Volume 2: Strolling with the Wind, Chapter 37: The Boss Is Truly Strong

“Damn, I knew you’d react like this. Let me explain properly…” As he spoke, Bai Lei suddenly hid his left hand behind his back, stepped back, and slowly moved his right hand downward from his chest. With his face slightly raised, he seemed to radiate immense confidence and pride. Then, in a deliberately deep and magnetic voice, he said, “My father’s surname is Bai—pure and upright—while my mother’s surname is Lei—fierce and powerful. Combined, that’s me, Bai Lei! It symbolizes having an upright and pure character, and living a life full of vigor and speed! Just like a dragon soaring through the wind…”
Listening to Bai Lei’s poetic words and watching his exaggerated “aura,” Chu Tianyu was utterly dumbfounded! Strong! Truly strong! There was no other word to describe this scene. If someone could portray such an “obnoxious” image with such grandeur and deliver such “kitschy” words with such passion, then only “strong” could capture it!
“Strong, right? Ever since kindergarten, I’ve been working hard to build this iconic image to explain my name, hehe!” Seeing Chu Tianyu completely stunned, Bai Lei finally stopped his dramatic pose and said proudly to him.
“Strong! The boss is really ‘strong’!!!”
“Haha, of course…” Bai Lei raised his head proudly.
“But boss, the ‘upright character’ and ‘vigorous life’ you described do somewhat match ‘pure Bai’ and ‘fierce Lei,’ but those parts about dragons and soaring? They’re way off, aren’t they?”
“Tch! What do you know? I’m born under the Dragon year, and with such a cool name, how can I not soar through the skies and dominate the land? Follow me, and you’ll benefit from it! Hahaha…”
Chu Tianyu was amazed to find that he didn’t even need to pretend to be stupid around Bai Lei. His witty remarks and grandiose talk either left him dumbfounded or made him laugh, forcing him to admire him once again—what a powerful person!
Seeing Chu Tianyu’s awestruck expression again, Bai Lei continued proudly, “Alright, I’ll teach you these profound truths later. Go register first. By the way, which department are you signing up for?”
“Social Sciences Department!”

“Damn, what a coincidence! I also applied to the Department of Social Sciences, haha. It seems we’re really fated to meet. Sigh, you guy is so lucky—seems like fate has already prepared for you to be my underling. Tsk tsk…”
“…” Chu Tianyu was speechless!
In no time, the two arrived at the main entrance of Beifu Academy. Sure enough, just as Chu Tianyu had expected, it was packed with people. Young freshmen with innocent faces crowded around each other, carrying various bags, with many parents accompanying them as well. This filled the relatively open space at the entrance, and more buses carrying freshmen kept arriving…
Bai Lei cheered loudly, “Ahaha, great! Freedom at last! Oh, my university, my dream, and countless beautiful girls—Bai Lei is here! I’m finally here!”
“A scumbag? A scumbag has arrived? Where? Where is he? Could we run into gangsters on the first day of school?” One thin freshman worriedly said.
“Damn, it’s just one or two scumbags. They’re not thugs. What are you afraid of?” Another strong freshman said disdainfully.
“That’s right. Where is this scumbag? How dare he even think about ‘countless beautiful girls’? Where does that put me, the ‘handsome and strong’ guy? Pah! If I see him, I’ll make him beg for mercy. I’ll write my surname backwards!” A nosy freshman said arrogantly.
“May I ask your surname?” Freshman Ding asked.
“My surname is ‘Wang’!” FreshmanThe third person replied without even looking up.
“…” Everyone was sweating profusely.
Bai Lei, who was dragged to a corner by Chu Tianyu, was initially defiant. But when he saw the huge uproar and harassment caused by his words, with some even shouting slogans to overthrow the “scumbag” who had malicious intentions toward the beautiful girls, he secretly wiped his sweat and calmed down for now.
“Boss, didn’t you say you wanted to keep a low profile?” Chu Tianyu asked jokingly as a reminder.

