2. Also acting as a senior brother

  Back in the lab, Jiang Zhihan slept on the table for a while to sober up. Then he opened the document and found an application file for a new national torch high-tech fund that needed to be written. This thing, Jiang Zhihan knew in his heart, really didn't have much technical content. To mention "filling the domestic gap, reaching international leadership" was even more absurd. There were indeed only a few people in China doing this, but the things they were developing now were probably at the level of Germany 10 years ago, not to mention that they had already been commercialized on a large scale. But when his boss handed him the first draft of the application report, it was a great trust, and several of his junior brothers were quite envious.

  Actually, Jiang Zhihan had already graduated in theory, but there were still two months before he started working, and the company was also in the same city. Even the technical director of the company had a few connections with his boss. So emotionally and rationally, Jiang Zhihan needed to make an effort here. But this kind of creative writing really gave him more headaches than debugging hardware and software. Jiang Zhihan racked his brains for an hour, revised three times, but still couldn't write even three lines. Helplessly, he opened IE to check his email, which was also a way to relax.

  Master brother, dinner gathering tonight, give me a confirmation.

  He opened it to take a look, and Jiang Zihan, who had been tormented by the application report for some time, finally realized that his senior brother was actually himself. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Kao, time flies, youth turns into old age, I've also become a senior brother."

  The dinner party was booked at a restaurant called "Hai Shang Ming Yue Tian", which is one level higher than where the old guys had lunch. The event was organized by our middle school alumni association. Back when Jiang Zhihan took the college entrance exam, Qing University wasn't very well-known, although it was a key university, it was considered to be a second-tier university. In recent years, Qing University has developed rapidly and its reputation has grown, with more and more students coming from our hometown middle school. The younger generation of university students have long had the concept of interpersonal networks, organizing a middle school alumni association, occasionally gathering, speaking in dialect, chatting about their hometown, and strengthening relationships, which can also be mutually helpful, is really a good idea, using fashionable words, it's a win-win situation.

  Jiang Zhihan called the president of his class to say he had a meeting and would be late, and asked about the purpose of this activity. Only then did he learn that he was one of the hosts. The dinner was a farewell party for three seniors and Jiang Zhihan, who was a graduate student. For over a year, Jiang Zhihan's project had been very busy, and he often went on business trips, missing several activities. But since he was one of the hosts this time, he couldn't help but attend. However, thinking about it was amusing - as a host, he needed guests to arrange for him to pay for today, and then notify him by phone or email.

  At 6:40, when Jiang Zihan pushed open the door of the private room, everyone inside was already having a lively time. There were seventeen or eighteen people seated around a large table, with some unfamiliar faces among them. The host was a thin, bespectacled young man in his third year of university. He stood up enthusiastically to welcome Jiang Zihan, saying "Master Brother is really busy, it's not easy to invite you here." He then turned to the first- and second-year students and said, "I'm sure some of our younger brothers and sisters haven't met him yet, so let me introduce everyone."

  Among those present, except for the chairman's classmate, Jiang Zhihan was relatively familiar with only two seniors. One of them was a boy named Peng Shuai from the same department as Jiang Zhihan, who graduated and went to an institute in Shanghai-Nanjing. The other was a girl named Lin Mo from the Electronic Engineering Department, whom he had chatted with at previous gatherings. Jiang Zhihan had a very good impression of Lin Mo, thinking she was a sincere and considerate girl. He still remembered the first time they attended their middle school reunion, where everyone agreed to meet in front of the library's arbor. At that time, Jiang Zhihan was a freshman and Lin Mo was a sophomore; four or five people stood under the trees chatting while waiting for others to arrive. Suddenly, a girl standing opposite Jiang Zhihan shouted and took a small step back. Jiang Zhihan felt something fall on him but couldn't find anything when he looked around. Lin Mo stepped forward, lightly flicked her finger at his collar, and a small insect fell to the ground. Although it was a trivial matter, Jiang Zhihan remembered it vividly. Even though they only occasionally met on campus and exchanged greetings, Jiang Zhihan never forgot this gentle girl's demeanor, which differed from many other girls' spoiled and artificial behavior.

