I met my whole family through Baidu Tieba.

Sun Hongjun, who had been watching from the sidelines, stepped forward and smoothed things over, attributing the minor conflict to a "misunderstanding." Although it was a conflict caused by a misunderstanding between two groups of guests, the Haobo Hotel was willing to provide both parties with meal vouchers and a complimentary fine lunch, hoping not to spoil the guests' travel mood.

Mike, who had been a bit timid, now looked at the "lobby manager" coming out to smooth things over and adopted a very humble attitude; the "farmer" who had just captured Xu Wenjie had stepped aside and "wilted".

This made him tremble again, feeling it was time to show his masculine prowess and protective stance, which might just win Wenwen's heart.

So he shouted, "No, this can't be left like this! My friends have been injured!"

Sun Hongjun smiled gently and said, "'Hitting' is too serious. Your friend doesn't even have a bruise on his wrist, let alone any talk of injury."

Mike was speechless and could only say, "Then call the police!"

Sun Hongjun smiled slightly: "Of course, you can choose to call the police, but it was your friend who came over and 'attacked' this friend without provocation, which led to what happened next. You are in the wrong from the start."

"Furthermore, given your situation, even minor injuries wouldn't be detected by medical examination, and reporting it to the police would be pointless. Given the police's usual approach to these kinds of cases, they'll likely try to smooth things over. Considering this young lady's actual circumstances, you'll most likely end up with nothing."

Sun Hongjun seemed indifferent to the other party's suggestion to "call the police," but in fact, he was the last person who wanted the other party to call the police.

Given the current situation, even if the police did arrive, they would, as Sun Hongjun said, consider it all trivial matters and choose to mediate and smooth things over. However, those in the hotel business, for reputation management reasons, inherently do not want the police present in their hotels.

Especially with reporters from Yangcheng TV present, Sun Hongjun was even more reluctant to let the police show up. Otherwise, it would be like mud getting into his pants—even if it wasn't excrement, it would still look like excrement.

But Sun Hongjun still adopted an attitude of "report whatever you want."

Before Mike could react, Sun Hongjun continued, "Of course, you are all guests of our hotel, and our hotel's principle is to satisfy our customers in everything we do. Therefore, our hotel is willing to provide more dining vouchers. How about a voucher for the Three Meals Executive Lounge? The view there is excellent, offering panoramic city views, making dining a very pleasant experience. I believe a meal at the Three Meals Executive Lounge will also bring you joy, helping you forget this minor unpleasantness. Don't let this small misunderstanding spoil your trip; that would be far more regrettable."

After Sun Hongjun's "stick and carrot" attack, Mike hesitated and wanted to accept it.

Mike's clothes were also tugged at. He turned around and saw that it was Xu Wenjie pulling his clothes. She nodded to him.

Because of media reports, Xu Wenjie and Mao Manyi had heard a lot about the mainland police using torture to extract confessions, so they were quite afraid of the mainland police and didn't want them to come.

Seeing that Xu Wenjie was willing to give up, Mike went along with it and said to Sun Hongjun, "Alright then, let's do it your way."

Sun Hongjun then had someone fetch the meal tickets and gave them to Mike and the others.

After this incident, Xu Wenjie and the others lost their appetite and left immediately.

After Zhou Man finished discussing matters with Sun Hongjun, Shen Kang went back to Zeng Jie's place.

Everyone had finished breakfast, and it was almost time for the provincial-level competition of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition to begin. Shen Kang and the team from Yangke University went to the venue.

Zeng Jie was there to interview Shen Kang, so naturally he had to come along.

Some business owners who didn't get a chance to be interviewed were disappointed, but there was nothing they could do but watch them leave.

Meanwhile, some of the bosses who had already secured interviews were in high spirits, chatting animatedly with those around them.

……

Similar to the previous city-level competition, the participating teams in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition drew lots upon entering the venue.

Shen Kang's team drew a late-to-mid-range draw, and judging by the time, it was exactly as Shen Kang had predicted—it would be afternoon. However, they had already changed their team leader in advance, so it didn't really matter.

