Chapter 18 Schemes and Tactics: A Complete Overwhelming Advantage

“Classmates! There’s something shady going on here! Skipping the election and just making appointments! That’s not how things are supposed to work! This is dictatorship! We need to protest!”

At this moment, Tang Xiwei could no longer be bothered to maintain any pretense, nor did she care about making a good impression in front of Wen Wan, the new counselor.

Her only thought now was to render this appointment void—she couldn’t walk away empty-handed.

I am Tang Xiwei, the favored child of fate; everything I do must succeed!

“Classmates! This new counselor is being unfair—she must have some kind of relationship with Chen Luo! Let’s report her to the department head! Let’s protest and have the school replace our counselor!”

Tang Xiwei turned to the students behind her, calling on them in anger to join her protest.

But in that instant, no one paid her any attention. What greeted her was a deathly silence, and most looked at her with the same gaze one might reserve for a fool.

“Classmates?” Tang Xiwei tried once more to rally support, but some had had enough.

“Tang Xiwei, the counselor must have her reasons for doing things this way—just stop making a fuss.”

“Exactly. The school never said class officers had to be chosen by election. It’s not against any rules.”

“Heh, someone’s upset because she didn’t get elected class president or league secretary. Why would we protest with you? Why should we make a scene with the department head? Because you’re pretty?”

Hearing these words, Tang Xiwei instinctively looked to her three roommates, hoping they would speak up for her.

But all three kept their heads down, clutching their new phones tightly, not daring to meet her gaze.

Seeing this, Tang Xiwei felt as though all the blood had been drained from her body, leaving her cold and empty.

She understood now why she had failed—Wen Wan’s introductory gifts and her warning to the group had already established her authority.

For most people, just ensuring a smooth graduation was reason enough not to openly defy Wen Wan—and with a brand new phone in hand, who would dare rebel against the new counselor now?

Faced with the choice between a diploma and a new phone, Tang Xiwei’s milk tea and a few nice words simply couldn’t compete.

Whether in means or cunning, for someone like Tang Xiwei, it was a crushing defeat.

Yet Wen Wan had never intended to target her—she simply wanted Chen Luo to remain by her side, which was why she appointed him as both class president and league secretary.

If Tang Xiwei knew this, she would probably be even more furious—she had never even been considered a threat.

In the presence of a celestial being, even the most beautiful mortals are like ants, unworthy of notice.

On the podium, Wen Wan narrowed her eyes slightly and spoke in a cool, detached voice.

“All right, that’s all for today’s class meeting. Chen Luo, please come to my office afterwards. Dismissed!”

She glanced at Chen Luo, a look he knew well—anger mixed with a hint of desire.

Ah, it seemed things would not end peacefully today.

After Wen Wan left, the classroom erupted into chatter. Many people came over to greet Chen Luo.

Previously, Chen Luo was nearly invisible in the class—most saw him only as Tang Xiwei’s loyal follower, so few interacted with him.

But things were different now. Anyone with eyes could see his unusual connection with the new counselor; perhaps they were even relatives. Getting to know Chen Luo could be very beneficial if anything came up in the future.

More importantly, Chen Luo now had the authority to appoint class officers—a crucial advantage for those hoping to use such positions for their own ends.

Modern universities are like miniature societies; everyone has their own calculations, and personal interests come first.

Yet Chen Luo responded to their friendliness with a calm detachment. After all, in his previous life, he’d managed a company with dozens of employees—he was not easily swayed.

“Click, click, click!”

Every detail of this scene fell into Tang Xiwei’s eyes, and fury and frustration made her clench her teeth.

Lin Tingting, at her side, tried to comfort her. “Xiwei, don’t be upset. It’s just a class officer position; if we don’t get it, so what?”

But her words didn’t reach Tang Xiwei. The fire of anger burned fiercely in her chest.

A whole month of careful planning had gone to waste, and her efforts had brought no reward!

Looking at Chen Luo, now surrounded by the crowd, Tang Xiwei felt a surge of grievance and bitterness.

All of this should have belonged to her—the classmates’ flattery, the power and the status—it should have been hers!

No! I should always get what I want. No one can take away the things I desire!

“Hmph! I’ll go to the department head myself and make a report! You’ll all pay for this!”

She shouted, then dashed out of the classroom.

Yet no one paid her any attention except her roommates. Some of the boys, tempted by the idea of impressing the campus beauty, hesitated, but in the end, no one followed.

After all, she wasn’t their girlfriend. Was it worth offending Chen Luo and Counselor Wen for her sake? Definitely not.

These days, who does anything without getting something in return?

Chen Luo had no time to care what Tang Xiwei thought. His priority was to find Wen Wan—there was important business to discuss.

“All right, everyone, I’m off to see Counselor Wen. We’ll talk later.”

...

Academic Affairs Building, Room 305 on the third floor.

“Mo Lan, find me the organizational structure and past admissions plans for the Finance Department at Hangzhou University.”

“Also, prepare an analysis of the students’ grade distribution for the Finance Department—separate the general courses from the major courses.”

Seated at her desk, Wen Wan reviewed the data on her computer, issuing instructions to Mo Lan, who efficiently carried out each task. Two other assistants worked beside her, the office humming with energy.

It was just a few of them, yet they operated like a highly efficient company, with not a word or gesture wasted.

Wen Wan’s main purpose in coming to Hangzhou University was indeed Chen Luo, but she had her own ambitions as well—to use the university as a bridge into the education industry and carve out a new market.

The education sector was a vast cake, still largely untouched by major players, and several areas remained wide open. Wen Wan was optimistic about its future.

To this end, she had to thoroughly understand the current state of the industry before making her next move.

“President Wen, the data is ready.”

Mo Lan printed out the documents and was about to hand them over when there was a knock at the door.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Director! I’m Tang Xiwei from Finance Class 2. I have an important report to make in my own name!”