When Horace and Glenn University, along with their respective presidents, spoke up, people were left dumbfounded and repeatedly checked if it was real or fake. They checked if someone was impersonating, or if the graduation picture were photoshopped. The results, however, were crystal clear – no fakery here! Several professors even retweeted the president's post, publicly siding with Song Juyao.
For a moment, all the mocking online came to an abrupt halt, creating an incredibly awkward silence.
The passers-by who were eating melons silently dropped their jaws in shock. After a while, the melon-eating crowd finally exploded.
[Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!!]
[Car overturned!]
[Are you surprised or surprised? Song Juyao's just an alias, but she has a different name on her official documents!]
[Are these people idiots? Why did they use her alias name to check her school records?]
[Grass! It's so cool! Hahaha!!! Wen Zhulian's fans and Evans' girlfriend fans are so toxic that it was disgusting. I was just saying a fair word and received thousands of private messages scolding me]
[The most disgusting were Evans' so-called girlfriend and career fans. They are vomit-inducing. They act like they're indispensable and Evans is dependent on them? No work, just drag oil bottles around. Thinking of how she and Evans have no blood relation, yet she's beautiful and talented, they turn green with jealousy.]
[Does your face hurt? Does it hurt? I didn't dislike Wen Zhulian before, but now the vibe has turned dark. What kind of fans have what kind of idols. Originally, the real heiress said that everyone should live their own lives. But no, the fake heiress had to make a fuss and bother people. She never considered that she might be nauseating others. Fans still blame the real heiress for having a bad attitude, but I think she gave them a good enough response instead of outright ignoring them. Do you really think you're loved by everyone? Ugh!]
The bystanders and Wen Zhulian's anti-fans who were fiercely suppressed by Wen Zhulian's aggressive and powerful fans immediately fought back with a flurry of sarcastic comments. Wen Zhulian's fans were notoriously domineering. After all, Wen Zhulian, despite her young age, had impressive achievements. Her fans were quite proud and felt they, too, were extraordinary. They often became arrogant, thinking anyone who crossed Wen Zhulian would face a bleak outcome.
Their usual tactics included controlling comments and setting the narrative, and they even bought the support of marketing accounts. Comments supporting Song Juyao would either get deleted or pushed far down in the thread. With millions of comments, one had to scroll a long way to find anyone speaking in Song Juyao's favor, and those people often received hate messages in private.
This had long fueled dissatisfaction among many people. Even if Song Juyao wasn't exceptionally outstanding, surely she didn't deserve to be smeared like this? She had grown up in an orphanage for ten years, even if she had some flaws, they should be forgivable.
However, Wen Zhulian's fans, along with Evans' jealous girlfriend fans, seized the slightest opportunity to the hilt, wishing they could trample Song Juyao to death, as if only in this way could Wen Zhulian's nobility and exalted excellence be demonstrated, and Evans would exclusively belong to them.
If Song Juyao had genuinely lied and deceived Evans, she might have been condemned to the depths of the valley with no chance of redemption. However, incredibly, things took such a shocking twist.
Song Juyao and Evans never lied; she was genuinely, truly outstanding!
Horace University would only enroll 150 students globally every year, not a single person more, and their admission criteria were extremely demanding. Those unfamiliar with the institution would involuntarily exclaim "Holy shit" upon first hearing about it. It's a gathering place for geniuses. You never know which ordinary-looking student brushing past you on the street might become a future president, or an economic super powerhouse capable of shaking the global economy, or even a cabinet minister.
Ranked second was the Glenn University, another difficult peak to conquer. The gap between the second and third positions formed a watershed - compared to Horace and Glenn, the students of the third ranked university and below could only hold their heads low in humility before these two institutions.
At this point, the students from schools that had been nominated by Wen Yingting but scorned by Evans fell silent. Their proud and swollen egos deflated instantly, no longer speaking up to court humiliation.
[Holy shit, I searched it up and actually found this news!!]
[A student was unable to submit their paper on time due to being stranded in a jungle, so their advisor hired mercenaries to retrieve it (kneeled).]
