199: Chapter 199 Lying Flat Research Society

This morning, Jiang Chen planned to drive to school himself.

Usually, Lu Zheng was responsible for his travels, and that volcanic grey metallic panamera mostly sat gathering dust in the garage.

It was rare that he had no plans today and plenty of time. He took the keys, backed the car out of his parking spot in Yujiang Bay, and drove straight toward Jiangcheng University.

The morning rush hour traffic wasn't too bad. He followed the navigation, turned into the school gate, and parked the car in an ordinary open-air parking space deep within the campus.

Next to it was a row of economical commuter cars and several shared bikes. The volcanic grey body of the car shimmered with a low-key metallic texture in the morning light, occasionally catching the eye of passing students.

A young man stepped out of the driver's seat, wearing a simple white T-shirt and dark trousers. There was nothing special about him, so they looked away after a glance.

Jiang Chen pulled out the key and pushed the door open to get out. He picked up a paper bag from the passenger seat, his expression as indifferent as usual.

This morning was the counselor's class meeting, and he arrived a bit earlier than usual.

The counselor for the sophomore Class Two of the Department of Finance was named Zhou Mingyuan. He was thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a lean build and silver-rimmed glasses. He spoke politely and gently, never slamming tables or glaring, yet he possessed a natural sense of propriety that made people not dare to act rashly.

Students' private evaluations of him were polarized: some thought he was easy-going, while others thought he was a "smiling tiger."

Wang Hao's evaluation was even more concise.

"With Old Zhou, you never know if his next sentence is praising you or selling you out."

When Jiang Chen walked into the classroom, Wang Hao had already saved a seat for him in the back row. He was lazily lying on the desk scrolling through his phone, the space in front of him empty, without even a cup of soy milk.

"Chenzi, over here!" Wang Hao looked up and saw him, instantly perking up. The next second, his gaze was glued to the paper bag. "What's this?"

Jiang Chen placed the paper bag on his desk and sat down beside him. "Bought it on the way, breakfast."

Wang Hao opened the bag, and a steaming aroma wafted out.

Two tamagoyaki sandwiches, two cups of hot soy milk, plus two tea eggs—the standard combo from that time-honored breakfast stall at the school gate, simple and substantial.

"This is perfect." Wang Hao unwrapped a sandwich and took a big bite, mumbling gratefully, "How did you know I was starving? You're a real brother."

The school bell rang, and Zhou Mingyuan walked into the classroom carrying a stack of documents.

He wore a light grey fine-check shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, looking neat and tidy.

He stacked the documents on a corner of the podium, took off his glasses to wipe them, put them back on, and slowly scanned the students sitting below.

The classroom naturally fell silent.

"I have a few things to say. It won't be long, but they're all important."

Zhou Mingyuan spoke in a steady, unhurried tone, as if he were discussing things with them, but everyone knew that when he said "discussing," it meant it was "settled."

"The first thing is dormitory hygiene. During the Student Affairs Office's surprise inspection last week, three dormitories in our class were reported. I won't read out the reasons one by one to save some face for those involved."

"The report is posted on the class notice board; those named can go see for themselves. There will be a re-inspection next week. Anyone reported again will have to come to my office for a 'chat' individually."

A burst of suppressed snickering and several wails came from below.

Zhou Mingyuan waited for the noise to subside, then pulled out a formal notice with a red header from the stack and lightly flicked the paper with his fingertip.

"The second thing is a document the school just issued yesterday, requiring every sophomore class to create a club, which will be included in this semester's comprehensive quality development assessment. It's not a suggestion; it's a requirement."

As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom erupted into chaos.

"Again? Didn't we already go through a round of this in freshman year?"

"The Student Union's own clubs are barely hanging on, and they want us to start one?"

"Teacher Zhou, can we not do it? We just want to finish this semester quietly."

Zhou Mingyuan didn't interrupt, letting them complain for a round. When the voices gradually weakened, he continued unhurriedly.

"I didn't write the document, and I didn't set the requirements. But I want to say one thing upfront: this club creation is directly linked to the class's 'Excellent Class' evaluation. Any class that doesn't complete it will be vetoed for the 'Excellent Class Collective' title."

"You might not care about the evaluation, but I do. So, there is no room for negotiation on this matter."

