Chapter 1670: Reporting In

In the azure sky hung great, thick white clouds; a rare hot wind blew, swaying the weeping willow branches, ruffling the young man's short hair, and fluttering the hem of the young woman's skirt.

What the wind stirred even more were the unsettled hearts of these youths who had just stepped into university.

Southern Media University was certainly not the campus of their dreams; after all, most were fallen pearls who had missed out on Tsinghua or Peking University.

Yet this did not stop them from harboring beautiful visions for this unfamiliar university; many had probably not slept a good night's sleep for several days already.

Excitedly, they looked all around at the school's environment; even though they were sweating under the blazing sun, they did not mind the heat as they pointed and chattered away. Some, who had been sent off by parents and relatives, were even taking photos for their families.

Student volunteers guided people at the school gate, and everyone followed the directions to the registration area.

This was a tree-lined road where a row of tents had been set up; various different departments were here handling registration matters. Additionally, there were many students—taking photos, recording videos, conducting interviews, doing all sorts of things—while the registering students and their parents watched the novelty, making the scene quite lively.

One of the tents displayed a banner reading 'School of Television and Journalism,' with seven or eight people queuing there.

Wang Yan, carrying a backpack and dragging a suitcase, joined the queue at the very end.

Ahead of him stood a slender, tall figure dressed exquisitely and sprayed with perfume, fanning himself with a promotional umbrella he had picked up.

Hearing the movement behind him, he turned his head, crossed one arm over his chest, and scanned Wang Yan up and down with his eyes.

He was about the same height as Wang Yan, with angular features and an ordinary yet resolute face; his deep eyes held a refined, restrained brilliance. He wore a short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and athletic shoes, with a sports watch on his wrist.

His clothes and shoes were from ordinary athletic brands; he did not know the value of the sports watch. The bag on his back was a professional outdoor backpack, while the suitcase he dragged was an ordinary black rolling case worth only a few hundred yuan; hanging from the suitcase was a camera bag bearing the Canon logo.

"Buddy, are you in Television Photography?"

"Ah."

"Me too!" The tall, slender man gave a small jump of joy, baring his white teeth. "My name is Yu Hao, from Chaoshan. Lately, I've been super into the Northeastern dialect; I've watched six seasons of Country Love."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile. "Wang Yan, from Liaoning."

"Ah, then you speak the Northeastern dialect. Come on, say something, say something."

"Get lost!"

"Mmm~ That flavor is authentic!" Yu Hao squinted as if savoring it. "Get lost!"

He mimicked Wang Yan's tone, acting utterly cheeky.

Suddenly, he snapped his eyes wide open and stared straight into Wang Yan's eyes. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Maybe you could get it treated a bit."

Yu Hao laughed loudly, mimicking Wang Yan's tone again, then said, "Oh my goodness, you have no idea; staying home during the break was so boring that I started watching Country Love, and honestly, I couldn't stop. I actually got into it; I really got into it. Can you believe it? You're from the Northeast; you must have watched Country Love, right?"

"I have."

"Who do you think is my favorite character?"

Yu Hao stared fixedly at Wang Yan, expectation in his eyes and cunning on his face; he spoke with such certainty that he seemed to already know Wang Yan's answer.

"Li Daguo."

"What?" Yu Hao's eyes bulged; he leaned back exaggeratedly, unable to believe it. "You actually think my favorite is Li Daguo? Shouldn't you think I resemble Wang Tianlai instead? Why?"

He even made sure to mimic Xiao Shenyang's famous line.

"You do look quite a bit like Wang Tianlai, so obviously the feeling would be very different. It's Li Daguo, who engages in a love-hate relationship with Wang Tianlai, that's interesting."

"Oh my goodness, a kindred spirit! You are absolutely right." Yu Hao clapped his hands happily, then immediately straightened his expression. "But don't you think that telling someone they look like Wang Tianlai the moment you meet them is a very, very impolite thing to do?"

"You asked seriously, and I answered sincerely."

Yu Hao pursed his lips. "You'd better have!"

Wang Yan patted his shoulder. "Classmate Yu Hao, you must face your true self."

"Disgusting. Do you only feel comfortable if you call me girly?" Yu Hao slapped Wang Yan's hand away, pouted, and twisted his body as if extremely unhappy.

Looking at Yu Hao's affected behavior, Wang Yan said, "You said that yourself; I didn't say anything. But actually, it doesn't matter. What is the definition of 'girly'? It means 'not manly.' And what is the definition of a 'man'? Is it being rough, unkempt, hairy, and muscular? Obviously not. Only those who can bear responsibility, actively face difficulties, and find ways to solve problems are truly men."

