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Chapter 33: The Carrefour Poster

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

Promotion posters were put up in supermarkets every month. Some of them were single-page, while other were whole leaflets. The quality was mediocre, though.

Several staff members picked at random from the advertising department acted as photographers. They asked Qin Guan to perform freely on the spot.

That's easy! Qin Guan dragged the suitcase behind him while he went around the room. When they were done shooting, they brought the camera over to have a look.

The photos were either blurred or vague. The photographer was an amateur without any professionally training and as result, he had failed to capture good pictures.

People sighed at the photos. These are not good enough.

The person in charge of the Marketing Promoting Department shouted loudly at the photographer, "If you're lacking any professional ability, you should at least take honest photos!"

The photographer was not to blame. "I'm not well-prepared."

"You're so naïve, my boy. With your level of expertise, you would take the same photos no matter how many times you tried."

Qin Guan got an idea by the photographer's lack of expertise. They depend on me.

He pulled the drawbar of the suitcase up. With one hand in the pocket of his pants and the other holding the suitcase, he made a posture of stepping forward.

Seeing his posture, the man in charge of the Advertising Department was filled with artful inspiration. Actually, you're only a small-scale advertiser. His camera sounded again. In less than a minute, the series of photos had been finished.

The distribution businessmen were surprised at the sight of them. Dear me! Is that the same cheap products with the loose thread residue and the crooked seams on the pant legs?

The casual hoodie and loose sporty sweatpants with the 4-line logo copied from Adidas looked particularly gorgeous.

The sneakers on his feet also seemed comfortable beyond measure, and no one could tell that the suitcase cost only 50 yuan.

The distribution businessmen eyed each other and took their cellphones out one by one. They called for more merchandise while they talked with the person in charge of market promoting, demanding extra advertisements.

Sister Xue was not pleased with the distribution businessmen, who were pulling on Qin Guan. "Hey, what are you doing? Hands off! Hey, you! Stop pulling on his sleeve! Take your hands off!"

She shouted to the person in charge, "The agreement was only for one series of photos! We're finished, so we can go. What's going on here?"

The person in charge agreed with her. "Yes, you businessmen are demanding more pages, but there are only so many pages in a Carrefour leaflet. We can't present only your products! You're too greedy!"

The businessmen seemed to think it was quite easy. "It's only a matter of adding more pages. Shall the three of us buy one more page each? One for shoes, one for clothes and one for suitcases."

They had a heated discussion, and then the person in charge muttered with the advertising department staff for quite a while.

The head of the Advertising Department rubbed his hands together with a smile and walked up to Sister Xue and Qin Guan.

Looking embarrassed, he said to Sister Xue, "Three more series, including clothes, suitcases and shoes. Just his legs, not his face. You'll get double pay, OK?"

Sister Xue glanced at Qin Guan, who was already doing the mental calculations. Originally, it had been 500 yuan in cash and 3000 yuan worth of shopping cards. Double pay will mean 1000 yuan in cash and 6000 yuan worth of shopping cards. Sister Xue will take one third, leaving me 700 yuan and 4000 yuan worth of shopping cards. It's a good deal!

It was easy to take pictures, and Qin Guan was itchy to earn more money at the time, so he nodded in agreement right away.

The distribution businessmen were pretty straightforward. They brought clothes for Qin Guan directly from the Carrefour stock, and Qin Guan began to change into them to take pictures.

He felt inspired. First, he tied the hoodie around his neck, pretending to be cool,and then he lifted the lower hem with lure, which made the female staff in the room hold their breath for a while.

The distribution businessmen were quite pleased with him. My jeans looked so stylish on his long legs. The shoes were quite beautiful with that elegant decorative pattern.

The businessman selling the suitcases was the most glad. Students preparing to go to college would regret not buying a traveling bag.

Qin Guan and Sister Xue went out of Carrefour and into the chilling wind outside.

Qin Guan stretched back his neck, complaining, "It's too soon after the Spring Festival. It will be quite a few days before the new term begins. I'll be all alone in my dormitory. Shall I do nothing but stay in my dorm and think about the future?"

Sister Xue smiled to herself. That's what I've been waiting to hear. Pretending to be quite stumped, she said to Qin Guan, "You're right. How about you wait for my call to arrange some more part-time jobs for you?"

Qin Guan nodded, "Okay. If there are plenty of gigs, you could make me a tight schedule. I'll be fine."

Sister Xue answered immediately, "You've got it. Wait for my call and I promise to keep you busy."

Qin Guan nodded again. Paying with the money he'd just made, he took a taxi back, feeling very pleased with himself.

In such a cold day, shall I have something delicious?

At the Doornail Meat Pie Restaurant beside the Capital University of Finance and Economics, Qin Guan asked for a bowl of cooked chopped sheep entrails happily. It went well with the doornail meat pie. He had a good meal, the scent of the food lingering between his teeth and cheeks.

The mutton sauce whizzed out from the yellow pie. His mouth was full of tender meat stuffing and crisp crust. Qin Guan was beyond satisfied.

He had a good meal and then he went to sleep. He didn't dream the whole night, Qin Guan received informative short messages from Sister Xue the following day.

He checked his phone. She's working really hard for me. He received the three following messages:

1. Serving at the opening ceremony of a new real estate agency. The ceremony will last about one hour. The pay is 100 yuan.

2. One-page printed advertisement. It's a foreign language learning advertisement that will appear at the bottom page of "Youth Monthly". The pay is 1000 yuan. It's unknown yet when the ad will be printed.

3. A product-releasing conference in the form of a cocktail party. A nouveau riche from the x region is trying to find a place in the business circle of the capital and wants to attract public attention to his new business. Several male and female models are needed. The requirements are to be charming, attractive, and have a good figure. The date is unknown and the reward is 2000 yuan.

Qin Guan was interested in the third message. What the hell is that? He called Sister Xue back.

She answered the phone. In a joking tone, Qin Guan asked her, "Hey, Sister Xue, what do you mean by the third one, huh?"

Judging by his way of speaking, Sister Xue was clear on what he was thinking. She shouted back angrily, "I am no pimp, I'm a model agent! Do you know what an agent is? We have morals!"

Qin Guan thought to himself, That's to be determined. The modeling circle is almost the same as the entertainment circle. They will both rot at some point. He said, "What did the message mean then?"

Sister Xue couldn't help but explain, "Don't think about it too much, Qin Guan. The man is trying to jump from the mining industry to the hi-tech industry. He has to bring some attractive people to enter the hi-tech circle. The cocktail party is just a by-product. The female models will make a show while the male models will be in charge of holding the products. You are nothing but a pretty prop, understand?"

Qin Guan nodded unconsciously, "I know, I know. Okay, Sister Xue. I'll be there."

Getting straight to the point, Sister Xue said, "You should go early tomorrow morning. The messages are arranged according to your schedule. Work hard. We'll take them one at a time."

Qin Guan wasn't wordy, either. What would he do in his spare time? Sleep, of course. He had to have enough energy to work.

Gin Guan shut off his phone and missed a crank call from Huang Jiajia, leaving the girl grinding her teeth at home. She had hoped to monopolize Teacher Qin by taking advantage of his girlfriend's absence. All she achieved though was Qin Guan shutting his phone off.

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Chapter 34: Three Small Gigs

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

The next morning, Qin Guan stood on the stage of the outdoor square in a thin suit, the chilling northwest wind blowing through him.

The manager of the real estate agency was delivering his speech on the stage in excitement, froth forming on his mouth. The guests below were also in warm clothes. Qin Guan snorted his nose. Making money is hard.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Qin Guan and another male model carried the lottery box and went around the crowd. The guests would draw ten numbers, each number equaling 10,000 Yuan for purchasing houses.

After the lottery, the staff led the guests to the sales office to take a look at the sample houses, concluding Qin Guan's work for the day.

When he got off, Qin Guan immediately got his coat from Sister Xue and the two of them went to have a glass of hot water in the lounge area of the sales office. Qin Guan took a sip fast.

The hot water travelled down his throat as a warm steam rose from his stomach. Qin Guan instantly felt better.

Looking slightly concerned, Sister Xue asked, "Are you cold? This line of work is not easy. It's common for models to get frozen. "

Qin Guan was a little doubtful. Sister Xue was always energetic. This did not sound like her at all.

Sister Xue clapped Qin Guan on the back. "Are you still feeling cold? That's all for today. Go back early if you've got nothing to do. We've got work again tomorrow. "

Qin Guan saw Sister Xue off at the conference room, but he was not in a rush to leave.

The ceremony venue was in Fangzhuang, where a large community was currently under construction. There were new buildings everywhere.

Going around the exhibition hall, Qin Guan found that the price of the houses was not that high. It's a pity that I'm a poor wretch right now. I have to put off investing in a house.

Qin Guan had to leave in disappointment and go to his second ad shoot.

This advertisement was much easier for Qin Guan. All he needed to do was take one specific pose.

I wonder if anybody has read old magazines like "Readers" or "Youth's Digest". There were advertisement pages in those magazines, some of them advertising study machines or promoting fast English lessons.

There was an introduction of the products that took up the whole page, and a photo of a student holding the products or books on the lower right corner.

The student in the photo would express his need for the product, which strengthened the reliability of the product and raised the public purchasing desire.

Qin Guan was that student. A series of photos were taken in one simple pose. He looked a lot like a bookworm in those black-framed glasses.

The director of the school was so satisfied with the photos that he decided to offer Qin Guan several French courses as a gift. Qin Guan thought this was a sneaky move on his part.

You're offering me only several hours of courses. How about the following courses? Do I have to pay for those or not?

Sister Xue wasn't talking much to him, either. When she got paid for the shoot, she led Qin Guan out and left without hesitation.

Qin Guan was a potential money tree in her hands. The boy had originally focused a lot on his courses. If he went to cram school, he would be too busy to take a part-time job, and it would be a great loss for her.

Sister Xue was still trying to persuade him as they went out of the building, "Qin Guan, take it easy. Don't exhaust yourself. Find a proper balance between work and rest."

Qin Guan wanted to tell her that the courses couldn't be simpler for him, but he still had to attend them. That was mandatory in college.

Qin Guan was studying at the Capital University of Finance and Economics, which was famous for its strictness, unlike some colleges for film or television studies.

Less than a day later, Qin Guan received another call from Sister Xue. She drove a small LADA car under Qin Guan's dormitory to pick him up.

Fortunately, all college students were still on vacation, or there would be several stories to tell about the charming college boy and the middle-aged woman.

It was night when they arrived at the Chang'an Club. The colorful lights on the ballroom were lit up gradually while elegant dishes were placed on separate small tables.

The DJ in charge of the ballroom was playing slow music from backstage. Some people in casual but detailed clothes were gathering in groups of two or three, making leisurely conversation.

Qin Guan was waiting with a group of models backstage. Everyone was already in their formal wear.

The male models' suits were relatively normal, with black jackets and bows, while the female models looked quite sexy.

They wore one-piece dresses strung with tiny silver sequins. The dresses were as short as underwear. The girls' shiny white legs made Qin Guan dizzy.

Sister Xue coughed twice to remind Qin Guan not to look like a hillbilly. Qin Guan looked back at her with pursed lips, giving her a reassuring glance.

They waited until their employer, the host of the party, asked his assistant to inform them to take their positions. At the assistant's request, Qin Guan got up on the exhibition stage in the conference hall holding a display platter covered by red velvet satin.

The stage was quite bright under the strong lights, but the rest of the hall was dimly lit.

Models in silver short dresses walked among the crowd leisurely. They were holding trays with glasses of champagne and shaking their slender waists under the swaying lights to show off their beautiful figure.

The atmosphere of the party suddenly changed. From the bright stage, Qin Guan couldn't see what was going on below. All he felt was the surging atmosphere.

Occasionally, people interested in the products would idle up to Qin Guan's display platter. They would pick up the products to have a look, shake their heads and leave.

Qin Guan stood on the stage for more than an hour before the assistant signaled for him to get down.

Massaging his sore legs, Qin Guan glanced at the crowd in the hall unconsciously before he returned to the backstage area.

Some female models came along with him, taking a break from serving champagne. They leaned on each other's shoulders, or rested their long legs beside somebody else.

Beautiful lips, white legs and innocent charming smiles; everything looked so glamorous.

Qin Guan wasn't sure what he was feeling. He was still lost in thought while they changed clothes backstage.

Lighting a slim lady cigarette, Sister Xue told Qin Guan in a low voice, "None of them are professional models. You're doing this job for money, and so are they. The only difference is that they make more money in a more convenient way."

Qin Guan remained silent while he changed his clothes. Casting a cutting look at Sister Xue, he said, "I like my money to be clean."

Sister Xue chuckled, "That's what I thought. That's why I want to introduce you to the circle. If you get corrupted, you won't go far. It's late, I should take you home."

The corner of Qin Guan's mouth rose. "I trust you. All the jobs you've picked for me have been pretty good."

Sister Xue drove Qin Guan to campus. Qin Guan waved at her before he entered his dormitory building.

Leaning back against the driver's seat, Sister Xue watched his retreating back as she murmured to herself quietly, "I hope you'll remember what you said today and you won't ever change."

The Capital University of Finance and Economics opened on March 5th, 1999, the Day of Lei Feng [1].

The university campus swarmed with the tide of returning students. All of Qin Guan's roommates were back, embracing each other warmly. Everyone was busy taking out local specialties from their suitcases to share with the others, whom they had not seen for a long time.

The luckiest person in the dormitory was Liu Xiaoyang. As a local boy, most of the specialties had been brought for him.

Liu Xiaoyang was holding an air-dried gigot brought by Mu Lijiang. Yes, it was a whole gigot, carried from Mu Lejiang's hometown a thousand miles away. All along the journey Mu Lejiang had been surrounded by onlookers staring at it.

Translator's Thoughts

Lan Lan

【1】Lei Feng (Jan. 18th, 1940-Aug. 15th, 1962) was a soldier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army who was renowned for his spirit of selfless contribution.

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Chapter 35: Liu Xiaoyang's Gigot

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

Qin Guan and others were quite curious, so they asked Liu Xiaoyang, "What will you do with the big gigot?"

Liu Xiaoyang answered with pride, "I wanted it for somebody else. Qin Guan was right. I made new friends during winter vacation."

His roommates looked interested in his words, "Tell us more."

Liu Xiaoyang shared his experience of making new friends. "I paid ceremonial visits to other relatives in the neighborhood with my parents during the Spring Festival. I took a chance and chatted with boys who I was unfamiliar with."

"Although I'm very young, I'm a college student in every way that counts. Some of them had a lot to talk about and we became friends."

"One of my friends heard that one of my roommates came from Northwest China. Coincidentally, his grandpa was a northwesterner and in desperate need of authentic air-dried mutton. That's why I begged you to bring a gigot for me."

The others nodded. His new friends sounded quite reliable, so they said, "You could bring them to our dormitory in our spare time so we can hang out together. By the way, what do they do?"

Liu Xiaoyang talked about them with particular pride, "They are amazing! One of them majors in medical jurisprudence, another studies psychiatry, and the third one was in the intelligence department of a military college."

His roommates scattered away as soon as he finished, going about their own business.

Could that boy make friends with reliable, common people? Those three could form a group to solve hard cases. It was surely impossible for common people to understand the world of a genius.

Confused, Liu Xiaoyang shouted to them, "Hey, come back! I'll tell you how to perform an autopsy…"

No one was interested in corpses. They all ran away.

…………

When the new semester began, Qin Guan was busy. He had made a fundamental plan for himself. In the second half of the freshman year, the professional courses would start one by one, and the majority of his time had to be spent on those courses.

Qin Guan planned to take exams for various certificates as a sophomore. There was one year left till then. He could go about it little by little without a break.

The exams for the CET 6 would be arranged around at that time, and memorizing vocabulary was slow work.

Qin Guan's schedule was full. He had to give up the small part-time jobs, but Sister Xue arranged jobs on the weekends for him.

Product promoting had a low quality-value ratio, which had to end.

Finally, the domestic education of Huang Jiajia was left. With reasonable time and a good reward, he could keep that one.

The first weekend of the new semester, Sister Xue and the shirt factory came to an agreement. The first advertising poster of the annual contract would be shot at the same place.

Qin Guan arrived at the studio in Chaoyang Park. It was the same photographer who had taken pictures of him last time. He hugged Qin Guan encouragingly when he saw him walk in.

The photographer had submitted the photos he had taken last time to the organizing committee of a figure photography competition.

After the first selection, he would be informed about the results. Qin Guan smiled back with kindness. He always cherished the admiration of people who engaged in art.

The manufacturer of the J shirt paid special attention to the advertisement shooting this time. As an ambitious boss, he didn't plan on selling his shirts by phone orders forever.

He was also in the hope of introducing his shirts to shopping malls and expanding the sales volume. Qin Guan could give him such a chance.

The effect of the last poster had been amazing. The customers who saw the posters were women shopping in supermarkets and malls.

When the housewives saw Qin Guan smiling brightly on the posters, they had automatically imagined their own children in them.

Pink will clash with his skin. This young man looks so energetic in it, though. The quality seems good. Oh, dear! This is a really affordable price. It's on sale, 60 Yuan each. I have to buy one!

The women had long forgotten the reality, which was that their boys were hoarse-skinned, black-faced and stocky-figured.

Every mother thought her son was as handsome as the model on the posters.

As a result, the phone sales escalated. There was a huge number of calls about the shirts.

The boss was very excited. His dream was coming true. With vigorous zeal, he employed a designer who had just graduated from the design department of the Capital Institute of Fashion Technology, and rented a formal office beside Chaoyang Park, as well as a large warehouse in the suburbs. Of course, he also signed a long-term contract with the factory in South China.

Betting everything on this endeavour, he spent all the term's profits to make his shirts a formal brand.

He had come there with the designer. He met with Sister Xue, and the two of them had a heated discussion about the advertising contract. When Qin Guan changed into his first outfit, they made the final agreement.

Qin Guan's reward was raised from 3,000 Yuan to 5,000 Yuan for two more series of photos. The full-page shirt advertisement in the future would feature Qin Guan as the only model.

The lights were on. Qin Guan walked into the venue wearing the first shirt. The designer was excited at the sight of her finished product.

The shirt would be featured in the youth section of the spring collection. It was a white shirt with three-quarter sleeves rolled up and hollow lace around the collar and lower hem, representing the first stream of sunshine in spring.

At least that was the designer's inspiration. All the boss cared about was beauty.

When Qin Guan's stepped on the venue, everyone relaxed. Qin Guan rode on the edge of the wooden window frame with one foot stretched out.

His body was flecked with sunshine, looking like shiny drops of time. He inclined his shoulder gently into the window, moving it in close proximity to the photographer's lens. The photographer was quite excited. He pushed the shutter crazily to capture Qin Guan's warm smile.

"Okay! Change your pose one more time!" The photographer put down the camera and signaled for Qin Guan to take another pose.

Qin Guan moved back his foot from outside the window. He put his legs together and sat on the windowsill. Supporting his body with his arms, he leaned against the windowsill and stared ahead with a blank expression. The corner of his mouth was curled up as if he was smiling at the lens.

The photographer felt warm air blowing on his face. Qin Guan smiled gently and intently at the lens, making the hearts of onlookers throb.

The shoot went smoothly. Two minutes later, they were done taking photos with this shirt. While everyone checked the quality of the pictures, Qin Guan went to change into the second shirt.

The boss was quite satisfied with the result. He was not of a high educational level and couldn't use elegant words, but he knew what beauty and ugliness were, and whether the customers would buy the shirts.

When Qin Guan came out wearing the second shirt, the designer starting getting nervous. She had spent most of her talent on this one.

No one noticed the detail on the light green shirt until Qin Guan walked in front of the camera.

The light went through the shirt and the decorative patterns were suddenly visible to the onlookers. Dandelions were floating slowly on the shirt. They seemed like they flying under the effect of the light.

Looking particularly excited, the designer explained her idea to Qin Guan, "The shirt is linked to the theme of spring. It shows the exuberant energy of spring, which is pregnant with infinite vitality."

The photographer turned to the confused Qin Guan, "Don't listen to her. Listen to me. It's not so complicated. It's fine to show a sense of emptiness."

What does "a sense of emptiness" even mean? Could you please break it down for me?

Noticing Qin Guan's blank expression, Sister Xue knew that something was going wrong. Grinding her teeth, she waved at Qin Guan. He walked up to Sister Xue, who murmured in his ear for a while.

Qin Guan nodded and said doubtfully, "I'm good at that. The problem is whether it would work. Are you serious?"

Sister Xue pushed him toward the venue, "Listen to me. Hurry up. Don't waste time."

Qin Guan could do nothing but walk to the middle of the venue and do as Sister Xue had asked.

He opened his arms, closed eyes and relaxed the muscles of his face. With his head leaning back slightly, he took a pose for the photographer.

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Chapter 36: Huan Jiajia's First Test

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

The photographer clapped his hands together. The model was embracing the spring spirit. With a wanton expression in his eyes, Qin Guan opened his arms, attempting to fly. That's wonderful! The click of the camera sounded again and again.

The photographer shouted loudly, "Good! That's right! One more pose!"

At his words, Qin Guan lay down on the floor at once. He curved his body slightly, his hands lying limply on his chest. His eyes were unfocused.

The photographer was over the moon. "That's it! That's the spirit! This is nothingness and mystery! Okay, keep it. Okay. That's a wrap!"

When the word "wrap" came out of his mouth, the designer burst into tears. Her teachers had always told her that the work of a good designer could reach a delicate resonance in collaboration with the model. When she was in college, the designer had never had such an experience. Qin Guan had excellently explored the ideas behind her creations.

She was extremely moved. The satisfaction of the completed work overwhelmed her.

The boss had already walked away excitedly to have a glass of water. He had gotten thirsty just by watching.

Qin Guan was still murmuring to himself. Is this what being drunk is like? That's what I'm familiar with. In my past life, when I used to sell machines, it was part of my job to drink with directors. You would be considered a snob if you did not drink. It was so simple for Qin Guan to recall that feeling.

While she stood to the side and watched, Sister Xue did not feel as optimistic as Qin Guan. She had just realized what she had neglected right from the very beginning. Qin Guan had never received any professional model training. He was an amateur, self-taught model.

On his first part-time job, Qin Guan had beat all the other models with his outstanding appearance and figure.

But what about the other aspects of the job? Qin Guan had never practised the professional catwalk and he was unfamiliar with the background of the fashion industry. Plus, he wasn't aware of the ideas behind the designers and the brands.

He makes a living off his face. I could pick up any random model from the bottom of the fashion industry, and their basic skills would definitely be better than his.

Thinking of this, Sister Xue felt very agitated. She took a slightly flattened cigarette pack out off her pocket and pushed the door open to go out and have a cigarette. Then she came to a decision. She threw the lit cigarette down on the ground and ground it with her foot before she returned to the studio.

By that time, Qin Guan had changed into his third shirt.

