Chapter 45: Hardships of the Road

If Lin Nian hadn't understood what kind of bet Manti had made with him before, he certainly grasped it completely now.

Half an hour had passed since Manti left, and Lin Nian was currently eighteen meters away from the table with the giant lobster.

That's right, eighteen meters.

Compared to his starting position, he had advanced a mere paltry few steps over the past half-hour, and the Boston lobster he longed for in his heart remained as distant and hopeless as ever.

"Right, I'm not used to using a light board; light boards feel way too floaty. Compared to light boards, you know what? All the guys in our surfing club universally agree that a real man should use a heavy board!"

Standing right in front of Lin Nian, the Student Union's surfing club president—whose suit sleeves were bulged tight by his muscles—was holding a cocktail in his left hand while flattening his right hand to mimic a surfboard riding the air and waves, a humorous expression on his face. "But the strange thing is, the girls in the club jointly petitioned the next day to vindicate the light board. The girls feel that the true art of surfing isn't about conquering the waves, but dancing with them. Quite an interesting perspective, but do you know what I said in response to that that left them instantly speechless?"

"Uh—" Lin Nian opened his mouth slightly, his eyes darting left and right, unable to find any opportunity to rescue himself.

Luckily, the surfing club president was as rough and impatient as he looked. Without waiting for Lin Nian to guess, he laughed and blurted it out: "I told them, if you use a light board, you can't possibly stand on the tip of the board to surf! You know that's hailed as the most visually stunning marine dance move!"

After saying this, the surfing club president felt he had delivered a brilliant punchline and laughed heartily as he struck Lin Nian's chest. Lin Nian could only muster an awkward yet polite laugh in response. "I really like the topic of surfing that you brought up, but..."

"Really? Do you really like surfing? Then how about joining our surfing club? I'll report it to the Student Union, and tomorrow... no, tonight, your Student Union membership card will be issued!" The surfing club president's eyes lit up as he heavily patted Lin Nian's shoulder. The powerful bronze arm revealed by his rolled-up suit sleeve shook the Margarita in Lin Nian's hand so hard that it almost spilled over.

"No... what I mean is, I need to think about it. After all, what you talked about is very interesting," Lin Nian said hastily.

"No worries, take your time thinking. I believe that one day when you see our surfing club riding the crest of the waves, you won't be able to hold back your excitement and will apply to join us. No man can resist the charm of surfing!" The surfing club president gave a thumbs-up and flashed a row of white teeth.

"R-right," Lin Nian rubbed his head, nodded, and finally bypassed the guy who had been lecturing him on the art of surfing for ten full minutes.

Finally escaping from the hell of surfing, Lin Nian took a deep breath, his gaze looking somewhat forlorn. Heavens be witness, in just a short span of twenty minutes, he had actually been intercepted by no fewer than five department presidents of the Student Union. This included, but was not limited to, Carlisa, the sailing club president who had first hit on him, closely followed by the equestrian, music, and mountaineering club presidents who appeared one after another like boss monsters in a demon tower, tirelessly introducing the joys of their respective sports and the perks of the Student Union right into Lin Nian's ears.

For instance, the equestrian club president heavily emphasized that as long as Lin Nian joined the equestrian club, the Student Union would invest funds to equip him with a fine horse worthy of his status! On the racecourse, he would surely become the epitome of a fine general matched with a fine steed, much like Red Hare matching Lü Bu! Meanwhile, the music club president hinted that a brand-new Steinway had recently arrived in the club, hoping Lin Nian would come and play it to break it in...

Break it in, my foot! For a moment, Lin Nian felt like a living Buddha who had entered an incense temple, where everyone wanted to rub against him just to see if they could scrape off a bit of gold dust.

The most absurd part was that after Lin Nian politely declined the all-out invitations from these presidents with an awkward smile, even the Student Union's logistics president finally tracked him down. Sporting a face that clearly looked battered by the hardships of a miserable life, the logistics president dragged Lin Nian aside to talk for quite a while about the toil and difficulty of handling logistics in the Student Union. Furthermore, he heavily hinted that if Lin Nian intended to join the Student Union and participate in the seizure of the presidency, as long as he could secure some benefits for the logistics department once successful, the entire logistics department would unquestionably support Lin Nian in taking office to overthrow Caesar and the current president to become the new king of the Student Union!

Ten thousand mythical creatures were stampeding across Lin Nian's mind at that moment. He wondered how he hadn't even established a formal relationship with the Student Union yet, and already he was expected to intervene in political infighting? Surely that wasn't appropriate, brother?

Lin Nian really wanted to simply ignore the presidents and head straight for the Boston lobster of his dreams, but alas, his school uniform tonight stood out far too conspicuously at the banquet, and the presidents were far too enthusiastic. Every one of them spoke in the tone of long-lost siblings. Lin Nian felt that if he pulled a long face and refused to give them face, the Amber Pavilion would instantly cut the lights and lock the doors, and three hundred executioners with axes would leap down from the second floor to chop him into minced meat.

