This professor’s surname is Qin. That’s right, he’s James Carter’s father.

Chapter 8: Like Suddenly Singing Loudly

James Carter took out his phone and sent a message in the “303 Dorm Group”: “Anyone who doesn’t skip class gets a popsicle.”

Someone quickly replied: “Professor Qin is too sneaky, I don’t dare skip class.”

“Can I exchange the reward for a girlfriend?”

“Men never lick popsicles, buy me an ice cream cone instead.”

James Carter chuckled and typed quickly: “How about an inflatable girlfriend? Let’s keep it simple, everyone gets an ice cream cone. I just passed by the convenience store, I’ll head to the classroom after buying the cones, see you at the door.”

After sending the message, he put his phone back in his pocket and walked into a small supermarket on campus.

One cone for each person. After buying them, he strolled leisurely toward the teaching building with the plastic bag in hand.

Outside the classroom, James Carter leaned against the railing, facing the classroom, and took out a cone to eat. There were still fifteen minutes before class. Students, in twos and threes, holding books, walked together into the spacious lecture hall.

It was a public class for five classes together, and the classroom could hold five hundred people.

“James Carter!”

Someone called out to him from not far away.

James Carter turned his head, a smile appearing on his face. Three laid-back guys walked over together. In the middle was a burly, honest man nearly 1.9 meters tall, a Northeasterner named Edward Parker, nickname Evan. Broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, muscular and strong, he always spoke in a thick accent, starting every sentence with “I”. Edward Parker’s name was too rustic, so James Carter and the others liked to call him Evan Parker.

To the left of Evan Parker was a delicate-featured guy, John Thompson, a local from Shanghai. His family was wealthier than James Carter’s; his father owned a sizable foreign trade company, and John Thompson himself owned three apartments. A bona fide rich second generation, but he was easygoing and easy to get along with, just liked clubbing and called himself a seasoned pro.

The last one was an average-looking young man, David Harris, from Suzhou. His family background was ordinary, his talent was ordinary, and his looks were ordinary—he and James Carter both had “background character” vibes. His favorite saying was “A man should strive for self-improvement.”

These three were James Carter’s roommates. Although James Carter didn’t live on campus, his dorm bed was reserved; he just had to pay the accommodation fee to the school. At the end of every semester, he would stay at school for a month, working hard and burning the midnight oil.

James Carter handed out the cones to his roommates. Evan Parker took a huge bite and said in his deep voice, “James Carter, are you sleeping in the dorm tonight?”

“What for?” James Carter glanced at him.

John Thompson licked his cone and waggled his eyebrows: “The 16GB you downloaded for Evan last time is already boring. The lusty guy’s spring heart is restless, but there’s no fresh blood to replenish. Even playing with his five-fingered girlfriend at night isn’t fun anymore.”

“Get out of here!” Evan Parker slapped John Thompson, pinning his skinny frame against the wall.

David Harris watched his two roommates horse around and nodded at James Carter.

James Carter laughed, “When we get back, I’ll give you my Thunder account, you can download it yourself.”

John Thompson was surprised: “Wow, you’re willing to hand over the key to your treasure vault? Are you hiding a beauty outside?”

“Get lost, you know I live with my sister.” James Carter pretended to kick him. John Thompson quickly jumped away, “From now on, I’ll be modest, cautious, and quit the habit.”

“Let’s have a meal after class, then hit the internet café together,” James Carter suggested.

The roommates all agreed.

“By the way, didn’t you say your sister is really pretty? Don’t let an outsider benefit—if she doesn’t have a boyfriend, introduce her to us. I’ll pass, since I’m a seasoned pro and don’t want a girlfriend to boss me around, but Evan is honest and strong, well-endowed and skilled. And old Liu, though he’s a bit repressed, every night watching those two battle with their left and right hands, I feel bad for them.” John Thompson threw an arm around James Carter’s neck.

“Get lost!”

All three shouted at him at once.

The four of them leaned against the railing, eating their cones and laughing. As class time approached, another group strode down the corridor, full of swagger and energy, looking a bit like gangsters parading down the street. Leading them was a handsome guy with a trendy haircut—sides shaved, hair on top styled, silver earrings in both ears, wearing a black fitted T-shirt and white jeans. He walked at the center of the crowd.

Since society has “background characters” like James Carter, of course there are also main characters who are the center of attention. James Carter knew this sharp-browed, star-eyed, strikingly handsome guy—who didn’t know the campus heartthrob? His name was Emily Bolton, from Zhejiang, a true rich second generation. Rumor had it his family owned three publicly listed companies, with assets in the billions. Compared to him, John Thompson was a country bumpkin. University isn’t like middle or high school—back then, the top students were the stars, favored by teachers and admired by girls, the elite of the school. In college, being a top student isn’t worth much; it’s all about your family background. But if you’re rich and a top student, that’s different. Emily Bolton was that kind of person.

Rich, a top student, and on top of that, handsome—he left no room for “background characters” like James Carter. Emily Bolton became famous on the very first day of school because he drove a Porsche to register, and someone snapped a photo and posted it on the campus forum. The girls all said they wanted to have his babies.

As soon as Emily Bolton entered the classroom, James Carter and his friends heard a commotion inside, mixed with exclamations from the girls.

John Thompson said sourly, “So impressive, having money at home is such a big deal.”

Evan Parker added, “Being handsome is such a big deal.”