“Yes, low-key, low-key. But this really puts a lot of pressure on me, my boss. There’s no way around it—with my unparalleled charm, wherever I go, I still become the focus of everyone’s attention! But don’t worry, boss. I’ll use the strongest willpower to restrain myself and hide my true self…” Before Bai Lei could finish speaking, a stylishly dressed and charming girl walked by. He immediately left Chu Tianyu behind and followed her. Amidst the noisy crowd, a few of Bai Lei’s deep and magnetic words could be heard clearly: “Hello, classmate. I’m Bai Lei—‘Bai’ meaning pure and upright, and ‘Lei’ meaning thunderous and powerful. Together, it signifies having noble integrity and living a remarkable life…”
“…”
“Hehe, I just had a quick encounter with you. I thought you were my elementary school classmate?”
“…”
“I wonder what your last name is? Really, you’ve never been to Hongxing Elementary School?”
“…”
“Are you sure?”
“…”
“Oh, then I must have mistaken you. But it’s better to meet by chance than to ask formally. Could you give me your phone number? In the evening… Hey, hey, classmate, don’t walk away so fast! Don’t let my ‘simple and low-key’ appearance fool you—I’m actually the son of a wealthy family, very rich…” For the last sentence, Bai Lei was practically shouting, shocking everyone around and once again becoming the focus of attention. But this time, aside from a few calls of “idiot” and “crazy,” it didn’t cause much of a stir…
…
Although there were many new students signing up, with the help of school teachers, senior students, and various organizations like the student council, the registration process was carried out in an orderly manner. The registration lines were numbered 1, 2, 3… with large numbers marked at the front of each line, making it easy to follow. New students just needed to go in order.
Bai Lei grumpily joined me in line at registration point number 1. Thinking back to what had just happened, he still looked frustrated. He hadn’t expected that revealing his identity not only failed to have a surprising effect but also drew countless disdainful looks. It was truly frustrating! And since registration had to be done in person, Bai Lei could only sulk under the scorching sun, sharing hardships with his “underling” Chu Tianyu!
Chu Tianyu, on the other hand, became increasingly interested in his boss. Unlike the friends he made in high school—people who acted recklessly and had unconventional, wild ideas—he somehow managed to influence those around him, even if that influence was nauseating…

It seems his choice was indeed right. With such a “boss” leading the way, Chu Tianyu’s “exciting” life in the next four years might unfold in a different way. Hehe, can’t wait!
Indeed, it wasn’t long before Chu Tianyu and the others finished the procedures and followed their senior brothers to their assigned dormitories. Chu Tianyu was assigned room 232 at the east end of the freshman apartment, while Bai Lei was in room 313 on the third floor.
Bai Lei’s two huge bags no longer needed Chu Tianyu’s help to carry—they were lifted up by a few determined senior brothers who gritted their teeth and shouted slogans!
Temporarily free from the hardships, Chu Tianyu only had a travel backpack and didn’t need his senior brothers to escort him. Following the room number, he soon found room 232. When he pushed the door open, he discovered that the other three roommates had arrived earlier.
The three people busy inside stopped what they were doing as the last roommate arrived and took in Chu Tianyu.
“Hehe, welcome! Our dorm is finally complete. Hi, I’m Xu Zhanqiang from Dandong, Liaoning. Just call me Zhanqiang, hehe…” A rough yet cheerful voice came first. To the right of the door, a tall dark figure came into view. Calling it a dark figure was accurate—this person was at least 1.9 meters tall, with a bare back, dark skin, and bulging muscles, exuding explosive strength.
“I’m Chen Qing. I’m from Guangxi…” The next to speak was a short man by the window, thin, dressed simply, wearing thick-rimmed glasses. His timid tone made it clear he was an introverted person.
“Hello everyone, I’m Chu Tianyu from Nanjing, Jiangsu. Nice to meet you all!” Chu Tianyu also introduced himself.
“I’m Wang Shengyi. Although I said it before, since you’re the last new roommate, I might as well repeat it. I’m also from Jiangsu, but my dad works in Shenyang. So, aside from Chen Qing, you two can be considered half-countrymen of mine!” The last roommate spoke. When Chu Tianyu first glanced at Chen Qing, he had caught a glimpse of the other man’s smirk of disdain after sizing him up. Combined with his fancy clothes, arrogant attitude, and the high-end virtual audio-visual system he was fiddling with, Chu Tianyu quickly categorized him as someone best kept at a distance.

