Chapter 33: They All Say You Can Uproot Trees Barehanded
Rong Ziyin’s outfit was strikingly vivid, a dazzling contrast that made him stand out like a beacon on campus. Passing students couldn’t help but glance at him—then glance again.
First glance: What kind of idiot wears this thing out in public?
The second glance: Huh? This guy’s so good-looking—how could I not look?
The system was also overwhelmed: Rong! Don’t you feel like they’re staring at us like we’re total idiots?
Rong Ziyin was equally annoyed: “What choice did I have? The department required it, didn’t they?”
But clearly, that wasn’t the department head’s original intention. Because when Rong Ziyin stood at the door of the department head’s office, the latter couldn’t help but widen his eyes, speechless for a long moment.
Evidently, he too had been utterly blinded by that outfit.
“Wh-wh-wh-why did you come dressed like this?” the department head stammered.
He had imagined that Rong Ziyin, being handsome, would simply wear a vibrant, lively everyday outfit and bring along a fluffy, milk-fed gosling. That would surely make a striking first impression and grab attention. Not only would it project the Veterinary Department’s healthy, lively image to the public, but it would also showcase the department’s affection for small animals.
Instead, Rong Ziyin’s upper half was a garish red-and-green mess plastered across his face, while his lower half featured pants that looked straight out of the 1980s—utterly bizarre no matter how you looked at them.
Only because Rong Ziyin was so tall and handsome did he pull off this retro look. If it were anyone else, even slightly heavier, the outfit would be unbearable to look at.
The department head took a deep breath and couldn’t help but say, “Rong! I remember telling you it was supposed to be a natural landscape, not one described by Chinese characters!”
Rong Ziyin replied expressionlessly, “This is the Veterinary Department uniform.”
Department Head: “…But this color scheme is also…”
Rong Ziyin: “You personally selected it during military training.”
Department Head: “Even your goose would be disgusted by you!”
Rong Ziyin lifted his goose, who selectively only looked at his own face: “Doesn’t seem like it.”
Dean: “…”
Three consecutive critical hits knocked the dean completely out cold.
But time was running out—the interview crew would arrive any moment. Rong Ziyin had no chance to change clothes now.
Finally, a student council girl who’d come to help suggested a solution: “Why not have him layer something over the short sleeves?”
“What should he wear? Borrow a jacket on the spot?” The department head looked around frantically. But it was summer—hot weather. Who would be wearing a jacket out now?
The girl had a sudden idea. “The white lab coats from the veterinary lab would work perfectly.”
“Senior’s pants are white too. The lab coat is mid-length, so it can cover the top. It doesn’t matter if the short sleeves peek out a little. It won’t look bad at all.”
The department head thought it made sense and pushed Rong Ziyin to change clothes.
“Hurry up! Don’t ruin your face!” The department head beat his chest in frustration, feeling like he was going blind just looking at Rong Ziyin’s top.
Rong Ziyin complied and slipped into the white coat. Sure enough, the moment he did, the whole vibe changed.
The student council girl was quick on her feet. In no time, she’d fitted Rong Ziyin with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses without prescription lenses. Once they obscured his overly detached gaze, the gentle, handsome Little Doctor Rong appeared instantly. He looked even more dashing than today’s hottest idol stars.
“Wow! Daddy’s so handsome!”
The little goose, who had already been smitten with Rong Ziyin, instantly wanted to cling to him, showering the increasingly dashing father with nonstop heart-shaped kisses.
Even the department head, an old man, couldn’t help but nod repeatedly.
The embarrassing crisis was finally averted. Another ten minutes passed before the production crew finally arrived. Accompanying them were the two teammates Rong Ziyin would be partnering with for the show.
It was said that over the next two months, these two would join Rong Ziyin under the banner of “surprise attack,” going head-to-head with several top-performing teams that had already secured group victories.
Since all other teams consisted of three members, the production team, while inviting Rong Ziyin, also hoped the Agricultural University would recommend two additional individuals to serve as his teammates for the show.
The two who came this time were the candidates recommended by the Agricultural University.
Since Rong Ziyin was the primary interview subject, the production team deliberately scheduled the Veterinary Medicine Department for last in the filming schedule, allowing extra time for filming without issue.
The initial segments consisted of routine inquiries, with additional footage capturing the department’s regular study and laboratory areas.
This step went quickly, and what remained were the individual interviews with Rong Ziyin and the others. However, since they needed to create a trailer, they had to specifically edit together footage showcasing their excellence as top-tier students.
