“I’m warning you, as a reporter, your line of questioning is suspect of of being misleading and according to “Imperial Press Law”, you’ve already breached article 1 of chapter 1, the principle of fairness and justice in reporting. Do you have proof of employment as media personnel? Please display your permit, otherwise your interviewing me is a serious breach to my right of privacy as a civilian, and breach to the right of knowledge for the public. I can take this to court and have you bear all legal responsibilities.”
Gu Nianzhi didn’t hesitate to take out her phone and recorded the shocked male reporter from keep a record of this video file.”
“Hahaha, OOXX self-media, was it? Sucks to be you, you messed with no one but the top of the class in our Faculty to Law! Trying to play legal edge ball in front of us, huh? Don’t you see the ‘MFS’ stamped on your forehead?” Little Temptree gloated on the side.
“What’s ‘MFS?” A reporter from C City TV Evening News carrying a camera observing from the side, asked with curiosity.
“It means ‘motherf*cking stupid’.” Little Temptress answered seductively before dragging Gu Nianzhi back to the dorm.
Mei Xiawen followed them and walked Gu Nianzhi back to the dorm building. He stroked her hair and said with pity, “It’s been a hard last two days for you, quickly shower, grab a bite and get some rest.”
Gu Nianzhi answered exhaustedly and went back to the dorm to shower. That night in C City, all the forums and TV programs were abuzz with this incident. An increasing number of media personnel were surging towards C Univeirty to interview the students who had escaped death. C University saw things were bad and to protect the safety of the students, they issued an emergency notice to have Year 4 Class 1 go on a two week break. This would allow them to go home first and return to campus once things died down. Gu Nianzhi just finished showering when she heard Green Tea Fang share the news.
“Nianzhi, my family already sent a car to pick me up, what about you? Do you want to come stay with me for a few days?” Green Tea Fang knew Gu Nianzhi was an orphan and only had a distant relative as a guardian. Under the circumstances of a sudden break, she might not have a place to stay. However, Gu Nianzhi couldn’t wait to see Huo Shaoheng and quickly laughed, “A sudden two week break?! Great, I can go back and rest for a few days now. –Thank you, Green Tea Fang, we’ll have to have tea when you’re free.”
“Will you be ok alone?” Lady Cao was also concerned about her and offered kindly, “How about you stay with me? I’m pretty bored home alone.”
Little Temptress chimed in as well, “I have to go to the airport tonight for an early flight tomorrow, do you want to travel to the capital with me for a few days?”
Gu Nianzhi refused all their offers and explained that the two weeks should fly by, it should be fine. She was burning with anxiety and was tempted to immediately fly to the Special Ops base in C City. After being on edge and finally seeing her three roommates off, Gu Nianzhi immediately called Yin Shixiong, “Brother Xiong, I want to ask you something.”
Yin Shixiong had just finished showering and picked up as soon as he saw her calling, “Nianzhi? Why are you up so late?”
Clutching her phone, Gu Nianzhi sat back down on the bed and asked about Brother Li first, “Brother Xiong, how’s Brother Li? Is he ok?”
Yin Shixiong had been prepared to deflect against any questions about Huo Shaoheng and relaxed as soon as he heard it had nothing to with him. He held up a bath sheet to dry his hair and laughed, “He’s ok, just minor injuries, he’s already back at the base.”
Gu Nianzhi exhaled in relief, her entire body relaxed. She laid on bed and squinted her eyes, “Did Brother Xiong, Brother Ze and Uncle Huo go to Dufeng Mountain Resort Villa tonight?”
Yin Shixiong, “…”
This young lady was too cunning! She used Little Li to lure out the truth…
Yin Shixiong grimaced as he threw down the bath sheet and decided to come clean, “Yeah, the police was requesting backup and we had to go. Little Li was also in trouble so we had to save our own.”
“I knew you guys were there!” Gu Nianzhi sat up happily and held up a ‘V’ sign with her fingers, “The AMR operator was Uncle Huo, wasn’t it?!”
Yin Shixiong chuckled and neither denied nor admitted, “You guys are back on campus? Were you scared? Do you want Chen Lie to examine you?”
“No thanks!” Gu Nianzhi was terrified as soon as she heard Chen Lie would be examining her and hastily refused, “Brother Xiong, can you pick me up?”
“…It’s so late, where are you going?” Yin Shixiong’s hand paused as he quickly found some clothes to put on.
Gu Nianzhi said, “The school has suddenly given us a two week break, and I have no place to go, so I want to come back to the base to see you guys.” She bit her lip and continued in a quiet voice, “I haven’t seen everyone at the base for a long time now.”
Yin Shixiong knew that the person Gu Nianzhi truly wanted to see, was someone else… But that person just got a plane to the capital. To not disappoint her, Yin Shixiong delicately navigated, “A break? Great! I’ll come pick you up now, but it’s a shame Mr. Huo just left for the capital, otherwise he would be so happy to see you.”
Gu Nianzhi shot up from the bed, “…Huh? Uncle Huo went to the capital? When was this?”
“About an hour ago.” Yin Shixiong eyed his watch, “He should be there by now.”
Gu Nianzhi pursed her lips, “Ok, then come pick me up, I’ll stay at the base for a few days, it’s been too long.”
She had two weeks of vacation anyway, that was ample time for her to wait in Huo Shaoheng’s quarters.
“Ok, I’ll come now.” As Yin Shixiong was speaking, he already dressed and had his car keys ready to go pick up Gu Nianzhi. He also texted Huo Shaoheng at the same time, “Nianzhi is on a break, she’s staying at the base for a few days.”
Huo Shaoheng had just walked out of the capital’s airport. He had no expression as he read the text and locked the phone before getting in the car the military had to pick him up. It headed towards the Ministry of National Defense.
…
That night, far away in the Imperial Capital, He Zhichu glanced at the recap of the Empire’s daily news before bed out of habit. He happened to see the kidnapping incident in C City’s Dufeng Mountain Resort Villa, and also a video of Gu Nianzhi’s exquisite and tiny face scowl as she sternly educated a self-media reporter in law. The corners of his lips curved and he took out his phone to text her, “Well done.”
Gu Nianzhi held her phone as she waited downstairs of her dorm for Yin Shixiong to get her. She heard the phone ring and looked down to see a text from He Zhichu.
She was perplexed by the praise in English, and sent back a “?”.
He Zhichu replied, “I saw you educate the self-media.”
Gu Nianzhi was speechless. News traveled all too fast in the internet age.
She sent back a reply, “Thank you for the praise, Professor He. Goodnight.”