First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!

Chapter 536: Drunk, Unaware the Sky Lies in the Water — A Boat Full of Starry Dreams Presses on the Milky Way

Fu Xinghe sighed with some emotion.

"As the student council president, only I knew who was receiving financial support."

"But at 749 Preparatory University, every semester brings new students admitted through spring and fall recruitment."

"Poor students come and go with each generation."

"Students with longer enrollment naturally have higher cultivation and more opportunities to support themselves. So when newly enrolled students take the financial aid spots from senior students, do you think there's a problem with that, sir?"

People come and go, the young replace the old - that's not a problem.

But there's only so much money available.

Only so many spots exist - when someone gets one, someone else misses out.

And not everyone can be taken care of.

Nobody's a deity.Lu Ding responded: "No problem."

Fu Xinghe adjusted his glasses: "I also thought it was fine, but I forgot about the saying 'an ounce of gratitude becomes a pound of resentment,' and the issue of irregular procedures."

"Students who lost their spots would come ask me why their funding suddenly disappeared."

"I'd say the sponsor didn't want to fund them anymore, and I didn't know why. I used that excuse every time."

"Until one day, someone pointed at my nose and cursed me. I'm human too, I have emotions, and I'm strong - I don't owe anyone anything."

"Most importantly, I couldn't explain the real situation."

"If I explained, it would inevitably reveal that I was skimming from wealthy students' financial aid to help poor students."

"The outcome sounds good, but the act of skimming carries negative connotations, and it would offend many powerful students. So I beat him up, using his insult toward my mother as justification."

"Setting aside other issues, if he insults my mother, shouldn't I hit him?"

Lu Ding listened quietly and nodded gently: "You should have hit him!"

"Then our student council vice president, He Wanqiu, jumped out to criticize me from her moral high ground."

"She's very strong, almost as powerful as me. Her background is impressive too, even slightly better than mine."

"She spoke very civilly but her words cut deep. I didn't know how to explain, so we ended up fighting until teachers intervened."

Fu Xinghe continued sighing.

Lu Ding stopped walking as they reached the outside.

He took out a cigarette case from his pocket and offered Fu Xinghe one.

It was clear Fu Xinghe didn't usually smoke, but he accepted anyway, puffing away with unskilled movements.

"During the spring recruitment of my third semester, the school admitted a provincial top scorer from the college entrance exams. He came from a poor family, and school leadership told me to give him special attention."

"Later, regarding financial aid matters, I learned this top scorer had received a large scholarship in his home province."

"After enrolling in our school, he got another substantial scholarship plus cultivation techniques, spells, and pills as rewards."

"He lacked nothing, maybe just some pocket money. But financial aid isn't pocket money - it should go to those who need it."

"So I didn't give it to him."

Fu Xinghe's fists clenched as he reached this point.

"Then He Wanqiu brought him to confront me, demanding why I didn't give Chu Xiao a financial aid spot. When I gave my reasons, she said I was splitting hairs - the scholarship was Chu Xiao's legitimate achievement."

"She said financial aid was Chu Xiao's rightful due."

"I asked her what 'rightful' meant."

"She started bringing up past grievances, pointing at students who didn't get financial aid but received other support, saying they were the 'rightful' recipients."

"Unsurprisingly, we argued again, then fought. Since I broke through the Five Decays of Heaven-Man before her, I won."

"Then Chu Xiao jumped in to attack me, playing the hero saving the beauty. He called me the black sheep of the group."

"So I fought him too. He couldn't beat me, but he broke through during the battle, which attracted Teacher Chi Yanyi. Her implied message was that I should back down."

"She's domineering, highly cultivated, well-connected - she protected Chu Xiao with overwhelming authority."

Ash fell.

Fu Xinghe crushed the cigarette butt with his hand: "I became the target of public criticism..."

He laughed bitterly: "What was the point of continuing? I'd lost all face, everyone called me a hypocrite, accused me of corruption. But it was such a small amount! Why didn't they mention how I subsidized the student council with my own money..."

Listening to the whole story.

Lu Ding felt Fu Xinghe resembled Yan Feifan - clever and unconventional in his methods.

But they had differences too.

Yan Feifan was more ruthless.

This resulted from their different upbringing environments.

If both developed fully.

One would be an ambitious but non-rebellious Sima Yi, the other would be Jia Xu.

Or perhaps Fu Xinghe had some resemblance to Heshen.

But he was too green.

Still, it didn't matter - at least from this story, the man's fundamental character was sound.

He just liked wearing administrative jackets.

Not a major issue.

Didn't Lu Ding himself prefer scholar-warrior sleeves?

Moreover, listening to the general story.

Top exam scorer, beautiful senior student council vice president, domineering female teacher...

Well, this Chu Xiao was clearly a protagonist of some scale, and the name fit perfectly.

As for Fu Xinghe, not only did his name not fit, but he was the student council president too.

A villain, confirmed villain!

And a very classic one at that.

Lu Ding smiled, casually disintegrating his finished cigarette. Now that Fu Xinghe was following him, didn't that make him the big boss behind a minor villain?

"I have a new beginning, and so do you. Leave school matters at school."

Lu Ding turned to look at him: "Maybe because of Secretary Qiu's relationship, or perhaps because you remind me of a friend."

"I told him something similar before, and today I'll tell you the same."

"Follow me, and as long as you don't cause problems, nobody can touch you."

Lu Ding walked ahead.

Fu Xinghe hurried to keep up.

He didn't question Lu Ding's words.

He wasn't stupid.

Although his uncle's words always carried disappointment in him.

There's a saying that fits well.

Mother's brother holds great authority.

He wasn't some useless freeloader without ambition either.

So his uncle wouldn't casually assign him as assistant to someone incompetent.

In other words, he could die on a mission - that would be physical glory - but he absolutely couldn't rot away in depression, which would be spiritual decay!

"Fu Xinghe, your name is quite beautiful - 'Drunk, I know not the sky lies in the water;

a boatful of starlight overwhelms the Milky Way'..."

Fu Xinghe had heard some things about Lu Ding's capabilities from his uncle - not much, because his uncle 'didn't like him.'

The deepest impression came from his nickname, Corpse-Shattering Taishui! And being the number one talent across three circles.

Because of this nickname, Fu Xinghe had developed some stereotypes about him.

But now Lu Ding's single comment elevated his sophistication to a level Fu Xinghe had never imagined.

It was like discovering the most feared battlefield butcher, a supreme general, turned out to be an immensely learned scholar...

Indeed, scholar-warrior sleeves weren't worn without reason.

Thinking this, Fu Xinghe glanced at his administrative jacket, identical to his uncle's.

He thought to himself, 'This isn't worn casually either!'