It was a traditional formal shirt. The only difference was that it was black. Qin Guan stood still against the lights. Everyone could see the silver silk thread woven into the cloth, which reflected light spots under the light.

The designer was proud of her inspiration. It was a subtle luxury that elevated the taste of the shirt.

The boss was satisfied as well. The 80 Yuan retail price is a little higher than the original 60 Yuan price, but the cost is only raised by 2 Yuan. The shirt looks like a high-quality one. It's definitely worth 80 Yuan.

Qin Guan was the most relaxed in this series of photos. He wore glasses with golden frames in an elite conservative style. He didn't need to strike a pose, his serious expression was more than enough.

The photographer finally shouted loudly, "That's a wrap! Let's pack up!"

The designer and the boss hastened to check the pictures. Sister Xue focused on the photos with the second shirt. She observed them carefully, letting out a long breath.

Naturally, after the shooting Qin Gun got an extra gift. The boss was satisfied with the photos and paid him delightedly.

While they were preparing to leave, he told Qin Guan to keep all the shirts he had tried on. This part-time job had become his clothing source for the whole term.

Qin Guan got into Sister Xue's car so she could take him to campus. Sister Xue talked to him while she drove, "Qin Guan, can I find a trainer for you?"

Qin Guan was a little confused, "A trainer? For what?"

Sister Xue sighed, "Your modeling foundation is unsteady. I suggest that we find a professional trainer to teach you. Your appearance won't get you every job. You have to improve yourself in order to make more money."

Qin Guan nodded at the word "improve". "I hear you, Sister Xue. You can make the arrangement, provided that you leave me enough time for my courses. It won't hurt to study a little more."

Sister Xue was quite surprised with Qin Guan's reply. The little money grubber doesn't want to stop the part-time jobs and learn slowly. She had prepared a speech to persuade Qin Guan, but it was useless now.

Qin Guan got off the car, waved to Sister Xue and entered the campus. Seeing him off, Sister Xue found that she didn't understand the boy. She joked to herself, "Anyway, at least he likes studying."

Qin Guan returned to his dormitory, arranged all his new shirts and then went to Huang Jiajia's house.

It was her first lesson for the new term. Qin Guan had prepared a set of papers for each subject so he could make a revision test for her.

Huan Jiajia was very confident about the papers. She listened carefully to the teacher at school. On the weekends, she had lessons with Qin Guan, and during winter vacation she had attended cram school.

She had made a huge effort on her courses, which made her confident about the scores.

After she finished the papers, Qin Guan announced the results.

Chinese: 98 (pass)

English: 80

Math: 66

Science:69

Chemistry:72

The total score was 385. She qualified for the College Entrance Examination for students who wished to take Arts Studies.

As an ordinary student, Huan Jiajia might only be able to enroll at a junior vocational school with such a score.

Huan Jiajia's mother was pleased. My daughter has made great progress. She could qualify for a junior college. Well done, Professor Qin! I haven't paid him for this term. I'll prepare 500 Yuan for him later.

Huang Jiajia was also satisfied with the results. As a second grade student in senior high school, I can get a higher score next year. I have shortened the distance between Professor Qin and me by one small step.

Qin Guan nodded and said to Huan Jiajia, "You did well! Try to keep it up. If you can get a B or more in every subject in your general examinations in June, I'll take you to Carrefour and buy you snacks."

Huang Jiajia jumped up at his words. "Really? Don't mess with me, Professor Qin!"

Qin Guan nodded and patted her head once. "I'll keep my promise. That's it for today. I'm going."

Qin Guan had won the popularity vote once again with his free shopping cards. He had sent a box of snacks to Cong Nianwei's dormitory. Her roommates called him the local tyrant. As for the shameless people in his own dormitory, Qin Guan was ashamed to be one of them.

They insisted on profiting at a rich person's expense and followed Qin Guan to do their shopping for free.

You, Ye Dong, drop that MP3! Do you want to remain good friends with me? That cell phone was not on the shopping list!

The design of the electric appliances at Carrefour was quite unreasonable. After they had finished their shopping, Qin Guan still had more than 1,000 Yuan left in his card.

Huang Jiajia didn't know that she was the last one to benefit from Professor Qin's card. He is definitely encouraging me. That's when she decided to make more of an effort.

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Chapter 37: Professor Li's Training Courses

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

Qin Guan received a pack of money from Huang Jiajia's mother. He felt that the term would go smoothly with so many good things happening.

First, he had been praised on the professional course by the tutor, who had been deeply impressed by his performance in class. During a routine quiz, Qin Guan had accidentally given a detailed explanation about the next studying material.

As a result, the tutor believed that Qin Guan was enthusiastic about the courses. Although accounting was not a profound theoretical science, it could be considered an important subject.

It's exciting that my student studies in advance.

Wang Lei, who sitting beside Qin Guan, was left temporarily speechless. That evil scoundrel! He has more part-time jobs than me and only studies a little in the evenings. He has reviewed English ahead of time and studied the professor's courses in advance. Does he want to drive others mad? It seems like it'll be much more difficult for me to get the national scholarship this year.

Qin Guan was very pleased with himself. Following Sister Xue's instructions, he set out to go to the Capital Institute of Fashion Technology in a very good mood.

In the alley beside the Institute, he found the shabby house on the address he had been given. He pushed open the groaning swing door, and was astonished by the scene inside.

There was nothing in the big spare space, except the standard T stage right in the middle of it.

All around the house there were piles of photoshoot equipment. Mirrors were hanging on the walls on both sides of the room, reflecting every detail clearly.

Sister Xue waved to him, and Qin Guan noticed that there was another person standing beside her. He ran up to Sister Xue.

She pulled Qin Guan over and pressed his head to take a bow before the other person. "Professor Li, this is my model. He has great potential. His name is Qin Guan."

Qin Guan was forced to bow. He stole a glance when he straightened up again.

An elderly woman was standing opposite him. Time had already marked her cheeks with wrinkles, but she looked extremely elegant.

Her grace made people forget about her age and clothes, and focus solely on her. She was like a shining object, attracting people in an obvious way.

The woman scanned Qin Guan calmly from head to toe. Sister Xue, who was standing beside her, put her cigarette nervously into her pocket, secretly holding it between her fingers before she put it down again.

The teacher sized up Qin Guan and said in low voice, "Turn around."

Sister Xue immediately held out her hand for Qin Guan to turn around. "Turn around fast. Professor Li, have a look please."

Qin Guan turned. Professor Li looked at him again and said, "Okay. Tell me more about him."

Sister Xue signaled for Qin Guan to find a place to sit for a while before she started talking at length with Professor Li.

Professor Li raised her eyebrow slightly as she was told about Qin Guan's resume, but she said nothing. Instead, she asked Sister Xue a question, "First of all, why did you quit modeling?"

Sister Xue was taken aback. She raised her head and then lowered it again, replying in a low voice, "Family affairs."

Not inquiring any further, Professor Li said, "That's your business. I'll take the boy as a student."

Sister Xue raised her head excitedly, "Really? Thank you so much. Thank you!"

Professor Li only smiled slightly, "Don't read too much into it. I'm only taking him on for his good looks. It would be a pity to see such good material go to waste without proper training."

Sister Xue seemed quite excited by her words and nodded hard. "Exactly. Just look at him. Ordinary Asian people can't measure up to him."

Qin Guan was unknowingly betrayed by Sister Xue once again. Professor Li waved to Qin Guan, who approached at her signal. "My place offers training for students every day. Xue Wanyi says that you are not a professional and that you have other courses during the day. You could come on the weekends."

Qin Guan nodded. Professor Li continued, "You have to study the very fundamental skills. The speed of the courses will depend on your progress. Any questions?"

Qin Guan shook his head. I know nothing about this job. It won't hurt to follow a professional's instructions.

Professor Li didn't say anything about his cleverness. She asked Qin Guan to get on the stage and told him, "Let's start from the basics. Do you know the basic gestures of modeling?"

Qin Guan shook his head.

"How about the basic hand moves?" Qin Guan shook his head again. Sister Xue began to sweat.

"Body posture? Pace? Standing posture? Sitting posture?" Qin Guan shook his head repeatedly just like a rattle drum. He felt faint. Sweat dripped down Sister Xue's face under Professor Li's sharp gaze.

"Shame on you, Xue Wanyi! You care about nothing but making money. Your reputation would be tarnished if others found out. How can such a model work for employers?"

Qin Guan and Xue Wanyi were cowering into a small corner, lowering down their heads like quails while they listened to Professor Li's scolding. "Qin Guan, why you are squatting there? It's not your fault..."

Qin Guan looked up at Professor Li. It's better for me to squat, it makes me feel safer.

Professor Li was already tired from her lessons. She let out a long breath and told Qin Guan, "Look and listen to me carefully." Then she shouted at Sister Xue, "Don't just stand there! Help us with note-taking!"

Sister Xue nodded like a chicken. She took out a small notebook and took notes obediently.

Professor Li began Qin Guan's first lesson, "Look, gestures are the most important things for models. The first gesture goes like this. It's called finger-pressing. Your index finger has to be curved slightly to the front. Your thumb should press at the side of the middle pad of your middle finger. This gesture is flexible in modeling… Does it hurt? Relax and don't raise it, or you'll hurt yourself..."

Professor Li made the gesture. Qin Guan automatically opened the gift of his memory. His muscles adjusted to a standard gesture.

Professor Li glanced at his hand, "The second gesture is palm-showing. Your palm has to be open. Straighten your index finger, draw your middle, ring and little fingers close to each other and curve them up. It's one of the most common gestures during a performance." Professor Li switched to the second gesture and Qin Guan mimicked her.

Without any word, Professor Li changed gestures again, "The third one is called orchid finger. With your palm facing up, fold your middle finger and thumb. It looks like an orchid." Qin Guan mimicked her again without any trouble.

After Qin Guan had learned the three standard gestures, Professor Li suddenly turned to Sister Xue, "Xue Wanyi, you naughty girl! You dare try to cheat your teacher?"

Pointing to Qin Guan, she asked, "You mean to tell me that he's a beginner?"

Xue Wanye trembled at her tone of voice and looked at Qin Guan doubtfully. Qin Guan got up the courage to reply, "Professor Li, I only have one advantage. I'm a fast learner. I can learn anything."

Professor Li laughed at his answer, "I have taught quite a few students, but none of them boasted like you. Okay, you say you can learn anything? We'll continue. Show me the double-hanging gesture."

"What does that mean? Professor Li, please tell me what it is, or at least show me."

"Are you really learning by sight?" Professor Li made the gesture doubtfully. "Curve your middle finger slightly to the front and press your thumb to the middle pad of the middle finger. Like this." Qin Guan copied her gesture perfectly.

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Chapter 38: Business with J Boss

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

Professor Li was shocked by Qin Guan's performance. She was one of the first group of models after 1949 to be assigned by the organization.

She had been a model class tutor for the Capital Institute of Fashion Technology for many years, but she had never met a student like Qin Guan before.

He had been born a model. Professor Li was trembling in excitement. She pulled Qin Guan aside and told him, "Don't study for college any longer. Accounting is not the job for you. That's such a humble profession. You have been born to be a model. I can help you with college in some informal way, if you wish."

Xue Wanyi really didn't want to break the news to her, but she knew that Qin Guan was too stubborn to persuade.

She was right. Qin Guan kept shaking his head. Despite Professor Li's over-excitement, he was adamant about the courses, "Professor Li, shall we continue?"

Professor Li could do nothing but go on with her lesson. In less than 10 minutes, she had taught him the basic gestures.

Qin Guan was practicing the movements while Xue Wanyi went outside to have a cigarette. I spent quite a few days on learning the basic gestures back in the day. They were non-standard back then. How can damn Qin Guan learn them so fast?

After Qin Guan had performed all eight gestures from beginning to end once, Professor Li asked him to perform them once more in random order. He did all the movements perfectly.

It seems that the second course will have to be taught sooner than I thought. Professor Li walked onto the stage and said, "A good hand gesture can have an unexpected effect to your performance. Your hands should be neither soft nor stiff, but balance your body comfortably. You have basically learned the hand gestures."

The word "basically" is too reserved for him, Xue Wanyi said to herself.

Professor Li put her feet in position. "There are four kinds of foot positions- regular, separated, T-type and inverted V. I'll show them to you one by one. Follow me..."

Qin Guan did well on all the positions.

They began the third lesson in advance as well. When their lessons for the day were finished, Professor Li, who was far from young, looked unbearably tired.

Qin Guan had begun practising his walk. The ordinary walk was a piece of cake for him. His skill could allow him to perform on shows in China, where stages were always straight and narrow.

Sister Xue considered herself lucky on their way back to Qin Guan's university. It may have been a good choice for me to quit modeling early. Qin Guan's performance really shocked me.

You haven't seen the half of it, Sister... Wait and see.

Spring blossomed in April while the J brand shirts appeared in the shopping malls of the capital. Taking advantage of Qin Guan's poster, the boss had made a big fortune and invested all the profits into building physical stores.

His stores entered hyper markets located in urban-rural development areas, including the Urban-Rural Storage shopping center, the new Merry Mart by the 4th Ring Road and the BHG market.

The rent of these markets was relatively low among the hyper markets of the Capital. There was a regular flow of customers, so the boss had bet all his chips on this endeavour.

The Urban-Rural Storage was the nearest venue to Qin Guan's college, which was located outside the 3rd Northwest Ring Road, and was the best location among all the J shirts stores.

It was surrounded by a lot of universities, like the Capital Foreign Language University, the Capital Institute of Technology and others. The customers were mostly college students.

Early on the morning of the grand opening, the staff pasted a giant poster with Qin Guan's image on the glass window of the store. There were also mini pictures of him on the shelves.

The boss was sitting in one of the chairs meant for supermarket customers of the Urban-Rural Storage, secretly observing the arrangement of the new store. He kept pouring mineral water into his mouth nervously.

The supermarket opened at nine a.m. Customers entered the shopping center in twos or threes. Some of them walked out of the supermarket and were attracted by Qin Guan's giant poster from afar, consequently finding the shirt store in the corner.

The first customer entered, then the second. Later, a group of idling female students went by and studied the poster on the glass wall.

The boss hid nearby and listened to what they were saying, his ears standing straight.

"Oh, that boy is so handsome."

"Yes, he has such a good figure."

"There's a dandelion on that green shirt. It's really on the shirt, it's not photoshop."

"It looks so good. I'll buy one for my boyfriend."

"Let's go in and have a look."

After discussing it, they all entered the store. After going around for a while, they exited the store again. The boss fixed his eyes on their bags. A huge bag with a "J" printed on it was carried out.

Sold! The boss was a little excited. More customers went in and out...

The boss observed the store for more than two hours. He forgot to drink water. His kept his body still, his eyeballs the only part of his body moving.

The flow of customers slowed down gradually around noon, which was when he remembered to have a drink. His hands shook from excitement and he poured water onto his pants by accident. The front of his pants was wet, which made a woman passing by burst into laughter.

The boss was in a muddle when the manager took advantage of the few customers to run out for a report. "We've had a good sale, boss!"

Ignoring his wet pants, the boss asked hurriedly, "How many shirts have we sold?"

"147 pieces! 97 pieces of 80 yuan and 50 pieces of 100 yuan."

The boss jumped high upon hearing the figure. The leftover water in the bottle was added to the front of his pants.

The manager went on, "Many customers took our latest posters with. We have only ten of them left."

The boss cared about nothing. He told the manager, "Find something that I can hide behind. I'll go to my office and tell them to bring more posters."

The manager nodded and returned to the store to fetch a giant poster of Qin Guan, "Boss, try this."

"Whatever!" The boss put the poster, which pictured Qin Guan hugging something with closed eyes, in front of his pants and left quickly.

He missed the hushed discussion among a couple of passing students.

"Look at that creep!"

"Where? Oh my god! He is so disgusting. He covered his crotch with the poster of that handsome boy. These days it's not so strange to star in porn films, but what does he do with that poster?"

If the boss had heard their discussion, he would surely have spit out blood and died on the spot.

As for Qin Guan, the meritorious model was lying in his bed. There had been no courses that morning, so it had been a good chance for him to sleep in.

People always called the four seasons sleepy spring, tired autumn, heavy-head summer and drowsy winter. The whole year was good for sleeping. Qin Guan curled up under his covers, not moving.

Around noon, Wang Lei couldn't bear to see him lying any longer. He pulled Qin Guan up from the bed.

Qin Guan was confused. "Hey, Wang! It's hard to get a free day these days. Why I can't sleep some more?"

Wang Lei kicked Qin Guan with his foot. "Get up! No one can enjoy leisure time today. Our eldest brother is running for vice-director for the Public Relations Department. All of us have to be there to cheer him up. In the evening, we have to accompany our other brother to his friend-making party."

"Friend-making party? Where?" Qin Guan got up in a roll.

Wang Lei touched his glasses, "It's not far from campus. Some students from the Minzu Capital University are hosting it."

"Really? Can I invite my girlfriend?"

"You have a girlfriend?" Wang Lei was surprised by the news.

"Yes, I forgot to tell you. Ah! Why are you hitting me?" Qin Guan covered his head as he ran off.

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Chapter 39: The Friend-Making Party

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

Wang Lei was speechless. Qin Guan had been in hard pursuit of Cong Nianwei, but little did he know that he would be successful.

He was the first boy in the dormitory to get a girlfriend. Wang Lei had bet that Qin Guan would not get a girlfriend in college. He had lost 100 yuan.

Qin Guan finished his washing and called Cong Nianwei before lunch. If the party was in the evening, then she would have spare time.

The elections of the student union in the afternoon were extremely boring. There were only two candidates.

The Vice Director of the Public Relations Department was a senior who had no time for the job anymore, so he'd asked a freshman or sophomore to replace him.

Using his charm, Ye Dong had gotten the position without much effort. He became the youngest Vice Director in the history of their university. As for his application to become a member of the Communist Party? That was a question that Qin Guan, who lacked any political consciousness, could not answer, but he knew his application had already been submitted to the University Communist Party Committee.

In the evening, Qin Guan met Cong Nianwei at the entrance of the campus and introduced her to his roommates proudly. Under their envious expressions, they held hands with each other brazenly.

They walked slowly to the Minzu Capital University, which was located three streets away from their university. The party would be held at the "Typhoon Shelter" tea house not far from there. At the price of 26 yuan per customer, people could enjoy beverages, cards games and mahjong private cabinets.

When they arrived at the Typhoon Shelter, the five girls of the other dormitory were already there.They paid at the cashier and ordered several drinks from the menu.

Mu Lejiang was quite shy. He had met with the girl sitting opposite him during the train ride back to college, which had lasted 26 hours. Their hometowns were quite near, and the girl was very beautiful. In typical northwestern style, her characteristics were deep and clear, featuring angled eyes and a high-bridge nose.

As a Dancing Major at the Minzu Capital University, her figure was excellent. She also had a beautiful name. She was called Ayimina.

The key to their acquaintance had been the gigot. During the train ride, she just hadn't been able to ignore Mu Lejiang, who was carrying a big gigot and attracting too much attention.

As a curious girl, she had struck up a conversation with the boy and discovered that they unexpectedly got along quite well with each other.

Of course, Mu Lejiang had other things in mind, and he'd asked her for her telephone number and address.Then he started contacting her daily to hear her news.

Ayimina had been annoyed those days. The eldest girl in her dormitory had just just broken up with someone. Her ex-boyfriend though was not a gentleman and he kept harassing her, troubling the girl and annoying her roommates.

The girls had pooled their wisdom to try and find a solution. That's when Mu Lejiang had appeared like a knight in shining armor, promising to help them solve the problem.

Thus, he had organized the party and tricked his eldest brother into attending it, so he could pursue Ayimina.

That's right. Mu Lejiang wanted to introduce the eldest girl to Ye Dong. If the two of them hit it off, then the ex-boyfriend will have to step back. What's more, Ye Dong and I will be dating two sisters [1].

Originally, Ye Dong had been opposed to the plan. After going to Typhoon Shelter though, he began to change his mind. Dancers sure are beautiful!

Let's forgive the boys their shallowness. They focused only on girls with limited IQ.

The atmosphere of the party was quite good. Both Mu Lejiang and Ayimina had feelings for each other. With their help, the members of the two dormitories had soon gotten familiar.

Cong Nianwei asked Qin Guan secretly, "If you didn't have a girlfriend, would you choose one of those girls?"

Qin Guan felt that this was the time to show his loyalty, "Of course not. A boy like me could only choose you."

Among the peaceful atmosphere, they heard a strange voice come from behind them, "Ah! So you're cheating on me!"

Qin Guan turned around and saw a boy standing behind their table, looking furious. He was sneering at the eldest girl, "How long has it been since we broke up? How desperate are you?"

The eldest girl, Guli, looked like she was about to cry. Ayimina couldn't bear it anymore and stood up, slapping her hand on the table, "Stop cursing, Guli is not in a relationship with you anymore!" Then she pulled Ye Dong over and pointed to the boy, "Can't you see? He is Guli's boyfriend."

The boy looked crazy as he came up to Ye Dong with red eyes, willing to risk his life. Ye Dong could handle him alone. He looked really weak.

They fought for no more than two seconds before the boy was pushed to the ground by Ye Dong.

The girls burst into laughter. The boy's face was red with anger. He turned around and left without a word.

Ayimina softly comforted Guli, "You see? I was right. He'll leave you alone if you get a new boyfriend. Ye Dong could fight three guys like him."

Qin Guan's roommates were also happy, "There is hope for our eldest brother. He can win the beauty over."

The atmosphere was joyful again. They were just discussing where to have dinner when the bell beside the door rang.

They turned around and saw the front hall fill with more than 30 people. Leading them was Guli's ex-boyfriend, who was talking excitedly with a strong-looking man while he pointed at them.

Qin Guan pulled Cong Nianwei closer and instructed her, "Go around the tables and along the aisle by the wall. You'll find the exit. There's a back street outside. You return to college."

Cong Nianwei considered it for two seconds, "Shall we decide on a meeting place instead? If I go home, I'll only be worried about you. After the matter is settled, I'll go back to college."

Qin Guan was taken aback. He felt moved. My girlfriend is so considerate. She is both reasonable and cares about me. Then he nodded, "Okay. You go out through the back door and walk along the small hutong. At the end of it, is Weigongcun bar street. Wait for me in the Red Star Bar." Cong Nianwei took her bag from her chair and asked him, "Shall I call the police?"

Qin Guan made a gesture under the table, "The staff will call the police. You don't need to call. You might get in trouble."

Cong Nianwei joined the onlookers and retreated to walk along the aisle.

Qin Guan released a long breath and turned to assess the situation. The group of people had confronted them.

They all had various weapons in their hands, including an iron tube and a mop, which they had obviously borrowed from somewhere.

