Rylie couldn't stand Henry's smug expression. She curled her lip and poured cut him cold.
"Seriously? Don't exaggerate. You've only gotten your foot in the door. There's no guarantee you'll even pass the tests. And if you're really that amazing, why can't you even delete a single post? You still need someone else to do it."
Riley sat nearby, quietly amused.
She agreed. Someone needed to knock him down a notch as he was getting a little too full of himself.
Henry's expression stiffened, his mood souring instantly.
Women, he thought irritably. Always talking, never understanding.
Suppressing his annoyance, he sent a coded message to a member of the Apex Network.
The reply came quickly.
[APX TitoDax: I tried and I couldn't delete this post. The boss already stepped in.]
Henry's face darkened. He stared at the screen, silent.
The others grew anxious.
"Henry, what did they say?" Though they couldn't read the code, his expression told them everything and they weren't going to like the answer.
Henry spoke at last, his voice heavy. "TitoDax said he can't handle it. The leader of the Apex Network has already intervened."
"What?! Even Titodax can't take it down?!" Howard crouched on the floor, eyes wide, mouth hanging open like a stunned frog.
Henry shot him a glare. "That's not the point! The point is the leader stepped in!"
He couldn't make sense of it.
They are just a bunch of university students. How could they possibly have connections to someone like that?
No! More importantly, why would someone that powerful even bother with something this trivial?
Couldn't they spare some time to mentor me instead?
Suppressing a sigh, Henry sent another message to TitoDax, briefly explaining the situation. TitoDax replied that he could ask the boss directly.
At that exact moment, a buzz came in.
The phone on Riley's desk vibrated.
She frowned slightly and picked it up. It was a message from TitoDax.
[TitoDax: Boss, this post seems to be from your uni. Did this person offend you?]
He couldn't understand why she would intervene otherwise.
Riley typed back:
[Naraku: No.]
On the other end, TitoDax let out a quiet breath of relief.
[TitoDax: Then can you help delete it? One of our junior members says it's a smear post targeting their class.]
Riley paused, then replied:
[Naraku: I know. It's targeting me.]
A beat later, she added:
[Naraku: Stay out of it. Don't expose my identity. They don't know.]
TitoDax stared at the message.
What?
So the boss had personally stepped in to pin a smear post about herself?
What kind of move was that?
He couldn't make sense of it.
I really don't understand how big shots think.
But one thing was certain.
Their boss was young.
Even through the blurred photo in the post, her beauty was unmistakable.
Damn it… TitoDax muttered inwardly. Young, gorgeous, insanely skilled… is she even human?
Shaking off his thoughts, he quickly sent a reply back to Henry.
[APX TitoDax: The boss said you don't need to worry about it. She'll handle it.]
TitoDax meant that the boss had her own plans.
But Henry and the others misunderstood completely.
They thought the leader had agreed to personally remove the post.
Gratitude flooded in instantly.
After sending a string of thanks, Henry turned back to his classmates, puffing himself up again.
Even if he couldn't delete the post himself, APX had "done him a favor".
That alone was enough for him to brag about for quite some time.
***
Meanwhile, the university had no choice but to officially announce Riley as the new freshman representative.
Even if they were reluctant. A promise made couldn't be taken back and that wasn't all.
The entire research office had been reprimanded.
Rumor had it the mysterious sponsor behind the livestream was furious.
As a result, this year's bonus for the vice president had been cut in half.
When the news reached Vice President York, he nearly lost his mind.
He paced his office, pounding his chest in frustration, regret gnawing at him so fiercely he couldn't even eat lunch.
After replaying everything in his head, he finally figured it out.
There were two reasons the sponsor was displeased.
First, the exam paper leak. The sponsor clearly believed it had originated from his side and worse, the real culprit still hadn't been found.
Second, the issue about the new freshman representative. Letting someone like Riley who was rumor-ridden and labeled a fool to represent Imperial University. It was a stain on the school's reputation.
Now that he'd been warned, it felt like a blade was hanging over his head at all times. One misstep, and he'd be finished.
No.
I can't afford another mistake.
Without hesitation, Vice President York gathered Ethan and the others. After a brief discussion, they made a decision.
This year, there would be two freshman representatives.
Felicia would be added.
***
The announcement hit Felicia like a blessing from heaven.
She had already given up hope.
And yet not only had the vice President reinstated her, she would now share the stage with Riley.
That was more than enough. As long as she could stand on that stage, she didn't care how it happened.
Sophia and the others felt a twinge of jealousy, but they still offered their congratulations with polite smiles.
Felicia wasted no time. She immediately posted on Friendster, announcing her upcoming performance at the Imperial University freshman ceremony in three days.
The comments flooded in instantly with praises, admirations and endless flattery.
But the moment the news spread, Riley was dragged back into the spotlight.
And this time, it was worse.
Mockery. Accusations. Outrage.
The campus forum exploded in chaos.
[LOL, see? Isn't the school's attitude obvious now? They can't stand that idiot. Even if she won the PK, they still had to bring Felicia in to fix things!]
[Why should someone like Riley represent Imperial University? It's disgusting. Can't they replace her?]
[@Riley, if I were you, I'd drop out immediately. Don't you have any self-awareness? Being kept, bullying classmates—are you even human?]
Tag after tag.
Post after post.
The calls grew louder for Riley to get out of Imperial University.
Riley stared at the screen, her gaze flickering between light and shadow.
Every single tag directed at her and she opened them.
One by one.
Quietly.
Then, slowly, her lips curved.
It's time to respond.
***
At the same time, in the offices of Sterling Corp—
After a two-day break, Zachary stood as usual in front of Adrian's desk, giving his report.
"Bro, I finally confirmed it. The ones we worked with last time was Apex Network, the largest hacker alliance in the country. I've already extended an offer, but they became famous early on. They won't be easy to recruit."
"Hmm. Handle it as you see fit," Adrian replied, his attention fixed on the report Eamon had sent him.
His eyes darkened.
Vice President York… what exactly are you doing?
Wasn't he already warned? Why is Felicia still being pushed onto that stage?
Zachary continued, unaware.
"I also want to take over that project in the south district. I've had a proposal drafted. The previous developer ran off with the funds, leaving it unfinished. The materials were substandard too and there was even a collapse that injured three people. They can't afford compensation, so I'm thinking of covering it myself—"
Adrian barely responded.
On his phone screen were screenshots.
All the posts that were smearing Riley.
His expression turned cold.
What is she doing?
Didn't she say she'd handle it herself?
And yet, instead of stopping it, the situation had spiraled further.
More insults.
More attacks.
Idiot.
He almost intervened.
But then he remembered her words. She would handle it herself.
He hesitated.
Then, finally, he picked up his phone and sent her a message.
The reply came almost instantly.
[Riley: Stay out of it. I have my own plans.]
Adrian stared at the screen.
She really did know how to test my patience.