My hometown is far away in Moscow.

038 Friendship University

"Look at your lack of ambition. We have a foundation. If we study hard, we're not afraid of not graduating." Hu Yi glanced at Li Baoqing with disdain. Seeing that he still looked completely unconfident, he continued, "Changing schools is just about changing majors! I'm okay at Russian, but I don't understand engineering courses. Changing to a simpler humanities major will definitely be no problem. Although you're a bit worse than me, you should be able to graduate after another year."

Li Baoqing smacked his lips and considered for a long time before hesitatingly saying, "Study for another year of preparatory courses? That would be quite embarrassing, and it would cost another year's tuition."

"Just think of it as repeating a year, it's much better than giving up halfway and going home, right?" Hu Yi leaned forward and counted on his fingers, "I've thought about it for a long time, and there are only a few schools in Moscow that are suitable for us: Moscow State University, Afro-Universität University, Prussian State University, and Levante State Pedagogical University—Moscow State University is too expensive, so we won't consider it for now. Which of the remaining three do you think is better?"

Li Baoqing frowned, took a sip of beer, and muttered, "Pushkin Academy? That old guy got killed in a duel, bad luck, can't go."

Hu Yi chimed in, "Lenin Normal School isn't ideal either. Normal schools don't sound prestigious, and they give the impression that job opportunities are particularly limited."

"Yes, you're right," Li Baoqing unconsciously echoed.

Hu Yi had already retracted three fingers one by one, and waved his remaining index finger in front of Li Baoqing: "Then what's left can only be...?"

"Tomodai?"

Hu Yi nodded and said, "I think Yu-Nan University is the most suitable. Although it is not as good as Moscow State University, the tuition is cheaper! Besides, Yu-Nan University has a good ranking and reputation. It is also a comprehensive university, so there are more majors to choose from."

Li Baoqing pondered silently for a moment, then pointed at Hu Yi and said, "Ah! You were just saying you were tired of staying in Russia, but you'd actually been planning to go to the Friendship University for a while, and you only said it today, right? You're such a cunning person, so incredibly cunning!"

"Hey, you idiot, that's called having one heart and two hands ready." Hu Yi smiled. "Actually, I haven't made up my mind yet about whether to go back to China or stay and repeat a year of preparatory courses. How about we register at Yu-Nan University first? As long as we get an invitation letter, that's a safety net for continuing our studies. Then we can go back to China this summer and sound out our parents. If there are better opportunities in China, we won't come back; if not, we'll just go to Yu-Nan University for the preparatory courses. That way, we'll keep the initiative in our own hands and act according to the situation. Wouldn't that be safer?"

"Right, right! You're really shrewd!" Li Baoqing chuckled a few times, then frowned sullenly. "Are we just going to apply to ANU like this? Do you think they'll even accept us?"

"Why not? Maji can get in just by paying, right? Who would turn down money?" Hu Yi stood up and patted his butt. "It's a deal, no backing out. The skinheads on the streets are still causing trouble, so let's think about what to study first, and then register later."

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Li Baoqing nodded.

"Take the rope with you then." Hu Yi casually flicked his wrist, making the clothesline bounce a few times in the air. "If I don't graduate next year, I'll really hang myself!"

They could talk freely while drinking and chatting, but choosing a school was a big decision that they couldn't afford to be careless about. Hu Yi and Li Baoqing contacted Ma Ji's former students one by one, discussed it repeatedly with their families over the phone, and studied it for many days before finally deciding to enroll at Youda University.

Late May and early June is the most pleasant time of year in Moscow, with the snow almost completely melted and the whole city bursting with springtime life. The two, carrying all their necessary documents, hurriedly boarded the subway to the Friendship University of Moscow.

The Peoples' Friendship University of Russia is located in the southwest corner of Moscow. It requires a four-stop bus ride from the metro terminal. Established in the 1960s by the Soviet Union specifically to train talent for Third World countries, it has become a world-renowned comprehensive university in Russia, attracting a large number of international students each year. While Chinese students comprise only a small portion of the student body, their numbers far exceed those of Mati University.

After getting off the bus, you can see the Ayutthaya campus through the fence along the street. Compared to Maji, it looks much more impressive. The fountain square on campus is spacious and clean. Several teaching buildings of various departments are surrounded by the main building. There are facilities such as football fields, basketball courts, and gymnasiums nearby. In the distance, there are large areas of vacant land waiting to be developed.

Li Baoqing had been anxious the whole way, but his mood only improved as he walked through the gates of the university: "Ah, now this is more like a university! Compared to this, Maji looks so shabby!"

"Of course, Majina is called an academy, this is a university, how can they be the same?" Hu Yi stopped and looked around for a while, then shook his head with a smirk and said, "I think this place is just average, at least it looks much worse than Moscow State University, and it's not necessarily better than universities in China."

The two walked and asked for directions, eventually finding the Asian Students Affairs Office. There was a long queue outside the office, mostly Arabs and Indians, with a number of East Asian faces gathered together, but the noise made it clear they were Vietnamese.

