Going back to 18, demanding 30,000 yuan in compensation from the school beauty.

This is Lin Zhao's first day of university, spanning two lifetimes.

I was incredibly excited!

"Although I have both a rebirth cheat and an entertainment cheat, and I also have super strong professional skills, as an 18-year-old freshman, I still need to interact with my classmates as an ordinary person at the beginning of the semester, so I will temporarily put away my domineering CEO aura."

With this belief, he adjusted his gaze to appear naive and innocent, and then pushed open the door to room 316.

There was no one there.

Lin Zhao's act was in vain.

After putting down their luggage, they looked around at their "home" for the next four years.

Because it's a new campus, the dormitories at USTC are quite nice. The floor tiles and white walls are clean and tidy, and there's a small balcony next to the toilet, which is even separated into wet and dry areas!

The four beds are separated by a 1.5-meter-wide aisle, and all are equipped with bunk beds and desks underneath, which means each person has 2.4 square meters of net space, balancing privacy and public space.

The dormitory is currently in a Schrödinger state—it looks empty, but there are actually people there.

The two beds at the back were already occupied.

In this prime spot on the left, near the balcony, the bed is covered with a complete four-piece bedding set, the table below is filled with bottles and jars, and in the center is an Alienware laptop—clearly the home of a well-off, sophisticated young man.

Across the aisle from this bed, another bed is in a slightly worse position, with the toilet above it and unopened suitcases and backpacks piled up underneath.

Lin Zhao was left with only the two options by the door.

He hesitated for a moment, then chose a seat behind the door that offered slightly more privacy, and pushed his suitcase inside.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Hey bro, are you in the journalism class?" a boy asked, leaning against the doorway. Next to him was a tall guy, who looked to be about 1.9 meters tall.

Lin Zhao instantly replied with a naive smile, "Yes, a classmate?"

The boy who spoke smiled and said, "My name is Zhou Rui, and this is Gao Bo. We live in room 341 across the street."

Lin Zhao nodded and smiled: "I know, you're the group admin for the class group, right?"

Zhou Rui felt a sense of expected pride in his classmates' familiarity with his identity, his expression a mix of joy and worldliness.

The three quickly became acquainted.

After chatting for a few minutes, I learned that Zhou Rui and Gao Bo were both from the north.

Zhou Rui started school late and repeated a year of high school, so he is already 20 years old this year.

Upon hearing the age, Lin Zhao finally understood why this classmate had a less student-like demeanor and a stronger sense of worldliness.

Gao Bo speaks with a hearty Northeastern accent, and coupled with his exaggerated height, he perfectly fits the stereotypical image of Northeasterners that Southerners have of them.

"There are 35 people in our class, with girls making up nearly two-thirds and 12 boys in total, which are divided into three dorm rooms."

Zhou Rui introduced the product with great familiarity, while taking out a pack of Dihao cigarettes from his pocket and spreading them out.

Gao Bo naturally accepted it.

Lin Zhao accepted the offer, but refused Zhou Rui's fire.

"My throat is dry after sitting on the train for more than ten hours, I need to rest for a bit," he said.

He spoke casually, without even putting down the cigarette, but instead holding it in his hand and playing with it.

Zhou Rui could tell at a glance that he didn't smoke, but he didn't lose face by saying that, and it was very smooth and natural, as if it was a subconscious reaction.

Zhou Rui looked somewhat surprised.

The three were chatting when the boys from the other two dorm rooms heard the noise and came over.

Some people smoked, and some didn't, and the small room was soon filled with smoke.

Lin Zhao then placed the cigarette on his table.

With so many people gathered together, they all started introducing themselves haphazardly and chattering away, but in the end, nobody really remembered anyone else.

But everyone remembered Zhou Rui, the oldest group leader of the class group, who was adept at leading the conversation.

After finishing their cigarettes, some classmates suggested taking a stroll around the campus.

Some students had already explored the area, while others were looking for fellow villagers. In the end, only five people made it, including Lin Zhao.

The old campus of USTC is in the city center, while this one in Minhang is the new campus, which was built less than ten years ago. Because it is not a comprehensive university, the new campus is not too large, only about twice the size of Huai'an No.1 Middle School.

After completing the loop, it was almost noon.

The boys went to the cafeteria for lunch and experienced the food at USTC.

In the afternoon, Sun Jiajun suddenly showed up, and Lin Zhao took him around again and even got a free meal. They stayed until dark before finally sending this plague away.

Go back to dorms.

The door to room 316 was open and the lights were on—my roommate had finally shown up.

Push the door open and go inside.

The bed by the door was still empty, but above the toilet, a boy with small eyes was squatting on it making a bed.

When Lin Zhao saw him, he had already stopped what he was doing, and there was a hint of excitement in his small eyes.