He paused, scanned the room, and his gaze landed on the Study Representative wearing glasses. "Study Representative, what information do you have on your end?"

Chen Siqi stood up and flipped through her notebook, speaking quickly. "Teacher Zhou, I've looked into it. People in other classes are already taking action."

"Class One has applied for a Basketball Club, Class Three has started an E-sports Club, and I heard Class Four is going to do a Short Video Operation Club. If our class doesn't decide on a direction soon, all the good topics will be snatched up."

"Did you hear that?"

Zhou Mingyuan adjusted his glasses, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Everyone else is moving; our Class Two can't be the last. Are there any volunteers? The person in charge of the club gets extra comprehensive assessment points, and it's something more to add to your graduation resume."

The classroom was silent for three seconds.

Then, everyone's eyes simultaneously turned toward the back row.

To be precise, they turned toward Wang Hao, who was next to Jiang Chen.

Wang Hao was eating with a sandwich in one hand and soy milk in the other, his mouth shiny with oil. Feeling the gazes from all directions, his movements suddenly froze, and he almost choked.

He hurriedly took a gulp of soy milk to wash the food down, pointed at his own nose, and said with a look of grievance, "Wait, why is everyone looking at me? Is there something on my face?"

Zhou Mingyuan looked at him, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his lenses, revealing a smile that was gentle yet carried a hint of being impossible to refuse.

"Student Wang Hao, you are usually active in class, you get along well with your classmates, and your organizational skills are obvious to everyone. Regarding this club matter, I think you should take the lead."

Wang Hao's face instantly slumped, and the remaining half of the sandwich in his hand no longer tasted good.

Someone below started heckling: "Hao-ge! Those who are capable should do more work!" "Hao-ge, start a food club, I'll be the first to sign up!" "Hao-ge, don't be a coward!"

Wang Hao glared at the hecklers, then turned to look at Jiang Chen, his eyes screaming "Help!" in large letters.

Jiang Chen leaned back in his chair, his expression unchanged from start to finish, except for a slight curl at the corner of his mouth.

Wang Hao caught that slight curve, and his heart felt inexplicably much more at ease.

He took a deep breath, stood up, and said through gritted teeth, "Teacher Zhou, I can take it on, but I have one condition: I get to decide the club's direction myself, and I get to choose my own assistant."

"No problem."

Zhou Mingyuan agreed decisively, as if he had expected him to say that.

"Submit the club application form and the draft charter to my office before work ends today. You decide the direction—whether it's something relaxing and casual or an interest-based club, as long as it's healthy, positive, and can be properly active. If you have any difficulties, come find me anytime."

After saying that, he gave a few more instructions about next week's study style inspection. As soon as the bell rang, he left with his documents, even making a "counting on you" gesture toward Wang Hao before leaving, smiling elegantly.

As soon as Zhou Mingyuan left, Wang Hao slumped into his chair with an expression of despair.

"It's over. Did I owe Old Zhou in a past life? Why does this kind of crappy task fall on me every time? When he smiles, my hair stands on end. Did you guys notice? That smile just now!"

The boy in the front seat turned around to tease him, "Hao-ge, just think of it as experiencing entrepreneurship in advance. If it becomes a hit, writing 'Founder of X Club' on your resume later will be so impressive."

"Impressive my foot," Wang Hao wailed. "I don't even know what to call the club right now."

He scratched his hair, frowning in thought for a long time, then suddenly sat bolt upright and slapped the table.

"I've got it!" Wang Hao's eyes lit up, and his whole person switched from a slumped state to an excited mode. "Lying Flat Research Club!"

The people around him looked at each other.

"What... what kind of thing is that?"

"Lying Flat Research Club!"

Wang Hao stood up, waving the remaining small piece of sandwich in his hand like he was giving a campaign speech.

"Think about it, everyone is busy with classes, exams, and club activities every day, tired like dogs. Who doesn't want to find a place to lie down quietly for a while? Our club's mission is: scientific lying flat, efficient slacking off, balancing work and rest, and living happily!"

"Every session's activity will just be finding a comfortable place to stay—the lawn, the lakeside, the rooftop—laying out a mat, soaking up the sun, chatting, and listening to music. You don't have to do anything, just pure relaxation! Zero threshold, open to everyone, the only one of its kind in the whole school!"

The boys nearby looked at each other, their expressions shifting from confusion to eager anticipation.