The night before the college entrance exam results were released, I redeemed my Peking University ad

"Plagiarist! Stealing other people's songs and then daring to demand royalties, his skin is thicker than a city wall!"

"This jinx not only brings misfortune to his family, but also steals the fruits of others' labor; his character is rotten to the core!"

"A math genius, huh? Turns out he's a plagiarist. Were those conjectures he proved also copied?"

"Hilarious! I knew a math major couldn't write a song like this. You've been exposed, haven't you? Can't keep up the act anymore, can you?"

"I suggest Ji Bai focus on math; music is not for you!"

"The persona of a math genius is enough; there's no need to pretend to be an artsy type. It's not shameful to not be able to write songs; plagiarism is shameful."

"Teacher Yan has already hit you right in the face, why are you still pretending to be dead? Can you give me a straight answer?"

……

Due to the initiative of Shen Yizhen's fans and the deliberate manipulation of certain individuals, Ji Bai was thrust into the eye of the storm.

The hashtag #JiBaiPlagiarism# immediately topped the trending searches, and #YanDahaiYourPast# also went viral.

The onlookers were thoroughly entertained; the twists and turns were more exciting than a TV drama.

And things unfolded exactly as Su Wan had predicted. Compared to an eighteen-year-old mathematical genius, the public was naturally more willing to believe a legendary figure who had been deeply involved in the industry for thirty years.

The doubts grew louder and louder, and even many neutral bystanders switched sides:

"To be honest, given Yan Dahai's status, there's no need for him to try and extort money from a high school student, right? What benefit would that bring him?"

"Putting everything else aside, how could a child who has just come of age possibly write the kind of world-weary, wandering-the-world feeling in 'Once Upon a Time'? He doesn't have enough life experience."

"I used to admire him quite a bit, but if he really plagiarized, it would really ruin his image. He should come out and give an explanation."

"Genius is genius, and creation is creation; crossing fields is never that easy."

"Stop playing dead. Just tell me straight, whether you plagiarized or not. Dragging it out makes you look guilty."

……

When Ji Bai saw Yan Dahai's statement, he was so angry he laughed.

What the hell!

Is this never going to end?

And you want me to prove it?

I got a system, and I'm busy proving things to you guys!

First he proved the five great unsolved mathematical problems, and now he has to prove that he wrote a song. So his daily routine is just constantly proving himself?

good good!

Prove it!

Ji Bai opened Weibo directly, without any unnecessary preamble, and went straight to the point:

[@Yan Dahai, I don't have time to argue with you. I just want to ask you one question: how many unreleased "timeless classics" do you have left?]

boom!

The Weibo post went viral, and the comments section exploded!

Ji Bai has responded!

"No, what does he want to do?"

"Stop changing the subject! Give us an answer first, whether it was plagiarism or not! Talking about other things is useless!"

……

In a special care ward, Shen Yizhen and Wang Nan also came across this Weibo post.

The smiles on their faces froze instantly.

"What...what does Ji Bai want to do?"

Wang Nan stared at the screen, her throat dry, and her heart sank.

Those in the industry know that this kind of plagiarism is a Rashomon-like situation that is impossible to explain.

Yan Dahai has always relied on his seniority to intimidate others and on the public's trust to stand on the moral high ground. Ji Bai will only make things worse by arguing. The best way is to let it cool down and wait for the heat to die down.

But now, instead of avoiding it, he actively approaches people and asks how many unreleased songs they have.

unless……

"Is he going to produce another hit song of the same caliber?"

Wang Nan murmured to herself, even she thought the idea was outrageous.

She and Shen Yizhen exchanged a glance, both seeing unconcealed horror in each other's eyes.

Logically speaking, it's impossible.

Songs of this caliber are rare; each one written is one less to write. Yan Dahai only had three or five songs in his entire life that could be considered masterpieces. How could Ji Bai, an eighteen-year-old, possibly have a second one?

"No way..."

Shen Yizhen looked like she had lost her soul.

If Ji Bai could really produce a timeless classic song at will, that would be terrifying, wouldn't it?

The ward fell silent instantly; the earlier elation vanished, leaving only a lingering unease.

The assistant, huddled in the corner, watched the two men's expressions change, secretly rolled her eyes, and muttered to herself:

What are you babbling about? Can you at least compensate me for my phone first?

……

In a private club in Beijing, Su Wan's hand, which was holding a woman's cigarette, suddenly paused.

She didn't even notice when cigarette ash fell on her long legs and burned a hole in her stockings.

A pair of large eyes stared intently at Ji Bai's curt question on the screen, and a strange sense of panic suddenly welled up from the bottom of her heart.

impossible!

It's impossible!

She took a deep drag on her cigarette, forcibly suppressing her unease, and gave a self-comforting, cold laugh.

Timeless classic songs aren't like bottled water on the street that you can just take whenever you want.

Yan Dahai spent thirty years writing only a few songs. Even if Ji Bai is a genius, he could not possibly have such achievements in music.

It's definitely just a bluff, an attempt to change the subject.

Yes! That must be it!

……

The general public finally realized what Ji Bai was up to.

"Wait a minute... he's not thinking of writing another song of the same caliber to prove he has the songwriting ability, is he?"

"Holy crap, that's actually possible!"

"This line of reasoning is valid. If we can produce another song of similar quality, the plagiarism claim will naturally fall apart."

"As expected of a math genius, his problem-solving approach is so clear, directly addressing the root cause!"

"No, do you guys really think he can produce a hit song of this caliber?"

"Those top-tier composers might not write three or five songs in their entire lives, and he, a high school student, just happens to have them?"

"I don't believe it. Do they really think they're gods? They can meddle in any field?"

"Just wait and see. We've already made the promise. If we can't produce the results, then we're really doomed."

"I bet he can't come up with five cents; he's just being stubborn and trying to distract himself."

"I bet the Emperor has the goods! When has he never lost before?"

. . .

Just as the internet was in an uproar, Yan Dahai responded.

The veteran artist's words remained dignified and composed.

I have been in this industry for over thirty years and have created more than three hundred publicly published works, but only a handful can be considered truly classics.

There are many unfinished manuscripts, but only "The Old Path" is worthy of being passed down to posterity.

It's a great thing for a young person to admit their mistakes and correct them; there's no need to stubbornly insist on correcting them just to save face.

The meaning couldn't be clearer:

If you're so capable, then produce another timeless classic song. If you can't, then you've plagiarized.

The entire internet was silent for a few seconds, then another surge in popularity followed.

Everyone was watching Ji Bai's account, waiting for his response.

Ji Bai looked at the Weibo post and laughed instead.

That's exactly what I wanted to hear.

He got up and went to the storage room, where he found the old wooden guitar left by the original owner's father.

The body of the instrument was worn and old, but the strings were well-maintained. It was the father's most treasured possession. The original owner of this body had learned to play it for a few years when he was a child and was quite good at it.

He propped his phone up on the dining table, pointed the camera at himself, casually tuned the strings, and gently plucked the first chord with his fingertips.

Clear, melodious piano music flowed out, the boy's voice pure yet carrying the gentleness of youth:

"We traveled along the way, stopping and starting, following the trail of the boy's drifting journey..."