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

A private club that is not open to the public.

The dimly lit private room was illuminated only by a single yellow wall lamp. Several figures were slumped in the leather sofa, their features obscured by shadows.

However, judging from the voices, there were men and women, young and old.

"The entire internet is overwhelmingly praising him now, why would you send in paid trolls?" A middle-aged woman's voice asked hesitantly.

"Why not?" another aged male voice slowly asked.

"But... what's the use? Everyone's on his side. It won't ruin his reputation at all; it'll only cause him more trouble."

"Who said we were going to destroy him?" another voice rang out.

"So you mean..." Someone didn't quite understand and tentatively asked.

The man sighed, "Let him go."

After he finished speaking, the private room was silent for a few seconds, followed by several gasps of surprise.

"Imagine how a young man who has just won glory for his country would feel if he were suddenly subjected to online criticism and attacks."

"They'll probably be disheartened and feel it wasn't worth it!"

"That's right!"

"The point is to make him lose heart and feel like it's not worth it!"

"MIT, Cambridge, and Princeton all offered very attractive terms; some of them are quite tempting!"

"On one hand, there's the gossip and constant obstruction at home; on the other hand, there's the lavish treatment and full support abroad. What would you choose?"

Someone laughed.

"Wow, that's fast!"

"Heh, if you can't have it, destroy it; if you can't destroy it, don't want it!"

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

"Let's go, let's go quickly!"

"This small temple in the country can't contain such a great Buddha!"

……

So, just as the whole internet was celebrating, a batch of articles and videos that stirred up trouble suddenly appeared, as if they had planned it all along.

@Qingfenglunshi (a well-known public intellectual and influential figure): "Youthful Brilliance Should Not Turn into Violence"

"Today I saw a lot of people praising the closing speech, but to be honest, I just felt embarrassed and even blushed after reading it."

China has been a land of etiquette since ancient times, emphasizing moderation, humility, and the importance of concealing one's talents and remaining unassuming.

In front of hundreds of top scholars from around the world, he openly declared that he was "superior to Europe" and "dominant on Earth." How arrogant and rude of him!

They are guests who have come from afar. As the hosts, do we have the right to be so arrogant just because we have achieved some success?

The saying "old people are like opium" is an overgeneralization, which condemns all predecessors and leaves the old scholars who have dedicated their lives to academia and worked tirelessly in the field.

Without the foundation laid by the older generation, where would you be today to shine?

It's good for young people to have talent, but talent is never a license for arrogance.

Without respect and gratitude, even the greatest talent will not take you far!

……

@Education Observer Professor Li: "Ji Bai's remarks are worth pondering by all parents."

"It is undeniable that Ji Bai's mathematical talent is one in a century, and his achievements deserve recognition."

However, as a public figure and a role model for countless teenagers, I believe his remarks were inappropriate.

Phrases like "the elderly are like barren oxen" and "the elderly are like opium" are highly offensive and essentially disrespectful to the older generation.

Our education is never about teaching children to be arrogant, but about teaching them to respect teachers and be humble.

Having talent is important, but learning how to be a good person is always more important than talent.

I hope young people can calm down, listen to the advice of their elders, and not be blinded by momentary praise and applause.

……

@Entertainment Observer Lao Zhou: "Stop hyping him up like a god! Let's expose Ji Bai's true colors."

"Stop hyping him up as a national idol; there are some things that need to be said."

When the Highly Knowledgeable Alliance was conducting its verification, an article titled "On Horses" criticized everything and everyone in the education sector, rendering a group of professors worthless.

Now, things have gotten worse. They've gone straight to international forums, showing no respect for even the world's most respected figures.

Also, stop pretending to be a perfect academic genius. I was previously exposed for following several female bloggers who were involved in questionable content.

With such poor personal conduct, how can someone be a role model for teenagers?

"What if we corrupt the children, turning them into disrespectful and arrogant individuals? Who will bear the responsibility then?"

……

As soon as the articles were published, they were immediately forwarded and pushed to the top of the trending topics by online trolls.

The comments section quickly became a hot topic, with all sorts of sarcastic and exaggerated comments popping up everywhere.

Netizens were outraged upon seeing these smear articles, with their counter-comments instantly overshadowing the top-rated negative ones.

"Some people have been kneeling for so long that they can't stand up anymore! They stand at the top of the world based on their own strength, why should they hide it?"

"A nation of etiquette treats its guests with courtesy, not as inferiors! Your own son has brought honor to the country, and you're the one apologizing on behalf of outsiders? How shameless!"

"The older generation worked tirelessly so that the younger generation could stand up, not so that the younger generation could continue to kneel! Don't use the example of your predecessors as an excuse to step on others!"

"Using the blogger you follow as an excuse? What's wrong with a normal 18-year-old boy looking at pretty girls? Does it affect your family's rice consumption? If you have nothing better to do, why don't you go tighten screws in a factory?!"

"The book 'On Horses' criticizes those who hold positions of power without fulfilling their duties and suppress talent. How did you come up with it as criticizing the entire education sector? Are you just criticizing for the sake of criticizing? Have you no shame?"

"Hiding your talents, hiding your talents—does that mean you expect everyone to be as timid as you are because you lack ability? This inability to bear seeing others succeed needs to be cured!"

"They prove themselves with their abilities, while you prove yourself with your keyboards by talking nonsense. Isn't that laughable?"

……

However, with the combined efforts of online trolls and influential figures stirring up trouble, many casual observers were misled, and voices of doubt gradually began to emerge in the comments section.

"Thinking about it calmly, there's actually some truth to what they said... Saying that we're better than Europe in front of foreigners is indeed a bit too ostentatious and could easily give others something to criticize."

"I also think that we should respect our elders. It's not appropriate to generalize and condemn all elderly people. It's too absolute."

"He is indeed talented, but his personality is a bit too arrogant. Young people should be more composed, otherwise they are prone to making mistakes."

"I don't know if the part about private morality is true... If it is true, then being a national idol is indeed a bit inappropriate, as it could easily set a bad example for children."

"Even if Academician Zhou is wrong, he is still a senior. It is indeed a bit unreasonable to refute him in public without giving him face."

"You're still too young and easily flattered. You'll learn to be more restrained after you suffer some setbacks."

……

The internet is in an uproar.

What should have been a grand national event has been turned into a chaotic mess.

Just then, someone brought over some screenshots from the external website.

It instantly went viral across the internet!

First, Harvard University's official Twitter account posted a message:

"Harvard University has formally extended a tenured professorship invitation to Professor Ji Bai, along with an independent mathematics research institute. There is no upper limit to start-up funding, and you have complete control over the team, facilities, and resources. We look forward to welcoming you to Cambridge!"

Immediately following suit, the official MIT account also posted:

"MIT has opened all its doors to Professor Ji Bai: the highest-level faculty position in the Mathematics Department, full access to Lincoln Laboratory, and full funding for research in any direction. Your talent deserves the most prestigious stage!"