The $3 shirt
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CHAPTER 1: The $3 Shirt
The morning bell of Levy University rang at 7 AM, but Smady had already been awake for three hours.
He lived in the cheapest dormitory, Room 404, where the window was broken and winter wind came in like a knife. His roommates were all rich second generations who drove BMWs to school, but Smady only had a second-hand bicycle that squeaked every time he pedaled.
He looked at his shirt in the small cracked mirror. It was a faded white shirt he bought from Riverside Town market for $3. His mother had washed it so many times that the collar was soft and thin. But it was clean. Very clean.
"Smady! Are you still wearing that beggar shirt?" His roommate Zhao Kai laughed loudly while putting on his Armani jacket. "Today is the opening ceremony. The Campus Belle Vee will be there. If she sees you in that $3 shirt, she will think our dorm is a refugee camp!"
The other roommates laughed too.
Smady didn't answer. He just folded his notebook carefully. His notebook was full of stock market charts. While other students played games, Smady was studying the financial market. He knew that knowledge was the only way out of poverty. His parents carried bricks at the construction site in Riverside Town from 5 AM to 9 PM for only 800 shillings a day. He couldn't let them down.
Levy University was the top university in Capital City. Only two types of students could enter: super rich or super genius. Smady was the second type. He got full scholarship, ranked number one in the whole country in the entrance exam.
But genius didn't mean respect here. Money meant respect.
At the grand auditorium, thousands of students were seated. On the stage, the principal was speaking about dreams. In the front row, sat the most shining girl in the whole university - Vee.
Vee Sung. The Campus Belle. Heiress of Sung Family, one of the top four families in Capital City. She was wearing a simple white dress, but even simple dress couldn't hide her beauty. Her long black hair, her clear eyes, and that Lamborghini parked outside that everyone knew was hers.
Beside Vee sat Young Master Lee. Lee Family was also top rich. He was wearing a Rolex worth $50,000 and he looked at Vee with eyes full of possession. Everyone knew Lee Family wanted to arrange marriage with Sung Family. Young Master Lee thought Vee was already his fiancée.
"Vee, after ceremony, my father booked the whole Grand Hotel for your birthday dinner," Lee whispered to Vee, trying to be gentle. "I prepared a diamond necklace worth $100,000 for you."
Vee frowned slightly and moved her chair away. "Lee, I told you, don't arrange my birthday. I have my own plans."
Lee's face became ugly, but he forced a smile.
At that moment, the principal called, "Now, let's invite our top scholarship student, Smady from Riverside Town, to speak about his dream!"
A spotlight hit Smady who was sitting in the last row.
All eyes turned. Laughter started immediately.
"Look! $3 shirt! Hahaha!"
"Is that from a garbage bin?"
"How can a poor brick carrier's son stand on our stage?"
Smady stood up slowly. His legs were shaking, not from fear, but from anger. He held his notebook tight. He walked step by step to the stage, every step was heavy. His old shoes made a creaking sound on the expensive marble floor.
Young Master Lee sneered loudly on purpose, "Principal, are you sure? Letting a poor guy teach us about dreams? His dream is probably to have a shirt without holes!"
The whole auditorium burst into laughter.
Vee suddenly stood up. Her beautiful face was angry.
"Lee! Shut up!"
The auditorium became silent instantly. No one dared to offend Vee.
Vee walked directly to the stage, under thousands of shocked eyes, she took Smady's hand. Her hand was soft and warm. Smady's hand was rough from helping his parents carry bricks during holidays.
"Don't listen to them," Vee whispered to Smady, only he could hear. "Your shirt is clean. Their hearts are dirty."
Then she turned to all students and said loudly, "I, Vee Sung, think Smady is the most handsome boy today. Because he earned his place here with his brain, not with his father's money!"
Everyone was shocked. Young Master Lee's face turned from red to black. He crushed his Rolex in anger.
Smady looked at Vee. For the first time in his 18 years of poor life, a girl from another world held his hand. His $3 shirt suddenly didn't feel cheap anymore.
But he knew, from this moment, he had made a deadly enemy - Young Master Lee.
And his peaceful poor life was over.
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