Ch7 - mutual-aid study group

After lunch there was some time for resting, but there wasn’t enough to bother with going to and from home, so usually students draped themselves over their desks in their classrooms and dozed for a bit, which could be considered rest.

He Xiangyang and the rest gathered around and came to find Guo Jingyu, who glanced at Li Tongzhou leaning forward on his desk, taking an afternoon nap. Afraid their talking would disturb him, he brought them outside. 

As if he drove a light car on a familiar road, He Xiangyang walked easily in front of the group headed up to the terrace of the academic building.

Guo Jingyu found a shady spot and sat down, but he didn’t know what to talk about. Beside him, the gang of eager followers watched him expectantly. Rubbing his nose bridge, he said: “The test today, how did you all do?”

He Xiangyang and the others standing to one side reported their scores one by one.

Originally Guo Jingyu thought his grade was bad enough, but after hearing the gang report theirs, he discovered that only after adding He Xiangyang and the guy next to him’s grades together did they equal his. 

Dazed, Guo Jingyu said: “That can’t be, even if you guys muddle through, you can’t only muddle together ten something points?”

He Xiangyang didn’t have much of a reaction, casual as anything, but beside him, Sun Hua at least had a slight amount of self esteem, enough to scratch his head, not uttering a sound.

Guo Jingyu took a look at this gang of young fellows and closed his eyes, saying: “This can’t go on like this.”

He Xiangyang said: “Yu ge, as long as you open your mouth, whatever you say we’ll do!”

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

“Starting from tomorrow, every day, every person will do a set of math mock exams, write a five hundred character diary entry according to essay prompts, using at least three sets of parallel metaphors that lead into ancient poetry quotes.”

Olrafclcu ab atlr, Lf Wljcusjcu jcv atf gfra kfgf raeccfv yea Xeb Alcuse kjrc’a vbcf rqfjxlcu, wfcalbclcu ys cjwf jr tf mbcalcefv: “Lf Wljcusjcu, sbe tjnf j Qjixwjc ja sbegr gluta? P tjqqfc ab tjnf bcf abb, jcv atfc bnfg tfgf kf tjnf 1234….” Xeb Alcuse qfgobgwfv j tfjvmbeca, “Szjmais fluta qfbqif, atf akb Qjixwjcr’ii ajxf aegcr yflcu qjrrfv yjmx jcv obgat fnfgs kffx, fnfgs qfgrbc klii ajxf j wbmx Scuilrt ilrafclcu mbwqgftfcrlbc afra, cb cffv obg wbgf. Vtbeiv yf jybea akfcas wlceafr bg rb obg fjmt fzjw.”

He Xiangyang and the others looked at each other in dismay. Guo Jingyu narrowed his eyes and said: “What, my words aren’t easy to carry out anymore?”

The boys hurriedly shook their heads, stammering as they all agreed. 

Guo Jingyu spoke again: “Let’s be organized, come up with a name for our group.”

He Xiangyang rushed to speak first and said: “There already is one, Yu ge, last month we already named ourselves!”

“What is it?”

“Hong Xing Thirteenth Youth.” 

“….”

Guo Jingyu wore an expression of immense toothache. He’d really underestimated his capacities in the second year of middle school. Waving his hand, he said: “Not using this, this name isn’t auspicious.”

He Xiangyang said stupidly: “Then what will we be called? Fourth Middle School next door had bickered over this name with us, we’re just going to let it go like this?”

Several of the others next to him echoed him: “Right, right, we have more people on our side, and suppressed them on the forums so handily that now they only dare call themselves the ‘Wang JiaoClan’.” 

Guo Jingyu laughed: “This crappy name somehow has people fighting to have it? Let them have it then, from now on we’ll be called,” he looked around for a moment, taking in the electrical cords crossing over the cement walls along the terrace, and opened his mouth to say, “From now on we’ll be called ‘NetEase Board of Directors’ I’m telling you guys, in the future after graduation you all should do your best, don’t limit yourself to some ‘Thirteenth Youth,’ or ‘Clan’ whatever, what meaning do those have? You’re in the internet café spewing hot air back and forth while the boss uses your need for connection to make money, whatever way you look at it, it’s the latter who profits.”

Listening to this, the boys sort of, not really, understood, but regardless they’d all been shaken by Guo Jingyu. Until now, they’d never thought that far ahead before.

Guo Jingyu said: “Is there anyone in your families who trade stocks?”

The boys looked at each other. Sun Hua and one other raised their handsd, one said, “My dad does,” and the other said, “My mother’s cousin’s whole family does.” 

Guo Jingyu’s mood was pretty good, and advised them: “Go home and tell your families, see if it’s possible to think of a way to buy some shares in NetEase, remember, don’t sell in the first few years regardless of how much or how little it rises, these stocks can grow by a lot.”

Guo Jingyu was someone who’d experienced it all. He had a deep impression of NetEase shares rising from 0.6 USD each to more than 2000 times that in ten or so years’ time after the internet bubble economy recovered after collapsing totally in the next two years. But NetEase was on the American stock market and wasn’t easy to buy. Back then, Guo Jingyu only heard others mention it in passing. Having interacted with some people who were interested in speculating, he also picked one or two domestic stocks that were most stable to recommend to the gang now.

Sun Hua and the other boy nodded, and asked: “Yu ge, how do you know this much?”

Guo Jingyu pretended to be profound, saying: “It’s not convenient to say, but just believe me and tell your family. Hai, insider information, no one is allowed to pass it outside.” 

The more he spoke like this, the more the boys didn’t doubt him. They all looked to him with eyes full of admiration.

Guo Jingyu reorganized the structure of the mutual-aid study group, giving He Xiangyang the title of vice-chairman, some of the others became managers, and the lowest was still a supervisor.

Sun Hua was that sole supervisor, and shyly asked: “Yu ge, what does a supervisor do?”

Guo Jingyu: “It’s a ‘monitor,’ responsible for inspecting all high level administrative personnel’s progress as they execute their tasks. In the future, when new rules and regulation come out, you’ll also be responsible for monitoring and inspecting, if in our ‘board of directors’ anyone abuses their power, you can deal with them. I’ll give you an example, say He Xiangyang didn’t finish his worksheets today, you’ll then tell me, and I’ll help you hold him down so you can give him a kick or two!” 

Sun Hua said, pleasantly surprised: “Even more powerful than the vice-chairman?”

Guo Jingyu laughed and nodded as he coaxed him: “Yes, yes, you remember that, carry out your responsibilities well, understand?”

Sun Hua agreed happily, straightening his waist.

He Xiangyang’s grades were the worst. With a sullen face, he asked in a small voice: “Yu ge, why do we have to study?” 

Guo Jingyu: “Your grades are all too miserable, I have no face bringing you out in public.”

T/N: me, weeping: li tongzhou…. wake up li tongzhou…. your lover is making me read about stocks…..wuwuwuwu

(also orz i somehow just. didn’t realize the author put in small notes after chapters sometimes (in my defense the font is very small and very green), but i’ve gone ahead and added them for chapters 4 and 5, if you want to go back and take a look!!!)