PDLP Chapter 31 Disrupting the Venue, My Venue
Chapter 31 Disrupting the Venue, My Venue
A week has passed in the blink of an eye.
On the playground of Hong Kong City University, crowds thronged, and the clamor of voices almost ignited the cool early autumn air.
The annual club recruitment has officially begun.
The playground was bustling with people, and colorful flags were waving.
From the roller skating club members whizzing by to the elegant ladies in flowing Hanfu attire, every club pulled out all the stops to try and gain an advantage in this battle for students.
In the most secluded corner of the playground, the booth of the Mechanical Enthusiasts Association appeared particularly deserted.
A dilapidated long table, two plastic stools with chipped corners, and a crooked banner hanging behind, with the words "Machinery Changes the World" written in large red paint.
It's not that we don't want to prepare properly, it's just that we really don't have the money. We don't even have the people, so naturally the approved funds are small, just enough to get by.
Zhou Mingyuan had just unloaded the last case of bottled water from the tricycle, and was sweating profusely and panting heavily.
He wiped his sweat and looked around.
On the left is the guitar club, where a boy is playing guitar and singing, surrounded by a group of female students.
On the right is the roller skating club, where senior students in short skirts perform various difficult moves, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Facing them was their arch-rival, the Cosplay Club.
Their booth was decorated in a lavish style, with life-size standees of various anime characters lined up in a row. Several members dressed in gorgeous costumes instantly became the focus of the entire venue.
"Hey, Chairman Zhou, how many are you planning to recruit this year?"
A clear and melodious female voice, but which sounded extremely jarring to Zhou Mingyuan at that moment, came from the side.
Zhou Mingyuan knew who it was without even turning around.
He straightened up, turned around, and sure enough, he saw the woman he hated with a passion.
Su Qin, the current president of the Cosplay Club, was wearing a well-tailored white dress, her long black hair casually draped over her shoulders. She was crossing her arms and smiling at him.
"Won't we run out of people to play mahjong again, like last year?"
Several members around Su Qin let out a suppressed chuckle.
Zhou Mingyuan squeezed the empty water bottle in his hand so hard it made a cracking sound, and he forced a smile.
"President Su doesn't need to worry about that. This year... we've prepared a secret weapon, focusing on quality over quantity."
He straightened his chest, trying to make himself look more confident.
"Oh? Is that so?" Su Qin raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing it.
She looked up and down at the shabby booth of the Mechanical Engineering Society, and finally fixed her gaze on the incredibly tacky banner, and burst out laughing.
"Alright, I'll be watching. If it's not enough, I can give you two people."
After Su Qin finished speaking, she swayed her waist and led her people back to her stall.
As soon as she left, Zhou Mingyuan's carefully constructed composure crumbled instantly.
"Damn it!" he muttered under his breath, kicking the empty cardboard box.
Sun Hao peeked out from behind the table and looked at him with sympathy.
"Old Zhou, your attempt at showing off has absolutely no class."
"You don't know anything! This is called a show of weakness tactic; the main strategy is to back down first!" Zhou Mingyuan waved his hand irritably. "Stop barking like a dog! Where's Lu Feng? When is Lu Feng coming?"
"He has two long classes this morning. I've already arranged with Zhao Pengfei to pick him up after class. He should be here soon." Sun Hao checked the time on his phone.
Zhou Mingyuan paced anxiously in front of the stall, muttering to himself.
"The firepower here is too intense! Lu Feng, come quick! I can't hold on much longer!"
Looking at the sea of people at the Cosplay Club across the way, and then at the deserted place on his side, he felt so bitter that he could drown the entire playground.
Just when he was about to despair, two familiar figures finally appeared in his sight.
Zhao Pengfei and Lu Feng, each carrying a huge black box, were walking through the crowd towards this place.
Zhou Mingyuan's eyes lit up as if he had seen a savior, and he rushed forward in one stride.
"My dear father! You've finally arrived!"
Without saying a word, he took one end of the box from Zhao Pengfei, and the three of them worked together to lift the two heavy boxes behind the stall.
Su Qin had obviously noticed the commotion as well. She crossed her arms and strolled over slowly, peering over at the two black boxes.
"Hey, is this all you've prepared for this year? It's pretty heavy. What's in there? Wrenches or screwdrivers?"
Her words drew another round of snickers from the cosplay club members behind her.
This time, Zhou Mingyuan wasn't angry. He straightened up, grinned at Su Qin, and showed off his white teeth.
"President Su, don't be in such a hurry, the real show is just beginning."
He winked at Lu Feng.
Lu Feng understood, walked to the box, squatted down, and skillfully opened the latches on the lid.
"Click~ Click~"
The crisp metallic sound wasn't loud on the noisy playground, but it inexplicably attracted the attention of everyone around.
Su Qin's smile faded slightly, and she craned her neck curiously.
Ignoring the stares around him, Lu Feng stood up, grabbed the edge of the box with both hands, and forcefully lifted it upwards.
The lid of the box is opened.
In an instant, sunlight streamed in, illuminating the scene inside the box.
It was a visual impact that defies description.
A mechanical component, gleaming with the unique luster of metal, lay quietly in a black sponge padding.
Complex joints, precise connecting rods, and a streamlined armored shell.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze at that moment.
The curiosity on Su Qin's face turned into complete astonishment the moment she saw what was inside the box.
She instinctively took a half step back, her fingers involuntarily covering her mouth.
This thing...
She's seen it before!
Just recently, at that mechanical innovation competition that caused a sensation throughout the entire school!
That man on stage, hand-crafting an exoskeleton suit!
Even the China Daily came to applaud him.
An absurd yet terrifying thought began to frantically grow in her mind.
Is it...
She suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed on Lu Feng, who was taking a laptop out of another box and preparing to connect the device.
it's him!
It's definitely him!
The genius boy who caused a huge stir online and was hailed as the "real-life Iron Man" was actually a member of the poor and run-down mechanical club next door.
When were they recruited?
A chill ran from the soles of Su Qin's feet straight to the top of her head; she realized she might not be able to book the event today.
No wonder Zhou Mingyuan was so confident; he really had something up his sleeve.
She could even sense that the members behind her who had just been mocking the Mechanical Engineering Club were now completely silent, their breaths even stopped.
Zhou Mingyuan took in Su Qin's horrified expression, and his frustration vanished, replaced by an unprecedented sense of relief.
Su Qin, you've finally met your match!
With Lu Feng in hand, we can now attack and defend against aliens!
Zhou Mingyuan slowly walked up to Su Qin, mimicking her earlier posture, crossed his arms, and looked her up and down.
"How's it going, President Su?"
He deliberately dragged out his words, a smug smile on his face.
"Does my secret weapon even meet your approval?"
Su Qin glanced at Zhou Mingyuan, then turned her head and said sourly, "It's like you did it."