Chapter Twelve: Brothers Sharing the Same Dorm

“401, 402... 408, yes, this is it.” Liu Fan made his way up to the fourth floor, checking the room numbers, and soon found his dormitory: 408. When he entered, he found the room empty, but three of the beds already had luggage on them, indicating his roommates had arrived before him; it seemed he was the last one. Liu Fan set his bag down on the unclaimed bed and began to survey the dormitory. The space wasn’t large, less than twenty square meters, with four steel bunk beds arranged on either side. Under each lofted bed was a computer desk for studying, and in each of the four corners stood a wardrobe. At the far end was a large alloy-framed glass window, which filled the whole room with a bright, clean, and fresh atmosphere. However, Liu Fan was a bit disappointed to find there was no private bathroom; on his way up, he’d noticed a communal restroom near the stairwell, but it was a bit far from the dorm, which would no doubt prove inconvenient.

“Well, this will have to do for now,” Liu Fan mused to himself. “Still, I’ll have to buy my own place eventually. Otherwise, I won’t be able to cultivate in peace.” Just as he was lost in thought, voices sounded from outside the door.

“Hey, Number Two, was what you said earlier really true? Did that goddess really grab a guy and run off with him? No way, right?”

“What? How can you not believe what a dashing, suave, and heroic man like me says? I was there myself, saw it with my own eyes! I found out yesterday that Zhao Wanyi, who’s ranked third on the campus beauty list, was going to work at the registration desk today, so Four-Eyes and I both went. If you don’t believe me, ask Four-Eyes.”

“Yeah, yeah, I went with him. You wouldn’t believe how many people were there—absolutely packed! When the campus beauty left with someone, all the guys started stirring, and I got my glasses knocked off in the chaos. After that, I couldn’t see anything clearly.”

“Sigh, Boss, I’m telling you, this guy is something else—first day at school and already causing a sensation, and managed to win over a campus beauty. He’s a real master; we’ll have to ask him for some tips sometime.”

“Oh come on! Boss, Number Two, why is our dorm room open? Don’t tell me we’ve been robbed—let’s check it out!”

Inside, Liu Fan listened to the conversation with a resigned expression, lines of exasperation appearing on his forehead. Soon after, three young men entered. Leading the way was a burly figure in a black basketball jersey, muscular and towering at about 1.9 meters, reminiscent of a gorilla. To his left was a fair-skinned, fashionable youth in a white tracksuit, with a messy, trendy hairstyle and about 1.8 meters tall—he had the air of a typical city boy. On the right was a more ordinary-looking guy, thin and pale, wearing thick glasses and just over 1.7 meters tall, with the look of a homebody.

The three, upon seeing Liu Fan inside, deduced he was their final roommate. The big guy greeted him, “Hey, man, you’re finally here! Now our dorm’s complete. I’m Chen Gang, a sports major, basketball player, from Shandong. This flashy guy here is Zhang Yi, in Finance, a local from Shanghai. And Four-Eyes here is Wang Shiren, Information Engineering, from Hunan.” As Chen Gang introduced them, he pointed to each in turn.

“I’m Liu Fan, but you can call me Xiao Fan. Eighteen, Economics and Management, from Hangzhou. Nice to meet you all—hope you’ll look after me,” Liu Fan replied cheerfully after the introductions.

“No need to be so formal—now we’re brothers! Out here, friends are everything; let’s help each other out,” Chen Gang said boisterously.

“Exactly, we’re brothers now! We Shanghai folks are the best at making friends. Now that we’re all here, let’s figure out the rankings. Xiao Fan, what month were you born in?” Zhang Yi was clearly pleased, but also a little anxious. The three of them had already compared birthdays before, and he ended up second. Chen Gang called him “Number Two,” which Zhang Yi wasn’t thrilled about, so they switched to “Little Two.” Not much better, but at least not “Number Two.” Now with Liu Fan’s arrival, he saw a chance to break free from the curse of “Second,” so he hurriedly asked.

“Oh, I was born on November 18, 1994.” In truth, Liu Fan didn’t know his real birthday; it was the date his grandfather, Liu Fugui, adopted him. Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi’s face fell, and he groaned theatrically, “Heavens above, earth below, why do you torment me so? I can’t live like this!”

