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

boom--!

The moment Ji Bai posted Lu Xun's poem "Self-Portrait," Weibo exploded like a bomb had been dropped on it.

This world has never seen a poem like "Self-Portrait Inscription" before; everyone is reading these 28 passionate characters for the first time.

"I offer my blood to Xuanyuan!!! Aaaaaaah!!!"

"My hair stood on end! Goosebumps covered the floor!"

"Ji Shen wasn't fooled! He wasn't swayed at all! His strategic vision completely crushed those demons and monsters!"

"I want to cry... He's only eighteen! He was splashed with so much filth, but instead of making a fuss, he expressed his resolve with a poem..."

"Those who said he was unworthy of his position, come out and get your comeuppance! Anyone who can write something like that has their country and family etched in their bones!"

……

The royalists were absolutely ecstatic!

Not long after, @PoetryMaster, a leading figure in the literary field, published a lengthy interpretation, every word of which was deeply moving:

"When I first saw it, I stared at the screen for a full five minutes."

This is a poem that truly possesses integrity and moral character.

"There is no way to escape the arrow of the gods" is the destiny of family and country engraved in the bones and blood of young people. They cannot avoid it, nor do they want to.

"The storm is as heavy as a rock, darkening the old homeland" represents the clarity of seeing the hardships ahead and the filth around us, yet still choosing to move forward.

"The intentions entrusted to the cold stars go unnoticed" represents the unwavering commitment to one's original aspirations even when misunderstood, smeared, or schemed against.

As for the last line, "I offer my blood to Xuanyuan," there is no need to say more.

This is a young man's most sincere confession: Even if the road ahead is full of storms and even if he is not understood by the world, I am willing to dedicate all my passion to this land.

I can't believe this was made by an eighteen-year-old boy.

With such talent, such integrity, and such a heart, they are truly the youth of the nation!

The moment the interpretation was released, his public image skyrocketed.

Many bystanders who initially just wanted to watch the drama unfold became fans on the spot.

"I was just joining in the fun, but after reading this poem, I'm a complete fan!"

"First came 'A Discourse on the Youth of China,' a resounding wake-up call; then came 'A Self-Portrait,' a sincere declaration of aspirations. Is this what you call a moral failing?"

"I just don't believe someone with such a filthy mind could write such sentences. Those scandalous stories are just too fabricated!"

"Compared to those who hide in the gutter and fan the flames, this young man stands up straight."

"No wonder he can achieve great things. With this kind of mentality, you simply can't find another one like him among his peers."

……

In the dark conference room on the other side, there was a deathly silence.

The online trolls stared at the poem on the screen, their keyboards hovering in mid-air, unable to type a single word for a long time.

Everyone was stunned.

No, buddy?

We've gone through the whole process of throwing dirty water, pretending to be loyal fans, and putting on a show. A normal person would either be furious and confront us, or feel disheartened and wronged. Why don't you play by the rules?

Why don't you compose a poem here?

And "I offer my blood to Xuanyuan"?

Wouldn't we then become the villains who frame loyal and virtuous people?

"Boss... are we still sending it?"

The subordinate's voice was weak: "If we keep bashing him, netizens will skin us alive. Right now, the whole internet is saying he's patriotic and sincere. If we jump out again, we'll be going against public opinion."

The head of the online trolls was ashen-faced, staring intently at the poem on the screen, his jaw clenched so tightly it made a cracking sound, but he couldn't utter a single word.

It's impossible to criticize it now.

Or rather, it's meaningless!

The original intention was to force the boy to run away out of despair, but the other party directly raised the issue to the level of national righteousness. Not only did the punch land on cotton, but it also made the speaker look like a clown jumping around.

They've already offered their blood to Xuanyuan, how can you still criticize them?

"Withdraw...withdraw everything!"

All press releases were deleted, accounts went offline, and the overwhelming negativity receded completely overnight.

The entire internet was filled with overwhelming praise.

"Royalists, assemble! We respectfully welcome the Emperor to express his will through poetry and utterly crush the villains!"

"What does 'dimensional reduction attack' mean? The trolls are playing dirty tricks to the extreme, but someone just casually pulls out a timeless poem, and their overall perspective is completely crushed!"

"I offer my blood to Xuanyuan! I've copied this down and pasted it on my desk! From now on, this will be my motto!"

"Those who tried to persuade them to leave, wake up! They have the whole country and its people on their minds; how could they just leave like that?"

"Hilarious! They put on a show for ages, but the other person didn't even take it seriously. The clown was actually themselves!"

"One poem can break through all rules; this is true cultural confidence!"

"Emperor Ji Bai took five days to prove his theory, but only twenty-eight words to refute his critics. That's what you call efficiency!"

……

The high-speed train has passed Shanhaiguan, and outside the window are the continuous Northeast Plains, and the sky is gradually getting dark.

Ji Bai leaned back in his chair, staring blankly out the window, when his phone suddenly rang. It was Academician Wang calling.

As soon as he answered, an angry and anxious voice came from the other end:

"Ji Bai, why did you leave without saying goodbye? Who told you to check out by yourself?"

Ji Bai smiled and said in a relaxed tone, "The hotel reception called to urge me, saying that the suite's lease expires at noon, and if I stay any longer, I'll have to pay extra, which is over two thousand a night. I can't afford that."

"Nonsense!"

Academician Wang's voice rose eight octaves in anger: "The conference's food and accommodations were arranged long ago! Someone deliberately stopped them for you! You wait, I have to get an explanation for this!"

"Which station are you at? I'll send someone to pick you up immediately and take you back to the capital. I'll arrange the best accommodations for you; I absolutely cannot let you suffer this kind of injustice!"

"No need, Academician Wang."

Ji Bai said calmly, "I was going home anyway. This is nothing, so don't worry about it."

"What do you mean by 'it's nothing'!"

Academician Wang was heartbroken: "You've brought so much glory to the country, how can we let you suffer such humiliation!"

"Don't worry, those who pull stunts behind people's backs won't be around for long..."

I had just hung up with Academician Wang when Director Lin from Tsinghua University called immediately, offering another round of reassurance.

He repeatedly emphasized that Tsinghua's faculty and research positions are always available, and that one can go there anytime if wronged, with everything arranged perfectly.

Just as I hung up, Director Zhang from Peking University called again, his voice full of concern, saying that the detached office in Yan Garden had been reserved long ago and I could move in at any time.

Then came a series of calls from Nanjing University, Fudan University, and the University of Science and Technology of China, some offering words of comfort, others extending olive branches.

It was as if these people only then realized that Ji Bai had already left.

It's almost dark!

I'm almost home!

I had just put my phone down when another landline number from Beijing called.

"Feed?"

"Hello, is this Mr. Ji Bai?" A gentle and dignified female voice came from the receiver.

"It's me. And you are?"

"Hello Mr. Ji Bai, I am an editor from Renren Daily..."

"Here's the thing, we'd like to publish your article 'On Young China,' just a partial excerpt, 132 words in total, for a fee of 66 yuan..."

"Would you be willing to grant us authorization?"

Ji Bai smiled.

He gazed out the window at the deep night, watching the scattered lights in the distance disappear into the distance, and a slow smile crept onto his lips.

So that was the unexpected phone call all along!

"It would be my great honor!"