Chapter 599 - 378: You Are the Best... Hot Potato (Part 2)

Xue Rui was being led inside with his arm linked by a beautiful senior, drawing the envious gazes of all the guys around them.

Suddenly, Jiang Yuan grabbed his other arm. "Don’t go in. It’s better to talk out here."

Propped up between the two girls, Xue Rui found the sensation rather novel.

’I’ve fantasized more than once about having Lin Ruoxi on my left and Gu Muxue on my right...’

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his arm, pulling Xue Rui back from his thoughts.

Jiang Yuan said coldly to Cheng Nian, "What did you plan on saying to him inside?"

Xue Rui grinned. "What else? They’d offer me some acceptable terms to shut me up, and then the Student Union would give the issue the cold shoulder publicly."

Public relations, right? It’s always the same old playbook.

Cheng Nian suddenly looked up at Xue Rui. She let go of his arm and took a step back, her eyes filled with astonishment.

Xue Rui’s guess was spot on. She couldn’t believe those were words coming from a freshman.

’This is going to be trouble. He’s a tough nut to crack.’

"You’re quite dedicated to your duties. Why didn’t you speak up just now?" Xue Rui asked.

"I thought you had a personal conflict with him," Cheng Nian said without hesitation, revealing her assumption.

A slow smile spread across Xue Rui’s face. ’And just like that, I’ve got more ammunition.’

Seeing the expression on Xue Rui’s face, Cheng Nian instantly realized she’d misspoken. She quickly covered her mouth and shot a pitying glance at Sun Xiaoran.

Xue Rui raised his voice. "Everyone, listen to this! The vice-minister herself knows what he’s like—using his public post to settle private grudges. Sounds like this isn’t the first time, is it?"

Only after saying this did Xue Rui pause to think. ’When did I ever offend Sun Xiaoran?’

Hmm... Xue Rui couldn’t recall a thing.

Because he had way too many "enemies" at school to even count.

’Who knows, maybe Sun Xiaoran was just jealous that I have "Senior Sister Xigua" for a girlfriend.’

"This is so corrupt! Who needs to join the External Relations Department anyway!"

"Isn’t there a professor who can do something about this?"

The onlookers’ anger flared as they listened, and they instinctively empathized with Xue Rui.

At that moment, Sun Xiaoran stood rooted to the spot, his fists clenched white and his face flushed red. The blame kept piling up on him, one layer after another. A chill ran through him, and the sounds around him seemed to be coming from underwater, muffled and indistinct.

’I only used a tiny bit of power on my own turf. Did I really make such a huge mistake? Why did it cause such a disaster?’

’They’re even going to report me to a professor?’

’This world is too cruel!’

Compared to the crushing weight of the blame that left him breathless, he would much rather confess his mistakes to a professor and admit to all his "crimes."

Helplessness and grievance washed over Sun Xiaoran. Any explanation he could offer now would be pale and powerless. He kept glancing toward the door, hoping a professor would walk in soon and free him.

Soon, a few senior students pushed their way authoritatively through the crowd. The one in the center shouted, "Everyone, quiet down! What’s going on? Someone come and tell me privately."

A flicker of light appeared in Sun Xiaoran’s eyes. He muttered to himself, his voice trembling, "Finally."

"The Student Union Chairman, Fan Kangjie," Jiang Yuan whispered to Xue Rui.

Xue Rui couldn’t even be bothered to turn around. He was in the right today, and he was going to press his advantage. He had come to the interview as the "client," so to speak. Forget the fact that these "lackeys" didn’t even offer him tea or water—they threw his photo in the trash! Where was he supposed to go for justice?

"What an injustice!" Xue Rui beat his chest and stomped his feet, looking for all the world like he was about to lie down in front of the External Relations Department’s door and refuse to leave.

The crowd of onlookers had shifted, and a new wave of people had arrived. The newcomers were surprised to find they couldn’t make heads or tails of the drama.

"What’s going on?" many people whispered, asking those around them.

"That guy at the door is a freshman, and he’s being bullied by the head of the External Relations Department in there."

"Huh? It doesn’t look like he’s the one being bullied."

The department head inside the classroom was on the verge of tears. As for Xue Rui at the door...

"I think... it’s hard to say. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions just yet," a student who had just arrived said, shaking his head.

"What’s so hard to say? You just don’t know what Sun Xiaoran did..." The original onlooker recounted what had just happened, then pointed at Qian Huabiao and said:

"Look at that student over there. His face is dark with anger."

Qian Huabiao’s expression darkened. He hated it when people said his face was dark.

"See? See? It’s even darker now..."

...

"Chairman Fan, that’s the gist of it. Let’s go inside for the details."

Fan Kangjie listened to Cheng Nian’s description and the chatter from the surrounding onlookers. Although he hadn’t grasped the full story, he knew his people were in the wrong. He shot a look at his companions, then smilingly put an arm around Xue Rui’s shoulder.

"Hey, let’s talk inside. It’s too hot out here." Xue Rui was then forcefully dragged into the classroom by several burly upperclassmen.

Jiang Yuan tried to follow them in, but a senior sister grabbed her arm.

"Xue Rui, I’ll go get a professor for you!" Jiang Yuan shouted.

"It’s fine! Don’t worry about me," Xue Rui said with a wave of his hand.

The peacemaker, Fan Kangjie, had finally shown up. He was exactly who Xue Rui had been waiting for. Now that the doors were closed, the real negotiations could begin. The public drama before was just to build up some leverage.

Stepping back into the interview room, Xue Rui no longer had the attitude of a "naive freshman." Ignoring who was a senior and who wasn’t, he shrugged off Fan Kangjie’s arm, dragged a nearby chair to the middle of the room, sat down, and held out his hand toward Cheng Nian.

Cheng Nian froze for a second before handing Xue Rui the tea she had poured earlier.

Fan Kangjie and the other department heads with him exchanged a look. ’What the hell is going on?’

’Ordering the vice-minister to fetch him a drink? Is this fucking guy a freshman?’

Xue Rui took a sip of tea and said, "Senior Brother Fan, weren’t you the one who told me to sit down?"