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

"In my heart, there is a young China!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent for a moment.

Academician Zhou's smile froze slightly.

The chat in the live stream paused for half a second.

No one expected that instead of focusing on "age" and "experience," he would start with such a grand term.

Meanwhile, the online trolls on the other side of the screen subconsciously stopped typing, a bad feeling rising in their hearts.

In the live stream, the viewers were like they were on steroids.

"Holy crap! You're going all out?! My skin crawled from the heels to the top of my head!"

"Young China!" The moment those four words were uttered, I sat bolt upright on the sofa!

"I got goosebumps!"

"He doesn't bother with personal grudges; he goes straight to a higher level, strategizing on a grander scale. Ji Shen's thought process is absolutely brilliant!"

"Damn, hearing those four words suddenly made my nose sting. Does anyone understand?"

"He's only eighteen, and he's standing on the world stage speaking about a young China—that's what's most touching!"

Old Zhou: No, why aren't you following the script? I told you to state your position, and you went straight to the main point?

……

At this moment, in the multimedia classrooms and auditoriums of hundreds of high schools across the country, the lights are on, and the closing banquet is being broadcast live on screens.

Fucheng No. 99 Middle School and No. 88 Middle School, Shencheng No. 2 Middle School and Provincial Experimental Middle School, and even as far away as the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China and the High School Affiliated to Jilin University in Beijing...

Almost every school that the organization watched was experiencing the exact same reversal.

A few minutes earlier, when Academician Zhou was on stage talking incessantly about "reflection," "inheritance," and "listening to the advice of elders," the students below the stage had already wilted.

Some students were twirling pens on their desks, some were secretly scrolling through their phones, and some were whispering complaints to their deskmates. The classroom was filled with a buzz of impatience.

"Here we go again, the same old lecture from elders. I've heard it a million times."

"We came to see Ji Bai's investiture as a god, not to receive a moral education lesson..."

"This is boring. Let's go back to the classroom and do some practice problems instead."

Even the younger students from No. 99 Middle School who had witnessed Ji Bai's legendary story hung their heads, finding the banquet rather bland and tasteless.

But the moment the words "Young China" were uttered from the boy's mouth, all the classrooms fell silent in unison.

The hand twirling the pen stopped in mid-air, the person scrolling through their phone suddenly looked up, and the whispering abruptly ceased.

Countless young eyes lit up simultaneously, fixed intently on the peer standing under the spotlight on the screen.

……

On stage, Ji Bai remained calm, yet his voice was resounding, each word ringing out with the crisp clarity of metal striking stone, each sentence striking the hearts of everyone present.

"If you want to talk about the old and young of the country, you should first talk about the old and young of the people. The old often think about the past, while the young often think about the future. Because they think about the past, they have a sense of attachment; because they think about the future, they have a sense of hope."

Because of attachment, there is conservatism; because of hope, there is progress. Because of conservatism, things remain unchanged; because of progress, things are renewed daily. Reflecting on the past, everything is something already accomplished, so one only knows how to follow the rules; reflecting on the future, everything is something yet to be done, so one often dares to break the mold…

Old people often worry, while young people often indulge in pleasure. Because of worry, they become disheartened; because of pleasure, they become arrogant. Because of disheartenedness, they become timid; because of arrogantness, they become heroic. Because of timidity, they become complacent…

Old people often tire of things, while young people often enjoy them. Because they tire of things, they often feel that nothing is worth doing; because they enjoy things, they often feel that nothing is impossible…

The elderly are like the setting sun, the young like the rising sun; the elderly are like lean oxen, the young like tiger cubs. The elderly are like monks, the young like knights-errant. The elderly are like dictionaries, the young like plays. The elderly are like opium, the young like brandy…

This is a general observation about the differences in character between the elderly and the young; this is inherent in individuals, and should also apply to nations.

boom--!

As soon as the words were read, the banquet hall erupted in chaos.

Everyone thought that Ji Bai might say something outrageous, but this is just too outrageous!

Are you saying we older people are conservative?

Worries of the elderly?

The elderly will destroy the world?

Are the elderly like the setting sun?

Are the elderly like opium?

Many of the older scholars in the audience had faces as black as the bottom of a pot, and were so angry that they were blowing their beards and glaring.

First of all, I didn't do anything to you!

You and Vice Chairman Zhou don't get along, why don't you two fight it out!

Why are you making sweeping generalizations and dragging all of us old men into it?

"This child is too extreme!"

"To condemn an ​​entire group based on a single example is outrageous!"

"Young and impetuous, he speaks without restraint!"

Complaints arose everywhere, and even some of the older professors who had originally admired Ji Bai couldn't help but shake their heads slightly.

Talent is rare, but this temperament is indeed too arrogant.

The live stream room was absolutely buzzing with excitement!

"Well said! That was so satisfying!"

"Cool!"

"Every word is a gem, every stroke of the tongue deadly! I'm utterly awestruck by this writing!"

"Even a perfect score essay on the college entrance exam wouldn't be this good, would it?"

"College Entrance Exam: You overestimate me!"

"With pen as sword and words as blade, youthful spirit should cut through all conventions and outdated rules!"

"Compared to this, Zhou Laodeng's clichéd rhetoric isn't even worthy of carrying his shoes!"

……

Of course, some netizens also expressed concerns:

"Oh no! Season God has been tricked! That red-haired old man Deng deliberately set a trap!"

"If he can't solve the problem, he'll escalate the conflict! He's deliberately trying to steer Ji Bai towards a conflict between the young and the old, so he can label him!"

"Oh no, oh no, I spoke too definitively. What if they take it too seriously and accuse me of denying the contributions of the older generation? That would be a huge problem!"

"You acted impulsively, Ji Shen! We have the skill, there's no need to be so absolute!"

"Old Deng is too cunning! He's deliberately provoking him to say the wrong thing, hoping to ruin his reputation!"

……

Meanwhile, in that secluded, dark conference room, the head of the online trolls was slamming his fist on the table and laughing so hard he was almost in tears.

"Hahahaha, this is hilarious!"

"He's digging his own grave! He's digging his own grave!"

"Immediately! Right now! All accounts, go all out! Say he has no respect for his elders, is arrogant and conceited, denies the contributions of all older generation scholars, and openly instigates conflict between the young and the old!"

Put that hat on tight!

I want to see how a disrespectful and ungrateful brat can become a national idol!

The team members' fingers flew across the keyboard, the keys clattering loudly, and rhythmic copywriting, excerpts, and out-of-context interpretations were all ready.

They waited for Ji Bai to finish speaking before sending out a deluge of messages. In their eyes, Ji Bai had already lost.

What Ji Bai is saying now is far too dangerous.

It even crossed some red lines!

Once things escalate and a serious accusation is leveled against you, you'll be severely punished, if not killed!

……

On stage, Ji Bai seemed completely oblivious to the expressions on the faces of the audience below, and also to the murmurs of conversation.

He raised his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, and his voice suddenly rose.

Like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, it cleaved through all the noise and gloom:

"Therefore, the responsibility today lies not with others, but entirely with us, the youth!"