Reborn in 2005, starting with repairing mobile phones

Lin Dong carried his suitcase and duffel bag and walked to the door of 501.

The door was open.

He knocked on the door frame.

"Come in, come in," someone inside responded, their voice bright and friendly.

Lin Dong pushed open the door and went inside.

The dormitory wasn't big, with four beds, one above the other with a desk underneath. The window was open, and the September breeze blew in, causing the curtains to sway slightly.

Under the bed to the right of the door, a boy was squatting, struggling with the blanket in his hands. The blanket cover was new, but it was all crumpled up, and he couldn't get it in no matter how hard he tried. A layer of fine sweat appeared on his forehead, and a small patch of his T-shirt was also wet on the back.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, glanced at Lin Dong, then stood up and smiled.

The smile was natural, with his eyes slightly narrowed to reveal two rows of neat teeth.

"Looks like you're the last one in our dorm."

He patted the dust off his hands, but it didn't help; his hands were still white. He walked over and held out his hand.

"Let me introduce myself, my name is Li Hu."

Lin Dong put down what he was holding and took his hand. His palm was a little damp; it was from sweating while putting on the blanket.

"Lin Dong".

Li Hu withdrew his hand and pointed to the bed on the left side of the window.

"That's the only bed left."

Lin Dong glanced at it, indifferent; it didn't matter where he slept. He nodded.

He turned his head and looked at the other two people in the dormitory.

A boy was sitting under the bed on the right side of the window.

He was sitting in a chair with his back to the door. The things on his desk were already arranged: several books were neatly stacked together, the pen holder was on his right, and the desk lamp was on his left—everything was in its proper place. Even the spines of the books were aligned.

Hearing the noise, he turned around.

He was thin, wore glasses, and had rather long hair, with bangs almost covering his eyebrows. He glanced at Lin Dong, his gaze lingering on Lin Dong's face for a second, before nodding.

"Chen Long".

The voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear.

Lin Dong nodded as well.

On the bed to the left of the door, there was another boy leaning against it.

He was holding a book, cover down.

There weren't many things on the bed: a pillow, a blanket, and a book. The closet door was closed, and on the table was a lamp and a water glass—nothing else.

He glanced at Lin Dong, said nothing, nodded, and then lowered his head to continue reading.

The turning of the pages was so light that it was almost inaudible.

Lin Dong withdrew his gaze, walked to his bed, and put his things down.

By the window, on the left, the sunlight shines directly onto the bed. A thin mattress covers the bed frame, a little dusty on it.

He stood there and watched for a while.

These will be my roommates during my university years.

Li Hu is talkative, loves to take charge, and seems easy to get along with.

You could tell from that "Come in, come in" just now that this person is outgoing and not shy around strangers.

Chen Long's things were arranged neatly, and he spoke in a logical manner, so he seemed like a reliable person.

The last boy, though he didn't say anything, nodded in greeting. He didn't talk much, but he didn't give off an uncomfortable feeling.

It seems pretty good. There's nothing particularly difficult about getting along with them.

He looked away, squatted down, and opened his suitcase.

Li Hu squatted back down to continue putting the blanket on, but his movements were still clumsy. He tucked the blanket into the cover, one corner going in, the other sticking out. He muttered something under his breath, then started over.

"This blanket is really hard to put on," he muttered to Lin Dong as he looked up.

Another layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Lin Dong smiled.

"It's quite difficult."

Li Hu looked up at him and smiled.

"Have you used condoms before?"

Lin Dong nodded.

"I just put on a mask this morning."

Li Hu sighed and continued to struggle with the blanket. He tucked the blanket in forcefully, as if he were sulking with someone.

Lin Dong squatted down and opened his suitcase.

Mom had stuffed everything too full. The clothes were neatly folded, with several pairs of socks tucked in beside them, and the four-piece bedding set on top. He took the bedding set out first and placed it on the bed. Then he took out the clothes one by one, folded them, and put them in the closet.

