The Simulator’s Intervention

The Counselor’s piercing gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over Zhou Yi.

“If you truly wish to help him, then stop causing trouble here!”

“What I require is evidence, not your empty words standing idly by.”

“Get out!”

“B-but…” Cold sweat beaded on Zhou Yi’s forehead, his urgency palpable.

“He… there might be a misunderstanding here…”

“Zhou Yi!” The Counselor slammed his hand down on the table, making the water glass tremble violently.

“This school operates on rules, not on your misguided sense of loyalty!”

“Interfere with official duties again, and I’ll punish you right alongside him!”

This stern rebuke, delivered with such fierce intensity, struck Zhou Yi like a heavy hammer, effectively silencing his unfinished words.

“Enough!” Chen Hao finally broke his silence, his eyes red-rimmed as he looked at Zhou Yi.

“Thanks… brother, you’re still sick, so just head back first.”

“Don’t bother yourself with this anymore.”

“I… I can handle it myself.”

“Haozi…” Zhou Yi observed Chen Hao’s pallid face, then glanced at the Counselor’s livid expression.

He knew well that confronting the enraged Counselor here would be utterly futile, perhaps even fanning the flames of his anger.

Yet, this feeling of powerlessness left him profoundly frustrated.

Ultimately, he could utter no more words, merely casting a deep gaze upon Chen Hao, who still hung his head low, before turning with difficulty to leave the office.

****

In the corridor outside the door, an increasing number of students, drawn by the commotion, had gathered to observe the drama.

Their fingers flew across their phone screens, and with every refresh of the posts, a fresh wave of insults and reposts appeared.

Within mere minutes, the forum thread grew exponentially.

Zhou Yi’s anxiety intensified.

If this continued, Chen Hao would be forced to withdraw from school by public opinion alone, long before the Counselor could even issue a disciplinary action.

He had never imagined the situation would escalate to such a severe degree, and Chen Hao’s resigned expression clearly indicated his intent to endure this ordeal alone, to the very end.

‘This idiot, does he truly believe this is taking responsibility?’

‘He’s just trying to play the hero!’

‘Why doesn’t he consider if Lin Yating would even thank him for this?’

‘That conniving woman was probably busy deleting her chat history at this very moment, while Chen Hao was preparing to sacrifice his entire life for an illusory love.’

‘Perhaps expulsion wasn’t the most terrifying outcome; what truly mattered was Chen Hao’s psychological resilience…’

‘When the ridicule and pointing fingers of the entire school became his constant shadow, could that fool truly bear it?’

A bitter wave of regret surged in his throat.

‘If only he had discovered Chen Hao’s mess sooner, he might have found a way to mitigate it.’

‘But what good was regret now?’

The most pressing matter at hand was to halt the impending avalanche of public opinion.

‘What should he do?’

‘Rally people? Promote posts?’

Even if he rallied everyone in the class group to control the comments, it wouldn’t stand a chance against this school-wide spectacle of gossip.

A few casually made posts wouldn’t create much of a ripple, let alone steer the direction of public opinion…

Zhou Yi’s mind was a chaotic mess, grappling with how to influence public opinion… Right, public opinion!

‘If the opposing party could manipulate the narrative with anonymous accounts, why couldn’t he use their own methods against them?’

“Xiao Qi! Can you counter this from a… a data level?”

“For instance, by posting from anonymous accounts, raising doubts about the other party using Photoshop or maliciously slandering, we could muddy the waters first, divert some attention, and alleviate some pressure on Chen Hao?”

[Ding-dong~ Of course, they can!]

[These little tricks of manipulating public opinion and confusing the audience are precisely one of this system’s strengths!]

Xiao Qi’s voice instantly brightened with cheer.

Hearing this, Zhou Yi was overjoyed.

“Then what are you waiting for, hurry up!”

[However, this function requires the player to enter the game to unlock and use it~ In the current reality mode, Xiao Qi is unable to perform direct operations.]

“I have to enter the simulator again?!”

“You’re not trying to trick me, are you?! What good is posting in a virtual world?! Can it save Chen Hao in reality?!”

Zhou Yi couldn’t shake the feeling that the system was trying to con him again, albeit in a different way.

[Oh dear~ How can the player doubt Xiao Qi’s integrity!]

[Don’t forget, this system’s greatest core function is ‘Dimensional Synchronization Intervention’!]

[Whatever is resolved within it will genuinely manifest changes in the outside world!]

A sudden realization dawned on Zhou Yi!

‘That’s right! How could he have forgotten this crucial detail!’

‘While this blasted system was a total scam, it had never once failed when it came to “synchronization”!’

‘The “punishment” of these small mounds on his chest was undeniably real!’

The flame of hope ignited fiercely within him once more.

“Alright! I’ll trust you one more time!”

The familiar white light once again engulfed his consciousness.

The boundary between virtual and reality was torn open once more.

When Zhou Yi opened his eyes, he had already re-entered the simulator’s world.

She had reverted to her persona as ‘Senior Zhou Yi’, standing before the very student affairs building she had just left.

The lingering weakness from reality had completely vanished, replaced by the abundant energy the simulator bestowed.

She spun lightly, her skirt swirling in a crisp arc.

“This time, success is imperative.”

[Executing public opinion counter-attack plan… Anonymous accounts created… Generating multiple guiding ‘technical debunking’ and ‘rational gossip’ replies…]

[Generated 12 technical analysis posts + 50 guiding replies.]

[First batch of content deployed!]

[Currently, some discussion focuses have been shifted!]

Zhou Yi quickly pulled out her phone and refreshed the campus forum page.

Indeed, several new trending posts had been pushed to the top, and the comments were gradually becoming polarized.

“Wait, if you zoom in on the edges of this screenshot, it looks like there are Photoshop traces?”

“The timeline doesn’t seem to match either, does it? Can the original poster explain?”

“Why do I feel like a debt collection agency, unable to get their way, has resorted to underhanded tactics?”

“Gossip rationally, await official investigation results, no taking sides.”

Zhou Yi let out a long breath, unable to help but praise internally:

‘Well done! This should buy Chen Hao some crucial breathing room for a while!’

Though she often cursed the system, for a large-scale online public opinion battle involving comment control, she truly had to rely on Xiao Qi’s powerful assistance as a fallback.

Feeling more confident, she decided to make another trip to the office.

She knocked on the door.

“Please come in.”

Zhou Yi pushed the door open and entered.

The Counselor looked up, and seeing it was her, his previously stern and tense expression softened slightly.

“Ah, Zhou Yi. Is something the matter? I’m currently handling an urgent situation; perhaps you could speak with me later?”

Zhou Yi took a few steps forward, stopping before the desk.

“Teacher, I’ve come precisely because of the urgent matter you are currently addressing.”

The Counselor paused, surprised that this exemplary student would specifically seek him out for this issue.

He leaned back slightly, scrutinizing her.

“Oh? Do tell.”

Zhou Yi met the Counselor’s scrutinizing gaze with composure.

“Teacher, I believe that to determine Chen Hao’s guilt and discuss disciplinary action based solely on unverified posts from the forum is rather premature, and it may even be falling into a trap set by individuals with ulterior motives.”

Chen Hao, who had remained with his head bowed in silent admission of guilt, froze.

‘He had never imagined that this senior who constantly lectured him would actually step forward to speak on his behalf at such a critical moment.’

Shock, surprise, and an indescribable surge of emotion overwhelmed him, rendering him speechless for a moment.