booktalesy Chapter 68: The Clash at the Graduation Banquet
Chapter 68: The Clash at the Graduation Banquet
The next afternoon.
The school held a farewell party for the graduating seniors in the small auditorium behind the teaching building.
The auditorium was not large; a red carpet was laid on the stage, and a red banner with several large characters was hung on the background wall.
"Youth never ends, dreams are just beginning."
A dozen rows of folding chairs were set up below the stage, filled with graduates and teachers from the entire grade.
The ceiling fan overhead was on its highest setting, humming as it whirred.
However, the air blown out by the fan was hot.
According to the farewell party's schedule, the principal spoke first, followed by the grade head, and finally the student representative.
The list of student representatives who spoke was prepared in advance by the homeroom teachers.
All students who are admitted to 211 and 985 universities must give a speech on stage, with each person limited to three minutes, as a way to set an example for their younger schoolmates.
When Su Qianqian went on stage, the previously noisy audience instantly fell silent.
She was the undisputed school beauty for all three years of high school, so much so that all the other girls in the school dared not stand out.
Now that she has finally graduated, the girls in the first and second years of high school are overjoyed.
Su Qianqian wore a light blue short-sleeved shirt and white trousers today.
Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, which was unusual for her. After standing on the podium, she adjusted the microphone in front of her and began her speech.
Su Qianqian spoke in a calm voice, at a moderate pace, and finished in less than three minutes.
Then, the applause from the audience lasted for a long time.
When Song Qingning went on stage, she took big steps and held the microphone so close that it almost touched her nose.
She spoke much faster than Su Qianqian, and even made a slip of the tongue once, saying "thank you for your cultivation, teacher" instead of "thank you for your cultivation, teacher." She laughed first, and the audience laughed along, creating a very relaxed atmosphere.
Not long after.
Then it was Chen Junrong's turn to go on stage.
He walked slower than everyone else in front of him.
Especially when she was wearing a crisp white shirt, with a pen tucked into her breast pocket, and her hair was styled with hair gel and combed back until it was shiny.
After standing on the podium, Chen Junrong first straightened his collar and then glanced around at the audience.
Finally, it landed in the third row, the one closest to the aisle.
Because Lin Bei was sitting there.
Lin Bei was wearing a regular T-shirt and jeans today, and was looking down at his phone, scrolling through his phone.
The screen displays order data from the Taobao store's backend.
We received over a dozen more orders this morning; the sales of lingerie have already surpassed those of regular women's clothing.
He was mentally calculating the profit margin for this batch of goods, completely oblivious to who was standing on the stage.
Old Gao sat next to Lin Bei and nudged him with his elbow: "Look, the show-off is here."
Lin Bei glanced up at the stage, then looked down at his phone again.
At this moment, Chen Junrong is on the stage, talking non-stop about "how hard he worked", "how he got into a 985 university", and "how he thanks his teachers, his parents, and himself for his perseverance".
When Chen Junrong said "thank you for your perseverance," he looked up at Lin Bei with a defiant look in his eyes.
Chen Junrong wanted to see Lin Bei look inferior to him.
So what if he's handsome?
So what if the staff are good?
So what if girls like to talk to you?
When you enter the workforce, your education will be what matters!
How can Lin Bei, a mere ordinary second-tier university, compare to a prestigious university like his?
Before even graduating from university, he was already a cut above Lin Bei.
This will be even more true in the future.
Therefore, Chen Junrong had already anticipated that once Lin Bei learned about the gap between them, he would be so ashamed that he would prostrate himself in shame!
As a result, Lin Bei glanced up at him briefly, then quickly looked down again.
It was as if they didn't care who was giving the speech on stage.
Chen Junrong's provocative gaze fell entirely into the air.
hateful!
Ignored again!
Chen Junrong was furious but didn't lash out immediately. He continued reading his script.
Old Gao had witnessed Chen Junrong's performance and almost burst out laughing.
"Old Lin, did you see Chen Junrong's appearance just now? He looked like he was constipated."
"Hahaha...that's hilarious."
Lin Bei didn't say anything and continued playing on his phone.
……
After the farewell party, the students from each class went to a restaurant that the school had booked in advance for a group dinner.
This restaurant is not far from the school, only two blocks away.
The restaurant wasn't very big, but it was booked by the entire senior class, with both floors packed with people.
Lin Bei's class was seated on the third floor by the window, where ten people sat at a large round table.
Lin Bei's left is Lao Gao, his right is Su Qianqian, and next to Su Qianqian is Song Qingning.
Chen Junrong sat opposite Lin Bei, with his two inseparable henchmen beside him.
Before all the dishes were served, Chen Junrong started making sarcastic remarks.
"Lin Bei, I looked up your second-tier university, it seems to be in the suburbs, right?"
"I heard that school doesn't even have a decent library, and the facilities are really dilapidated."
He had a look on his face as he tried hard to suppress a laugh. "But it's okay, a second-tier university degree is still a bachelor's degree. I can still find an ordinary job after graduation."
"If you really can't make it after graduation, you can come find me."
"No matter what, we're old classmates, so I'll definitely lend you a hand if I can."
Old Gao put down his chopsticks and glared at them.
Lin Bei didn't look up. He gently flipped the braised pork in the bowl with his chopsticks, picked it up, and put it in his mouth.
He chewed very intently, without saying a word.
Chen Junrong waited a few seconds but received no response, so he had no choice but to lower his head and eat the food on his plate.
Soon, all the dishes were served. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the students began to eat and chat.
A short while later, two boys stood up, carrying two cups filled with clear liquid, and walked over to Su Qianqian and Song Qingning.
One of them placed a cup in front of Su Qianqian: "Today is our last get-together, I'd like to toast the school beauty."
Another person placed a glass in front of Song Qingning: "Qingning, I'd like to toast you too."
Su Qianqian and Song Qingning didn't think much of it, put down their chopsticks, and were about to pick up their cups to drink.
At this moment, Lin Bei reached out and took the two cups, placing them on the table.
He stood up, picked up the large, unopened bottle of orange juice next to him, unscrewed the cap, poured two new glasses, and placed them in front of Su Qianqian and Song Qingning.
Then, he pushed the two drinks of dubious origin aside.
"Since we're drinking, it's more fun if everyone drinks."
"Come on, what's the point of drinking with girls? Let's drink together."
Lin Bei picked up his glass, raised it to the two boys, and then took a sip himself.
The two boys' expressions changed.
One of them reached out to take the drink back, but Lin Bei stopped him by raising his hand.
Another boy spoke up directly: "What do you mean?"
"Can't I drink alcohol? Can't I drink any other beverages either? Why do I have to pour it all again?"
"Are you looking down on us?"
"Exactly," Chen Junrong chimed in. "We're all classmates, we have to save face, of course."
"Since we can't drink alcohol, soft drinks are fine too."