Song Juyao's taxi had barely covered a short distance when it was abruptly intercepted by a sleek supercar.
Surprised, Song Juyao slid down the car window and looked at Jin Yao, who had caught up with her.
Leaning against the car roof, he bent down to address her. "Get out of the car."
"?"
"Even if you're not returning to school, you'll still need a place to stay, right?" His family owned numerous houses. If Song Juyao switched residences every day, wouldn't be able to finish sleeping in them all within a year.
However, Song Juyao refused. "Thank you, but I can manage on my own."
Jin Yao looked into her eyes and understood something. His expression changed slightly, and he gritted his teeth. "You don't want to stand on our side? Even after they've treated you like this?"
The ongoing power struggle between the aristocracy and the government had been relentless. Song Juyao was highly regarded by the public but had been wronged by the government. If she aligned herself with the aristocrats, they could assist her by leveraging public opinion, their political connections, and other means to launch an all-out attack on that person and bring him down. It would quickly help her return to the Olympic Prize team. Wasn't this a successful retaliation? The shortcut lay right before her.
"Jin Yao, I only stand on the right side of history," Song Juyao said. "The current government is good. People live better now than during the reign of the aristocracy. It is a huge ship and is bound to have some rotten apples, just like in your aristocratic circles, where dirty things exist as well. We just need to get rid of them. Why should we abandon the entire ship because of a handful of rotten apples?"
"Even if it has already abandoned you?"
"I haven't been abandoned. I believe in it."
【Feeling... suddenly very complicated.】
【If Song Juyao is wrongly accused, it would be truly ironic.】
【Let's not make such analogies until there is evidence.】
【Don't certain individuals feel ashamed upon hearing her words?】
【Are Song's fans now not listening or watching anymore? Firmly believing that Song Juyao is innocent?】
【That's right, we believe her. So what? Come and bite us!】
【Even if the light hurts her, she won't succumb to darkness because of it. o(╥﹏╥)o】
The relentless battle of this live stream continued without pause, gaining immense popularity, it gradually spread to all walks of life, significantly impacting individuals along the way.
Even within the Royal Public Security Bureau, an unusual atmosphere began to emerge.
Meanwhile, in the virtual world...
Jin Yao gazed into Song Juyao's eyes, rendered speechless. The girl he admired had ascended to a higher position, becoming a goddess he could only look up to.
The taxi carrying Song Juyao eventually disappeared into the distance.
...
Song Juyao's departure from Jinke Duola provided a glimmer of hope for the program team's comeback.
The production team urgently convened a meeting to salvage some semblance of dignity in the final one-third of this livestream episode.
"We're running out of time. We need to create a big event that forces her dark side to come out!" Everyone has a dark side, but the audience wouldn't allow Song Juyao to have one. As long as she shows any imperfections in this crucial moment, it'll topple all the perfection she's had before!
"At this point, the best way is to make her choose between her own life and someone else's death."
This theme is delicate. Regardless of Song Juyao's decision, it won't end well. If she chose to save herself and sacrifice others, her previous goodness would be tainted. And if she chooses to sacrifice herself, people will frown upon her, deeming her too saintly. In short, whatever choice she makes, it won't turn out well.
"How about designing a terrifying event?"
"That could work, but we need to be cautious. We can't do anything too illogical in front of her. If Song Juyao utters another sentence doubting the authenticity of the world, we'll be scolded by the audience again."
"Let's assign a clever temporary human NPC to carry out this task."
...
The Huo family.
Yuan Manzhi paced anxiously in the living room. The servants stole glances at her and saw a twisted excitement on her face. They exchanged glances, finding Yuan Manzhi terribly scary.
Yuan Manzhi had just received good news that the other temporary real-life NPC she had hired had finally come in handy.
Huo Hai was her darling son. Despite being in a deteriorating state due to alcohol and drug abuse prior to Song Juyao's involvement, would he have died if it weren't for Song Juyao pushing him? Hence, Song Juyao was the main culprit behind her son's demise. What a white-eyed wolf! She had hired Song Juyao as a home tutor, and this was how she repaid her!
The temporary human NPC she specifically found was a person with sadistic tendencies. In the real world, they might not dare to act, but once they entered this virtual world, where everything was just data, they were free to do anything and wouldn't need to bear any legal responsibility for their actions. Wearing the skin of an NPC, they could unleash their most primal instincts.
[Can you torture and kill Song Juyao using the cruelest methods you can think of? The bloody scenes will be mosaicked, so the audience won't see the specifics of what you do. You can do it freely.]
[I can.]
With this agreement, the plan was set in motion.
Now that Song Ju had left the school, it was time for him to make his move.
…..
Song Juyao left without hesitation, as if there was nothing within the school worth holding onto for her.
Jiang Baiqi returned to his apartment and instinctively gazed towards the opposite building—the girls' dormitory. Song Juyao's apartment was enveloped in darkness, nestled between brightly lit windows above and below, emanating a strong presence.
Since Song Juyao had taken his mechanical dragonfly, his headphones incessantly transmitted strange sounds. Images would flash through his mind—her buying a pancake, her providing directions to a foreigner, her being approached by someone...
Her voice was gentle and cheerful, often accompanied with a smile. She seemed no different from usual, regardless of whether she stayed or left. It didn't leave the slightest effect on her mood.
With pallid hands pressed against his thin chest, Jiang Baiqi felt as if a hole had been ripped open in his heart, allowing a chilling breeze to gust through. The sensation of sinking into his body resurfaced, seemingly reaching his waist. He felt exhausted, as if he were struggling in vain.
Look, he had known all along. How could she ever develop feelings for him? He was merely a speck of dust. Her initial approach was likely due to her mentor, Albert. Later, she experienced betrayal for unknown reasons, felt dejected, and coincidentally needed someone to care for her, which led to an apparent intimacy between them. It was all mere coincidence.
Her mentor hadn't replied to her messages for a long time. Perhaps she no longer needed to fulfill the task he gave her, or maybe he was overly cautious, thinking that the chances of obtaining the core technology were not high, so he simply gave up.
If only he had known…
Jiang Baiqi froze, lowered his gaze, and realized he was turning into a fox tamed by the little prince. But the little prince loved his rose.
He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, tossing and turning. Suddenly, the voice of Song Juyao vanished from his ears, and all ambient noise ceased.
Taken aback, he suspected that she might be in danger. He swiftly sat up, stumbled off the bed, and powered on the computer. The dragonfly's core possessed a locator, allowing him to quickly pinpoint its position. The beetle flew out from the terrace, vibrating its sheath wings, heading into the distance.