NOVEL NEXT Chapter 66
Chapter 66: Lin You Xi, First in the World
This time, most of the class committee positions were uncontested. Only for the position of class monitor were three names submitted: Lin You Xi, Chen Jie, and Huang Zhe. There was no need to introduce Lin You Xi; these two boys also had decent grades and some influence in the class.
Li Shibing asked the three candidates to prepare before they began their speeches. Huang Zhe raised his hand first and delivered his carefully prepared speech that he had been working on for a week.
“Respected teachers and dear classmates, hello! My name is Huang Zhe. Today I would like to run for class monitor. Here are my advantages: First, I have served as class monitor since elementary school and am familiar with the responsibilities. Second, I excel academically and can set a good example for my classmates. Third, I am helpful—when a classmate falls, I will help them up and find a teacher…”
“My speech is over, thank you.”
Huang Zhe’s speech was long, and he seemed to have prepared extensively for this day. Although his words were empty, they sounded professional, and middle school students might believe him.
At this moment, Chen Jie took the stage to deliver his campaign speech. Mei Fang turned to look at Lin You Xi, noticing she was frowning intently at Chen Jie’s speech, looking quite nervous.
Mei Fang then wrote a note and passed it to the back row where Lin You Xi sat.
Lin You Xi opened it and saw:
[You Xi, You Xi, first in the world]
This playful and childish cheer made her unable to control herself and laugh softly in front of everyone.
Oh no… I was trying to encourage You Xi, but I ended up making things worse!
Chen Jie felt very uncomfortable with Lin You Xi’s laughter. He stopped his speech and looked at Lin You Xi, “Lin You Xi, do you have any objections to what I just said?”
Lin You Xi stood up and apologized for her laughter, then said, “I have some different opinions about what Chen Jie said.”
“Did you listen to what I said earlier?”
“Yes.”
Lin You Xi returned to her usual indifferent expression and continued, “You said that as a boy, you can better mediate disputes among boys, while a girl wouldn’t be able to do so…”
Good grief!
Mei Fang forgot that Lin You Xi had this multitasking superpower…
Chen Jie calmly responded, “Because disputes among boys often lead to physical confrontations, and someone strong is needed to mediate effectively.”
“But being the class monitor isn’t about who is the strongest.”
“If I become class monitor, I can seek assistance from other classmates when necessary and intervene myself. In my opinion, the most important role of a class monitor is to unite classmates, not act alone.”
“Of course…”
Chen Jie hurriedly explained, “What I meant was that if I become class monitor, I won’t have to trouble other classmates and can handle boys’ disputes more quickly.”
“Chen Jie seems to only care about disputes between boys. What would you do if girls have conflicts?”
“Well…” Chen Jie thought, “I think conflicts among girls mostly involve verbal arguments and don’t escalate to physical fights, so they shouldn’t cause much harm. A little criticism should suffice.”
As soon as Chen Jie finished, there was a collective groan from the girls, clearly showing their indignation.
Goodness, how dare he underestimate conflicts among girls! He could be declared ineligible for choosing a partner for the next three years!
(Just kidding, of course. Middle school students can’t date early – by Cao Man Jun)
“Let’s put your argument aside and vote for class monitor,” Li Shibing interrupted.
Li Shibing then looked at Chen Jie, “Do you have anything else to add?”
He had something to say, but now he couldn’t remember…
Seeing Chen Jie shake his head, Li Shibing nodded at Lin You Xi.
“Then please, Lin You Xi, go up and give your speech.”
Lin You Xi stood up and walked to the podium slowly.
She wasn’t very talkative, but serving as acting class monitor this month had given her some experience.
“The reason I want to run for class monitor is more about self-reflection,” Lin You Xi said.
“Before, I didn’t have much initiative and always followed others. So, I want to use this opportunity to grow and gain the ability to help my friends and classmates, rather than just receiving help. Thank you.”
Lin You Xi’s speech lacked Huang Zhe’s dramatic tone and Chen Jie’s arrogance. She conveyed sincerity because it came from her heart.
However, Li Shibing was puzzled and asked Lin You Xi,
“Lin You Xi, don’t you want to mention your strengths as class monitor? Like your academic performance?”
“Well… I don’t think there’s much to say.”
Lin You Xi reminded him, “You read out my scores this afternoon.”
The moment she finished speaking, the audience gave her a round of applause.
Everyone realized that Lin You Xi, who scored full marks, was the only one in the class who didn’t need to write a self-criticism letter. She was truly the top student.
Unintentional boasting, most lethal!
It was exactly how Lin You Xi left an impression on Mei Fang in his previous life.
She was poised and composed, exuding the unique charm of a strong person inside and out.
Although Lin You Xi was still far from that commanding presence, one could already see some of those traits.
Her charm not only attracted boys but also had a powerful impact on girls her age. It was evident that Lin You Xi had gained a group of admirers who watched her intently and whispered among themselves.
After the voting for the class committee ended, with 72 students in the class, Lin You Xi received half the votes and no further counting was done.
Even without this incident, Lin You Xi would have easily won the position of class monitor.
She had Li Shibing’s endorsement and outstanding academic performance. Plus, during adolescence, gender tensions were high, and girls tended to work together while boys acted independently. Not finishing the vote was a way to give Huang Zhe and Chen Jie face.
Thus, Lin You Xi became the class monitor, and the other class committee positions were uncontested. After a few brief remarks, Li Shibing asked the group leaders and class officers to form teams.
Naturally, Lin You Xi and the newly appointed Chinese representative Yue Xinyi joined Mei Fang’s group.
Teacher Li Shibing was relatively open-minded about seating arrangements. The remaining group members were chosen by lottery, allowing students to pick their preferred groups.
Perhaps due to Lin You Xi’s impressive performance today, Mei Fang’s group almost ended up being filled with girls. Luckily, he ended up with a male classmate as his desk partner, or Yuan Yuan would have asked questions all day.
During the seat adjustment, Mei Fang, unable to contain his curiosity, asked Lin You Xi the question he had earlier.
“You Xi, what would you do if girls had conflicts?”
Lin You Xi paused, smiled, and shook her head.
“In fact, I’m not sure either. Yuan Yuan and I rarely argue, maybe just a bit of disagreement. We don’t know what kind of conflicts we might have.”
“You didn’t know and still spoke up?” Mei Fang laughed helplessly. “If you were really asked, what would you say?”
“Well… If I were asked, I think ‘sincerity’ would be key.”
Lin You Xi explained, “If the two arguing are honest with each other and the mediator considers both sides fairly, they can eventually reconcile.”
“Indeed, sincerity is crucial in communication.”
Mei Fang nodded in agreement, “Ask if you have questions, speak up if you have concerns. People who hide things usually end up in trouble.”
(End of Chapter)