Chapter 79

Perhaps it was Nan Yuan's certainty and calmness that influenced Tao Shushu; she felt less restless than before.
With the Academic Genius System and Dr. Xie sharing the same schemes, and with double the experience, she had nothing to fear.
Just as Tao Shushu was organizing all the known clues, she saw on the screen that Nan Yuan suddenly handed over a small robot.
Curious, she leaned in for a closer look.
"Shushu, this is for you. It was made to look like you," Nan Yuan said, holding a long-haired little robot in his palm that was continuously throwing punches.
The robot's appearance was identical to the pixelated character.
It had neat, long hair, slightly exaggerated large fists, and facial features vaguely reminiscent of Tao Shushu.
Now, the pixelated character was demonstrating a boxing routine in Nan Yuan's hand.
Tao Shushu couldn't help but laugh, "Her fists are so big."
Nan Yuan pressed a control button on the little robot's ear, and its fist opened, revealing a small thermal weapon barrel in its palm.
"The design is amazing," Tao Shushu praised.
The robot hadn't been equipped with weapons yet, so Tao Shushu mimicked Nan Yuan's gesture and tapped the little robot's ear as well.
In the next moment, the robot's other hand lifted, projecting a shimmering starry sea in front of them.
Planets of the C1 Star System orbited around the central star, each one sparkling brightly.
Tao Shushu's finger accidentally brushed against the screen, and the small planet she touched immediately lit up, gradually enlarging into a clear aerial view.
"Nan Yuan, you're incredible. I can actually touch the projection," Tao Shushu said, tapping the planets on the screen one by one.
Nan Yuan smiled, "I used pressure sensitivity."
He wanted her to be able to interact with his world, so he chose a method she could engage with.
The robot was one way, and this starry sky was another.
"It's so beautiful," Tao Shushu marveled.
The survivor human map purchased from the game store was already quite advanced, but the model Nan Yuan created was even more perfect, encompassing every planet.
"It's also very good at fighting," Nan Yuan said with a smile. "From now on, it will represent Shushu and accompany me into battle."
Tao Shushu's heart felt as if it had been gently warmed in hot water, beating faster and faster with a soft, bubbling rhythm.
"Alright, when I'm here, I'll protect you. When I'm not, she'll protect you," Tao Shushu said with a laugh.
"Mm," Nan Yuan smiled. "Shushu, you can teach it the moves you know."
"Great!" Tao Shushu eagerly fiddled with the little robot. "Why did you suddenly make this?"
Nan Yuan gazed tenderly at the galaxy projection in front of the robot.
He imagined that Shushu, in another world, would also be looking at this same sea of stars right now.
"Because I thought Shushu might want to be more involved in the world of the C1 Star System."
In the C1 Star System, only he could hear her, only he received her favor.
Yet, he particularly wanted everyone to know that the person he liked, though mysterious and unseen, was the cutest and most amazing.
So, he wanted everyone to know her.
And greedily, he tried creating these strange models to deepen her connection to this world.
As Nan Yuan spoke, his eyes sparkled. He half-crouched beside the little robot.
Tao Shushu noticed his lowered posture and hopeful expression.
Her hand gently landed on Nan Yuan's face.
Feeling her touch, Nan Yuan nuzzled into her hand like a big dog seeking affection.
Without realizing it, Tao Shushu softened her voice. "Nan Yuan, I really like this gift, and I like being by your side."
"Mm," Nan Yuan's Adam's apple moved slightly.
Tao Shushu's gaze unconsciously fixed on his Adam's apple.
For a long time, she had only seen the cute, chibi version of Nan Yuan, so she always subconsciously treated him like a cub to care for.
But now, she was increasingly aware of the youthful energy about him, often feeling flustered by his unconscious actions.
Tao Shushu cleared her throat lightly and took a sip of water. "Then I'll teach it my fighting techniques now."
"Okay, I installed a learning module. She can learn moves through pressure sensors in the air," Nan Yuan explained while demonstrating the functions on the little robot's ear. "Tap the earlobe once to open the map, twice to close it." His slender fingers tapped the robot's ear repeatedly.
He paused, then his finger brushed behind the robot's ear. "There's also an entertainment feature, fireworks."
