I met my whole family through Baidu Tieba.

On the playground, over there with Shen Kang and his group.

While everyone was introducing themselves and exchanging pleasantries, Zhang Yiguang was also wondering why Fang Tianming had come to watch the school's match today.

He had actually asked that question earlier, and Fang Tianming's answer was, "I just came to take a look."

But if someone says they're "just here to visit," would they really bring their wife along?

The reason why Fang Tianming would appear here so quietly was not hard to guess, and Zhang Yiguang naturally guessed it as well: he guessed that Fang Tianming had children studying at Qianmin University who were also participating in tonight's Top Ten Campus Singers Competition, and Fang Tianming had come to watch his children's performance.

Fang Tianming's children are studying at Qianmin University? Because Fang Tianming had never informed them before, Zhang Yiguang was genuinely unaware of this.

After thinking about it for a while, Zhang Yiguang noticed the situation around him—many students had noticed him and seemed to be discussing it.

It seems that it is no longer appropriate to invite Fang Tianming to sit in the front row; otherwise, it would not be showing respect to Fang Tianming, but rather harming him.

Zhang Yiguang thought to himself.

He's a long-time leader; anyone with half a brain could figure this out. In this situation, forcibly inviting Fang Tianming to sit in the front row could easily lead to rumors like "an off-campus leader abusing his power to benefit his children."

Therefore, after everyone had exchanged pleasantries, Zhang Yiguang took the initiative to say, "Everyone, please don't stay here any longer. The competition is about to start, so please go back."

He raised his voice again to make sure the surrounding students could hear him, and said, "Mr. Fang, we won't disturb you any longer. Students, please be quiet for a moment, the competition is about to begin, so please focus on the competition."

After saying this, Zhang Yiguang led the school leaders to sit in the first row.

The competition should have started at this point, but it was delayed because of the school leaders leaving their seats.

Now that all the school leaders are seated, the event naturally begins.

Two college student hosts, a male and a female, then went on stage and began their opening remarks.

"Respected leaders, distinguished guests, dear teachers and students, good evening!..."

offstage

The students, who had been slightly agitated, had mostly quieted down and were preparing to watch today's program, their attention shifting to the two hosts on stage.

Her mind was still filled with the scene she had just witnessed, as well as all those messy rumors.

Ma Xiaofeng was also completely bewildered. "I don't know either. He just said he was a student at Yang University of Science and Technology."

Seeing that she couldn't get any more information from Ma Xiaofeng, Cai Hui stopped asking and instead looked towards Shen Kang.

From her angle, she could see half of Shen Kang's profile.

Still handsome.

This time, however, besides his good looks, Cai Hui discerned something more from his face: composure, humility, and depth. The reason he skipped classes in his freshman year was naturally because he wasn't an ordinary student—could an average college student sit and chat with high-ranking leaders and engage in lively conversation with school administrators? He must have important business to attend to, which is why he didn't skip classes and came to Qianmin University.

As for how so much information could be gleaned from just half a profile view... well, that's none of your concern.

"He's still here at this hour, he must be staying here tonight, right?" Cai Hui suddenly asked.

Ma Xiaofeng thought for a moment, "I guess so?"

Cai Hui then asked, "So he should be here tomorrow too?"

Ma Xiaofeng wasn't sure, "Maybe?"

Cai Hui then asked, "Will you all have dinner together tomorrow?"

Ma Xiaofeng was even more uncertain. "Maybe?"

After listening, Cai Hui remained silent, but she made up her mind that she would follow Ma Xiaofeng for all three meals the next day.

And ahead

Shen Kang was unaware that someone was plotting against him; he simply turned his head to look at Fang Tianming.

Fang Tianming looked helpless and had a headache.

He came in a private capacity without notifying the school to avoid risks and give others cause for criticism. Now look what's happened, this whole mess he's made.

If my daughter really wins the competition, people will see that her surname is Fang, and there will likely be some gossip.

Moreover, there is a high probability that this will happen:

Zhang Yiguang and the others knew they were there. If they saw another contestant with the surname Fang, wouldn't they immediately make connections? If they "greeted" her again, their daughter might actually win.

Although this competition was just for entertainment, and such an incident wouldn't be considered too serious, it still sounds terrible—Deputy Director Fang personally went to the school to influence things so his daughter could win a singing competition. Just listen to that! It's incredibly disgraceful and makes him a laughingstock.

Furthermore, if this joke were to circulate further up the chain of command and reach the higher-ups, what kind of impression would that leave on the deputy director-general?

This was precisely what was giving Fang Tianming a headache.

It was at this moment that he saw Shen Kang looking over.

Fang Tianming gave a wry smile.

Shen Kang laughed too, feeling that being an official was truly exhausting. They had to worry about every little detail; it was tiring, really tiring. He felt much more comfortable doing business like himself, without having to worry about so many things.

After thinking about it for a moment, Shen Kang turned to Fang Tianming and asked in a low voice, "Uncle Fang, won't you have a headache if Fang Shiqi doesn't win?"