[Wen Zhulian's fans are brain-dead. Don't they know that the real heiress was adopted by a foreign family? Just because Wen Zhulian keeps calling her by her alias name, they assume that's her real name?]
[Evans' girlfriend fans are just as brainless. They're the kind who would throw sulfuric acid at Evans' girlfriend if he ever got one. Scary.]
[I wonder if Evans will revoke the fan status of those insulting his beloved sister after seeing how his fans cursed and insulted her.]
[The biggest joke of the year—Song Juyao has no academic records. Wen Zhulian's brainless fans were ecstatic, only to get a slap in the face from two prestigious universities joining hands.]
[Hahahaha looking closely, the satire from Horace University is too savage hahaha.]
[Actually, Wen Zhulian's international fame is nothing special, but the fact that Song Juyao has garnered such attention from Horace's president indicates she can likely achieve things that influence the world. Thinking of it, Wen Zhu Lian amounts to nothing compared to her.]
[What's even more comical is that, during the live broadcast, Wen Zhulian's group thought they were right. Chang Zhenzhen and her mother continued to praise Wen Zhulian while dissing Song Juyao. They had no idea how outsiders viewed them as a bunch of clowns. Even Wen Zhulian's attempts to stop them just looked like a smug clown acting all modest on the surface while secretly smug on the inside.]
In the live chat room, the once-proud fans dwindled rapidly. The broadcast had become too embarrassing to keep watching with all the mockery in the comments. Even if they turned off the barrage, the people inside remained oblivious to the truth, so they continued to ridicule Song Juyao uncontrollably, fans' faces burning red with shame and embarrassment unable to be contained.
Enough already! Stop talking about the Capital Drama Academy being top in the capital, compared to Horace University, no, they're simply not even on the same level at all, with no qualifications whatsoever to be compared to Horace University, stop talking about it ah! Please, stop!
Don't even talk about Song Juyao deliberately using bear feces to change the subject. She simply doesn't put you guys in her eyes and can't be bothered to explain her qualifications to people of your caliber. It would be too much of an ego boost for you ahhhhhh!!
Of course, there were still some crazy fans who, even at this point, continued to act like rabid dogs, spewing illogical and headache-inducing words that disgusted everyone.
At this moment, the production team received a call from the boss.
"Pay attention to the quality of the live chat. Accounts spreading baseless rumors, attacking others, or affecting the audience's viewing experience will be banned." Jiang Baiqi's cold voice came through.
"Yes, boss."
The person below hung up the phone, and acted quickly, those mad dogs immediately disappeared. They could only watch others chat freely, their anger simmering inside, unable to vent, leaving them infuriated.
The live broadcast room finally calmed down a bit.
The hostility in Jiang Baiqi's heart also subsided slightly. His ashy big eyes returned to the screen.
Song Juyao, with Evans still in tow, remained as composed as ever, not at all affected by those people.
It got dark quickly in the forest, and the surroundings grew dim.
Song Juyao spotted a cave not far from a small stream and, after confirming the soft, dry ground, decided to spend the night there. She then took Evans to collect tree branches and banana leaves to build a temporary shelter with a single sloping roof.
Song Juyao built it quickly and beautifully, creating a sturdy, lush-green shelter that could withstand rain. Evans, aside from assisting occasionally and handing her leaves, couldn't do much. He was obviously accustomed to being a thigh pendant. He sat on the stone and watched his sister build the shelter, looking utterly at ease.
"My sister is extremely talented, a one-of-a-kind genius," Evans praised his sister to the unseen audience with an air of nobility. "She rarely went to school. Below the university level, teachers couldn't teach her much; she learned everything on her own. When she was twelve, she sent applications to Horace University and Glenn University, took their entrance exams and interviews. Can you guess what happened? They fought over her."
Audience: You should have said that earlier; then we wouldn't have been embarrassed!
[However, at that time even if Evans said it, probably no one would believe it. After all everyone was led by Wen Zhulian's fans to really think that the real heiress was called Song Juyao, and her academic credentials couldn't be found online]
[Twelve years old! And she's self-taught. My goodness, she truly is a genius, kneeling down]
[I'm starting to become a fan of his sister. She looks beautiful and delicate but is actually so cool and impressive.]
