There was no fight in the end, but Zhao Hao was scared to death. He couldn't figure out how Zhou Yuwen, a freshman who had just arrived, could suddenly gather more than seventy loyal brothers! To Zhao Hao, it seed like Zhou Yuwen was part of a real gang. As a senior near graduation, Zhao Hao didn't want to get involved in such nonsense.
"Bro, it's all a misunderstanding!" Zhao Hao quickly sought peace even before Liu Shuo could say anything.
"Misunderstanding, my ass! Weren't we supposed to fight? Let's go! Gang fight or one-on-one?" Liu Shuo, feeling invincible with seventy brothers behind him, challenged confidently.
"No, no, bro, we're all civilized people," Zhao Hao pleaded with a forced smile and turned to Zhou Yuwen for help.
Zhou Yuwen, who hadn't expected such a turnout, said, "Weren't you the one asking whether we should settle this peacefully or through violence? What are the terms for each?"
Zhao Hao felt ashad. Without a word, he grabbed three bottles of beer from the barbecue stall owner, raised one towards Zhou Yuwen, and said, "Brother Zhou, today's incident is my fault. I'll drink this to apologize!" He then downed a bottle of beer in one go.
"Just one bottle?" Liu Shuo, arms crossed, sneered.
Zhao Hao glanced at Zhou Yuwen, who remained silent, then picked up another bottle to drink. But before he could, Zhou Yuwen said, "Forget it. My girlfriend was indeed at fault."
Zhao Hao sighed in relief.
Zhou Yuwen continued, "She's new to university and doesn't understand many social nuances."
"No, no, it's my sister who doesn't understand. Brother, I didn't take this matter seriously at all. We agents know that those who lower their prices don't last long. It was my sister who insisted... Let's not bring this up again!" Zhao Hao waved his hand dismissively.
Zhou Yuwen offered to refund the money to those who got their cards, but Zhao Hao refused, saying he was graduating soon and didn't want any further trouble. They agreed to leave the matter there, and Zhao Hao quickly departed with his group.
Zhao Hao couldn’t understand how Zhou Yuwen gathered so many people. While initially troubling, the incident soon beca a sensational story on the university forum, and photos were shared widely.
People started to speculate about Zhou Yuwen's ability to beco the campus card agent for the entire Xianlin University City as a freshman. Many believed he must have so powerful connections, perhaps even involving high-ranking officials, which explained his rapid rise.
More elaborate rumors included claims that Zhou Yuwen's father was a high-ranking official in the province, which justified his dominant position in the campus card business, which could easily bring in tens of thousands of yuan. These speculations were bolstered by the fact that Zhou Yuwen could summon a large group of people at a mont's notice.
So even claid Zhou Yuwen was part of the mythical "Xu Zhou Association," a supposed underground organization in southern Jiangsu. This idea gained traction despite the fact that most people had only heard of the association's na and had never seen any real evidence of its existence.
Liu Shuo's friends, who knew what actually happened, were also influenced by the rumors and started to believe in the exaggerated stories. The class representative of chanical Engineering Class 2, who had witnessed the events, now treated Liu Shuo with great respect, even offering him cigarettes and asking, "Brother, are you part of the Xu Zhou Association?"
"Uh?" Liu Shuo, who loved bragging, took the opportunity to embellish the story further.
Zhou Yuwen wanted to focus on his studies, but Liu Shuo, who had a history of acting tough, enjoyed the newfound respect. He even started calling himself the "Great Guardian of the Xu Zhou Association."
Inspired by his tales, so enthusiastic students even approached him, "Brother, I want to join the Xu Zhou Association!"
"Hey! We don't just let anyone in!" Liu Shuo would say, enjoying his role.
While mostly baseless, these rumors significantly bolstered Zhou Yuwen and Liu Shuo's reputations. Zhou Yuwen's position as the campus card agent was solidified, and no one dared challenge him. People believed stories of how he had beaten a rival agent into submission.
Liu Shuo also benefited by gaining influence within the school’s external relations departnt. The departnt head, who exploited students by underpaying them for wedding jobs, was forced to be more respectful to Liu Shuo.
When the students discovered the truth about their pay being shortchanged, they turned to Liu Shuo for help.
"Brother Shuo, you're part of the Xu Zhou Association! We're your brothers; you have to stand up for us!"
"Of course! If they're cheating you, they're cheating !" Liu Shuo promised, ready to take action.
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