“Haha… I’m dying here, Little Two, looks like you’re stuck after all!” Chen Gang and Wang Shiren burst out laughing, while Liu Fan looked on in confusion. Noticing his puzzlement, Chen Gang explained: Zhang Yi was always second in his family, always second in school, always second in his grade—constantly overshadowed by a girl. He was a perennial runner-up, and now, even in university, he was second in the dorm. No wonder he hated being called “Number Two.”

Liu Fan was taken aback at first, but then just smiled lightly. The hierarchy was settled: Chen Gang was Number One, Zhang Yi Number Two, Liu Fan Number Three, and Wang Shiren Number Four.

“Now that we’re all settled, to strengthen our brotherhood, I propose we go out for drinks. Let’s make it our first dorm activity—what do you say?” Chen Gang suggested enthusiastically.

“Great, I’m in! I’m the local, so this one’s on me. Let’s go to the Fenghai Grand Hotel—I know the place well,” Zhang Yi piped up, eager to treat everyone. The others objected, saying they were all students and should split the bill, but Zhang Yi insisted he had to treat them as the host, and if they refused, he’d be upset. In the end, they had no choice but to agree.

“Alright, Little Two, today we’ll let you treat us. It’s almost mealtime—let’s tidy up and head out,” Chen Gang said with his signature straightforwardness.

Before long, the four went downstairs and took a cab to the Fenghai Grand Hotel. As soon as they arrived, they saw ten young women in cheongsams lined up at the entrance as greeters. Chen Gang and Zhang Yi practically drooled at the sight, while Wang Shiren shivered nervously, and Liu Fan remained calm and composed.

Unable to stand their behavior, Liu Fan knocked each of them on the head and exclaimed, “Look at you three—don’t embarrass yourselves. Let’s go, aren’t you hungry?” He strode inside, as if afraid anyone would associate him with the others.

The three snapped out of their daze, rubbed their heads, and hurried after him, calling, “Hey, Number Three, why are you walking so fast? Wait for us!”

Inside the lobby, Liu Fan was greeted by a woman in a professional suit, pleasant-looking, with bright, lively eyes. She smiled and asked, “Good evening, sir. Would you like to dine or are you checking in?”

Liu Fan glanced at the hostess and replied, “We’re here to eat—there are four of us. Do you have any private rooms available?”

“I’m sorry, sir,” she said politely, “With university just starting, we’ve had a lot of students, and all the private rooms are taken. Would you mind sitting in the main hall?”

“That’s fine, just get us a table by the window,” Liu Fan responded, appreciating her attitude.

“Certainly, sir. This way, please.” She led the way, with the other three following behind Liu Fan. Soon, they were seated by the window. After they settled in, the hostess asked, “What would you like to order?”

“Since Little Two is treating us today, he should do the honors. He knows the menu best—we’re all from out of town,” Chen Gang declared, having never been to such an upscale place before, and passed the task to Zhang Yi.

Zhang Yi accepted readily, took the menu, and told the hostess, “Let’s start with Crystal Shrimp, Sizzling Eel, Stir-fried River Prawns, Four-Joy Wheat Gluten, Grilled Cuttlefish, Braised River Crab, and Red Sauce Fish Head Soup. By the way, do you guys want red wine, white wine, or should we try some imported spirits?” He paused to get the others’ opinions.

“Just get Erguotou. The other liquors aren’t strong enough,” Chen Gang, a Northeasterner who liked his drinks strong, told the hostess.

“I’m sorry, sir,” she replied, a bit embarrassed, “We’re a high-end hotel and don’t carry Erguotou. But if you’d like something stronger, we have Russian vodka, Chivas Regal from Scotland, and, of course, Maotai.”

“What? No Erguotou in a hotel this big? What sort of business is this? Lame,” Chen Gang grumbled, disappointed.

“Boss, please, don’t embarrass us. Sorry about that—just bring four bottles of Maotai,” Zhang Yi said, covering Chen Gang’s mouth and flushing with embarrassment.

The hostess didn’t seem bothered—perhaps she was used to such things in her profession. She smiled and assured them, “It’s no trouble at all. Serving our guests is our duty. Please wait a moment; your food and drinks will be brought out shortly.” She bowed politely before leaving.

“See? That’s what I call service—not only are they polite, but the girls here are gorgeous. Did you see her figure? Those curves?” As soon as she left, Zhang Yi started making lewd jokes, the kind with more desire than courage. The others simply pretended not to know him.

Soon, the dishes arrived, and the four of them began to eat and drink with high spirits.