The big truck jolted for an entire day before it finally arrived at the Research Institute, and by the time the girls got off, each one of them was disheveled and sullied, with a dispirited look on their faces.
The parking spot was a large drill ground, very close to the temporary dormitories that the General Union had arranged for the female students.
This time, the joint consolation event was initiated by the province, with the participation of five Song and Dance Troupes.
With more people around, there naturally were those who arrived earlier and those who arrived later. The early arrivals could pick the best dormitories, the best locations, and become familiar with the surroundings first. They could also get to know the Research Institute in advance, which was very important for building good relations.
The General Union Dance Troupe was the last to arrive. Yang Wenying personally led the team and was immediately taken away after getting off the vehicle.
The Research Institute did a great job with reception, sending specialized staff to greet them. As the female comrades hopped off the big truck one by one, someone would warmly offer a helping hand and assist with carrying their belongings.
"Take it easy, youâve worked hard!"
"Take it easy!"
The atmosphere was quite nice until a sharp voice exclaimed, "Oh my God! Where did these come from? Please donât tell me these are female comrades!"
"Exactly, all disheveled and dirty. Right! They could very well be messengers."
"Anythingâs possible, but definitely not our female comrades."
"Stop saying that. Theyâre not our female comrades. Being ugly and not caring about appearance is very normal. If everyone were good-looking and talented, wouldnât they all become female comrades?"
A group of female comrades, arm in arm, with smiles on their faces, stopped and pointed as they passed by the big truck.
Each district had its own number, and based on the slight differences in their clothing, it was still possible to distinguish which district the others belonged to.
Lu Xiaoshuang, who jumped off first, was naturally categorized with the disheveled ones, and she was absolutely fuming.
Chen Huaying followed, jumping down without anyoneâs assistance, her movements fluid and elegant. After landing, she struck a very cool pose, causing her peers from the General Union Dance Troupe to twitch at the corners of their mouths, wishing they could pretend not to know her.
"Whoâs this tomboy?"
"Do they even recruit such people?"
"Well, sheâs not a female comrade, so why canât she join?"
"Thatâs true. If any Song and Dance Troupe dares to recruit such people, their leaders would surely regret it so much theyâd consider hanging themselves."
The female comrades standing on the roadside burst into giggles again. One of them, with a radiant smile and wearing tailored clothes, could immediately become a stunning attraction wherever she stood.
Looking over at the General Unionâs side, faces were disheveled and due to the long travels and performances, everyone appeared listless with eyes devoid of spirit, and weary appearances.
To draw a more vivid comparison, they were like ladies and maidservants depending on which side they stood.
The people from the General Union were so angered they were nearly spitting blood. How dare they say they were ugly! Where did they look ugly? They simply couldnât stand it.
Everyone was raring to go, rolling up their sleeves ready for action.
Wu Youli, scared white, quickly grabbed them, "Calm down, we absolutely cannot fight. Have you all forgotten the general teamâs warning? Weâre here to participate in the joint consolation performance, letâs just pretend we didnât hear anything else, okay?"
Everyone thought of Yang Wenying and immediately lost their nerve. The reputation of their Dance Troupe was already pitiful to behold, incomparable to their previous visit to the War Wolf Rescue Team for joint trainingâas different as heaven and earth!
"Just bear with it!" Lu Xiaoshuang sighed helplessly, "This is the Fifty-six Association; weâve never really gotten along with them!"