Chapter 5 Cutting edge
After he finished his work and had a general idea in his mind, Liu Shang suddenly realized that Jiang Ruolin was staring at him, a curious smile playing on her lips.
"Liu Shang, I had no idea your computer skills and English were so good!"
"And I've never even seen those international websites you just logged on to."
"You were using a lot of English vocabulary for petroleum technology that I've never heard of, like fracture network fracturing, slick water drag reducers, and coiled tubing..."
What Liu Shang possessed was the world's most cutting-edge petroleum technology from a decade or more in the future. In the present, many of these technologies were still in the theoretical exploration stage. It was perfectly normal that Jiang Ruolin hadn't heard of them.
"Haha, let me tell you, you should never underestimate boys who have made it through puberty," he said.
"You can't even imagine the kind of sad technical journey we go on, the number of firewalls we bypass, and the level of computer skills and English proficiency we attain just to explore the ultimate secrets of the human form."
At Liu Shang's smirk, Jiang Ruolin gave him a light tap. "Pervert! So you're letting your true colors show now, are you?"
Seeing that Liu Shang didn't seem to want to answer her question directly, Jiang Ruolin didn't press the issue.
In any case, she was quite happy at that moment.
She had followed her heart, and the more impressive her chosen boyfriend was, the better her judgment seemed, right?
However, a few worries still lingered in her mind.
"Liu Shang, some of the people around me—classmates or friends—might cause some trouble for you in the future."
"Don't hold it against them, okay? Just leave it to me to solve."
Liu Shang glanced at her quietly, then shook his head with confidence. "Don't worry, that won't happen."
"As long as I can be with you, I'll defeat the whole world if it comes against me."
...
About forty to fifty minutes later, when Liu Shang and Jiang Ruolin walked out of the VIP room with smiles, a small riot broke out in the internet cafe.
Some people panicked and averted their gaze, while others immediately whipped their heads around at the sound of their door opening.
In short, a beautiful girl going into a small, private room alone with her boyfriend was always going to attract a lot of gossip.
In such an atmosphere, Jiang Ruolin still felt a little self-conscious.
As for Liu Shang, his mindset was completely different now, so he didn't feel particularly complacent.
Escorted by the stares of the crowd, the two finally arrived at their destination: the entrance of Jiang Ruolin's dormitory.
"Okay, I'll head back now. Let's text later."
As she spoke, Jiang Ruolin prepared to return to her dorm and face the inevitable storm of questions from her roommates.
But at that moment, Liu Shang showed no intention of turning to leave. Instead, he just stood there, a faint, playful smile in his eyes.
"What, you're just going back like that? Aren't you forgetting something?"
Facing Liu Shang's sly gaze, Jiang Ruolin shot him an extremely resentful look.
At the same time, she protested furiously in her heart: *When did this guy get so bold and cheeky?*
*Does he think he hasn't caused a big enough sensation for one day?*
Just then, Liu Shang opened his arms, giving a clearer hint.
The move drew subconscious gasps from the many students who were watching them.
This was a joke, right? That was Jiang Ruolin, one of the most popular girls among the freshmen. How could she possibly throw herself into a boy's arms for a public hug on campus?
Who was this kid? Was he brain-dead? Was he insane?!
But to everyone's astonishment, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Jiang Ruolin, her face already flushed red, obediently took a small step forward and gave Liu Shang a quick, "friendly" hug.
"You big pervert! Remember to message me when you get back."
After saying her piece, Jiang Ruolin hurried away. Liu Shang, a smile still on his face, calmly clocked out for the day and returned to his own dormitory.
All that was left behind was a scene of disarray and a crowd of stunned onlookers, who looked as if they had just seen a ghost in broad daylight.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ruolin returned to her dormitory and was immediately surrounded by her roommates.
"No way, Ruolin! You actually got together with that Liu Shang?"
"I heard he's pretty average in every respect. How could he possibly be worthy of you?"
"Hey, don't try to make excuses, Ruolin! We all saw you two downstairs just now!"
"It's just unbelievable! In the movies, the story of the rich girl and the poor boy never has a happy ending!"
"That's right, Ruolin, are you being too impulsive? With your looks and background, you could definitely find a better boyfriend..."
Amidst their chattering, Jiang Ruolin hesitated for a moment before deciding to surrender.
"Okay, okay, I'll confess. I did choose Liu Shang as my boyfriend."
"But you guys have to promise to keep this a secret for me, okay?"
Jiang Ruolin didn't much care about the opposition and doubts from those around her.
From childhood, under her father's guidance, she had always been self-reliant, with strong opinions and the ability to make her own judgments.
What she was more worried about at this time were the influential guys in her social circle who might decide to cause trouble for Liu Shang.
...
While all this was happening, in a high-end bar just off campus, a group of young men dressed in luxury brands were arguing about something.
"Gao Tianyu, Zhu Bin! You two are full of shit!"
"You know what Jiang Ruolin is like! How could she possibly hug some guy at the campus gate?"
"And there's no way in hell she went into a VIP room at an internet cafe with him!"
The one who spoke was named Tan Feng. His father was a high-level official in the city, and he came from a prominent family.
In their small circle, Tan Feng had always been the leader.
It was no secret among them that he had feelings for Jiang Ruolin and had been actively pursuing her.
If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have come to Fengcheng University, but would have gone somewhere else to live a more exciting life.