"Why aren't there any Chinese people here?" Hu Yi stood at the back of the line, glancing ahead a few times. Turning his head, he saw Li Baoqing behind him looking nervous, with beads of sweat on his forehead and muttering to himself. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "What are you muttering about?"

"I need to memorize my lines, otherwise what if I can't speak fluently later?"

Hu Yi chuckled, then frowned: "Don't tell me you came to Youda because you couldn't graduate from Maji, that's too embarrassing."

"Of course, I'm not stupid!" Li Baoqing lowered his eyelids and stared blankly at the floor for a while before asking, "Then... how should I put it?"

"Are you stupid? I told you Yuda University is better than Maji, or... or Maji doesn't have a major that we like."

"Okay, I'll get ready." Li Baoqing muttered a couple of sentences in Russian, then shook his head and said, "Hey! I can't speak it fluently, you go and say it."

The line moved very slowly; the two waited for half an hour before finally reaching the door, and it seemed their turn was almost here. Just then, a young man with blond hair and yellow skin strode up the stairs, a thick stack of documents tucked under his arm, his hands in his pockets, his shoulders trembling as he staggered towards them.

Hu Yi stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall, and lazily glanced at the blond-haired man. He saw that the man was about the same age as him, quite tall, with a Zhao Benshan-style long face, two sleepy-looking triangular eyes, and long, curly hair parted in the middle that covered his ears. He walked to the office door humming a little tune.

The office door remained open. Ignoring the crowd queuing outside, the blond-haired man forced a smile, walked straight into the room, and closed the door behind him.

Hu Yi, who was waiting impatiently, couldn't help but yell angrily, "Damn it! Why isn't this bastard in line?"

Hearing loud greetings coming from inside, Li Baoqing listened carefully and whispered, "It sounds like... a Chinese person?"

"I know, he was just humming about Pigsy carrying his wife on his back," Hu Yi listened intently for a moment, then added, "He must be from Northeast China."

People from different ethnic groups, countries, and regions often have distinct accents when speaking foreign languages, especially older beginners. To facilitate memorization, they inevitably use the pronunciation of their native language to reinforce their memory. The pronunciation and intonation of their speech easily reflect their inherent language habits. People familiar with the characteristics of various languages ​​can guess the accents with a little discernment.

Huang Mao didn't stay inside for long. Only after leaving the office did he notice Hu and Li. He paused briefly, glancing up and down at Hu Yi, whose face was gloomy. Hu Yi was no stranger to this unfriendly expression. He immediately tilted his head, raised his chin, and stared intently at Huang Mao with slightly furrowed brows.

Huang Mao and Hu Yi exchanged glances for a moment. Seeing Hu Yi's unfriendly expression, Huang Mao looked away, chuckled, and walked away with a smirk. Hu Yi wanted to say a few more words behind their backs, but the two Indians ahead of them walked out of the office, and the old lady inside called out loudly, "Next!"

The two quickly straightened their backs and walked into the house, adjusting their clothes. The room was large, and the old lady was sitting behind a table not far from the door. Hu Yi walked over with a bright smile and handed over their documents: "Hello, we would like to study the preparatory course for the language department. I am a linguistics major; he is a journalism major."

"Oh, Maji's student?" The old lady took the ID and glanced at it. "Chinese?"

"Yes. Maji doesn't have a language major, so we came to the University of Friendship with Foreign Countries (UPC)."

"I know, I know." The old lady nodded absentmindedly, got up and walked to the back. A kind-looking middle-aged man was sitting at a desk against the wall reading a newspaper. The nameplate on the corner of the desk read "Director." The two whispered to each other for a while. The director rested his chin on his hand, looking hesitant, while the old lady continued to mutter to herself.

Hu Yi, unsure what had gone wrong, felt a little uneasy. Mustering his courage, he walked to the director's desk and asked, "Excuse me, is there a problem?"

"No problem, of course no problem." The director quickly made a decision, waving away the hesitant old lady, and stood up to warmly shake hands with Hu Yi: "We welcome Chinese students, and we are very pleased that you have chosen ANU. Please go and register now!"

The registration process is not complicated, but due to various regulations on visa management, the school can only send the invitation letters to the Russian Embassy in Beijing. Students need to return to Beijing to reapply for visas before they can register and enroll.

With the major matter settled, Hu Yi and Li Baoqing felt much lighter. There was no need to continue Maji's classes, so the two went to the airline office to buy tickets and returned to their dorm to pack and plan their return trip home. Peng Song came through the kitchen, leaning forlornly against the doorframe: "Have you booked your tickets?"

"It's booked, leaving next Thursday."

"Let's have a meal together before I leave, to say goodbye!"

Li Baoqing shook his head with a wry smile: "Forget it, it's not something to be proud of, there's no need to make a big fuss. I'll just say goodbye to everyone before I leave."

Peng Song sighed, "Alas, we've spent so much time together these past few days, and now you're leaving. I...I...I'm really quite sad." He lowered his head as he spoke, clearly very reluctant to part with you.