Ye Dong was at a stalemate with Guli's ex-boyfriend. The strong-looking man stopped them from saying anything. He poked Ye Dong's chest with the iron tube, "Dude, you are not honest. It's not right to steal someone else's girl."

[1] In China, from ancient times, husbands of sisters always had a special relationship because of their wives. There was a special title for these kind of relatives, namely, "Lianjin".

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Chapter 40: The Red Star Bar

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

Guli was not afraid as she shouted at her ex-boyfriend loudly, "Leave me alone, you stalker! I must have been blind to be your girlfriend!"

Her ex-boyfriend's friends were taken aback and turned to look at him.

He seemed a little anxious as he said to the leader urgently, "The bitch is slandering me."

The leader hesitated a little before he put down his iron tube. Pointing to Guli's ex-boyfriend, he said to Ye Dong, "I have no idea who is right here. All I know is that he's my friend, and you're not. I believe him." "

Guli's ex-boyfriend was so glad, he raised his chin arrogantly and looked at her proudly.

Qin Guan knew that things would get bad that day. He looked at the girls again. He was worried about them getting injured.

The unfair fight was about to begin. Li Jie suddenly walked out from behind the crowd. Pointing at the strong man's nose, he said in an imposing manner in his Sichuan Province accent, "F*ck you, idiot!"

The strong man looked confused with what he had said. Li Jie took advantage of his confusion and jumped into action. Using his flexible short figure, he ran under the strong man's armpit like a cunning snake moving out of its hole.

He rushed through crowd, jumped out of the ring of encirclement and reached the street outside Typhoon Shelter. Finally, he disappeared into the flow of cars.

Well done! Li Jie had made a successful escape. Let's stand up together and applaud him for his courage!

The atmosphere insite had gotten strangely silent. Some onlookers couldn't help but laugh.

Qin Guan was left speechless when a small ball of soil flew in from outside, accurately hitting the leader of the gang on the head.

It bounced off his hair and fell to the ground.

Qin Guan laughed. They all looked and saw Li Jie with leaves of Chinese ilex on his body, a pile of soil in his arms and a small ball of soil in his hand.

They immediately knew where the soil had come from. Before the leader could say anything, Li Jie threw a second ball.

You could tell he was a straight-A student. After calculating accurately all contributing factors, including the distance between the two of them, the acceleration of gravity, the parabolic inertial and so on, his aim was spot on.

The second ball hit the leader's hair again. "You bastard!" Veins appeared on the guy's temple as a third ball flew over.

There was a loud, clear sound as it hit him.

Everyone was surprised by the sound. The third ball had been quite large in size, but how could it have produced a sound like that?

The ball of soil fell down and rolled on the floor. As the soil on the surface fell away, the stone inside was exposed.

The leader shouted angrily at Li Jie, "You bastard! You dare hide a stone inside? Stay right there! Don't run!"

Forgetting his original plan, the leader chased Li Jie with his iron tube. Some of his best friends followed.

Five or six out of the 30 of them disappeared. Qin Guan looked helplessly at Li Jie, who ran away after attacking.

His enemies looked even more helpless. They stared at the ex-boyfriend and seemed to be asking him silently, "Who are they indeed? And why can't they follow fighting protocol?"

They would have to stretch their definition of fighting protocol. Liu Xiaoyang jumped in and said, "Hey, I haven't even said anything yet. Do you sons of bitches even know the rules?"

Pointing to the people opposite him, he went on, "This is a business place. If the waiter called the police, everyone would get into trouble. According to the rules, we shouldn't hurt innocent bystanders. Let's take this outside."

Their opponents didn't want to cause any trouble, either. All of them went out of the Typhoon Shelter and walked to the edge of the road. The two parties were at a stalemate. Mu Lejiang asked the girls to leave.

Ayimina was a little worried, and Guli didn't want to hide from her problems. Qin Guan and the other boys persuaded them to go to their campus so they could ensure the girls' safety.

Realizing that the girls were about to leave, Guli's ex-boyfriend prepared to block them. His aim was his ex-girlfriend.

Liu Xiaoyang was at the peak of his excitement. He wouldn't let the chief culprit go. He blocked the ex-boyfriend, pointed to the group and asked, "Hey, all of you, do you know the rules here in the capital? You have to declare your opponent first!"

He looked like a middle school student with his baby fat and short arms and legs, but he acted like he was the Godfather. They all laughed so loudly, they nearly dropped their weapons.

Qin Guan's roommates looked at each other to decide whether they stood a chance. Qin Guan pulled Liu Xiaoyang from behind and shouted loudly, "Run! Scatter!"

They all turned around and ran in different directions. The 20-plus people looked at each other and finally at Guli's ex-boyfriend.

He looked quite anxious. I called so many people for help. Is it over already?

The rest of them were thinking to themselves, It's not like we know the guy, we just came here because our leader told us to.

Grinding his teeth, the ex-boyfriend said, "Let's chase them separately." They divided into groups of four and five and followed their opponents. As for the ex-boyfriend, he headed to Guli's college instead. He had shrewdly foreseen that he would take a beating if he stayed.

There was a long distance between Qin Guan and his pursuers, which made things easier for him. After hiding several times, he had shaken almost everyone off. There were only two people following him when he arrived at the Red Star Bar.

Qin Guan pushed the door open and found Cong Nianwei sitting at the table closest to the bar. She was listening to the bar singer playing folk music while she rested her face on her hands.

Qin Guan plopped down on a chair by the table. He let out a relieved breath and clicked his fingers to summon the waiter, "A bottle of Budweiser Beer."

Gee, Qin Guan, you're so relaxed. There are two people chasing you, and you're in the mood for beer? The two men entered the bar holding an iron tube and two wooden clubs.

They spotted Qin Guan as soon as they went in. They got ready to give him a lesson. Before they could step forward though, they were pressed to the ground by the people sitting around the two tables by the door.

All they could see was a thick golden chain swaying before their eyes, shining. The owner of the bar hit their heads, which were pressed against the floor, while he said fiercely, "You little jerks! Where are you from? You're so brave, huh? You dare try to make trouble in my bar? In Wang Hailiang's bar?"

They were both in a daze. How could the young guys have known who Wang Hailiang was? Qin Guan took a sip of his beer, lay down on the table and laughed secretly.

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Chapter 41: A Successful Meeting

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

The local bum children followed their eldest brother, who protected their profitable business. The had divided their sphere of influence clearly, and those who dared make trouble in their territory caused them to lose face. They would fight the intruders to death.

Qin Guan had been to the Weigongcun bar street in his past life. The street was under the influence of Wang Hailiang, the owner of the Red Star Bar.

Cong Nianwei poked Qin Guan, "Did you know the rules around here?"

Qin Guan gave her a meaningful smile and raised his eyebrows proudly. He held her soft hand and told her, "Sit back and watch the show."

Qin Guan was just starting to feel proud when a man from Wang Hailiang's table came over, holding a cigarette in his mouth. He knocked on Qin Guan's table. "Young guy, is this your affair?"

Qin Guan looked up, a mouthful of beer sprinkling out from his nostrils. It was Bu Qinglu, the bum child beside the Landai Bar.

Qin Guan coughed while Bu Qinglu continued, "Well done! I see you have a new girlfriend."

"What?" Qin Guan coughed more heavily. Cong Nianwei turned her head and pinched Qin Guan's leg.

Qin Guan immediately explained to Bu Qinlu, "You must have made a mistake, brother. The girl you saw last time was my student. This is my girlfriend."

Bu Qinglu patted Qin Guan's shoulder in understanding and asked, "Every time I come across you, you're in trouble. What happened this time?"

Before Qin Guan could explain, Wang Hailiang came over, his golden chain swaying as he walked. He greeted Bu Qinglu and then said, "What's going on? Do you know him? Where's he from?"

Bu Qinglu pressed his cigarette into the ashtray and lit another two for Wang Hailiang and himself. "This young man must have heard of you and your bar. He used you to protect himself."

Qin Guan smiled shyly at them. Wang Hailiang looked quite proud as he asked Qin Guan, "Where are you from, young man? Have you heard of my reputation? You sure are giving me face."

Qin Guan nodded quickly. "Brother Wang, I study at the Capital University of Finance and Economics. I just sought your help when I was in trouble."

Wang Hailiang turned around and asked in confusion, "Is there some kind of society in that university?"

Bu Qinglu was speechless with his IQ. "He says he's a student at that university, but he must have known you from somewhere. The boy is interesting, to say the least."

Wang Hailiang laughed loudly and clapped on the table. He gave Qin Guan the thumbs-up. "Boy, you must be a top student. Alright, if you trust me, I'll protect you."

Qin Gun hastened to nod and reply, "All right. I'll buy you a drink. Thank you for helping me today."

"Bullshit! You don't need to pay in my bar. This is my treat." Qin Guan smiled again. He paid obeisance to Bu Qinglu and Wang Hailiang by cupping one hand into the other in front of his chest. The two of them went off to do something.

Not long after, two bottles of Budweiser and a can of Coke were served to his table. He also got a box of popcorn as a gift from a smiling waiter.

Wang Hailiang released the two men. He let them go with a warning, but kept their clubs. They both looked innocent while they ran away.

What on earth just happened? This doesn't make any sense. There had been tens of people with us, but only the two of us were left. The guy who called us disappeared. We shall not forgive him!

The two of them joined the club of people wanting to beat Guli's ex-boyfriend.

Qin Guan finished his beer and realized that it was late. He bought a hamburger and a spicy drumstick at the McDonald's across the street, and then hailed down a taxi to send Cong Nianwei back to campus.

When Cong Nianwei opened the door, Qin Guan suddenly embraced her from behind, comforting her, "Little Wei, don't be afraid!"

Cong Nianwei stamped on Qin Guan's foot and got in the taxi. She waved her fist at Qin Guan while she shut the door.

Qin Guan massaged his foot as he watched the Xiali taxi drive off. He was both in pain and happy at the same time.

Nearly all the taxis in the capital had changed. The yellow minibuses had retreated to the rural-urban area, leaving the urban area to the red Xiali cars. Qin Guan stuck his hands into his pockets, humming random songs as he walked back to college lazily.

Wang Lei poked his head from behind a trash can in a residential area half a block away from college. He looked around and found nobody there. The street was silent.

Wang Lei stood up and threw off a vegetable leaf hanging from his head. Where are you, you annoying cat? Why are you looking for food in a trash can while I'm hiding there?

The human and the cat were at a stalemate, the trash can the only thing separating them. When Qin Guan arrived, he found Wang Lei staring at the cat angrily.

He shouted at Wang Lei from afar, "What are you doing here? Did you just escape?" Ignoring the cat, Wang Lei walked with Qin Guan back to campus. "I threw them off. Why are you alone? I was waiting here, but I didn't see the others passing by."

Qin Guan told Wang Lei, "Let's wait for them in the dormitory. What's that smell coming from you?"

What's that smell? It's the smell of a trash can.

By the time Wang Lei finished washing in the bathroom and returned to their dormitory, Liu Xiao Yang, Mu Lejiang and Ye Dong had also returned. The only one missing was Li Jian.

His roommates were starting to worry about him. They owed their successful escape to Li Jian, who had attracted most of their enemy's hatred. He was weak physically, but his spirit was brave.

The leader's hostility had been focused mainly on him, so the pursuers must have chased him relentlessly.

They were just thinking about looking for Li Jian outside when he came back, humming a nameless tune. He looked safe and sound. There was only some soil on his clothes.

After throwing the soil balls with the stones inside, he had observed his surroundings and escaped fast to the taxi stop at the crossing not far from there.

The strong-looking man had been ashamed and angry. He had fixed his eyes on the taxi, which had been about to start. Luck only favoured the well-prepared. Li Jian got in a taxi successfully, and drove around for a while before returning to college. After dinner, he slowly returned to their dormitory.

Sitting in their dormitory, they looked at each other and burst into laughter. This had been some dramatic girl-chasing, but the outcome had been spectacular. Not long after, the phone in the dormitory rang.

Mu Lejiang and Ayimina had an intimate conversation. They actually became a couple while Ye Dong confessed that he preferred girls from Northeast China.

They are all sensible young guys! Qin Guan thought to himself. With so many clever boys around, he felt some pressure. Although they were freshmen, they were already considering the chance of a long-distance relationship.

The affair faded in time, adding an interesting experience to their college life.

………………

Qin Guan was really busy. His weekends were occupied by Professor Li. He had stepped into the windiest learning stage of artistic conception, atmosphere and idea, which demanded the student's own understanding. Retentive memory didn't work at the time. It all depended on personal understanding.

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Chapter 42: Photo Studio Models

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

For Qin Guan's free spirit, that kind of training was real training. Of course, he needed to adjust to the tedious courses. You're wondering how he adjusted, aren't you? He would do his favourite work, making money!

Sister Xue managed to squeeze into his tight training schedule a small job, a sample photoshoot gig for a photo studio. Qin Guan hadn't known the difference between a sample photoshoot and a formal poster shoot until he got to the makeup room of the studio.

First, the makeup artist applied a thick layer of powder on his face. The rouge and powder were pasted on his face, making him look quite uncomfortable.

Qin Guan had to wear several layers of clothes. A shirt, a waistcoat, western-style clothes that, in combination with the hot lamps above, would make any model sweat. Qin Guan was so hot, he could feel sweat stream down his back.

For fear that the sweat would influence the effect of the photos, the makeup assistant fixed his make-up with a powder puff again and again. Qin Guan felt like there was a powder mask on his face.

First, they took solo photos of him. His poses were quite simple. He stood against the decorative pergola with his head slightly bent forward and his neck exposed. Then he turned around to show his sides. After several clicks, the photos were done.

The next series was even simpler. Qin Guan sat on a chair with his legs crossed, both his elbows on the armrests of the chair, and his hands crossed.

The theme of the photoshoot was royalty, and Qin Guan's clothes were edged with rolling lace.

The loose western-style clothes were clipped around his back by the assistant to make them fit better and set off his slim waist.

It took him a total of ten minutes to finish the first two series of photos. A female model showed up for the next one.

In the first series they shot together, the female model sat on a chair while Qin Guan stood behind her, holding onto the back of her chair. His body was leaning forward like he was embracing her from behind.

The pose was quite simple, and the photographer captured it easily.

In the second series, they had to stare at each other with deep affection. Qin Guan had to put his arm around the model's waist, and she had to put her hand on Qin Guan's shoulder.

They got prepared as the assistant arranged the long hem of the dress properly in European style. The hem was spread around the ground in a beautiful arc.

The photographer checked the indoor lighting through his lens and said, "Okay, models get ready. Face each other. Right. Good! Look at each other with love."

Qin Guan looked down and noticed the girl's false eyelashes mixing with her real ones. They were sticking together like a fly's legs, making him want to laugh.

Meanwhile, the female model was thinking to herself happily, My partner is so handsome this time, much better than my usual partners. She was daydreaming about a potential love story while they worked.

Suddenly, Qin Guan burst into inappropriate laughter during the photoshoot. The girl was so angry, her face turned grey.

Sister Xue covered her face helplessly. Qin Guan was acting silly again! She immediately waved Qin Guan over and warned him, "Can you be more serious? Do you remember Professor Li's words?"

Qin Guan coughed somberly and answered, "No matter the conditions, I should remember and stick to professional model integrity, which consists of seriousness and concentration."

Sister Xue clapped him on the back, "Then why did you laugh? You pissed me off again!"

After getting beaten by Sister Xue, Qin Guan walked back on set. He made a shy bow to the photographer and smiled at the female model apologetically, "I'm sorry for my mistake. I'll ask the assistant to redo your makeup after the photoshoot. I didn't mean for that to happen."

The female model was still confused when Qin Guan suddenly found the right feeling. It's simple to express deep love. I will just imagine she's Cong Nianwei. Let's do this.

The photographer shouted to the models, "Okay, look at each other with deep love. Good! Young man, look down a little. Well done!"

Click, click. The series were finished smoothly. When Qin Guan moved on to the next shoot, the female model was still there, lost in thought.

At the photographer's request, Qin Guan's eyes filled with emotion.

He looked at her as if he had something to say, but something was stopping him. The female model was lost in his emotional gaze.

Under the photographer's instructions, Qin Guan changed his expression at once and left without any delay. Before the female model knew what had happened, he had disappeared.

When the assistant came over to remind her to change into the second costume, she remembered something and pulled on the assistant's arm, "Where is the dresser? I need to redo my make-up." The assistant looked scared and pointed at the makeup room in a hurry.

While she got her makeup redone, the girl realized why Qin Guan had laughed. The false eyelashes had two layers of lashes, and as a result made her eyelids look like they had three layers. Although at post production she might not even recognize herself in the photos, the dresser should still have been more careful.

When her makeup was done, she changed into her costume. Qin Guan was already dressed.

He was wearing a formal European-style suit in royal blue, double-breasted with firm pads on his shoulders.

His jodhpurs were stuffed loosely into his long black riding boots. Qin Guan looked like a soldier in an oil painting of the Middle Ages.

Qin Guan's work for that day would be finished after one more series with the female model.

They shot against a dark yellow curtain to show the feeling of times past. In Qin Guan's opinion, the photo studio endeavoured to create the atmosphere of a blockbuster film starring ordinary people. The setting was pretty simple, but their costumes featured great attention to detail.

The female model was standing in the middle with a long European-style dress supported by an iron pannier. She also wore a corset and a waist girdle.

Qin Guan lowered his head to kiss the girls' hand, bending down on one knee. He kept that pose for five whole minutes before he moved on to the next one.

After the work of the morning was finished, Qin Guan washed the thick powder off his face with a deep cleansing oil provided by the studio. Finally, his skin could breathe. (He would have to put makeup on again after lunch.)

Sitting in the dressing room, Sister Xue talked with Qin Guan about his plans for the future. "The studio will divide your payment into two parts. For indoor shooting, you'll get only 600 yuan. The outdoor shooting will be more troublesome, so they will pay you 2700 yuan. These jobs are mainly print media photoshoots. Professor Li said that you shouldn't walk the T stage yet, so there will only be one exhibition meeting and a poster in the first half year. You should study carefully in your spare time. When Professor Li thinks that you have finished your courses, she will make an arrangement for you."

Qin Guan was taken aback and asked, "How about you?" Sister Xue glanced at him helplessly. "Professor Li said that if you finish her courses successfully, I could become your private guide."

Qin Guan looked at her with sympathy. "But then you wouldn't make much money. I can only work on weekends."

Sister Xue didn't drop her idea though and tried to persuade him, "Think about it, Qin Guan. Models have a bright future. Professor Li and I have enough contacts, so you wouldn't starve."

Qin Guan told her seriously, "I'm preparing to take my accounting certificate in sophomore year. Then I'm planning on working on commercial accounts for others. When I have two years of working experience, I will be able to take the exam to become a certified public accountant. My roommates and I have decided that we'll be self-employed as soon as we graduate. My dream is to build a business empire with my bare hands. Being a model is just not enough for me."

Sister Xue's lips quivered. She wanted to go have a smoke outside to see if there were any cows flying in the sky [1].

Qin Guan didn't want to say much more. He just waited for his lunchbox happily.

It was the end of the morning shoot. Everything's been smooth, hasn't it?

Translator's Thoughts

Lan Lan

[1] She thought Qin was bragging.

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Chapter 43: The Cathedral Church

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

The assistant brought them their takeaway lunchboxes. Sister Xue took two and handed one to Qin Guan.

Qin Guan sighed at the box in his hand. The white foam plastic material was so unhealthy [1].

Opening the box, he sighed again. At that time, lunchboxes were really made with care.

As a chain lunchbox business, Lihua Quick Meal had initially started as a small kitchen before it began its hard journey through the capital, equipped with only a couple of phone lines and a few delivery men.

It cost only ten yuan for a whole box of rice, a portion of meat fried celery, chicken leg stew and a fried egg. Taste aside, that price was quite reasonable.

Sister Xue talked with Qin Guan while she ate, "Did you decide about what Professor Li told you last time?"

Swallowing the celery in his mouth, Qin Guan answered, "I could only do part-time jobs. What's the difference between signing a contract and not signing one, anyway? Aren't you afraid of destroying your reputation?"

He swallowed another mouthful of rice before he added, "Plus, after signing the contract, you can only work for one person. I won't have that much spare time. You might starve because of me."

The sinister smile of a businessman formed on Sister Xue's face. She waved her index finger in front of him and said, "No, no, no. I could make more money by working just for you."

Qin Guan thought while he ate. He waited curiously to hear her explanation.

"Don't you know that, Qin Guan? Models are divided into different classes like merchants in the market." She excitedly picked up a cigarette. Then she remembered that she was in the studio, and just kept it between her fingers.

"The levels of models, from bottom to top, are Untrained, C, B, A, A and Top Models. Their value and income depend on their level. You know you are at the bottom now as an untrained model. I can only get you small gigs, like third-rate poster shoots and exhibitions. T stage shows are monopolized by the big talent agencies. Unless you're a top model, you can only dream of performing on a T show."

Qin Guan swallowed the last mouthful of rice and asked, "Why you are so confident about me? I'm only a greenhorn doing part-time jobs."

Sister Xue suddenly lay flat on the sofa helplessly. "If Professor Li says you can do it, then you should be able to. I'm a little afraid, in fact."

Qin Guan laughed and patted her on the shoulder. "I'll talk with Professor Li next time I see her. I'll think it over."

After everyone finished lunch, the assistants packed up all the costumes and props and carried them to their car. They followed the studio car to Xizhimen in a formidable formation.

The site was the Xizhimen Cathedral Church, which was quite close to Qin Guan's college. People always called it the Western Church. It was one of the four cathedral churches in Beijing, located at 133 Xizhimennei Street in the Xicheng District. Being the newest and smallest out of the four churches, it was the only one that hadn't been built by the Society of Jesus.

The car arrived at the entrance of the church. They arranged the equipment and props, and folded out the chairs and dressing table into their proper places. The old guard opened the gate for them, the key quivering in his hands.

Before he left, he reminded everyone, "You have only one afternoon. Be careful and don't cause any damages inside."

Qin Guan got out of Sister Xue's car and observed the church carefully. In his past life, he had lived in the capital for so many years, yet he had never visited it.

He walked slowly to the main gate. The Lady of Mount Carmel Church, was a Gothic building with independent clock towers. On the entrance wall, Qin Guan found a stone tablet with the history of the Western Church carved on it.

The tablet inscription read as follows.

Tablet Record of the Rebuilding of the Lady of Mount Carmel Church

May our holy religion always protect the common people. In thousands of years, our church has experienced both prosperity and hardship. Fortunately, the Lord's mercy and spirit were always with us. May the Lord continue to be with us...

The surface of the building was covered in thick ivy. The whole church looked impressive compared to the buildings surrounding it. The front north wall was connected to the original north wall, and the Cerro San Cristobal was indoors. It was actually the only indoor Cerro San Cristobal in Beijing.