Nan Yuan sat calmly behind the fireworks display, seemingly unaware that his finger was still resting on the little robot's ear.
Watching the smiling Nan Yuan, Tao Shushu felt as if her own ear was being touched, growing warm with a blush.
Tao Shushu rubbed her ears. "Got it."
She tugged at the little robot, freeing its poor pixelated ear from Nan Yuan's grip.
Nan Yuan curled his fingers slightly, still smiling gently.
Tao Shushu turned off the little robot's star map projection, skipping the question of why the controller was placed on its ear. "Nan Yuan, does this mean others can use the little robot too? That doesn't seem safe enough."
"Not at all." Nan Yuan pointed at the little robot. "There are other components for identifying individuals. Currently, only you and I can control it. It won't respond to commands from any other living beings."
"Oh, that's good then." Nan Yuan was indeed reliable. Tao Shushu asked curiously, "How does it recognize me?"
"Facial recognition and sensing." Nan Yuan summarized briefly.
He had researched for many days before figuring out a way to let Shushu use the little robot. When it came to matters involving Shushu, he always had endless patience.
Tao Shushu ruffled Nan Yuan's hair. "Very impressive."
She waved the little robot around, teaching it some of her attack methods. Actually, since Nan Yuan could create such an amazing little robot, programming attack patterns would be much simpler than having Tao Shushu teach them manually.
But neither Nan Yuan nor Tao Shushu thought there was anything wrong with painstakingly teaching the little robot attack methods.
It was as if the little robot, having been taught by Tao Shushu, truly represented her and could fight alongside Nan Yuan on the battlefield.
Tao Shushu tirelessly demonstrated punches from various angles.
Meanwhile, Nan Yuan was inventorying various items in Dr. Xie's laboratory. The map they had just obtained was copied from documents Dr. Xie hadn't had time to take with him.
Tao Shushu occasionally chatted with Nan Yuan. "By the way, Nan Yuan, how could Dr. Xie's tracking missiles lock onto you?"
From her understanding, Dr. Xie wouldn't directly attack Nan Yuan.
"He deployed several artificial intelligences around me. The tracking missiles were targeting those AIs," Nan Yuan explained.
"Hmm..." Tao Shushu gained a deeper understanding of Dr. Xie's cunning.
Dr. Xie was indeed clever. The AIs were small and hard to detect. If Nan Yuan hadn't been vigilant, they might never have shaken off those AIs and would have continued to be attacked.
"Dr. Xie is too treacherous," Tao Shushu said.
Nan Yuan smiled and handed her a sickly-looking robot shaped like Dr. Xie, complete with Dr. Xie's headshot pasted on it. "Don't be angry, Shushu. I'm fine."
Tao Shushu placed the little robot she had trained in front of the "Dr. Xie" and said, "Nan Yuan, I want to write 'big bad guy' on his head."
"Okay." Nan Yuan handed the pen to Tao Shushu.
After writing the characters, Tao Shushu giggled and tapped the little robot's ear to activate attack mode. "Alright, beat up the bad guy."
Though small in size, the little robot was very agile, with every component perfectly coordinated. In just a few moves, it had knocked down the big bad guy Dr. Xie.
Tao Shushu high-fived the little robot in celebration. "I'll name this little robot 'Bad Guy Catcher'."
Nan Yuan looked at the little robot. "A very suitable name."
After chatting with Nan Yuan for a while and urging him to rest early, Tao Shushu also logged off to sleep.
Tonight's events made her think of Lu Nan Yuan in this world again.
Tao Shushu sent messages to both Shen Yichen and Xun, asking about the situation.
Shen Yichen quickly replied: "Qin Rui did come to me again, but don't worry. I'm at Old Master Lu's house, Qin Rui wouldn't dare cause trouble here."
Xun's response came just as fast: "Report: Shen Yichen has been staying home every day. No danger detected."
Tao Shushu temporarily set her mind at ease.
The next day was the school anniversary celebration. In the book where Su Momo was the protagonist, she had stolen the spotlight during this event.
Now that Qin Rui had inherited the student system, his goals were likely similar.
Tao Shushu was dragged to the school auditorium early in the morning for the final rehearsal.
Cameras were positioned at every angle in the auditorium, showing how seriously the school was taking this anniversary celebration.
