Chapter 51 - 43: A Treat
June 20th, Friday.
As he turned in his last final, for History of Ancient Chinese Literature, Chen Lin let out a long sigh. He felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
The month of intense studying had been worth it. He couldn’t say for sure that he’d scored over ninety in every class, but at the very least, his final report card definitely wouldn’t be the disaster it used to be.
Stepping out of the examination hall, the summer sun was a little dazzling.
Chen Lin squinted, pulled out his phone, and sent a message to the WeChat group "406 Crouching Tigers, Hidden Dragons."
[Chen Lin]: [@everyone Exams are over. Let’s meet for barbecue on the fourth floor of the cafeteria at 6:45 tonight. My treat.]
[Fatty Zhao]: [Alright! Brother Lin, you’re the man! [Red Packet]]
[Li the Monkey]: [Roger that! We’ve gotta bleed Brother Lin dry! [Beer]]
[Wang Tao]: [OK]
At three in the afternoon, the last class meeting for the ’24 cohort of Chinese Language and Literature majors, Section 2, began on time in Room 312 of the main building of the College of Liberal Arts.
The academic advisor, Zheng, stood at the podium, his expression as gentle as ever. The content of his speech was more or less the same as in previous years.
"First off, let’s talk about safety," Zheng said, pushing up his glasses. "Before you leave for break, you must cut the power to your dorm rooms and lock your doors and windows. For those of you traveling, be mindful of your personal safety and your belongings, especially at tourist spots. Watch out for scams..."
Chen Lin sat in the back, listening with half an ear.
He knew it wasn’t just Zheng; every advisor repeated pretty much the same speech every year. But he also knew that every few years, there would always be one or two unlucky fools who didn’t take the warnings seriously.
"Also, regarding your final grades," Zheng’s tone shifted. "They’ll start coming out next week. They’ll be sent to your email addresses along with your overall GPA for the entire semester. I don’t need to overstate the importance of your GPA. It’s a hard requirement, whether you’re planning to change your major or hoping to get a direct recommendation for graduate school. If you’re not satisfied with your grade in a certain class, you can consider applying to retake it at the start of next semester."
Hearing the words "changing majors," Chen Lin’s heart stirred, and he subconsciously straightened his back.
"Furthermore, the end of your sophomore year means your college life is already half over. For those of you who plan on going to grad school, my personal advice is to start preparing this summer. Don’t get too stressed. Just start by researching target universities and programs, buy some basic reference books, and slowly get into the groove..."
The meeting ended in less than forty minutes. The students flooded out of the classroom in twos and threes as if they’d been granted amnesty. The air was filled with the sense of relief and restless energy that marked the beginning of summer vacation.
...
...
At seven in the evening, the barbecue joint on the fourth floor of the cafeteria was buzzing with activity. The air was thick with the enticing aroma of cumin, chili, and grilled meat.
The four guys from Room 406 sat around a square table already laden with sizzling skewers, peanuts, edamame, and four bottles of ice-cold RIO.
"Come on! A toast to us for surviving finals! Bottoms up!" Fatty Zhao shouted, raising his bottle with a booming voice.
"Cheers!"
CLINK! The four bottles clinked together crisply in mid-air.
The cold liquid slid down their throats, dispelling the day’s heat and igniting their long-suppressed excitement.
"Seriously, Brother Lin," Li the Monkey said, pulling a large chunk of lamb from a skewer with his teeth, his mouth greasy as he chewed. "We really have you to thank for making it through this semester."
Wang Tao nodded in heartfelt agreement. "That’s right. If you hadn’t been acting like you were on steroids, hitting the library from dawn till dusk every day, the three of us would probably still be rotting away in the dorm."
"For real," Fatty Zhao said, chugging a large gulp of his drink and letting out a burp. "We thought you were just secretly grinding on your own, but you ended up putting so much pressure on us that we started grinding too without even realizing it. I never thought in my life that I, Fatty Zhao, would ever see the day I started studying for finals a whole month in advance."
Chen Lin just smiled at their words. ’I only got the ball rolling,’ he thought. ’These three fought their way through the brutal gauntlet of the college entrance exams to get into Yannan University. That alone proves they have a solid foundation and are more than capable of studying. Especially Wang Tao and Fatty Zhao. Even without putting in much effort in previous semesters, their grades were still solidly mid-pack. If they actually decided to get serious, breaking into the top 20% of the class would be a piece of cake.’
"Alright, alright, stop putting me on a pedestal," Chen Lin said, picking up a skewer of grilled chives and teasing them. "You’re making it sound like I’m your life coach or something. Hurry up and eat before it gets cold."
The four of them shot the breeze for a while, talking about everything from new game releases to their elective choices for the next semester. The atmosphere was lively and harmonious.
After a few more rounds of drinks and plenty of food, Chen Lin put down his bottle, took a deep breath, and decided it was time to get serious.
He cleared his throat, looked at his three friends who were still laughing and joking around, and began to speak slowly. "Guys, there’s something I need to tell you."
Seeing his serious expression, the other three gradually quieted down, their eyes all locking onto him.
"I’ve decided," Chen Lin said, meeting their gazes and enunciating each word carefully. "Next semester, I’m changing my major."
The air seemed to freeze in that instant.
A piece of grilled eggplant Fatty Zhao had just picked up with his chopsticks froze in mid-air, forgotten on its way to his mouth. Li the Monkey’s mouth hung open, the smile on his face frozen solid. Wang Tao’s brow was tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with astonishment.
"Ch-changing your major?" Li the Monkey was the first to react, his voice stammering. "To what department? Math?"