Chapter 20 – Club Recruitment Day
1421 Words
Lunch Break at the Three‑Cafeteria
After a marathon of back‑to‑back lectures—two morning classes from 8:30 a.m. to 11:50 a.m., then a two‑hour break before the afternoon sessions at 2 p.m.—the four roommates trudged into the Three‑Cafeteria, exhausted.
Monday was the “hell‑ish” day of the week.
The Three‑Cafeteria, however, was a world apart from the tiny One‑Cafeteria. Its food was far tastier, its décor trendy enough to earn the “i********:‑mable” label, and the building itself had two stories—roughly three times the floor space of the One‑Cafeteria.
Hammer Da‑Chui and Li Hao‑Yang attacked their trays like professional eat‑machines, shoveling rice and meat into their mouths with reckless speed.
“Anyone not serious about eating must have a problem with their mindset,” Li Hao‑Yang joked.
The Question of Clubs
Suddenly, Hammer turned to the “coach” for a sudden brainstorm.
“Hey, Coach—our male‑star, Wild‑Kid, the club sign‑ups are about to start. Which clubs do you guys want to join?”
Shen Qiao shook his head.
“I’m not joining any club.”
Li Hao‑Yang, ever the enthusiast for anything active, answered promptly.
“I’m definitely signing up for a sports club—ideally a fitness club!”
Luo Ye was still undecided. He shrugged and replied casually.
“I don’t know yet—let fate decide.”
Hearing their non‑committal tones, Hammer’s face twisted into that familiar expression of frustrated paternal disappointment. He spoke solemnly, as if delivering a lecture.
“Listen up, kids. We have to earn credits. Joining clubs and taking part in activities is the most efficient way to get those credits.”
Shen Qiao gave him a half‑smile, half‑scoff.
“Lost track of your generation, huh? Still watching old videos?”
Hammer, trying to defend his authority, snapped back.
“Fake! That’s obviously fake—everyone in computer science can splice a video in a heartbeat. You’re the one who’s being reckless, trying to frame your father!”
“Dad!”
At that moment Shen Qiao pulled out his phone. A video popped up—Hammer’s own shouted “Dad!” clip was playing on loop. He had even set it as his alarm, so every morning at 8 a.m. the roommate’s dorm would echo with that word.
“Shen Qiao! I’ll never get along with you for the next four years of college!”
Luo Ye and Li Hao‑Yang burst out laughing.
“The club sign‑up period lasts three days. If today’s too busy, we can check them out tomorrow,” Li Hao‑Yang suggested.
Each club had set up a recruiting booth along the main campus walk‑way, displaying posters and handing out flyers to entice freshmen.
“You go, I’ll stay here,” Shen Qiao said, clearly uninterested.
Speaking of Shen Qiao, he’d already become a bit of a campus legend. Among the new freshmen was a fresh‑face “school flower” named Tang En‑Qi. But with Su Bai‑Zhou already on campus, Tang could only be a freshman‑level beauty, never the university’s top‐ranking “school flower.”
As for the male side, there was also a jaw‑dropping, good‑looking “god‑type” student—none other than Shen Qiao himself. The 515‑room’s “male star” possessed the fresh‑meat looks of a junior idol, causing a stream of admirers to swoon.
Despite his good looks, Shen Qiao was introverted; aside from his three dorm mates, he hardly knew anyone else on campus, not even classmates.
“Alright, tomorrow we’ll see which club has the most girls.”
Hammer’s eyes gleamed with mischievous excitement. He’d already decided that whatever club he joined, he wanted a good supply of female members. He kept his lecherous thoughts to himself—outside the dorm, he pretended to be a model citizen.
Day 2: The Real Recruitment Fair
The next afternoon arrived, and the Computer Science department finally had a free slot. The three roommates wandered among the various recruitment booths, dazzled by a kaleidoscope of performances, posters, and demos.
Hammer’s gaze locked onto the dance club and the anime club. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward a cosplayer dressed as Asuna from Sword Art Online.
“Hey, beautiful—can I join the anime club?” he asked, earnest.
“Sure! The anime club always welcomes freshmen,” the cosplayer replied sweetly, instantly pulling Hammer into the welcoming embrace of the club’s world.
Inside the anime club’s space, senior members performed a polished “otaku dance.” Though Hammer wasn’t in costume, his surprisingly smooth moves outshone everyone else. The onlookers gasped—he was a natural talent, a prodigy of the anime club.
Luo Ye and Li Hao‑Yang watched, mouths agape, while the other two roommates knew the truth: Hammer wasn’t a prodigy at all. He was just a hardcore otaku with a flair for the dramatic—a self‑proclaimed “social butterfly” within clubs.
Li Hao‑Yang headed straight for the Fitness Enthusiasts Association, while Luo Ye drifted toward the Literature Club.
The Literature Club’s booth sat right next to the Magazine Club’s table. Luo Ye stood in the middle, instantly catching the attention of two senior girls—one from each club. Both girls’ eyes lit up at the sight of the handsome, neatly‑dressed freshman.
The two seniors—each representing a rival club—stood face to face, like mountain peaks about to clash. Their expressions turned fierce as they each tried to recruit Luo Ye.
“Junior!” (both shouted in unison)
“Join our… magazine club!” / “Join our literature club!”
The girls locked eyes, their voices rising in a playful but intense debate.
“The last freshman you recruited was stolen by the magazine club. This one belongs to the literature club.”
“What’s that about? Is it one‑person‑one‑sign‑up? Our magazine club has more resources, so it’s the obvious choice.”
“The literature club is the top club at the university—your impostor!”
“The magazine club may be newer, but we have a higher readership. The next issue of the campus newspaper will feature us prominently.”
Both clubs were vying for a slice of the university’s monthly club‑fund allocation, so the rivalry was fierce.
Luo Ye stood frozen, unsure where to go.
At that moment, a calm, authoritative voice cut through the commotion.
“What are you doing?”
Both seniors turned, their expressions instantly softening. The voice belonged to Su Bai‑Zhou, the senior student‑government president, who was already a third‑year but still held senior leadership status.
“Club recruitment is not a battle for freshmen,” Su Bai‑Zhou said gently. “Please step back.”
The two seniors bowed quickly, retreating to their respective tables, muttering apologies:
“Sorry, Senior Su. We understand.”
“We’ll respect the rules.”
Su Bai‑Zhou turned to Luo Ye, her eyes curious yet kind.
“Where do you want to go?” she asked softly.
“I… I haven’t decided yet. I just wanted to see what the arts clubs are like.”
Luo Ye explained that, as an online‑novel writer, he was mainly interested in literary clubs, but he felt overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the two opposing groups.
“Senior, are you here to keep order?” he asked.
“No, I’m here for recruitment.”
She smiled faintly.
“I’m the president of the Han‑fu Society.”
She then stepped around Luo Ye, heading toward the Han‑fu booth, cradling a bright red traditional costume in her arms. She’d been in such a hurry that she hadn’t yet put it on.
The scene settled. The freshmen crowd continued to swarm the booths, but the tension over Luo Ye had evaporated. He still had a decision to make, yet at least now the “ice‑queen” of the campus had taken the spotlight, and the day moved forward.
- Writer
