Viral Outrage and a Competition’s Promise

“Comrade Xiao Zhou, you’ve gone viral,” Xiao Xia whispered, her voice hushed. “The post is pinned, and the heat it’s generating is insane.”

The post, emblazoned with a “HOT” tag, featured a photo of Zhou Yi’s confrontation with Su Xiao from the previous night. The angle was captured with striking precision.

In the photograph, Su Xiao’s face was ashen, her eyes rimmed with red, presenting a pitiful image as if on the verge of tears.

In stark contrast, Zhou Yi wore an expression of cold indifference, her arms crossed, her demeanor radiating impatience. She appeared exceptionally overbearing, almost like a tyrannical senior crushing Su Xiao underfoot.

The comment section had already erupted into a cacophony of arguments:

[WTF? Is this real? Zhou Yi doesn’t seem like that kind of person?]

[You can only know a person’s face, never their heart. Good grades don’t automatically equate to good character.]

[Am I the only one curious about the full story? If a junior was driven to tears, there must be more to it.]

[+1 to the commenter above, waiting for updates.]

[The photo is undeniable proof; are you still trying to whitewash it? Support the junior’s rights!]

[Support the senior! Who’s to say that junior didn’t instigate it? I’m waiting for the truth to come out!]

The top-rated comment, [Suggest the academic affairs office handles this seriously], had already accumulated hundreds of likes.

Zhou Yi stared at the deliberately misleading photo and title, utterly aghast!

She scrolled through the comment section in disbelief, her screen dominated by a flood of skepticism and criticism. A few scattered comments urging “wait for the twist” were swiftly swallowed by the overwhelming tide of condemnation.

Who in the world had she provoked to such an extent?! She was the one cornered and targeted, yet in the blink of an eye, she had become the junior’s tormentor. Did the internet community no longer require context to pass judgment?!

A surge of nameless fury, coupled with a profound sense of powerlessness, immediately rushed to her head.

At that very moment, a palpable shift occurred in the classroom’s atmosphere.

The professor on stage continued his lecture with unwavering focus, yet a restless murmur had already overtaken the students below. Glances from all directions pierced like needles, and whispers spread through the room like an encroaching tide.

“I really didn’t expect her to be this kind of person…”

“She always pretended to be so virtuous, but secretly, she’s truly malicious.”

“I heard that junior cried all night…”

Just as the whispers grew increasingly disruptive, the professor abruptly paused his explanation. His gaze, magnified behind his glasses, swept across the entire class. “Those of you at the back,” he stated, “do you perhaps wish to take over my lecture?”

The classroom instantly fell into a heavy silence, so profound that not even a murmur dared to surface.

Zhou Yi gloomily handed her phone back to Xiao Xia. Enduring the subtle, yet insistent, scrutiny from all directions, she slumped back in her chair, beginning to question the very fabric of her existence.

‘What kind of idiotic task is this? The simp hasn’t been saved yet, but the lifeguard is about to drown…’

[Detected player has fallen into a public opinion crisis.]

[Does Xiao Qi need to help you blow up the campus forum?]

[Or perhaps send the rumor-mongers the ‘Ring’ horror movie package?]

Zhou Yi sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. “…No, that won’t be necessary.”

She wasn’t truly a part of this world; there was no justification for her to rely on the system for an unfair advantage.

[Are you sure? It’s a free service~]

“I appreciate the offer, but truly, it’s not needed.”

She genuinely wished to avoid owing this troublesome system any favors. Taking the convenient route now, allowing the system to intervene, could lead to unforeseen consequences later.

For the ‘free’ option invariably came with the highest cost, a truth she understood all too well.

Meanwhile, Xiao Xia, Xiao Ju, and their companions beside her were already flushed crimson with indignation. Their sense of justice overflowing, they all vowed to post on the forum and clarify the situation.

“Yi Yi, don’t you worry! We’ll jump onto that forum and give them a piece of our minds! Su Xiao was clearly the instigator last night!”

“Exactly! We can’t let them slander you like this!”

A warmth spread through Zhou Yi’s heart, deeply moved by the unreserved trust and support of her roommates. She reached out, gently halting them as they prepared to pull out their phones, guiding their heads back towards their textbooks.

“Are you being foolish?” she whispered, her voice low. “If we rush in now to engage, we’ll only be fueling their fire and boosting their post’s popularity.”