"If you are a bit refined, a bit delicate in your mannerisms, or even if you completely prefer men and are even a bottom, it doesn't matter. As long as you have a sense of responsibility, as long as you shoulder responsibilities, face difficulties, and solve problems, then you are a man!"

"Although what you said feels a bit strange, I still want to thank you for your recognition." Yu Hao widened his eyes, crossed his arms, and spoke with great solemnity. "Also, I must emphasize: I! Do! Not! Like! Men! And! I! Am! Not! A! Bottom!"

"Understood."

"Say it again!"

"Get lost!"

"No way, no way."

The two chatted happily like this, their conversation mainly revolving around Country Love, discussing the plot in depth, and interspersed with many classic skits from the Zhao Family Ban...

When it was their turn in the queue, they learned their class assignment, collected their dormitory keys, and picked up their campus cards and student IDs; afterward, the two headed together toward their dormitory.

"You say this school is really cunning; they mass-produced bank cards for us and mailed them with the admission notice. Then, upon arrival for registration, they directly assigned us Telecom campus cards. With thousands of students in our year, who got the performance metrics? Who took the money?"

Yu Hao spoke indignantly.

Society had long shown students the truth, but many just cursed a bit and moved on, without deep realization or understanding. Because at this stage, idealism far surpasses realism; in their imagination, they possess the great power to easily change everything in the future.

No matter how much money it is, if it isn't urgently needed by oneself, it's all considered small change; no matter how big a matter is, without personal experience, it's all considered a trivial issue.

Wang Yan nodded in agreement. "Their table manners are too ugly."

For anything, one can always find a justification. Issuing campus phone cards is for unified management of contact lists and convenient notification of messages. Issuing bank cards is for digitalized tuition collection; students simply deposit tuition into this card, and it can be deducted directly, saving time and effort.

The telecom operators gained new cards and stable performance metrics for four years. The banks completed their user expansion tasks, secured a certain amount of deposits within a fixed period, and since a significant portion of students would continue using these bank cards, the relevant personnel also gained performance credits. Meanwhile, the school saved on certain administrative tasks through this arrangement, and the relevant staff likewise benefited.

Most critically, the students themselves lost nothing; it was merely that, without knowing anything about it, they ended up with an extra phone card and an extra bank card, which they would indeed find useful in the future...

"Hah... Ptooey!"

Yu Hao expressed his contempt and vehement condemnation.

Universities are a crucial engine for urban development; amid rapid growth, various schools have undergone a new round of construction. All sorts of buildings have been erected in myriad styles, and campuses have become larger and larger, each trying to outdo the other.

The registration area was located near an office building easily visible just outside the school gate, whereas the students' dormitory buildings were situated at least one running track's distance away, leading to one of the residential zones.

Perhaps building the dormitories so far away was also intended to ensure students got some exercise, maintaining muscle strength and joint lubrication, so they wouldn't truly become "crispy skins"...

Although the distance was not short, with a companion to chat with, such a distance amounted to nothing; before they knew it, accompanied by tales of Country Love, they had arrived. From the elderly female dormitory manager downstairs, they used their registration forms to collect pillows, quilts, bed sheets, duvet covers, and small yellow basins.

Watching Wang Yan carry the large backpack, hold the suitcase, and clutch the bedding as he lightly ascended the stairs.

Yu Hao exaggerated his expression, gritting his teeth as he lugged his suitcase; every step up the stairs was heavy, making the floorboards sway.

"Is there anything left in your bag or that suitcase?"

So Wang Yan took two steps to the landing between the first and second floors, let go of the suitcase, and spread his hands in gesture.

Yu Hao looked at Wang Yan suspiciously, tentatively stepped forward to lift the case, and failed to budge it on the first try; he gritted his teeth again, pairing the effort with strange grunting sounds of exertion.

"What's inside?"

"Cameras, lenses, tripods, and so on."

"All of that? Having one camera and two lenses should be enough; is all this really necessary?"

Wang Yan smiled: "Poor students have many tools; trust me, by the end of your four years at university, your equipment likely won't fit in just this one suitcase."

"Let me tell you, I only need to gently press the shutter to become a generation's photography master, worshipped and sought after, and all I need is a single 35mm prime lens."

