Chen Pingjiang knew very well that Orange Phone would have to keep fighting Apple in the future.
This wasn't like internet companies; with Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo had to die, and with WeChat, MiChat couldn't survive.
Differences in price tiers, hardware limitations, and regional restrictions would allow various brands to coexist and integrate.
From entering school in September 2006 to June 2010, exactly four years had passed, and everyone was facing graduation.
Taking graduation photos and getting degree certificates were both major events.
Classmates rushed back from various places.
Old friends reunited, and possibly for the last time, which made the atmosphere a bit awkward when they interacted.
"Damn it, Old Fourth, you've been living the high life following Old Chen, and now you've even opened a bar, while I'm bored to death back in my hometown."
"Tonight, let's go to your bar, you treat and pay the bill."
"Bullshit, get lost! I'm just a small shareholder, why should I pay for all your drinks?"
"Tsk, look at how stingy you are. I'll go find Old Chen later."
"Then go find him, if Brother Chen agrees, it's fine."
"..."
Just as Chen Pingjiang reached the door of dormitory 603, he heard Dong Tinghui and Zhao Shaoyang bickering.
Wang Lei, Guo Dewen, and the others had already returned yesterday afternoon, and He Siyu had also been admitted as a postgraduate student at their university.
Upon seeing Chen Pingjiang, everyone came up to greet him.
Chen Pingjiang smiled and nodded to each person, then asked,
"Aren't you going to change? The graduation ceremony is about to start."
The student uniform of the University of Finance and Economics wasn't special, basically all black.
After everyone changed, they rushed towards the stadium.
There were three to four thousand students in this graduating class, too many for a regular auditorium, so the graduation ceremony was held in the stadium.
At this time, the Renren.com University of Finance and Economics campus forum was already abuzz.
Someone saw Chen Pingjiang, secretly took photos, and uploaded them online.
"Is our male idol graduating? We won't see him again after this, but even when he wasn't graduating, we barely saw him."
"I heard he's already been recommended for postgraduate study, so we might still see him."
"Is our male idol that amazing? He doesn't even have time for classes, yet he can still be recommended for postgraduate study?"
"If you had as much money as him, Harvard probably wouldn't be a problem either."
"I'll go sneak a peek after class."
When entering the basketball arena, most seats were already taken.
Chen Pingjiang took a deep breath and walked in with his head held high.
Around him, people who recognized him continuously greeted him warmly and friendly, many of whom Chen Pingjiang didn't recognize.
This graduation ceremony was quite large, with attendees including students, parents, teachers, school leaders, and a considerable number of external guests.
A sharp-eyed staff member saw Chen Pingjiang, immediately ran over, and guided him to sit in the first row, alongside the school leaders and external guests.
After taking his seat, Kuang Minghong and Ning Yongde were beside him.
"Congratulations, Xiao Chen. Four years have passed in a flash, and you've achieved success in academics, career, and love."
"Heh heh, seeing him instantly made me feel old."
School leaders and external guests continuously came over to greet him.
Many graduates from other colleges also turned their gaze, pointing at Chen Pingjiang's back and introducing him to their parents.
"That one, that one... that's Chen Pingjiang I told you about."
In their eyes, Chen Pingjiang was a legend, a legend that seemed close but was actually very far away.
They were all from the same university, even the same department, but after four years of college, their lives seemed like two different paths.
The fortunes of life are truly wonderful.
The first part of the graduation ceremony was the singing of the national anthem and the university anthem, followed by leaders coming on stage to speak, extending congratulations and encouragement to the graduates, and sharing their expectations and advice for the future.
Next came the awarding of graduation certificates.
When it was Chen Pingjiang's turn to go on stage, a lasting round of applause erupted in the stadium.
Originally, delivering a graduate speech and being recognized as an outstanding graduate were honors Chen Pingjiang could have received, but he declined them.
"Let's leave some opportunities for other graduates; perhaps they can put these honors on their resumes and use them for future job searches."
These things were already useless to him.
The entire graduation ceremony lasted two or three hours.
At the very end, the graduation bell rang, and all the graduates threw their caps.
"Hubby, do you want to see me in a school uniform tonight?"
Cong Nini quietly ran to Chen Pingjiang's side as they were leaving, asking with seductive eyes.
Chen Pingjiang pretended not to understand:
"You're wearing it right now, I can see it clearly."
"Oh, no, I mean tonight, in bed."
"No, thanks. With that big gown covering everything, what's there to see?"
Chen Pingjiang shook his head.
"I don't care, you have to watch, you haven't looked for me in ages."
If it weren't to avoid suspicion, Cong Nini probably would have jumped onto Chen Pingjiang and clung to him.
This girl was getting more and more damn flirtatious.
Normally, people wear a graduation gown on the upper body and trousers on the lower body.
Who would have thought Cong Nini would directly wear black stockings?
Under Wang Liwen's guidance, the graduates of Industrial Management Class Four found a patch of grass to take their graduation photos.
Accompanied by a "Cheese!", everyone's university life officially ended.
From tomorrow onwards, they would all go their separate ways.
The mood at this moment was complex, with the joy of four years of hard work finally bearing fruit, and also the sorrow of parting.
Almost every student in the class took a photo with Chen Pingjiang, and Chen Pingjiang happily showed no airs.
Other girls were more normal, but when it was Cong Nini's turn, she directly jumped onto Chen Pingjiang's back, leaving a fiery red lipstick mark on his face the moment the shutter clicked.
