"Old Qi, we took care of that task you asked us to help with. This time, you need to talk to the principal about the funding we deserve!"
"Yeah, it's not easy for someone my age to deal with all this young people's stuff, you know?"
In an office at Jiangnan University, the old professors gathered together. Ever since Fang Jueyu complained to Qi Dong, Qi had been rallying these academic authorities to raise support for Fang Jueyu.
"Don't worry, I guarantee you will get all the money you were promised. If there's a shortfall, I'll go to that kid Fang myself. That kid has plenty of money!" Qi Dong reassured them as he patted his chest. After all, nothing they did violated any rules or conscience, though he wondered how Fang Jueyu got himself into such a mess.
The voices from those charitable organizations and university professors quickly reversed the tide of public opinion. Although the video made Fang Jueyu appear a bit extreme, it was the other party's fault first, and he had made proper compensation. Besides, the other party was a drunk driver; they didn't deserve sympathy at all.
In comparison, the contributions Fang Jueyu had made more than covered those minor blemishes. Many clear-headed people soon realized that someone must have deliberately manufactured this incident to tarnish Fang Jueyu's reputation, which would inevitably lead to Guo Xinyu's popularity declining as well.
All the attention once again focused on the final of the "Bamboo Last Song" competition. Who was really targeting Guo Xinyu?
Soon enough, Fang Jueyu launched his final counterattack. Once again, he uploaded a video that shattered everyone's expectations.
The video featured a man and a woman, heavily pixelated, engaging in inappropriate activities. The male protagonist was Zhao Fan, a hot favorite to win the competition, alongside an overweight woman.
The events from that day were all captured in this video, including the conversation about how they planned to sabotage Guo Xinyu and Fang Jueyu.
Under normal circumstances, Fang Jueyu wouldn't have gotten hold of this video because there were no surveillance devices in the room. Even with the abilities of Xiaoyi being all-pervasive, it was impossible to record things from the past.
However, Zhao Fan never expected that Zhou Ying had a habit of recording videos secretly. She had used her phone to record what happened in the practice room that day, so naturally, that video ended up in Fang Jueyu's hands.
"Whoa, is this the legendary sugar momma? I've learned something new today."
"Ah, my 24K gold eyes are completely blinded. How could anyone go through with this? Just looking at it makes me sick!"
"What is this, Madam Qiao? Press F to enter the tank? Unbelievable!"
"I figured something would happen right before the finals. Now it all makes sense, how shameless!"
"Zhao Fan seemed so dashing, who would've thought he'd do something so disgusting behind everyone's backs? My worldview is shattered."
"I'm sorry, Dean. I was cursing at you yesterday, I was wrong!"
"Everyone stand up and apologize to the Dean!"
"Zhao Fan's in trouble!" Zhao Fan's assistant rushed frantically into his practice room.
"What's got you so worked up?" Zhao Fan was doing vocal exercises, unaware of the online backlash against him.
"Check your Weibo, there's a video of you and Sister Zhou on it!" Knowing the relationship between Zhao Fan and Zhou Ying, especially since Zhao Fan met Zhou Ying through him, the assistant was aware of the gravity of the situation.
"How...how could this happen!" Zhao Fan opened Weibo, and the video stunned him. He had thought he had the victory in hand, but how did Fang Jueyu get this footage suddenly?
Zhao Fan panicked. Forget about winning the competition, he wouldn't even be able to maintain his former popularity. His fans, who liked him for his looks and singing, wouldn't spend any money on him now after this scandal.
"Right, call Sister Zhou!" Flustered, Zhao Fan dialed Zhou Ying's number, thinking only she could save him now.
"Sister...Sister Zhou, what's up with the video on the internet, why is this happening?" Zhao Fan almost screamed, losing his composure.
"Zhao Fan, watch your tone!" Zhou Ying was also struggling to protect herself. She had the video saved only on her phone and had no idea how it spread online.
Furthermore, officials from the industrial and commercial bureau came to her office today, suspecting her company of tax evasion and asking her to assist with an investigation. Tax evasion had been a practice for years for her, and it would all come out if they investigated it!
"My company is in trouble, I can't help you now; you're on your own!" With that, Zhou Ying quickly hung up.
"Snap!" Zhao Fan's phone hit the ground. He was now utterly isolated, knowing his career was finished...
"Famous streamer Zhao Fan caught in a scandal, assistant discovers erratic behavior, admitted to hospital, withdraws from Bamboo Last Song finals!" A similar headline emerged in the public view the following day.
With such an incident, there was no way Zhao Fan could continue in the competition. If he did, he would surely be met with rotten eggs and spoiled fruit from the audience. From now on, he couldn't continue streaming on any platform.
As for whether he was truly mentally disturbed, only he and his assistant knew the truth.
"Well, that's one down. Dean Fang, your hospital business is booming!" A netizen joked.
"You can offend anyone, but if you offend Dean Fang, you'll end up mentally ill in a hospital. Better not mess with this guy in the future!"
"Dean, a friend of mine is curious to see what your psychiatric hospital looks like. Can we have a look?"
"I am the friend mentioned above. I'm curious to see!"
The online storm subsided. Zhao Fan's exit turned the finals from five contestants to four, but none of them relaxed, as all four were very strong and had the potential to win the championship.
Amidst much anticipation, the final day of the Bamboo Last Song competition arrived. The number of online viewers reached an unprecedented 30 million, and this was a real count, as the ultimate grand prize was to be awarded after the finals concluded.
Although some may not have been there just for the competition, there was no denying the influence of this final.
Guo Xinyu was the last contestant to perform. The three prior contestants had flawlessly executed their performances. Their skills were evenly matched, and even the four professional judges admitted their abilities were on par with ordinary singers.
Guo Xinyu's performance outfit was specially designed by Fang Jueyu, a light purple dress, with an Angel's Heart embellishing the chest. Even before she started singing, she was already the center of attention.
"Thank you all for your support along the way!" Guo Xinyu bowed deeply. "Today, I'm going to sing a very special song for you. The lyrics and music were written by the one I love deeply. This is the first song he's written for me."
"What? Is Miss Xinyu talking about the Dean? The Dean can also write songs? Hidden talents!"
"The bread in my hand suddenly went sour. The stench of love! Waaaaaah..."
Hearing that it was a song written and composed by Fang Jueyu drew the attention of many in the audience instantly.
"This song is called Moon Wheel!"