Chapter 217: I Want to be a Traitor
TL: Etude
Big Richie lay in its nest, eyeing its two unreliable owners with disdain as they approached. It turned its head away, whining in apparent dissatisfaction.
“Look, Big Richie is so annoyed it almost wants to speak human,” one of the owners remarked.
Jiang Qin untied the dog’s leash and stroked its neck, his mind filled with confusion. Forgetting to bring the dog was normal for him; he was preoccupied with thoughts about promotion and was prone to absent-mindedness. However, it seemed odd that his little rich lady, who had wanted a dog since winter vacation, would forget.
This didn’t seem logical.
Unless, she intended to walk a different dog altogether.
Turning to Feng Nanshu, Jiang Qin saw her crouching down, comforting the dog with gentle strokes, her beautiful eyes filled with apology.
“Did you really forget, or are you pretending?” he asked.
“I truly forgot. I’m not lying this time,” Feng Nanshu earnestly assured.
Jiang Qin narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her. “This time? So, when did you lie to me?”
“Don’t ask anymore, Jiang Qin. I don’t even know what I’m saying,” she deflected, blocking his questioning gaze with her hand and pretending to be nonchalant as she petted the dog, though she was clearly uneasy.
She realized Jiang Qin was too sharp and couldn’t let him question her further.
Jiang Qin intended to keep probing, curious about Feng Nanshu’s real intentions and which statements were lies. But before he could ask, Lu Feiyu’s voice suddenly called from across the room.
“Boss, the provocative post is working. Come take a look!”
Jiang Qin, concerned about the promotion, reluctantly stopped his questioning and walked over, much to Feng Nanshu’s relief.
“Lu Feiyu is a good person,” she thought, happily petting the dog.
Meanwhile, Jiang Qin reached Lu Feiyu’s workstation and leaned over to look at the screen.
“Open up these posts and let’s see.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Internet provocations were a surefire way to stimulate user activity, as even the most interesting content couldn’t compete with the longevity of hatred. When Lu Feiyu posted provocative messages under different IDs, all four schools joined the fray.
Judging by the volume of recent responses, this anger could last at least three days.
In just three days, hurling insults all the way back to the ancestors of the rival schools should be no problem.
However, prolonged flame wars were detrimental to the forum’s ecosystem, as no one wanted to be upset during their leisure time. This kind of activity could damage the forum’s appeal.
It was essential to strike the right balance, ensuring participation without letting the situation escalate into a full-blown school war.
Therefore, Lu Feiyu later logged in as an administrator and issued a statement condemning such despicable provocation. He deleted several accounts filled with vulgarities, stating that once the competition began, everything could be settled with votes and that insults were meaningless.
“Seamlessly switching between good cop and bad cop, not a single word of truth. Feiyu, you’re becoming more cunning by the day,” Jiang Qin remarked with admiration.
“I’ve only learned a fifth of what you know, boss. I still have a long way to go,” Lu Feiyu replied, somewhat proudly yet humbly.
Jiang Qin squinted at him, “I suggest you keep quiet if you don’t know what to say.” fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
“It’s Brother Dong who taught me this.”
“What did he teach you?”
“He said that if you ever praise me, I should say that I’ve only learned a fraction of what you know. This way, you’d think highly of me. Did Brother Dong deceive me?”
Jiang Qin sighed, “Actually, he didn’t lie to you.”
Lu Feiyu was confused for a moment, “Then where’s the problem?”
“It’s nothing. Go on with your work. Just consider it a fault of the world.” Jiang Qin patted his shoulder and returned to his boss’s chair.
“Su Nai, did I say something wrong just now?”
After pondering for a while, Su Nai replied, “Given how cunning the boss is, saying you’ve learned one-fifth might be a bit much. You should be more modest.”
Lu Feiyu had an epiphany, “Next time, I’ll say one-tenth.”
“Yes, one-tenth sounds about right.”
Listening to their conversation, Jiang Qin’s lips twitched. He thought to himself that these two, combined, still lacked emotional intelligence, yet they discussed the matter with utmost seriousness.
As the afternoon arrived, the sky over Linchuan was suddenly covered with heavy leaden clouds. A strong wind started howling outside, sounding quite intimidating.
Worried about the rain, Jiang Qin decided to send the little rich lady back to her dorm early.
But by the time he turned to leave, a light drizzle had already begun to fall. The air was filled with a fine mist, spreading a coolness throughout the campus.
Spring rains were usually not heavy, but they lasted a long time. Jiang Qin, unconcerned about his image, covered his head with his jacket and hurried back to Room 208.