She casually placed her *Marketing* textbook onto the desk. “You’d be better off memorizing a few more definitions with this precious time.”

Xiao Ju was so agitated she nearly stomped her foot. “But they’re speaking about you in such a way…”

“The innocent need not prove their innocence,” Zhou Yi stated, calmly twirling her pen. “Once the surveillance footage is retrieved, those who owe an apology will naturally offer it.”

Her own composure remained remarkably steady. In her estimation, if one conducted themselves honorably, there was no need to engage in petty squabbles with a multitude of anonymous accounts.

It was merely a post, likely to cause a commotion for only a few days at most. Given enough time, the fervor would undoubtedly subside.

Yet, she seemed to have overlooked a critical truth: she was the reigning academic paragon of the Business School, a celebrated benchmark and the undisputed focus of everyone’s attention.

When an individual of her stature appeared in such a post, it transcended mere gossip; it would be relentlessly amplified and subjected to endless reinterpretation.

In the front row, a few girls exchanged knowing glances. They had long harbored a quiet resentment for Zhou Yi’s consistent dominance, always securing the top spot in every exam.

In another corner of the room, several boys gleefully shared the post. Indeed, witnessing a “goddess” tumble from her pedestal always proved a captivating spectacle.

Most eyewitnesses who truly understood the events of last night chose to remain silent, either out of a desire for self-preservation or simply to observe the unfolding drama from a safe remove.

“Popularity breeds envy,” Xiao Ju declared, indignantly poking her pen against the desktop. “Those people are merely jealous that you excel in every aspect compared to them.”

Zhou Yi’s pen-twirling paused slightly.

It appeared that in any world, “excellence” could inexplicably become a justification for attack.

“Stop poking,” she murmured, gently pressing down on Xiao Ju’s hand. “You’re going to bore holes right through the desk.”

“I simply can’t stand it!” Xiao Ju pouted, gesturing towards the front row. “Just look at Wang Qian’s triumphant smirk. Ever since she lost to you in the last case competition, her passive-aggressive remarks haven’t ceased.”

Zhou Yi followed the direction of her gaze, her eyes meeting Wang Qian’s mocking stare, which the latter was too slow to retract. Calmly, Zhou Yi averted her eyes. “Surely I can’t deliberately fail my exams just out of fear of being envied, can I?”

The professor on stage had just concluded his final segment when he abruptly tapped the blackboard. “This semester’s practical project,” he announced, “will involve participation in the Campus Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. Individual performance will directly contribute to your final grade, accounting for a significant fifteen percent.”

A collective groan of despair immediately swept through the room.

“Fifteen percent?! If we botch this, our final grades are utterly doomed!”

“Oh no… I was counting on my regular scores to boost my GPA…”

An palpable sense of despair instantly permeated the classroom.

Xiao Ju, her face a mask of misery, slumped onto her desk. “It’s all over, all over. I was still holding out hope for a scholarship this semester…”

“However…” The professor paused, then adjusted his glasses before continuing, “Beyond the course bonus points, the prize money for this competition is jointly sponsored by the university and various enterprises. The champions will receive a prize of twenty thousand yuan.”

“Whoa—!” A collective gasp swept through the room, and the students, moments ago steeped in despair, instantly erupted into pandemonium.

The previously somber classroom came alive, boiling with energy! The despair that had hung heavy moments ago was instantly replaced by a wave of shock and exhilaration!

Twenty thousand!

For a student, this amount was undoubtedly a fortune!

A male student in the front row immediately shot to his feet, eager for clarification. “Professor! Is that twenty thousand yuan per person?”

“Dream on,” the professor retorted with a light chuckle, tapping the podium. “It’s a team prize of twenty thousand yuan! However, every member of the winning team will receive an additional three points directly added to their final grade!”

“Three points?!”

“That’s practically like receiving free credits for a mandatory course!”

A collective gasp echoed through the classroom.

Students immediately began to whisper among themselves, eagerly discussing potential teammates.

Xiao Ju excitedly clutched Zhou Yi’s arm. “We absolutely have to participate! It will utterly infuriate those envious people!”

“We *must* win this prize money!” Xiao Xia declared, her eyes gleaming with fierce determination, almost radiating a palpable killing intent from their round depths.