"Roommate, right? My name is Geng Ziye." Geng Ziye waved his hand.

"Hello, hello, Lin Zhao."

Lin Zhao pointed to her bed.

Geng Ziye laughed heartily: "We're even in the same shop! What a coincidence!"

Lin Zhao nodded, preparing for an in-depth exchange.

"A thousand reasons to be sad, a thousand reasons to be sad..."

The phone rang unexpectedly.

Geng Ziye quickly climbed off the bed, picked up the thick brick on the table, glanced at it, and immediately frowned deeply.

He nodded to Lin Zhao, then went into the bathroom to answer the phone, making sure to close the door behind him.

Actually, Lin Zhao was in a hurry to urinate.

I was thinking of waiting a bit, but even after I made the bed and hung all the clothes in the closet, the heartbroken guy still hadn't come out.

Instead, a lot of unpleasant noises came from the toilet.

For example, "No, no," "Don't come, don't come," "I'm so fucking mad..."

Judging from this situation, they probably won't be able to get out anytime soon!

Lin Zhao could only let the good stuff flow to the opposite side, 341.

As I came out, swinging my arms, I ran into Geng Ziye, who was carrying his coat and walking out. The night in Shanghai in September was already a bit chilly.

Geng Ziye looked very unhappy and ran off in a hurry without even saying goodbye.

Lin Zhao glanced at his watch and saw that it was already 9:30 p.m.

"Looks like I'll be spending my first night of school alone!"

……

I slept well last night.

The next morning, Sun Jiajun called to extend a sincere invitation to visit on behalf of Jiaotong University.

Since Lin Zhao had nothing better to do, she went for a stroll.

The campus of National Chiao Tung University is much larger than that of the University of Science and Technology of China, but the buildings and facilities are generally quite old, though the cultural atmosphere is much stronger.

Lin Zhao ate lunch for free before leaving.

Back in the dorm, my three roommates were finally all there.

At the last bed by the door, a short boy was busily packing his luggage, each bag bearing the words "travel-worn and weary."

Upon seeing Lin Zhao, the boy's eyes flashed with nervousness, and he quickly turned his head away.

Looking inside, I saw two roommates chatting.

I met Geng Ziye last night.

The other one was the first to occupy the prime balcony spot. Today, he appeared in person. He was tall, thin, and fair-skinned, wearing silver-rimmed glasses and dressed simply and appropriately without any large logos.

Having been in the entertainment industry for so long, Lin Zhao has a good sense of fashion and could tell at a glance that her roommate's outfit was definitely not cheap.

The boy looked at him at the door and nodded.

"This is Lin Zhao, and this is He Ruiqi."

Geng Ziye took the initiative to introduce the two, and pointed to the short boy by the door, "This is Li Shun, he just finished his enrollment procedures."

Lin Zhao greeted the two men and then took the initiative to introduce her hometown in a cheerful manner.

He Ruiqi looked surprised when he heard that the man came from a small county in a central province.

"Is your hometown in the county seat?"

He blurted it out, his face full of disbelief.

Lin Zhao: Well, we've been exposed after all.

"Yeah, why?"

He pretended not to understand.

He Ruiqi realized that his attitude was a bit offensive, and quickly smiled: "It's nothing, it's just that I've never been to Jiangyuan Province. I've heard that the natural scenery there is very beautiful, and I've always wanted to travel there."

Lin Zhao nodded.

He could tell that the words were an attempt to cover up the situation, but his roommate was quite tactful, so he didn't need to call him out on it.

Geng Ziye eagerly introduced He Ruiqi, saying that he was a local of Shanghai. Although he had already reported in the morning, he had gone home to sleep last night, so no one had seen him.

Lin Zhao nodded.

I initially thought my roommate was a little too sophisticated.

But if you're a local from Shanghai, then it's fine!

The three chatted enthusiastically, while Li Shun remained silent, focusing on packing his luggage.

"Li Shun, where are you from?" Lin Zhao asked.

Li Shun panicked a little, and after stammering for a while, he whispered, "I... am from Gannan Province..."

He uttered only six words, and his dark face turned red all the way to his neck, his breathing becoming uneven.

Lin Zhao instantly understood—this roommate was a socially awkward person!

Realizing this, he didn't expect Li Shun to speak up on his own initiative, and naturally asked a few questions based on their place of origin.

Li Shundu answered honestly and concisely throughout.

The only time a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes was when he talked about getting a perfect score on the college entrance exam in mathematics.

However, this glimmer of light quickly faded.

Lin Zhao understood.

Li Shun's reaction was a mixture of pride and inferiority.

He knew that his grades would no longer be a highlight after entering university, but he really didn't have anything else to show for it!