  Jiang Zihan sat down, and a junior brother he had never met before was telling him about his experiences chasing girls. He didn't show any signs of nervousness at all when the senior brother arrived. Jiang Zihan nodded to greet Peng Shuai, then smiled and said to Lin Mo sitting next to him, "You seem to have lost a lot of weight!" Lin Mo furrowed his brow, "Was I very fat before?" Jiang Zihan was tongue-tied, "Uh, I thought it was a compliment..." Lin Mo burst out laughing, "I actually was quite chubby! This time I made up my mind and lost 7 or 8 pounds."

  Jiang Zihan couldn't help but feel a good impression of this refreshing girl, and he secretly sized her up. To be honest, he had never really taken a close look at her before, and only had an impression of her being delicate. Lin Mo wore a white T-shirt with small flowers printed on it, paired with light blue jeans, and had shoulder-length black hair, bright eyes that sparkled with spirit, and facial features that weren't particularly striking but were comfortable to look at together. Her chin was sharper due to her slimness, and she had a small mole under her lower lip. Jiang Zihan thought to himself, "Wow, this girl is definitely one of the top 10 beauties in Qing University. It seems like our hometown really does produce beautiful women." Lin Mo's static appearance might make her just an ordinary beauty among many girls at university, but her demeanor was refreshing and genuine, with a hint of playfulness, which added to her charm.

  On this side of the river, Jiang Zihan was busy checking out the beauty, while on the other side, a little guy had already started to provoke him.

  A little girl who didn't know him said to Jiang Zihan: "Big brother came and only chatted with sister in private, he was late and should be punished with three cups of wine."

  Jiang Zihan had been drinking with the old-timers in the company's factory for over a year, how could he be afraid of a little girl? He smiled and said: "Today is my treat, so I'll follow your lead. If Little Shifu is willing to help me pay the bill, then I'll drink three cups as a guest."

  Little sister with the surname Lu was not intimidated at all, and counterattacked: "Big brother is so vulgar talking about money, we haven't even listened to your teachings yet and you've already graduated. This is our first meeting, shouldn't you be treating us? Besides, aren't you going to make a lot of money soon? We're still proletarians."

  "It's simple to listen to my teachings. For the first meeting, as a junior sister, you should drink a cup out of respect. As for me, your senior brother, it's up to you."

  Lu Shimei said disdainfully: "Have some decency, it should be the boy who drinks away the girl's recklessness."

  Jiang Zihan shook his head and sighed, "Alright, I'll drink a glass as a man, you drink a glass as my junior sister, now it's fair?" Arguing with the young girl didn't seem that interesting to Jiang Zihan. Was his wavelength really more compatible with people in their thirties than those who were eighteen or nineteen? It was truly premature aging! Thinking of this made Jiang Zihan laugh involuntarily.

  Little sister with surname Lu has quickly shifted her target and is now toasting President-classmate.

  Lin Mo said in a low voice: "What are you laughing at? This is so weird."

  Jiang Zhan looked at Lu Shimei's somewhat unusual facial features and couldn't help but blurt out: "Confident people are the most beautiful."

  Lin Mo burst out laughing and then said with a straight face: "You're so mean, she's just a little girl."

  Jiang Zhihan said seriously: "I just sincerely admire, I look in the mirror every day to find this kind of confidence."

  Lin Mo gave him a glance, and in that instant, Jiang Zhi felt his heart thumping loudly and rapidly.

  What's wrong with me? Jiang Zihan asked himself in his heart, my emotions have been fluctuating these days, is it graduation syndrome? He glanced at Lin Mo out of the corner of his eye, and Jiang Zihan felt his heart beating rapidly again, like a 17-year-old boy who had never been in love. He calmed down and turned to chat with Peng Shuai about nothing in particular.

  There are also two people from Qingzhou Normal University and Qingzhou Medical University, who came to join in the fun today. Several people were enthusiastically discussing the topic of finding friendly dormitories across schools.

  Jiang Zhan said to Lin Mo, "Think about it, in a few years these little guys will come out and compete with us. It's really scary. Look at them, they've learned to adapt quickly to bad environments, are full of social skills, have great interpersonal communication skills, no awkwardness, and can easily get along with others. To be honest, I only learned some of this in the past year or two. As the saying goes, 'the waves behind push forward the waves ahead, and the waves ahead die on the beach.'"

  Lin Mo said thoughtfully, "Don't say that you're very old-fashioned. But I agree, now a difference of two years is like a difference of one generation, the concept is quite different. Thinking back to when I first entered university and saw my senior fellow students who were reading for their master's or doctoral degrees, I was so nervous and eager to listen to their advice."

