"Ding Chen, is your sister going to be alright?" Liu Yang asked, his gaze fixed on Chen Lishu with a hint of worry.
They had arrived a little early for their first 'English Corner' session, only to find Chen Lishu making a bet with someone.
Despite meeting her only twice, Liu Yang had a very good first impression of Chen Lishu, and he genuinely hoped she would win.
"She should be fine."
Although Ding Chen said it aloud, he wasn't entirely certain in his heart.
His sister-in-law, Sun Shuzhen, occasionally praised Chen Lishu at home, but they were in the provincial capital now, and Chen Lishu was an English major. As the saying goes, there's always someone better.
However, from what he knew of Chen Lishu, she was a composed person who rarely entered a battle without a plan. And judging by her expression, she seemed confident.
Huang Jianjun, watching Chen Lishu, was filled with anticipation, wondering what constructive remarks she would offer.
"Ahem." The short, stout young man cleared his throat as if performing a formality and stepped forward, addressing Chen Lishu, "Ladies first. You may begin."
Chen Lishu smiled at him without refusal. After mentally organizing her thoughts, she began speaking directly in English, "The academic atmosphere is the concentrated embodiment of university spirit. I believe that strengthening the academic atmosphere requires a multi-pronged approach. Firstly, it's to leverage the guiding role of Party conduct. Our great leader once said..."
In a mere three minutes, her speech was clear, coherent, and delivered with fluency. As her last syllable faded, a moment of silence fell over the crowd. Ding Chen, brimming with excitement, was the first to lead the applause. The others then reacted, joining in. Although some couldn't understand everything, they found Chen Lishu's English pronunciation standard and her delivery pleasant. If they couldn't comprehend the content, they could at least appreciate the sound, so they clapped along.
"Good, very good." Chen Yinchu couldn't help but step out from the crowd, his gaze towards Chen Lishu filled with relief.
"Teacher?"
Li Zhiwei and a few others were startled to see Chen Yinchu, and then, noticing Huang Jianjun standing beside him, exclaimed in unison, "Director!"
Huang Jianjun nodded at them, his gaze finally settling on Chen Lishu. "I heard what you just said. Your content was excellent."
Chen Lishu hadn't expected them to come. Hearing his praise, she said modestly, "I just thought of it on the spot. I hope I didn't make a fool of myself in front of the teacher and director."
"Not at all," Huang Jianjun smiled. "It was very insightful. Chen Lishu, could you perhaps elaborate on the points you just made and put them into writing? Submit them to me next week?"
Chen Lishu smiled and nodded, "No problem."
Sun Ling, watching Chen Lishu chatting and laughing with Huang Jianjun and the others, was so infuriated she could have ground her teeth to dust.
Chen Lishu, that conniving woman, had just spouted some nonsense, merely a clever trick. She had simply been caught off guard. Given time, she could have come up with ten or even a hundred more useful points.
Jiang Yuwei also felt uncomfortable. Her performance was no worse than Chen Lishu's, yet the director and the teacher were only paying attention to her. Watching the group conversing, the corners of her mouth gradually tightened into a straight line.
"Your spoken English has improved quite a bit recently," Huang Jianjun said, looking at Zhang Xue and Li Zhiwei and the others. He had paid special attention to these students when they first entered the university. Now, it seemed this batch of students was quite good, at least they dared to speak. English was like that; it wasn't about speaking incorrectly, but about not even having the courage to make mistakes.
Zhang Xue had never received praise from a teacher before, especially not from the department director. She was so excited that she squeezed Chen Lishu's fingers tightly in private.
"This 'English Corner' is good. It can be developed into a feature of the university in the future. If you need anything, feel free to ask the department. If the department can't resolve it, I'll take it up with the college."
Huang Jianjun cast a meaningful glance at Sun Ling and the short, stout male student. "The student union should also take a leading role. Activities can be organized, but priorities must be considered. I suggest that from now on, the time on Friday evenings be avoided as much as possible to create a clear path for the English Corner. Can everyone manage that?"
The short, stout male student nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, Director. Rest assured, we will definitely manage it."
Seeing him nod, Huang Jianjun's gaze fell lightly on Sun Ling. She reluctantly nodded, "Understood, Director."
"I think it's about time, everyone is waiting. You should all get back to your own business." Huang Jianjun said, then turned to Chen Yinchu, "Old Chen, how about we head to your place for a game?"
Chen Yinchu smiled, "My pleasure."
Watching the two depart, the short, stout male student and the other student union members began tidying up the tables and chairs for removal. Sun Ling and Jiang Yuwei also prepared to leave.
"Wait a moment," Chen Lishu suddenly said, causing everyone to look at her in confusion.
"If I recall correctly, the competition isn't over yet. Or are you all automatically conceding? If you concede, then please fulfill your promise. We need you to apologize in public!"
Sun Ling looked at her, her voice almost gritted out, "Chen Lishu, don't push your luck."
"What do you mean by pushing my luck? Haven't you ever heard of 'a bet is a bet'? If you want to renege, Sun Ling, just say so," Zhang Xue couldn't help but retort.
"Who said I was going to renege?"
"If you're not reneging, then hurry up and apologize. Everyone here is watching," Zhang Xue said, turning to the crowd, "Isn't that right?"
"Yes, a bet is a bet. If you can't afford to lose, why did you agree in the first place?"
"Exactly. The 'English Corner' was going well, and they were the ones who stirred up trouble for no reason."
"..."
Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Sun Ling's face flushed red and then paled.
"There's still one more round. Chen Lishu, you're acting like a victor already. That's too arrogant."
Sun Ling said this, her gaze falling on the short, stout male student. "Zhu Zhi, didn't you say your English was very good? It's your turn now."
Zhu Zhi, having been called out, suddenly turned beet red and said with difficulty, "Sun Ling, perhaps we should just forget it. Didn't you hear what the director and Professor Chen said?"
In truth, his English was only average. If he withdrew now, he could be seen as having self-awareness. If he insisted on participating, it would be self-inflicted humiliation.
"Useless!" Sun Ling cursed him angrily. Hearing the constant urging from the crowd, she reluctantly said, "It's my fault, alright?"
Upon hearing her words, Jiang Yuwei's face darkened as if it could drip water. She shot Chen Lishu a cold glance, didn't call out to Sun Ling, and turned around, leaving without looking back.
"Lishu, today was so satisfying. I can still remember Sun Ling's expression, like she'd eaten something foul." As they walked back to the dormitory, Zhang Xue couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Thinking of Sun Ling's expression at that moment, Chen Lishu found Zhang Xue's description quite fitting and couldn't help but laugh along.