Chapter Forty-Seven: Pretending to Be a Tycoon

Chen was naturally delighted with Zhou Xuan’s decision, so he gathered everyone together for a joyful meal. The organizers had arranged special catering at the Rongzhou Academy guesthouse restaurant, where everyone served themselves with trays, resembling a buffet. The dishes were plentiful and tasted decent, so everyone was quite satisfied.

After eating, the group returned to the guesthouse for a midday rest. At three o’clock in the afternoon, they attended a literary lecture given by an associate professor from the Academy’s Literature Department—a man of impressive literary accomplishment, who had published several books.

At three sharp, the students arrived at the lecture hall, led by their teachers. Zhou Xuan and Liu Yixue naturally sat together, which made Hai Chen, sitting nearby, seethe with jealousy. Yet Liu Yixue paid him no mind, and with so many eyes watching, Hai Chen dared not act out. Seeing Hai Chen’s frustrated expression, Zhou Xuan couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Looking at Liu Yixue, still shy and innocent beside him, Zhou Xuan was overwhelmed by memories of his secret affection for her in his previous life. Back then, all he could do was silently admire her from afar; now, with the beauty by his side, it felt almost unreal, as if he’d crossed into another world.

Time always flies when in the company of a lovely woman. Two hours slipped by in a flash, and the pair spent the whole time whispering to each other, hardly noticing what the professor was lecturing about.

The next morning at nine o’clock, the grand award ceremony was held in the main hall of Rongzhou Academy. Attending were over a hundred students and teachers from various middle schools, as well as education officials from each district and county, and leaders from both the Academy and the city’s Education Bureau.

As expected, Zhou Xuan won first prize in the junior division of the Rongzhou City Middle School Essay Competition, and his essay was the best among all the first prizes—though this last detail was told to him privately by Chen, the language teacher who participated in grading. His essay had received unanimous praise from the graders; if the competition had a special prize, Zhou Xuan would surely have been the sole recipient.

Receiving a cash prize of one thousand yuan, Zhou Xuan felt that all his recent efforts had finally paid off.

There were five first-prize winners in total, the others all from the city's three high schools: two from City No. 1 High School, one from City No. 3 High School, and one from NC County No. 1 High School.

Though Liu Yixue hadn’t won first prize, she performed admirably and, along with twelve others, received second prize and a five-hundred-yuan award.

Among the participants from No. 2 Middle School, only Lu Fei won third prize and three hundred yuan; Hai Chen and Hou Yong failed to place, leaving them bitterly disappointed.

When Hai Chen heard his name wasn’t on the list, his face darkened with misery. If not for the rule against leaving the group, he would have returned to the county on his own. He had always thought himself, aside from Liu Yixue, to be the best writer in the school; now, not even earning third prize, he found it impossible to hold his head up in front of the others.

After the award ceremony ended, it was only ten in the morning, so everyone had time to wander about, buy a few things, and prepare to return home after lunch at noon.

Zhou Xuan was about to go to the ATM to withdraw money when Liu Yixue approached and suggested they go shopping together.

“I was just about to head out, but I need to withdraw some cash first,” Zhou Xuan said.

“What are you planning to buy? Isn’t a thousand yuan enough?” Liu Yixue asked, surprised.

Zhou Xuan smiled mysteriously. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Hmph, I’m curious to see what you’re buying.”

They withdrew the money and left through the Academy’s north gate. They stopped in front of a business hall—Zhou Xuan had scoped it out the day before.

As Liu Yixue was considering where to go next, Zhou Xuan led her to the entrance and called, “Come on!”

“Ah! You’re buying a mobile phone!” Liu Yixue exclaimed in astonishment.

Even in her own family, only her father had a mobile phone, purchased for business purposes. Zhou Xuan was just a middle school student, yet here he was about to buy a phone.

Was Zhou Xuan’s family really so wealthy? Liu Yixue’s curiosity about him grew.

Inside the business hall, they saw several models displayed behind glass: bulky Motorola handsets, and Ericsson and Hannoja phones resembling home telephones.

But none of these were what Zhou Xuan wanted. He was after the Nokia 6110, which had just been released on November 10. This was the world’s first mobile phone with a built-in game—the legendary Snake, considered the first ever mobile game.

The phone was small and cute, which Zhou Xuan immediately liked. While it couldn’t compare to smartphones a decade later, for the time, it was the only one Zhou Xuan found remotely appealing.

“How much is the Nokia 6110?” he asked—the phones didn’t have price tags yet.

The attendant, sizing up the two plainly dressed youngsters since they entered, was about to warn them that this was not a place for idle browsing.

“Kids, this Nokia is the latest model, priced at over 3,800 yuan. Are you sure you can afford it?” she said, looking down on Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan hadn’t expected to encounter such a clichéd scene straight out of a novel, and laughed. “If it suits me, I can afford it. If not, you could give it to me and I’d refuse. Let me take a look first.”

Liu Yixue was shocked by the price; Zhou Xuan was buying such an expensive phone—no wonder he needed to withdraw money.

“Oh, this is really pricey. If you break it, can you pay for it?” the attendant said arrogantly.

It was no wonder she looked down on Zhou Xuan; mobile phones at that time were a symbol of wealth, usually only bought by small business owners. Zhou Xuan, clearly a middle schooler, was hard to imagine as a real buyer.

Zhou Xuan was furious, and almost wanted to throw his wad of cash right in her face.

Just then, someone slipped in through the door—it was none other than Hai Chen.

“Well, well, isn’t that Zhou Xuan? With your fifty-yuan monthly allowance, you think you can buy a phone?” Hai Chen mocked.

Hai Chen, still simmering with resentment, had followed Zhou Xuan and Liu Yixue to see what they were up to.

Being looked down upon was bad enough, but Hai Chen had clearly trailed them just to watch Zhou Xuan make a fool of himself.

Annoying people who never go away are always the worst. Zhou Xuan sneered, “Why is it some people are like loyal lapdogs, impossible to shake off? Wherever I go, there you are!”

Liu Yixue, equally irritated by Hai Chen’s shamelessness, snorted coldly.

“Hmph! Sister, Zhou Xuan’s just a country boy—how could he afford such an expensive phone? He’s just playing you for a fool,” Hai Chen said, having given up on his dignity, now acting like a mad dog in order to embarrass Zhou Xuan.

The attendant, hearing this, became even less pleased. “So you’re here to mess with me? If you can’t afford a phone, get out—this isn’t a playground.”

A person lives for dignity, and a monk fights for incense.

Zhou Xuan was incensed. “What if I can afford it?”

The attendant, sensing a challenge, sneered, “If you can afford it, I’ll swallow the phone.”

“Haha, if you swallow it you’ll end up in hospital and I’ll have to pay your medical bills. How about instead you knock eight hundred yuan off the price for me?” Swallowing a phone was pointless; saving money was more practical.

“Haha, fine, I’ll knock it off. You think I’ll fall for your provocation?” She simply didn’t believe Zhou Xuan could pay.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, absolutely!”

With a swift motion, Zhou Xuan pulled out a thick stack of bills and slapped them hard onto the glass countertop.

The crisp sound rang out like a slap across the attendant’s and Hai Chen’s faces.

It was resoundingly clear.