This Wang Shengyi is different from Bai Lei. Although Bai Lei is just as arrogant and acts arbitrarily, he gives off an impression of sincerity. One can also sense that beneath his bold words and actions lies no malice or unpleasantness; instead, he has a charm that makes him approachable—what people usually call an “energetic” or “cheerful” person. It seems that the connections between people are trulywonderful, and the feelings between them have no fixed pattern!

Those who shared the same feeling as Chu Tianyu were Xu Zhanqiang, the tall man who first greeted him. When he heard Wang Shengyi’s words, he too showed disgust, especially when Wang Shengyi emphasized his father’s position. He then turned to Chu Tianyu, making a vomiting gesture while wrinkling his lips and shaking his head.

Who would have thought that such a tall man like Xu Zhanqiang could look so cute when making faces? Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but smile. Since Xu Zhanqiang was facing away from Wang Shengyi and Chen Qing, they didn’t see it. Suddenly seeing Chu Tianyu smile for no reason, especially Wang Shengyi thought the new guy, who seemed dull and silly, was mocking him! His expression immediately darkened, with displeasure evident in his eyes.

Who was Chu Tianyu? He couldn’t miss such a small change. With a quick thought, he quickly changed the subject, saying, “Oh, your father works in Shenyang? He must be an official, right?”

Chen Qing also chimed in softly, “Yes, Wang Shengyi. You didn’t explain clearly earlier. Your father must be some high-ranking official, like a director or something.”

Wang Shengyi sneered and replied with an air of disdain, “My father isn’t some director. He’s just a civil servant. He’s currently the vice mayor of Shenyang…”

“Ah~~~ Really?” Chen Qing’s mouth dropped open after hearing this, and he stood there stunned.

Wang Shengyi seemed satisfied with Chen Qing’s reaction and nodded slightly, looking proud and smug. But when he glanced at the calm Chu Tianyu and Xu Zhanqiang, who had started packing up again, his pride vanished instantly, replaced by displeasure. However, thinking about Chu Tianyu’s country bumpkin-like appearance, he figured the guy probably didn’t even know what a vice mayor was. Sigh, forget about this kind of ordinary person. The annoying one is Xu Zhanqiang. He acted like he disdained him from the start and ignored him. He thought to himself, “You brat, I told you to back off. Don’t give me a chance, or I’ll show you what happens!”

