Chapter 54: Awkward Tension in the Air

Xiao Yuhe politely turned her head and said, “Are you alright?”

Chen Fan awkwardly reached out to check the fit; fortunately, it only allowed three fingers, so the slit wasn’t too severe, but this suit was undeniably a disaster in his hands. The thought of enduring another twenty days of bland meals made him let out a few bitter laughs.

“I’m fine, thank you.” Chen Fan tried his best to appear calm and composed. Spending a thousand on a single meeting—at least he had to reclaim some presence, so he wouldn’t sob quietly in the dead of night.

“Let’s keep moving, only five minutes left.” Chen Fan rummaged in his pockets, at first reaching into the wrong one, but his quick movements concealed the embarrassment.

The designated meeting place was at the end of the corridor on the sixth floor. The steps of the academic building were rather high, so Chen Fan walked carefully, afraid of revealing anything.

When they reached the appointed classroom, Chen Fan discovered something even more awkward—he was the only one dressed formally. He had intended to blend in, but now he stood out awkwardly.

Apart from Xiao Yuhe, everyone else was unfamiliar. Most were girls; counting Chen Fan, there were only three boys. Those from his previous interview group weren’t here, probably assigned to other departments.

Senior Lin Jing eyed the junior in his ill-fitting formal suit, wiped her wood-grain round glasses, and said, “Junior, you don’t need to dress so formally. You see, everyone else is dressed casually. For meetings and work, we dress like this. The Discipline Inspection Department rarely requires formal attire.”

Another senior beside Lin Jing added, “I suppose you thought it was necessary because you saw us in formal wear, but actually, it’s the college’s requirement. Even the minister and deputy dislike formal suits—they don’t look good at all.”

Chen Fan studied her; she looked unfamiliar—wavy hair, heavy makeup, bright lips, a floral strappy dress with a hint of a white bandeau underneath, and flamboyant high heels. She seemed the type to dress up often.

Chen Fan swallowed his complaints; had he known, he wouldn’t have rented the suit, sparing himself so much trouble. With a shy nod and tears barely held back, he said, “Understood, Senior. I agree, formalwear is too much trouble. Casual is better.”

The classroom seats were split by a central aisle; the girls all sat on the left, the boys sensibly took the right. Some chatted and laughed; others remained silent. It wasn’t hard for Chen Fan to guess who were acquaintances and who were strangers.

Naturally, Chen Fan didn’t want to break the rules, so he found a seat among the boys, neither purposely distant nor seated with the other two.

“So, which classes are you from?” Chen Fan leaned forward, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.

"Wang You, auditing major."
"Li Bupei, accounting major."
“That’s a coincidence—I’m financial management. I’m Chen Fan.” Chen Fan had quickly mapped out the social food chain, ready for conversation.

He asked, “When did you receive the message?”
“Me? Around noon, I think.”
“I got mine in the afternoon, just before dinner. Thought I’d missed my chance.”

The conversation stayed at simple questions and answers; no one picked up the topics Chen Fan threw out. After a few more attempts, he lost interest—everyone seemed reserved.

Lin Jing checked the time; everyone had arrived. She clapped her hands, drawing the room’s attention.

“Alright, let’s quiet down. The purpose of this meeting is for new members to get to know each other, making future work easier. In a moment, please introduce yourselves one by one. No need for grand speeches—just introduce yourself.”

“I’ll go first as an example. I’m Lin Jing from Class Two of Accounting, the head of the Discipline Inspection Department. I don’t have any particular hobbies and dislike going out or wearing makeup.” Lin Jing picked up a marker from the desk and wrote her details on the whiteboard.

“Just like this, don’t be nervous.” Lin Jing smiled naturally, handing the marker to Shang Xi.

Shang Xi took the marker, brushed her bangs aside with one hand, tossed her wavy hair over her shoulder, revealing a perfect collarbone—her pose as alluring as a model in a photoshoot.

“I’m Shang Xi, also from Class Two of Accounting, same as your minister, but my personality is the complete opposite. I love a bit of wildness—the wilder, the better. There used to be a deputy head here, but she went abroad, so now only the two of us manage things.”

Shang Xi tapped her pink nail to her lips, threw a flirtatious glance to the audience, and said, “For external affairs, ask Lin Jing; for internal matters, ask Shang Xi. I’ve seen all types—don’t hesitate to reach out.”

“Could you be a bit less flamboyant? There goes the department’s classy image,” Lin Jing teased from the side.

“Alright, let’s leave the next opportunity for someone else. Get ready to take the marker.” Shang Xi stood the marker on the podium, folded her arms, and stepped down.

Traditionally, the boys went first. The three in the corner exchanged glances, finally settling on Chen Fan by a friendly game of rock-paper-scissors.

Chen Fan walked up with reserved steps, barely lifting his legs, as if he’d rather drag them across the floor.

Looking at the dozen faces below, he felt nervous at first, but gradually grew fearless—no one knew him, and whatever he said would likely be forgotten.

“I’m Chen Fan, from Class One of Financial Management. I enjoy playing Werewolf, and otherwise I mostly stay at home.” His words were forthright, but his hand trembled as he wrote; returning to his seat, he realized he’d written "Property Management" instead of "Financial Management."

The prestigious financial post had suddenly become the lost and found. Chen Fan was mortified enough to wish he could bury his head in a drawer.

He barely paid attention to the others’ introductions; remembering girls’ names was no easy feat, especially in a school with far more girls than boys. Many boys graduated without knowing all their classmates’ names, and mistakes were common.

In the end, he only remembered two: He Xiaoxiao and Gao Shanshan—not because their names were special, but because they were particularly beautiful, delicate and graceful.

“When did I become so superficial?” Chen Fan chastised himself internally, trying to match names on the whiteboard to faces, but gave up after three attempts.

When everyone had finished their introductions, Senior Lin Jing concluded, “The Discipline Inspection Department’s work will likely start next week. We’ll notify everyone in the group chat. I’ll add you all now.”

“It’s getting late, everyone should head back and rest.” Lin Jing took photos of the whiteboard’s information, then wiped it clean.

“Are you heading back alone?” seeing Xiao Yuhe alone, Chen Fan asked.

Xiao Yuhe nodded from her seat. “Mm, no one else is in my class.”

“Let me walk you back to your dormitory,” Chen Fan offered naturally.