The surrounding onlookers fell silent.
‘This girl... She even dares to push Tang Jinchen! Why doesn’t she ascend the heavens to accompany the sun while she’s at it?!’
Tang Jinchen had probably never been treated like this before, for anger bubbled up in his heart. “Do you know what crime you’ve committed?!”
“Deliberate harm?” Shi Sheng answered with a calm expression.
“It’s good that you know.” Tang Jinchen climbed the stairs and gazed at Shi Sheng aloofly.“Oh great, you wanna sue me? When you find a lawyer, help me get one too. I wanna sue her for deliberate harm.” Shi Sheng pointed at Qiao Qian’qian.
Tang Jinchen frowned. “Qian’qian didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Well, neither did I.” Shi Sheng’s eyes curved as she smiled.
Tang Jinchen, “...”
‘She actually dares to say that with so many people watching! Does she think they’re blind?!’
“I’m sorry, Xiaochu.” Qiao Qian’qian suddenly and loudly apologised, before lowering her head and running down the stairs without waiting for Shi Sheng to react.
There was a saying that went: when misfortune struck, one could even choke on cold water[1]—Qiao Qian’qian tripped again. And then just so happened to land in Qin Ge’s arms.“Qian’qian!” Tang Jinchen anxiously descended the stairs. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Qiao Qian’qian was a bit dazed from the fall.
Qin Ge helped her regain balance before stepping back, keeping his distance from her.
“Thank you.” Qiao Qian’qian thanked Qin Ge. She hadn’t seen how he looked like before. But now that she did, she was stunned.
“No need.” Qin Ge’s tone was cold. He turned to look back up. The girl that had been standing there was now gone.
Seeing he was acting so indifferently, Qiao Qian’qian didn’t continue speaking, instead turning to look at the spot she’d tripped at.
The stairs were very clean, but she felt like her foot had snagged on something.
There were a few girls standing to the side. If they had stretched out their legs back then, that would explain why she tripped...
......
After the incident at the cafeteria, rumours circulated that Qiao Qian’qian not only seduced Tang Jinchen, but also had eyes on Professor Qin.
She became famous in a short amount of time.
And people also found out who that tough girl at the cafeteria was. Qiao Chu, Qiao Qian’qian’s younger sister.
It was unknown who spilt the beans on the two sisters not having a harmonious relationship, but that provided an explanation for the incident at the cafeteria.
There were some who said that Qiao Chu acted that way to attract Tang Jinchen’s attention. But they really had to admire her—this newly unlocked method was very...domineering.
These people had a fine show to watch, but Shi Sheng suffered.
Qiao-mu heard about this matter from somewhere and wasted no time in calling Shi Sheng to scold her and cut off her allowance.
Qiao Chu wasn’t a very thrifty person, so there wasn’t much money in her card—only enough to support her for a month.
Even if she had money-making skills, she required starting capital ah! Without it, no matter how good she was, she wouldn’t be able to make anything...
‘Who should I find to sponsor me...’
She hadn’t made a plan yet when Chen Xi called her.
“Chu-Chu, you didn’t come to class again? Isn’t this your main subject now? Professor Qin’s face today was as black as the bottom of a wok... You’re definitely the first to dare skip his classes.”
Right now, no one dared to skip Qin Ge’s classes—those that did ‘died’ terribly when they got caught.
The one and only legend that hadn’t been caught despite skipping his classes was the Shi Sheng who’d had her major switched.
“There’s a first time for everything—I’m pioneering a road for you guys. After all, if I don’t go to hell, who will?” Shi Sheng started spouting bullshit.
“...Chu-Chu, don’t be so chuuni.” ‘The last time she pulled that shit about a hero with seven-coloured clouds, and now she’s phrasing this in such an awesome way... But she really just wants to skip classes...’
“Ah right, I’ve been doing a project with my senior lately and we need funding. Come follow me please?”
Shi Sheng snorted. “This is the real reason behind your call, isn’t it?”
“I needed the help of a beauty, didn’t I?” Chen Xi started flattering her. “You don’t know this but just a few words spoken by a beauty are much more useful than several hour-long lectures we give to those beasts.”
“So you’re planning on selling out your friend for profit?”
“C’mon Chu-Chu, help me out here...”
As reality proved, Chen Xi was right. The other party was completely uninterested when they were the ones talking, but the moment Shi Sheng opened her mouth, they grew interested.
But what a shame...it wasn’t in her looks.
“Is this junior also in Computer Science? How come she’s so familiar with our project?” The senior who followed Chen Xi here was confused.
“...She’s the one that Professor Qin is after for always skipping his class.” Chen Xi lowered his voice to answer.
‘She just asked me for the materials on the project on the way here and flipped through them casually... I don’t understand what she’s saying, but the core idea is the same...
Are we really doing the same project...?’
“Ms Qiao, our chairman said that we should offer help to students like you who dare to innovate. A professional will get in touch with you about the contract. If you have any requests, you may raise it with us. If the company feels it to be reasonable, we will give it our utmost consideration.”
Once that person left, Shi Sheng turned around to give Chen Xi an okay sign.
Chen Xi gave her huge thumbs-up in return. If he had been the one to negotiate, he’d have failed for sure.
Shi Sheng’s eyes curved upwards. “The funds total up to 2 mil. I’m taking 1 mil.”
“Ah?” ‘2 mil?!’
Chen Xi was completely stupefied. His attention had been on watching her negotiate—he hadn’t heard the sum she’d mentioned.
2 million was simply an astronomical sum to a research team composed of university students.
‘Just how did she manage to negotiate that amount?! Is this company’s boss just an idiot? Or does he just not know where to spend all his money?!’
They had only expected to obtain 300 to 500k in funding, yet Shi Sheng told them that she managed to get 2 million.
Shi Sheng told them she’d just be borrowing the 1 million and would return it to them soon. She didn’t tell them what she wanted to use it for, but she was the one who’d obtained it for them in the first place—without her, they probably wouldn’t have been able to get a single cent.
And since she said she was going to return it, it wouldn’t be very good for them to reject her.
Though there was a certain amount of risk involved, after the team discussed it, they decided to agree.
When the funds were delivered, Shi Sheng took the 1 million.
Half a month later, it was returned to them in full.
Everyone was dumbstruck. ‘Did you take it just to look at the number???’
When Chen Xi went to withdraw the money, he discovered that there was an extra 200k inside the card.
“Have any of you guys been depositing money in this card?” Chen Xi went to ask his team with the card in hand.
“Nope. I’m so poor, I’m about to eat dirt.” One of his seniors replied while munching a bun.
The senior that had gone to the negotiation along with Chen Xi looked at the card before speaking, “Isn’t this the card Xiaochu returned?”
Of course Chen Xi knew this card was the one returned by that ‘bro’ of his who had recently been appearing and disappearing mysteriously. But there was an extra 200k in the card! Not $20!
“There’s an extra 200k in here.”
“How much?” All the other team members turned to look at him.
Chen Xi extended two fingers.
“...Did Xiaochu forget to take it out?”
“200k isn’t a small number; she probably forgot to take it back. Chen Xi, call her and ask.”
Chen Xi pulled out his phone to call Shi Sheng.
[1] I guess it’d be akin to the English saying: when it rains, it pours? I didn’t use this because I wasn’t 100% sure what it meant. I mean, I’ve come across this saying before and I sorta get the gist but it’s one of those cross-cultural things you’re never really too sure about and so wanna leave as close to the original as possible.
