Genius Playground

”Your Fuji GW690 is way too expensive! Of course I wouldn’t dare to put it on display!”

Chi Xiaoguo said,

”And besides... that camera is your personal property. We have to make sure it’s protected.”

”I remember you also said there’s a photo you took with it, and you wanted me to develop it for you this semester.”

Yeah.

Jiang Ran nodded.

He had said something like that back then.

That camera was a 19th birthday gift from Nan Xiuxiu, and he had used it to take a picture of her right there at the party.

Nan Xiuxiu had said she wanted Jiang Ran to give her the photo after he got it developed.

It’s just...

’Given the current situation, they had basically broken up. Was there any reason for that photo to even exist?’

But that was the downside of film cameras.

A photo captured on film couldn’t be undone, couldn’t be deleted, and couldn’t be changed. It would be forever etched onto the film like a brand on time itself, never to disappear.

So, there was no way to delete that negative.

”But you have to finish the entire roll of film before you can develop the photos, right?”

Jiang Ran said with a helpless smile,

”I don’t even know what to shoot, and I can’t bear to waste film by just taking random pictures. God knows when I’ll ever finish that roll.”

”It’ll be quick.”

Chi Xiaoguo explained,

”Your GW690 is a medium format camera. It uses 120-format film, so it can only take 8 pictures in total.”

?

This was new to Jiang Ran.

”You’re saying that one roll of film can only take 8 pictures? That’s so few.”

”That’s just how it is with medium format cameras.”

As she spoke, Chi Xiaoguo picked up a regular film camera from the table.

”With 135 film like this, you can take 24 or 36 pictures. Of course, the image quality and all that can’t compare to your camera.”

”So, once we start our club activities, you’ll finish that roll in no time! Then I’ll apply for funding, buy the chemicals and reagents, and I can develop it for you right in the darkroom!”

Alright.

Jiang Ran didn’t say anything.

He wasn’t thinking that far ahead; he just hoped today’s club recruitment would go smoothly.

’Hopefully...’

’I don’t disappoint this high-spirited little club president.’

...

During the morning, freshmen passed by one after another. Most of them would just glance at the Film Club’s booth before turning away to head for the badminton club, basketball club, movie club, anime club... all the big clubs.

Chi Xiaoguo was on pins and needles, picking at her nails and staring intently at every student who walked by.

”Relax, relax.”

Jiang Ran comforted her.

”Everyone’s still in class right now. Just wait until classes let out for lunch and everyone heads to the cafeteria. A lot of people will come by then. That’s when it’ll be peak time.”

”Mhm!”

Chi Xiaoguo nodded forcefully.

She thought so too.

”I-I-I-I’ll go hand out some flyers!”

The little club president really couldn’t sit still any longer.

’If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain! If you won’t take a flyer, I’ll just shove it into your hands!’

And so, the little girl with the Nezha-style double buns darted about like a busy little bee, stopping every passerby in an attempt to hand them a flyer.

Unfortunately...

As soon as most people saw the name ”Film Club” and the old, antique-looking camera on the flyer, they would just purse their lips, push the flyer back, and politely refuse.

The little bee bounced around, busy all morning, but only managed to hand out a dozen or so flyers. As for membership applications... there wasn’t a single one.

”Argh... What’s going on?!”

Chi Xiaoguo was so anxious her forehead was beaded with sweat.

She looked with immense envy at the anime club’s recruitment booth, where several pretty female students were handing out flyers dressed in anime cosplay.

In fact, they didn’t even need to hand them out; swarms of guys would voluntarily crowd around. They were either scrambling to get photos with them like collectors, or rushing to join the club’s group chat. Their booth was easily the most popular of all the clubs recruiting.

”Envy! Jealousy! Hate!”

Chi Xiaoguo glared in that direction, grinding her molars so hard they could have shattered.

Then she looked down at her own meager figure, wondering what character she could possibly cosplay.

”I can’t just cosplay Nezha, can I?” Chi Xiaoguo said, starting to mock herself in a fit of self-deprecation.

”Forget it.”

Jiang Ran retorted, resting his chin on his hand.

”We already have one Demon Pill here. If another one shows up, it’ll be a disaster.”

”Hey, don’t be so anxious. Trust me! When classes let out for lunch, during the peak rush, someone will definitely visit us!”

”Besides, don’t just look at how popular the anime club seems on the surface. That’s all just because people are attracted by the girls in cosplay.”

”And once they join, they’ll find out that the university’s anime club is actually just a Genshin Impact club. The computer science club, on the other hand, is the *real* anime club.”

Ehhh~~~~~

Chi Xiaoguo was shocked by this bit of trivia.

”Why is that? And how do you know so much, Senior?”

”Heh.”

Jiang Ran just smiled without saying a word.

’On World Line 0, I was a computer science major. I knew all too well how high the ’anime concentration’ was among my classmates.’

’Basically, without exception, all the students who represented the school in national competitions had anime profile pictures.’

’The rumor was, at computer science competitions, many contestants would freak out when they saw an opponent with a female anime character as their profile picture. Someone using a selfie might not be an expert, but someone using a female anime character as their avatar was definitely a pro!’

Finally...

The bell rang, signaling the end of classes. It was lunchtime.

A swarm of people, like a plague of locusts, poured out from the academic buildings on all sides, instantly clogging the main path to the cafeteria.

And the result was...