Chapter 51: Shen Ci Felt He Was So Unfamiliar

Chapter 51: Shen Ci Felt So Strange to Him

Shen Ci looked at Li Xiao with a half-smile, as if she were enjoying the spectacular expression currently plastered on his face.

After all, someone like him rarely revealed such a "clueless and unworldly" side of himself.

Before long, the Department Head arrived in a hurry, accompanied by Li Jianguo.

When the Department Head first received the news, he thought it was a student prank, until he saw the large crowd of students gathered at the canteen entrance, which gave him a sudden shock.

Seeing the teacher arrive, everyone instinctively made way.

The Department Head's semi-bald head gleamed brightly. He circled the four crates several times before staring wide-eyed and looking up at Li Jianguo to ask, "You're saying this was donated by...?"

Li Jianguo was also a bit dazed. If Shen Ci hadn't sent him the message, he wouldn't have believed it himself, but with the items right before his eyes, the fact was undeniable.

He hurriedly pulled Shen Ci to his side. "Director, it was donated by student Shen Ci."

The Department Head looked at Shen Ci, the muscles in his cheeks twitching uncontrollably. It was unclear whether he wanted to laugh or cry, but the excitement in his eyes was impossible to hide.

He grabbed Shen Ci's hand firmly and said in an excited tone, "Student Shen Ci, you have truly done something monumental for this department!"

Every department at the University of Science and Technology had a head, and while they appeared to be on equal footing, that wasn't actually the case.

In powerful departments, the Department Heads naturally held a higher status and spoke with more authority before the university leadership.

However, in a department like the Astronomy Department at UST, which required high investment but yielded low returns, the Department Head usually conducted affairs very low-key, often feeling too embarrassed to even apply to the school for new equipment.

But now, things had changed. With these four top-tier Happer astronomical telescopes, the UST Astronomy Department had achieved a qualitative leap in equipment. Even if they couldn't say they had 100% surpassed the astronomy departments of other universities, they were at least 90% of the way there.

Even the most prestigious aerospace university in China might not possess four such pieces of equipment.

Both excited and moved, the Department Head held Shen Ci's hand and said earnestly, "On behalf of all the faculty and students of the university's Astronomy Department, I thank you!"

A faint smile played on Shen Ci's lips as she replied, "As a student of the UST Astronomy Department, I am honored to contribute to the department's education within my means."

"Good! Good child!" The Department Head nodded heavily with an appreciative look, then turned to Li Jianguo. "Jianguo, hurry and have the students move this equipment to the department first. I need to go report this situation to the President."

"Student Shen Ci, you come with me as well."

Such a major event had to be reported to the President immediately. The President had been feeling quite depressed lately because of the Li Group's cancellation of their donation; now, the problem was solved.

Li Jianguo immediately picked out a few familiar-looking boys from the crowd. "Be gentle with your hands. Make sure nothing gets bumped or damaged."

After greeting Gu Lianxing, Shen Ci followed the Department Head to the President's office. Before leaving, she didn't forget to approach Lin Biqi to remind her: "Just this evening—I hope you are prepared to accept your loss!"

Lin Biqi's face flushed crimson, her anger so intense it felt as if smoke were billowing from her pores. Looking at Shen Ci's face, she looked as if she wanted to tear her apart on the spot.

However, as soon as Shen Ci left, she switched to a wronged expression and clung to Li Xiao, wailing, "Brother Li Xiao, why didn't you say something for me? Why did you let Shen Ci bully me like that?"

Li Xiao was staring blankly at Shen Ci's retreating figure, unable to snap out of it, and he was completely deaf to Lin Biqi's words.

Seeing this, Lin Biqi stamped her feet in anger. "Brother Li Xiao! I'm talking to you!"

"Don't bother me!" Li Xiao raised his hand and pushed, sending Lin Biqi stumbling backward, nearly losing her footing.

His mind was a mess. Shen Ci's single move—a donation of over a thousand yuan—had far exceeded his understanding and perception of her.

Even he wouldn't be able to ask his parents for that much money all at once.

But why did Shen Ci have it? And why did she donate it?

"Donations" had always been a game for the wealthy. Given Shen Ci's family background, she shouldn't have even had the standing to participate.

Li Xiao felt like his head was going to explode. So many bizarre, irrational things were surfacing in his mind one after another, all related to Shen Ci recently.

But he couldn't sort them out; those strange thoughts piled up chaotically in his mind, leaving him feeling overwhelmed.

At this moment, he suddenly realized that he didn't seem to know Shen Ci at all.

Because the current Shen Ci felt so strange to him!

Lin Biqi's crying and shouting gave him a headache. Feeling lost, he pushed through the crowd and left in a frantic rush under the astonished gazes of the onlookers.

***

The President's Office.

After hearing the Department Head's report, President Wang was not as excited as the Department Head; instead, his brow furrowed deeply.

He looked at Shen Ci hesitantly and asked tentatively, "Student Shen Ci, are you truly donating these astronomical telescopes to the school?"

Seeing this, Shen Ci smiled. "How could it be fake? President Wang, the items have already been delivered to the school. I am willing to cooperate with whatever procedures you require."

She knew that unconditional donations usually required signed documentation.

But President Wang was clearly still skeptical. After all, that was over a thousand yuan worth of equipment; it was highly irregular for Shen Ci to donate it to the school in her own name.

While the matter was naturally good for the school, President Wang was worried about Shen Ci.

"Student Shen Ci, I have looked into your family situation, and you shouldn't have the capacity to do this," President Wang said calmly, stating his concern. "If the school accepts this donation only to have you suffer some negative consequences, we will not accept it."

Though he didn't say it explicitly, Shen Ci understood the implication.

President Wang was worried that her money came from an unknown source, or perhaps was obtained through illegal means, or some other unsavory reason.

Shen Ci understood, but she was prepared.

She unlocked her phone, opened her stock market app, and displayed her personal page to President Wang. "President Wang, I earned this money from trading stocks."

The total value of the stocks she held in her app exceeded two thousand yuan—hard, real money.

In fact, on her first day back at age twenty, Shen Ci had invested money into the stock market and bought some high-potential funds. Whether she made a profit or a loss didn't matter to her; her sole purpose was to ensure that the money she spent appeared to have a legitimate source to others.

And now, it was serving its purpose.

Shen Ci said composedly, "I started trying some investments after the college entrance exam. Stocks and funds are just a part of it. I have indeed earned quite a bit of money over the past year, but I didn't want to be too high-profile, so no one knows."

"Donating telescopes to the department is a righteous cause. Furthermore, I am aware that because of me, the school lost the Li Group's donation. Therefore, I feel I should step forward and do something for the school with my own money."