Fang Tianming understood, and a thought struck him.

He actually had this thought as well:

If he simply asked Zhang Yiguang and the others to cooperate and keep his daughter in check to prevent her from winning, then the matter could be resolved.

However, firstly, given the current situation, it's not appropriate for me to contact Zhang Yiguang, nor do I have his contact information. Secondly, I came to watch my daughter's competition, but my arrival has ironically led to her premature defeat. If my daughter doesn't know, that's one thing, but what will she think if she does?

Fang Tianming did not respond immediately.

Luo Liqing, who was standing nearby, also heard Shen Kang's suggestion.

Having been with Fang Tianming for so many years, and being a member of the system herself, she naturally understood the connection between these things and comprehended Shen Kang's words.

After thinking for a moment, Luo Liqing whispered to Fang Tianming, "Let's not tell her. It's best if she doesn't know, but if she does, just say it was my idea."

After so many years of marriage, she knew her husband too well: he doted on their daughter too much, which might cloud his judgment and lead him to do something foolish. So Luo Liqing decided to be the bad guy in the family.

Upon hearing Luo Liqing's words, Shen Kang laughed and said, "I think neither of you is suitable. If she really finds out, just say it was my idea."

He didn't care at all what Fang Shiqi thought of him; it was most appropriate for her to put her arm around him.

"That's not good." Fang Tianming subconsciously objected. Shen Kang in front of him was still a child, and he, as an adult, felt bad about letting Shen Kang take on this responsibility.

Shen Kang continued, "There's nothing wrong with it. In fact, it was indeed my idea; we're just being honest. My personal motto is to be honest."

It's a good thing Xiao Bonian isn't here, otherwise he might have said something like, "Are you trying to be a better person?"

Fang Tianming, however, was unaware of Shen Kang's "glorious deeds." After hearing Shen Kang's words, he felt somewhat relieved.

Luo Liqing then added fuel to the fire, "Yeah, Xiao Shen said there's nothing wrong with it."...

After being pressured by the two men, Fang Tianming finally gave in, half-heartedly, "Alright then... but Xiao Shen, I don't have your Principal Zhang here either..."

He paused halfway through his sentence.

Perhaps because of the scene of "walking through the city gate" earlier, he subconsciously mistook Shen Kang for a student from Qianmin University. But it didn't matter, and he continued, "Do you have Principal Zhang's contact information?"

He wanted to ask Shen Kang first; if he could, that would be best. If not, that was fine too; he could just call someone and ask.

Upon hearing this, Shen Kang immediately took out his phone. "Let me ask someone."

As she spoke, she called Ding Zhentao, "Dean Ding, I'd like to ask for the mobile phone number of Principal Zhang Yiguang of your school..."

After successfully obtaining Zhang Yiguang's phone number through a phone call, Shen Kang then called Zhang Yiguang.

at the same time

At the front, Zhang Yiguang sat in the middle of the first row, flipping through the list of contestants, and found a name among them—Fang Shiqi.

Of all the contestants tonight, there's only one with the surname Fang.

This name basically confirmed Zhang Yiguang's suspicions.

A school leader to Zhang Yiguang's left kept his gaze fixed on the two students hosting on stage, but secretly leaned closer and whispered, "Should we tell the judges?"

The school leader was just looking through the list of contestants and noticed the name Fang.

The school leader felt it might be necessary to give Director Fang some face.

However, these leaders were only there to observe the competition. The results were determined by other professional judges, and if they wanted to influence the outcome, they would need to "make arrangements" with the judges.

Hearing his colleague's words, Zhang Yiguang hesitated for a moment and remained silent.

He was thinking a lot: In this situation, what was Fang Tianming really thinking? Did he want to see Fang Shiqi win, or did he want to see her eliminated? Both possibilities existed. If he chose the wrong one, he would offend Fang Tianming.

In terms of level, Qianmin University is a department-level unit, and Zhang Yiguang, the vice president, is a deputy department-level unit, the same level as Fang Tianming, who is also a deputy department-level unit.

However, there is obviously a difference between a deputy director-level official in a university and a deputy director-level official in a commerce department, so Zhang Yiguang still did not want to offend Fang Tianming.

As Zhang Yiguang was pondering this, his phone vibrated.

Zhang Yiguang paused his thoughts, took out his phone, and saw that it was an unfamiliar number.

As if sensing something, Zhang Yiguang answered the phone, and a male voice came through the receiver: "Hello, is this Principal Zhang Yiguang?"

"It's me," Zhang Yiguang replied calmly, feeling that the voice on the other end sounded somewhat familiar.

The other person's voice, tinged with amusement, continued: "I'm Shen Kang. We just met. Uncle Fang asked me to tell you to convey his gratitude, saying he's very pleased to see how professionally and well-organized Qianmin University has organized the competition."