[Tell us more, so curious about our sister. We want to know more about her]
When Evans talked about his sister, he became more talkative and didn't disappoint the viewers. He continued, "When she first started junior high, some classmates bullied her, constantly throwing her desk, chair, and books. Later, she designed a set of desks and chairs herself, and Dad helped her bring them to school. Since then, no one could toss her desk or throw her books."
"Later, a furniture company under the Fuxing Group purchased the design drawings of these desks and chairs. To this day, the children's educational desk and chair series designed based on this drawing remains the most popular and highest-selling product for Fuxing Furniture every year among parents."
Evans' words, as soon as he spoke, were another revelation that compelled the audience to kneel down in awe. She designed a set of tables and chairs in response to campus bullying, and a major corporation not only purchased the design but also made a profit from it. This incredible turn of events was nothing short of miraculous for ordinary people.
[Wow!! My fairy design series of tables and chairs were actually designed by my sister!]
[I have a friend who's obsessed with this furniture series. Every time there's a new release, he buys it. Some of the old sets are even being sold online at sky-high prices, and there's no stock left anywhere!]
[Sister is too cool!!]
[Does a certain pig fan’s face hurt? Does it hurt, ah? When she was a child, she designed a set of tables and chairs that became a global hit, with sales consistently staying at the top for years. How do your beloved piggy girl's songs compare in terms of annual sales?]
[Don't go too far, the ones causing trouble are the fans, not Wen Zhulian. Also, has Song Juyao ever explained herself? By not explaining and letting others misunderstand, aren't they wrong too?]
[Don't be ridiculous, do they have any obligation to explain themselves to you? Also, the misunderstanding is them presumptuously misunderstanding on their own. To have such a prejudice against someone, their heart must be very dark and look down on others.]
Meanwhile, in another livestream screen window, Wen Zhulian's group found a suitable place to set up camp. It was a relatively open and plain space. They began setting up their tents.
They miscalculated the time, and it was already dark by the time they started setting up the tents. When Song Youmei and Evans had already started their dinner by the campfire, they were still just starting to pitch their tents in the dark and could only see with flashlights.
Thankfully, there were many of them, and they didn't feel much fear in the deep, quiet forest. They believed their sheer numbers would deter any bears they might encounter. They thought about it so casually.
"This is my first time camping in the forest; it's so exciting," Chang Zhenzhen said. "Ah, there are insects!"
"I have mosquito repellent here," Li Wenling offered, then turned to her two sons who were playing with rocks. "You guys, stop playing with stones. What's so fun about them? Go help out."
Tent pitching wasn't their strong suit, and they were a bit tired after completing them all. They had some bread and jerky for dinner and then began to cajole Wen Zhulian into singing.
Chang Zhenzhen nudged Wen Zhulian next to her. "Sing, sing. Zhuzhu's songs are too beautiful, and they're indispensable on a night like this!"
Wen Zhulian, after some hesitation, stood up. "Okay, I'll sing. But I have a request; I don't feel comfortable letting Juyao and Evans go by themselves. I'm worried. It's better if we all stick together and look out for each other. So, shall we go look for them tomorrow?"
The wristbands distributed to them were equipped with tracking capabilities, allowing them to determine Song Juyao and Evans' current direction. By following that direction, they would naturally find them.
While Wen Zhulian made this request, some were reluctant, but they couldn't openly oppose it, especially considering Evans' passionate fans, so they had no choice but to agree.
Wen Zhulian began to sing, displaying her prowess with sharp high notes. Her powerful technique carried her voice deep into the forest, startling some of the animals.
Mrs. Chang was still talking to Li Xin. "You see how outstanding Zhuzhu is, talented and kind-hearted. If it weren't for you engaging her off to Wei Yan so early, I would have definitely wanted my son, You Qing, to bring her back home."
Mrs. Wei immediately responded with a hint of pride, "Sorry about that, but she's already part of our family."
Mrs. Chang couldn't help but sound a bit sour. "Your family is really lucky. Originally, the daughter-in-law should have been that little Song."
