Then he added, "So we spontaneously proposed organizing a temporary mixer tonight for guys and girls to interact. Everyone can have a simple meal and chat. I communicated with the female students, and they all agreed and found it very meaningful. So... is this really appropriate? We'd like to hear your thoughts."
After hearing this, Mr. Hayes's tone immediately turned gratified and admiring: "Oh wow! Ethan, your idea is really great! Very meaningful! This fully meets the requirements for building a positive, united, and supportive class community! Classmates should communicate more! This greatly promotes class cohesion and integration! I fully support it! You guys organized this really well!"
As a newly appointed young advisor eager to achieve results, students spontaneously organizing such positive and healthy exchange activities was like a gift—how could he possibly object?
Ethan asked at the right moment, "That's great! Mr. Hayes, we've tentatively scheduled it for an hour from now at 'Smoky's BBQ' on the East Side food strip near campus. Would you mind coming over to give us some guidance? Everyone especially hopes you'll come!"
Mr. Hayes immediately agreed, "Of course I can make it! Everyone else is going, so how could I, as the advisor, be absent? I'll definitely arrive on time! Alright, alright, organize yourselves well and stay safe!"
His voice was filled with joy.
"Alright, Mr. Hayes. See you at Smoky's later!"
His thumb lightly slid across the screen, and the moment the call ended, Ethan's lips couldn't help but curl upward, tracing a slightly smug curve that seemed to be under control.
This "mixer" ended perfectly, from the illegitimate "fake official announcement" to the legitimate "official certification"!
Marcus couldn't help but give another thumbs up, sincerely exclaiming, "Damn! Son, what you just did... was ten times more impressive than the sickest bunny hop technique in Call of Duty!"
Derek and Kevin also looked impressed.
They never imagined that a college freshman could handle things so skillfully!
These seemingly simple steps were actually full of danger: he had to precisely gauge the advisor's temperament and work needs, quickly persuade the person in charge on the girls' side to cooperate, and plug any possible loopholes in the plan.
If it were any of them, they'd admit they couldn't handle it; one wrong move could be social death.
In the end, they could only attribute this "superpower" to—truly worthy of being the perfect SAT scorer! The brain is just built different!
Man, both freshmen, how can the gap be so huge?
In the corner of the corridor, Ryan, who was squatting and eavesdropping after notifying the boys, heard the second call Ethan made to Mr. Hayes.
His mouth opened so wide it could fit an egg, and he was completely petrified. It wasn't until Ethan hung up the phone that he murmured three words: "Holy... fucking... shit!"
The guys showered and changed clothes, tidied up to look proper, and gathered at the entrance of Dorm 208.
Ethan waved his hand, leading the dozen or so young men bursting with hormones, marching out of campus in a grand procession straight to their destination—Smoky's BBQ Restaurant.
It wasn't yet seven o'clock, and the barbecue restaurant was already filled with a lively atmosphere, but it was far from rush hour.
A woman with a neat bun who looked about thirty-five or thirty-six came forward with a cheerful, capable smile: "Wow, so many handsome guys! Come inside, quick!"
Ethan, as the organizer, said directly, "Ma'am, we have about twenty-six or twenty-seven people coming. Please arrange a larger spot."
"Alright! No problem!" The owner's eyes lit up and she immediately directed the staff to move the tables and chairs.
Ethan glanced around the layout of the shop and suggested, "How about we arrange the tables together in a long row? Everyone can sit together and chat and have a lively atmosphere."
Then, without even looking at the menu, he started speaking without hesitation, his tone familiar like a regular: "Five servings of fried rice first! Grilled fish needs five big platters! Then, chicken wings, pork belly, calamari, beef skewers, grilled eel, lamb... thirty skewers of each item first! Thirty grilled oysters! Five plates of grilled chives! Ice-cold beer... hmm, bring up two cases first! If it's not enough, we'll add more!"
He rattled off dishes as smoothly as flowing water, exuding the confidence of a true foodie.
The owner saw how generously he ordered and smiled widely: "Alright! Alright! Alright! You clearly know what you're doing! You guys have a seat first, I'll personally grill some of your favorites!"
After saying that, she hurried off toward the kitchen.
Ethan called out to the guys who were a bit overexcited: "Stop standing there like idiots, find a seat! Just sit wherever you like, and we'll adjust when the girls arrive!"
Looking at the pile of hearty dishes Ethan ordered, especially the two cases of icy beer, the guys' eyes lit up, adrenaline surged, and they seemed to smell the scent of freedom and indulgence. They eagerly sat around the long table, and the atmosphere instantly became lively.
While the guys were joking and building the atmosphere, crisp laughter came from the entrance.
Summer arrived with about a dozen girls, accompanied by the smiling advisor Mr. Hayes—he was clearly very satisfied with this "student-initiated" exchange activity.
Ethan, with his sharp eye, immediately spotted Nora following at the back of the crowd, trying hard to keep a low profile.
She lowered her head, gripping her backpack straps tightly, clearly feeling very uncomfortable in such a noisy and lively setting.
"Mr. Hayes! Summer! Over here!" Ethan stood up to greet them.
Everyone gathered, and the small barbecue restaurant was instantly filled with the energy of youth.
Ethan cleared his throat and threw out his next plan: "Classmates! To implement Mr. Hayes's vision for the mixer on 'enhancing understanding and strengthening integration,' and to facilitate real exchanges, I have a small suggestion—let's stop with the segregated seating where guys and girls sit separately! Let's be straightforward—sit mixed, with guys and girls sitting side by side! What do you all think?"
"Yeah!!" The guys instantly erupted in thunderous, excited, wolf-like voices of agreement, their eyes shining as if they wanted to worship Ethan like a deity! This proposal really hit right in their hearts! They were just thinking about how to strike up a conversation, and now the opportunity had come knocking!
The girls looked at each other—some covered their mouths and chuckled softly, others showed shyness, but none of them clearly objected.
Ethan patted Ryan on the shoulder beside him and deliberately shouted, "Ryan, what are you all standing there for? Hurry up and get moving! Stagger the positions to make room for the girls to sit!"
The guys understood immediately, and like well-trained soldiers, they quickly got up and moved around, making space on both sides of the long table.
"Come on, ladies, don't be shy—pick your seat and sit down!" Ethan greeted them warmly.
There are 120 advance chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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