"Uncle Fang also mentioned that he came to watch the competition purely as a parent of an ordinary student, without informing the school, because he didn't want to cause any trouble or affect the competition in any way. Of course, he also believes that our Chien Min University is absolutely fair and just. He also said that Shi Qi has never experienced any setbacks since she was little, so if she doesn't win, it's a good thing, as it can motivate her to continue to improve..."

Zhang Yiguang didn't say anything, he just listened to what was being said, and the image of the boy who had been next to Fang Tianming flashed through his mind, as if he could see the boy standing in front of him saying these things.

These words... that face, are too young.

Zhang Yiguang thought to himself silently.

On the other end of the phone, "...Uncle Fang said that no matter the outcome, he would remember the efforts the school made for the competition."

Zhang Yiguang finally spoke up: "Ensuring the fairness and impartiality of the competition is also our duty. Director Fang is too kind..."

After exchanging a few more words of nonsense, Shen Kang hung up the phone.

Zhang Yiguang also took the phone away from his ear, but instead of putting it away, he held it in his hand and stared at it for a while.

"Shen Kang..."

His attention had been focused on Fang Tianming, and he hadn't paid much attention before. Now, after talking to Shen Kang, he remembered that he felt like he had heard that name somewhere before.

Suddenly, Zhang Yiguang's eyes lit up as he remembered where he had heard the name before.

"It's him..."

Zhang Yiguang thought for a moment, then put the matter aside for the time being. He leaned his head slightly to the side and lowered his voice, saying, "Tell them that Fang Shiqi's situation is special, so they shouldn't let her win."

The school leader next to him seemed to be thinking about something, and then nodded.

……

On the other end, Shen Kang also put away his phone, smiled at Fang Tianming and Luo Liqing, and said, "Done."

Luo Liqing breathed a sigh of relief, his gaze towards Shen Kang somewhat complicated.

She now genuinely thinks this young man is quite good, very outstanding, and a truly excellent son-in-law candidate; he's very pleasing to the eye. But precisely because Shen Kang is so remarkable, she increasingly feels that her daughter won't be able to handle him.

Judging from the current situation, this is almost inevitable.

Fang Tianming didn't have as many wild thoughts as his wife. He simply said in a joking tone, "I overheard you saying a little too little on the phone. I want to thank not only Principal Zhang, but also you."

Shen Kang sighed helplessly, "What else can I do? I'll just have to put up with it."

Upon seeing this, Fang Tianming laughed heartily.

As the two were talking, the competition on stage was about to begin.

The host's words at that moment drew Shen Kang's attention.

"...Everyone can add this QQ number and send messages to provide real-time feedback on the contestants, for example, like this,"

At this point, the male host turned his head and gestured behind him.

Behind the stage was a metal frame with a large screen hanging on it. There were also projectors on site, projecting images onto the screen.

At the male host's signal, the words "You sang so well!" appeared in an area above the screen.

The male host then said, "Or perhaps it's like this."

As he spoke, another message appeared on the screen: "His singing was mediocre."

Besides these two words, there is always a QQ number in the middle of the screen.

"Everyone just needs to add this QQ number to interact in real time. Special thanks to Meng Mofeng's team for their technical support for this competition. Also, please note that inappropriate messages will be filtered and will not be displayed..."

This feature had never appeared in previous campus top ten singers competitions. The students of Qianmin University were pleasantly surprised to see this feature added to the finals, and they discussed it excitedly, creating a buzzing atmosphere in the room.

Many students immediately took out their phones, logged into QQ, and added the QQ number on the spot, eager to experience this new gadget as soon as possible.

Shen Kang looked at the stage and was quite interested in this system—it had a feel of the real-time bullet screen system of later generations.

Although the concept of "bullet comments" existed as early as 2006, as of the end of 2008, bullet comments were still only in a "pre-loaded" form. This was the first time he had ever seen anyone propose such a near-real-time bullet comment-like system since his rebirth.

This Meng Mofeng is quite resourceful and seems to have good technical skills.

Shen Kang wrote down the name and, incidentally, also saved the QQ number on his phone—maybe it was Meng Mofeng's QQ number.

After the host finished introducing the new technology used in the Top Ten Campus Singers Competition, the pre-commentary was completed, and the Top Ten Campus Singers Competition of Minzu University officially began.

"Please welcome contestant number one, Dong Bilei, to perform 'Stand By and Do Nothing'."...

After the competition started, Fang Tianming stopped talking and looked at the stage, seemingly watching the performance, but his eyes were not focused, as if he was thinking about something.

Seeing this, Shen Kang began to watch the performance on his own, appreciating the singing of Dong Bilei on stage.

Overall, this male student's singing was neither good nor bad. He could sing, with basic pitch, intonation, and breath control, but he was still at an amateur level and nothing particularly remarkable.

This can be seen from the reaction at the scene—the scene was quite calm.

Furthermore, one can also see this from the "bullet comments" on the large screen behind Dong Bilei—there were very few "bullet comments" during Dong Bilei's performance.

This may be because everyone is new to this system, or more likely because Dong Bilei's singing is really unremarkable.

However, things took an unexpected turn when the second verse began.