By then, Dong Wenhao had returned from the Normal University and was chatting in the dimly lit office with Su Nai. He immediately stood up upon seeing Jiang Qin.
“Boss, I’m back.”
Jiang Qin gestured for him to sit down, “How did it go leading the team?”
Dong Wenhao nodded, “The new recruits are quite diligent and efficient.”
“You still need to get them up to speed quickly. The Normal University is too far from us, and it’s not convenient for you to keep running back and forth, plus it’s inefficient,” Jiang Qin advised.
“Understood, I’ll get them into shape as soon as possible.”
“Also, when you have time, share your experiences with Lai Cunqing. It’s his first time in full control, and I think he’s a bit unsure. He might need some substantial advice.”
“Got it.”
The spring rain outside intensified, the chill seemingly penetrating the windows. The heating at Linchuan University had already been turned off, so they brought out the heaters used in winter.
Wrapped in a blanket that carried the scent of his little rich lady, Jiang Qin sipped tea while checking the latest posts in the campus beauty contest section.
In 2009, each university was its own ecosystem, with its own trending topics and news gossip.
In these circles, the topic of goddesses was always timeless, especially those who were fair-skinned and beautiful, sparking imaginations. They were the easiest to draw attention and stir enthusiasm.
Some confident and elegant men firmly believed that the goddess would ultimately belong to them.
Others, not as fortunate, secretly hoped for a chance.
Then there were those who didn’t even hope for that much, content with just getting a whiff.
And some women wondered why they couldn’t be the campus beauty.
No matter the group, once the element of comparison entered the picture, it always led to a common mindset: either believing oneself to be no less than others or that one’s admired goddess stood above all.
Hence, the pre-competition posting activities perfectly catered to everyone’s desire to discuss.
“Who else but Shao Mingxia for the beauty of Polytechnic University?”
“Please, Song Ran is the real goddess of Polytechnic University. No arguments accepted!”
“Obviously, it’s Zhang Zixuan who’s the top goddess. Just her chest alone outdoes Song Ran by threefold. Is there even a comparison?”
“Pfft, what’s the big deal about a chest? Shallow!”
“True beauty is when you can’t see your toes when you look down. Do you get it?”
“Let me just say, I’m a neutral observer from Linchuan University, but if what you’re saying is true, then I admit Zhang Zixuan is the beauty of Polytechnic University.”
“Why are you from Linchuan University meddling in our selection?”
“Just a bystander from the University of Science and Technology here. I haven’t seen Zhang Zixuan, but I agree with the Linchuan guy. Being outmatched by three is enough. No need for further comparisons.”
“Polytechnic University has so few girls, what’s the point of choosing a beauty from them? Better look at our Tang Lan from the Normal University!”
“Tang Lan is okay, but her sense of fashion is poor. For elegance, it has to be Du Guifen.”
“A neutral Linchuan University bystander here, I haven’t seen Du Guifen, but that name doesn’t sound like it belongs to someone with much elegance.”
“Why do Linchuan University bystanders always meddle in others’ affairs?”
“I want to, and what can you do about it? Bite me through the internet cable?”
Jiang Qin was pleased with this competitive atmosphere. If this mood could be maintained until tomorrow, the campus beauty contest would undoubtedly maintain its popularity.
As expected, the next afternoon, when the voting channels for the contests at the two universities officially opened, everyone voted as if in a frenzy, more passionately than any previous contest.
Why? The primary reason was yesterday’s provocation, which had ignited everyone’s temper. Why should anyone belittle the quality of our university’s girls, or label our Polytechnic University a monk’s temple? We had to support our goddesses to vent our frustrations.
Secondly, Polytechnic University and the Normal University were holding their contests simultaneously. Although they were separate contests, everyone had the same quota of two votes per day.
In this situation, no one wanted their university’s campus beauty to rank lower than that of the other university.
If our top campus beauty had fewer votes than those from the other university, what would be the point of being number one?
Thus, it was no longer just a simple contest; it had become a rivalry between the universities.
For this, the goddesses themselves started campaigning for votes.
Especially Zhang Zixuan from Polytechnic University, who not only released a campaign statement but also posted a stunning photo, causing a wave of excitement among male students.
“Damn, is this Zhang Zixuan? I’m a neutral observer from Linchuan University, and I really want to vote!”
“I’m from the University of Science and Technology, and I feel the same, really want to vote!”
“Uh, I’m a bystander from the Normal University. Sister Zixuan did not deceive me; she’s genuinely incredible!”
“What the hell, a traitor from the Normal University? Is a little front-weight more important than a thousand pounds of loyalty?”
“Nonsense, don’t slander others. That’s at least two pounds, not just a little!”
“?????”
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