“Come, come, come, let’s have a toast to our bright future!”

At the table, Qian Rong stood up, looked at the crowd, and raised his glass.

The rest of the people laughed and raised their glasses, saying auspicious words one after another.

However, Wu Mo turned a deaf ear. He picked up his bowl and scooped up some rice. Then, he buried his head and started eating the few dishes in front of him.

The way he ate was like a prisoner who had just been released from prison.

When everyone saw this, they all revealed puzzled expressions.

Even if Wu Mo was not doing well, he was still a blacksmith who had graduated. How did he end up in such a state?

With doubts in their hearts, everyone could not help but speculate.

“What’s going on? Why is Wu Mo in such a state?”

“How is this a blacksmith? He’s clearly the reincarnation of a hungry ghost.”

“Is Wu Mo moving bricks as his job? Not only has he lost weight, but his complexion is terrible too. He might even be working night shifts.”

“He might have gone to work in an electronics factory. Otherwise, why would he be so hungry?”

Watching the scene, many of the students from Class 1 began to whisper to each other in discussion.

They wanted to understand why Wu Mo had become like this in just a few months.

A few months ago, Wu Mo had been the best student in the design assessment. He had been the most outstanding person. Not only had he gained the attention of the mayor and Principal Qiu, but he had also been recruited by the Research Department.

Based on that, he should at least be in the same position as a corporal or sergeant, or at least an employee in a state-owned enterprise. His living conditions should not be worse than others.

Why did Wu Mo fall so far from grace in just a few months?

Some people were puzzled, while others were waiting to watch a good show. They wanted to know what Wu Mo had been through recently.

However, Wu Mo did not care about what those people thought.

He did not care about how others looked at him, whether they felt disdain or pity. There was only one thought in his mind: Achieve two technological breakthroughs in half a year’s time and then participate in the forging exchange conference held by the country.

In the eyes of others, Wu Mo only lowered his head to eat and did not speak because he was ashamed and did not want others to see his inner weakness.

After all, he had started at a very high point and had even joined the Research Department. But now, he was doing worse than everyone else. Such a gap was definitely not something that an ordinary person could mentally accept.

Seeing this, Jiang Mengyao, who was sitting at the corner of the table, immediately stood up.

She picked up two glasses of champagne and walked straight to Wu Mo, who was busy eating. Meanwhile, everyone watched with puzzled gazes.

“Oh.”

Wu Mo had not seen Jiang Mengyao for a long time. He looked at her with some embarrassment when he saw her sit next to him.

Jiang Mengyao did not speak, but after she observed the way Wu Mo swallowed the food, she frowned and said in a concerned tone, “Wu Mo, it’s only been a few months. What’s wrong?”

The other people at the same table also quieted down, wanting to hear what Wu Mo would say.

“Um… I’m fine.”

Wu Mo wiped his mouth and immediately sat up straight.

“You’re still saying that you’re fine? You look so pale now. Did you stay up late last night?”

Jiang Mengyao knew that Wu Mo’s personality was rather dull. Under normal circumstances, he would not easily tell others about his problems, so she immediately probed.

“No, no… I just started studying a little late.”

The work he designed was a national secret project that would affect the fifth Research Department and the southeastern war zone, so he could not tell anyone.

Although he trusted Jiang Mengyao very much, this was not a small matter. He could not make any mistakes, so he still could not tell her.

Since he could not provide an explanation, he simply found an excuse.

However, Jiang Mengyao was extremely smart. How could she be deceived by Wu Mo’s random reason?

Nevertheless, she did not say it out loud because she was thinking about what Wu Mo had gone through. He did not want to tell her anything.

At that moment, Qian Rong suddenly interrupted them. “Wu Mo, don’t lie to us now. No matter how hard you study, you can’t possibly not have time to eat.”

Qian Rong chuckled. The moment he said that, the people around him instantly laughed and jeered.

“Yeah, we’ve already graduated, so there’s no need to study so hard anymore. We all know that you have something that’s hard to share, but you can tell us. Maybe we can help you, right?”

“That’s right. Tell us the truth. Are you working in a factory or as a courier now?”

Everyone was talking at the same time, and the atmosphere at the table was at an all-time high. To be able to see the once dazzling genius become like this, they were simply happier than being promoted and getting a raise.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Wu Mo sighed in his heart. Everyone was only willing to believe that he had hit rock bottom, unable to even fill his stomach.

Even if he explained, these people would not believe him. He was now a researcher with the position of a second lieutenant.

Thinking of this, Wu Mo realized that instead of wasting his energy explaining, he might as well go along with those people’s words and package himself as a miserable low-level person.

“Since you all know, I won’t hide it from you. I’m indeed facing some difficulties now,” he said in a low voice.

When everyone heard this, they were surprised. As expected.

He became even more excited.

A look of mockery flashed across Qian Rong’s face. He felt a sense of pride when he saw the champion, who had been so arrogant a few months ago, become like this.

Even though the champion’s title had been snatched away, from the looks of it now, the other party’s life was so tough, but it was nothing more than this.

He was the one who lived the most well and had the highest status in the entire group!

“You should have said so earlier. I knew you had something on your mind. Look at the way you wolf down your food. You haven’t seen meat in a long time, have you?”

Qian Rong felt that he was superior to others, and his attitude became arrogant.

The few people around followed Qian Rong’s lead and immediately followed the topic, “Ah, you should have contacted Brother Qian before you came. At the very least, you should have changed into a proper suit. You’re simply throwing the face of our divine weapon Academy by coming here dressed like this.”

“That’s right. Brother Qian is very generous. If you’re really in a difficult situation, our brother Qian can also give you a few thousand yuan to help you. After all, we’re all classmates.”

They spoke sarcastically to Wu Mo only to curry favor with Qian Rong, hoping to build a relationship with him.

At this moment, the smile on Qian Rong’s face gradually became unscrupulous, and he enjoyed the flattery of his underlings.

“No, the food in our canteen is not bad. As for the clothes, I was in a hurry when I came and didn’t notice them,” Wu Mo said a little awkwardly.

While explaining, he did not forget to pick up some food with his chopsticks and eat seriously.