Chapter 81

Tao Shushu’s hand paused over the game icon, a gentle smile on her face that made Fang Le and the others hesitant to disturb her.
The stage manager approached Tao Shushu. "Shushu, after this program is the outstanding student awards ceremony. You need to be there."
Tao Shushu immediately put away her phone. "Yes, teacher."
As Tao Shushu gracefully walked away, holding the hem of her dress, the stage manager smiled backstage and said, "Shushu must be in a relationship. Being in love is good, it helps both parties improve."
Qin Rui, who had dragged himself over to the stage manager despite his pain: ...
Why was everything Tao Shushu did praised by the teacher, while no matter what he did or said, others always saw it as a mistake?
Qin Rui’s rationality was burning away. He said fiercely, "Teacher, I’m the host. I can go up and read the list."
The stage manager turned around. "Qin Rui, you don’t need to go on stage."
"No, I’m the host. Tao Shushu doesn’t have to handle everything alone. I can do things too." Qin Rui laughed nervously and then rushed toward the stage.
"Hey, hey, hey..." The stage manager quickly tried to stop Qin Rui.
But Qin Rui seemed possessed by superhuman strength, moving swiftly and soon charging onto the stage.
The stage manager hurriedly called security and contacted the director. "What bad luck. We’ll have to cut the live broadcast, or it’ll embarrass the school again."
At the same time, the director said, "This is bad. There’s some negative buzz about Qin Rui online. It’s really not good."
The stage manager’s phone buzzed. He opened it to find an anonymous email.
The email detailed one after another of Qin Rui’s misdeeds.
Cold sweat instantly broke out on the stage manager’s forehead.
The email had been sent by Tao Shushu through the system.
Tao Shushu had made remarkable progress in the monthly exam, not only winning the physics subject award but also the improvement award.
Just as she received her certificate, she saw Qin Rui rush out.
Not knowing why Qin Rui had suddenly gone mad again, Tao Shushu quickly instructed her system to be on high alert.
At the same time, Tao Shushu immediately noticed a bulge in the breast pocket of Qin Rui's suit.
With her extensive combat experience from her past life in the apocalypse, she could tell from Qin Rui's posture that he must have hidden some kind of weapon in his pocket.
At that moment, the distinguished alumni who had come for the school anniversary were standing in the center, taking photos with the students.
Every pore in Tao Shushu's body was on high alert. [Use Primary Clarity Card.]
Simultaneously, she proactively swapped places with the student standing at the very edge, ensuring that if Qin Rui caused trouble, no other students would be accidentally harmed.
Qin Rui had already stepped out from behind the curtain.
The host and the award-presenting team were both bewildered, unsure of how to handle the situation.
In the earpiece, the control room said, "Qin Rui has gone on stage without following the arrangement. Give him a spot as a host and handle it."
Tao Shushu couldn't shake the feeling of danger. Holding her award certificate, her body was already tense.
Just then, Qin Rui ignored the host who was trying to give him an out and charged straight toward Tao Shushu.
A blinding stage spotlight suddenly focused on Qin Rui.
But at that moment, he seemed completely deranged, completely disregarding the light shining directly into his eyes, and rushed at Tao Shushu like a madman.
Below the stage, teachers and students gasped in shock.
Under the bright, daylight-like stage lights, the knife in Qin Rui's hand gleamed as he thrust it directly at Tao Shushu.
"Shushu, be careful!" Li Anyu shouted.
"Run!"
"Security! Security!"
"Qin Rui has gone crazy."
"Shushu, it's dangerous!"
Screams erupted from below the stage.
As soon as the first scream sounded, Tao Shushu had already turned around and seen Qin Rui's movements.
She didn't know who had directed the spotlight, but it had undoubtedly slowed Qin Rui down.
Listening to the chaotic screams from both on and off the stage, Tao Shushu knew she had to deal with Qin Rui as quickly as possible, or it could lead to even more chaos.
She ran straight toward Qin Rui.
Tao Shushu was confident she could handle him.
She was skilled in combat, but as soon as she reached Qin Rui, she realized her entire body had gone rigid.
Every muscle was locked in place; she couldn't lift her arms or legs.
Qin Rui sneered maliciously, "Tao Shushu, the system's capabilities go far beyond this. Today, you will die."
Tao Shushu's eyes widened.
She struggled persistently to control her muscles, but all her efforts found no leverage, and her body felt heavy and chaotic.
[System!] Tao Shushu cried out.
[System!] The system remained unresponsive, as if it had gone offline.
Tao Shushu's heart sank. She couldn't afford to be defeated by Qin Rui and the Academic Genius System today just because she had underestimated them.
Just then, the stage lights grew increasingly blinding.
The beams shone directly into Qin Rui's eyes.
His stabbing motion involuntarily halted, tears streaming down his face.
Fully exposed to the harsh glare, Qin Rui's expression twisted in agony, like a corrupt villain facing judgment under the stark light of day.