"Haha, you're right. I must have done more charity work, accumulating good karma..."
Suddenly, a terrifying, spine-chilling feeling crept in. Laughter and chatter ceased abruptly, and the people's voices vanished. Their pupils contracted, and even their breathing came to a standstill.
All eyes were fixed in the direction of Wen Zhulian and Chang Zhenzhen.
A massive shadow, like a small mountain, appeared stealthily behind the two of them. Wen Zhulian had a vague sense of something amiss, and heartbeat accelerated. Her body froze, and she dared not move.
[Ahhhhh a bear!!!]
[A bear has really appeared!]
[Holy shit, it's so huge!]
There shouldn't be any problem right... But Song Juyao cautiously led Evans away from here.]
[What could go wrong? This is a variety show anyway and not the real world]
"Don't panic, don't startle it. It'll be fine," Wei Yan spoke up. "If we don't provoke it, it won't attack us."
How big can a bear be? Many people have a hard time accurately imagining it in their minds, and what they can imagine is often smaller than the reality. This was a brown bear. It could grow with a body length that could reach 2.8 to 3 meters and a shoulder height of up to 1.5 meters which means when on all fours, it could be as tall as a 1.5 meter tall woman. When it stood upright, it was like having a one-story building in front of you. One of its paws was bigger than a person's head, and it had scythe-like claws that could tear through a person's body with a single swipe.
The brown bear that now stood behind Wen Zhuliian and Chang Zhenzhen was over two meters in length, towering above both of them and even surpassing the height of all the men present. It seemed as if everyone could hear its breathing and the low growl in its throat, making people's hair stand on end.
Moments ago, Chang Zhenzhen had been excited about seeing a wild bear for the first time, but now her expression had shifted to one of fear, almost as if she was on the verge of tears.
"Don't be afraid, Zhenzhen. I'll protect you," Wen Zhulian was not afraid. Seeing her like this, she played her sweet angel persona, holding Chang Zhenzhen's hand.
Chang Zhenzhen, teary-eyed, looked at her with gratitude.
[Ahhhhh, our Zhuzhu is truly an angel!]
[Those who badmouth her have no heart, really]
[Being your fan is the best decision of my life!]
At this moment, suddenly, the brown bear moved. It lightly and curiously stretched out one paw, with its long curved claws hooking Chang Zhenzhen's clothes, yanking her backward.
What?
Wen Zhulian was startled, and she quickly tried to pull her back. However, the bear extended its other paw, reaching for her, causing Wen Zhulian to instinctively release Chang Zhenzhen's hand and dodge. She tumbled to the ground.
As she loosened her grip, in an instant, Chang Zhenzhen was pulled into the darkness. Chang Zhenzhen was bewildered for a moment until a furry, gigantic face with a gaping mouth came closer.
"Ahh!!" Changzhen Zhang let out a piercing scream.
"Zhenzhen!" Chang's mother cried out in anguish, disregarding everything as she rushed over. The others finally reacted, backing away in panic or charging forward.
But in that short span of time, the brown bear had somehow disappeared without a trace, taking Chang Zhenzhen with it. There was a blood trail on the ground leading into the depths of the forest.
The viewers in the livestream went wild. They never would have imagined this kind of plot twist. What happened to Chang Zhenzhen?Was she dragged away by the bear? Oh, wait, no, this isn't real; it's just Fanxing Group's advanced technology. Chang Zhenzhen is safely lying in the real world.
After a sigh of relief, they found the panicked guests, who were completely clueless, rather amusing.
"Is this a joke?" Chang Youqing said with a stiff expression. "This isn't funny at all, there's no need to create this kind of dramatic effect in the program."
"The production team must be deliberately scaring us," Wen Yingting added, his expression equally stiff. "Aren't we here for a show?"
"This is going too far, how can they scare people so much?" Li Wenling said: "Could the staff please come out and say something? This is too scary."
They were left bewildered, calling for the production team. However, the surrounding area was silent, and no production staff appeared.
A sense of terror began to creep over them. Where are the people? Why isn't anyone responding?
Chang's mother finally started wailing: "Zhenzhen! I want to see Zhenzhen!"