The cabinet smelled of new wood, and the shelves were very clean.

He unfolded the four-piece bedding set and spread it on the bed. Mom had bought it; it was pure cotton, felt very comfortable, and still had the smell of new fabric. He tucked all four corners under the mattress, smoothed it out, and patted it down.

A desk lamp, a notebook, and a pen are laid out one by one on the desk.

After he put everything away, Li Hu finally finished putting on his blanket.

Li Hu stood up, threw the blanket onto the bed, and clapped his hands.

"Alright, that's all."

He glanced at the three people in the dormitory and smiled. His smile held a hint of accomplishment, as if he had just fought a tough battle.

"Everyone's here now. We'll be sharing a dorm room for the rest of our university life."

He cleared his throat.

"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Li Hu, born in March 1987. I am a native of Shenzhen and my major is Computer Science and Technology."

He looked at Lin Dong.

Lin Dong leaned against the headboard. The bed frame was a bit hard, but tolerable.

"Lin Dong, born in November 1987, is from Shantou and majors in Electronic Information Engineering."

Li Hu was stunned for a moment.

"We're not in the same major?"

Chen Long chimed in from the side. He habitually adjusted his glasses as he spoke.

"It seems we're not all in the same major, but we're all in the School of Electronic and Information Engineering."

He paused.

"I graduated from Electronic Science and Technology in November 1986. This college has several majors, including Electronic Information Engineering, Computer Science and Technology, Electronic Science and Technology, and Communication Engineering."

Li Hu looked at him.

How did you know?

Chen Long smiled and pointed to the door.

"I just looked at the college information posted at the entrance. It lists every major, and it's quite clear."

He paused, then looked at Xu Zang.

"And you?"

Xu Zang looked up from his book. His movements were slow, as if he had been pulled back from another world. His eyes were a little glazed over, and it took him two seconds to focus on Lin Dong.

Xu Zang, born in February 1987, is from Hunan Province and majors in telecommunications engineering.

After speaking, he lowered his head again. He turned a page of the book, making a very soft sound.

Li Hu rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"Okay, we're all in the same college, so we might bump into each other in class. Besides, shouldn't we be assigned a senior and junior? Isn't that common practice in university dorms?"

Chen Long glanced at him.

"How do you categorize them? By age?"

Li Hu nodded.

"Of course. We'll divide them according to the age they just reported."

Chen Long did some calculations. He counted on his fingers and muttered a couple of sentences to himself.

"Then I'm the oldest, born in November 1986. Xu Zang in February, Li Hu in March, Lin Dong in November..."

He looked at Li Hu.

"You were born in March, Xu Zang in February, he's a month older than you."

Li Hu smiled.

"Alright, Xu Zang is the second oldest, I'm the third, and Lin Dong is the fourth."

He looked at Chen Long.

"Then you're the boss."

Chen Long smiled too. The curve of his lips wasn't large, but it was clear that it was a genuine smile.

"I'll be the boss then. From now on, you'll all listen to me."

Li Hu waved his hand.

"I'll do as you say, but you'll have to pay for the meal."

Everyone laughed.

Li Hu leaned against the headboard, his hands behind his head.

"So I'm the only one from Shenzhen who's free in the evenings, right? There's a street near the school with lots of food options. How about we have dinner together tonight? It'll be our first dorm get-together."

Chen Long nodded.

"Okay, I'm fine."

Lin Dong nodded as well.

"it is good."

Li Hu looked at Xu Zang.

Xu Zang raised his head and nodded.

Li Hu smiled.

"It's settled then. We'll meet downstairs at 5:30."

He paused, then suddenly remembered something, and his eyes darted around.

"By the way, has your counselor contacted you?"

Lin Dong shook his head.

"without."

Chen Long also shook his head.

"Our team from the electronics department hasn't arrived yet."

Xu Zang raised his head and shook his head as well.

