Chapter Three: The Belle of Yangcheng University of Technology

Shen Ye had just opened a branch in Yangcheng, and naturally, he would not act rashly and go hunting villains right away.

After all, he had already drawn suspicion once before for killing Lu Youwei. Although he had eventually cleared his name, the police might still keep an eye on him from time to time.

If, as soon as he arrived in Yangcheng, the infamous Chopstick Killer began his murders in the city, then, well, his own level of suspicion would skyrocket instantly.

And so, time slipped by almost unnoticed. Four months passed in the blink of an eye.

It was now November.

At Yangcheng Institute of Technology, the newly enrolled freshmen were beginning to settle in, growing more familiar with their new environment and starting to stir restlessly. Some of them, having been deeply influenced by the novels they read, even began compiling a list of the top ten campus beauties on the university forum.

“They always say our tech university has no beauties. We refuse to believe it! We must make a list of the top ten beauties, just to show those teacher-training and music colleges a thing or two.”

“I think the number one spot should go to Senior Yu Yajing from the third year. She’s tall, beautiful, always smiling—she gives people the feeling of a gentle spring breeze. And she’s the president of the student council.”

“I agree, Senior Yu deserves first place.”

“She’s warm and courteous to everyone, and they say her family background is impressive too—a classic rich beauty. If I could win her over, I’d save myself thirty years of struggle,” someone named Broad and Deep chimed in.

“Wake up, Broad! With your looks, you think you could nab a girl like Senior Yu? Leave it to me.” This came from a familiar forum ID called Seven Feet. Sometimes, looking at these usernames, one couldn’t help but marvel at the depth and richness of the Chinese language.

“I think the Zeng sisters from the second year—Zeng Rou and Zeng Ou—are both quite something.”

“Yes, the elder sister Zeng Rou is gentle and beautiful, the younger Zeng Ou is lively and cute. The sisters look so alike—if any man could win them both, well, that would be the luck of kings. I’d be green with envy.” This time the reply came from the sinister ID Stem Controls Hole, who was rumored to have previously used the handle Passionate Ancient Path. That username was so outrageous that even those who called themselves “evil crowd” on the forum couldn’t handle it.

“Chen Meina, the new freshman, is also very pretty. She caught the eyes of many second- and third-year wolves the moment she arrived.”

“Beware of fire, theft, and senior brothers.”

“Second, third, and fourth-year seniors, have some pity for us freshmen! There are so few of our own girls as it is—if you all snatch them, we’re doomed,” one freshman lamented.

A third-year senior sighed in response, “Oh, my dear juniors, we seniors suffer too. Our school has always been known for its lack of girls. Each year, there are barely any worth noticing. After waiting so long for a new batch of freshmen, how could we miss our chance? Do you want us to graduate as virgins? Don’t worry, you still have three more years’ worth of junior girls ahead.”

Eventually, both seniors and juniors on the forum sighed in unison: “There really are too few girls at the tech university.”

They soon discovered that, with so few female students, it was nearly impossible to fill a top ten campus beauty list—there simply weren’t ten high-quality candidates.

Some suggested adding a few lower-tier girls, but then what kind of beauty ranking would that be?

One proposed candidate was immediately shot down. “She’s nothing special to look at.”

“Not only is she unattractive, she’s as flat as a board—trying to bring balance to the world with that chest?”

“She’s downright eye-burning.”

Finally, one forum member spoke up, “Have you ever been to that little restaurant by the seaside near the school? There’s a waitress there who is absolutely stunning. Her features are exquisite, she’s just a bit on the short side, but her figure—especially her chest—is incredible. Why not include her in the top ten beauties list? After all, we can’t find ten on campus.”

“That waitress at Seaside Cottage, surname Wen, is indeed gorgeous. Her looks are on par with the nine campus beauties we just listed, and her figure is truly impressive. She isn’t much older than us, so why not?”

“But she’s not a student here—doesn’t that feel wrong?” some protested.

The debate continued for a while, and in the end, the top ten beauties list became the top nine, but Wen Xiuting’s beauty became widely discussed on the Yangcheng Tech forum.

Yangcheng Institute of Technology was considered one of the better schools in the Guangdong region, despite its shortage of female students.

A school like that would naturally have a crop of talented individuals, but inevitably also those who got in through connections.

Take Young Master Qin, Qin Yan, for example.

His background was anything but ordinary. His father, Qin Zhengtian, came from a distinguished family. He loved to brag about how he made his first fortune selling potatoes, always mentioning how northern corn had to be transported south via Hong Kong, which raised the cost. If you shipped directly from the north to Shenzhen, you could make a tidy profit. So Qin Zhengtian went to the Guangdong Maritime Bureau and convinced them to open a southern shipping line. He had no money, so he persuaded them to deliver the goods first and promised to settle the bill six months later.

“I just spotted that business opportunity and made my first clean two million,” Qin Zhengtian often boasted.

But in the climate of the 1980s, if he were just an ordinary man, who would have delivered goods to him on credit?

Moreover, Qin Yan’s second uncle was also no ordinary figure—he had reached the rank of provincial governor. In Yangcheng, that wasn’t the highest, but certainly nothing to scoff at. Of course, his uncle must have earned that position solely through his own abilities—surely, absolutely, and positively.

Qin Yan’s third aunt married a business tycoon.

His fourth uncle was likewise a business tycoon.

The entire family was remarkable—truly a clan of heroes and magnates.

As a typical representative of such a lineage, Young Master Qin Yan, despite scoring only 130 points on the college entrance exam, was admitted to Yangcheng Tech, which required more than 500 points.

As people in their circle liked to say, “What use is a single test score? The college entrance exam is unreasonable. Our children have all sorts of qualities—model planes, anyone? You poor kids might get high scores, but you have no qualities at all.”

Since entering Yangcheng Tech, Qin Yan had set his sights on a few beautiful girls—like the Zeng sisters and freshman Chen Meina. As for senior Yu Yajing, he dared not make a move, having heard her background was formidable; his father had already warned him off.

But as for Zeng Rou, Zeng Ou, and Chen Meina, he hadn’t made a move yet.

He’d already decided: one day, he’d invite Zeng Rou or Zeng Ou out, drug her, and simply force himself on her.

Damn it—who was he? He was Young Master Qin Yan.

When Qin Yan heard the buzz on the forum, he grew curious. Was there really such a beauty at the little restaurant near the school, or was it just a tall tale?

To find out, Young Master Qin made a special trip to Seaside Cottage. Once there, he couldn’t take his eyes off the waitress. Compared to the immature campus girls, the mature woman Wen Xiuting, with her voluptuous figure, fit his tastes perfectly.

His eyes lit up, and he muttered, “Damn, she’s beautiful. One of these days, I’ll have a few guys knock her out on her way home and bring her to me.”

If he dared to rape a female college student, what was a mere waitress in comparison?