Seeing his mother so frightened, Chang Youqing flew into a rage and shouted angrily: "What kind of crappy program is this? What are you trying to do? We're quitting! Do you hear me? We're quitting!"
Still, there was no response.
Fanxing Media timely released a statement and signed contracts online. In fact, apart from Evans, who was their invited guest, all the other participants were self-recommended by their respective talent agencies upon hearing that Fanxing Media intended to create this survival reality show on an island. The contract included a clause stating that, for surprise elements, some parts may be temporarily hidden and not disclosed to the participants. However, it was guaranteed that no harm would come to their personal safety. After this explanation, they were still willing to become trial participants and signed the contracts.
So, all of this was perfectly legal.
Fanxing Media claimed as such, but there were still protests, especially from various fan communities. However, these protests were in vain, and even more people wanted to keep watching because it was so thrilling!
Chang Youqing raged furiously, while other families watched in panic, but there was still no response. Chang Youqing, wielding a stick, frantically circled around but found no trace of anyone.
The other families also didn't want to participate anymore, yet still no response.
Various horror movie scenarios flooded their minds for a moment.
"Is there really a live broadcast?" This doubt gnawed at them.
"Could we be guinea pigs? Fanxing Group is so big; is there anything they wouldn't dare do and can't do?"
"I said I didn't want to participate before, but you insisted!"
Fear caused family members to start arguing with each other.
Chang's mother: "I want Zhenzhen, my Zhenzhen!"
Wen Zhulian and Wei Yan both looked uneasy. How could such an unexpected thing happen?
The viewers in the Judgment Show's live stream were also dumbfounded. The situation had taken a completely unexpected turn!
Taking a deep breath, Wen Zhulian said, "Let's go look for Zhenzhen first. Through the location tracking on our wristbands, we should be able to locate her. Zhenzhen might be with the staff."
So the group began searching for Chang Zhenzhen.
After more than an hour of walking, they finally approached the green dot that represented Chang Zhenzhen. However, they actually didn't need the wristbands at all, because there were bloodstains on the ground. Still, they were unwilling to believe that it was real blood.
"Right here! Zhenzhen? Zhenzhen?" Chang Youqing shouted loudly.
Chang's mother saw something but couldn't make it out clearly due to the lighting. She crouched down and reached out, picking up a severed half forearm of a girl, wearing a wristband with a small green dot occasionally flashing.
"Ahhh!" Chang's mother fainted.
Several mini flashlights converged their beams and revealed the severed forearm, as well as the remaining half of the body in the nearby bushes.
Everyone felt like they had been plunged into an icy abyss, their bodies freezing. Chang Zhenzhen... was eaten by a bear.
"Ugh!" Li Wenling was the first to vomit, triggering a chain reaction.
"Ugh!"
"Impossible... This can't be..." Chang Youqing was incredulous and furious, brandishing a small knife as he roared at the surroundings like a cornered beast, "Bear! Come out! I said come out! I'll kill you–"
His voice suddenly stopped as the heat of his rage, anger and hatred instantly dropped when he came face to face with the bear that had suddenly appeared.
All that was left was fear.
Everyone fell silent, even the comments in the live stream went quiet.
On the other side, far from the bear's territory, were Song Juyao and Evans.
Song Juyao picked out the stones that had been heated in the fire and covered them with a layer of sand. The forest had a large temperature difference between day and night, and the nights were a bit chilly. They only had a small blanket, but the heated stones would keep them warm for several hours. She threw a termite nest into the fire to keep the poisonous mosquitoes in the forest away from them.
After being busy all day, Song Juyao lay down on the blanket and chatted with Evans for a few sentences before falling asleep. Evans sat by the campfire, using its light to write a new song in his notebook while occasionally glancing at Song Juyao with tenderness in his eyes.
[If Wen Zhulian and the others had followed Song Juyao's advice, they'd probably be asleep by now.]
[The contrast between the two live streams is just too cruel]
[I think, given the current situation, Song Juyao's wilderness survival skills and intelligence are truly indispensable. If they want to survive and leave this island alive, they'd better stick with Song Juyao.]