Justice Prevails: The True Creators Take the Stage

Zhou Yi looked at the judges with practiced ease, calmly articulating:

“The crux of this dispute lies not in the presence or absence of evidence, but in whether that evidence possesses a two-way binding force.”

“Therefore, what we designed from the very beginning was never merely a simple system for uploading evidence; it was a mutually confirmed electronic scheduling system.”

The entire venue fell into complete silence.

“Any changes to schedules, temporary overtime, or work hour confirmations…” Zhou Yi continued, eloquently elaborating on the central focus of their project.

“…This, then, is the fundamental significance of solidifying the evidence chain: not to protect rights after a dispute arises, but to prevent conflicts from occurring in the first place.”

Upon hearing this, the judges simultaneously raised their heads.

A glimmer of approval flickered for the first time in the eyes of the perennially stern old professor.

Zhou Yi then turned to the ashen-faced Su Xiao. “Our platform,” she stated, “was not created merely to win a competition.”

“More importantly, it was created to solve the real problems encountered by real people.”

She spoke calmly:

“Perhaps your team managed to obtain our complete design documents and code.”

“But regrettably, it seems you did not acquire the problem list we compiled after interviewing hundreds of part-time students.”

“Nor did you obtain that… initial aspiration to truly help them.”

In that moment, Su Xiao could barely stand, her face as pale as paper.

A chorus of gasps had already risen from the audience.

The Counselor turned at the opportune moment, solemnly gesturing towards the judging panel. “I trust you have all reviewed the chain of evidence we submitted, including the complete project logs, original requirement records, and core code timestamps.”

His gaze swept over Su Xiao’s team. “These materials are sufficient to prove who the true creators of this project are.”

The judges nodded in agreement, and immediately, the soft rustling of pages and the gentle clatter of keyboards filled the air.

The truth was revealed, and the entire hall erupted in an uproar.

After an urgent deliberation by the judging panel, Professor Chen announced on the spot:

“Following cross-verification by the review committee, Zhou Yi’s team’s submitted records of the creative process are complete, the development links are clear, and the timestamps are precise.”

“It is now confirmed that Zhou Yi’s team is the sole original creator of this project.”

The moment these words fell, the entire venue erupted in a frenzy.

Su Xiao suddenly lost control and shrieked:

“No! I didn’t! This is clearly my original work!”

Professor Chen merely gave her a faint glance, shook his head, and offered no further response. The other judges, one after another, averted their gaze, remaining indifferent to this desperate struggle of a cornered beast.

Immediately after, the head judge rose and solemnly announced to the entire hall:

“According to the competition rules, any team found to have plagiarized or illegally obtained another’s proposal will have their qualification immediately revoked upon verification.”

“Su Xiao’s team is hereby disqualified from the competition due to academic misconduct.”

The moment this verdict was delivered, the auditorium plunged into a second of complete silence.

The next second, low gasps and murmurs surged like a tide.

Su Xiao instantly went limp, unable to utter another word. Her team members’ faces were ashen, some even daring not to lift their heads to meet the gazes from all around.

Just then, two uniformed administrative staff members swiftly entered from a side door, walking directly towards Su Xiao’s team under the watchful eyes of everyone.

“Student Su Xiao, please come with us to the Student Affairs Office now to cooperate with an investigation.”

Amidst the whispers and countless gazes, Su Xiao and her team, like defeated roosters, left the auditorium, heads bowed and their steps heavy, following the staff members.

A brief stir and murmur of discussion rippled through the venue.

The head judge tapped the microphone at the opportune moment, drawing everyone’s attention back.

“Please maintain silence! Our institution consistently maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards academic misconduct. Any form of plagiarism or cheating will be dealt with severely. This is the bottom line of academia, and even more so, the red line of our educational mission!”

His calm gaze swept over the judges and competing teams. “Now, let us return the stage to the contestants who diligently prepared. The defense round will continue.”

****

The atmosphere in the venue recomposed itself, and staff members quickly gestured for the next team to take the stage.

Watching Su Xiao’s team being led away, the three of them, Zhou Yi, exchanged glances. The long-suppressed frustration in their chests finally eased. The net of heaven has large meshes, but it lets nothing through; justice may be delayed, but it is never absent.

Li Yanze, in particular, felt the guilt and self-reproach that had long weighed on his heart finally release completely in that moment.

****

…A staff member approached to remind them it was time to prepare for their turn on stage.

In the waiting area, Li Yanze hugged his laptop, took a deep breath, and muttered softly, “I’m suddenly a bit nervous.”

Zhou Yi replied in a low voice, “Nervousness means you care.”

Jiang Chen stood by her side, his gaze steady as he looked towards the stage. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Our project was genuinely developed.”

“Don’t be afraid. We truly built something real.”

After the team on stage completed their final presentation and Q&A, the host announced a familiar name:

“Next to take the stage is the fifth team in this round of the semi-finals – the Campus Skill Mutual Aid Platform Project Team. Contestants, please enter the stage.”

The lights at the backstage entrance flared to life.

Zhou Yi let out a breath, her fingertips subtly tightened then relaxed.

“It’s our turn,” she said, and was the first to step onto the stairs.

Li Yanze followed closely behind, clutching his laptop, while Jiang Chen brought up the rear, his gaze remaining fixed on Zhou Yi.

As the three of them stepped onto the center of the stage, the spotlight suddenly illuminated them.

Countless gazes converged upon them.

Jiang Chen walked steadily to the front of the stage, nodding towards the judging panel.

“Distinguished judges,” he began, “as you have just witnessed, after experiencing the leak of our preliminary round proposal, our team reflected deeply. We realized that instead of passively defending our rights, it would be better to fundamentally enhance the value-creation capabilities of university students.”

“Thus, our project came into being.”

At this moment, Li Yanze precisely switched the display, and a striking title appeared on the large screen:

[Campus Edition – Let Skills Be Seen, Let Mutual Aid Become Possible]

Jiang Chen began his presentation steadily:

“We first focused on a long-overlooked practical problem,” he stated.

“In our preliminary research, we discovered a common contradiction on campus: students skilled in editing can’t find work, those good at studying can’t find teammates, and many are forced to take physically demanding part-time jobs that offer no personal growth, just to earn living expenses.”

He paused for a second, his gaze sweeping across the room.

“These three points, seemingly unrelated, actually point to the same problem: those with skills aren’t sought out, and those who want to learn can’t find teachers.”

“Currently, students’ social circles are mostly limited to their classes and clubs, resulting in too few opportunities for deep cross-major and cross-grade collaboration.”

“Ultimately, this leads to skills being buried, social interaction being limited, and time being consumed for low value.”

“This is precisely the current situation we aim to change.”

Li Yanze cooperated by switching the display, showcasing the meticulously designed platform interface.

Zhou Yi smoothly took over, pointing to the large screen. “To address this, we have built this platform, focusing on solving three major pain points currently on campus.”

“First, to give every skill an opportunity to be showcased; second, to break down departmental barriers and enable precise team formation; and most importantly, to empower students to create higher value with their professional skills.”