Chapter 75: Ah... This...

As the leader began to address the audience, both the reporters present and the accompanying staff quickly straightened up in their seats. They took out pens and notebooks, eager to jot down the leader's speech.

A low hum of voices buzzed in the room.

As soon as Chen Xiao heard the leader's speech, his mind instinctively switched to standby mode. In his previous life, when he held managerial positions in meetings, he never indulged in trivialities.

The leader from the Education Bureau began, "Thank you, everyone!"

Ahem, the last four words were clearly audible to Chen Xiao.

The audience responded with enthusiastic applause, and Chen Xiao joined in.

"Chen Xiao, I hope you paid attention to my speech just now. I trust that you will study diligently and make valuable contributions to the nation and society. Continue to contribute to your hometown!"

Quickly, Chen Xiao voiced his commitment, "I was listening attentively, and I assure you that I will work hard to meet everyone's expectations."

"Very well!"

Applause erupted once again.

Originally, the scholarship award ceremony was intended to take place at Chen Xiao's residence. However, due to space limitations, it was relocated to the small auditorium of Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School.

Chen Xiao held three envelopes in his hands.

One contained a 5,000 yuan bonus from Jiangzhou City, another held a 3,000 yuan bonus from Jiangcheng City, and the third contained an admission letter from Jiangzhou University.

Jiangzhou University had committed to providing Chen Xiao with a scholarship of 10,000 yuan. It wasn't a lump sum payment, but rather a monthly allowance, which was a more practical arrangement.

This could be considered the fruit of his efforts after six months of rebirth.

Combined with the bursaries and his personal savings, Chen Xiao intended to purchase two mobile phones for his parents as a gesture of gratitude for their years of hard work.

After the Education Bureau leaders concluded their speeches, they proceeded to inspect the summer sprint program of the third-year students at the new quasi-high school.

After this year's college entrance examination, Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School had achieved remarkable results, turning it into a star institution that gained significant attention from higher authorities.

Following a brief chat with Teacher Liao, Chen Xiao prepared to head home.

Bump.

Chen Xiao accidentally bumped into the notebook being held by a young female reporter who was also leaving the scene.

The reporter had initially intended to retrieve her notebook, but Chen Xiao acted swiftly.

"I apologize." Chen Xiao quickly picked up the notebook.

At that very moment, the notebook had turned to its latest page.

Meeting Topic: Hu Ju's Speech During the Visit to Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School by the Provincial Champion.

Contents: First...

Second…

Third…

The "..." was an ellipsis drawn by the female reporter, implying that she hadn't retained any meaningful information.

Chen Xiao couldn't help but chuckle; it appeared that everyone was fishing during the meeting.

If the leader's secretary discovered that he had diligently stayed up late to draft a speech that had been reduced to scribbles by a distracted reporter, he wondered how the secretary would feel.

Amused by the scene, the female reporter blushed and quickly snatched her notebook back.

"Thank you!"

It was only then that Chen Xiao got a clear view of the person. She wore black-rimmed glasses, and her tall, slender frame appeared fragile. It was uncertain whether she was an intern or a new employee.

Chen Xiao smiled and nodded.

After leaving the school, Chen Xiao headed straight to the department store to buy mobile phones.

Located downstairs in Jiangcheng People's Mall, a line of shops sold electronic products, including CD players, VCDs, DVDs, and of course, mobile phones.

The sales attendant eyed Chen Xiao's youthful appearance and immediately recommended a "Xiaobawang Learning Machine." It was one of those devices that required inserting a yellow card.

Chen Xiao chuckled but didn't respond, opting to explore the mobile phone section instead.

The variety of mobile phones available on the shelves was limited, featuring brands like Motorola and Ericsson.

At that time, Ericsson was still an independent entity and hadn't been acquired by Sony yet.

Chen Xiao took a liking to the Ericsson T28, which was touted as the thinnest and lightest mobile phone globally, weighing a mere 83 grams. However, its slightly bulky form and extended antenna hinted at its age.

In this era, purchasing a mobile phone didn't entail scrutinizing specifications such as chips, memory, or operating systems. The primary function was making calls, and that was all one needed to consider.

"Sister, I'd like two of these phones."

"Are you certain you want mobile phones?" The saleswoman seemed skeptical. It was hard to believe that a young kid could afford two mobile phones.

Mobile phones were still considered a luxury, not a necessity, during this period.

Chen Xiao nodded and confirmed, "Yes, two. How much does one cost?"

The saleswoman hesitated, "It's 4,300 yuan."

Quite expensive!

If he were to purchase from a distributor, he could likely obtain them for around 3,000 yuan.

Chen Xiao didn't feel like haggling and fetched 8,600 yuan in cash to pay for both phones.

Suddenly, the saleswoman's attitude turned enthusiastic. She quickly wrapped up the mobile phones for Chen Xiao and even included a small gift such as a phone strap.

Observing the store owners who secured their mobile phones in protective holsters around their waists, Chen Xiao couldn't help but chuckle.

A decade or two later, people would use phone cases to encase their phones, and in essence, the behavior was identical to the users of this era.

Human behavior, it seemed, was indeed hereditary. Jobs had racked his brain for months to shave off a millimeter from the mobile phone's thickness. Ironically, the dealers in Huaqiangbei's shell and screen protector stalls promptly added a centimeter in thickness.

This was a conundrum that Uncle Qiao likely never understood before he passed away.

Upon arriving home, Chen Xiao handed the phones to his parents.

Chen Qiang and Lin Hui expressed both surprise and admonishment.

"Buying such expensive items! Don't waste money!"

"That's right! Why do you need a mobile phone? We have a phone at home!"

Chen Xiao explained, "It's all thanks to the scholarship. Besides, I won't have to pay tuition fees for university. This is a small gesture of filial piety from your son."

Enlightened by his rebirth, Chen Xiao continued, "Life rushes by in a matter of decades. We should learn to enjoy life."

Chen Qiang playfully tapped Chen Xiao's head before relenting and setting down the phones.

Just as the home phone rang, Shen Wei's voice came through.

"I heard the TV station interviewed you at school. How did it go?"

Chen Xiao hadn't noticed that Shen Wei was accompanied by her father, Shen Haifeng, who was also an Education Bureau official.

"You're back?" Chen Xiao's spirits lifted.

Shen Wei responded, "Of course I'm back. Didn't you say you'd take me to the internet cafe? How about meeting at 3 o'clock?"

Chen Xiao replied, "See you at the school gate."

Under the summer sun, the ancient tree at the school gate emitted a chorus of "ZhiZhiZhi." The road was sparsely populated.

Beneath the tree, Shen Wei stood with two frozen bottles of Arctic Ocean soda in hand.

Chen Xiao gazed at Shen Wei and couldn't recognize her.

In high school, due to the heavy academic workload and school regulations, Shen Wei always tied her hair in a ponytail and donned a school uniform that did little justice to her figure.

However, today, Shen Wei had let her hair down, her cute bangs framed her face, and she wore a pale yellow floral dress that accentuated her fair and radiant complexion.

Unrecognizable, completely unrecognizable! One could never fathom the transformation that plain high school girls underwent when they entered college.

"Chen Xiao!" Shen Wei jogged over, handing the soda to Chen Xiao. She greeted him, "It's been a while! Congratulations on getting into Jiangzhou University!"

Chen Xiao inquired, "And what about you? Did you receive your admission letter?"

With a radiant smile that revealed her white teeth, Shen Wei replied, "Take me to the internet cafe, and we'll talk while we walk."