The mottled clock tower had collapsed, leaving only one octagon abutment at the second floor, north of the main body of the church. Visitors could feel the aesthetic of the broken, ancient building.

The photographer put his equipment into place. First, they would take the outdoor photos.

Qin Guan wore an orthodox wedding costume with white gloves. The ancient double-row European-style cuffs were shining bright under the sunshine.

He gently put his hand against the wall of the church. The white glove and pied cyan bricks created a sharp contrast, like a scroll travelling through time to show people a picture of times past.

Qin Guan looked calmly ahead, picturing the future. He seemed to be waiting for his lover in the silent afternoon.

There was a lot of light and wind, so the photographer had to change his angle several times. It took longer than the indoor shooting, but Qin Guan still finished the photos easily.

There were only two series of indoor photos left to shoot.

They waited until the female model had finished her photos at the front door of the church, and then the assistant pushed the ancient, squeaking gate open and they entered the church. Qin Guan was surprised by the scene inside. What a sharp contrast!

With its tall Corinth pillars and pinnacle windows, the inner part of the church was grand and gorgeous. Rows of wooden benches were shining with paint. The European relieves on the pillars and their colourful glaze were unparalleled in beauty.

The long aisle was covered with a red carpet. Qin Guan and the female model were standing by the benches, one in front, the other in the back, their heads turned as they looked at the photographer. The white pillars, red benches and black curtains behind them added a mysterious atmosphere to the whole picture.

They adjusted their expressions and smiled at the lens at the photographer's request. The photos were finished without trouble.

In the last series of photos, Qin Guan had to kiss the girl's hand in front of the sacrificial altar. He bent his tall figure and touched his lips to the back of the girl's hand, which was covered by a lace glove. Through the lens, the picture looked quite beautiful. Four golden praying vases were around them. The white sacrificial altar and round vault looked intimidating.

Wearing a black swallow-tailed costume, Qin Guan kissed the bride carefully and sincerely. His long, straight legs and slender waist made women crazy.

The photographer was quite satisfied. The models are very dedicated to their work. They do whatever I ask them to. The sample photos are ready for the customers. Beauty is our priority. A nameless model who insists on displaying their charm and features would look ridiculous in these photos. Customers would not be interested in that.

In China, the material of throw-away lunchboxes used to be white foam plastic, which was harmful to people's health. About 20 years ago, it was changed to more healthy materials nationwide.

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Chapter 44: Nations of Mi and Cowboy 【1】

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

The photos were finished. The person in charge paid Sister Xue for the day and expressed his wish to collaborate with them again. You see, with enough seriousness, we get good results.

Qin Guan entered his dormitory and collapsed on his bed. He was tired after working the whole day. He closed his eyes to rest his mind while he considered the contract.

Actually, signing a contract with Sister Xue will make no difference. Sister Xue will still find jobs for me just like she is now. Will it have any other influence on my life? I don't think so. On the contrary, my life will become more regular.

Qin Guan couldn't imagine becoming a superstar. He was still on the way to becoming a qualified accountant, which was a much more down-to-earth career path.

His roommates came back one after the other while he was lost in thought. Liu Xiaoyang was about to climb into bed when he suddenly looked down and noticed Qin Guan's face.

With a cry, he jumped off the ladder, pointed at Qin Guan's face and said, "Reveal your true identity, vampire! I can't be wrong. Only your legendary race could be born with such a face. Show your true colours, you evil creature!"

Qin Guan touched his face helplessly and felt powder on his hand. He had forgotten to clean his face before Sister Xue had driven him back to college.

He got up and beat Liu Xiaoyang before he picked up his facial cleanser and went to the washing room.

He had to wash his face thoroughly three times before he felt clean.

...……………

What happened in the first half of 1999? A lot.

There was a conflict between the over-confident Cowboy Nation and the Han Dynasty.

College students all around the country were excited. They were angry and loud. The battle has begun! Let the storm come!

Hot-blooded students were considering participating in the war. We need some weapons! It's rumored that the people of the Cowboy Nation are quite strong.

It was a windy night and the moon was shining dimly. Headed by the QH Student Union, the backbone of different colleges sneaked to an alley beside the Cowboy Embassy under the cover of the night.

Actually, the real story went like this: It was early in the evening, and people getting off work were heading home for dinner, when several sinister young men with worn backpacks containing bricks prepared to knock down some Cowboys.

They waited until the gate of the embassy opened and the staff members left the building. Then they separated to take action.

Ye Dong waved to Qin Guan and the others, signaling for them to follow a tall Cowboy with blond hair and blue eyes.

You didn't read wrong. As a leader of the Student Union of the Capital University of Finance and Economics, Ye Dong was the leader among a group of weak workmates. He had been selected as a representative of his college to participate in a joint activity of college students from all over the capital.

Returning to their dormitory, Ye Dong felt restless. If they relied on his partner's girlfriend, they could get exposed.

Good brothers shared each other's fortunes, so Ye Dong allowed his roommates to join.

The six young men discussed it and thought of a safe plan that they were confident would work.

Following the man, they had already crossed the street and walked into the alley beside it that Liu Xiaoyang had already checked.

When they were done, they could head through the alley to the Ritan Park and escape into the night.

The man entered the alley. Ye Dong waved his hand. The girl kept watch outside as the six of them covered their faces with black cloths and launched themselves at the man.

They pressed him to the ground and beat him with their bags and fists.

Basile was confused. He had just been walking home peacefully when several masked men had attacked him and started to beat him. He was in horror as he shouted for his life, "I'll give you my money! Stop, please!"

Liu Xiaoyang kicked him and said, "We're not robbers. I'll let you know when your death is near."

"Remember, you bastard. You Cowboys will never do as you want. The people of the Han Dynasty are courageous and upright!"

Basile looked like he was about to cry. "I'm not from the Cowboy Nation! I'm from the Fragrance Nation!"

His Chinese accent sounded strangely like he was from Northeast China. By then, the students had realized that something was wrong. Ye Dong poked him with a small stick. "Can you show us an ID?"

Quivering, Basile took his wallet out of his pocket and drew a Fragrance Nation driving licence out.

Qin Guan glanced at the licence. It read "Basile". That's really a Fragrance name. They looked at each other. What now?

Wang Lei acted quick. He took the licence and handed it back to Basile. "Dude, have you heard of the recent conflict between the Cowboy Nation and the Han Dynasty?"

Basile nodded. Wang Lei continued his story, "You lucky dog, do you know how many Cowboy Nation people have been beaten to death in this very alley?"

Basile shook his head again. Wang Lei sighed, "Nine, including seven Cowboy men and two Clock-Tower men. People with blond hair and blue eyes get killed because they look like Cowboy men."

He bent down to pat Basile's shoulder encouragingly before he went on, "Do you know how lucky you are? Thank god you revealed your nationality, or you would have died for no reason."

Basile suddenly felt happy for his luck. Wang Lei talked him into dying his hair black. "You will be safe if you follow my suggestion. You'll avoid people mistaking you again. Others may not let you go as easily as we did."

The six students patted his shoulder one by one courageously and left the alley quietly.

They called for the girl keeping watch at the end of the alley and ran fast toward Ritan Park. They sat on a bench in the park and took off the black cloths, looking at each other while they laughed. What the hell was that?

Hunger often followed joy. They forgot their original purpose and decided to have a good meal to celebrate their success.

The girl couldn't bear to remind them that they had achieved nothing that day. Looking at their shining eyes, she didn't open her mouth. Besides, they planned to take her along with them, so she just followed them happily.

Translator's Thoughts

Lan Lan

[1] To maintain world peace, all nations mentioned in this chapter were given a nickname.

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Chapter 45: Eldest Brother's Day

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

Basile's accent had reminded them of the dishes of Northeastern China that they wanted to taste.

Fortunately, there was a Northeastern restaurant on Jinbao street, not far away.

The seven students were sitting around a big table. Ye Dong was in charge of ordering.

As a big fellow from the Northeastern part of China, he was a better judge of the dishes of his hometown.

As soon as the dishes were served, they all seemed to lose their reserved manners. The girl from the student union was surprised by the scene before her.

"Hey you, Qin Guan! Pass me the sweet and sour pork! You're so greedy! Loosen your chopsticks a bit." Wang Lei and Qin Guan were fighting over a piece of sweet and sour pork.

"Ye Dong, will you eat the table with a handful of cumin? You are so greedy! I dare you to eat that last blood sausage! F*ck, you really ate it. If Ma Yun [1] offered you ten million yuan to eat sh*t, you'd eat until he went bankrupt."

"For a blood sausage, Liu Xiaoyang would mention sh*t on the dining table."

The girl covered her face, not saying a word. Mu Lejiang and Li Jie were reciting poems on other side of table.

They combined sentences from traditional Chinese poems and names of dishes [2, making the others laugh with their jokes.

What talented people! They even made poems for food!

Ye Dong's roommates were quite intimidating. The girl stole a glance at Ye Dong and blushed slightly. He looks so bold. A good man indeed.

Congratulations were due to Ye Dong, who had unbeknownst to him won a girl's heart over.

As an expert on love affairs, Li Jie could tell just by looking at her.

Actually, Ye Dong had been festering some feelings for the girl. They were both in the Public Relations Society. One of them was in charge of internal affairs, while the other took care of external affairs.

They had met each other at work, and Ye Dong had taken the initiative and asked her to join them in that activity.

The most important reason he liked her was her hometown. She also came from the Northeastern part of China. However, Ye Dong would never confess his wicked intentions. Her height fits me well, too.

Generally speaking, people from Northeastern China were tall. Ye Dong was 1.90 cm, and matched well Yang Jing, who was 1.70 cm tall.

Yang Jing was the name of the girl. Her name was elegant and silent, although she was quite rash and hasty.

Ye Dong was obsessed with her. He had been mentioning her to his roommates for a long time. "You know, today Yang Jing..."

His roommates were tired of hearing her name. They had finally met her in person that day.

Li Jin thought there was hope for Ye Dong and he kept encouraging him, "Eldest brother, why don't you bring Yang Jing a cup of tea? The girl worked for us today. We should thank her for her effort."

Ye Dong blushed heavily. His face had nearly turned purple.

Pushed by the others, he walked up to Yang Jing, his hands and feet perfectly coordinated. He took the white teapot and poured a cup of tea for Yang Jing, who was also looking embarrassed. She took a sip.

The others were shouting, "Cross your cups! Cross your cups!"

Yang Jing nearly buried her face under the table as Ye Dong rushed to beat them up.

There was a mess on the table, but the atmosphere was quite merry. The hanging moon felt ashamed on behalf of those shameless guys and furtively hid behind the dark clouds.

The seven students with their shabby backpacks were walking under the light of the street lamps on their way back to college. Their stomachs were filled with Northeastern dishes, and they were all feeling warm.

The conflict with the Cowboy nation was over, all that fuss accomplishing very little. For college students, it had been a small change in their lives. Their main goal was still the exam.

Several subjects had been finished in advance before the summer vacation. The tutor had knocked on the name list with a subtle smile to reveal his dangerous intentions.

The attendance rate had unexpectedly taken up 25% of the final score, which had made his class dissolve in uproar.

Some people had been happy while others had been worried. Qin Guan and Wang Lei had remained calm. They were both on the way to becoming straight-A students.

Some of their classmates, who had made a lot of effort at the last moment, surrounded Wang Lei to ask to copy his notebook. Taking the chance, Qin Guan sneaked away.

If they saw Qin Guan's notebook, they might beat him to death.

There was only an outline inside it. The whole course was already over and he had only taken one page of notes.

How could he get a full scholarship with such a notebook? No one would believe him. Qin Guan had to run away with his notebook.

Sister Xue called him just as he was entering the dormitory. She had found a job for him at a mini car exhibition. The model just had to stand the whole day. The payment was only so-so. It was 1,500 yuan.

It was difficult for her to get him jobs, because Qin Guan could only work on weekends. He had to take training courses and tutor a girl in the evenings.

Professor Li had forced her to work only for Qin Guan, so she had to take all possible jobs unless she wanted to starve.

Qin Guan had no idea about her bitterness. He thought 1,000 yuan per day was quite a good pay. Since the Spring Festival, he had made nearly 10,000 yuan.

He read the short message and called Cong Nianwei to ask her if she would like to pay him a visit.

He got through, but five minutes later, his hand was hanging down in disappointment. Cong Nianwei was busy. He had been relentlessly rejected once again.

………

Take it easy, he said to himself. But on the day of the car exhibition, he was in an even worse mood.

He been hurt on both a physical and emotional level, and he was feeling humiliated.

Weizi [3] paid no attention to me. The bus has arrived at the terminal stop, and I'm just standing on the yellow ground. Where is that blasted exhibition?

He couldn't get through to Sister Xue.

Qin Guan was looking around blankly when a tricycle suddenly appeared like God descending from Heaven.

The driver smiled warmly at Qin Guan. His large front teeth were visible through his open mouth. "Young man, where are you going?"

My Savior! Qin Guan asked him right away, "How can I get to the Manyoufu Garage?"

"Is that the one at Siyuanqiao Market selling Automobile Accessories?"

Qin Guan nodded, "Exactly."

The old man showed him five fingers. "I'll take you there for five yuan."

Qin Guan pressed two of his fingers down. "Three yuan, and we're leaving right away."

The old man looked surprised. "You know how to do business. Fine, get on the tricycle!"

Translator's Thoughts

Lan Lan

[1] Ma Yun: One of the richest men in China.

[2] For example:

Moon's down, crows cry and frost fills all the sky;

Sauted sweet corn with pine nuts and fried potato, green pepper and eggplant.

It was hard to understand if I translate them literally. So, I made a summary.

[3] Weizi: Nickname for Cong Nianwei.

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Chapter 46: The Automobile Accessories Market

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

Qin Guan got on the backseat of the tricycle proudly. I'm familiar with the prices at the time.

The tricycle dashed forward on the unsurfaced road, leaving a yellow smoke behind.

When he arrived, Qin Guan understood why Sister Xue had not answered his call. The place was quite far from the centre of city, with no direct bus line. Half the site of the market was still under construction.

The man hosting the car exhibition had bought a bunch of new cars and organized the event to promote himself.

The market was also supporting his effort, because the place was indeed remote for residents of the capital.

Qin Guan did not remember the place himself until he had reached his destination. When it was completed, the Siyuanqiao Market for Automobile Accessories would become one of the largest markets for automobile accessories in Beijing. At 26,000 square meters, the market would contain more than 500 powerful business units.

The owner of Manyoufu Garage was quite a cunning man.

After changing clothes in the office, Qin Guan was appointed by the staff to a white Jetta car.

Wearing a black waistcoat, a white shirt, pants and bow tie, Qin Guan looked like a waiter in a western restaurant.

The assistant of the garage thanked him for his understanding. The suit had been borrowed by his wife from a hotel.

The exhibition was outdoors, and a poster of the garage was hanging in the back. Two Jettas, three Santanas and a Skoda were being exhibited. These were the most popular car types in 1999 in the capital.

There was a model standing next to each of the six cars. They all had young, rustic faces and took complicated poses as they stood by their appointed car with pride.

Sister Xue covered her face. I can't believe I picked such a job for Qin Guan.

Although right now he is just an untrained model, he is a beloved student of Professor Li and the only model I work for. With such an outstanding figure and appearance, he can't be seen with such low-level models. Sister Xue felt sick as her imagination ran wild.

She picked up her bag and waved Qin Guan over, "We can't stay here. It was a mistake. These models are too low-level to be seen with you," she said urgently.

Qin Guan stopped her as she was about to leave. He smiled and said, "You have taught me that, no matter the situation, a good model should always withstand the pressure and finish his designed work, as set by the employer."

"But..."

"I know you're thinking for me, but I think this is nothing. The cars are pretty good. Although they're family cars, they're good quality. If the products are good, that's enough for me. Just don't ask me to promote anything outrageous."

He made a comforting gesture at Sister Xue and returned to his car to wait for the opening ceremony.

Except for Qin Guan, who had been introduced by his independent agent, all the other models had come from the same small agency.

The owner of Manyoufu Garage had selected them for their low price.

The difference between the models was 1,500 yuan versus 200 yuan.

Sister Xue had mixed feelings, but the bald owner recognized Qin Guan at first glance. He's definitely worth the money. The owner called his assistant over and murmured something to him.

The assistant nodded, ran to the Skoda, and said something to the model standing there before he pulled him to Qin Guan's car.

Pointing at the champagne-colored Skoda, he told Qin Guan, "My boss thinks it's more suitable for you. There, the champagne one. You can be in charge of it."

Qin Guan nodded in agreement before he went to stand by the car. The owner was quite pleased with the effect.

He was indeed a noble-looking young man. His colouring looked very attractive among the red, white and black cars.

Sure enough, not long after the exhibition had opened, customers in the market discovered it, undoubtedly attracted by Qin Guan.

They had seen what looked like a top show model leaning against a strange champagne-colored car. The brand of the car was also new to them. Skoda was a newcomer to the capital.

They gathered around to look at the car, asking the price and applying for a test drive. Qin Guan's salesmen were the busiest. The other salesmen were so envious, they wished Qin Guan was their model.

The boss was really happy with the result. He touched his bald head as he thought, What did the Skoda agency say exactly? How much will they pay me for one order? My head has not been working so well after I went bald.

After standing there the whole morning, Qin Guan's leg began to cramp.

I can't rest while I'm surrounded by an audience. My cheeks are stiff from smiling. Making money is hard.

Sister Xue was massaging his shanks. She was a professional masseuse, able to relieve any tense muscles. Sister Xue had been quite busy those days. She had gotten a certificate in professional health care.

Lunch had been prepared in a large canteen cauldron. It was the garage's treat. There wasn't a lunch box nearby, but the assistant had bought dishes from the small restaurant at the entrance of the market.

One box of rice for each person. They also used foam plastic boxes.

The models sat in a circle as the assistant opened the boxes one by one.

Qin Guan poked his head in to find that the dishes were quite good. There were mushrooms fried with oilseed, double-cooked pork slices, diced chicken with bean sauce, fish-flavoured pork slices, minced meat with vermicelli, homemade bean curd, and vinegar-pepper soup. A six dish combo with soup was quite a good meal.

Qin Guan shifted to eating mode while the other models, their agent, and Sister Xue looked on.

He was just like a Nanfu battery, six times more powerful than the others. He looked like a little hog eating happily in front of its crib.

The other models were astonished. Despite the fact that they were not professional models, they still watched their figure.

They might not have a specific diet, but gormandizing was definitely out of the question.

Their agent looked confused. Sister Xue smiled at them awkwardly before she buried her head inside a box.

In the afternoon, the exhibition took on a weird atmosphere. The other models were looking at Qin Guan reverently. Qin Guan had no idea why. He thought this was the weariest job he had done so far.

He had to pay attention to how he looked because of the passing customers.

Several female customers looked at him wantonly, making him feel threatened. He felt like a small, helpless pig ready for slaughter.

Feeling sick, Qin Guan took a break from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., when most customers had left the remote location of the market.

The owner of the garage waved to the two agents in satisfaction. The exhibition could be wrapped up now.

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Chapter 47: The Contract Plan

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

Qin Guan was exhausted both physically and mentally. He slumped down on the backseat of Sister Xue's car, closing his eyes to rest his mind.

Sister Xue gave Qin Guan mental guidance lessons while she drove, "This is common for models. Since you've decided to engage in modeling, you have to act professionally. If you're asked to do a naked photoshoot, what will you do?"

Qin Guan jumped up at this. His head hit the roof of the car, and he cried out and slumped back down.

Massaging the lump on his head, he mumbled, "I'll refuse. You can say no to things like that, Sister Xue."

Sister Xue was exasperated. Qin Guan was not living up to her expectations. "Even if you get to perform on a T show for a top designer? Even if you're representing a famous brand? Even if you've been invited by the most renowned fashion magazine in the world? Will you still say no?"

Qin Guan lay back on his seat and laughed. "Stop dreaming, Sister Xue. Neither riches nor honors will lead me astray. Neither poverty nor humbleness can make me deny my principles. I, Qin Guan, would rather have my head broken than take off my clothes."

Sister Xue sneered from the driver's seat, "You brave man. Givenchy models earn six million dollars annually. It just so happens that the suit you wore for your first exhibition was Givenchy."

Qin Guan was silent for such a long time that Sister Xue thought he had fallen asleep.

Suddenly, his voice sounded from the backseat, "Well, can I at least keep my underwear on?"

Sister Xue burst into laughter. You are considering the possibility.

"Of course not. First, they will pay no attention to your poor sense of shame, and second, it would be hard for you to even get the chance. Asian models are not very competitive. Plus, you are a male model. I already feel sorry for you."

Qin Guan, on the other side, was filled with a fighting will. "You never know if you don't try. Sister Xue, I have decided to sign a contract with you so you don't starve."

The car had just arrived at the entrance of the university. Sister Xue stopped, lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring at Qin Guan. "Thank you for your mercy, Master Qin. What Professor Li and I told you meant nothing to you. You just made the decision because I told you about the six million dollars."

Qin Guan lowered his head in shame. He pushed the door open to get out before he turned around and said, "Have the contract ready the next time I go to Professor Li's. Please, I need your support in the future."

Sister Xue shook her head helplessly. Suddenly, she thought of something. She smirked slightly and drove away.

Qin Guan lay in his bed for a long time as his roommates returned one by one.

Mu Lejiang dragged him out of his bed. Lying on Qin Guan's bed, he called Ayimina as usual.

Qin Guan was hurt deeply. He pulled up his colourful underwear, which Mu Lejiang had pulled down, and poured his heart out to Wang Lei angrily.

"Look at that guy. He's on the phone for more than an hour every day. It's a waste of resources. Their colleges are not that far from each other. Why don't they meet and have dinner instead?"

Wang Lei was reading a book. He cast a supercilious look over his glasses as he answered, "Speak out if you're jealous. I won't laugh at you."

Qin Guan's mouth dropped open. "Cong Nianwei and I never made such long calls. On the weekend, she always goes to the library. We've been a couple for almost half a year now, but all I can do is hold her hand."

Qin Guan got more and more gloomy. Suddenly, the door was pushed open hard, and their eldest brother rushed into the dormitory. He saw a nearly-naked Qin Guan, with a lonely pair of underwear hanging from his hips.

Pointing at Qin Guan, Ye Dong said, "Don't dress like that in broad daylight. It's harmful to society's morals."

Then he took a waistcoat from Qin Guan's bed and threw it at him. "Put it on at once. It's not nice to appear like that before girls."

Qin Guan was just putting on the waistcoat when the door was pushed open again and several girls entered.

They all watched the sexy scene. A boy with a good figure was facing away from them as he put on a black waistcoat. His shaped back and smooth waistline made them lick their lips.

Qin Guan got dressed properly and turned around. The girls shouted in low, surprised voices, "Qin Guan!"

"Actually, Qin Guan lives in this dormitory."

"Who is Qin Guan?"

"Don't you know him? He's the renowned school hunk of our university."