The production team needed to prepare the questions they would ask them next, so they let Rong Ziyin and his two teammates rest on chairs nearby for a moment, giving them a chance to get acquainted.
Little did anyone expect that the interviewees turned out to be familiar faces—one was the mechanical engineering prodigy, the other a female horticulture genius. Both had collaborated with Rong Ziyin on grueling thesis projects.
Yet as the trio sat together, none were particularly adept at breaking the ice, leaving the atmosphere slightly awkward.
But with the rapid-fire Q&A assessment looming, this momentary silence paled in comparison to the impending nerves.
“Ten minutes left!” came the announcement from the production team, who also briefed Rong Ziyin and the others that the test would primarily assess their professional knowledge.
The mechanical engineering student seemed fine, but the landscape architecture girl was visibly nervous. Already suffering from an upset stomach, the intense pressure made her feel nauseous. She leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed, her face looking rather pale.
Seeing this, Rong Ziyin asked for a cup of hot water for her.
“Thanks,” the girl smiled, still trying to maintain a calm facade.
It was only natural, after all, this was her first time in such a big event. Not just her, but the mechanical engineering guy was also pale, his legs weak and knees trembling.
The only one acting normal was Rong Ziyin. After handing the girl her water, he even had the presence of mind to sit there flipping through the latest issue of Core Journal.
“You… you’re not nervous at all?” the mechanical engineering whiz couldn’t help but ask Rong Ziyin.
Without looking up, Rong Ziyin countered, “What’s there to be nervous about?”
“But… isn’t it a rapid-fire Q&A in a minute?”
Rong Ziyin: “Oh, right? Did you get your scholarship through backdoor connections?”
Mechanical Engineering Top Student: “???”
Rong Ziyin: “Bought your thesis?”
The top student shook his head violently.
Rong Ziyin: “Had someone else do your experiments?”
Mechanical Engineering Top Student: “That’s absolutely impossible!”
Rong Ziyin: “So! What are you afraid of? If you can’t answer, neither can anyone else! Aren’t you supposed to be your department’s walking encyclopedia?”
Right! If he couldn’t answer, others might not either! The Mechanical Engineering Genius suddenly understood, a huge weight lifting from his chest as his confidence returned.
The horticulture beauty, overhearing their exchange, felt a pang of existential doubt. Where did this kind of male confidence even come from?
Hadn’t they heard the phrase “learning never ends”? The show’s producers hadn’t specified that all questions would be within university scope! Rumor had it some were obscure historical trivia.
“You guys…” The beautiful senior hesitated, wondering if she should reveal the truth. Then she thought, “Nah, maybe their confidence will pay off—fools are often lucky.”
So she wiped the sweat from her forehead and leaned back to rest. The mechanical engineering student noticed her nervousness and tried to reassure her. Of course, it didn’t help much—the more he reassured her, the more nervous she got.
Rong Ziyin couldn’t stand watching anymore and cut in, “Don’t worry! She definitely won’t be nervous.”
Mechanical Engineering: “How do you know?”
Rong Ziyin: “Haven’t you heard? The hotties from Landscape Architecture can uproot trees barehanded! They’re not scared of anything!”
Mechanical Engineering: “R-really?”
He instinctively moved a bit further away from the senior.
The landscaping department beauty was stunned by this remark. Her eyes snapped open, and she glared at Rong Ziyin for a long moment, speechless. She desperately wanted to unleash her tree-uprooting strength and slap him silly.
Her inner voice screamed: Rong Ziyin is so handsome, why does he have to be such a jerk when he opens his mouth?!
Her initial nervousness dissipated considerably at his words.
But the next second, the production team called her name first for the quick-fire Q&A segment, and her nerves shot back up.
Rong Ziyin gave her a pep talk: “Don’t be scared! If you’re scared, your sweet-and-sour pork lipstick won’t look as vibrant.”
The beauty took three deep breaths on the spot but couldn’t hold back. Furious, she kicked Rong Ziyin: “Get lost!”
In an instant, she channeled her inner warrior goddess and stormed toward the production team.
After all, with such an unreasonable teammate, even a nerve-wracking live assessment started to feel exciting!
True to its reputation as the most authentic show, the questions were exceptionally tricky. But a true scholar fears nothing, and the senior aced it effortlessly.
However, the mechanical engineering student observing couldn’t help but frown.
Rong Ziyin: “What’s the matter?”
Mechanical Engineering Student: “Don’t you think this scope is a bit too broad?”
The senior student was likely so exasperated by Rong Ziyin that she failed to notice, but Rong Ziyin and the mechanical engineering students listening in all picked up on it immediately.
