Rebirth 1979: Hunting wild boars and saving educated youth

As the weekend approaches, the celebratory atmosphere in Los Angeles becomes more and more intense.

This joyful atmosphere even permeated the university campus and could be felt everywhere.

Especially when the news came that the Dodgers defeated the Seattle Mariners on the road and won their fifth consecutive victory, the celebration enthusiasm of the entire city was instantly ignited and the heat soared to new heights.

Naturally, the media were not willing to lag behind, and newspapers, television, the Internet, and various channels were filled with reports about this victory.

Among them, the Los Angeles Times was particularly creative. The front-page headline was "Dodgers win five games in a row, let's celebrate!" It not only reported the news of the victory, but also gave a detailed introduction to the preparations for the celebration.

Chen Feng noticed that many celebrities were invited to attend this celebration. Although some of the names were unfamiliar to him, considering that Los Angeles is the home of Hollywood, the luxury of the star lineup is self-evident.

The media also released a detailed parade route, starting from Dodger Stadium, passing through the bustling city center, passing the dazzling Hollywood Walk of Fame, and finally arriving at Grant Park. The entire route is designed to be both lively and full of attractions.

After reading the newspaper, Chen Feng couldn't help but be secretly shocked, muttering to himself: It's just winning a game, why is it like the New Year?

But on second thought, this may be the charm of this city, loving sports and enjoying life. Every time I think of this, I can't help but sigh that Chinese people really live too hard.

On Friday afternoon, Ning Yao and Lu Ting came out of the classroom together, chatting about their part-time jobs. As they turned down the hallway, a man in a suit came towards them and called out to them.

"Ning Yao, Lu Ting, wait a minute!"

Oscar, also of Chinese descent, is now the vice president of the UCLA Chinese Student Association. The previous president is graduating soon and is no longer in Los Angeles, so he's now in charge of most of the club's affairs.

Ning Yao and Lu Ting stopped and frowned unconsciously, remembering what happened at the last BBQ - Oscar ignored his girlfriend and kept circling around Ning Yao.

"Oscar, what's the matter?" Ning Yao asked in a light tone.

Oscar smiled and said, "The Los Angeles Dodgers are having a celebration and parade tonight. Our club has secured a meeting point where we can celebrate with the players and take photos. You two should come too and show off the image of us Chinese international students!"

When Lu Ting heard this, her eyes lit up. She tugged at Ning Yao's sleeve and whispered, "We haven't participated in this kind of activity before. It sounds interesting." But when she thought of her work in the evening, she sighed again.

Ning Yao glanced at Lu Ting, understanding her thoughts, and then said to Oscar, "I'm sorry, we have plans tonight, so I'm afraid we can't go."

Oscar's smile froze when he heard this, and he suddenly said, "What are you doing tonight? Don't think I don't know. You're working at Dongjiang Duck, right? Can't you just ask for leave? This kind of event only comes once every two years. If you miss it, you don't know when you'll see it again. We Chinese people need to unite. We can't always be alone. We need to integrate into the group!"

He spoke with confidence, as if not participating would mean being unsociable.

Ning Yao sighed softly, feeling quite unhappy.

To be honest, she is also quite interested in this kind of activity.

But there's no other way. I have to work at night. How else would I earn money? After work, I have to study hard. I've fallen behind so much lately that I'm so anxious that I don't have the energy to participate in other activities.

"I'm really sorry, Oscar," Ning Yao said sincerely. "It's not that I don't want to participate, I just have no choice. When it comes to working, you can't just ask for leave whenever you want. Have fun, don't let us spoil the fun."

Oscar was completely disappointed. His face was gloomy, and a hint of displeasure appeared at the corner of his mouth. His words became colder: "Humph, you two really have principles. Ning Yao, I thought you were a sensible person, but now it seems that you are so ignorant. Lu Ting is also stubborn like you."

He paused, a calculating look flashing in his eyes as he stared at Ning Yao and said, "Especially you, Ning Yao. Do you think you're upholding some noble character? Don't be naive. We Chinese people abroad should help each other. You're doing this, not even participating in a simple group activity. I'm really disappointed."

In fact, Oscar was so serious because he was thinking about Ning Yao.

Among all the female international students in California, he thought Ning Yao was the most beautiful. At first, he just wanted to show his affection and see if there was a chance to get close to her.

But later when he heard that Ning Yao worked in a Chinese restaurant, he became curious and thought that Ning Yao might not be financially well-off and had no background.

Thinking of this, Oscar felt that his chance had come and he dared to use the means.

So, he turned to look at Lu Ting and said with a hint of threat: "Lu Ting, I heard that you are still applying for the 'Beth F. Raber Scholarship'? This scholarship requires a letter of recommendation from our club. If you don't even participate in activities now, how can the club write a recommendation for you when the time comes?"

Hearing this, Lu Ting suddenly panicked.

She did recently apply for the Beth F. Raber Scholarship, which is for students with financial difficulties but excellent academic performance. The requirement is a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and participation in at least one UCLA or community activity.

Ning Yao wasn't eligible to apply yet, but Lu Ting definitely met the requirements. Furthermore, her current job was even more strenuous than Ning Yao's. She washed dishes and vegetables every day, her hands turning white from soaking. If she could get the scholarship, she could find a lighter job and avoid such hard work.

Lu Ting looked at Ning Yao with pleading eyes. Ning Yao saw it and felt troubled.

She couldn't just think about herself and ignore Lu Ting's feelings. After thinking for a while, she said, "Tingting, how about this? You go to the event, and I'll ask for leave for you at the restaurant."

When Lu Ting heard this, a smile immediately spread across her face, and she kept saying, "Great, great, Yaoyao, you're so kind!"

However, Oscar was not happy to hear this.

He originally wanted Ning Yao to attend the event, and he didn't care whether Lu Ting went or not. Although Lu Ting was not ugly, she was much inferior to Ning Yao, even worse than his ex-girlfriend.

"What do you think of group activities?" Oscar said with a gloomy face. "Some people come and some don't. Do you think the club is your living room? If you want to come, then come together. If you don't want to come, then don't come. Don't be so casual!"

Ning Yao and Lu Ting were stunned when they heard this.

They didn't expect Oscar to be so serious and so unkind.

Ning Yao frowned, feeling somewhat dissatisfied, but she also knew that confronting Oscar head-on was not a solution.

"Oscar," Ning Yao said calmly, "It's not that we don't value group activities, it's just that sometimes there are special circumstances. Lu Ting really needs this scholarship, and this event is very important to her. Can't you understand?"

Oscar remained unmoved. He looked at Ning Yao and Lu Ting coldly and said, "I understand? Then who understands me? As the vice president, how much effort have I put into this event? Your lack of cooperation is really putting me in a difficult position."