, your ashtray is full."Dai Jiu looked at Su Cen strangely, thinking he wanted to help empty it. He flicked his cigarette into the ashtray. As someone engrossed in a fixation might take interest in ce...Chapter 27: Rumors

Just when You Zhaoshan Chain and Longsheng Gift Factory signed the contract, Su Cangchen was "adopted" by the Chao Hua Literature Club as one of its members. The majority of the club members were students who had plenty of free time for managing the club activities, which usually took place during lunchtime or afternoon breaks. Occasionally, there would be brief meetings between classes to discuss matters.

Su Cang quickly became familiar with this group of male and female students. The literature club consisted of around twenty people in total, including officers and members who knew him as the student who had submitted a manuscript. They welcomed him without any reservations after he dispelled their initial doubts about him. Lin Guangdong was very excited to have Su Cang join the club; however, he didn't know that Su Cang's motivation for joining Chao Hua Literature Club was actually related to him.

Li Qiyang was still a high school student and not as deep in his scheming. After completely breaking off relations with Su Cang, coupled with his declining influence, he now simply gave a cold snort when facing Su Cang, his dissatisfaction evident.

The stark contrast of Li Qiyang's behavior that day left an indelible impression on the girls present. Among them were students from different classes—Class 1, Class 4, Class 11, and Class 14, to name a few. The news of Li Qiyang’s fury spread quickly, causing his reputation to plummet.

During small meetings within the literature club, some people couldn't help but look at this new member; others didn’t hide their admiration for him, saying things like, "It's well written, but I think if we make these sentences in the article a bit different, it would be even better. Let’s discuss this when we have time."

"What kind of books do you usually read Can you recommend something good What's your relationship with Sun Man" Chen Ke, one of the two beautiful girls in the literature club, asked with a slight gap between her red lips. She wasn't particularly pretty by Second Seventh Middle School’s standards—she didn’t even rank above Sun Man, Tang Wu, or Xiao Yunyun. However, she was quiet and gentle, serving as the publicity officer for the literature club. Even if she couldn't enter the top tier of beauties like Sun Man could, her status in the second-tier group ensured a steady stream of admirers.

At this moment, after becoming acquainted with everyone through casual conversation, Su Cang probed into the topic that girls were most interested in. "I have a good relationship with Sun Man; we were even classmates back when we were in junior high school. If you treat me to something after school today, I might consider revealing some private information about her—information others would kill for."

This comment elicited giggles from another beautiful girl nearby as the two girls exchanged glances and asked Su Cang a series of questions, making him feel that dealing with high school students could be rather tricky.

The confrontation with Li Qiyang took place after class hours without many people witnessing it firsthand, so it remained confined to rumors. Within each class, there were whispers like, "Did you hear It's said that Li Qiyang had a verbal altercation with a student yesterday; who was the student I'm not entirely sure, but it seems to be a new transfer student named Fan."

"Have you heard what second-year students are saying Li Qiyang got into a fight yesterday! It looks like he fought with a new transfer student. They say it's related to Sun Man! Apparently, Li Qiyang lost his cool on the spot! Tsk tsk, who would have thought such a thing could happen!"

"Word has it that third-year students are involved in this; they seem to be fighting with a new transfer student named Su Cang. He's the one who wrote the article for Yao Tai! Why Who knows why—Sun Man and Tang Wu are caught in the middle of all this, aren't they"

Such underground information spread like an epidemic among the various classes at Second Seventh Middle School.

No. 27 High School is too broad a category, even bloated. News within such a massive high school system circulates quickly, but there are few topics that can capture the attention of most people. Therefore, once something captures everyone's attention, its impact is enormous.

Seeing Li Qingyang's cold response to him, Su Zhan knew that these rumors had put a lot of pressure on him. As such, people in the literature club quickly got acquainted with him out of curiosity. It was not abnormal for him, an exchange student and newcomer, to become a focal point without going through a transitional period.

What troubled Su Zhan most were some rumors circulating among students, especially regarding his personal life since he wrote "Forest of Memories" on Yaotai. People wondered if he had someone special in his heart or was secretly admiring someone else. There was plenty of room for imagination here.

