Chapter 30 spread too fast

Just as he pushed open the dormitory door, before he even had time to put down the backpack on his shoulders,

Three figures surrounded him in unison, bringing with them a roomful of youthful energy, instantly enveloping Lin Chen.

Wu Gang was the most impatient, hooking his arm around Lin Chen's neck.

The strength was neither too light nor too heavy, his tone full of banter, and his eyes were shining brightly.

"Brother Chen, not bad at all!"

"You were hiding it way too deep, weren't you?"

"Quietly sneaking off to trade stocks and even daring to make a bet with that girl Xia Waqing? You're a real closet pervert!"

Lin Chen's head was tilted by the hook, a trace of an unhideable smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

He thought to himself that these guys were certainly well-informed, but he deliberately feigned ignorance:

"What closet pervert? I was just playing around, and the bet was just a spur-of-the-moment thing."

As soon as he said this, Li Lei leaned in, winking and nudging him.

The joking tone in his voice grew even stronger:

"Just playing around?"

"I think you have an ulterior motive!"

"Have you had your eye on those twin department beautys for a long time?"

"Anyone with eyes can see how proactive that girl Mengmeng is toward you,"

"I didn't expect you to have such a large appetite, wanting to take down that iceberg-like older sister as well?"

"Exactly!"

Zhang Peng patted Lin Chen's shoulder, laughing with a face full of cunning, his tone half-serious, half-joking.

"Brilliant, truly brilliant!"

"To be honest, I was thinking about finding an opportunity to confess to one of the twins,"

"But since you struck first, brother, I certainly won't take away what you love."

"But let me give you fair warning: if you lose the bet, I'll be ready to step in. Don't call it poaching then!"

"Hahaha..."

A burst of hearty laughter erupted in the dormitory.

The three roommates chimed in one after another, their teasing words rushing in like a tide.

Lin Chen felt a bit helpless being talked about like this, but he wasn't annoyed, only shaking his head with a smile.

As the laughter died down, the three of them suddenly looked at each other and shouted at Lin Chen in unison:

"Treat us!"

Zhang Peng leaned forward, staring at him with sparkling eyes, his tone brooking no refusal:

"Brother Chen, you made fifty thousand from trading stocks today,"

"And the three of us are men of our word; we definitely won't compete with you for Wanrou and Wanqing,"

"You must treat us to this meal, no arguments!"

Lin Chen understood perfectly; these guys had planned this long ago.

He was also straightforward, waving his hand and agreeing readily:

"Fine, I'm treating tonight. You guys decide where to eat, order whatever you want!"

"Alright! Brother Chen is so generous!"

The three cheered in unison. Just as Wu Gang was about to list a few restaurant names, Lin Chen raised his hand to interrupt him.

"Don't be in such a hurry to pick a place,"

Lin Chen reminded them, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness.

"After we eat, we have to hurry to practice dancing. Did you forget?"

"We still have to participate in the Freshman Social Gala; it starts the day after tomorrow. If we don't practice, we'll make fools of ourselves on stage."

"Right, right, right! I almost forgot about that!"

Li Lei slapped his forehead, instantly becoming excited and saying with high spirits,

"This Freshman Social Gala is college-wide. I heard the class belles and campus belles from other departments will all be there,"

"This is a great chance for us to show our faces and meet people!"

"If we're too late, all the pretty girls will be snatched up, and only the 'crooked melons and split dates' will be left!"

Wu Gang and Zhang Peng also chimed in repeatedly. Thinking of the scene at the gala, expectant smiles appeared on their faces.

To avoid delaying their ballroom dancing practice in the evening, the four of them discussed it and finally decided to go to the Xingcheng University cafeteria.

Although it was just a cafeteria, the food inside was not lacking at all.

There were snacks and home-cooked dishes from all over the country.

The taste was authentic, the prices were affordable, and most importantly, it was close to the dance classroom, saving time.

It was currently peak mealtime at the cafeteria.

It was bustling with people; the crisp sound of clattering bowls and chopsticks, the chatter of students, and the shouts of the cafeteria ladies serving food intertwined, making it extremely lively.

The four of them found a seat by the window and ordered a table full of dishes.

There were spicy crawfish, braised pork ribs, and various local snacks.

As soon as the food was served, they couldn't wait to dive in, their stomachs already growling with hunger.

Discussions could be heard everywhere in the cafeteria.

The surrounding students were talking about the latest news on campus.

Some talked about the difficulty of major courses, others about club recruitment.

Lin Chen and the other three were focused on eating and didn't pay much attention to the surrounding discussions.

Until a few lines of dialogue from the next table forcibly pulled their attention over.

"Hey, have you guys heard?"

A boy from the Physics Department lowered his voice, his tone carrying a bit of mystery.

While shoveling rice into his mouth, he spoke to the students beside him.

"What is it?"

"Why so mysterious?"

Another boy wearing glasses asked casually, without stopping his hands.

"There's a huge piece of news from the Investment major in the Finance Department today. It's simply too ridiculous!"

The boy who spoke first paused, deliberately building up the suspense.

Seeing the curious looks of his classmates, he finally spoke slowly.

"News from the Finance Department?"

The boy with glasses frowned.

"What kind of big news could there be?"

"Did some teacher come out with another research result?"

"Ha, what does it have to do with teachers!"

A slightly chubby male student nearby couldn't help but interject, his tone full of mockery.

"It's a Freshman! I heard that in this year's Investment major in the Finance Department, there's a real Bragging King!"

"Pfft..."

Just as he finished speaking, Wu Gang at the next table almost spat out a mouthful of rice.

It was aimed right at Lin Chen. He quickly covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking as he held it in, his face turning red.

Wu Gang and Zhang Peng weren't doing much better, their heads bowed low, shoulders twitching, hands tightly covering their mouths.

Fearing they would laugh out loud, they stole glances at Lin Chen, their eyes full of teasing.

The rice in Lin Chen's mouth paused, and the smile at the corner of his mouth instantly froze. He thought to himself, Oh no.

Wasn't this talking about him?

He calmly glanced at the next table and whispered to his three roommates:

"Don't be intimidated. Eat quickly, then let's go."

But the discussion at the next table continued, and the voices grew louder.

It was as if they were deliberately trying to let everyone around them hear.

"A braggart?"

"Who exactly is it? So arrogant?"

The boy with glasses pressed further, his eyes full of curiosity.

"Who else could it be,"

The chubby boy sneered, his tone carrying a bit of disdain.

"His name is Lin Chen. I heard he's also a Freshman. He actually had the audacity to say that before the end of this semester, he would increase the funds in his stock account tenfold!"

"He even made a bet with a pair of top-tier department beautys in his class."

"What's even more ridiculous is that their department's most stunning 'Black Silk Queen Legs,' Teacher Liu Minting, actually joined the bet too!"

"Whoa, that's impressive?"

A girl nearby couldn't help but exclaim.

"I've seen those twin department beautys. They're way too beautiful."

"Baby faces, great figures. I didn't expect them to actually make a bet with a Freshman!"

"And Teacher Liu—she's a goddess-level teacher at our school. Why would she get involved in something like this?"