A Declaration and its Ripple Effects

Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, a muffled roar seemed to echo through the late September air.

The news agency team, who had come to conduct interviews, gaped in astonishment, their microphones nearly slipping from their grasp.

A ripple of commotion spread through the surrounding students, gradually escalating into a clamor.

The livestream on the campus forum, needless to say, exploded with bullet comments and replies the moment that declaration was uttered.

“She, she just announced her candidacy?”

“She’s the first to announce it after Yun Caiyi made her statement, isn’t she?”

“And the only one.”

“This is a direct slap in Yun Caiyi’s face, even harsher than Aileen’s.”

Meanwhile, in a classroom on the second floor, a girl’s hands trembled with excitement, her phone nearly slipping from her grasp.

She was one of the group’s three administrators, [Hua Hua Cao Cao], and had been present at yesterday’s bathhouse gathering.

She knew Xi Yao had told everyone to wait for her signal today, and she had been diligently monitoring the forum for updates.

She never imagined Xi Yao would stand before the camera, directly issuing her campaign declaration in front of the entire school.

Even they, her own allies, had been kept in the dark about this!

The girls in the group only knew that their group leader was rallying them against Yun Caiyi, but they had no idea how.

Today, Xi Yao had provided the answer: she intended to become the student council president herself!

With a pounding heart and trembling hands, [Hua Hua Cao Cao] was about to share the good news with her group members when she noticed a striking announcement in the chat.

[Justice Seeker]: @everyone, the group leader has made her campaign declaration. Please hurry to the comments section to show your support! Here’s the link http//www.……

“Ah!”

The girl regretfully clutched her head, realizing her reaction had been too slow, her perspective too narrow.

She had completely missed what they should have done first.

No more talk, it was time to hit the forum!

****

Xi Yao quietly avoided the crowds, making her way back to the teaching building.

The break hadn’t ended yet, but many had already witnessed the scene through the forum’s livestream, while those who hadn’t seen it heard about it from other classmates.

Thus, as Xi Yao stepped through the door, almost everyone in the classroom turned to look, their varied gazes filled with curiosity, doubt, and even joy and excitement.

After all, this was their own class, their home turf.

Just then, the class monitor, Wang Zheng, suddenly stood up and, with his characteristic booming voice, declared:

“Xi Yao! Go for it and win the election! All of us are rooting for you!”

A few boys nearby also shouted, “Xi Yao, the pride of Class Two!”

“She’s definitely going to win!”

“Let’s go!” (TL Note: A modern Chinese slang term, ‘kāi chōng,’ used to express excitement and encouragement, similar to ‘let’s charge!’ or ‘full speed ahead!’)

The girls of Liberal Arts Class Two weren’t quite as boisterous, but they too waved their small fists, their meaning unmistakable.

Jiang Li had just returned to her seat, still unaware of what had transpired.

After watching the forum video, she immediately began typing without a word.

[Jiang Li: I support Xi Yao becoming student council president. I strongly support her. In my heart, there is no other candidate besides her. No matter who you supported before, please join me in supporting Xi Yao. I will be eternally grateful.]

“Uh, Jiang Li,” Xi Yao said, sheepishly rubbing her hands together, “Did you have to put it so… absolutely?”

No sooner had she returned to her seat than she turned her head to see Jiang Li’s message.

“Absolutely? Not really,” Jiang Li replied, her face expressionless, her voice cool and clear. “I merely expressed what was truly in my heart.”

“It’s not about whether it’s absolute or not, it’s just… never mind,” Xi Yao mumbled, twitching the corner of her lips. “It’s already posted anyway.”

If one were to ask about any issues, there were none other than it seemed a little overly sentimental—phrases like ‘no other candidate in my heart,’ and ‘please join me in supporting her.’

“Mm.”

Jiang Li responded faintly, sliding her phone back into her pocket.

‘Would this be enough to show her how much I like Xi Yao?’ she wondered. ‘Probably not; it’s still far from enough. I’ll have to prove it over time.’

If one stone could stir a thousand ripples, then Xi Yao had unleashed a tsunami.

Even the forum’s server had become sluggish.

****

Meanwhile, in the Houde Zaiwu Hall, Aileen was making some minor preparations for tomorrow.

Adjacent to the main hall was a little-known alcove.

The central air conditioning could channel cool air through its vents, ensuring it wouldn’t feel stuffy even when hidden inside.

The alcove was perfectly positioned, allowing a clear, unobstructed view of the entire main hall through special double-sided curtains, yet it was incredibly difficult to spot from the outside.

It was essentially a masterful application of discreet observation.

Aileen placed a small sofa and a mini-fridge inside, the latter stocked with drinks and snacks.

After a moment’s hesitation, she even added a power bank.

This way, tomorrow she could watch Senior Sister Xi Ruo’s live guidance, listen to her impart life wisdom, all while comfortably seated in the alcove, leisurely sipping a drink, and even playing on her phone if boredom struck.

Utterly elegant.

With everything in order, Aileen settled onto the sofa to rest, opening her phone to see a message from her subordinate, the young secretary.

[Yan Rui: Sister Ai! Something big has happened! Jiang Li’s busty girlfriend has made her campaign declaration!]

‘Hm?’

After watching the interview video, Aileen couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“I knew it,” she mused. “The folks from the news agency were no match for you.”

In the interview video, the host clearly intended to question her about the rumors, yet Xi Yao seemed oblivious, standing there and directly expounding on her views for the student council president.

When the host tried to steer the conversation back, pressing relentlessly, Xi Yao would simply interject, “But that’s not important; what’s more crucial is,” before reiterating her points.

She was utterly unyielding.

Nevertheless, stepping forward to declare her candidacy at this moment still came as a slight surprise to Aileen.

“Since you’ve done this, you must have a plan,” the girl murmured, idly twisting a strand of golden hair around her fingertips. “It’s not a bad move.”

‘Xi Yao declared her candidacy today, and tomorrow she’s seeking advice from Senior Sister Xi Ruo,’ she thought. ‘It seems like a continuous strategy; she really has a plan.’

Her anticipation only grew.

“Since the words are out, then I’ll also…”

Aileen picked up her phone, preparing to post her support.

Her phone browser still displayed the last page she had viewed.

In the Baidu search bar, a line of text read: “How to defeat Stormterror?”

Aileen’s expression remained perfectly calm as she deleted her search history, then her browsing history, before finally opening the forum.

****

It was still the same tearoom, Yun Caiyi’s exclusive hangout spot with her underlings during breaks.

But now, the atmosphere was utterly silent; no one spoke, and her few subordinates didn’t dare utter a sound.

A tablet lay on the stone table, open to the campus forum.

Without any interaction, the forum automatically refreshed every thirty seconds.

Yet, no matter how many times it refreshed, the video post titled [Xi Yao Delivers Campaign Declaration Live] remained stubbornly in the top spot.

“Open it,” Yun Caiyi commanded, her face grim.

“Sister Yun,” the strategist, Little Blondie, managed to force out a smile uglier than a cry. “We’ve already watched the video, so perhaps there’s no need to watch it again?”

“I told you to open it!”

Enraged, Yun Caiyi slammed her fist on the table… then immediately hissed in pain.

Little Blondie, the strategist, dared not refuse again.

He quickly opened the post and scrolled down to the comments section.

Compared to when it had just been published, the section had been utterly transformed.