Chapter 232

In that moment when she stepped onto the stage, Xiao Qi's presence transformed.

These past few days, she had been scrambling to prepare, listening to various speeches and carefully analyzing the demeanor of historical figures during their speeches. She made a point to memorize their language patterns and tried to capture the speaking style of Xiao Shengzhou, the president of Enhua Student Union, as well as the expressive facial expressions of Teacher Lu, who taught calculus.

Xiao Shengzhou was the best president Enhua University had seen since its establishment. Even in his senior year, no one had been able to find a suitable replacement for him. He was like a labor union chairman, expertly coordinating the relationships between students, teachers, and the school. His speeches were so convincing and charismatic that all parties involved were completely won over. The events he organized were recorded in the school's history.

Teacher Lu, who taught calculus, was a distinguished professor brought back to Enhua University from Qingbei University. With a wealth of life experiences, including studying abroad in Russia during his early years, he possessed extensive knowledge and a witty personality. She was an incredibly charismatic individual, and her charm remained undiminished even as she grew older. Her words were like a gentle breeze, leaving a slightly intoxicated feeling.

One was unquestionably trustworthy, the other exuded warmth and approachability. Both individuals were directly accessible to Xiao Qi, providing her with face-to-face opportunities to learn and emulate them. At this moment, Xiao Qi embodied a blend of their qualities.

She appeared confident, composed, and amiable.

Among the audience was School Manager Mrs. Su, who always placed great importance on the power of language. She believed that for Chinese people to make their mark globally, language proficiency was of utmost significance. Enhua University boasted a considerable number of foreign faculty members, a result of her unwavering commitment.

Mrs. Su herself was proficient in eight foreign languages and deeply understood the convenience and importance of language. Therefore, even for a freshman speech competition, she was willing to make time to attend personally.

Although Enhua University was not yet ranked highly within China, Mrs. Su hoped that it could establish its own distinctiveness and carve out a place among numerous universities. As she saw the young girl stepping onto the stage, Mrs. Su remembered her as the girl who had sung at the Mid-Autumn Festival party. This revelation brought her a sense of surprise.

During the party, the girl had appeared delicate and slightly nervous, captivating everyone with her enchanting singing. However, there was minimal interaction with the audience.

She was a student with artistic talents.

Never did Mrs. Su expect to see her standing on the podium today.

Moreover, within this short span of time, it seemed that a noticeable change had taken place within her.

Her presence had transformed, becoming more poised, composed, and approachable. She no longer seemed distant. During her singing performance, she had given the impression of being an outsider amidst the crowd, not particularly sociable. But now, something about her seemed more vibrant and endearing, as if her university experience had enriched her and brought forth a livelier persona.

Xiao Qi had also undergone her fair share of experiences, encountering both kindness and malice from others.

She had pondered over these acts of goodwill and ill will, choosing the right attitude to confront them. This period had been a time of growth for her.

When Xiao Qi finally spoke, she admitted feeling a bit nervous standing there. Prior to the opening, she couldn't help but make two trips to the restroom, which elicited sympathetic laughter from those who understood.

In that moment, a glimmer of anticipation arose. Finally, someone took the stage not to recite an article but to genuinely deliver a speech.

Xiao Qi mentioned that the theme of her speech today is learning English. Over two months ago, she noticed that foreign teachers could only say "hello," "how are you," "how do you do," and then, there was nothing more.

But now, she sees that foreign teachers can communicate fluently about the weather, dinner, and such. Foreigners like to talk about the weather, which is actually similar to our casual greetings like "Have you eaten?" or "What did you eat?"

In addition to these basic social conversations, there are many other topics, such as our country's customs and culture. Xiao Qi discovered that most of the foreign teachers who came to Enhua quite like Chinese culture. The female teachers dress in ethnic styles, and the male teachers bravely try various Chinese cuisines.

There is also a foreign judge at the scene who finally encounters someone who doesn't recite textbook passages but speaks freely. He smiles, nods occasionally, and in fact, he knows this female student because Garen and Grace highly appreciate her. Moreover, this female student, just like them, participated in charity and educational assistance activities. There are often scenes of her singing on the big screen at John Book Bar, so even though he is face-blind to Asians, he can still remember her.

After a casual chat, Xiao Qi began to talk about her journey of learning English.

First, she mentioned a deeply moving article she read titled "If I Were a Boy Again." It talked about doing many things that seemed simple but felt like they couldn't be returned to. However, Xiao Qi realized that she is constantly living in the future's past. That time, she decided to study well, starting with learning English. She recited at least thirty words and one text every day, mainly studying the New Concept English Series. She started with the first book, which was the easiest, but she still needed to reinforce her memory. She gradually increased the difficulty bit by bit. During one summer vacation, she managed to memorize all the content from the four books. In the process, she even took on English tutoring and discovered that while teaching others, she not only solidified her own learning but also acquired a lot of new knowledge.

To avoid it becoming too dull, she insisted on exercising while studying. She would go for a run, work out, and swim every day. She could listen to audio, sing English songs, and watch English movies as supplementary learning materials, which greatly accelerated her progress.

In college, she had more opportunities to learn English. There were English corners and many lovely foreign teachers. The learning resources were abundant, and she was very grateful to be in Enhua.

She felt anxious before coming here, but she felt fortunate after arriving.

When she arrived at the school, the first banner she saw read: "Today, I take pride in Enhua, and tomorrow, Enhua will take pride in me." She hoped she could achieve this, and she thanked everyone.

Xiao Qi's speech wasn't particularly impassioned because her personality isn't the type that inspires and leads with charisma. However, she fully learned the sense of affinity from Teacher Lu, and she recounted her story in a relatable manner. She also learned the solid and convincing demeanor from Chairman Xiao Shengzhou, which gradually made people feel engaged.

Many students couldn't quite understand everything that Xiao Qi said throughout, only recognizing a few familiar words. But they truly admired her ability to convey her message. It wasn't mere recitation; it was a genuine speech.

She finished her speech.

School Manager Ms. Su stood up and applauded.

Mrs. Su liked what the girl said very much. It was inspiring and positive, especially the praise she gave to Enhua at the end, which deeply touched Mrs. Su's heart.

Even the foreign teacher stood up and applauded. He thought that as a young girl from China, her English was excellent, especially her accent, which had a touch of a London accent. They themselves admired this accent very much, and it was quite rare.

The other English teachers serving as judges also stood up. To be honest, if they were to go on stage, they might not speak as well as this girl. English teaching in China is still heavily focused on exam-oriented education, with a majority of emphasis on written language education. To be able to speak so well, it was as if she had returned from abroad. However, looking at the girl's simple attire and appearance, and the fact that she had to work as a tutor during summer vacation, it's likely that her family background is average. To achieve such success as a student like her is truly moving, even though she didn't say anything particularly tear-jerking throughout her entire speech. But she herself is an inspiring tear-jerker.

One teacher even wiped away tears. She had also read that article "If I were a boy again," and it had touched her when she read it. However, she hadn't done anything herself.

The students below also stood up, all of them.

Li Weijin, supporting one foot, stood up and applauded with great force.