  Jiang Zhan smiled and said, "It's all the same. But let's give ourselves a little encouragement. Nowadays, young people are generally quite arrogant. When we were in college, we were thrilled to be assigned to do some lab work, such as keeping experiment records. Now, when we ask our students to do the same, they look at us with disdain."

  Lin Mo nodded, but couldn't help adding: "I think you were a bit too young when you first used this word."

  The dinner party was nearing its end, and the chairman suggested that the graduated seniors share a few words, which would also serve as a way to impart some valuable experiences to their junior brothers and sisters. Of course, several of the graduating students pushed Jiang Zilei forward, saying that he was the true senior brother and should share his growth experiences with everyone.

  Jiang Zihan thought for a moment, and then put away his usual carefree smile, putting on the air of a mature senior brother. He took a sip of water, cleared his throat, and this sudden change in demeanor almost made Lu Shimei burst out laughing behind her hand.

  "Frankly speaking, apart from being a few years older than you all and having eaten more of the cafeteria's half-cooked rice, I really don't have anything that makes me stand out more than anyone else here." He quickly made eye contact with his junior brothers and sisters, then continued: "But in my growth process, I've found that having a few more years of experience - whether it be success or failure, or even mediocrity - can sometimes be a kind of wealth. Everyone is different, not just in terms of profession, personality, or opportunity, but perhaps there are some commonalities. So if what I say can inspire even one person, then this first speech as the senior brother won't have been in vain."

  Everyone smiled lightly. Jiang Zhihan paused for a moment and continued, "Let me tell you two things. First, it's very common, four words - cherish time. But my deepest feeling is that in the past few years I've been at the institute, all my undergraduate classmates who have graduated and started working, whether they're on business trips or vacations, when we get together for a meal, they all say, 'Oh, I wasted too much time back then.' They either learned some professional knowledge or did something they wanted to do, but it wasn't a waste of time. You know that among these people, there were those who slept until noon every day and played mahjong until midnight. Back then, talking about cherishing time was a joke - enjoying life and being lazy was the highest ideal. But once you enter society, you find that you're not prepared in all aspects, and it's very difficult and embarrassing. The school is a magical place where time flies by both quickly and slowly. It's fast because four years pass by in the blink of an eye, but it's slow because there are days when you have nothing to do, lying on your bed, wandering around, sitting in the library without focus, and before you know it, the sun sets. The university is a relatively closed place, not like middle school where someone is always watching over you, nor like work where pressure is always present. So many people often relax and let time slip away. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - enjoying your first love in college, of course, I know some of you have experienced it since elementary school, or the last leisurely days, are also not wrong choices. But you must think carefully and have your own plan. Back then, my senior looked at me and said, 'I envy your four years of youth,' which I couldn't fully understand. Now that my wife has become a mother-in-law, I see that you all have the same emotions and envy. So the most precious thing in your hands is these few years of time - enjoy it, recharge, strive for it, do everything 100%. The worst thing is looking back and realizing that you didn't learn anything or have fun, and just let it pass by vaguely."

  "When it comes to planning, I'd like to mention the second point, which is to be one step ahead. When doing anything, being one step earlier can give you a huge advantage. Generally speaking, during the first year of university, people still have the momentum from high school and are busy studying and competing for scholarships. By the second year, they start to feel lonely and want to find a girlfriend, but it's often too late, as the seniors have already snatched them up. Girls shouldn't laugh, 'preventing fires, thefts, and seniors' is a famous saying that applies to you. By the third year, people are alone and don't care about exams anymore, they're confused and before they know it, a year has passed. By the fourth year, they need to rush to find jobs or prepare for graduate school, only to realize their foundation is weak or they have nothing to write on their resume, and they've fallen behind. So, if you fall one step behind, you'll be passive everywhere. While others are foolishly looking around, you can get the girl or boy you want, while others are desperately searching for a partner, you can make your grades and social experience look good, and while others are confused or making up for lost time, you can start preparing specifically for graduate school or job interviews. In short, university is a sheltered harbor, but you can't hide there forever. The earlier you prepare to go out into the world, the more initiative you'll have. Looking ahead, you will eventually get something in return."

  Jiang Zihan didn't expect himself to talk so much. But when he finished, there was actually a smattering of applause from below. He raised his wine glass and smiled, saying "Thank you for the support."