Fu Xinghe sighed with so emotion.
"As the student council president, only I knew who was receiving financial support."
"But at 749 Preparatory University, every sester brings new students admitted through spring and fall recruitnt."
"Poor students co and go with each generation."
"Students with longer enrollnt 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 co 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 soone gets one, soone 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 becos a pound of resentnt,' and the issue of irregular procedures."
"Students who lost their spots would co ask 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 ti."
"Until one day, soone pointed at my nose and cursed . 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 outco 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 from her moral high ground."
"She's very strong, almost as powerful as . 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 movents.
"During the spring recruitnt of my third sester, the school admitted a provincial top scorer from the college entrance exams. He ca from a poor family, and school leadership told to give him special attention."
"Later, regarding financial aid matters, I learned this top scorer had received a large scholarship in his ho province."
"After enrolling in our school, he got another substantial scholarship plus cultivation techniques, spells, and pills as rewards."
"He lacked nothing, maybe just so 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 , 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 achievent."
"She said financial aid was Chu Xiao's rightful due."
"I asked her what 'rightful' ant."
"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 , playing the hero saving the beauty. He called the black sheep of the group."
"So I fought him too. He couldn't beat , but he broke through during the battle, which attracted Teacher Chi Yanyi. Her implied ssage 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 beca the target of public criticism..."
He laughed bitterly: "What was the point of continuing? I'd lost all face, everyone called a hypocrite, accused of corruption. But it was such a small amount! Why didn't they ntion 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 thods.
But they had differences too.
Yan Feifan was more ruthless.
This resulted from their different upbringing environnts.
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 so resemblance to Heshen.
But he was too green.
Still, it didn't matter - at least from this story, the man's fundantal 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 so scale, and the na fit perfectly.
As for Fu Xinghe, not only did his na not fit, but he was the student council president too.
A villain, confird 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 of a friend."
"I told him sothing similar before, and today I'll tell you the sa."
"Follow , 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 disappointnt in him.
There's a saying that fits well.
Mother's brother holds great authority.
He wasn't so useless freeloader without ambition either.
So his uncle wouldn't casually assign him as assistant to soone 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 na 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 so things about Lu Ding's capabilities from his uncle - not much, because his uncle 'didn't like him.'
The deepest impression ca from his nickna, Corpse-Shattering Taishui! And being the number one talent across three circles.
Because of this nickna, Fu Xinghe had developed so stereotypes about him.
But now Lu Ding's single comnt elevated his sophistication to a level Fu Xinghe had never imagined.
It was like discovering the most feared battlefield butcher, a supre general, turned out to be an imnsely 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!'
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