Chapter 10: Roses that cost everything
For everyone at the welcome gala, there were not many high points, but some were certainly unforgettable, enough to propel a few outstanding freshmen into the spotlight.
For instance, the lead dancer in the third act, a modern dance, drew gasps from the entire audience. The handsome boy could spin in place on the floor through 1,080 degrees for six turns-an astonishing talent.
The girl singing in the seventh act really did have a voice that lingered in the air. Several comedy sketches from the art and design department also had the audience roaring with laughter, bringing several articulate, witty talents to light.
The president of Nanjing University's Speech and Debate Club and the others attending the gala had already quietly settled on their recruitment list.
After a quiet period following enrollment, these students, who had gathered at Nanjing University from all over the country, began to stand out and make names for themselves in this way.
Tang Wu's piano solo was another highlight of the welcome gala. Her résumé had caught the Nanjing University Student Union's attention. She had accumulated plenty of awards, and the teachers' assessments on it were both measured and full of appreciation, making her particularly conspicuous in the Student Union's eyes.
With her considerable experience, Tang Wu naturally handled an occasion like this with ease. As the entire audience listened in silence to her piano piece, a group of departmental Student Union members below the red-carpeted stage were still looking up at her.
Fan Qiyi was the Student Union president. He had his head tilted and his eyes closed, listening to the clean notes flowing from beneath Tang Wu's fingers, amplified through the microphone and returning to his ears. His hand tapped lightly to the rhythm. Then he opened