Chapter 373 291: I'm on Your Side

Xia Tianjun's tone was sharp. He was glad he'd come over; otherwise, if something happened to this expensive equipment in the dorm room, who could possibly bear the responsibility?

The cost was too high. If handled through normal procedures, the immense financial burden could ruin an unsuspecting student's academic career and affect their entire life.

However, Zhao Ru frowned, took a step back, and forcefully pulled her hand away.

"Sir, is it really as serious as you're making it out to be?" Zhao Ru said unhappily.

Her words were less a question and more a disgruntled complaint.

'Xia Tianjun is making a mountain out of a molehill,' she thought. 'How expensive could something a student brings to their dorm room possibly be?'

'This isn't middle school anymore. College students get living expenses. It's not like we can't afford to pay for one dinky-looking illegal appliance.'

Watching Zhao Ru rub her wrist, Xia Tianjun helplessly put his hands behind his back. His earlier action had been a bit impulsive, but he was only trying to protect his student. Now, Zhao Ru was completely unappreciative.

But as a teacher, he wouldn't stoop to arguing with a young girl like her.

"This is professional manufacturing equipment. It's very valuable."

He glanced at Lin Ruoxi, who was standing quietly to the side, his heart filled with mixed emotions. 'Why would this stuff be in a Software Engineering major's dorm room?'

A soldering station, testing instruments, chips of all sizes…

'This has nothing to do with the Software Engineering curriculum, does it?'

'And if this is just a hobby, the equipment is way too professional.'

Zhao Ru spoke up, "Sir, why don't you just help Lin Ruoxi switch dorms?"

'Before Lin Ruoxi got here, our dorm's atmosphere was great. My roommates and I were even talking about how we'd decorate it.'

'But Lin Ruoxi clearly doesn't fit in, and she brought a ton of electronics. I can't even imagine how we'd split the electricity bill. If we have to live like this for four years, it's better to just have her move out from the very beginning.'

"Lin Ruoxi? Your name is Lin Ruoxi?" Xia Tianjun asked in surprise. He'd been so swamped today that he'd completely forgotten. Secretary Li had given him a heads-up about her.

'That explains everything,' he thought. 'For someone who scored a 745, being quiet and reserved isn't being withdrawn—it's the loneliness of a genius misunderstood by the world.'

'The same goes for this professional equipment. It showed up in a place it didn't belong and got mistaken for "illegal appliances."'

"Alright, we'll switch her dorm," Xia Tianjun said with a nod.

The other roommates sighed helplessly. They had seen it long ago: Zhao Ru didn't really like Lin Ruoxi.

But no one tried to persuade them otherwise, because it's easiest to resolve a conflict from the beginning. If switching rooms could solve the problem, it was better than letting it fester and create a tense atmosphere in the dorm later on.

Just then, Jiang Yuan stepped forward and said, "Sir, we can solve this ourselves. I'll have a talk with them in a bit."

'I want to run for class officer,' she thought. 'Now that a conflict has broken out, this is the perfect chance to show the instructor what I'm capable of.'

Hearing Jiang Yuan speak up, Zhao Ru gave her an awkward, sheepish smile and shuffled one spot to the side.

Jiang Yuan nodded slightly. 'Earlier, Zhao Ru accidentally chipped a corner of my iPad. I was pretty upset, but for the sake of the upcoming election, I was magnanimous and let it go.'

'Now that I'm stepping in to mediate, Zhao Ru will show me some respect.'

However, Xia Tianjun paid no attention to what the girls were saying. He lowered his voice and said gently to Lin Ruoxi, "Lin Ruoxi, let me apply for a single room for you."

He deeply respected talent, especially a genius like Lin Ruoxi. 'Bringing all this equipment must mean she's already mastered the curriculum for other majors. A genius like her shouldn't have to waste time and energy on pointless social drama.'

'Besides, just looking at their financial situations, Lin Ruoxi and these other students are in completely different leagues.'

Everyone was astonished, especially Zhao Ru, who had called the instructor over. She muttered, "Why does she get to live in a single room?"

Afraid of causing discontent among the other students, Xia Tianjun turned back and explained, "Lin Ruoxi scored 745 on her Gaokao. The university gives special consideration for that. There were media reports about her a while ago, didn't you see them?"

He had only found the information online that afternoon himself. All he saw was an ID photo from her early teens. The Lin Ruoxi in the news photo had a gaunt face and empty eyes—a world away from the cool, stunning beauty standing before him now. It was hard to believe they were the same person.

For a moment, everyone was stunned into silence. Lin Ruoxi had told them she scored 745 before, but none of them had believed her.

Du Miaomiao blinked her eyes curiously, "The top scorer is in our dorm?"

"Sir, I don't want to switch rooms," Lin Ruoxi said in a small voice.

'I don't want special treatment. I want to hang out with people my own age! That's the college life I always imagined...'

"Lin Ruoxi, you have to consider these students, too. If they accidentally broke your equipment, it would be a huge burden on their families," Xia Tianjun said softly.

Jiang Yuan bristled at his words. The one thing she took the most pride in was her family's financial situation. 'Is he calling me poor?'

'If you want to be class president, ability is important, but so is your family's status. Otherwise, the wealthy students won't listen to you.'

She spoke up, "Sir, I don't think it's that serious. I'm a local from Chang'an, and my family is in business. If a problem comes up, I can handle it."

Xia Tianjun frowned at Jiang Yuan. 'These amateurs have no clue how serious this is.'

He pointed at the oscilloscope on Lin Ruoxi's desk and said, "This is a professional piece of equipment imported from the United States. If it breaks here in Chang'an, you probably won't even find a place that can fix it."