The most absurd yet accepted rumor currently was that Tang Wu was this new exchange student's classmate, and they were very close friends. This exchange student also liked Sun Man, the star hostess on school TV, and was actively pursuing her. That's why he had a falling-out with Li Qingyang.

Due to such rumors, male and female students in the literature club also began speculating about him. They were trying their best to dig out more information about him. Generally speaking, this exchange student seemed quite mysterious. Being able to write "Forest of Memories" made him like a book, and uncovering what was behind this book would be very exciting.

Students at No. 27 High School were well-rounded in their interests and hobbies. They didn't just focus on studying all day but delved deeply into areas they found interesting... like moles.

Su Zhan was troubled and wanted to deny the rumors outright by saying, "I came here for Tang Wu!" But he held back because he knew this could cause even greater trouble. There might be chaos if everyone believed him.

Eventually, Lin Guangdong called Su Zhan to his office to give him a break.

In the office, Su Zhan noticed that Li Jin, who had welcomed him on arrival, was there too. Li Jin asked Su Zhan to sit down. A few years younger than Lin Guangdong, he graduated from university and worked as an assistant, without putting on airs despite his position. He offered Su Zhan a cigarette, saying, "I told you, when I first saw you register, I knew you were no ordinary student. You're almost as impressive as I was back then!"

Su Zhan smiled but didn't refute Li Jin's boastful remark. Instead, he picked up the offered cigarette and toyed with it. Of course, he didn't light it; given his identity and age, lighting a cigarette in front of these two would be out of place.

"We've reviewed your report. It’s quite accurate and steady," Lin Guangdong said, somewhat uncertainly. Not knowing how to proceed with Su Zhan, who was under his jurisdiction, he continued hesitantly.

Li Jin then asked directly, "I’m very interested in what you’re thinking. The key question is: Can your sister really provide financial support"

Su Zhan smiled and replied, "My sister owns a shopping mall and stationery chain store back home in Xiahai. She wants to enter the media industry and is looking for someone. She highly values my opinions."

Li Jin was suddenly stirred. During his senior year in teachers' college, he had once embarked on an entrepreneurial venture on his own initiative, but at graduation, under the influence of family connections, he was reluctantly assigned to No. 27 Middle School as an assistant. His dream of entrepreneurship was fleeting; often at midnight, he would be startled awake by a vague sense of unease, watching the lively youth in the school while they sat in the office, seeming aged.

He often felt unwilling for his life to be wasted this way, but knew there was nothing he could do. There was always a vicious circle originating from family, friends, and the surrounding world, overwhelming him, overwhelming his talent, restricting his thoughts. He suddenly feared that one day when looking back, he would resemble Xiao Zhuo, the petty office manager, daily complaining about political maneuvering in the office—a life devoid of meaning!

Su Cen's report on establishing a consumer magazine detailed the specific market, funding sources, and support behind it. Most importantly, he was an unsettled person who could not be content with being just another high school student or ordinary white-collar worker. Since his girlfriend broke up with him, Lin Guangdong had been in a slump. In reality, they were all small figures, bound tightly by life.

But they still held on to some faint hope; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been swayed by a mere high school student like Su Cen.

Lin Guangdong was more mature in thought than Li Jin. He said, "Su Cen, your ideas are truly out of the ordinary. I never expected that at this stage, a high school student's mindset could be so open and mature as to want to start an entrepreneurial venture."

This person could be used because he saw the genuine desire in Lin Guangdong’s heart to escape his current life. Su Cen didn’t lack for people willing to help; finding someone like Lin Guangdong, who had relevant experience and harbored immense potential within, was difficult. Without passion for a matter, one would never become its leader. The person Su Cen sought wasn't an employee but one who could steer the ship.

Su Cen knew this was a critical moment; whether he could persuade Lin Guangdong hinged on his next words. He said solemnly, "Due to family reasons, our family has been in difficult situations before and survived through self-help. I learned from an early age that while acquiring skills is important, one must rely on oneself to overcome adversity and escape lowliness, living a life not looked down upon by others! Furthermore, in some Western countries, it's encouraged for high school students to start businesses, nurturing commercial talents. Starting towards your dreams from high school can bring you closer to them!"

Li Jin was already excited beyond words, his spirit stirred, wishing he could immediately declare his allegiance to the "sister" Su Cen mentioned.

