The tall buildings stood tall, bustling with activity.
"Truly worthy of being a prosperous coastal region, so magnificent!"
Li Haochen sat on the bus, gazing at the imposing buildings, dozens of stories high, and the endless flow of traffic and people. He couldn't help but marvel at Binhai, this developed and bustling metropolis.
Li Haochen arrived at the entrance of Binhai University with his luggage on his back. Looking at the grand and majestic entrance, excitement lit up his face.
It was noon, and the scorching sun still hung high in the sky. However, freshmen were arriving in an endless stream to register. The senior students assisting with registration provided enthusiastic service. Various eye-catching clubs were excitedly calling out, and the straight campus paths were as lively as a street market.
Li Haochen gave a wry smile, "So many people, how am I going to find them?"
"Hello, junior. Which department are you from?"
Just as Li Haochen was hesitating, a sweet girl in a volunteer vest approached him.
"Ah, hello, senior sister," Li Haochen said with a sheepish smile, "I'm from the Department of Marine Biology."
The girl's eyes lit up, and she said with some excitement, "Me too! I'll take you to register."
The two walked and chatted. From their conversation, Li Haochen learned that the girl's name was Liang Xiaoqian, a second-year student in the Department of Marine Biology.
"Junior, you just need to fill out these forms and pay the tuition and accommodation fees. Also, you have to top up your meal card yourself. It's located next to the basketball court. The dormitory is this building up ahead."
Li Haochen followed Liang Xiaoqian's gaze to the somewhat old, eight-story dormitory building ahead.
"Sister Xiaoqian, thank you. I'll treat you to a meal later."
Liang Xiaoqian looked at Li Haochen seriously and shook her head inwardly. "No need. I still have reception duties. Goodbye!"
"Xiaoqian, that junior you just met is quite good-looking. Tall and strong, with nice features, like a clone of Louis Koo! And you rejected his offer of a meal?"
"Forget it, he looks like he comes from a modest family, not a good match. If we were together, it would be tough later. If you like him, you can go for it, hehe!" Liang Xiaoqian recalled Li Haochen's faded jeans and shook her head with a smile.
"I wouldn't! I don't want to be calculating every day for necessities like food and firewood in the future,嘻嘻!"
...
"615, this should be it."
Li Haochen gently pushed open the iron dormitory door.
"Creak~"
The iron door let out a piercing creaking sound, causing the few people inside to stop their conversation. Li Haochen walked in and smiled, saying, "Hello, everyone."
The few people were taken aback. Then, they walked over enthusiastically and picked up Li Haochen's luggage.
"Brother, come, come, this is your spot." The three enthusiastically helped Li Haochen unpack and arrange his belongings.
"Now we're all here. From now on, we'll be brothers living together for four years. Let's introduce ourselves and get to know each other better."
After introductions, everyone basically got acquainted. From their conversations, their personalities could be discerned. The first to speak was Chen He, from Shancheng, 21 years old, the oldest, thus becoming the dorm leader. The honest, tall and sturdy young man was Liu Dehui, from Jiangcheng, 20 years old, the second oldest. Li Haochen was the third, and the chubby, slightly lewd one was Liang Minfeng, from Jinyuan, the fourth.
"Hahaha, since we all know each other, let's go out and have a gathering today, the four brothers. My treat!" Chen He said heartily.
Upon hearing that someone was treating them to a meal, Liu Dehui's eyes lit up, and he looked at Chen He like a hungry wolf, "Boss, my appetite is quite large, hehe!"
Liang Minfeng chimed in, "Second brother, get aside. A whole pot of rice should be enough for you. Boss, we must have some drinks, hahaha!"
Li Haochen didn't say anything, just smiled.
"Alright, alright, of course, we'll have drinks since we're happy. Drinks are a must."
The four of them swaggered to a small, affordable restaurant on a nearby food street.
"Come, brothers, cheers!"
"Hahaha, don't be shy, cheers!" Liang Minfeng shouted.
*Clap, clap~!*
The cold, bitter beer paired with spicy grilled skewers was truly a perfect match. After a few drinks, it felt as though they had forgotten their parents, talking about everything from astronomy to geography, embarrassing moments in high school, and being rejected when confessing to girls.
Although Li Haochen hadn't drunk much before, he drank a lot today but didn't feel very drunk. In contrast, Liang Minfeng, who had been boastfully drinking earlier, was already babbling in a drunken stupor.
"Come, come, let's see if Brother Feng can knock you all down today, hic…!"
"Whoosh… whoosh…!"
Chen He and Liu Dehui were also tipsy. Li Haochen, the clearest-headed, was in a difficult situation. He paid the bill, carried Liang Minfeng on his back, and had to drag along the two drunken fellows. It took a great deal of effort to get these three back to the dormitory.
Looking at the three drunken men, Li Haochen smiled, "These guys! But this feeling is quite good."
...
"Wake up, wake up." Li Haochen got up early, ran a few laps on the sports field, and then bought breakfast for the three in the dorm before returning.
"Don't bother me, let me sleep a bit longer." As soon as Liang Minfeng finished speaking, he burrowed back into his quilt and continued to sleep soundly.
Chen He and Liu Dehui had no intention of sleeping any longer. They sat up, rubbing their heads.
"My head is killing me. This alcohol is truly a wicked thing," Chen He grumbled.
"Indeed. Next time someone asks me to drink, I'll beat him up," Liu Dehui said, swaying his head hazily.
Li Haochen smiled, "Alright, hurry up and get up to eat breakfast. We have to meet the class advisor later. Do you want to be remembered by the class advisor on the first day?"
"Oh, right! No way, we have to hurry, otherwise, our future days won't be easy." Chen He jumped up quickly and rushed into the bathroom to wash up. Liu Dehui was not much slower.
Li Haochen flipped open Liang Minfeng's quilt and shouted loudly, "Fourth brother, there's a fire!"
"Ah, fire, let's go!" The chubby Liang Minfeng moved as fast as a hundred-meter sprinter. Just as he reached the door, he realized something was wrong and turned back.
"Damn it, you detestable fellow, disturbing my spring dream! A life-and-death feud, take this…!"
After a bit of commotion, their sleepiness vanished. The three ate the breakfast Li Haochen had bought. No one mentioned who paid the bill last night; everyone understood. This one night of drunken revelry had brought the four of them closer.
As they were about to leave the dormitory, Chen He walked over and patted Li Haochen's shoulder, "Brother, thank you!"
"The word 'brother' is enough!" Li Haochen replied softly without turning his head, his words carrying significant weight.
...
"Classmates!" Luo Bin surveyed the classroom. It was silent. He nodded with satisfaction at the performance of this batch of new students.
"My name is Luo Bin, and I will be your class advisor for the next four years. As long as you don't cause any trouble for me, feel free to discuss any difficulties with me. Of course, money and feelings are negotiable. Otherwise, my wife will chop me up."
"Hahaha…!"
"Teacher Luo is quite humorous!"
"Alright, everyone go back to your own homes and find your own mothers. That's all for today!" Luo Bin said, clapping his hands.
"It's over?"
"What else?"
"Oh yeah, I love you, teacher!"
"+1…"