Awakening Elementary School System in University
Chapter 32 - 30: What’s Wrong with the Elementary System?

Chapter 32: Chapter 30: What’s Wrong with the Elementary System?

Sunday morning, not yet nine o’clock.

On a tree-lined path at Yannan University, the morning sun wasn’t yet hot, filtering through layers of leaves to cast dappled spots of light on the ground.

The air was filled with the damp scent of grass. An occasional student out for an early morning run jogged past. Carrying a backpack, Chen Lin walked unhurriedly on his way to the library.

Chen Lin’s lips twitched as he recalled what had happened the previous day.

Yunqing, Song Cheng, and Qi Wanwan had left not long after.

He’d thought he could finally sing a few songs of his own choosing, but an overexcited Brother Wang had grabbed him and forced him to sit at a table with some regular customers.

Brother Wang was in a visibly great mood that night. With a grand wave of his hand, he opened a bottle of whiskey priced at over a thousand yuan. Chen Lin didn’t recognize the brand, but he heard Brother Wang introduce it as something called "Macallan," a staple in high-end bars.

Then, Brother Wang began to drink and brag about his keen eye for talent, recounting how he had spotted Chen Lin, a diamond in the rough, from the vast crowd.

At the peak of his excitement, he slapped his chest and announced he would edit the singing battle between Chen Lin and Song Cheng into a video and play it on a loop on the bar’s giant screen, making it a living billboard for the Back Street Bar.

Chen Lin had no real interest in hard liquor himself. On the rare occasions he went out to celebrate with good friends, he would just drink some beer or a fruity alcoholic beverage like a RIO.

Faced with the amber-colored spirit, all he felt was a fiery heat rushing straight to his head.

So, after forcing down a few sips, Chen Lin made a tactical retreat to the bathroom and slipped away.

When he got back to his dorm, he still felt a little drunk, his head groggy.

On top of that, the packed schedule for most of the day had been exhausting. He collapsed onto his bed without even having the energy to brag to his dorm mates about his heroic deeds that night, and promptly fell asleep.

But the benefits of an early night were immediately apparent.

He slept for a solid nine hours and woke up naturally before eight. Chen Lin felt refreshed and clear-headed, a comfortable feeling spreading through his entire body.

He stuck to his plan from the day before, intending to hole up in the library today to rewatch *Long Season* while starting on the big assignment for his Film and Television Culture Studies class.

Just as he was thinking about it, the phone in his pocket vibrated.

Chen Lin pulled it out. It was a WeChat message from Shen Yan.

Shen Yan: [Chen, do you have time this afternoon? Sorry, I should have asked you a day or two earlier.]

Chen Lin’s eyebrow shot up as his fingers flew across the screen.

Chen Lin: [What’s up?]

’Ten to one, she wants to schedule a math consultation,’ he guessed.

’Let’s see,’ he thought. ’For the *Long Season* analysis paper, one morning should be more than enough time to write the introduction and outline, and even analyze a small portion. The professor gave us a month, we just have to turn it in before finals week. There’s plenty of time.’

Sure enough, Shen Yan’s reply came quickly.

Shen Yan: [I’d like to schedule another consultation. Is that possible?]

Chen Lin: [Sure. How about two o’clock this afternoon?]

Shen Yan: [Okay, see you at the usual place.]

Chen Lin: [[OK]]

The thought of the 2,059 yuan in tips he’d raked in last night, on top of the easy 1,500 he was about to earn this afternoon, filled Chen Lin with immense joy.

’He envied the protagonists in web novels who awakened some god-tier tycoon system right at the start. On day one, they’d get a river-view luxury apartment in Modu, a top-of-the-line sports car, and a maxed-out PC with a 5090, immediately launching into a life of hedonism.’

But happiness is all relative.

Just before last Saturday, he was nothing more than a miserable, ordinary sophomore in the Chinese Language and Literature Department. His days were filled with odd jobs like food delivery, handing out flyers, and picking up packages for others. He’d work himself to the bone and still not even make two hundred yuan.

His future had looked bleak. If he failed to get into grad school, he’d most likely have to go home, live off his parents, and cram for the civil service exams. While his family was reasonably well-off and his parents had some savings—they weren’t counting on him to support them—the feeling of having no prospects was the most soul-crushing thing of all.

Compared to before, his life now was a world of difference.

’And honestly,’ he thought, ’while my system’s tasks are sometimes absurd and like to mess with me, the rewards are almost always useful.’

’Judging by the reward from the "Little Red Flower" task, the system has hidden mechanics to explore. The growth potential is huge.’

’So what if it’s an elementary school system? It’s small, but it’s also kind of cute.’

His thoughts turned to Shen Yan again. ’If I hadn’t awakened the system, the most I’d ever have to do with the genius beauty of the math department would be delivering her takeout.’

As he was lost in thought, his phone vibrated again.

Chen Lin checked his phone and was a little surprised when he saw the sender’s profile picture. It was Yunqing. This was the first time she’d messaged him since they’d added each other as friends.

Yunqing: [Hey, junior, are you free this afternoon? (◕ᴥ◕)]

For some reason, Chen Lin was reminded of the sly look she had when she teased him before.

’Thinking back, Yunqing was actually pretty nice to me,’ he reflected. ’She just teased me a little, but there was never any real malice behind it.’

’For some reason, though, we always end up bickering whenever we meet. Maybe our personalities just clash?’

However, Chen Lin recalled the earnest look on Yunqing’s face when she’d invited him to join her band, and the way she’d glanced back at him before leaving the bar.

Though her eyes were still smiling, Chen Lin felt there was something else in them, something he couldn’t quite understand.

’She’s a big shot at the art school, after all, and a famous beauty campus-wide. I should probably be nicer to her from now on,’ Chen Lin decided.

Chen Lin: [Senior, I already have plans with someone this afternoon.]

Less than three seconds after he sent the message, Yunqing’s reply popped up.

Yunqing: [But you promised to help me yesterday, remember? No backing out! (◣_◢)]

Chen Lin: [I really do have plans with someone else. Next time, just ask me a few days in advance, and I’ll clear my entire schedule. I’ll be at your beck and call!]

To show his sincerity, he even rummaged through his sticker collection.

Chen Lin: [[Doraemon_saluting.jpg]]

Yunqing: [Fine then (T_T)]

Chen Lin breathed a sigh of relief, though he still felt a little guilty. ’It’s not that I don’t want to help, it’s just really bad timing.’

He was just about to slide his phone back into his pocket.

But the screen lit up again.

Yunqing: [Hey, junior, you’re not going on a date with Shen Yan, are you? (*ω*)]

Chen Lin’s heart skipped a beat. ’Wait, how is she always able to guess right?’

’No, wait. It’s probably like last time at the library. She’s just trying to bait me.’

Chen Lin nonchalantly replied:

[It’s definitely not a date. It’s strictly business, a money-making venture.]

[[Innocent.jpg]]

Yunqing: [Alright then, I’ll contact you earlier next time (=｀ω´=)]

HUFF. Chen Lin let out a long breath. ’I really didn’t want to lie to Yunqing. I guess that counts as getting by with a little creative phrasing.’