Tao Shushu had to serve as the bilingual host, perform as the female lead in Class One's play, and receive several awards during the ceremony, her responsibilities were substantial.
After announcing the programs as host, she had to quickly change costumes and adjust her makeup backstage.
The head of the arts department approached her. "Shushu, don't worry. We have four hosts in total. When it's almost time for Class One's performance, the other three will take over."
Tao Shushu thanked the department head.
Qin Rui sneered, "Classmate, you haven't changed at all, still taking on multiple roles."
Tao Shushu looked Qin Rui up and down. "It's only been a few days since we last met, of course, I haven't changed. But Senior Qin, you've got dark circles under your eyes. Maybe you should add another layer of foundation."
Shaking her head with a sigh, Tao Shushu moved away from Qin Rui.
Qin Rui gritted his teeth but didn't get angry. Instead, he showed a strange smile.
Tao Shushu naturally remained on guard. Given Qin Rui's style, it was impossible for him not to stir up trouble.
[System, keep a close watch on the supporting characters and any suspicious activity. Use the Primary Clarity Card if needed,] Tao Shushu instructed.
After a moment's thought, she also sent messages to her parents, reminding them to stay safe.
Her parents replied quickly, saying they would be watching the school anniversary livestream all day and wouldn't be fooled by outsiders.
Tao Shushu also contacted Gu Lanchun, asking the Gu family to help monitor any unusual developments and alert her immediately if anything came up.
At 14 p.m., the school anniversary performance officially began.
Tao Shushu, wearing a white dress adorned with feathers, walked calmly to the podium.
With fluent English, a pleasant tone, and smooth delivery, she greeted alumni from around the world on behalf of the school.
Every camera angle captured Tao Shushu's elegant presence and warm smile.
Meanwhile, on the campus forum, the dedicated discussion thread for the anniversary performance was flooded with photos of Tao Shushu from various angles.
Li Anyu held a camera in one hand and a phone in the other, screaming along with her classmates from below the stage.
Tao Shushu on stage was simply too beautiful.
She usually never wore makeup, but today, for the stage lighting, a touch of blush had been applied to her cheeks, making her instantly even more stunning.
For a moment, Qin Rui was also captivated.
It had to be said, Tao Shushu’s recitation of foreign languages was incredibly soothing. Her pronunciation was always just right, as precise as a teaching tape, yet infused with the unique youthfulness and vitality of a young girl.
It was like listening to a piano piece.
Her pacing was also perfect, full of rhythm.
Even with long, complex sentences of over twenty words, including inverted clauses, she could control the rhythm and emphasis flawlessly.
She narrated so smoothly that the audience could quickly grasp the key points. There was no need to jot down every word to understand her meaning, and they could even take a moment to savor the cadence in her voice.
The Academic Genius System remarked, "What, have you decided not to target her after all?"
"No." A flicker of coldness passed through Qin Rui’s eyes. "I’ll stick to the plan. She must die."
"I just feel regret. If it were a fair competition on the field, she would undoubtedly be an excellent opponent."
During the transition, Qin Rui and Tao Shushu exited the stage from opposite sides.
Once behind the curtain, Qin Rui glanced back. On the other side, Tao Shushu’s face was full of smiles.
Qin Rui felt a twinge of regret that the cameras couldn’t capture the backstage. Otherwise, he would have made a copy of the recording, to remember that smile of Tao Shushu, to remember the version of himself who once hoped for a fair rivalry and mutual respect, and to remember the self who hadn’t yet resorted to any means for victory.
Qin Rui quickly shook off that slight sense of regret. Calculating the timing, he sent a message from backstage.
In the center of the auditorium, the principal was delivering a speech.
This time, the principal had finally revised the speech, but even so, it would still take fifteen minutes to read on stage.
Tao Shushu, who was backstage memorizing her next hosting lines, suddenly heard a warning from her system.
[Warning: Jia Xu is approaching the auditorium.]
[Use the Primary Clarity Card on Jia Xu.] Tao Shushu made a swift decision and also sent a reminder message to the security office teachers.
Tao Shushu’s safety was now a top priority for the security office.
As Tao Shushu put down her phone, she noticed Qin Rui across from her wearing a strange expression.
