Chen Yang sat in the classroom, observing the students neatly divided into two rows, female students in the front and male students in the back, a clear demarcation.
His gaze swept across the classmates, hoping to see if any of the original students, besides his two roommates, had been swayed off course by the butterfly effect of his actions.
Unfortunately, apart from a few active class cadres from his school days, most of the students were unfamiliar to him.
He couldn't recall their appearances from decades ago when they were young either. So after a long scan, Chen Yang couldn't tell who had changed or who hadn't.
As the classroom gradually filled up, Zhang Yingying, who had been guarding the door earlier, closed it and walked directly onto the podium.
"Hello everyone, all 46 students of our Class of '79, Department of Economics, Accounting 2, are present. We will now have an opening meeting."
"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Zhang Yingying, and I am your class counselor, as well as your Western Economics lecturer."
It wasn't like later times back then. Counselors were full-time positions. Because the college entrance examination had just been reinstated, many schools lacked not only students but also teachers. Therefore, many lecturers or even professors served as counselors.
As Zhang Yingying finished her introduction, Chen Yang was stunned. What? This girl was their counselor?
Their counselor should have been Zhang Chengshan. This man was a future president of Fudan University, a giant in academia, and had mentored countless elites in politics and business.
Not performing well at school and failing to build a good relationship with him was one of Chen Yang's later regrets.
Who would have known that such an academic titan would be so low-key, serving as a counselor at a small school like Huadong College of Finance and Economics.
But now, this golden opportunity was gone!
Chen Yang was almost dumbfounded, and so were many of the students present.
Anyone would be stunned to have such a young and beautiful female counselor. Even though they were all university students, they had never seen a woman with such exceptional temperament and looks as Zhang Yingying. Su Dan novel network.
Chen Yang looked at the ethereal female counselor on the stage, feeling a bitter regret.
He didn't know how his rebirth butterfly wings had veered so drastically, not only scattering his roommates but also inexplicably changing his counselor.
Chen Yang could only silently pray that Zhang Chengshan would still be their Statistics lecturer. That way, he would still have a chance to connect with him.
"How about this, I see you're all not familiar with each other. Let's all introduce ourselves so everyone can get to know each other, and we can also elect some class cadres."
"With class cadres, it will be easier for future class management, as well as for resolving daily issues and difficulties encountered in life."
Zhang Yingying looked at the students in the audience. Most of the girls unconsciously lowered their heads when her gaze swept over them. It couldn't be helped, her aura was too good; the girls felt inferior.
The boys, when she looked at them, became even more shy and lowered their heads, until her gaze fell upon Chen Yang.
She noticed that this student, not only showed no shyness or blushing, but instead sighed as if deeply regretful.
This made Zhang Yingying somewhat puzzled. Although she had never paid much attention to her appearance, she knew that in this school, few women could compare to her.
This was the first time she had encountered a student sighing while looking at her.
This also sparked her interest in this young student. Zhang Yingying remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she was already planning to observe this special student carefully during the self-introductions.
After Zhang Yingying finished, she proceeded with the standard self-introductions.
Most people went up and said, "My name is XXX, I'm from XXX province, I'm XXX years old, etc."
Some of the more lively ones might talk about their hobbies or what they were good at.
Chen Yang had gone through similar situations countless times when interviewing for executive assistant positions in his previous life.
Everyone who appeared before him was an elite carefully selected by the company's human resources department, and their self-introductions were impeccable.
Many were fluent in English and French, showcasing their talents and abilities from all angles.
Compared to these aspiring elites, the self-introductions of these young university students today were worlds apart, so Chen Yang found none of them impressive.
These self-introductions, in Chen Yang's eyes, were unexceptional and ordinary.
It was soon Chen Yang's turn, but he didn't want to stand out at all.
He was afraid that if this counselor impulsively chose him as a class cadre, he would be in trouble. Chen Yang came to study to build connections and then engage in business in his spare time; he had no time to be a class cadre.
So, Chen Yang also chose the most ordinary method of self-introduction. He went to the podium and spoke to the students below.
"My name is Chen Yang, and I'm from Jinling."
Chen Yang's introduction was very brief. After finishing, he prepared to leave the stage. Standing there, he felt a chill down his spine, as if something was staring at him.
"Wait a moment, student Chen Yang. Your self-introduction is too brief. At least introduce your hobbies, so it's easier for everyone to get to know you?"
Zhang Yingying looked at Chen Yang, who seemed distracted. This student was truly unusual. Others were shy or nervous and didn't have much to say.
But Zhang Yingying could see that Chen Yang wasn't nervous or shy at all. He simply didn't take it seriously, or rather, he didn't want to expend any effort introducing himself and competing for a class cadre position.
The more indifferent he appeared, the more Zhang Yingying wanted Chen Yang to give a detailed self-introduction.
"My name is Chen Yang, from Jinling City, Jiangsu Province. I went to the countryside in Anhui Province in 1973 as a sent-down youth. There's nothing else worth introducing."
"I don't have any particular hobbies. If I had to say, it would be making money, working hard to make life better for myself and my family."
Chen Yang glanced at Zhang Yingying, feeling very puzzled. He had been as low-key as possible, so why was she singling him out?
Chen Yang also looked bewildered. Unbeknownst to him, it was precisely because of his overly calm demeanor that Zhang Yingying's competitive spirit was ignited.
"Student Chen Yang, you are still a student now. Your primary goal should be learning. Study hard, acquire knowledge, and contribute to the great motherland."
Zhang Yingying looked at Chen Yang. People nowadays always talked about the country and society. Someone as direct as Chen Yang was truly rare.
Chen Yang looked at Zhang Yingying as if she were an idiot. He wasn't at school to study. Even getting a doctorate would have limited achievements. His main purpose was to build connections at school.
And then, coincidentally, do good business in Shanghai. Shanghai was a crucial part of his future industrial layout. The Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta were to become the most important commercial hubs in the country.