They kept talking while they scanned Qin Guan from head to toe.

The close-fitting cotton black waistcoat outlined Qin Guan's chest and abdomen. Of course, they automatically missed his bright green underwear.

Suddenly, Yang Jing entered the room and told the girls, "Why are you standing? Sit wherever you like." It was she and Ye Dong that had brought them.

Mu Lejiang couldn't lie on the bed anymore. He said something to Ayimina and hung up the phone in a rush.

The girls were in the same dormitory as Yang Jing. Ye Dong had invited them to have dinner and dance at the college ball.

Li Jie was glad because he was the best dancer among his roommates. Although Qin Guan is widely accepted as the most handsome guy in our dormitory, I'm the Prince of the Ball.

Li Jie was quite good at social dancing. Besides the standard waltz, he also knew a little cha-cha and rumba. He was renowned in the small balls of the Capital University of Finance and Economics.

They waited until Liu Xiaoyang returned before they headed out of campus in a formidable formation to have dinner.

There was a family-run Sichuan restaurant across the road, so they decided to try it. They occupied the largest table at the corner of the restaurant.

Before the girls could say anything, the boys gave a long list of dishes, including fish filets in hot chili sauce, Chongqing style boiled blood curd, stewed bean curd with minced pork and pepper sauce, dry-fried green beans, and many others.

When the dishes had all been served, their behaviour got even worse. Except for Yang Jing, all the other girls had forgotten all about eating. They just watched the noisy boys around the table, who were quarrelling with each other and fighting heatedly over food.

Qin Guan, who was usually very dapper, had rolled his sleeves up. For fear that soup would drip on his shirt, he had left the buttons on his chest unfastened. With one foot planted on his chair, he bent down to grab some food.

It was true that distance made the heart grow fonder.

The girls' rosy image of Qin Guan was smashed by reality in an instant.

The dinner had disappointed them. They were cherishing the memory of withered love as they watched the boys, their spirits dropping really low.

When they finally finished dinner and got to the ball, the first song had already been played.

The girls were sitting together in groups of two or three. Any boy wanting to dance had to go up to them and ask them.

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Chapter 48: The Prince of the Ball

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

Li Jie deserved the title of the Prince of the Ball. No more than five minutes into the ball, several girls had already come over to ask him to lead them. Li Jie smoothed his hair proudly and accompanied the most beautiful girl among them to the dancing floor.

Ye Dong and Yang Jing held hands as they got on the dancing floor. Liu Xiaoyang was sitting aside watching everybody else.

Mu Lejiang was in love with a girl, and Wang Lei wasn't interested in dancing, so the two of them sat together and drank beer.

Qin Guan had been left alone before one of the girls from their company came up to him. "Do you want to dance?"

Qin Guan shook his head as he answered, "I'll just watch for a while."

The disappointed girl returned to her friends, and they all talked secretly together. "Is Qin Guan incapable of dancing?"

"Is that true? That would be disappointing. His reputation would be harmed."

"Sure!"

What was Qin Guan doing at the time?

He was observing the dancers.

He found that all the dancers, not just the neophytes learning to dance socially, but also the older ones who had been attending balls for a long time, were terrible at dancing. Only Li Jie looked quite good at it.

Li Jin finished a song and stepped out, drenched in sweat.

He grabbed Qin Guan's beer to have a sip and asked, "Why aren't you dancing? Don't tell me you can't. Look at the girls, they're practically burning you with their eyes."

Qin Guan smiled and patted Li Jie. "I'm afraid of robbing you of your title as Prince of the Ball. We're in the same dormitory and you call me a second brother. I would never want to harm your reputation."

Li Jie was not convinced by his explanation. Setting the beer on the table, he said, "You're all talk. Come on, baby!"

Are you walking your dog or something? Qin Guan looked at Li Jie speechlessly as he stood up. "I hope you won't regret what you said."

Qin Guan arranged his shirt, pulled down his sleeves and fastened his buttons. He walked up to the girl who had just invited him, made a gesture fitting to a gentleman, and said softly, "Hello, can I have the honour of dancing with you?"

All the girls seemed to get excited by his words. They stared at the girl who had been invited with a jealous expression in their eyes.

The astonished girl was pushed forward by her friends. "Wake up. Answer him!"

She finally returned to reality and answered timidly, "Oh, of course."

Qin Guan smiled and took her hand as he escorted her to the dance floor. The person in charge realized that someone popular was coming. Other people stopped dancing to make way for him, and the DJ shouted at Qin Guan, "Hey dude, what kind of song do you want?"

Qin Guan looked down and asked his partner, "What are you good at?"

The girl answered with confidence, "The waltz."

Qin Guan was stupefied for a moment before he said, "Okay, the waltz it is."

The girl looked very excited. I shouldn't have doubted my Prince Charming. He is still perfect, despite his rude behavior at dinner. All the others are dancing randomly, but my Prince Charming knows the waltz. He is perfect for me.

Qin Guan thought it was lucky that he had been studying with Professor Li and had learned so much about the body. Dancing was actually one of the best ways to promote grace in models.

He had learned a lot about dancing, and the waltz was among those things.

"Can you play the waltz?" he asked the DJ.

The DJ signed that it was okay. "No problem."

"Blue Danube" started playing slowly. Qin Guan and his partner were poised to begin.

Forward, sideways, and a close step. That was the basic pattern of the dance.

The two of them began their dance with a perfect round.

Li Jie sprinkled a mouthful of beer beside the dancing floor.

F*ck! Qin Guan is so busy with courses and part-time jobs. When the hell does he have the time to practice dancing?

The couple was only getting better and better.

Qin Guan wore straight, western style pants and a white hollowed-out shirt. If his partner had been in a long dress, it would have been the perfect waltz atmosphere.

The tacit partners continued to turn. Suddenly, Qin Guan twirled his partner around in the spirit of the waltz. They circled around without turning.

One, two, three… the twirling movement included three steps. The onlookers held their breath before their excellent performance.

Finally, they stopped as the music suddenly came to an end. It was just like the darkness before dawn. Silence dominated the whole room. The two of them looked at each other, breathing heavily. Dancing was intense physical exercise.

Li Jie was shaking as if he had been shocked by electricity.

Liu Xiaoyang was hopeless at dancing, but he had felt the beauty, and he cheered for his idol in blind worship, "Wonderful!"

His shout woke everyone up, an enthusiastic applause echoing around the ballroom.

Qin Guan and his partner answered the curtain call and retreated with leisure.

Qin Guan sat down by the table. Before he could take a sip of beer, Li Jie pulled him close. "My brother, your dancing is excellent. Teach me, please!"

Qin Guan answered without mercy, "I have no time."

Li Jie got angry before Qin Guan continued, "If you are really interested in learning, I could introduce you to a professional teacher."

Li Jie's expression changed at once. "It would be my honor. Thank you, my brother."

The girls looked at Qin Guan eagerly, like flies around a piece of pork.

His partner had already returned to her friends, who were discussing Qin Guan heatedly.

"I know, his body is so…"

"Hear, hear..."

The girls looked thirsty for details as his silly dance partner burst into laughter.

They all shouted, "Stop laughing! Go on!"

"Yes, we're dying of curiosity!"

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Chapter 49: Love Rival

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

Covering her mouth, the girl smiled. "His figure is excellent. He is both tall and handsome. He really is a strong man."

"Wow!"

The girls began to talk while they looked at Qin Guan eagerly. We're still fans of yours. Who said that our prince couldn't dance? Come out. We promise not to beat you to death.

Qin Guan got quite famous overnight, giving life to countless legends at the university ball.

Some people insisted that he had been the first universally accepted dancing god in the whole university, others claimed that there had been countless dancing girls worshipping him, and some people believed that Qin Guan was paranormally powerful.

That night, he earned a new title, that of the "Childe of the Ball". He was also holding two more titles, "the straight-A boy from the Accounting Department" and "the most handsome freshman".

Qin Guan had no idea about the gossip. It was true that the person involved was always the last one to hear the rumours circulating about them.

At the time, he was pretending to be a QH University student so he could share a class with Cong Nianwei.

The class was about indoor design.

Cong Nianwei hit him under the desk and asked in low voice, "Why are you here?"

Qin Guan was innocent. He covered his head with a book as he answered, "It has been a long time since I last saw you. I've been missing you a lot."

He held her hand and closed his eyes as he lay down on the desk. "Listen to the professor. I won't bother you."

Cong Nianwei tried to pull her hand out, but failed. She could do nothing but look ahead and pay attention.

Had this been after the year 2000, an article would have been posted on the Tianya Forum, titled "What can I do about my clingy boyfriend?"

Faced with Qin Guan's shameless smile, Cong Nianwei just listened to the professor helplessly. Her best friends looked surprised.

What was going on with Cong Nianwei, the most popular and talented girl in the department and the beauty of QH University in both Science and Technology? She was showing off her relationship before her classmates!

Everyone was talking heatedly in low voices.

Chi Hailin, who was sitting in the front row, overheard someone talking about Cong Nianwei and turned around to have a look. Suddenly, he did a double take. Fuck! Are my eyes fooling me? Is that Qin Guan smiling like silly? He dares show up in our class? Unbelievable! He has gone too far in bullying me!

He tore down a blank page from his notebook, wrote something on it, rolled it into a ball and threw it at Qin Guan.

Qin Guan was lying on the desk smiling when a spit ball hit him on the head.

He spread it open and read, "What are you doing here? This is QH University."

Qin Guan smiled again. At the time, he had nothing to do, so he picked up a pen from Cong Nianwei's pencil case and wrote, "My girlfriend is here, you know."

He rolled the ball again and threw it back.

Chi Hailin looked quite angry at his words. He replied, "This is my turf."

Qin Guan wrote back, "I'm risking my life, daring to challenge the emperor."

The ball came and went fast. Cong Nianwei couldn't stand their childishness. She pulled her chair a little further away without Qin Guan noticing. He was too happy playing.

It was hard to aim with a flying ball. Qin Guan turned around and played his trump card.

He tore another blank page, blew his nose on it and threw it back at Chi Hailin.

Chi Hailin was suspecting why the ball had taken so long to fly back to him.

When it landed on his desk, he opened it excitedly, and the paper stuck to his hand.

Chi Hailin cried out and stood up.

Qin Guan was laughing secretly in the back row, covering his mouth.

Chi Hailin stood up angrily with snot on his hand. He turned around and shouted loudly, "Qin Guan, I will fight you!"

The angry young man had forgotten that he was in a crowded classroom. The professor and all the students turned their eyes on him.

A soft voice sounded from behind him, "I don't care who you want to fight with. You shouted in the middle of my class, so somebody will indeed fight you. Step outside."

Hands clasped behind his back, the designing class professor led Chi Hailin out of the classroom.

Chi Hailin was so depressed that he forgot to wipe the snot off his hand.

Crossing his legs, Qin Guan enjoyed his success.

The professor suddenly appeared in front of him, his hands still behind his back. "You're not attending my class, boy. Step outside."

Qin Guan stopped smiling and left his seat with a pout. As he walked to the front row, he blew Cong Nianwei a kiss and ran out of the classroom before anyone could react.

The classroom erupted in whispers.

Cong Nianwei pretended to be calm. I have no idea what's going on.

The professor restored the order, but Cong Nianwei could still hear conversations going on around her.

"Who is he? I have never met him before."

"Maybe he's from another college."

"If he was from our university, I'd know him. He's so much more handsome from the guys in our class."

"Who did he blow that kiss at? It was in my direction."

That particular student was thinking too much. Plus, it was a guy.

Chi Hailin followed Qin Guan as soon as he was kicked out of the classroom. Qin Guan burst into laughter when he saw him. "Sorry, I can't help it."

Chi Hailin was quite angry. Why did he have to keep running into that idiot? Helplessly, he told Qin Guan, "Shall we be nicer to each other?"

Qin Guan spread his hands. "Why do I have to be nice to someone who hasn't been nice to me? Besides, you were too worked up to handle the situation."

Chi Hailin stretched out his snot-covered hand. "Are you afraid of destroying your image?"

Qin Guan grinned. "We both know I only care about Cong Nianwei. Boy, you must be strong-willed. You're so young."

Chi Hailin nearly cried of embarrassment. He ran away with his books, shouting loudly, "I'll reveal your true colors to Cong Nianwei. You just wait and see!"

Qin Guan was much taller and stronger than him. Chi Hailin was afraid that he would beat him up for threatening him, so he put some distance between them, just to be on the safe side.

Cong Nianwei, who had just finished her class, took in the scene before her.

She poked Qin Guan with her books in front of all her classmates.

Qin Guan smirked delightfully, taking a cool pose as he asked, "What's the matter? Is your class over? Shall we go window-shopping or maybe watch a movie?"

He was really jealous of his two roommates and their girlfriends.

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Chapter 50: Zhongguancun in 1999

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

The others have been with their girlfriends all day long, while I haven't seen mine in two months.

Embarrassed, Cong Nianwei added a stab to Qin Guan's heart, "I have another class later. I plan to apply for a double degree in my sophomore year. I have to take the city design class in advance in the afternoon. I'm sorry, Qin Guan."

Suddenly, tears filled Qin Guan's eyes. He looked like a wet dog.

The passing students saw a gloomy, tall handsome man crying because of Cong Nianwei.

Cong Nianwei kicked Qin Guan. "Stop pretending! I know you well. I'll buy you a cup of milk tea. Now go home!"

She went to the water bar downstairs, bought a cup of pearl milk tea and handed it over to Qin Guan. Waving her hands, she shooed Qin Guan away like a small dog.

The scene made her classmates feel intimidated. How powerful the Queen is! We have to worship her! She just drove away such a handsome boy. She is so strong!

From then on, Cong Nianwei became famous in the Department of Architecture at QH University, her tough reputation protecting her from many a nasty pursuer.

Hanging his head down, Qin Guan walked out of the campus. I failed once again in dating her. Next week, I'll sign the contract and meet with the director of the agency. Sister Xue has accepted several small jobs, and I have to tutor Huang Jiajia. Qin Guan would be very busy.

It will be a long time before I see her again. Qin Guan felt wronged while he rode the bus. There was a traffic jam at Zhongguancun.

Since he had nothing to do in the afternoon, idling at Zhongguancun sounded like the best choice.

The bus arrived at the stop with difficulty, and Qin Guan got off immediately. The main entrance of the electronics building reminded him of something from his past life.

In his memory, Zhongguancun had grown just within a couple of years, the prices becoming fixed for all electronics stores in the capital.

When Qin Guan had been in college in his past life, he'd had no idea about the high-tech electronics market. However, he had known about the battle of the memory bank that had taken place between 1999 and 2000.

Nobody had known which shop or supplier had started the battle. It was impossible to narrow down the scope to one group or store.

In June 1999, without any prior warning, the battle of the memory bank had started.

In quite a short time, 128M memory banks were totally sold out at all retailing stores at the Zhongguancun business district.

The stocks had run out at all stores that assembled computers or retailed electronic accessories.

As a result, a small-scale panic had spread through the stores at Zhongguancun like the flu. People had tried to replenish their stock using all kinds of crazy methods.

There had been no 128M memory banks, while 256M and 512M memory banks had still been in stock. Prices had begun rising instantly, from the original price of 80 yuan to more than 200 yuan. The price had been tripled in only a few days.

The sellers at Zhongguancun had gone crazy. They started stocking the memory banks, anticipating to make more money by selling them at a higher price.

Smaller merchants lost their business as customers did not wish to pay a bubble price.

The trading volume suddenly dropped by 30%.

Then one day, while the prices had still been surging, a large amount of memory banks entered the market, and the prices began to fall in refluent waves.

One day, the price for the 128M memory bank had been 248 yuan, while on the next one it was 201 yuan. On the third day, it was 122 yuan, and on the fourth day, it was 79 yuan, which was even lower than the original price.

The whole market had gone mad. A depressing atmosphere had taken over Zhongguancun. The retail investors with stock had been hurt badly, and plenty of middlemen couldn't sell out their stock.

The tall building had collapsed in one moment. Some people had closed their stores, while others had gone bankrupt. Amid the storm, many people had lost everything.

In Qin Guan's past life, one of his roommates had told him the story.

A computer fanatic that Qin Guan had met through work had also confirmed it.

Qin Guan looked down at his mobile phone subconsciously. On the screen, it stated that it was late May 1999. There were several days left before the memory bank battle.

Qin Guan hesitated.

Since his rebirth, he had neither recalled his past life, nor tried to change other people's lives. He had avoided plagiarizing, copying, making fast money or stealing other people's achievements.

Like a small butterfly, I haven't raised any storms. Is this the original world I used to inhabit, though? Will there be a battle of memory banks this time, too? Or would it be in vain if I tried to stock memory banks?

Qin Guan was in a dilemma when a woman in a flowery shawl jumped out of a corner with a baby in her arms, and told him in low voice, "Young man, you must be a green hand. You have been standing here for so long. You dare not ask directly, right?"

She pulled Qin Guan over and continued to speak kindly, "I'm warm-hearted, but you can't buy anything from the entrance. You want those disks, don't you? Just follow me."

She had mistaken Qin Guan for someone who wanted to buy special disks.

Qin Guan decided to follow her and have a look.

They crossed Zhongguancun street to the small roads at the back, where a two-floor building with a shabby wooden sign was located. On the white sign there were several black characters stating that it was a business building.

The woman waved at Qin Guan, gesturing for him to come closer. They entered the building, despite the fact that it looked like it was about to collapse.

Although it was broad daylight, it was dark inside. There were rows of small yellow doors without door plates or numbers.

Several furtive people would come out of the doors, confirming that it wasn't a haunted building.

The woman led Qin Guan down a corridor on the left with familiarity. They didn't stop until they reached the door at the end of it.

The woman pushed the screeching door open to reveal a whole new world. Actually, it was like a noisy vegetable market inside.

There was a large room filled with shelves, and in the middle of it there was a large pile of disks.

The woman pulled Qin Guan into the room, patted the arm of a young man who was arranging some disks, and pointed at Qin Guan. "This is my customer. Write it down on the record for me."

The young man took a notebook and a pen out of the pocket of his apron. The woman found her page and signed as Sun Erhua. She returned both the notebook and the pen to the young man, warning him, "Don't make any mistakes!"

Then she cast a smile at Qin Guan and went out with her baby to find more customers.

The young man didn't plan on assisting Qin Guan. Pointing to the shelves, he said, "Game disks are on the left, office software is on the right. TV series and films are at the bottom. You can look for any disks you're interested in."

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Chapter 51: The Special Disk

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

Qin Guan nodded. It was a busy business. There were quite a few people around the shelves, standing or squatting down on the floor.

The young man was too busy counting the disks to help Qin Guan.

Qin Guan had to depend on himself. Squatting down on the floor, he pushed lightly through the pile of disks containing popular TV series and films of the time.

There were films like "A Wicked Ghost", "The Emperor and the Assassin", "Sorry, Baby", and so on.

Among the TV series were "Man's Best Friend", "Witness to a Prosecution", "White-Haired Heroine", etc. I have watched these in my past life. They're bringing back memories of the old days.

Qin Guan selected several disks and pulled over a red plastic bag from a shelf nearby. He put them in the bag and turned to the shelf on the left to look at the video games.

There were lots of games there. "Age of Empires", "Railroad Tycoon II", "Taikou Risshiden III", etc.

Qin Guan picked several disks up and threw them inside the bag. Liu Xiaoyang will be delighted to get them as a gift.

Finally, he took a CD titled "Xianglong Financial Software" from the shelf on the right. There were ten disks all in all.

Qin Guan handed the bag to the young man. Looking around, he asked him in a low voice, "Hey, dude. Where are the special disks?"

The young man looked up in understanding. He looked around again before pulling Qin Guan to the most secluded corner of the room.

There was a giant travelling bag there that could be carried away easily. All the special disks were inside.

Rubbing his hands, the young man asked slyly, "Who do you want?"

Qin Guan was surprised. He answered with a question, "Who do you have?"

The young man realized he was a green hand, and shared his experience with Qin Guan proudly, "There are both veteran and new stars here. Who would you like?" Then he went on to list Japanese adult movie actresses. Qin Guan was confused. He wasn't familiar with those girls at all. "Who would you recommend?" he asked modestly.

The young man raised his head and patted his chest proudly. "Okay, I'll choose for you. How many do you want?" Qin Guan lifted two fingers. "I'll try a couple first. If they're good, then I'll come back for more."

With the same understanding expression in his eyes, the young man patted Qin Guan on the shoulder. "You must have bought CDs titled 'An Encounter in the Wild Field', only to find that it's 'Animal World' when you return home. Those sellers are f*cking cheaters. We are honest businessmen, we don't like men like that. Since you trust me, I'll help you choose. They'll be excellent."

Qin Guan nodded. The young man took two disks out of the bag with ease, sheathed them in white-paper shells, and threw them into Qin Guan's bag. Qin Guan paid him 60 yuan.

It was no wonder that piracy was flourishing in 1999. The internet wasn't widespread yet, and this was much cheaper than buying hundred-yuan video games and thousand-yuan office software.

The young man filled in the number "12" at the column where Sun Erhua had signed. The deal was made.

Qin Guan walked outside the building, feeling very pleased with himself. Suddenly, he remembered what he had planned on doing at Zhongguancun in the first place.

He found himself in a dilemma once again. Shall I buy the memory banks or not? It's no pain, no gain after all!

It was said that people would go as far as to commit murder for double profit. Plus, this would be 300% profit.

Thinking of this, Qin Guan quickly entered the bank beside Zhongguancun Center and withdrew 8,000 yuan.

That was most of his income from his part-time job. Taking a long breath, Qin Guan then entered the Zhongguancun Center and took the escalator to the third floor of the building.

There were several small counters there, each of them a small shop. Many people had started their businesses by sharing a counter with other partners there.

There were plenty of customers and sellers. Qin Guan did not stand out among them.

He walked to a counter at the far corner of the third floor. Behind the counter, there was a handwritten sign reading, "Motherboards and memory banks on sale."

Qin Guan knocked on the counter and asked the boss, "How much is the 128M memory bank?" "

The man behind the counter looked up and answered plainly, "85 yuan each."

Qin Guan was unsatisfied with the price. Shaking his head, he said, "I'm not a retail customer. I know the market here. Twenty sticks, 79 yuan each. Is that okay?"

Qin Guan had the man's attention now. Whoops. The boy might be young, but he sure is familiar with the market. Still, he insisted on his original price.

Then he thought it over and shook his head again, "No, the price today is 80 yuan. No more bargaining."

Qin Guan looked around and said in low voice, "To be honest, dude, twenty sticks from your shop are not enough to satisfy my demand."

The man looked excited. He moved closer to Qin Guan and asked in low voice, "How many do you want? Tell me. I can get them from other shops for you."

Qin Guan lifted one finger carefully. "One hundred for that price."