Half of his face seemed to be smiling, while the other half looked as if he were about to cry.
Even without thinking too hard, it was clear Qin Rui was up to something.
Tao Shushu clicked her tongue in disapproval.
Just then, Qin Rui stood up to make a phone call. Tao Shushu walked over to him and overheard him saying, "You must let him in."
"Senior Qin, who is so important that you have to let them in?" Tao Shushu asked, already knowing the answer.
Qin Rui turned around calmly. "It’s nothing."
"That’s good. Today’s school anniversary is very important for the school," Tao Shushu hinted, implying that if Qin Rui caused trouble on such an occasion, it would disgrace the school.
Qin Rui let out a cold laugh.
The next segment happened to be Tao Shushu’s turn to host on stage.
"Goodbye, Tao Shushu," Qin Rui said.
However, even after Tao Shushu flawlessly completed her hosting duties, the scene Qin Rui had anticipated did not occur.
The auditorium was filled with a joyful atmosphere, with countless students cheering for Tao Shushu.
Qin Rui waited and waited, but as the next program began, the stage manager teacher said, "Qin Rui, it’s your turn to host. Don’t space out."
All the teachers and students backstage turned their attention to Qin Rui.
Qin Rui feigned composure as he walked toward the stage, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his face.
He even stumbled over a word during the announcement.
The teacher sighed softly. "Qin Rui is usually such a good student. Why does he always fall apart in high-pressure situations? I don’t understand why Teacher Zhang insisted on having him as the host."
Qin Rui happened to overhear this comment as he stepped off the stage, and his expression instantly darkened.
Some of the students nearby, witnessing the awkward moment, fell silent, torn between their curiosity and the need to restrain themselves.
"The protagonist's reputation is declining. Please take timely action to salvage it, or you will face punishment," the Academic Genius System chimed in.
Qin Rui was so furious he wanted to curse. "You always seem delighted when I embarrass myself, don’t you? Just so you can punish me again."
The system’s voice remained as infuriating as ever. "I am merely reminding you that the predicted window for the incident has already passed by ten minutes. Based on current calculations, the success rate of your plan has dropped to 1%."
"Save your reminders," Qin Rui retorted coldly. He couldn’t figure out where his plan had gone wrong. He had manipulated Jia Xu, who already held a grudge against Tao Shushu, luring him to cause trouble at Huiwen Highschool’s anniversary celebration.
Jia Xu believed he would expose Tao Shushu at the event, revealing that her so-called genius was merely the result of a cheat system, her golden finger. That way, he could reclaim the dignity he had lost.
But once Jia Xu arrived at the auditorium, Qin Rui intended to manipulate him into directly attacking Tao Shushu.
The best-case scenario would be Tao Shushu’s death, eliminating the only person in this world capable of opposing him.
Even if security proved too tight for Jia Xu to reach Tao Shushu, simply exposing her and ruining her reputation would count as a partial success.
Qin Rui believed his plan was flawless. He had bypassed the school’s strict security checks, smuggled a weapon onto campus, and spent months manipulating Jia Xu even before returning to the country. He had also arranged for his family’s connections to ensure Jia Xu could enter the auditorium unnoticed.
He had no idea which part of the plan had failed. Whenever Tao Shushu was involved, nothing ever went right for him.
Frustrated, Qin Rui pulled out his phone to urge his accomplices into action.
Just then, the head control teacher, who had been inspecting various departments backstage, frowned and approached him. "Qin Rui, you’re up again in two segments. Go over your lines and make sure you don’t mess up this time."
Reluctantly, Qin Rui put his phone away.
But the teacher didn’t leave. Instead, he stood beside Qin Rui’s seat, as if supervising him to ensure he memorized his cue cards thoroughly.
For over a decade, Qin Rui had been the model student, the one every teacher trusted implicitly.
Even someone as strict as Li Xin would have Qin Rui serve as his class representative, helping to mentor junior students in competitions.
In the past two years, he had also been the student council president at Huiwen Highschool, beloved by his peers and trusted by his teachers. Even when applying for event funding, the finance teacher treated him with respect.
But this time, the teacher in charge of overall control was guarding against Qin Rui as if he were a thief.
Experiencing such distrust for the first time made Qin Rui unusually uncomfortable.
