Chapter 603 - 380: Make Me Happy and I’ll Let You In

"Then why didn’t you write it in the ’strengths’ section of your application?" Cheng Nian voiced her confusion.

If Xue Rui had written it on his resume, none of this would have happened.

"I wanted to join the Student Union as a regular freshman, but all I got was the cold shoulder..." ’This isn’t part of my plan at all,’ Xue Rui thought.

He had planned to join the External Relations Department as a grunt, then casually reveal his "work abilities" and climb his way up to the position of department head.

This feeling of rocketing to the top made him feel like he was "bullying" the entire Student Union.

Fan Kangjie’s shock was beyond words. Xue Rui, an "outsider," wielded so much power...

In the face of such immense capital, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness.

It wasn’t that Xue Rui needed to join the Student Union; it was that the Student Union’s future operations couldn’t proceed without Xue Rui’s support.

Fan Kangjie said with a broad smile, "Now that’s just being distant. What do you mean, ’their department’? Xue Rui is a Student Union officer too."

Sun Xiaoran stared blankly at the floor. Fan Kangjie had allowed Xue Rui into the External Relations Department. Suddenly, he didn’t know what his purpose in the department was anymore.

"Just apologize to him. At the end of the day, this affects you the most," Fan Kangjie whispered in Sun Xiaoran’s ear.

Sun Xiaoran’s expression was complicated. It shifted several times before he finally clenched his jaw, as if he had made a difficult decision.

He walked up to Xue Rui, quickly said, "I’m sorry," and then strode out of the classroom.

Fan Kangjie and the two department heads watched Sun Xiaoran’s dejected back as he left. They suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for him.

Abusing a little power was normal. Who among them hadn’t done it in their own department?

But Sun Xiaoran was just incredibly unlucky...

With Xue Rui, the boss of their biggest sponsor, joining the External Relations Department, he was bound to become its core figure.

Sun Xiaoran’s position as head of the department was now in name only. Withdrawing voluntarily was the most graceful way out.

"Boss?" the girl asked in a low voice.

"I’m feeling magnanimous. You can go about your business."

Xue Rui waved his hand, signaling that she didn’t need to post the "exposé." He had already gotten what he wanted.

"I’ll go handle things outside. Xue Rui, you and Cheng Nian can carry on. The future of the External Relations Department is in your hands now." Fan Kangjie nodded at Xue Rui and left the classroom.

A moment later, Xue Rui heard Fan Kangjie explaining to the students in the hallway:

"It was all a misunderstanding. You can all proceed to the External Relations Department for your interviews now..."

Fan Kangjie looked up, searching for Sun Xiaoran. ’He’s been through too much today,’ he thought, ’he was even crying from anger. As his friend, I should at least go comfort him.’

Back in the classroom, Xue Rui stopped the two department heads.

"Let’s get acquainted, you two." Xue Rui smiled, offering them each a cigarette.

Their previous conflict was due to their different positions; Xue Rui didn’t actually have any personal beef with them. Now that Sun Xiaoran had voluntarily withdrawn from the Student Union, he would inevitably have to interact with them. Besides, Xue Rui still planned on using the Student Union to solve his and Lin Ruoxi’s class-skipping problem.

The two of them froze for a moment, apparently surprised by how quickly Xue Rui’s attitude had changed.

"Thanks. We’ll smoke outside." The head of the Disciplinary Department took both cigarettes.

"I’ll pass. I have to stay here and handle the work." Xue Rui walked to the door with them and called out to the scattered students in the hallway:

"Chairman Fan has explained everything, right? You can come in for your interviews now."

Jiang Yuan hurried over, and Qian Huabiao followed, his face full of curiosity, wondering what kind of benefits Xue Rui had managed to snag.

"I’m the vice-head of the External Relations Department now. You two want to join my team?" Xue Rui pulled them aside and said. He was being modest; in reality, he now held the power of the department head.

Jiang Yuan’s eyes flew wide open. ’Xue Rui got a head position on his first interview...’

"No way. Who wants to be your subordinate all the time?" Jiang Yuan turned her head away, a smile playing on her lips.

"Gotta go, gotta go." Qian Huabiao shook his head emphatically. He didn’t have that much free time.

...

Outside the academic building, Fan Kangjie’s attention was caught by a tall, slender figure.

He recognized Lin Ruoxi, which reminded him of something from the military training period. He had arranged for someone to ask her to be the flag-bearer for their department, but the answer he got back was a refusal from her boyfriend.

"Lin Ruoxi, you’re our department’s belle! As elusive as a divine dragon, we’ve barely seen you since the semester started. What have you been busy with?" Fan Kangjie teased her.

"Um, hi... I’m looking for Xue Rui. Where is he?" Lin Ruoxi asked softly.

Lin Ruoxi had noticed that Xue Rui hadn’t come out for over half an hour, so she decided to sneak inside and take a peek.

"He’s in classroom 104. What do you need him for?" Fan Kangjie said wearily. Just hearing Xue Rui’s name gave him a headache now.

"Thank you. Xue Rui is my boyfriend," Lin Ruoxi said before turning to walk toward room 104.

Fan Kangjie froze on the spot. ’No wonder Sun Xiaoran was so jealous...’

’I’m jealous too!’

Walking away from the academic building, he took a deep breath and spotted Sun Xiaoran smoking behind a nearby greenbelt, with a few other Student Union officers standing beside him.

Fan Kangjie walked over and said with a smile, "Xiaoran, don’t take it to heart. I’ll grab a drink with you tonight."

"Alright." Sun Xiaoran gave a bitter smile. After leaving the External Relations Department, he actually felt a sense of relief, not as dejected as he had imagined.

"I just saw Lin Ruoxi. Turns out she’s Xue Rui’s girlfriend. If I were in your shoes, I’d be jealous too." Seeing that his friend was in a good state of mind, Fan Kangjie spoke more freely.

Sun Xiaoran shook his head. "Old Fan, I was too embarrassed to say it earlier with everyone around, but it wasn’t just jealousy."

Fan Kangjie took a cigarette from someone nearby, lit it, and took a drag. "Oh? So there’s more to the story?"