With those thoughts in mind, Wang Shengyi said maliciously, “By the way, what do your families do? It’s good to get to know each other a bit so we can support one another! If there’s ever anything I, Wang Shengyi, can help with, just say so. With my dad’s connections, I do have some friends in various places. Oh, Xu Zhanqiang, why don’t you start first?”
At this point, seeing that Xu Zhanqiang completely ignored him, Wang Shengyi’s resentment grew even more, and he pressed on, “Huh? Too embarrassed to say? Is there something shameful about it? Or are it your parents…”
He deliberately stopped at the end, but if he continued, it would be just as insulting as saying it face to face!
“What the hell are you talking about?” Xu Zhanqiang’s veins bulged instantly. His tall frame, with a fist already raised, rushed toward Wang Shengyi. Chu Tianyu quickly stepped forward to block him, saying urgently in a low voice, “Calm down, calm down! It’s not worth getting involved with him. Think about the consequences if you hit him—think about your family…”
No further words were needed. Xu Zhanqiang wasn’t stupid. His clenched fist and tense muscles gradually relaxed, though his fierce gaze remained fixed on Wang Shengyi, whose face had turned pale with fear.
“Listen well. My father is a proud steel worker, and my mother is also a proud worker. They don’t steal or rob; they earn a living through their own labor and contribute to society with their sweat. There’s nothing shameful about them!” Xu Zhanqiang said each word clearly and firmly.
Seeing Xu Zhanqiang calm down, Wang Shengyi, who had just recovered from his shock, quickly said, “So they’re workers. I didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just that we’re in the same dormitory, so we want to get to know each other! Oh, Chu Tianyu, what about you?”
Chu Tianyu, seeing Wang Shengyi shift the topic to him, didn’t react much and simply said, “My parents run a small business. We have a grocery store at home…”
After thinking, he realized he wasn’t lying. Chu Ye Group was powerful, involved in various industries. Calling it a grocery store was somewhat understandable. But he wondered what Grandpa Chu Fangshan would think if he heard his lifelong effort to build Chu Ye described as just a “grocery store” by his grandson.
Finally, it was Chen Qing’s turn. His face turned slightly red as he lowered his head and said softly, “My parents work in the town…” He didn’t specify what jobs they had.

After hearing this, Wang Shengyi became even more arrogant. He thought to himself, “A rude, uncultured man, a petty bourgeois, a peasant’s son—just as I thought. Living with them is truly humiliating! But it’s fine this way. Without the green leaves, how can there be my bright red flower? For people like them, as long as I give them a little favor, they’ll follow me around.” With this in mind, Wang Shengyi immediately spoke in a warm and generous tone: “Hehe, actually, it doesn’t matter what kind of home we have. What matters is our own abilities. And regardless of status, we’re all builders of socialism. Since we’re all here together, we should unite and help each other. I’ll treat everyone to lunch later. My dad will also come to see me, so it’s a good chance to have dinner on the third floor of the ‘Huahuang’ Hotel with a few friends I haven’t seen in ages—some from the Beijing Municipal Party Committee. I’ll ask him to arrange another table on the second floor too. If you have any friends or fellow townspeople, bring them along—it’ll be more lively!” “Really? I’ve heard of ‘Huahuang’. The mayor of our town sent his son here to study, and I heard they had dinner there on the first floor. I heard the prices increase as you go up the floors; above the third floor, each table costs over ten thousand yuan!” Chen Qing exclaimed. This was exactly the effect he wanted. Wang Shengyi nodded in satisfaction and said casually, “It’s not as complicated as you think, but pretty much. Hehe, Chen Qing, I didn’t expect you to know so much about this just a few days after coming to Beijing.” Chen Qing replied shyly, “I heard it from the mayor’s son. He’s my classmate.” Ignoring their banter, Xu Zhanqiang continued to make the bed, while Chu Tianyu started putting his only backpack on the bed and unpacking it. This surprised Wang Shengyi, who then asked, “Chu Tianyu, Xu Zhanqiang, what do you two say? You don’t need to pay anything. And later, I’ll ask my dad’s driver to pick us up—no need to take the bus!” With names mentioned, Xu Zhanqiang couldn’t pretend anymore and replied coldly, “That’s way too fancy. I’m not good enough for that. I’m fine with the cafeteria—four steamed buns and a bowl of soup is enough!” “Ungrateful wretch, nothing but trouble!” Wang Shengyi cursed inwardly before turning his attention to Chu Tianyu.

Chu Tianyu now had absolutely no good feelings toward this person. Just as he was about to refuse, a loud shout came from outside: “Damn, I can’t stand listening to this any longer. It’s just going to ‘Huihuang’, right? Acting all high and mighty as if he’s something special—what’s the big deal!”
Along with those arrogant words, Bai Lei entered, accompanied by a slightly overweight short man.