I am a Big Player
Chapter 225 - 223. Return from the Study Tour (First Update) _1

Chapter 225: 223. Return from the Study Tour (First Update) _1

This was still the first time the Croatian Rhapsody had appeared in the auditory reach of the entire school. Last time it was played, only Liu Jiamin had heard it, so when Liu Jiamin posted that this song was very pleasant to the ear, everyone didn’t actually have a concrete feeling: how pleasant could it be?

Now, as the Croatian Rhapsody echoed through the entire comprehensive building, countless people were immersed in this music.

Quite a few people knew that this music was coming from the Qinghe Club, so the person playing the piano must be Liu Jiamin, right? The old principal had visited the newly renovated headquarters of the Qinghe Club, and to be honest, he was a bit surprised when he saw the piano—it wasn’t that he was unaware of Liu Jiamin’s family circumstances; he simply didn’t have a better solution. After all, one couldn’t just demand others to stop using the piano room, could they?

In No.4 Middle School, the dignity of each student was respected, so even if Liu Jiamin’s piano skills were the best, she couldn’t receive any more preferential treatment than anyone else.

Now that she finally had her own piano, the old principal was relieved. He hadn’t expected Ren He to take this matter into account when running the club, but was the Qinghe Club really making money like this now?

In fact, aside from a 20,000 yuan design fee for the renovation, all other expenses were covered by the income from board and card games. The money-making ability of the murder-mystery games had begun to show, and running a club was more than manageable. Moreover, in his previous life, murder-mystery games had been on the rise since the last century and had remained popular right up until Ren He’s transmigration.

Everyone thought it was Liu Jiamin playing the piano, but why had they never heard this piece before?

At that time, most of the people in the comprehensive building were teachers, but there were still students asking in the forum, "What was the piece that Liu Jiamin played at the Qinghe Club this afternoon? It felt very pleasant but I don’t know the name, and it seemed like I’ve never heard it before."

No one could answer him, and it was at this point that people started to speculate—could this be a new piece?

However, Liu Jiamin replied very honestly below the post, "It wasn’t me playing."

This reply immediately shrouded the piece in a layer of mystery. Who else could play the piano? Liu Bing? Jiang Haoyang? Li Yifan? None of them.

Since these three were locals, many alumni knew them well: Liu Bing could play the drum set, so could Li Yifan, but they had never been seen playing the piano.

When someone asked if Jiang Haoyang had any special talents, an old classmate of Jiang Haoyang replied in the thread, "He can whistle..."

Pfft, what the heck is whistling.

That left only one person, Ren He?

Everyone had heard Ren He’s guitar, and it was indeed pleasing to the ear, but to say that he also had such high proficiency in the piano... that was a bit startling! Could it be that he was a music specialist all along?!

In one’s school days, when someone truly begins to shine, there will be many people who gravitate towards him—it’s the most common phenomenon.

The tender feelings of youth usually come without any defenses. At that time, you would run two kilometers to buy a couple of sets of chicken wings for the girl you liked, or tirelessly fold thousands of origami cranes for her. It seemed as though back then, everything was still shrouded in romance, each action carrying a bit of a moth-to-the-flame determination.

Back then, everyone was still innocent; like was simply like.

As you grow up, sometimes you might hesitate to confess your affection for someone, fearing they may not reciprocate or might reject you. If your efforts are not rewarded, then it’s better to let it go.

It seems the more we mature, the more we value face and pragmatism, and there you sit on the opposite shore of the river, waiting for someone else to be brave. You wait and wait and wait, only to endow yourself with hollow disappointment.

At this time, it was inevitable that some would harbor a secret fondness for Ren He when he single-handedly established the Qinghe Club and achieved unimaginable honors at school. He wasn’t ugly either, with a 3-point bonus to his charm attributes.

Even senior girls in their second year would occasionally discuss: Oh, the president of the Qinghe Club from the first year seems pretty great.

At this time, some people would wonder if, with such a talent emerging from No.4 Middle School, it might be possible to win over Yang Xi. But no one would actually say it out loud, and those top students who harbored some thoughts about Yang Xi were getting restless.

What clubs competed for was prestige among their peers. Stimulated by the Qinghe Club, all sorts of club activities blossomed at school as everyone vied to host events.

Some would even send invitations to Ren He inviting their Qinghe Club to mixers, but Ren He and his group hardly had the time.

On the other hand, some wealthy clubs would include fruit platters or appetizers during their events, which the Qinghe Club members found quite convenient...

No.4 Middle School did not allow ordering takeout because a student had once become ill from eating unsanitary delivery food. Therefore, following that incident, the school issued a command to forbid ordering takeout.

So sometimes, after school, Ren He and his friends would seize the opportunity to snag some food at other clubs’ events and then return to the studio in the comprehensive building to work on fixing their murder-mystery game, patching up various bugs and developing new features.

The affluent clubs were baffled. What kind of behavior was this? At first, everyone was happy to see the Qinghe Club attending in full force, but this bunch treated the place like a cafeteria, eating and leaving without any intention to socialize!

The snacks and fruit platters at these club activities were specially ordered from the school’s master chefs by the wealthy clubs. Although these dishes made the events look high-class, the taste was just average. The most outrageous was Ren He, who, while eating others’ food, consoled his friends, "Life is tough at school, let’s make do. Over the weekend, we can use the club funds to go out for a nice meal and improve our living conditions."

To eat and still complain – aside from Ren He, hardly anyone could pull off such a feat...

The Qinghe Club started to become somewhat of an oddity in school, not keen on interacting with other clubs and displaying an image of being very busy, sometimes bursting into wild laughter. These tales earned the Qinghe Club a new label amongst others: eccentric.

Yet sometimes, this kind of eccentric distance evoked a unique sense of awe in others.

The hardest club to get involved with had to be the most formidable, the one that marched to the beat of its own drum had to be the most intriguing, and it was precisely because of the Qinghe Club’s nonconformity that people felt differently about it. Some even joked on forums: There are two kinds of clubs at No.4 Middle School; Qinghe Club, and all the other clubs.

It was at this time that Lin Zhichen and Su Tiexi from senior year three returned from their aid work in Africa, nearly a month into the school year.

In fact, most people know or have heard of someone like this: while others diligently studied during their senior year, this group was already prepared to go abroad, with many even holding acceptance letters from top universities overseas. They would never experience the hard work of senior year and could instead enjoy life more.

All seven members of the Travel and Study Club who participated in the African aid work, including Lin Zhichen and Su Tiexi, were such people, and they all were heading to top schools within the Ivy League in the United States. Before the Qinghe Club came into prominence, the Travel and Study Club had always been considered the premier club at No.4 Middle School, aside from the student council, a ranking now blurred in the minds of the students.