The man knocked on the counter. "Deal." Then he took out a folding chair for Qin Guan. "Sit down for a bit. I'll go check my stock."

Qin Guan put the chair down and went to buy a bottle of water from the resting area. When he returned, he found the man with a bag of parts on the counter.

While he was drinking, the man finished counting. There were only 33 sticks. He was 67 sticks short. The man told Qin Guan to wait a while and manage the counter for him while he went to get the sticks from other shops.

He ran to the shop in front and talked with the young man behind the counter, who gave him two memory banks.

The man took them and moved on to the next shop. When Qin Guan was half-way through his bottle of mineral water, the man returned with a bag full of memory banks.

He piled them all in his hand on the counter and counted, "... ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred exactly!"

Qin Guan was straightforward with him. "I will not open the packages, but I've got to ask. How did the others find new products just like that? How can I know that the quality is good?"

The man smiled. "You are so weird. Such a big number of memory banks will be either for stock or for sale. Or will you just keep them at home? If you plan on selling them later on, the outer package will have to be intact. The seniors in our circle can guarantee that they're new products. There are no scratches on them. They're experienced, don't worry."

Qin Guan felt relieved. He kept one of the bills and handed over the rest to the man. "7,900 yuan. Count them."

Beaming, the man counted the bills. Then he took out a currency detector from a corner and counted them again.

Finally, he straightened up and said, "No problem, take them. Come back anytime." He gave Qin Guan a business card.

Qin Guan took the bag and the card, nodded at the man, and left Zhongguancun.

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Chapter 52: Watching A Movie Together

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

As the boss saw him with so many memory banks, his eyes narrowed. It's suspicious. He does not look like a businessman at first glance. Why did he buy such a big pile of memory banks? Considering his style, the boy cannot be an internet café runner. Is he perhaps the son of some businessman who's gotten some information from his parents? Does he want to earn a little money by investing his pocket money? No, I'm wrong. If his father was a businessman, he wouldn't need to shop here. All he would need to do was make a call. That's not it. What if the boy overheard the information and doesn't want anyone know?

In the blink of an eye, the man imagined several scenarios of turmoil in the market and many exciting stories involving rich, powerful families.

He was inspired. There must be some kind of incident related to the 128M memory bank! The boy was stocking up! What should I do? Memory banks, that's it! The man hit his own head. F*ck! I've cleared my stock! I have to stock up right now.

Without delay, he stood up and headed for the other shops.

The wings of a small butterfly had flapped, yet Qin Guan knew nothing about it.

He was currently on the bus. This time the situation is different from the factory stocks. I will lose my money if the price of the memory banks drops. My uncle and mother might benefit from their leaders' guilt, but if the memory bank price remains the same, my deposit will be lost.

As he thought of this, Qin Guan buried his face in his hands in sadness.

I'm not a hero destined for great things. Others can dominate Wall Street, win the lottery or conquer the entertainment world, but I'm swayed by considering the gain and loss of a deal less worth than 8,000 yuan.

Luo Yuan felt depressed as the bus arrived at the stop. As he got off the bus though, his bad mood improved. Things will eventually sort themselves out. I can always make the money again if I lose it. Anyhow, June is approaching, so I will find out soon enough. Pleased with himself, Luo Yuan threw the bag in his closet and took out the pirated disks.

His roommates gathered around. Liu Xiaoyang was the most excited. "I have long wanted to buy these games!" he shouted. "How much for one disk? If I remember right, they must cost 275 yuan each."

Qin Guan answered calmly, "You're wrong. It's five yuan each."

Liu Xiaoyang jumped up with a cry, "What? Motherf*cker! That seller cheated me!"

Speechlessly, Qin Guan pointed at the coarse, misty cover of the disk. "It's pirated. Just making it clear before you get excited."

Wang Lei looked at them one by one. They're all popular movies and TV series. "Witness of A Prosecution" seems good. There's some financial software as well. Qin Guan is really intense. What are these two disks in the white cases?

Wang Lei took the disks out of the cases. There was nothing written on them.

He waved the disks in front of Qin Guan and asked, "Qin Guan, why did you buy these blank disks?"

Qin Guan was suddenly reminded of the smuggled goods. He put his arms on his hips proudly as he laughed, "Do you know what they are? It's a bonus for you guys."

It was June, and the temperature was getting higher.

The doors to all the dormitories were open so the wind could flow, so even the tiniest news spread fast among all the students along the corridor.

Qin Guan laughed loudly and the students of the dormitory across from theirs ran over to take a look.

They saw the disks.

"So many new movies! Let's watch them together!"

The news spread and all the idlers on the whole floor gathered there.

That was a common occurrence in dormitories. If there were any new movies, they would all gather and bring snacks.

Qin Guan was paralyzed by fear. "F*ck! What should I do? This is significant. My clever brain has run out of ideas!"

Before he could figure out what to do, their room had already become packed with people. Qin Guan looked gloomy as he told Ye Dong in a low voice, "Don't play the disk!"

Ye Dong was confused. Unconsciously, he lowered his voice as well, "Why?"

Wang Lei and Liu Xiaoyang moved their heads closer in curiosity. Grinding his teeth, Qin Guan explained, "That's an AV of Ryoko Nagase." "

Ye Dong screamed like his penis had been stamped, "Ryoko Nagase?"

All the boys suddenly fell silent, except Liu Xiaoyang, who kept asking around, "Who is Ryoko Nagase? Is it a rom-com or an action movie?"

Brother Liu, you're so innocent. I wonder if you just got your ID card yesterday.

Ye Dong's shout made Qin Guan sick. Am I guilty of circulating porn films? No more than two seconds later, people started bustling about.

"Stop talking rubbish! Play it right now!"

"I agree, play it! I love rom-coms!"

Ye Dong's shout had attracted countless students from other dormitories. There was a big commotion.

Not caring about anything, Qin Guan cried, "There are too many people! We don't have enough chairs! Let's leave it for today, we'll meet in our spare time!"

Everyone was so angry, they started shouting.

"What did you say, dude? You don't want to share? You just want to watch with your door shut? You're not loyal to your friends!"

"I agree! Good movies should be shared!"

"Is there no spirit of solidarity or friendship among fellow students?"

"I have the keys to the college playroom! Hundreds of people can fit there! There's even a closed circuit television!" A member of the Youth League took a bunch of keys out of his pocket. Qin Guan stared at him in surprise. What the f*ck!

Everyone applauded happily. Clustering around Qin Guan and his roommates, they took all the disks from the table for fear of missing something, and headed for the playroom in a formidable array.

As soon as they opened the door, they turned on the television and the DVD player.

Some of them waved to Qin Guan urgently, "Bring the disks, quick!"

Others reminded the people sitting by the windows, "It's too bright inside! It will affect the quality of the film. Shut the curtains!"

Dear fellow students, this not a rom-com or an action movie.

The curtains were closed and the chairs were placed in a circle. Everything was ready except for the disk. Ye Dong pulled the disk from Qin Guan's hand and placed it in the DVD player.

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Chapter 53: Hello Animal World, Farewell Animal World

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

The disk began to turn around, and the blue background appeared on the TV screen. Everyone had quieted down, holding their breath as they waited for the images to start playing.

"It is mating season for animals in Africa, and the grassland is full of life..." the familiar voice of Zhao Zhongxiang [1] was heard.

Then a male lion and three lionesses appeared on screen, making love.

There was silence before people suddenly exploded in laughter.

"What the hell is this?"

"Are you mad, Qin Guan? Is this your idea of a love-action film?"

"But there are lions mating. The commentator said that it was mating season."

The sincere face of the young man emerged in Qin Guan's mind as he recalled his words. Qin Guan's innocent heart was hurt. Ye Dong clucked his mouth and took the disk out of the player to make space for the next one.

The television brightened again with a flash.

A Japanese girl with very little clothes appeared suddenly on the screen, saying sweetly to the camera, "Hello! It's nice to meet you. I'm Ryoko Nagase. Please kindly advise."

The boys shouted and sat back in their chairs, staring at the screen in concentration.

Ten minutes passed, twenty...

The girl was leading the audience to places where she had shot movies, and she was introducing her directors and male partners.

She wasn't getting to the point though. She wore very little clothes, but she did not take them off. She was hot, but she was not naked.

They watched on until the film ended. Finally, the actress gave them a little something of what they had been thirsty for.

She groaned and touched herself for a while, but this was not what they really wanted to watch.

They all complained for a while. Qin Guan had earned the title of "pirated disk greenhand."

However, Qin Guan let out a long breath of relief. Delicious food should be shared secretly. The room is filled with straight-A students. Li Laoshi, the most honest student of the Finance Department, is sitting in the southern corner, and the violin virtuoso is sitting in the back row. How can top students with thick glasses behave like this? They're a group of polished scoundrels! I'm ashamed to be with them!

He had forgotten who was the leader of the group.

Downhearted, everyone was dismissed. Qin Guan put the disks away and returned to his dorm with his roommates. Liu Xiaoyang repeated his question once again, "What is a love-action movie?"

They all stared at him speechlessly before they answered together, "When you grow up, you'll find out."

There was no story overnight. Before they knew it, the weekend had arrived.

Led by Professor Li and Sister Xue, Qin Guan went to Balizhuang, where the most renowned and oldest model agency in China was located in the capital.

As early as November 1989, the company had held the first New Silk Road Chinese Model Competition, which was the first national model competition, thus building a solid foundation for model selection, cultivation and promotion for the future.

Its predecessor had been the China Fashion Art Performance Group, a subdivision of the China Clothing Cooperation. Professor Li was actually one of its oldest members.

She led Qin Guan to the office of the Training Department with ease and knocked on the door. A voice sounded from behind it, "Come in, please."

They pushed the door open and found a woman inside. The woman embraced Professor Li.

Sister Zhang had been a model in Professor Li's time, but she had chosen to stay and work in the company. She was currently in charge of the New Silk Road Training School.

They sat down, and Professor Li briefly introduced Qin Guan to Sister Zhang, handing his resume and basic information to her.

Sister Zhang read the resume and scanned Qin Guan over carefully twice. She nodded in satisfaction before she said, "The boy is in a good physical condition, even better than most of our models. Are you interested in a full time job here?"

Sister Xue was anxious. I discovered Qin Guan first!

Professor Li gestured to Sister Xue, indicating for her to calm down, before she explained Qin Guan's situation to Sister Zhang.

Sister Zhang seemed disappointed. Spreading her hands out, she said, "Your requirement is a piece of cake. Let me explain though, little Xue. We have a standard contract for subordinated models here. Qin Guan has no formal contract with any agency, so he must be an independent model, am I right?"

Xue Wanyi nodded honestly before Sister Zhang continued, "Once he's attached to our company, he will be a member here. His class will be C, which is a signed model."

Xue Wanyi nodded again, slightly inspired with enthusiasm.

Sister Zhang knocked twice on her desk with her pen. "Generally speaking, a model will suffer losses from a subordinating contract. Our resources will surely concentrate on our own models. You can only get some small jobs given up by other agents. So now we come to the most important question. What's your goal in becoming a model, Qin Guan?"

Xue Wanyi hastened to gesture at Qin Guan, but he ignored her and told Sister Zhang happily, "To make money!"

Xue Wanyi covered her face. F*ck!

Sister Zhang burst into laughter, "You are the most honest child I have met recently! C-level is not enough for you to make money though. I would suggest that you try some small competitions. With enough experience, you could even participate in our own competition."

Xue Wanyi and Qin Guan exchanged a glance, listening to her suggestion with an open mind.

There was nothing left for Sister Zhang to say, so she just made a call, "Little Ma, bring two copies of subordinating contracts to my office."

In less than five minutes, Little Ma knocked and came in with two contracts in hand.

Sister Xue read carefully about the duties and charges on both sides before signing.

Little Ma stamped the contract. From that moment on, the contract was officially in effect.

Striking while the iron was hot, Sister Xue took two more contracts out of her backpack and handed them to Qin Guan.

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Chapter 54: Formal Contract

Translator: Lan Editor: - -

Qin Guan read the contract word by word.

Party A: Xue Wanyi

Party B:

On the basis of the principles of equality and mutual benefit, Party A and Party B have agreed on the following terms after a friendly negotiation:

1. Party A shall provide Party B with a publicity and promotion platform.

2. Party B shall voluntarily participate in the commercial performances, events, advertisements, and other activities organized by Party A.

3, Party B shall provide Party A with all necessary personal information, including personal photos. Personal information has to be provided voluntarily and be true, accurate and reliable. In case of a dispute caused by false information, Party B will bear all responsibility.

Party A: (Stamp) Party B : (Signature)

Date:

It was a simple contract with only 13 terms. Qin Guan went through it quickly, smiling at Sister Xue as he signed his name.

From that day on, Qin Guan was honorably promoted from an untrained model to a C-level model with a formal agency and an agent.

Sister Zhang stood up and walked around the desk, encouraging Xue Wanyi, "Since Qin Guan is now our model, he should get acquainted with our staff. He will have to communicate with them in the future."

"I'll take you to the Marketing Department today. In the future, they will share resources with you, besides the channels you find yourself. You have to cultivate a good relationship with them."

Qin Guan and Sister Xue followed Professor Li and Sister Zhang out of her office and headed towards the Marketing Department.

Qin Guan was shocked by the noisy scene in the offices of the Marketing Department. People were answering phones, making posters and carrying costumes. It looked like a bazaar was taking place there.

Sister Zhang didn't seem surprised. "Everyone is always super busy after the last date for competition applications. That's to be expected."

She led them to a group of staff who were making calls, where a gentle, middle-aged man sat.

She introduced the man, "This is Lan Jin, marketing director of New Silk Road. He is in charge of model promotion and agent services. He is a very powerful leader."

Then she pointed to Xue Wanyi and Qin Guan and introduced them as well, "They are a new subordinated agent and model, a combination with great potential."

The director scanned Qin Guan from head to toe in satisfaction before shouting loudly to his staff, "Ni Dalei, come here!"

A strong man stood up from the phones and ran over at his call. "I'm coming! What's the matter, sir?"

Lan Jin pointed at Xue Wanyi, "New subordinated agent. They'll be in your group from now on."

Ni Dalei looked gloomy. Subordinated agents are so hard to control. They know nothing, but they're always really picky. They can't share the good resources of the company, and if the model does not qualify for ordinary resources, the customers are left unsatisfied.

In his opinion, subordinated models were of little value, but unwilling to be cast away. They would share tiny jobs with their own models, but the handling charges weren't even enough to pay for a meal.

Thinking of this, Ni Dalei glanced at Sister Xue and Qin Quan furtively.

That glance changed his mind completely though.

Qin Guan was bound to attract attention as he stood there. Nothing could cover his charm. It didn't matter if he was among ordinary people or other shining models.

Ni Dalei reached for Xue Wanyi's hand at once and tried to persuade her, "What a handsome boy! How can you sign a subordinate contract for him? Where is your professional conscience?"

It was Xue Wanyi's turn to be gloomy now. Everyone who sees Qin Guan blames me!

She explained the situation again helplessly.

Ni Dalei felt pity for her. He considered Qin Guan really promising for participating in a work-study program and decided to select the best jobs for him.

In such a world, good appearances were the key to every door.

The morning passed without any trouble.

To celebrate her success, Sister Xue decided to treat Professor Li and Qin Guan. After all, the logo of the New Silk Road company would be printed on her business card from now on.

She drove everyone to the Agency of the Xinjiang Province in the capital, which was located on Sanlihe Road 7 in the Haidian District.

The Xinjiang style restaurant was inside the agency. With its delicious food, large portions, and reasonable prices, the restaurant was so popular that customers were always waiting to find a seat.

However, the dinning area in the noisy hall was mediocre. This was a common feature for most Xinjiang style restaurants.

It was suitable for collective dinner though, especially for meat-lovers.

They found a table at the innermost corner and asked the waiter to order.

Sister Xue was a frequent patron at the restaurant. She ordered without any hesitation as Qin Guan observed the restaurant.

It looked ordinary, just like a college cafeteria. The tables and chairs were in disarray, and the window for staple food was outdoors. Customers could just grab a plate and help themselves.

The dishes were served quickly. A giant plate of meat packaged in crusty pancakes was already on the table.

Qin Guan tried a crusty pancake. Delicious!

The crisp pancake was soaked in thick mutton soup and tasted soft and tender in his mouth.

The Xinjiang rice that followed it was just as wonderful. Qin Guan nearly swallowed his tongue along with the carrots slices and chopped mutton.

A kebab with rose willow sticks followed. The golden baked meat with oil drops smelled excellent on the slightly parched branches of rose willow.

The cluster was much larger than the kebabs Qin Guan had sold. (Actually, Qin Guan could be an unscrupulous merchant.)

The meat was tight. Qin Guan enjoyed himself to the fullest, eating meat in thick slices and drinking wine from a large cup.

Unsatisfied, Qin Guan finally ordered a plate of fried noodles with tomatoes, celery and cutlets. It tasted sour, but the noodles stimulated his appetite to the fullest.

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Chapter 55: 10,000 Yuan

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

After dining and wining to satiety, Sister Xue asked for a bowl of yoghurt for each of them. She had talked of that yoghurt very positively.

The freshly-prepared yoghurt, which was placed randomly on the window sill, was served in bowls made of willow. The bowls had an original texture. In those black wooden bowls, the yoghurt seemed whiter, finer and smoother. There were also raisins from Turpan scattered on its surface.

The large, full raisins and thick layer of black sesame made the yoghurt look more attractive.

The waiter handed a small bowl of white granulated sugar to them. There was no sugar in the yoghurt, but customers could add some according to their taste.

Qin Guan held the bowl to take a sip. The aroma of milk together with the special sourness of the fermentation filled his mouth. It's tasty! Qin Guan finished one bowl in a few mouthfuls.

There was still some left in the bowl though. Qin Guan looked at it eagerly. Knowing that he was about to act silly again, Sister Xue rushed to stop him, "Don't lick the bowl! I'll order one more for you!" Qin Guan stared at the bowl regretfully. Can I have one more bowl to lick? He lifted the empty bowl and shouted to the waiter, "One more, please!"

Sister Xue kept an eye on him until dinner was over for fear that he would do something embarrassing again.

She let out a long breath after she drove Professor Li home. Relieved, she drove Qin Guan back to campus.

On the way there, she informed Qin Guan of their future plans, "The second poster shooting for J shirts is in June. They were really satisfied with the outcome last time, so there might be an extra bonus this time."

"You have to continue your lessons with Professor Li until vacation, when you will have some spare time. Professional models never rest though."

"As a part-timer, the company will surely assign some trial jobs to you so they can test your ability. You have to be serious to make a successful debut. It's essential if you want to make money, understand?"

Qin Guan nodded, especially when he heard the word "money".

Before he got out of the car, Sister Xue added, "Watch your figure and stop being crapulent. Don't make me lose face in front of the whole country!"

Qin Guan gestured at her to reassure her before he shut the door and waved. Then he entered the campus.

Without any trouble, Qin Guan had become a professional model. Although he was still a C-level model, it was a good place to start.

The story pauses here temporarily. June, which Qin Guan was the most nervous about, finally came around.

On the first day of June, he put all the memory banks in his backpack and walked to the entrance of the Zhongguancun Mansion nonchalantly.

He didn't go to the third floor right away for fear of being recognized by the shop owner he'd met last time. That would only have made things more complicated.

Qin Guan went around the building, heading directly to the Pacific Digital Building.

There were busy shop assistants everywhere, carrying computer boxes and displaying cases in carts as they moved up and down the corridor.

On the first floor, computers and digital products were on sale. The rest of the shops were basically retailers that assembled and repaired computers for companies and individuals.

Qin Guan took the lift to the fourth floor and consulted the shops one by one about the price of memory banks.

"Sir, do you have any 128M memory banks?"

The shop owner was young, and he scanned Qin Guan from head to toe before he asked, "What for? There are no new products here. If you want a memory bank for your computer, I have a second-hand one. There's only one, but it's surely cheaper than a new one. 120 yuan, does that work for you?"

Qin Guan was speechless. I bought the new memory banks for 79 yuan each, and you're asking me to pay 120 yuan for a second-hand one? Do you think I'm an idiot?

The shop owner seemed to read Qin Guan's mind. He sighed as he said, "I don't want to sell you an old one either. Are you suspicious of my offer? I'm not trying to cheat you. You can ask at the other shops as well. It's a fair price."

Qin Guan was actually happy about it. "How much would a new one cost?" he asked.

The young shop owner answered vaguely, "There's a price for them, but they're not on sale. The standard price in today's market is 246 yuan for a 128M bank. They are out of stock. The dealers have stocked them, but they refuse to sell them. Maybe they're waiting for them to have babies."

Qin Guan asked again carefully, "They're out of stock?"

The shop owner answered excitedly, "Yes! Without banks, I can't do anything but sell other parts. I can't even assemble a computer. I'll lose a lot of business!"

Qin Guan was glad to hear that. "Several days ago, I bought some banks for my friend, who runs an internet cafe. There are still some left. Would you like to buy them?"

The young man suddenly stood up behind the counter. "Let me take a look. Are they new or second-hand? How many do you have?" he asked urgently.

Qin Guan put down his backpack and took out five memory banks.

The shop owner took them in his hands and checked them over carefully. The memory banks could be seen clearly in their transparent plastic packages.

They beared no scratches or traces of being opened, and the trademarks were clear. The young man knew that they were new products right away.

"Do you want to sell them? I'll buy them all at their current market price." He held the banks tightly in his hand, unwilling to let them go.

Qin Guan smiled. "I do!"

The shop owner was straightforward. He took out a calculator and started pressing numbers on it. Then he pushed the calculator toward Qin Guan, showing him the number 1,230 on the screen. "Is that right?"

Qin Guan picked up the calculator. An enigmatic smile formed on his face as he said, "Deal!"

The young man was really happy to hear that. He counted the bills and handed them to Qin Guan. With these banks, my business will flourish. My shop will be the only one with memory banks in stock. At least five customers will pay extra money for them!

The poor shop owner did not know that there were still 95 memory banks in Qin Guan's backpack. He also didn't know that Qin Guan would sell banks to more shops after he left.

If he had known, he would have surely shouted loudly, "Give them all to me! I want to buy all 100 banks!"

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Chapter 56: The Tyrant's Feast and the Wet Shirt

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

It was a pity that the shop owner could not predict the future. Later, Qin Guan sold the banks to dozens of shops in batches of five or ten.

His journey ended successfully.

He sold the memory banks for 246 yuan each.

His small-scale opportunistic practice was finally rewarded.

His investment lasted for four days. His original capital had been 7,900, and in the end he got 24,600 yuan, earning a profit of 16,700 yuan. The ratio was 300%. He was still nervous until he got the final sum of money. Suppressing the urge to cry out loud, he left Zhongguancun as soon as possible.

Depositing the cash into his account at the Construction Bank in Zhongguancun, Qin Guan let out a relieved breath.

