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?"