However, since he had already endured this far, there was naturally no reason to back down. Skiing, surfing, equestrianism—bring them all on! What other kinds of Student Union bosses were there? Just line them up! Lin Nian took a deep breath, raised his head, puffed out his chest, and strode toward the seventeenth meter away from the Boston lobster.

Then he was intercepted again.

"Student Union, dance club president, Yekaterina, of Russian descent." A platinum-blonde girl clad in an evening gown resembling a white swan bowed slightly before Lin Nian.

Lin Nian wanted to cry, but that didn't fit his persona, so he could only sigh with melancholy and get straight to the point: "Hello, I don't dance."

"No, you do. When you were learning kendo at the youth palace, you took a few classes with the song and dance teacher in the neighboring classroom," the dance club president said with a smile, puncturing Lin Nian's lie.

"How does everyone know everything?" Lin Nian took a breath and rubbed his brow.

"When you are dazzling enough, every single one of your virtues will hang in the night sky. During the social dance session later, might I have the honor of inviting you to dance a song with me?" The dance club president smiled and tossed her platinum-blonde hair.

The sheen of her platinum-blonde hair was brilliant, refracting the glare of the crystal chandelier with dazzling intensity. Lin Nian experienced a brief moment of daze, suddenly feeling his mind grow a bit hazy. Unseen scenes overlapped before his eyes, and the face of the dance club president in front of him distorted slightly.

"What's wrong with you?" asked the platinum-blonde girl in front of him. "Don't you want to dance with me?"

"No, no, it's my honor. Of course, if you don't mind me stepping on your feet," Lin Nian replied hurriedly, a surge of panic inexplicably welling up in his heart.

"In the dance club, I am in charge of teaching dance steps. See you later then. Please excuse me for stepping away temporarily and not disturbing you from enjoying the banquet."

The next moment, the scene before Lin Nian returned to normal. After receiving her answer, the Russian dance club president nodded with great delight and fox-trotted away.

It was only then, recovering from his dizziness, that Lin Nian realized he was back in reality. Not far away, the dance club president returned with a few dance steps to a corner crowded with dance club girls dressed like a flock of swans. Seeing their president return victorious, the girls cheered and swarmed around her, casting joyful glances toward Lin Nian from time to time.

"Strange..." Lin Nian rubbed his brow to chase away a lingering sense of discomfort, then regained his spirits and marched toward the dining table.

Finally, this time, surprisingly no one came to bother him. He walked all the way forward with his head down until he saw the white tablecloth, stopping only then. He couldn't help lifting his head in astonishment, looking around to check if anyone else was sneaking up on him.

Most of the guests at the banquet were gathered in the dance floor socializing, making the dining table area actually the least crowded spot. The person closest to Lin Nian was currently stuffing their face at the table two meters away, presumably a gourmet with a tremendous appetite. Only then did he set his mind at ease and focus his attention on the food.

On the dining table, the aroma was seductive. It was evident that the Student Union's private chefs were top-tier. Half-meter-long salmon were arranged on ice, the fish meat sliced into neat rows by ice knives for anyone who wanted them. Seasonal vegetable salads were brightly colored, while matsutake mushrooms, barnacles, and various dishes rarely seen on ordinary tables were meticulously crafted and served. Catering to the tastes of diners, the kitchen had considered everything down to the smallest detail, preparing over twenty different kinds of sauces alone, and alongside forks and knives, silver chopsticks could even be found in the corner.

Only at times like this would Lin Nian truly feel from the bottom of his heart that coming to this banquet wasn't a waste of time. He reached out to grab a lobster claw and prepared to snap it open, but right then, another hand suddenly reached out ahead of him, its target unmistakably being that very same lobster!

What in the world? Why did such hitches always happen whenever he tried to do something important?

A fire of frustration rose in Lin Nian's chest. Reflexively moving his hand with lightning speed, he seized the lobster claw right before the other person, pulled his hand back, and turned sideways to win this clash.

The other hand, which had grabbed nothing, froze in mid-air before slowly retracting. The owner of the hand could only sigh and remark, "What speed!"

"You flatter me, but if I may be so bold, there are plenty of other lobsters; you can pick another one. Mine isn't necessarily tastier than the others," Lin Nian said politely without even raising his head.

"No, actually, I'm already full. I just wanted to say hello with that move."

Damn it. Everyone else's way of saying hello was acting familiar or using a honey trap, so why on earth was your way of saying hello snatching food? Lin Nian muttered inwardly.

"'S'-class student, hello, I am—"

"Stop, stop, stop." Lin Nian had zero desire to turn around and see what the speaker looked like. He decisively snapped open the lobster claw, dipped it in some mustard sauce, shoved it into his mouth, and took a bite. Only after the pungent taste of the mustard rushed to his head did he willingly turn his head. "Now you can speak."

Standing before Lin Nian was a young, handsome Asian man with a ponytail, who was smiling at Lin Nian with his hands behind his back. "It seems I've disturbed your meal. Apologies for the rudeness just now. Allow me to introduce myself: I am the president of the Student Union's kendo club, Miyamoto Isshin."