Li Hu's eyes darted around again, and a "I've got an idea" expression appeared on his face.

"How about we make a bet?"

Chen Long looked at him.

"What are we betting on?"

Li Hu said with a grin. When he smiled, his eyes would squint a little, making him look very irritating.

"Let's bet on whose counselor arrives first. The first one to arrive treats everyone to dinner tonight."

Chen Long smiled.

"Okay, I bet our electrical engineering team will go first."

Li Hu looked at Lin Dong.

"And you?"

Lin Dong thought for a moment.

"casual."

Li Hu then looked at Xu Zang.

Xu Zang nodded without looking up.

Li Hu clapped his hands.

"It's settled then. The first one to arrive will treat us to dinner tonight."

No sooner had he finished speaking than there was a knock on the dormitory door.

dong dong dong.

Several people looked towards the door at the same time.

Li Hu lowered his voice, a smile on his face.

"Guess who it is?"

Chen Long glanced at him, said nothing, but his lips twitched. Xu Zang raised his head and looked towards the door, closing the book in his hand. Lin Dong leaned against the headboard, feeling a little curious as well.

Li Hu cleared his throat.

"Who is it?"

"Counselor." A young female voice came from outside the door. The voice was soft, but clear.

The group exchanged glances.

Li Hu's smile deepened, and he lowered his voice to say something.

"Here it comes, here it comes."

He cleared his throat and raised his voice.

"Please come in."

The door opened.

A young woman walked in.

She looked to be around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with shoulder-length short hair, wearing a white shirt, black trousers, and flat shoes. She had a faint smile on her face.

She stood at the door, her gaze sweeping around the dormitory.

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

Li Hu was the first to react.

Who are you looking for?

The girl smiled. The smile spread across her face, and her eyes curved slightly.

"Is Lin Dong here?"

Lin Dong stood up.

"That's me."

The girl walked over and extended her hand. Her hand was very white, with long, slender fingers and neatly trimmed nails.

"Hello, I'm your counselor, Song Yao."

Lin Dong took her hand. Her palm was cold; she must have just come in from outside.

"Hello, Teacher Song."

Song Yao nodded, withdrew her hand, and glanced at the other people in the dormitory.

Li Hu chuckled twice.

"Hello, Teacher Song."

Chen Long nodded as well.

Xu Zang looked up at it, then looked down again.

Song Yao smiled.

"Your dorm is quite lively."

Li Hu said smugly.

"Of course. We just made a bet."

He looked at Lin Dong with a smile, a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes.

"Lin Dong, you win."

He pointed at Song Yao.

"Your advisor was the first to arrive, so you're treating to dinner tonight."

Chen Long laughed beside him.

"Yes, please."

Lin Dong glanced at Song Yao, then at Li Hu.

Okay, his advisor was the first one to arrive. He's quite good-looking, so treating him to a meal isn't a bad deal.

"Okay, it's on me."

Song Yao was stunned for a moment.

"Are you making a bet?"

Li Hu nodded.

"Let's bet on whose counselor arrives first. The first one to arrive treats everyone to dinner. Lin Dong won."

Song Yao smiled. The smile was faint, but her eyes curved slightly.

"Then have a good meal tonight."

She looked at Lin Dong.

"Let's go, I'll take you to get your military training uniform and introduce you to the class while I'm at it."

Lin Dong nodded, stood up, and walked out.

As they reached the door, Li Hu called out from behind.

"Take care, Teacher Song! Remember to come for dinner tonight!"

Song Yao turned around and glanced at him.

This kid is even joking with the counselor.

She smiled, shook her head, said nothing, and turned to leave.

In the corridor, Song Yao walked in front, and Lin Dong followed behind.

Her steps were neither fast nor slow, and the hem of her white shirt swayed gently with each step.

The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of two footsteps, one light and one heavy.

Lin Dong thought for a moment, then spoke up.

"Teacher Song, I have a question for you."