Though they weren’t from the landscape architecture department, they were well aware of the scope of some shared courses. Take the math problem included in the exam—it was clearly at the graduate level.
But that wasn’t the worst part. What was more troubling was that the senior’s questions even included several related to film and tourism.
This started to frustrate the Mechanical Engineering student. “What should I do? I rarely pay attention to topics outside my studies.”
Rong Ziyin thought for a moment and said to him, “It’s fine. Just look at your hair—everyone will understand! Just get all the questions from our department right.”
The mechanical engineering student was a bit dazed. He rubbed his head and suddenly grasped the deeper meaning behind Rong Ziyin’s words.
The implication was clear: your thinning hair shows you’ve been holed up in the lab with no time for leisure—everyone gets it.
Damn it, was that really meant as comfort, not mockery?
The mechanical engineering student’s gaze toward Rong Ziyin instantly hardened, as if he wanted to punch him right then and there to vent his fury.
Pfft! He knew Rong Ziyin was never any good.
Fuming, he leapt from his chair and pointed at Rong Ziyin. “I don’t know, but you do? Whoever answers fewer questions is the little brother!”
Rong Ziyin: “Alright, little brother, it’s your turn. Go on, little brother! Hurry up, little brother!”
Mechanical Engineering Student: …
[Upset Level: 1000]
But the ensuing drama left him no time to retort. The production crew soon called for the next interviewee. The interview with the beautiful senior from Landscape Architecture wrapped up quickly, and it was the Mechanical Engineering student’s turn to prepare.
But after Rong Ziyin’s repeated taunts, the Mechanical Engineering department’s top student had transformed into a warrior, eager to charge into battle immediately. He vowed to prove his true strength to Rong Ziyin with an insane number of kills. And he was determined—this time, he would make Rong Ziyin willingly call him “big brother.”
The beautiful senior from the Landscape Architecture department happened to come downstairs. Seeing his fiercely determined look, she couldn’t help but ask Rong Ziyin, “What did you say to him? He seems pretty angry.”
“No way,” Rong Ziyin replied, leisurely flipping a page in the core journal he held. He summarized their conversation: “We just swore brotherhood as sworn brothers. He acknowledged me as his big brother, so he’s incredibly excited right now.”
【Confusion Level 1000】
Beautiful Senior: Yeah, right!
It must be said that under Rong Ziyin’s toxic motivational speech, the mechanical engineering department’s top students performed remarkably well, achieving nearly 100% accuracy. Their opponents were utterly stunned.
Before arriving, they’d only planned to ride Rong Ziyin’s trending fame for some publicity stunt, never expecting this Agricultural University team to go far in the competition.
The outcome was truly unexpected. The caliber of these Agricultural University geniuses was exceptionally high, rivaling the previous teams from Nanjing University, Tsinghua, and Peking.
Their looks weren’t bad either. The mechanical engineering guy, though a bit earnest, was tall and sturdy. The horticulture major beauty was even more striking—big eyes, petite face, and an air of refined elegance that came from genuine intellect.
Now, the question is what kind of person this highly anticipated Rong Ziyin truly is. If he lives up to his reputation, their next episode is guaranteed to trend!
These three are truly the cream of the crop.
So, amid the production team’s anticipation, Rong Ziyin took his seat.
The opening segment featured the customary icebreaker questions, which Rong Ziyin answered with commendable poise.
Thus, this part concluded swiftly, leaving only two final questions.
One inquired, “Will temporarily leaving school for the competition impact your studies?”
The production team knew many of these academic stars were juggling research projects.
True to form, Rong Ziyin couldn’t help but frown upon hearing this. “Would I have to be away from Yanjing University for many days?”
Production team: “At least two months!”
Rong Ziyin lowered his head slightly, appearing somewhat troubled.
The production team assumed Rong Ziyin was worried about living expenses, as they had previously researched that he had always worked part-time while studying. Instantly feeling sympathy for the gloomy young man before them, they hurriedly reassured him: “Don’t worry! You can talk to the brothers and sisters on the production team about any difficulties!”
“Um… any kind of difficulty?” Rong Ziyin hesitated before speaking.
“Yes! Feel free to tell us anything. We’ll definitely help you resolve it.”
“Then… I’ll tell you.” Rong Ziyin nodded, preparing to speak.
Not far away, the veterinary department head, who had been watching the scene, instinctively felt a sense of foreboding.
Sure enough, Rong Ziyin lifted the tiny gosling still clutching his palm and said to the production team with obvious distress, “If I really have to leave for two months, my goslings will be all grown up by then!”