"The future is too far for me to see; all I know is that if you want to become a master now, the first step is climbing to the sixth floor, and you still have five and a half floors to go."

"Ouch..."

Amidst Yu Hao's heavy panting and straining, he finally managed with great effort to drag the suitcase up to the sixth floor.

"Room 616, quite convenient, right here by the stairwell. I'll tidy up first, and then we can eat together in a while."

"Okay."

Wang Yan responded with a sound, dragging his suitcase toward the side.

Of course, he was not going to share a dormitory with this named and surnamed protagonist group, but rather stay in Room 618 right next door.

The dormitory door stood open; sunlight streamed through the window, filling the room with a faint scent of dust but no other strange odors. Although located in the south, the room felt relatively drier, a benefit of facing south and receiving sunlight.

There was already someone inside: short hair dyed yellow, spiked up energetically, wearing ear studs and black-rimmed glasses. Bare-chested, his muscles showed distinct definition. He held a rag and was wiping a desk.

"You're here, bro. I'm Jiang Yunming, from Henan."

"Wang Yan, from Liaoning."

Responding to his words, Wang Yan dragged his suitcase into the dormitory.

It was a four-person dorm with beds above and desks below, though not very spacious; the four beds basically stretched from the door to the window. There was some additional space, but not much. However, a small balcony had been partitioned off, suitable for hanging laundry and storing sundries.

His bunk was the eastern one nearest the window, with his name written right above it.

"Smoke? Want one?"

Jiang Yunming took a pack of Huazi cigarettes from his desk, stuffed one into his own mouth first, then walked over to offer a cigarette to Wang Yan.

Wang Yan readily accepted it, took a lighter from his pocket to light Jiang Yunming's cigarette first, and only then lit his own.

"Looking at your slicked-back hair, you seem like the smoking type," Jiang Yunming said, exhaling smoke with a laugh.

"Stereotypes kill," Wang Yan laughed heartily, then added, "Let's just smoke in the dorm for these couple of days; after that, we'll go to the restroom to smoke. The room is too small; if we smoke too much, the quilts will reek."

"I am also a person of quality."

Jiang Yunming looked slightly displeased.

"Better to clarify this now, to avoid hurting feelings later; after all, we'll be living together for four years."

If no one spoke up, it wouldn't take long—just three or five days of smoking inside—and the habit would become natural. Given young people's pride and concern for face, bringing it up later would lead to arguments; in severe cases, a fight wouldn't be impossible.

Especially photography majors, who are art students, generally didn't study well in high school, tended to associate with gangs involved in fighting and brawling, and came from very well-off families. After all, tuition is twenty thousand a year, cameras and lenses cost tens of thousands, starting at forty or fifty thousand; without a solid financial foundation, one couldn't afford to study this.

With all these conditions combined, they were all temperamental people.

Jiang Yunming watched Wang Yan sit on a stool, legs crossed high, sporting an oiled hairstyle, tall and burly, with muscular arms full of powerful lines, and thus felt that Wang Yan's temper must be even fiercer.

Once the momentum dropped, the temper vanished.

"That's right; we're all grown men. If there's an issue, just speak up; bottling things up leads to misunderstandings, and too many misunderstandings hurt feelings. We're good brothers, aren't we?"

"We are all people of quality," Wang Yan said with a smiling nod.

"Hey, do you play games?"

"Yeah, CF, LoL, and so on; I play basically everything."

"I play LoL too; what's your rank? I'm Platinum II. If yours is lower... it doesn't matter; we can just play normal matches, that works too. Where's your computer? Wait a bit, and we can play a few rounds?"

"I'm Platinum III. Let's do it tonight; we need to finish tidying the room first, and I still have to go buy some daily necessities and such."

"Alright."

The two chatted while working together to clean the room. Wang Yan also put on his duvet cover, made his bed, and organized his belongings.

Not to mention clothes; his treasures were, of course, his photography equipment.

Along the way, he hadn't actually looked, and such a minor matter as equipment wasn't worth his 'living father' specifically instructing him about, so for him, this was still a blind box. The unknown was rather anticipation-inducing.

Inside the Canon backpack was Canon's latest digital camera, while the suitcase held several lenses. There were also Hasselblad panoramic and medium-format film cameras along with several more lenses, filling the box to the brim.

"I don't know how good your photos are, but you certainly brought a lot of cameras and lenses," Jiang Yunming said, watching Wang Yan take things out and arrange them on the desk.

"Exactly, poor students have many tools!" Yu Hao danced his way in through the doorway...

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