This resonated deeply within Lin Guangdong. His eyes dimmed for a moment as he paused, but unlike Li Jin's restlessness, he still had some decorum. “I understand this situation. Even if your sister is backing you, I hope it doesn’t affect your studies. Our country has its own national conditions; teachers may encourage you outside of school, but now that we're in the school environment, I must stress focusing on studies. This holds true even for No. 27 Middle School’s open atmosphere. If you’re determined to do this, teachers can provide support.”

"Teacher Lin," Su Cen said seriously, "What I need is not your approval or the convenience you offer; I need help!"

"I’ve already said this; let’s discuss further later. Entrepreneurship outside of school isn't impossible, and the analysis report you wrote has feasibility, but as a student, you can’t neglect your studies. If after graduation you truly have such significant commercial potential, even giving up my position to support you is possible, but now, you need to be mindful of your role and responsibilities!"

Su Cen sighed; it was indeed hard for him to easily sway Lin Guangdong with just words. He thought for a moment and said, "Teacher Lin, I can show you through my actions that while pursuing these strategies, academic performance is merely a simple matter for me."

It seemed that gaining full trust from Lin Guangdong and Li Jin at this stage could only be achieved by excelling academically, demonstrating to them he had the capability to achieve top grades in high school and confidence in his business vision.

When Su Can stepped out of the office, he knew that Li Jin and Lin Guangdong would have a discussion about what he had said. They might recognize that his words could completely change their lives, but they were too timid to take a risk. Who in their right mind would give up a stable job just because some high school student told them to

In No. 27 High School, the best-performing students are bound to earn adults' respect and admiration. These high school students achieve things that most adults couldn't accomplish when they were young. Excellent academic performance in senior high school means admission into a prestigious university, which in turn guarantees a bright future and a social status and identity different from ordinary people's. All of these advantages were something Lin Guangdong and Li Jin lacked at present, so Su Can needed to convince them with his grades.

It seemed that he still had to start practicing the textbook stuff. At this stage and in this school, his grades would be his trump card.

Su Can's feasibility report on a provincial consumption magazine was temporarily left in Lin Guangdong’s hands. It caused him to struggle internally as he weighed the pros and cons of doing something crazy against sticking to his usual life.

"The physics scores are out now, I will give you an overview. This time the questions weren't too difficult. As I said before, attention to detail is like a forward in battle, determination is the main force, and focus is the logistical support. Just like in war, reconnaissance requires attention to detail and understanding of what each question tests for; solving problems calls for determination and confidence that one understands concepts and formulas well enough to tackle them; after class, when correcting mistakes, one must be focused and listen carefully to understand where they went wrong.

The physics teacher spread out the test papers on his desk as students from Class 3 listened attentively. “I won't go over each question in detail. Instead, I will talk about the questions that most people got wrong. The whole class almost failed this one—only a few managed to get past it. However, I have to mention Su Can; yes, I’ve mentioned him several times already today. He is among the five students who didn't make any mistakes on this question. Well done and congratulations for your fifth place in the exam; you must be from an excellent school before transferring.

The crowd erupted into another round of applause as all eyes were once again drawn to Su Can, a student who had become the subject of much discussion among his classmates.

Next to him, Jiang Mingjun was astounded by Su Can. He had scored 98 out of 120 on this physics test paper, which demonstrated the strong scientific performance he usually displayed while immersed in games and music. This left those sitting around him who were average or below-average students whispering about how they couldn't compete with someone so talented.

Just as Jiang Mingjun was about to brag about his own score, however, he nearly ripped the corner off the test paper when he saw Su Can's mark of 108!

The transfer student is a powerhouse!

Su Can paid no attention to the looks Jiang Mingjun and other students were giving him. He was preoccupied with today being the day his father, Su Licheng, would give a speech at the Engineering Association Conference. Such a talk would not only enhance his father's status within the company but also improve his connections in the Provincial Construction Commission, making it easier for those who wanted to befriend Zhang Ping, the head of the commission, to approach him.

Moreover, Su Can had received information indicating that some important figures from Xiahai City might have decided to move.s were rare sights; the better cars on the streets were Honda Accords, Buicks, Volkswagens, and Fords. Even at the city's top hotel, the Carlysle, only Accords and Passat B4s could be found in the par...