Chapter 1959: Chapter 1955: Low Spirits
"I can vouch for this. Initially, I was striving for the exchange student spot in the Business School. Who would’ve thought that Xiaoxia would end up being the top student at the end of the term, and her performance throughout was outstanding, so the only spot went to her."
Liu Mengting sighed helplessly.
Ever since she heard Tang Ming was going abroad, she had been researching how to secure an exchange spot. But as it turns out, things don’t always go as planned, and the unassuming Wu Xiaoxia succeeded instead.
"It’s not my fault. I have zero interest in the exchange program. It just landed on my head out of nowhere. Even if I wanted to decline, the school wouldn’t let me."
Wu Xiaoxia shrugged with a smile.
"Hmph, don’t act all innocent after getting a good deal! If I had known, I would have tried harder last semester."
Liu Mengting sulked, pouting as she looked pitifully at Tang Ming, "Xiaoxia is going abroad with you; aren’t you just going to win her over again?"
"What are you thinking? I’m a teacher now. I have to set an example and absolutely won’t do anything inappropriate with a student."
Tang Ming stated righteously with a serious face.
"What about her?"
Everyone simultaneously pointed at Zhou Xiaoqian.
"What does this have to do with me?"
Zhou Xiaoqian blushed in embarrassment.
"That doesn’t count! I wasn’t a teacher before we got together. Look at me, ever since I became a teacher, it’s been half a month already, and I’ve been very well-behaved."
Tang Ming shrugged with a face full of injustice.
"Alright, alright! What’s done is done, no point talking about it. I’m more curious now about how Tang Ming became a lecturer?"
Mo Hongsheng asked Tang Ming with a confused look, "It’s only been a short while, and I heard you went to study at the Medical University. How did you suddenly become a lecturer at Imperial University?"
"It’s a long story. Let’s not talk about it."
Tang Ming rubbed his chin and solemnly looked at Shao Wuyou and Meng Xianjun, "Second Brother, Wuyou, I’m going to be away for a month. During my absence, please take good care of Mengting and make sure no one bullies her."
"Don’t worry, with me around, I guarantee no one will bully her."
Meng Xianjun nodded resolutely.
"Damn! When did you two start calling each other brothers?"
Shao Wuyou looked at Tang Ming and Meng Xianjun with curiosity.
Tang Ming and Meng Xianjun exchanged a glance, neither of them explained. It was too complicated to get into.
"Anyway, we will be gone for a month. You all take good care of yourselves at school."
Tang Ming picked up his chopsticks, "It seems there’s nothing else, everyone, let’s start eating."
The group started eating with laughter and chat, during which Meng Xianjun was exceedingly attentive to Liu Dongmei, leaving everyone else quite astonished.
Those who knew Liu Dongmei’s jinx-like nature didn’t understand Meng Xianjun’s behavior. Liu Dongmei had once been the bane of a Nine-star Martial Master. She was not someone ordinary people could handle.
Not understanding Meng Xianjun’s intentions, the group eventually lost interest in figuring it out.
Over the next two days, Tang Ming got busy as the team members handled matters related to going abroad and held meetings with several mentors.
During this time, the other team members frequently came and went with their teachers, while on Tang Ming’s side, apart from Zhou Xiaoqian who stayed by his side, even Mo Hongsheng and Wu Xiaoxia seldom appeared, making it seem like he was going it alone.
Mo Hongsheng busily researched something unknown, while Wu Xiaoxia, being indifferent by nature, paid little mind to these matters and was accustomed to going with the flow.
One morning, the exchange team from Imperial University took the university bus to the airport, officially starting their exchange journey abroad.
The other groups were extremely well-prepared, having readied everything for travel, lodging, and meals, and were all very united, full of energy and excitement.
In contrast, Tang Ming’s group was unusually quiet, engaging in almost no conversation. Ling Jianjie and the other two appeared listless and lifeless.
"Mr. Tang, it seems your group members aren’t in high spirits!"
Once the bus started moving, Jing Manlun cheerfully approached Tang Ming, "Did you brief them on what to be mindful of while abroad, and some everyday etiquette for interacting with foreigners?"
"I communicated everything the higher-ups wanted to be relayed. There shouldn’t be any omissions."
Tang Ming furrowed his brow uncertainly.
"You can’t solely rely on the school for this. Book knowledge isn’t enough."
Jing Manlun chuckled slyly and boasted, "This requires someone with overseas experience to personally guide them. This is already my eighth time going abroad for a visit. I’m quite familiar with things out there and knowledgeable about foreign cultures. I’ve shared this experience with my students, ensuring they’ll handle things well and not be bullied outside."
"Professor Jing, don’t make things difficult for Tang Ming. He’s so young, I heard he just got his passport. Since he’s never been abroad before, how could he possibly know the situation outside?"
Wang Zhongxia also came over, looking at Tang Ming with disdain.
"Oh right, look at my memory, I totally forgot."
Jing Manlun patted his head and glanced sympathetically at the students behind Tang Ming, "Looks like you’ll have a hard time out there, but whenever you encounter any issues, feel free to consult my group members. They’re already quite experienced."
"And on my side, my student Li Wenxuan is a graduate in foreign languages and has lived abroad before, so she knows the situation out there very well."
Wang Zhongxia said proudly, pointing to his group member.
Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoqian was infuriated, while Ling Jianjie and others hung their heads, overwhelmed with shame, and found it increasingly difficult to manage their disappointment.
Tang Ming frowned, a bit annoyed with these guys who were clearly here to stir up trouble. He turned to look at the students behind him, noticing their embarrassment because of him, and immediately felt displeased.
"Professors, are your English speaking skills up to par?"
Tang Ming straightened his clothes, calmly inquiring.
"What?"
Ling Jianjie and Wang Zhongxia were slightly taken aback. Neither of their fields were related to foreign languages, so naturally, their English skills were limited.
"Can you communicate with Americans without any barriers?"
Tang Ming smirked confidently, "Even though I’m younger than you, my speaking skills are pretty decent. I can communicate freely with foreigners and I’m proficient in eight languages."
"Hmph, what’s there to be proud of? Once we get there, there are professional translators. We don’t need to communicate directly."
Jing Manlun snorted coldly.
"Oh please, is your so-called overseas experience all about relying on translators? When people insult you to your face, you won’t even know it. How embarrassing."
Tang Ming mocked with disdain.
"What are you so smug about? My group member Li Wenxuan is an excellent foreign language student, and she grew up abroad, so none of this is an issue."
Wang Zhongxia sneered, curling his lips.