To celebrate his successful business, he decided to treat his roommates. He made a call to his dormitory.

"Hello? Is that Wang Lei? This is Qin Guan. I'm treating you! I'll bring a pizza back!"

Cheers were heard through the receiver. Qin Guan massaged his shocked ear, hung up and took the bus to the pizza place near his college.

Domino's Pizza was a restaurant chain for take-away pizza. Qin Guan and his roommates were frequent customers there.

Without any hesitation, he ordered at the cashier, "Seafood, Super Deluxe, Pepperoni, and Hawaiian, one for each. The large size. 12 inches."

The cashier typed on the keyboard with effort.

This is a frequent customer. Every time our staff are surprised by his good appearance and his ordering speed.

"Also, Spaghetti Seafood Bacon and Spaghetti Bolognaise, one for each, Cheesy Bread and Garlic Bread, one for each, and one portion of Seafood and Pork Combo. That's all. Oh, I almost forgot. Is there a free drink for a 200 yuan order?"

The young girl checked the menu and answered, "Yes, there is. Your order costs 355 yuan. We'll give you a large bucket of a soft drink for free. Is there anything else I can get you?"

Qin Guan shook his head. "That's all."

The girl placed the order and took his money. "Here's your change. Please wait a moment. Is it eat-in or takeaway?"

Qin Guan found a seat not far from her. "Takeaway."

The cashier was pleased. I'm so close to this handsome boy. What a lucky day!

Watching the passersby outside the window and listening to the country music playing in the restaurant, Qin Guan enjoyed a leisurely time until his order was ready.

The cashier handed all the food to Qin Guan and smiled sweetly. "Looking forward to your next visit."

Qin Guan returned to his dormitory and found five starving boys in the room.

They all rushed at the bag in his hands like vigorous tigers jumping down a hill.

In a moment, all the boxes were open. There was hot pizza covered in cheese, smooth spaghetti in thick meat sauce, and crisp fried chips and chicken wings.

In 10 minutes, all the food had disappeared.

Everyone started complaining, "This is not enough! There should have been some vegetables too! You better go buy a Sunny Veggie pizza, Qin Guan!"

Foodies were always shameless. Suddenly, Qin Guan's phone rang. It was Sister Xue, who told Qin Guan to go to the second shooting for the J shirts and attend a photography exhibition.

The photographer of the J shirts, who had sent Qin Guan's photos to a competition, had won an award.

The full title of the competition was Top 10 Awards for National Figure Photography. It was held by the "Figure Photography" Magazine every three years since 1993.

3,000 photos by 145 artists from 29 provinces, cities and municipalities had participated in the competition that year. The J shirts photographer had made the top 10.

He had been completely over the moon. He knew that he owed all his success to his luck and his outstanding model, so he had invited Qin Guan to the exhibition.

It was a small-scale exhibition in the photography circle, but the prize winners' works would be exhibited in a small gallery.

Qin Guan was surprised. He had forgotten all about this. He had only met the photographer once, at the shooting site of the J shirts.

The photographer's face was full of joy. The boss of the J shirts was also proud. My model is an official New Silk Road model, and my photographer is a rising star in figure photography. Plus, my products are selling well, aren't they?

He had experienced a lot of happy events lately. Business was going well and the sale volume was steady.

When the new summer collection came out, his first physical store would open in a new shopping mall, which he considered a very good start.

The boss was very satisfied with Qin Guan. When he put on the new short-sleeved shirts of that year though, his satisfaction reached its peak. Sister Xue kept flattering him, so he gave them a bonus.

The theme of that summer was "cool and refreshing". Through the thin, light material of the shirt, Qin Guan's skin could be seen indistinctly. It looked very attractive.

The photographer put down his camera and thought for a while. Then he asked the boss, "Is there any water?"

"Yes, in the corner. Are you thirsty? I'll ask them to get you some. Little Tian, get a box of mineral water over here!"

The assistant carried the box over. The photographer took a bottle, waved for Qin Guan to approach, and turned around to ask the boss, "Can I get the shirt wet?"

The boss nodded. "Yes, feel free to do whatever you want. Everyone here is at your service."

The photographer pulled Qin Guan over and discussed it with him. "Let's do something sexy. Can I get your shirt wet?"

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Chapter 57: The Photo Exhibition

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

Qin Guan looked at Sister Xue, who nodded. The photographer opened a bottle of water and poured it on Qin Guan's body.

The wet shirt was immediately pasted on his body. The photographer looked around, feeling like something was missing. He opened another bottle and handed it to Qin Guan, "Do it yourself. Wet your hair."

Qin Guan poured the water on his head.

His hair hung down, several drops of water falling from its tips. His body was partly hidden and partly visible under his shirt.

The lines of his upper body were clear to the onlookers though. How sexy he looked!

The assistant beside him felt a warm liquid flowing down her nostrils. She was bleeding!

Fortunately, everyone was focused on Qin Guan, so no one laughed at her.

She took a tissue out of her bag and made a roll, pushing it up her nose to stop the bleeding. Then she turned to look at the handsome young man again. I won't leave the front line on account of some minor injury. I won't admit defeat!

Qin Guan held up his wet fringe to expose his forehead. Water drops ran down his face, sweeping over his lips and falling on the floor.

The photographer captured the moment, taking beautiful photos. Then he asked Qin Guan to touch his body with his hands and take an alluring pose.

Ever since he had started studying with Professor Li, Qin Guan had made great progress in his poses. He was way better than last time, which could be considered a qualitative leap.

Before, Qin Guan had depended solely on his face, but now he had gotten good at body language and expressing emotions.

The series of photos was finished, and Sister Xue handed him a towel to clean himself up. After he changed his clothes, the photographer walked over and said, "Here are your tickets. You can enjoy some fruit over there." Qin Guan took the two tickets. Before he could say thank you though, Sister Xue broke in, "Sun, I need your help with getting paid."

The photographer was taken aback. "What's the matter?"

Sister Xue stepped forward and said in low voice, "You know that Qin Guan has a contract with New Silk Road?"

The photographer nodded. "This is good for his development in the future."

Sister Xue pretended to look sad. "We only signed a subordinating contract. All his affairs are in my hand, but all models have to have a portfolio in the company, which the clients look through before they select a model."

"Qin Guan has no photos in his portfolio, so I thought of you."

"You are a good photographer and you've cooperated with him three times. There is a mutual understanding between you, so I'd be assured if you took some photos of him."

"I don't trust the photographers of New Silk Road. He is not their model, and if they took bad photos of him, his portfolio would be ruined."

The photographer rubbed his jaw. "You're right. These photos are a model's first contact with the clients. They're the most important factor. Qin Guan is my lucky star. I'll help him!"

Sister Xue was very pleased. She believed that Sun Pengtao was a really good photographer. He didn't get lots of opportunities though, that's why he stayed in that small studio and found jobs for himself.

Given a chance, he might soar up to the sky, so it would be better for Qin Guan to get close to him while he was still a nobody.

Sister Xue was really enthusiastic. "I need a natural photo, an artistic photo, and a standard ID photo. 1,000 yuan in total. Does that work for you?"

Three photos in negative film and self-prepared costumes. This was a really good deal for a photographer who ran a studio.

Sun Pengtao understood that Sister Xue trusted him and answered yes without hesitation.

The rest of the photos were taken smoothly. Qin Guan wore the new summer shirt, which was light yellow with a darker shade at the lower hem.

In his opinion, that designer was a leader in the fashion industry. This style would get really popular after 2005. The changing light yellow color formed splendid flowers on the shirt.

Following the concept, Qin Guan smiled fervently. Everyone could feel his enthusiasm through the photos.

The assistant shifted her eyes between Qin Guan and the pictures. Then she took another tissue and pushed a roll into her other nostril.

They were very busy the following days. Sister Xue and Qin Guan went to see the National Figure Photography Awards Exhibition. The expanded figure photos were hanging on the walls, the artists' names written under their work.

Some photos were bright-colored or distinct, and had a gorgeous effect, while others were realistic and moved the audience's heart. Qin Guan's photos were also outstanding. They were clean, simple, and unique. Their leisurely style was just like a breeze.

Qin Guan and Sister Xue read the introduction carefully.

Sun Pengtao is a photographer from the capital. He has engaged in photography for eight years... It was Sun's biography.

There was a long comment underneath, which was kind of over the top.

According to their attitude, I divide photographers into two different groups, the technology-oriented ones and theme-oriented ones.

The former ones are fascinated by the camera, lenses and technology parameters, which are complicated and mysterious. They think that cameras are lovely pets instead of tools for shooting.

Those photographers own the best equipment and are in endless pursuit of new models.

Like a photography encyclopaedia, they're proud of expanding 35mm plates to no-particle photos of 16x20 inches. They know the advantages of all different kinds of cameras, but they can seldom present us with valuable work. They concentrate on the tools (the equipment) of photography, instead of the purpose (the photos).

Those interested in the works, or rather the themes of photography, are exactly the opposite.

Unlike technology-oriented photographers, who focus on equipment and skill, they are attracted to various pictures, such as figures, streets, urban areas, landscapes, nature, modern architecture, the relics of ancient Rome, sports contests, or everyday life.

They know that they can take a picture in countless different ways, and some images can be processed to become even better. They study the problems of technology. Although some of them are confident with using photography tools, Sun Pengtao both engages in experimenting with technology tools and creates works that capture the audience.

Many details of his work are immature, but everywhere in his work we can find all the advantages of the second kind of photographers I mentioned above.

We can see the spirit of the artist in his work. Sun Pengtao is one of the most recommended photographers of this year.

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Chapter 58: Model Business Photos

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

The introduction was the longest part of the exhibition. Qin Guan and Sister Xue exchanged a look in silent despair. Can we tell everyone that the photos were just an inspiration during a simple poster shooting?

It was really hard to understand artists.

After visiting the exhibition, Sister Xue drove the excited photographer and Qin Guan back to the studio so they could work on Qin Guan's business photos.

Sister Xue took two outfits out of the trunk excitedly.

Both the suit and the casual clothes looked really expensive. They seemed extremely delicate as they hung in plastic covers in a formal way.

In the studio, Sister Xue unzipped the covers and took out a summer style GIVENCHY suit.

She had taken advantage of her connections to borrow them from a designer brand renting store for free.

The costume consisted of a black woollen coat with a single button, a loose T-shirt, woollen pants, and shoes made of smooth black leather. It was an exact replica of a suit from the standard GIVENCHY runway show in the summer. Even the size was the same.

It fit Qin Guan quite well. The black suit hung down slightly, and the black round-collar T-shirt made Qin Guan look natural and unrestrained.

The photographer felt inspired. "Can you walk on the T stage?" he asked.

Qin Guan nodded, and the photographer grew even more excited. He asked his assistant to arrange the lights on the T stage, where Qin Guan would perform.

Once Qin Guan strode from the darkness into the light, the photographer began to press the camera button. Only when Qin Guan left the spotlight again did Sister Xue come to her senses.

Excellent! The coat fit his waist perfectly, and the straight pants complimented his long legs.

In the photos, Qin Guan was lifting one of his feet to step forward against the yogon background.

The photographer asked Qin Guan to take off the T-shirt for one more series of photos.

Qin Guan took off all the clothes on his upper body and put on the coat again. The photographer held his jaw and stared at him. "Hold the collar with both hands as if you're tearing it apart."

Qin Guan did as he was told. The dim yellow light from above and the caesious curtain made the whole background seem mysterious.

The light fell softly on the black coat and on Qin Guan's naked chest, which seemed even smoother under the light.

The contrast between Qin Guan's wild pose and his soft skin looked very attractive. The audience would focus on his figure right away.

Sister Xue was quite satisfied with the photographer. In her opinion, Sun Pengtao and Qin Guan had great potential. They will turn into Chinese dragons and fly high into the sky. These photos will give Qin Guan an advantage.

While Qin Guan was changing clothes, Sister Xue shouted loudly from outside the fitting room, "Are you naked?"

"Let me put on some pants!" Qin Guan answered in confusion. A new pair of underpants in a packaged box flied in from outside.

"That's your gift! Put them on and let's take some underwear photos."

Qin Guan took out the underpants. Whoops! They're Calvin Klein. He put them on right away after picking off the label.

It was a pair of simple seamless underpants. The seams were all weaved together. The underwear covered Qin Guan's hips completely, making him feel as comfortable as if he was naked.

With only the underpants on, Qin Guan walked under the lights. His delicate pace would have made any audience feel a sense of desire, sexiness, allure, luxury and enthusiasm, just like an unexpected romance.

The photographer asked Qin Guan to lean against a pillar. The smooth lines of his body exhibited the power of the Creator and the utmost beauty a human being could possess.

Only one series of underwear photos were needed. It would only take up a small space on the right side of his model business card. All the staff in the studio were disappointed that the underwear shoot was over. Qin Guan's beauty was a feast for the eyes, and that feast had ended almost as soon as it had begun.

After finishing this series, Qin Guan changed into the GIVENCHY casual summer outfit.

The outfit included a V-neck, jacket-like shirt with a picture of Jesus, a loose T-shirt with pockets, a pair of Bermuda shorts made of a fabric that did not wrinkle, smooth ocean blue buttermilk-skin skateboard shoes, and a thick bracelet with keys.

The combination of white, blue and grey gave off a sense of casualness and leisure.

The photographer realized that Qin Guan would take photos in casual clothes as soon as he saw the outfit.

Sun Pengtao was the best at taking candid photos. He asked Qin Guan to just act natural.

Qin Guan planned to show him what he had learned from Professor Li. He took a casual pose by putting his hands in his pockets and supporting them against his hips. Sister Xue was delighted. The boy has finally learned how to show off his advantages.

The photos were finished fast. There was only one photo left.

On a model's professional business card, the main photo would take up half the page, while the other nine smaller photos would take up the other half.

Out of the 10 photos, it was the main photo on the left that would attract the clients' attention right away.

That's why the main photo was at the centre of the page. All the models would show their best image in that photo. Sister Xue and the photographer hesitated. Qin Guan had both an outstanding face and figure. How could they choose one?

They had a long discussion and finally decided on a full-body picture. As a good model, Qin Guan would be able to withstand the exposure. Just a handsome face would have limited him to a still model level after all.

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Chapter 59: The High School General Examination

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

They couldn't take a full-body picture of Qin Guan though, because it might be too small for the audience. They discussed it and finally decided to take a photo from his knees up.

A nude picture would be even better. Sister Xue asked Qin Guan to take off his coat and expose his abdominal muscles and V-line. She unfastened the first button of his jeans and pulled them down a little. Perfect! They would lure the audience with his sexy body. It was so cunning!

When the photos were finished, as a sophisticated lady who had seen countless beauties, Sister Xue believed that she would have been fascinated by Qin Guan. She counted 10 bills and handed them to the photographer, who had cooperated with her gladly. "Thank you! You're welcome back anytime."

Once he finished the post-production, the photographer would call Sister Xue. Until then, Qin Guan could relax. A lot of affairs had come up recently, and Qin Guan had been busy as a bee. Now he could finally make some testing papers for Huang Jiajia.

In June, Huang Jiajia would take her final examinations, and in September, when the schools opened again, she would join the army for the College Entrance Examination.

Qin Guan had promised Huang Jiajia at the end of the Spring Festival that if her scores were improved in the General Examination, he would treat her to snacks at Carrefour. There was only about 800 yuan left in his shopping card, but hopefully it would be enough for her highness. In half a year, she had changed a lot. His courses were much easier for her than they used to be. Huang Jiajia was no longer a rebel, but a very smart lady.

Her vigor in studying shamed Qin Guan. She had asked her mother to register for several lessons after school. As she corrected her mistakes, she had attracted the attention of her teachers at school. A hard-working student was welcome everywhere, even in a school with a low enrolment rate. As a result, the teachers had begun to focus on Huang Jiajia both in and out of class. By getting help from both sides, Huang Jiajia's scores had been getting better and better.

Qin Guan returned to his dormitory and worked on the papers for Huang Jiagia during his leisure time. He would test her that weekend.

Before the weekend, Qin Guan's date request was turned down by Cong Nianwei once again. Irritated by his roommates' displays of affection in the dormitory, Qin Guan took the papers and headed for Huang Jiajia's home to avoid beating his friends up.

Qin Guan entered Huang Jiajia's home and found her sitting at the table quietly with her pen and draft paper. This will be my last chance to earn his praise. It was their last lesson before the General Examinations and the finals. It was showdown.

Qin Guan spread the papers on the table. "My papers include less subjects than your examination. Luckily, these courses are focusing on memory. You can work on them yourself. Today we'll focus on the five main subjects. Let's start with Chinese." Huang Jiajia nodded eagerly and picked up the first paper. Lowering her head, she began to write quickly. Meanwhile, Qin Guan read a book beside her.

June was drawing near, and the temperature was getting higher and higher, signalling the arrival of summer vacation. However, before the summer holidays, students had to go through the examination period.

There was also a heated competition for the scholarship that semester. For Qin Guan, who had a balance of more than 30,000 yuan, that scholarship was still a large source of income. All that money was his reward for working hard and his capital for launching his business. As a young man, I can only gradually accumulate a limited capital.

The leaves outside the windows rustled in the breeze as an early summer cicada sang along, joining their private celebration.

Under the yellow lights inside the house, two figures were sitting at a table. One of them was writing swiftly while the other was reading carefully. What a peaceful time!

When Huang Jiajia finished writing, Qin Guan looked up from his book. He corrected her papers with a red ballpoint pen as Huang Jiajia craned her neck to look, sitting on pins and needles.

The test would reflect her level in the General Examination in a way, and the result of the General Examination would affect her chances of getting treated to snacks by Qin Guan and dating him. Actually, Huang Jiajia was over-thinking things. The General Examination would only cover the most basic knowledge points of the textbooks.

When Qin Guan was done, Huang Jiajia was pleased by the results.

Chinese: 98

Math: 88

English: 92

Chemistry: 90

Science: 91

Except for Math, all her other scores were above 90. Her total score was 459, which meant that she could possibly enroll at a community college.

Huang Jiajia was really excited. Although she hadn't passed Math, she had made great progress. She was just thinking of acting like a spoiled child and begging Qin Guan for praise, when he looked at his watch and stood up. It was not early for him, so he planned to leave. They would meet again after Huang Jiajia had taken the General Examination.

Huang Jiajia was both angry and disappointed. Qin Guan's mind was occupied by his courses, his part-time jobs and Cong Nianwei, so she had failed to find a way in.

She threw her teddy bear on the floor with force. I hate him and love him at the same time! He's such a simple-minded man, both in my reach and out of it... As Huang Jiajia thought about how she had gotten along with Qin Guan, she picked up her teddy bear again and held it in her arms.

Unaware that he had broken her young heart, Qin Guan was riding his shabby bicycle on his way back to college. Huang Jiajia's good scores had given him a sense of achievement that had healed the wound caused by Cong Nianwei. He parked his bike and returned to his dormitory with his books.

All his roommates were studying inside. What cunning boys! They pretended to be at ease in the classroom, but reverted to their original status when they came back home. They were the most annoying students in the whole college. They acted relaxed before others, smiling about their high scores as they said, "It was unexpected! I was only listening to the tutor randomly. How could I have gotten such a high score?"

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Chapter 60: Super Cheater

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

They would actually hide in dark corners and read books desperately. Qin Guan had decided that except him and Liu Xiaoyang, all the others in his dormitory had really cunning personalities. Qin Guan set his book on the table. Honest students like me are rare these days. (You are already beyond the scope of examination, you show-off!)

Liu Xiaoyang waved his game console at Qin Guan. "Do you want to play?" Qin Guan stood up curiously, only to find Liu Xiaoyang playing Tetris. The console was quite new. He was speechless. "Isn't this an old game? Why are you still playing it?"

"I discovered a game secret!" Liu Xiaoyang answered excitedly.

"What is it?" Qin Guan asked torpidly.

Liu looked around before he said in a low voice, "The record can be renewed repeatedly. I'm working on the scores in various ways."

Qin Guan left him and went straight to the bathroom. I'm not sure if he's a genius or an idiot.

Nothing happened that night.

Huang Jiajia entered her examination room on June 27th 1999, at the same time that Qin Guan was taking his own exams. It was an unprecedented exam held at the college lecture theatre. The large room provided many loopholes to take advantage of. All the students tried their best to get a passing mark.

Some of them had reprinted the material in a smaller format. Without a magnifying glass, Qin Guan couldn't read it at all, but he admired the eyesight of the people who could.

Some students had also carved the answers on their desks or drawers in advance. They possessed excellent carving abilities.

The methods mentioned above were only simple measures the students had taken beforehand, but more striking skills would follow.

The invigilator was the top hunter in the college. She tutored about Marxism-Leninism. As she was passing out the papers, she reminded the students once again, "Cheaters will be announced all over university, and their scores will be cancelled. I won't let anybody off."

Qin Guan watched the boy sitting in front of him shiver and put the books under his bottom away.

The bell rang, and the exam began. For naughty students, that threat meant nothing. They would risk their own lives to get a passing mark.

Qin Guan observed the cheaters as he wrote.

A fat student to his right moved. He pushed the desk and a textbook slid from the drawer and fell onto his legs. He had one hand on the desk to prevent others from seeing while he turned the pages of the book with his other hand. He found the right place and put the answers down on his paper.

How skillful of him!

Qin Guan finished a question and looked to his left, discovering another cheater. The superpower of perspective eyes was hardly possessed by common people. Copying answers off others was a most familiar skill. Cheaters observed carefully the answers of students sitting around them and put them down on their own papers.

Several students like that had gathered around Qin Guan and Wang Lei. Of course, they didn't copy all their original answers. They would intentionally make some mistakes so their papers wouldn't be identical.

After watching them, Qin Guan concentrated on his own paper. It took him only 50 minutes to finish it, while the exam was supposed to take students one hour and a half to complete. He scanned his paper from beginning to end. I'll get a perfect mark again, no doubt.

Before he handed in his paper, another girl from his department stood up and handed in her own. Shorty thereafter, Qin Guan saw an apple appear outside the window. It must be that girl!

Glancing at the boy sitting beside the window, everything suddenly became clear. The two of them were boyfriend and girlfriend and were known around the college for their different interests. The girl was focused on her courses, while the boy was a fan of video games.

An apple appeared outside the window once again. The boy began to write swiftly on his paper. Qin Guan looked down at his own paper and realized the answers of the first two multiple choice questions were both A.

When a banana followed, Qin Guan tried his best to keep a straight face.

Finally, after Qin Guan had waited for a long time, a C appeared. What's that? Again! A chestnut? Chinese people are really talented.

Not long after, they were discovered by other students. They all could do nothing but watch, as they didn't know what the corresponding questions were.

It was an uncopied success. The boy was laughing to himself. Qin Guan compared his answers to the girl's and found that she had made two mistakes.