Zhou Man came to see the two children's roadshow, it felt a bit like "coming to see the children's kindergarten talent show." Neither child had a performance this morning, so she didn't come; she went to handle her own work.

Shen Kang did not sit in the meeting room for the entire morning.

After Zeng Jie and his team filmed some footage from the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, Shen Kang and the two reporters slipped away to a conference room in the hotel to begin recording Shen Kang's interview.

By the afternoon, Shen Kang hadn't even gone to the venue for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition; he went directly to an industry conference. Only He Qiuzhu and the others went to the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.

When it was Yangke University's turn, He Qiuzhu and her team went on stage. A cleaning lady had quietly appeared, occasionally pretending to sweep the floor, but her main attention was focused on the stage.

"...Next, please welcome the team from Yangcheng University of Science and Technology."

After the announcement, the host left the stage.

The cleaning lady, Zhou Man, also saw He Qiuzhu lead the way onto the stage, followed by Ye Jintong and Ma Liang.

After a brief silence, rustling sounds broke out at the scene, and many college students looked quite surprised.

After yesterday and this morning, the name "Shen Kang from Yangko University of Science and Technology" is already familiar to all the contestants.

Many people were also waiting to see if this seemingly special student would have a brilliant performance in the competition.

The person is gone?

Pang Dehai sat in his seat, somewhat taken aback.

After what happened this morning, he really disliked Shen Kang, who had stolen his thunder from afar, and was just waiting for Shen Kang to go on stage for his presentation. He was prepared to listen attentively, waiting to find flaws and impracticalities in Shen Kang's project so he could point them out to his classmates, proving that he was ultimately better than Shen Kang and salvaging some face.

So they just quit playing? What happened?

While Pang Dehai was still in shock, rustling sounds continued to emanate from the scene, and news gradually spread, eventually reaching Pang Dehai's ears.

"...Yang Ke University's team originally had Shen Kang as their captain, but they changed captains at the last minute before the competition. Shen Kang also had diarrhea, so he didn't come..."

However, the rustling sound didn't last long. The students quickly fell silent and all looked at the girl standing in front of the podium.

He Qiuzhu took today quite seriously. At noon, she changed into a black dress adorned with many small embellishments, like twinkling stars. A red belt was tied around her waist, and her long, black hair cascaded down her back. Her face was as white as jade, her features were exquisitely beautiful, and her eyes were cold and aloof. She exuded a powerful aura and had a queen-like presence.

Many of the boys who had seen He Qiuzhu before were now staring intently at the girl standing on the stage, their hearts pounding. After all, when they saw her before, they didn't dare to look at her too much, especially when her gaze swept over them, making them dart away like startled birds. Now, this was a rare opportunity to openly stare at her.

Some girls who had seen He Qiuzhu before were also watching the girl on stage intently, filled with longing: this student was not only stunningly beautiful, but also had a powerful aura and seemed incredibly strong-willed, just like the girl they dreamed of being.

Some people who had never met He Qiuzhu before were amazed and couldn't wait to ask the people around them who this girl was.

Then, they all had the same thought—is it too late to transfer to Yangon University of Science and Technology now? ...

Zhou Man held a broom in her hand, pretending to be watching He Qiuzhu on the stage.

Watching He Qiuzhu shine on stage, her eyes held a mixture of pride and nostalgia, as if she were seeing her own university days reflected in them. At the same time, she was also quite worried.

This child is usually very introverted; I wonder if she can handle herself in this kind of situation…

As Zhou Man worried, her gaze unconsciously shifted downwards, landing on the red rope chain on He Qiuzhu's left wrist.

She had long realized that the red rope chain held extraordinary significance for He Qiuzhu. Whenever He Qiuzhu felt extremely nervous or at a loss, she would unconsciously grasp the red rope chain, as if it could bring her peace of mind.

So whether it was her, Shen Kang, or Xiao Bonian, when they gave He Qiuzhu gifts, they never gave her bracelets or watches.

Now, under Zhou Man's gaze, she saw He Qiuzhu standing in front of the podium, her right hand touching her left wrist once again.

Zhou Man's heart skipped a beat, and she made a gesture in a certain direction.

