85: Chapter 85 Dormitory

She led Chen Fan through the sycamore-lined path, made two turns, and arrived at the third tent on the left side of the plaza—the "School of Management Freshman Reception Point."

Under the tent, several long tables were set up, with a few upperclassmen busy working in front of computers.

"This is it." The girl pointed to the tent and smiled at him. "Go ahead and handle the procedures, Junior. I'll be going now."

"Thank you, Senior."

"You're welcome." She waved her hand, turned, and walked away, but after a few steps, she looked back once.

The senior in charge of registration wore glasses, and her eyes noticeably lit up when she saw Chen Fan.

Standing over 1.8 meters tall, wearing a black T-shirt and white shorts, with a sports bag on his back and a sunny, handsome face, he didn't look like a freshman coming to register, but rather someone who had stepped right out of a TV drama.

"Junior, are you a freshman in the School of Management?"

"Yes."

"Please hand me your admission letter."

Chen Fan pulled that kraft paper envelope out of his bag and handed it over.

With a "beep," his information popped up on the computer screen. The senior glanced at it, then looked up at him: "Chen Fan, School of Management, Class of 2010, Business Class 01, Student ID 10023001."

She handed him a registration form. "This is your registration form. It lists the procedures; the system will update automatically once each item is completed. Keep this for now, and head over to collect your campus card and dormitory key later."

Chen Fan took it and thanked her.

As he turned to leave, he heard two seniors whispering behind him: "Alright, alright, he's gone, stop staring."

After leaving the reception point, Chen Fan first went to the finance office to pay the fees.

There were about a dozen people lined up at the finance office window, which wasn't many—presumably because he arrived late, and the morning rush had already passed. He waited less than twenty minutes before it was his turn. Swiped his card, signed, and left.

Next, he went to collect his campus card and military training supplies. The campus card was at another window with even fewer people in line, taking only five minutes. The military training supplies were to be collected in the gymnasium.

A set of camouflage fatigues, a cap, a pair of Liberation shoes, a belt, and a canteen—stacked together, they filled his arms completely.

Chen Fan stood at the entrance of the gymnasium, holding the pile of items. He carried the bag with the military training fatigues in his left hand, held the campus card and a stack of materials in his right, and still had his backpack on. He looked down at the dormitory number on his registration form—East Dorm 5, Room 509.

He asked a volunteer for directions and walked toward the East District with his belongings.

East Dorm 5 was a six-story gray building with ivy covering half the wall and colorful clothes hanging out of the windows. A table was set up at the building entrance, where two students in red vests were registering freshmen.

"What school are you from, classmate?" asked a boy wearing glasses.

"School of Management."

"Do you have your dormitory slip? Let me take a look."

Chen Fan set his things on the table and freed up a hand to fish out the slip of paper.

The boy with glasses took it, glanced at it, put a checkmark in the registration book, and returned the slip to him: "509, fifth floor, the elevator is over there."

Chen Fan picked up his things again and walked toward the elevator.

The elevator doors opened, and it was already crowded with three people—freshmen and parents carrying luggage. Chen Fan squeezed in and pressed the button for the fifth floor.

The door to 509 was ajar.

Chen Fan gently kicked the door open with his foot; someone was already inside.

A boy was standing on a chair making his bed. He turned around upon hearing the noise, holding a corner of the bedsheet in his hand. He wore black-rimmed glasses, had slightly curly hair, and was wearing a blue T-shirt.

"Chen Fan, Business Class 01." Chen Fan placed his things under the empty bed and looked around the dormitory.

It was a four-person room with beds on top and desks below. The beds were suspended above, with wardrobes and desks underneath, giving everyone their own independent space.

Chen Fan breathed a sigh of relief—he was most afraid of those bunk beds where you didn't even have any private space.

"Are you also in Business Class 01?" Wang Lei's eyes lit up. "Then we're classmates. Where are you from?"

"Nanwei," said Chen Fan.

"Oh, you're a local then. I'm from Gansu Province." Wang Lei said, climbing back onto the chair to continue making his bed. "You came at just the right time; I was just thinking how boring it was to tidy up alone."

"Qin and Gan are like one family." Chen Fan smiled, put his bag on the table, and began to organize his things.

Hearing this, Wang Lei poked his head out from the chair: "I like hearing that."

Chen Fan walked over to the bed with his name on it, located at the very back on the left side of the entrance.

Chen Fan felt this spot was pretty good; at least being on the inside meant he didn't have to be the one to turn off the lights, saving him from having to fumble in the dark every night when he was the last one to get into bed.

He threw his backpack onto the bed and looked up at the bed frame—it was quite clean, not much dust, just a couple of wipes would do.

Chen Fan threw the military training fatigues onto the bed, and his phone vibrated.

He took it out to check; it was a message from Lin Xi: "Have you registered yet?"

Chen Fan took a photo of the dormitory and sent it over: "Arrived, the dorm is not bad."

Lin Xi replied instantly: "That's good. How are your roommates?"

Chen Fan looked up at Wang Lei, who was currently wrestling with his bedsheet, and replied: "One has arrived so far, seems alright."

"Then go ahead and tidy up, remember to eat dinner tonight."

"Got it."

Chen Fan threw his phone on the table and continued tidying up.

"Chen Fan, did you not bring any bedding to school?" Wang Lei asked curiously, seeing that Chen Fan only had a backpack.

Chen Fan fished a rag out of his backpack and dampened it with some water.

"Too much trouble. I'll just buy a set at the school supermarket later."

Wang Lei was stunned for a moment, then slapped his thigh.

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have brought any either!" He pointed at his neatly stacked bedding. "I'm from Gansu Province; it was such a hassle to bring it here. I had to carry it the whole way on the train, it exhausted me."

Wang Lei sighed. "My mom insisted I bring it, saying the ones bought at school wouldn't be comfortable. Now that I think about it, what's there to be uncomfortable about? As long as I can sleep, that's all that matters."

Chen Fan smiled, didn't respond, and continued wiping the bed frame.

In his previous life, when he went to register at that vocational college, it was the same—his parents insisted on him bringing a mattress from home, saying the ones sold outside weren't comfortable, and Chen Fan couldn't refuse at the time.

Fortunately, for this registration, he could make all the decisions himself.

After wiping the bed frame clean, Chen Fan saw that it was still early, so he left the dormitory, intending to go to the supermarket to buy a set of bedding and toiletries.

"I'm going to the supermarket to buy some things, are you coming?" Chen Fan looked at Wang Lei.

"I still have to tidy up, you go ahead." Wang Lei was struggling with his duvet cover and didn't even look up.

"Alright."

Chen Fan left the dormitory building and walked along the sycamore path toward Kangqiao Supermarket.

This was the peak period for freshman registration; the road was bustling with people, some dragging suitcases, some carrying bedding, and parents carrying large bags and small parcels, following behind their children.

The sycamore trees blocked most of the sunlight, and occasionally a breeze blew by, carrying a hint of early autumn chill.