When the bell rang, Qin Guan handed in his paper and followed the boy outside the classroom. When he found the couple, the two of them were eating the banana and apple. With an obscene smile, Qin Guan jumped in front of them. "The answer of the last question was chestnut, not apple. You were wrong!"

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Chapter 61: Two Dependent People

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

The boy looked at the girl in unconscious surprise. "I was afraid to have the same answers as you. I didn't want to make the tutor suspicious, so I changed my last answer to C."

Well, the guy might get a higher score than his girlfriend after all.

Qin Guan shared the secret with them and left in satisfaction. The girl suddenly squeezed her boyfriend and shouted, "He is Qin Guan!"

"Qin Guan?" The boy was confused. "Is he famous or something?"

The girl glanced at him unhappily, and said with a pout, "You should go to class more often. You have skipped so many classes that you don't even recognize the most renowned student in our university."

"Qin Guan is a straight-A student with a full scholarship in the Department of Accounting. My roommate, who went to the college ball, found his dancing skills quite good."

"Plus, the most fashionable girl in my neighbourhood has a shirt poster of him somewhere. Her roommates fought over that poster furiously. They decided to hang it up on the wall facing the door of their dormitory."

"Actually, he's pretty legendary," the girl went on.

She got more and more excited, while the boy got more and more uncomfortable. I think my girlfriend would follow Qin Guan if he so much as whistled at her. I should attend more classes to protect my love.

Qin Guan didn't know that he had unconsciously saved a strong-willed young man. He called Huang Jiajia's mother when he returned his dormitory. Huang Jiajia was his student, so he had to keep an eye on her score in the general student examination.

Huang Jiajia's mother sounded happy on the phone. She discussed her daughter's status with Qin Guan. According to her, Huang Jiajia was quite happy after finishing the exam, which reassured Qin Guan.

At the time, arranging his vacation was his first priority. First, I should buy a sleeper ticket for my girlfriend. It would be too tiring to sit on the train.

Qin Guan had a lot of spare time before summer vacation. He had bought two student sleeper tickets from a scalper, which had cost him an extra 100 yuan in total. Anyway, I have a 10,000-yuan income now. I can make better arrangements for my girlfriend so she can have a more comfortable journey home.

Summer vacation came in July, and it was a golden time for college students. Qin Guan carried Cong Nianwei's luggage off the train, treating her like a queen. They had finally reached the end of their trip, which was city of Y, their hometown.

Neither of their parents had come to the station to pick them up. It seemed that after meeting each other, they had become friends.

In such a small city, a short chat was enough to clear one's public relationship. Most people had common friends or relatives, which connected them in a way.

Their parents had soon gotten familiar with each other over some common interests. When they knew that their son and daughter would return home together again, they had automatically chosen not to show up at the station.

Qin Guan is a quite reliable young man. Parents can express their love for their children by making breakfast at home.

Qin Guan pulled their luggage along and stopped a taxi. He took Cong Nianwei home first.

When she got out of the taxi, Qin Guan remembered to hold her hand. "Do give me a call," he urged her. "I have so many plans for summer vacation."

Cong Nianwei looked at the smiling driver in the front seat shyly before pulling her hand away. "I know. Wait for my call." Then she took her suitcase and ran into the building.

When her back was out of sight, Qin Guan told his address to the driver.

A warm, sweet breakfast was ready when he got there. It was take-away breakfast from the Blue-White Group. It was the first new project after his mother's bread factory had been absorbed by the Blue-White Group.

That year, staple food retail stores with that symbolic blue roof and white walls could be seen everywhere in the urban area. Every day there would be trucks carrying supplies to retail stores.

The food-processing plants subordinated to the China Administration of Grain had retreated from the stands in the farmer's market, and Blue-White Group staple food appeared on the dining tables of the residents of Y city in a more convenient manner.

That day, Qin Guan had his first Blue-White Group breakfast after returning to Y city.

It included newly-ground, aromatic soybean milk and big crispy, fried bread sticks. (The sticks were really big. They were actually longer than a laptop.) Qin Guan's mother had bought two steamed stuffed buns with braised pork and soy sauce as well, for fear that it wouldn't be enough for her son.

There were also homemade radish pickles, which were slightly sweet.

After breakfast, Qin Guan thought for a while before asking his parents, who were about to go out, "Are we doing anything today?"

"No, do you have any arrangements?" they answered.

Qin Guan waved his hand. "I want to have a good day's sleep. I'll turn off my cell phone. Don't worry about me, I'll stay at home."

His parents nodded in understanding and left for work. Qin Guan rubbed his hands together, pulled the phone line out, turned off his cell phone, and collapsed on his bed.

It was getting hot, so his quilt had been replaced by a thinner one. Qin Guan arranged his pillow, which was filled with buckwheat hulls, into the most comfortable shape and fell asleep.

He had just fallen asleep when there was a knock on the door. Burying his head under the covers, Qin Guan pretended to hear nothing. The people outside were quite stubborn though. They kept knocking and shouting, "Qinnnnnn… Guannnnnn!"

Grinding his teeth, Qin Guan jumped out of bed in a roll. He opened the door and found Zhou Jing and Li Jian there. They entered one by one, changing into slippers at the shoe case without any shame.

They were both complaining, "You're not a loyal friend, Qin Guan. One of my remote relatives saw you get off a taxi and come home. You had decided not to tell us that you returned, is that right?"

Qin Guan was quite angry. Those evil friends won't leave me alone, even when I pull the line out. There goes my sleep.

Sitting on the couch in the living room, Qin Guan asked helplessly, "Tell me then. What's the matter?"

Zhou Jing answered matter-of-factly, "Did you forget? We have to make money. My pocket money for summer vacation depends on you!"

Qin Guan got even angrier. "Why are you here again?" he said helplessly, "Can't you find some other way to make money yourselves? I'll return to college in August."

Li Jian took a frozen lollipop from Qin Guan's fridge before he asked in confusion, "Why are you returning so early? Aren't you going to enjoy your summer vacation?"

"I'll participate in the Chinese New Model Competition, which will take place between August 20th and 30th. I have to prepare in advance."

Zhou Jing and Li Jian were really surprised by the news. Their mouths opened so wide that one could have jammed an egg in them. With a particularly regretful expression, they said, "So you decided to quit your studies and make a living off your looks. Congratulations! You took a shortcut to life!"

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Chapter 62: Business on the Beach

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

Qin Guan clapped Zhou Jing's hand off and answered, "No, it's only a part-time job. I have signed a contract with a model agency as a C-level model, just to state that I engage in the profession. My tutor said that I could advance to B-level and win a prize. Then my salary would be much higher. That's why I want to participate in a competition."

Zhou Jing and Li Jian nodded together in understanding. Their reaction changed at once. They hugged Qin Guan from both sides and said, "It's still early July. It's about a month and a half from the middle of August. We can make a good plan for making money."

Qin Guan was quite annoyed. He started arguing with them, "I will go on dates with Cong Nianwei. I have neither seen a movie, nor gone shopping with her in a while. I have to reject your proposal."

They all rolled together into a ball. Li Jian sat on Qin Guan, panting. "You can make time for both dating and making money. I believe in you. You are the best money-grubber in Y city."

Qin Guan couldn't breathe under his 100 kilos. He patted the floor hard and shouted, "Get up, Li Jian! You'll break me!"

"No! I won't get up unless you come up with an idea for making money!"

Just as he was about to choke, Qin Guan's brain started working at a very high speed. Suddenly, inspiration hit him.

"I've got it! Move your ass away from me!" Zhou Jing jumped over immediately and pulled Li Jian up. Qin Guan was lying on the floor in distress like a limp noodle.

They both asked urgently, "What kind of business is it? Tell us!"

Qin Guan stood up from the floor and lay down on the couch before saying, "We can set up a stand on the beach."

Zhou Jing and Li Jian were surprised. "Shall we sell shish kebab again? The beach is full of kebab stands. Big restaurants are fighting over a spare place. How could we compete with them?"

Qin Guan shook his head, "We won't sell kebab. That was quite a tiring job. We'd be busy the whole day. My plan is to get a counter on the first swimming beach."

"Zhou Jing, you have to buy a glass counter from the canteen of the Bureau of Retired Veteran Cadres. Then you will go find your second aunt. She's selling wholesale clothes in Sanzhan Market, isn't she? Ask her about the price of swimsuits this year."

"Li Jian, you go to the Changsheng Freezing Drink Factory and buy some frozen lollipops and sodas for wholesale. That's our current arrangement. If we come up with anything else, we'll meet and discuss it. By the way, Zhou Jing, on your way to Sanzhan Market, you should have a look at the stands selling swimming rings. When everything is ready, we'll meet at my house."

Li Jian and Zhou Jing broke up in a hubbub, busy with their own affairs.

In 1999, the city of Y had not made the list of the country's best cities based on living conditions, and the tourism industry had not been explored on a large scale.

The sky there was clean blue and the ocean was pure green. Two small swimming beaches were enough for the residents of the city to enjoy a leisurely vacation.

On his shabby bike, Qin Guan jangled through two alleys across his house to reach the beach, which was still quiet.

The summer sunshine was warm against the sand, and the sea breeze was blowing against his face, smelling slightly of fish. A group of seagulls with white feathers and black wings were gathered together. They did not look completely sober. Their eyes were only half open.

A small crab was running transversely on the white-yellow sand. The leisurely, beautiful scene made Qin Guan suddenly want to play a game. He pedalled hard twice and rushed into the sand with his bike.

The bike was instantly trapped deep into the sand. Qin Guan took the opportunity to throw it away and lie down on the sand facing the sky. The startled seagulls woke up and spread their wings to fly away.

One or two of them, who were in charge of alarming the rest, turned around to check the situation.

They saw a strange human lying on the soft sand in a "大"posture. Qin Guan smiled with his eyes closed. He felt quite comfortable in the sunshine.

He lay down on the beach until the sun was high in the sky and the sand was a little hot. Then he stood up again.

He shook the sand off his body, took off his shoes and walked to the reception of the first swimming beach barefoot.

The reception in 1999 was quite simple. There was only a small window selling tickets and a simple oblong bathing place. There were two bathing rooms for ladies and gentlemen on both sides of the window.

The swimmers in the sea had to be experienced as their bodies were rough in the sea water, and there was sand in their hair and bodies. If they walked home or back to their hotels in their wet swimsuits, they would be quite uncomfortable though.

The simple bathing rooms of the first swimming beach provided the swimmers with hot water for showering. It only cost three yuan to take a shower there. Although there were only sprayers with big iron tubes, they were quite practical for swimmers.

As a result, the ticket window was the most crowded place on the beach. Qin Guan went there to talk to the old woman selling the tickets.

It was not a weekend, so she was not that busy. Sister Liu liked chatting with handsome young men. She agreed to Qin Guan's request without any hesitation.

The bathing room was her private business, which had belonged to her husband.

Part of her income was submitted to the government, but the 100 yuan Qin Guan would pay her as rent would be a bonus. He wouldn't occupy room in her ticket booth. He would only set up an outdoor counter beside the bathing rooms. That was okay with her.

When Qin Guan ended their discussion and walked out of the ticket booth, he remembered that he had forgotten to tell Zhou Jing something. He called Zhou Jing, who sounded a little annoyed. "You're just in time, Qin Guan! There are so many types of swimsuits. I'm really confused. Come here and help me!"

Qin Guan was speechless. "Give me the number of the stand. I'll take a bus there."

"It's in the third row, number 1133. Hurry!" Zhou Jing hung up.

The Sanzhan Wholesale Market was located on the most flourishing street in the centre of Y city. It was south of the North Road Bus Station and the Port Passenger Station, and north of the Master Station for Remote Shuttle Buses . It was also only 15 kilometres from the airport.

The market engaged mainly in wholesale and retail of computers, household appliances, shoes and makeup. It was the most famous distributing centre in Y city.

The wholesalers were working hard to promote famous brands, such as Sama leisure costumes, Diri T-shirts, Sister Han minority costumes, Wencheng Princess shoes, and others.

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Chapter 63: Wholesale Market

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

Qin Guan's destination was Zhou Jing's second aunt's stand at the Sanzhan Clothing Market of Y city. When he reached the stand, Qin Guan found Zhou Jing carrying packages up and down, acting as a cooley for his aunt.

The packages were carried out of warehouse and taken away by retail merchants. Zhou Jing's aunt looked busy as she shouted to Qin Guan, "Have a seat, Qin Guan! Was it hot on the way? Shall I buy you an ice-cream?"

Zhou Jing wanted to cry, but he couldn't shed a tear. "You are my born aunt. Why do you treat others better than me?"

His aunt glanced at him in dislike before she turned to Qin Guan enthusiastically, "What's the matter, Qin Guan? Zhou Jing is too stupid to explain the situation."

Qin Guan smiled at her. "Aunt, Zhou Jing, Li Jian and I have a stand on the first swimming beach. We want to sell swimsuits and rent swimming rings. I know that you have a flourishing business in the market, so I came here to ask you for ideas."

The woman smiled, and wrinkles formed on her face at his praise. Zhou Jing murmured beside her, "It's only a small stand. Barely six square metres..."

"Bang!" Before he could finish his words, his aunt had hit him over the head. "And you blamed me for prejudice! Hear what you just said! You are my born nephew!"

Qin Guan continued in a hush, "Don't listen to him, aunt. I just want to know if we could pay you after making sales. You know we are only college students."

The aunt smiled and covered her mouth. "That's fine. Summer is close, and I'm selling lots of swimsuits. Your requirement is not unreasonable. You can choose any style or size you like. I'll only charge you for the purchasing cost. The sales volume will depend on you."

Qin Guan immediately answered with a sweet smile, "Thank you so much, my aunt! You take care of your own business. Don't worry about us. We'll select ourselves."

The aunt nodded and pointed at the goods on the shelves. "Okay, I'll leave you alone. You can put them in a bag. Just tell me the type and amount when you're done."

They both nodded. One of them held the bag while the other selected the swimsuits.

Qin Guan sighed at the swimsuit styles as he approached the shelves. They were all really conservative. The most fashionable one was a half-skirt suit that left the waist bare.

To make a long story short, Qin Guan selected ten male one-size swimming trunks, five of which were three-cornered. The others were all boxers shorts.

Then he selected ten one-size trunks for boys and ten swimsuits for girls between the ages of six and ten, which were all lovely seersuckers and colourful one-pieces.

Seersucker swimsuits were the most popular style of the time, and they were famous for their small, bubble-like wrinkles. Nowadays, they would have been considered rustic, but they were the most fashionable swimsuit at the time.

Qin Guan selected ten one-piece swimsuits for ladies and two bikinis that left their navels exposed. He was afraid that the bikinis wouldn't be accepted by the conservative residents of Y city.

That was enough for the first day. After all, most of the tourists would bring their own swimsuits. Qin Guan's sales would depend solely on his taste.

They recorded the sizes and amount of the selected swimsuits and put them all in a bag. Then they bid farewell to Zhou Jing's aunt and left for the culture and sport equipment wholesale market. There was a stand selling swimming rings in a corner.

Qin Guan asked the vendor only for thick rings made of rubber, as well as tedious red ones for kids. Zhou Jing pointed at the colourful rings made of thin plastic and asked him in confusion, "Those look prettier. Why didn't you choose them?"

Qin Guan looked at him speechlessly. "I have nothing to say to you. Your IQ has hit rock bottom. Who would use rings made of such materials? Didn't you notice that I chose the rings with the best durability? We also have to check for leaks. There are waves and wind in the sea, it's not like a pool. A sharp stone could break your ring, and a big wave could take you and your ring away. The most essential factor in choosing a ring is the safety of a person who can't swim. Mind your IQ, please."

Zhou Jing touched his head in shame. As a local person who had been swimming in the sea ever since he was a kid, he really had no idea about swimming rings.

Qin Guan chose three black rubber rings and two red rings for kids. The bright color would make the ring stand out when it floated in the sea. If a kid was in danger and asked for help, the adults in the area would find it easily.

He also remembered to buy a mini inflater before they left. The two of them were uncomfortable as they went out of the market.

Qin Guan had three rings on his body, while Zhou Jing carried two rings and all the swimsuits.

Nothing can be done. Let's go home first.

When they returned home, Qin Guan was still busy. He transferred all the frozen seafood left from the Spring Festival from the small ice tank to the freezing chamber of the fridge. The ice tank, which was now empty, would be used to hold the cool drinks Li Jian would bring back. Qin Guan found a nylon rope and tied the five rings together so they would be easier to carry.

What they needed now was only umbrellas and a shelf, which had to be made by professionals. Qin Guan called his elder cousin to describe the type of shelf on which they would hang the swimsuits. Actually, it was an iron gauze on square shelves.

The work was simple, and his cousin answered without any hesitation. He had been afraid that Qin Guan might be his competitor in the kebab business. It was currently peak season for the night market.

When the shelf was finished, Qin Guan sent Zhou Jing to his father's unit in the Bureau of Retired Veteran Cadres. It was rumored that the retired cadres had held a sports meeting and had more than ten large umbrellas left. Although the title of the bureau was printed on them, they were still good for providing shade. Zhou Jing borrowed them for re-usage, which was redevelopment of effective resources.

While Zhou Jing was gone, Qin Guan took an Changsheng ice cube with a rich milk flavour, lay down on the couch joyfully and turned on the TV.

A rerun of a series called "Youth, Start Off" was on. An actress named Fan Pingping was the leading star. Qin Guan spit the ice cube out.

What the hell is this series even about? On the screen, Fan Pingping had baby fat and short hair, which reminded Qin Guan of his past life.

They had been in the same senior high school and the same grade. It was a pity that in his past life, Qin Guan had been a loser. He had been one of those boys who just drooled over the girls of their dreams.

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Chapter 64: Recalling Fang Pingping (Bingbing)

Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia

At the time, Fang Pingping had been too tall for Qin Guan, who had been short in his past life. At 167 centimeters, she had been the beauty queen of his senior high school.

Unsurprisingly, she had been selected as the drum and bugle corps leader, the standard bearer, and so on. At the time, Cong Nianwei had been a little girl with child-like hair, who didn't stand a chance against Fang Pingping's female elegance.

Qin Guan remembered that in his past life, all the dancing performances at the Spring Festival school party had been performed by group dancers, except for Fang Pingping, who had performed a solo routine.

In a shining, colorful minority dress, she had stood up and danced happily. She had been so beautiful! Stop it. Or shall I think about the jokes she made? Qin Guan would have felt sorry for Cong Nianwei, except he didn't know much about her jokes. They had belonged to different worlds.

One of them had been a working class straight-A student, while the other had been the leader of the art class. They had moved in two parallel lines that never crossed.

Qin Guan sighed and sucked on the ice cube again. As far as he could remember, there had only been two times when he had met goddess Fang.

The first one had been during their first exams for class-dividing when the school had opened. They hadn't known each other then. Their numbers for the unified test of the whole grade had been mixed up. On that day, Qin Guan had arrived in the classroom just before the bell had rung.

He had entered the unfamiliar room and seen Fang Pingping sitting in the back row. She had looked conspicuous among that group of freshmen who had no idea who that beauty was.

With a high ponytail and bangs, and a pair of amorous eyes, she had looked particularly charming, attracting the attention of every boy in the room.

Qin Guan had hastened to take his seat as the teacher had walked in with the papers. While the papers had been given out, he had heard the conversation between Fang Pingping and the boy sitting in front of her.

The boy had said bravely, "I'm quite confident about the test. Do you know how much I got in the entrance exams for the No.1 Junior High School? 600 points! No more or less."

Fang Pingping's eyes had shined immediately before she had said in a soft voice, "I admire straight-A students the most. I'm no good at studying myself."

The boy had suddenly felt like a guardian angel. He had handed over the papers to Fang Pingping and made a promise to her, "Don't worry. I'll push my paper to the side when I'm done."

Fang Pingping had given him an encouraging smile. "Cheers!" The boy had started writing swiftly with renewed energy.

Qin Guan had been envious of their conversation. Why didn't they give me that seat? I could also have shown my bravery to the goddess. I'm short, fat, and hairy, so I have nothing to show off about except my scores.

In the end, Qin Guan had made the top class without any trouble, while Fang Pingping had cheated smoothly. When the school had announced the score list, Qin Guan had laughed for quite a while.

Fang Pingping had gotten into the art class, which was a far cry from ordinary classes. The boy who had showed her his papers had also gotten in the same class.

According to Qin Guan's later observation, the boy had originally been in the art class. He had just exaggerated his score to show off to the beautiful girl. For half the semester, he had been held in disdain by goddess Fang. Finally, he had been recommended for admission to a music college because of his excellent skill in playing the violin. You want to know his school scores? Ha, ha, ha... Please allow the boy to maintain some dignity.

Qin Guan took another bite of the ice cube. On the screen, Fang Pingping's cheeks were still round. She looked no different than she had in his past life.

Fortunately, her face was fine. I wonder if she has had the same experiences as in my past life.

Qin Guan was gloomy. The memory of his past life was blank. He had only gained great looks.

That was why he had ignorantly confessed his love for Cong Nianwei in this life. He didn't know whether he would have done something as silly with Fang Pingping if he had entered the same classroom again.

Qin Guan had avoided such affairs before. He owed his complete change to Cong Nianwei's rejection. Actually, that was wrong. Qin Guan was innocent. What the guy in his past life had done had had nothing to do with him. It seemed like an incomplete spirit had been mended through his rebirth.

So, what was the reality? Qin Guan was confused. He knew nothing about space physics. Forget it. I'm living well. It was important to have a new life this time around, wasn't it?

But why was he concerned about Fang Pingping's face then? Their second contact in Qin Guan's past life had been during an ordinary day at school. Qin Guan had been on his shabby bike, riding down along the slope outside the school as usual. Zhou Jing and Li Jian had been making jokes at him. Suddenly, they had seen Fang Pingping on the back of her father's motorbike, leaving the entrance of the school.

As the motorbike had been running down the slope, it had been stopped by a passing minibus, which had been slowly driving away. The motorbike had gotten out of control.

Inertia in combination with its accelerating speed had caused it to fall down the 30-degree slope. Her father, who had been in the front, had slid to the ground, while Fang Pingping had been thrown away, finally stopping after several clumsy rolls on the slope.

All the students had been astonished. They had never seen such a thing before. They had all gotten off their bikes to check on them. There had been no cell phones back in 1995, so several students had run to the school for help. They had been in panic, when suddenly Fang Pingping's father had climbed off the motorbike.

It had been miracle. He had only seemed to have several bruises on his skin. He had moved the motorbike jerkily and walked unevenly towards his daughter.

Fang Pingping had been better off than her father. She'd had dirt all over her body, and her arms had been slightly hurt, blood trailing from them in lines. Before her father could ask any questions, Fang Pingping had suddenly covered her face with both hands and felt it up and down. Then she had cried, "Daddy, daddy! Is there anything wrong with my face? Is there anything wrong with my face?" Her father had remained speechless before his vain daughter.

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