsong vanished completely, and a deathly silence shrouded the area.
Lu Chen was completely oblivious. He even happily hummed an out-of-tune song:
"Today is a good day..."
For the bonus money, I have to do a beautiful job!