"Nan Yuan?" Tao Shushu asked in disbelief.
Only Nan Yuan could manipulate light like that.
But wasn't he supposed to be in another world?
At the thought of Nan Yuan, the heavy shackles binding her limbs instantly vanished. She delivered a swift kick, sending the weapon flying from Qin Rui's hand, then quickly locked his arms in a restraint.
"Tao Shushu!" Qin Rui's voice dripped with hatred. "How... how can you move?"
His face, illuminated by the focused light, was filled with disbelief and rage.
With her free hand, Tao Shushu reached out and touched the light. A gentle glow flowed through her fingertips, and the abnormally bright light quickly faded, returning the spotlights to their normal state.
A few seconds later, the award recipients and school officials rushed onto the stage.
The audience erupted into cheers and applause.
Security personnel quickly arrived and took over from Tao Shushu.
The control room teacher wiped sweat from his forehead, looking terrified. "Tao Shushu, you were so reckless charging in like that! You almost got hurt."
Class One students, who had just finished their performance and hadn't left the stage yet, crowded around Tao Shushu.
It was only then that everyone fully grasped what had happened, Qin Rui had suddenly gone mad, rushing onto the stage to harm the award recipients, but Tao Shushu had bravely stopped him. Thankfully, no one was injured.
Surrounded by the crowd, Tao Shushu glanced up at the stage lighting system.
The lights now appeared dim and ordinary, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Nan Yuan had been protecting her.
With such a major disruption, the school anniversary performance had to be hastily concluded.
Li Anyu clung tightly to Tao Shushu. "Shushu, you scared me to death! I'm never leaving your side again."
Tao Shushu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
After much persuasion, the control room teacher finally allowed her to deliver the closing speech and complete the final segment of the school anniversary.
[Congratulations on completing the School Anniversary Mission. Reward: 2000 gold coins, Primary Clarity Card ×3.]
Tao Shushu had many questions for the system.
But as soon as she stepped off the stage, she was surrounded by her panicked classmates.
The Class One students chattered excitedly. "Shushu, that kick was so cool! You must have a black belt in Taekwondo, right?"
"Just a black belt? You clearly don't know much about Taekwondo rankings."
"But that was really dangerous. Qin Rui actually brought a knife? I couldn't even bring a bottle of water in, so how did he manage to sneak in a controlled item?"
"It was terrifying. Thank goodness Shushu reacted so quickly."
"Shushu is amazing, but I was so scared watching from below. What if Qin Rui had been even more deranged..."
"It was horrifying. When Shushu first rushed over, it looked like you froze for a couple of seconds. I was afraid Qin Rui would... though I knew Shushu would never let herself get hurt."
Fortunately, the control room teacher had cut the live broadcast in time, or the incident would have caused an uproar online.
Tao Shushu was also relieved that her parents, who had been watching the stream, hadn't witnessed the scene.
She comforted the tearful Li Anyu, "It's really fine. You know my skills, taking on three at once isn't a problem."
"But I was so scared at that moment," Li Anyu said.
Qin Rui had already been taken away.
The control room teacher had nearly torn out all his hair that night. He approached Tao Shushu and said, "Shushu, I'm truly sorry for the security oversight tonight. You almost faced danger."
Tao Shushu knew very well that Qin Rui had come for her. "Is there anything I need to cooperate with?"
Surrounded by teachers and classmates, Tao Shushu was forced to listen to various versions of insults directed at Qin Rui. She couldn't find a moment to ask her system or take out her phone to check on Nan Yuan.
Moreover, the incident during the school anniversary performance had been reported to her parents by the teachers.
Both parents blamed themselves for not protecting Tao Shushu well enough.
"Shushu, did that lunatic Qin Rui target you because I refused the Qin family's cooperation request?"
Tao Shushu shook her head repeatedly. "No, he might have some mental issues."
"We shouldn't have been polite to the Qin family in the first place. We should have dealt with them properly and made them understand that Shushu isn't someone to be trifled with," Father Tao said, pulling out his phone to call his subordinates.
"No need, Dad. He'll bring misfortune upon himself."
What happened at the school anniversary couldn't be hidden from the students' parents. The Qin family's business partners would have their own considerations.
Tao Shushu's prediction was correct. When she went to give her statement, she saw a disheartened Qin Rui.
Qin Rui had become a carbon copy of Su Momo.
He was crying and throwing a tantrum on the floor. "I'm the protagonist. I'm the one who matters in this world. This world revolves around me. Without me, you're all nothing. How dare you say I'm wrong? I'm not wrong, I'm absolutely not wrong. Tao Shushu is the glitch in this world."
Tao Shushu shook her head.
The principal, who had accompanied Tao Shushu to give her statement, also shook his head. "Student Shushu, don't worry. The school will definitely give you an explanation."
Mother Tao held her daughter's arm. "He really seems mentally unstable. I think stricter psychological evaluations should be required for future admissions."
