Lu Xuan had just emerged from Jiang Shuyi’s so-called “temporary lounge,” and the system’s notification sound in his mind had not completely faded.
“Reward: Black Material APP minor version update, updated to version 1.0.2.”
“Reward: 400 points.”
“Black Material APP 1.0.2 Version: Allows setting up an automatic exposure and reporting function. The host can select black material settings. If the host does not log into the Black Material APP within three days, the black material will be immediately exposed and reported.”
Lu Xuan’s footsteps paused, and a subtle curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
This function seemed like insurance tailor-made for him.
He had indeed had a slight concern before: what if he ever fell into a trap, wouldn’t all the “black material” he had painstakingly collected be buried with him?
Now it was fine; if he didn’t log in for three days, it would automatically detonate. This was simply adding another restrictive spell to everyone he had under his thumb.
From now on, anyone who wanted to move against him would first have to weigh whether they could bear the consequences of mutual destruction.
“A bit interesting,” he murmured to himself, his mood considerably lightened by this unexpected “assurance.”
As for the 400 points, they were better than nothing. He would save them for now; who knew when they might come in handy.
Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket, breaking his train of thought.
He took it out and saw “Mom” flashing on the screen.
The icy, playful expression on Lu Xuan’s face quickly faded, replaced by that of a dutiful son, and he pressed the answer button.
“Hello, Mom.”
“Oh, Xuan Xuan!” His mother’s slightly excited and joyful voice came from the other end of the phone. “That… that scholarship, the school has issued it! And it’s the highest tier one! Guess how much? Ten thousand yuan deposited at once! My goodness, Mom has never seen so much money deposited into one card in her life!”
Lu Xuan listened to his mother’s slightly unsophisticated exclamations and her barely concealed excitement, a smile playing on his lips.
Ten thousand yuan, to him now, was less than a fraction of the “hush money” Jiang Shuyi offered, but to his mother, who had toiled for half her life, it was a huge sum that would excite her for days.
He matched his mother’s emotions, raising his voice slightly: “Really? That’s great, Mom! The school’s efficiency is quite high! Now you don’t have to work so hard.”
“Isn’t that right!” Lu Xuan’s Mom’s voice had a hint of a choke, as if she remembered something, and she forcibly suppressed it. “Mom… Mom will transfer two thousand yuan to you right now, for your living expenses for these two months. At school, you must not mistreat yourself. Buy whatever you want to eat, don’t save money for Mom, got it?”
Lu Xuan could clearly hear his mother sniffing on the other end of the phone, and her deliberately suppressed sobs.
His heart warmed slightly, yet he also felt a bit helpless.
“Mom, what are you doing? I’m not a child anymore,” he teased in a relaxed tone. “Besides, your son is successful now; this ten thousand yuan scholarship is enough for me to spend for a while. You don’t need to worry about me. Keep those two thousand yuan for yourself, buy something good to eat, or even a new piece of clothing.”
“Silly child, what are you saying!” Lu Xuan’s Mom chided, but her tone was noticeably softer, with a hint of relief. “It’s Mom’s fault for not being capable, only being able to give you a thousand yuan for living expenses a month. Mom knows that college Students have high expenses now. Three meals a day, even if you eat sparingly, it still costs about thirty yuan. You’re at an age where you’re growing, so you can’t go hungry.”
As Lu Xuan listened to his mother’s rambling concerns, the slight aggression he felt from controlling Jiang Shuyi dissipated considerably.
“Oh, Mom, don’t worry,” Lu Xuan said with a smile. “A thousand yuan is more than enough. I’m telling you, the cafeteria food now has so many varieties, delicious and inexpensive. And, outside our school, those restaurants, Ugly Tuan, Bao Le Me, Jingxi Takeout, etc., have daily discounts. Ordering takeout is even cheaper than the cafeteria! I go out for a meal with Students every now and then; I’m living a comfortable life!”
He knew what his mother was worried about, so he deliberately made his life sound relaxed and pleasant.
“Really or fake?” Lu Xuan’s Mom was half-believing, half-doubting.
“Of course it’s real, when have I ever lied to you?” Lu Xuan continued to make things up. “You just don’t worry about me; taking good care of your own health is what’s important. And my dad, tell him to drink less alcohol and smoke less. Did you hear? When I go back for the holidays, I’ll be checking!”
“You child, you’re even managing your dad now!” Lu Xuan’s Mom chuckled, her previous melancholy mood vanishing. “Alright, alright, I know you’re filial. Oh, by the way, let’s not talk about this anymore. Mom called you because I have something serious to tell you.”
“Hmm? What is it?” Lu Xuan asked, feigning curiosity.
The voice on the other end suddenly lowered, carrying a hint of urgency and worry: “Xuan Xuan, do you still remember Zhu Siyuan from your Second Aunt’s family? He’s your cousin, just like you, he also took the college entrance exam this year.”
“Zhu Siyuan?” Lu Xuan searched his mind for the name.
His Second Aunt’s cousin, he remembered him as a very honest, even somewhat dull boy, whose academic performance seemed to have always been quite good.
“I remember, what happened?”
“Something happened!” Lu Xuan’s Mom’s voice suddenly rose, filled with anxiety. “They said… they said his college entrance exam scores were replaced! Now, his scores can’t be found in the system at all, and even his application information is gone! University has been open for several days, other children have happily gone off to college, but Siyuan can only stay at home every day, he’s completely deflated!”
“Replaced by someone?” Lu Xuan’s brow furrowed slightly, a bit surprised.
Such a thing, in this information age, still dared to be so blatant?
Even Zhang Yining only forged scores, or rather, it was more like private enrollment.
Replacing a candidate’s scores, he hadn’t heard of such a thing in many years.
“Isn’t that right!” Lu Xuan’s Mom’s voice was full of indignation and helplessness. “Your Second Aunt is almost going crazy. She went to the school, and the school said they are only responsible for enrollment; the scores are entered uniformly by the higher authorities. Then she went to the Education Bureau, and they just said they couldn’t find it in the system and told them to figure it out themselves. What kind of thing is this! Isn’t this forcing people to a dead end? A rural child, studying hard for more than ten years, just hoping to get into a good university to change his fate, but the result… sigh!”
Lu Xuan listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his phone case.
“Your Second Aunt came crying to me this morning, with snot and tears, saying she really had no other way. She knew you got into Yanjing University, a good school in a big city, with more knowledge and wider connections, so she wanted me to ask you if you have any ideas, or if you know anyone who could help inquire about what exactly happened.” Lu Xuan’s Mom’s tone carried a hint of pleading. “Xuan Xuan, Mom knows this is difficult for you, but Siyuan… he’s also one of our own. Watching him being bullied like this, Mom’s heart… it feels so heavy!”
Lu Xuan was silent for a few seconds.
Zhu Siyuan… his college entrance exam scores replaced by someone…