He couldn’t afford to clash with the teacher in charge before his plan was completed. Qin Rui kept reminding himself of this.
Struggling to control his temper, he waited through one performance but still couldn’t find an opportunity to take out his phone.
"Host, you sure have a lot of unexpected situations," the Academic Genius System mocked.
Qin Rui looked up and saw Tao Shushu on the opposite side, also playing on her phone, along with some other performers waiting backstage and crew members handling props...
Yet the stage manager only had his eyes fixed on Qin Rui.
Qin Rui was growing increasingly frustrated. "I will succeed."
"Oh. In five minutes, you’ll face the penalty of a declining protagonist aura," the Academic Genius System said.
"Five minutes?"
"That’s right, host. Your protagonist aura is continuously dropping. Your reputation among teachers and students is still worsening."
"I don’t need you to remind me," Qin Rui said coldly.
He had no choice but to continue carefully reading the lines on his cue cards.
It seemed that unless he successfully read one line, the teacher in charge wouldn’t leave.
Meanwhile, Tao Shushu had already memorized her lines. Every time she appeared alongside Qin Rui, she treated it as an exam.
No matter what test Qin Rui and the Academic Genius System had chosen, her goal was to win.
So, whether it was a major or minor matter, even the smallest detail, Tao Shushu would strive to do her best.
As it turned out, Tao Shushu’s approach was the right one.
On the school forum, discussions about Qin Rui’s mistakes were already underway.
His mistake was just one word, mumbled and spoken too quickly. Without anyone pointing it out, even native speakers might not have paid much attention.
After all, anyone can slip up.
But with the teacher in charge criticizing him, the onlookers’ attitudes shifted.
A mistake that had been noticed always drew more attention.
"Qin Rui’s performance is really off."
"Isn’t he being too careless? At such an important event, our school hired a million-dollar lighting team, yet our own host is the weakest link. Unacceptable."
"Please specify which host you’re talking about. The other three are doing fine, thank you."
"Wasn’t Qin Rui supposed to be a top student? How could he make such a basic mistake?"
"To the comment above, it’s because he was on his phone backstage. Sure, hosts have cue cards, but shouldn’t they at least read through them once or twice before going on stage? If he’s not skilled enough to read flawlessly and doesn’t prepare seriously, it’s just disappointing."
Comments like these gradually filled the forum.
Facing her system, which was proudly claiming credit for steering the narrative, Tao Shushu asked, [What exactly is going on with Jia Xu?]
[Jia Xu currently hates Qin Rui the most. Qin Rui has indeed been sending people to manipulate him, but Jia Xu remained unmoved, so I didn’t pay much attention.]
As long as nothing was wrong, it was fine. Tao Shushu breathed a quiet sigh of relief and sent another message to Gu Lanchun.
It seemed Gu Lanchun’s guidance had been effective for Jia Xu.
Jia Xu now knew who the real villain was and wouldn’t be swayed into hating Tao Shushu.
Gu Lanchun said with mixed emotions, "Shushu, good thing my alma mater isn't Huiwen. Now there's an awkward situation, sigh, it's really hard to explain."
Tao Shushu asked, "What happened?"
Gu Lanchun hesitated for a long time, "Jia Xu gave me some materials proving that Qin Rui is an academic fraudster abroad, with solid evidence. What's awkward is that Qin Rui is the host of the school anniversary and the student council president. Exposing him now would make Huiwen's anniversary awkward, but recalling this day later would also be awkward if we expose him afterward."
Tao Shushu scratched her head, she felt awkward too.
Actually, she also had email screenshots from Professor Angus's assistant. In those screenshots, Qin Rui was empty-handed yet managed to persuade various big shots to work for him for free.
But those were somewhat convoluted, far less direct than what Jia Xu had found.
In the screenshots provided by Jia Xu, Qin Rui directly stated that he could steal others' theses and give them to Jia Xu for publication, allowing Jia Xu to gain honors and directly apply for offers from top schools.
To increase credibility, Qin Rui even provided several examples.
Tao Shushu anonymized the names, [System, keep an eye on these names and deduce Qin Rui's underhanded moves.]
Tao Shushu also began to feel awkward.
Qin Rui appearing at the school anniversary was indeed awkward.