"Cong Nini, you're too much! None of us dared to be that bold!"
"Oh, why didn't I think of that? No, no, I want to do it too!"
The girls laughed and cheered.
Chen Pingjiang, however, knew Cong Nini's little scheme.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this might be the only photo of the two of them that could be publicly displayed.
"Huh? Xinyue, why are you here?"
As the somewhat simple-minded Yu Tingting called out, Chen Pingjiang noticed that Zhang Xinyue had unexpectedly come to their class's gathering spot at some point.
"Oh, I've been here for a while. I saw you taking photos just now, so I didn't come closer."
As she spoke, Zhang Xinyue intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Chen Pingjiang and the faintly visible lipstick mark on his face.
"Come on, let's take a picture together, us sisters from old Dorm 403."
The reason Zhang Xinyue came over was to take photos with Yu Tingting and Wang Liwen, after all, they had lived in the same dorm for half a year during their freshman year.
At the same time, she also wanted to take a picture with Chen Pingjiang.
Because they didn't have a photo together when they graduated from high school.
Zhang Xinyue still remembered that they had just broken up then, and she had proactively asked Chen Pingjiang to take a photo together, but was rejected, regretting it for a long time.
It was no news that Cong Nini and Zhang Xinyue didn't get along in Dorm 403, and it was precisely because they couldn't get along that Zhang Xinyue applied to change dorms.
Now, at the time of graduation, Cong Nini had no burdens at all.
Instead, she held her head high and looked at Zhang Xinyue with a slightly smug expression.
Her demeanor was like a victorious peacock showing off.
The group photo of Dorm 403 was taken by Chen Pingjiang, but right after it was taken, Zhang Xinyue's expression changed, becoming extremely unpleasant.
She stared intently at Chen Pingjiang, biting her lip.
Meanwhile, Cong Nini next to her laughed even more happily, and skipped away with her best friend Zhang Lu.
Wang Liwen curiously looked at Zhang Xinyue, who stood stiffly like a wooden post, then glanced at the departing Cong Nini, and rubbed her forehead, a bit speechless:
"What did she say to you that instantly made you upset?"
"N-nothing..."
On the other side, Qin Bei, who could compete with Cong Nini in terms of looks in Industrial Management Class Four, also walked over, smiling radiantly, and said to Chen Pingjiang:
"Class monitor, let's take a photo too, to commemorate my lost love."
Seeing Chen Pingjiang looking a bit bewildered, Qin Bei covered her mouth and smiled:
"This is what I truly feel, but if I don't say it now, I won't have another chance. I've secretly liked you for four years."
Chen Pingjiang chuckled:
"You must be kidding, right?"
"I'm serious. I've liked you since freshman year, but with Cong Nini first, and then Zhang Xinyue, how could I dare to approach you?"
Qin Bei seemed a little wronged:
"Cong Nini was very annoying back then, always competing with me. One time she told me to give up, saying you were hers. Another time, after National Day, I saw you and Zhang Xinyue buying bubble tea together at the water bar, and you even greeted each other, do you remember?"
Chen Pingjiang nodded:
"I think I vaguely remember, but all that's in the past. I wish you can find your own love in the future."
After taking a photo with Qin Bei, Chen Pingjiang was going to find Cong Nini.
How much trouble did this girl cause during freshman year?
He had only just heard about her competing with Qin Bei.
"Chen Pingjiang!"
"What?"
A crisp, somewhat angry voice came, and Chen Pingjiang turned to see Zhang Xinyue staring straight at him, her eyes red-rimmed.
In an instant, he chuckled:
"You're being disrespectful, you should call me Boss."
"I have a question for you."
Zhang Xinyue ignored Chen Pingjiang's playful smile, her expression serious and a little heartbreaking.
This made Chen Pingjiang become serious.
"Tell me."
"Are you and Cong Nini together? Don't lie to me, I already know everything."
Chen Pingjiang hadn't expected Zhang Xinyue to ask this.
He wanted to say no, but seeing Zhang Xinyue's demeanor, she seemed to know something, so he just nodded and hummed.
"Does Yan Yan know?"
Chen Pingjiang shook his head again.
"You scoundrel! Do you think you're being fair to her by doing this?"
After asking, Zhang Xinyue suddenly laughed, a rather desolate laugh:
"Do you know what Cong Nini told me just now while you were taking photos with the boys? She said she finally won the bet between her and me."
"Oh, you probably don't know. In freshman year, she made a bet with me, saying we should see who could win you over. I didn't agree then. I thought it was foolish, what kind of thing is it for two women to fight over one man? I thought as long as you were mine, no one could take you away. But after four years of college, I realized I was wrong."
"I... I don't want to lose to anyone, especially not to her. I was living perfectly fine in Dorm 403, but she kept making sarcastic remarks, deliberately forcing me to leave."
For a moment, Chen Pingjiang almost blurted out "What the f***".
This Cong Nini, you're really a bitch.
If I don't absolutely wreck you tonight and make you call me Daddy, then my name isn't Chen.
There was originally nothing going on, but she had to provoke Zhang Xinyue and deliberately hurt her.
Chen Pingjiang awkwardly scratched his head:
"Uh... don't take what Cong Nini said to heart. She and I are simply an accident, got stuck together and can't get out of it."
"I said! I don't want to lose to anyone, especially not to her, do you understand?"
Zhang Xinyue met Chen Pingjiang's gaze, as if all her strength had been drained, and repeated the sentence.
(End of chapter)