There was a staff member arranged by Sun Hongjun over there. After seeing Zhou Man's gesture, he made an "K" sign and then waited.

Zhou Man wasn't just there to watch the show.

She had also made some preparations for what might happen to He Qiuzhu.

If a situation arises that He Qiuzhu might not be able to handle, or even if she is under too much pressure and has difficulty breathing on stage... then shut down the power immediately.

Literally, it means to pull the plug.

The venue had no windows open, and all lighting was from indoor sources. If the power was switched off, the room would be completely dark, and the pre-arranged personnel would immediately go on stage, take He Qiuzhu away, and begin treatment. The medical team was all in place.

This situation is not impossible.

Zhou Man has already consulted with professional medical personnel to assess He Qiuzhu's condition, and it is possible that such a situation could occur. In this case, the patient needs to be removed from this high-pressure environment as soon as possible.

As for the chaos in the innovation and entrepreneurship competition, or whether Yang University of Science and Technology would be disqualified, Zhou Man didn't care about any of that. She only cared about He Qiuzhu's health.

"You brat, you never try to be thorough in your work. I have to clean up your messes again..."

Zhou Man silently pondered, ready to act at any moment depending on the situation.

On stage

He Qiuzhu gripped the red rope chain on her wrist, facing the dark mass of people below the stage, their eyes fixed on her.

The scene before her eyes gradually blurred and merged into a pale white expanse, and her breathing became increasingly rapid.

The hand gripping the red rope chain tightened its grip even more.

The thought, "I think I might not be able to hold on much longer..." flashed through her mind.

She instinctively wanted to run, to escape, to not care about anything... right?

Shen Kang's bright smile flashed through He Qiuzhu's mind.

This was something Shen Kang had asked her to do. If she ran away, wouldn't Shen Kang be very disappointed? Would she seem useless in Shen Kang's eyes? ...

As He Qiuzhu was thinking this, she vaguely saw the figure of a cleaning lady in the pale world that had become a vast expanse of white before her eyes.

Even though President Zhou is so busy, he still made time to come and see them.

If I run away, Mr. Zhou will be very disappointed...

An inexplicable force arose from her heart, like a towering tree supporting her body.

She gripped the red rope chain on her wrist tightly.

Then, slowly relax.

The pale world before my eyes merged into one, the white light gradually faded, and blurry scenes of the real world reappeared.

Her grip loosened, loosened more and more.

The real world before our eyes gradually became clearer from its blurry state.

Finally, she completely released the red rope chain from her wrist, and the world before her eyes became clear again.

The dense crowd, countless eyes, still converged, creating immense pressure that weighed on her.

However, within her body also existed a mysterious power that supported her from collapsing or fleeing.

Behind He Qiuzhu, Ye Jintong and Ma Liang were exchanging glances and making a buzzing sound.

Why isn't Qiuzhu making a sound?

"I can't reach it."

"I hope she doesn't chicken out... Should I switch?"

"You're not the captain. This doesn't follow the rules; shouldn't we be declared the loser?"

"There's nothing we can do about it."

It was under these circumstances that He Qiuzhu spoke up.

The cool, clear voice also came through the microphone from the speakers placed throughout the venue.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I am He Qiuzhu, the captain of the Yangcheng University of Science and Technology team. Our project is 'A Second-hand Textbook Recycling Platform Based on a C2B2C Model'..."

At first, everyone was captivated by the beauty of the girl on stage and remained silent. However, seeing that He Qiuzhu didn't speak for a long time, some scattered voices of doubt gradually emerged.

The judges, including Huang Anyong, were in a dilemma: they had all been tasked with ensuring Yangko University of Science and Technology's advancement. But the opposing team remained silent; if they continued in this way, how could they possibly win? Winning like this would be too outrageous!

Even when opening a back door, there's a basic law to follow!

Fortunately, the other party finally spoke.

This made the judges, including Huang Anyong, breathe a sigh of relief: it was good that he spoke, it was good that he spoke.

Meanwhile, Zhou Man, a cleaning lady on one side of the venue, looked at the stage and silently said something to herself.

very good.

At the same time, he also made a gesture in a certain direction.

The operation was cancelled.