That's true.
The one thing Chen Du could genuinely take pride in was his voice.
Back in college, he ranked among the top ten singers on campus.
When he first arrived, he quickly won over a group of devoted fans by participating in the campus singing competition.
Chen Du sent another message: "Miss Tian, how did you end up getting selected for this apocalypse game? How are things going for you?"
Tian Xiaoyu replied: "I'm managing okay, just barely scraping by with enough food… though supplies aren't exactly plentiful."
"By the way, guess who I ran into here?"
Chen Du stared at the message, his mind working. Could it be someone we knew before?
And since she was being cryptic, it was likely someone from their university days—a classmate or maybe even a professor.
"Who is it? There are so many people in our class. I'd never guess right if I went through them one by one—I'd still be guessing by nightfall!"
Tian Xiaoyu sent a laughing emoji with her hand covering her mouth, then typed: "Alright, I'll stop teasing you. I'll just tell you. Remember Zhang Hao from our class? I'm teamed up with him now."
At the mention of that name, Chen Du's expression darkened.
He certainly remembered this rich kid from their class.
Zhang Hao was a local, infamous for his extravagant lifestyle.
To make matters worse, they shared a dorm room, which gave Chen Du an up-close look at how the wealthy lived.
Luxury items were discarded without a second thought, and a parade of women came and went without repetition.
Chen Du's parents had passed away when he was young, leaving him to be raised solely by his grandfather.
After starting college, his grandfather passed away as well, forcing Chen Du to rely on part-time jobs and student loans to cover his expenses.
Fortunately, Chen Du was resourceful and adaptable, and the money he earned allowed him to live a relatively comfortable life despite his circumstances.
The tension between the two stemmed from an incident involving money.
Chen Du still vividly remembered that sweltering evening during their sophomore year.
As usual, the dorm was empty except for Chen Du, who was studying alone while the others had gone to the city's biggest nightclub with Zhang Hao.
When Zhang Hao and the others returned, laughing and chatting, Chen Du exchanged a few casual greetings with them, as he always did, and then went back to his book.
But that night was anything but ordinary.
Zhang Hao was rummaging through his bed and wardrobe, unable to find his watch.
He had planned to wear his Royal Oak timepiece to the club that night to impress some high-quality women, but in his haste, he hadn't bothered to look for it before leaving.
Now, after the night out, he wanted to find it for future use—but it was nowhere to be found.
"Weird. Where's my watch?"
Zhang Hao cursed under his breath, and the other roommates gathered around him.
One of his closest roommates, who often acted like his lackey, chimed in: "What's wrong, Zhang? Your watch is missing? That thing's worth tens of thousands of dollars, right?"
The others joined in, chattering away.
"Zhang, you should look again. It's got to be here. It's not like someone stole it…"
Suddenly, the dorm fell into an eerie silence.
Zhang Hao slowly raised his head, frowning as he looked at Chen Du, who was sitting at his desk not far away.
"Chen Du, you were the only one in the dorm earlier. Do you know where my watch is?"
Chen Du frowned at the question.
Was he implying that the missing watch had something to do with him?
Chen Du put down his book and replied calmly, "I've been in the dorm the whole time, and no one else came in. Maybe you should look again. If it's not here, maybe you lost it somewhere else?"
Zhang Hao sneered, his tone sharp and mocking. "My watch has always been here at school. I was wearing it in class yesterday. And since you say no one else came into the dorm, maybe you're the one who took it."
Chen Du stood up from his chair, anger simmering within him.
"Zhang Hao, what are you trying to say?"
Zhang Hao didn't back down.
"What am I trying to say? I'm saying exactly what I mean—I suspect you took my watch!"
"On what grounds are you accusing me? Just because I was the only one in the dorm?!"
Zhang Hao, now fully unhinged, spat out, "Everyone in our class knows you're dirt poor! How could you resist taking a watch as nice as mine?!"
Chen Du's lips trembled with anger, and he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"So… after two years of being roommates, this is how you all see me?"
The other roommates remained silent, confirming Chen Du's suspicions.
He felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
He had even treated himself to a milk tea earlier that day to reward himself for a hard day's work, but now his mouth felt unbearably bitter.
Seeing Chen Du's silence, Zhang Hao pressed on, his tone aggressive.
"Chen Du, if you want to prove your innocence, it's simple. Just let us search you and your luggage."
Chen Du couldn't tolerate such humiliation and exploded.
"Get out of here with your nonsense!!"
Their shouting drew the attention of classmates from other dorms, who crowded around their doorway.
"Zhang, Chen Du isn't that kind of person. He may come from a modest family, but he's always been honest and hardworking."
Others chimed in: "Yeah, after two years together, shouldn't you, as his roommates, know him better than anyone?"
But Chen Du's other roommates sided with Zhang Hao.
"You guys don't understand. Searching his luggage and patting him down isn't a big deal. If there's nothing, then it's over. It's not like it's a huge issue…"
Chen Du laughed bitterly.
He felt suffocated.
It was ironic that the people defending him were from other dorms, while the roommates he had lived with for two years were all siding with Zhang Hao.
A body search?
Chen Du believed in his own integrity, but a search would be a direct insult to his character!
He couldn't accept it!