Chapter 20: You Stepped on My Hair

In the afternoon, the official military training began. Military training can actually be quite dangerous—heatstroke, anemia, and special care needed for girls during their period—these are common issues. But unexpectedly, Class 2 of Public Administration had a dispute because of hair.

There was a boy named Zhu Chenglong, whose hair was fairly long, nearly covering his ears. Experienced instructors usually wouldn't care about something so trivial, but this year, the instructor in charge was a young man.

The instructor criticized Zhu Chenglong for his hair, but Zhu Chenglong wasn't happy about it. Thinking that even the counselor hadn't said anything, he challenged the instructor and retorted.

The young instructor felt like Zhu Chenglong was challenging his authority. In a fit of anger, he grabbed a pair of scissors and said he would personally cut off Zhu Chenglong's hair.

At the time, Chen Han Sheng wasn't present. He and Yang Shichao had gone to a convenience store to buy cigarettes. When they returned, the argument had already started.

The students in the class had never encountered such a situation before—some stood there dumbfounded, while others sided with Zhu Chenglong, their unity growing as the situation escalated. Hu Linyu was about to report the matter to the class supervisor and the superior instructor when he ran into Chen Han Sheng on his way back.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Chen Han Sheng asked.

Hu Linyu quickly explained the situation, and just as he was about to leave, Chen Han Sheng blocked his path. Yang Shichao, being a fool, thought Chen Han Sheng was flirting with Hu Linyu, so he stepped in and tried to block Hu Linyu too.

"Chen Han Sheng, this isn't the time for jokes, move aside quickly."

Hu Linyu said anxiously.

"You don't understand a thing. If you report this to Instructor Guo and his superior, both Zhu Chenglong and that instructor might get disciplinary actions. Let's resolve this quietly behind closed doors," Chen Han Sheng replied.

He then squeezed into the crowd and yelled, "What are you guys doing?"

The instructor glanced at him, seeing a tall student in military training gear, with a cigarette in his mouth, looking like a thug.

"Who are you?" the instructor asked with a frown.

Chen Han Sheng threw away the cigarette. Clearly, the instructor disliked smoking, and since he was here to resolve the issue, he didn't want to antagonize either side.

"Hello, Instructor. My name is Chen Han Sheng, a student from Class 2 of Public Administration."

He introduced himself first and then said, "I have a suggestion. Could we put down the scissors before speaking? That way, you won't accidentally hurt yourself or others."

Although the instructor didn't intend to hurt anyone, when someone's temper flares, it's easy for emotions to get out of control. Chen Han Sheng's arm still bore the bite marks from when Xiao Rongyu had bitten him, something no one could have expected.

The instructor, feeling his pride wounded, gave Chen Han Sheng a cold look and said, "Military training requires short hair. I'm here to help you guys get a haircut!"

Zhu Chenglong, being the kind of guy who probably valued his hair more than anything else, immediately became angry. "I'm not cutting it. What can you do about it?"

"Shut up!" Chen Han Sheng turned around and scolded Zhu Chenglong without hesitation.

Zhu Chenglong, respecting Chen Han Sheng, kept quiet. Part of it was because Chen Han Sheng had treated them to meals before, and he owed him a favor. The other part was that Chen Han Sheng's tough, "street-smart" style made Zhu Chenglong hesitant. He might not fear the instructor, but he did feel a bit intimidated by Chen Han Sheng, who was bold and had a reputation for being wild.

Seeing Zhu Chenglong quiet down, Chen Han Sheng continued to try and persuade the instructor, but this time his tone had more of a diplomatic touch.

"Instructor, you are here to help us improve physically and mentally, and you have your own tasks and responsibilities. What would the higher-ups think if they saw you holding those scissors?" Chen Han Sheng said, pointing toward the instructor's superior in the distance.

The instructor was taken aback. Indeed, he hadn't been calm earlier, and if the leadership saw this, they would definitely criticize him.

However, he didn't hand the scissors to Chen Han Sheng. Instead, he silently put them in his pocket.

Chen Han Sheng nodded, thinking that it didn't matter where the scissors were as long as they weren't in the instructor's hand. Things were calming down now because both Zhu Chenglong and the instructor had their concerns. The next step was to justify the "long hair" issue.

Chen Han Sheng was obviously in favor of long hair. Not only was his own hair not short, but also, Shen Youchu had long, black hair hidden under her cap.

Later, when they became a couple, Shen Youchu shyly said, "You stepped on my hair," which he thought was such a sweet thing to hear.

Thinking of unrelated things in his mind, Chen Han Sheng put on a serious tone and said to the instructor, "You say we can't have long hair, but which law or rule states that university students must have short hair for military training?"

"If there's a written regulation, I, Chen Han Sheng, promise to be the first to follow it!"

He took off his cap, revealing his neatly styled hair.

The instructor was momentarily stunned. There was no clear regulation, and he had only been trying to assert his authority.

Chen Han Sheng noticed the instructor's hesitation and softened his tone, speaking more diplomatically. "Instructor, how about this: during military training, we'll tuck our hair under our caps and make sure it doesn't affect the uniformity or appearance. What do you think?"

At this point, the instructor's expression finally relaxed. Taking advantage of the situation, Chen Han Sheng walked up to Zhu Chenglong and quietly said, "Chenglong, go apologize to the instructor, and let's put this behind us."

"Why should I apologize? I didn't cause the trouble," Zhu Chenglong grumbled.

Chen Han Sheng, speaking casually now, said, "You have so many problems. What if the instructor holds it against our class during training? Just apologize, it's not a big deal."

Hearing this, Zhu Chenglong hesitated for a moment but finally walked over and half-heartedly said, "Sorry, Instructor."

Chen Han Sheng turned back to the instructor. He had done his part, and both his face and the instructor's were saved. He hoped the severity of the situation was clear enough. Normal people would know what to do next.

Sure enough, after a brief silence, the instructor suddenly shouted, "Public Administration Class 2, line up for military training!"

With that, the matter was officially resolved, and the dispute was forgotten. Everyone's long hair was saved.

"Chen Han Sheng!"

Just as Chen Han Sheng was about to rejoin the team, the instructor suddenly called him.

"You smoked during military training, which violates school rules. You're punished to run 10 laps on the field!"

"Sh*t..."

Chen Han Sheng was surprised. He thought the instructor was being petty. Why punish him instead of Zhu Chenglong?

But Chen Han Sheng knew that if he resisted further, the instructor's pride would be severely damaged, and who knew what other trouble might arise.

"Running 10 laps will calm the instructor down, help maintain his authority, and keep the training stable. It's not a bad deal!" he thought to himself and decided to comply. Of course, he didn't want to run either.

"Report, Instructor! I'd like to report that Yang Shichao was also smoking. Can I give him 5 laps of my punishment?"

Yang Shichao, who had been joking around in the lineup, froze upon hearing this.

"No way!" the instructor immediately rejected, "Yang Shichao, step out of line, and you will both run 10 laps!"

On the hot and windless training field, the two boys in military gear ran, sweat pouring down their faces.

"Sh*t, Chen Han Sheng, why did you drag me into this?"

"One person running is too boring. I'll buy you a soda after dinner."

"I don't want a soda, I want a Red Bull!"

...