Song Yao turned to look at him. Her eyes were bright and seemed very spirited in the corridor light.

"Um?"

Lin Dong paused.

"There are four of us in my dorm, all from different majors. Why were we grouped together?"

Song Yao was stunned for a moment.

She paused for a moment.

She didn't know how to answer that question either.

Before the start of the semester, the head of the teaching department called her to his office and told her: "Dormitory 501 is a special arrangement. Don't ask any questions or say anything more."

She said she understood, but she still felt strange.

Only when Lin Dong asked her did she realize that they themselves didn't know either.

She thought for a moment, then smiled.

The smile was a bit formal, but it was also natural.

"This is a new initiative by the school. It's said to promote exchange between different majors."

Lin Dong looked at her.

"A new attempt?"

Song Yao nodded.

"Yes. You'll find out later."

Lin Dong didn't ask any more questions.

A new attempt? That sounds a bit perfunctory.

But he didn't say anything. He continued to follow her.

Military training uniforms are collected at the gymnasium. It's a large warehouse-like room, piled high with green camouflage uniforms.

Song Yao led him inside and spoke a few words to the staff member distributing the clothes. The staff member glanced at Lin Dong and then turned to get the clothes.

"Try it on the size," Song Yao said from the side.

Lin Dong put on a shirt, the sleeves of which were a bit long. He then changed into pants, the waist of which were a bit loose.

Song Yao looked at it, said a few words to the staff, and then the person went to change into another set.

The second set is just right.

Song Yao nodded in agreement.

"This one will do."

Lin Dong took off his clothes, folded them neatly, and put them into a bag.

After leaving the gymnasium, Song Yao took him to the administration building, where he handed in several forms, received a campus card, and then pointed out the locations of the academic affairs office, the cafeteria, and the teaching buildings.

She didn't talk much along the way, but she explained everything very clearly. She would point out in advance where it was time to turn, and she would give extra instructions on things to pay attention to.

Lin Dong listened, nodding occasionally.

When Song Yao reached the dormitory building, she stopped.

"That's enough for now. There's a class meeting tomorrow at 3 PM in classroom 502 of Building 3. Don't be late."

Lin Dong nodded.

"it is good."

Song Yao smiled.

"You can call me if you need anything. My number is in the materials bag."

Lin Dong nodded.

"Thank you, Teacher Song."

Song Yao waved her hand, turned around and left.

Lin Dong stood there, watching her figure disappear into the crowd. She walked very fast, and was soon swallowed up by the flow of people.

This counselor is alright.

He carried his military training uniform and went upstairs.

I pushed open the dormitory door, and it was empty.

Li Hu is not here, Chen Long is not here, and Xu Zang is not here either.

The curtains were still open, and sunlight streamed in, falling on the empty bed.

There was a note on the table, written in Li Hu's handwriting. The handwriting was a bit messy, but still legible.

"We're going to pick up our military training uniforms and take a look around the school while we're at it. Take care of yourself for lunch. — Li Hu"

Lin Dong glanced at it and put the note down.

He sat on the edge of the bed and checked the time.

11:30.

I'm a little hungry.

He took out his phone and opened his contacts.

Mom, Dad, Uncle Cai, Zheng Hao, Zhang Mingyuan, Zhou Chengyu, Cheng Chuan, Cheng Yu, Ding Xiao...

Scroll down one by one.

Chen Lu.

His finger stopped on that name.

Should we fight?

He stared at the name for a few seconds.

He remembered her smile. Her eyes were curved and beautiful.

As if possessed, he pressed it.

the phone is ringing.

beep - beep - beep -

Two sounds, three sounds, four sounds...

connected.

"Lin Dong?"

Chen Lu's voice came from the other end of the phone, carrying a hint of surprise and a smile.

The voice came through the phone, a little soft, but very clear.

"it's me."

Chen Lu laughed. The laughter was soft, as if it came out of her throat.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Dong paused.

Are you free at noon? Want to have lunch together?