"Exactly," Father Tao agreed.
Qin Rui continued to rant hysterically, "Tao Shushu! It's all your fault. If it weren't for you, I would have succeeded long ago. I'm the smartest person in this world!"
Tao Shushu slowly walked up to Qin Rui. She looked down at him, a mess of a man throwing a fit on the floor.
When she first confronted Qin Rui, he was still the campus heartthrob, the "student council president" admired by countless people, with the aura of a male lead from a campus novel.
At that time, he deeply despised Su Momo for copying and pasting others’ achievements.
He still had his own principles and pride. Compared to Su Momo, his past accomplishments were at least genuine.
But under the instigation of the Academic Genius System, he too became unscrupulous, learning to deceive, seize, and destroy.
Tao Shushu looked at Qin Rui with pity. If he had never encountered the Academic Genius System, he could have had a bright future.
"Qin Rui, you will lose because of who you are. When you used the Academic Genius System to achieve your goals quickly, you should have considered Su Momo’s example as a warning."
He lost because he was too arrogant, arrogant enough not to realize there was always someone better, arrogant enough to believe he could dominate the Academic Genius System.
"Su Momo, Luo Liming, Qin Rui, everyone who opposed you ended up going mad, and even in their madness, they cursed you. Tao Shushu, don’t you think you’re going too far?" A cold electronic voice suddenly echoed in Tao Shushu’s ear.
Tao Shushu instantly knew it was the Academic Genius System. It seemed that, having lost Qin Rui as its host, the system had set its sights on her.
She retorted without hesitation, "I’d say it’s more like both of your hosts were ruined because of you. You’re just incompetent."
[System, I want to ensure the Academic Genius System no longer follows me,] Tao Shushu said.
[Understood.]
Tao Shushu heard no more from the Academic Genius System.
Her phone vibrated a few times, and a message from Xun popped up on the screen: "Hello, Master Shushu. We’ve detected defamatory posts from an unknown IP address online and have handled the situation."
Xun sent a series of screenshots. On the campus forum, several anonymous accounts were repeatedly claiming that Tao Shushu was too sinister, those who opposed her, like Su Momo and Qin Rui, had gone mad, Luo Liming had even died, and Wang Tianba’s family had gone bankrupt, all in an attempt to tarnish her reputation.
The Academic Genius System’s methods were rather low-level.
Tao Shushu left it to her system and Xun to handle the situation.
Qin Rui was already eighteen and had undergone a physical examination just a month ago, which showed he was in perfect health. He would now face a fair legal judgment and would not, like Su Momo, spend the rest of his life in a psychiatric hospital.
Tao Shushu thought for a moment and decided to use the Academic Genius System’s smear campaign to publicly expose the fates of the male and female protagonists it had chosen.
Xun quickly sent an analysis report: "Master Shushu, we’ve identified all the IP addresses originating from a studio Qin Rui once rented. We’ve already informed the studio."
Tao Shushu nodded in satisfaction. The Academic Genius System had taken over some of Qin Rui’s resources, but Xun had uncovered everything, effectively cutting off another of the system’s means.
Xun soon sent another report: "Here are the parts of the Qin family’s assets that can be acquired. Please review."
Tao Shushu asked in confusion, "Why are you giving this to me?"
"Master Shushu, the master briefly regained consciousness earlier and instructed me to follow your arrangements."
Tao Shushu’s heart skipped a beat.
She hadn’t found a chance to be alone, so she hadn’t yet pondered the strange stage lighting. At that moment, she was certain, it was Nan Yuan. But how had he managed it?
Just then, Shen Yichen also sent a message: "Shushu, I just found out you were in danger earlier. Are you okay? I’m sorry I couldn’t help you right away. Nan Yuan regained consciousness for a while, and Old Master Lu went to see him, so I went along too..."
Tao Shushu tapped her finger on the screen where the characters "Nan Yuan" were displayed, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips.
Just then, she arrived home.
"Mom, Dad, I'm heading to my room first. I'm really fine, no psychological trauma, so please don't worry about me." Tao Shushu darted off toward her room in a flash.
Father Tao wanted to stop her, but Mother Tao held him back. "Look at Shushu's expression, it's obvious she's in love and wants to share something with her boyfriend. Let's give her some space."
Father Tao rubbed his nose, only realizing it belatedly. "Oh, I didn't even notice." He slapped his forehead. "After such a big incident, he hasn't shown up. Is Shushu's boyfriend in a long-distance relationship?"
Completely unaware that her parents had already concluded she was in love, Tao Shushu opened the game as soon as she entered her room.
Nan Yuan was sitting upright, and the moment Tao Shushu logged in, he spoke: "Shushu?"
Tao Shushu froze, then tapped her phone in disbelief, she could actually hear Nan Yuan's voice.
"Shushu, are you okay?" Nan Yuan asked.
Tao Shushu's eyes widened. It was real, Nan Yuan was speaking from her phone.