He fiercely criticized the Manchu scholar clique and the twelve emperors of the Qing Dynasty.

On the computer screen, the number of views for the video posted by the official account of Southeast University was like a wild horse, with the numbers jumping so frequently that it was difficult for the naked eye to accurately capture it.

The comments section refreshes so fast that you can only see a blurry white shadow.

Zhao Shuyao sat at his desk, holding a mouse, his index finger resting on the scroll wheel, gently sliding it downwards.

Every pause is a cross-sectional sample of the emotions of contemporary internet users.

A long comment that was among the top three most liked caught my eye: "People in society always say that our generation is a lost generation, a generation that only cares about money, but after seeing Teacher Zhao's actions today, I believe it, we are not."

"We are just oppressed by worldly conventions, but deep down, our generation yearns for fairness more than anyone else, and we are purer than anyone else. I believe our descendants will be even more so."

The comments below were stacked extremely high, almost forming a one-sided matrix of agreement.

"I was thinking that if Teacher Zhao really took this job, I would stop being a fan of his. It's not that I think he made a mistake, but that I think he would become commonplace and just like those other people. But he refused so decisively... I am completely impressed by his character."

Immediately following, another highly-rated reply popped up: "Even if he really did take it, I still think it's compensation he deserves. This society values ​​distribution according to work. He risked his life to earn justice; is it too much to ask for a different job?"

"But what is most shocking is his 'refusal to take'. He was never worried about his own future, but about setting a bad precedent for the internet to force the system to change. People with this kind of responsibility are the role models we want to see."

As the terrifying spread of the controversy, diverse voices began to emerge from the shadows.

"Could this be a show put on by the University of Tokyo?" A accusatory comment squeezed to the top of the list. "On the surface, he acted noblely by turning down a spot, using the opportunity to create a persona. Who knows if the school is giving him some other huge compensation behind the scenes?"

Zhao Shuyao's gaze lingered on this comment for a second.

I didn't feel any anger. The internet is currently in a period of explosive growth, transitioning from text and images to short videos. In this restless society where all kinds of personas and packaging are flying everywhere, skepticism is the norm for netizens.

He didn't reply because the fighting spirit of the masses had already been fully activated without him having to lift a finger.

The moment this conspiracy-themed comment surfaced, it was met with a furious backlash from the comments section below.

"Hey upstairs, if you can't use your eyes anymore, why don't you donate them to someone in need? Didn't you see that was a hidden camera angle pulled up by the security department? Do you think school leaders are acting out a sitcom with a student?"

"Don't judge a proletarian fighter with your selfish and narrow-minded perspective! This is not only an insult to Teacher Zhao personally, but also to the badge on his chest and his beliefs!"

These few words of rebuttal, delivered with a strong stance, quickly garnered countless likes.

Amidst the uproar, some observant netizens uncovered even bigger blind spots.

"Brothers, you guys were just watching the video and arguing, didn't you notice the comments section? The official news account just left a comment, looking forward to a face-to-face chat!"

"Nonsense, everyone already saw it, but they tacitly refrained from joining the fray, waiting to see what kind of things Teacher Zhao would say in front of media of this caliber!"

Just when public opinion seemed to be heading towards complete harmony and unity, a lengthy commentary suddenly caught Zhao Shuyao's attention.

This comment has no profile picture and the name is a string of default numbers generated by the system.

"Heh, a bunch of rabble are just hyping themselves up here. What's so great about this? To put it bluntly, isn't it all just about getting clicks? Have you even calculated how much money he can monetize with those million-plus followers?"

"What's so special about a university professor's meager salary? He's just a clever opportunist who preys on the emotions of you low-level followers. He sees through it all but doesn't say it, all of you pretending to be saints."

Zhao Shuyao released the mouse and leaned back in his chair.

His gaze was fixed on those few lines of text. There was no anger in his eyes, but rather a hint of extremely cold humor. This feeling was all too familiar, as familiar as the moldy pages in a pile of old books.

The brain begins to process information rapidly.

The other party skillfully used terms such as "baseline supporters," "speculators," and "mob," demonstrating a certain level of knowledge, but their words were filled with contempt and disdain.

This is definitely not a group of online trolls hired by the Yan family. Online trolls don't have such strong emotional overtones. This group of "public intellectuals" has been thoroughly brainwashed since the 1980s by Western toxic motivational magazines such as "Reader" and "Yilin".

In their minds, all the heroism and adherence to principles in China are just hypocritical posturing, and only the air across the ocean smells sweet.

For this kind of deeply ingrained legacy of the times, talking about historical materials is useless, and talking about sentiments is like casting pearls before swine. They worship the law of the jungle and Western superiority. So the only solution is to use a dimensional reduction attack, using the logical framework they are most proud of to tear their pitiful self-esteem to shreds.

Zhao Shuyao straightened up again, his hands hovering above the keyboard.

Instead of starting a new post, he directly clicked "reply" below this comment. This was the first time he personally interacted with the audience after his account surpassed one million followers.

The fingers tapped on the keyboard, producing a crisp sound.

"My friend." Zhao Shuyao typed these four words, paused for a moment. When intellectuals argue, the worst thing is to get angry and lose their temper. The more carefully you choose your words, the more damaging they become.

"Your logic is quite interesting." Zhao Shuyao continued typing, "That's right, I now have over a million followers and I have indeed made money, but I'd like to ask, I earned this money through over a decade of studying historical materials and through compliant, lawful means, without stealing or robbing. Where is the wrong in that? What kind of speculation is this?"

After finishing the first paragraph, he clearly focused on the opponent's core vocabulary.

"Furthermore, I am puzzled by your use of the term 'core base.' In your context, you seem to have a lot of disdain for this term."

"But I have to remind you, the 'basic support base' you're talking about are the vendors who make you breakfast every morning, the workers who build this city under the scorching sun, and the ordinary people who keep society running on meager wages every month. Aren't you a link that grew out of this social infrastructure?"

"You're mocking them? Just how insecure are you, and how miserable are you in real life, that you'd try to gain a pitiful sense of superiority by belittling your fellow countrymen online?"

At this point, Zhao Shuyao's smile deepened. This was not only a counterattack, but also a prelude to the upcoming exclusive interview—completely sealing off his class-based stance.

But this is not enough.

The sound of typing on the keyboard became more frequent.

"Actually, I know very well what you're thinking. You've read a lot of cheap novels since you were young, so you think everything outside is perfect. But you've never actually gone out to see it for yourself, and you can't find your own place in reality. You can only stay behind the keyboard and be a sarcastic, cynic."

"My advice is that since you feel this land is not worthy of your noble soul, you can go out and see the world. If you are short of money and can't get a visa, that's okay too."

"You can ask our friends in Fujian in the south for advice. Don't worry about whether the Western visa officers agree or not. As long as Mazu agrees, go out and see for yourself whether the world you yearn for is really as wonderful as you imagine."

"In my opinion, you are nothing more than a giant baby who has been too well protected by the social welfare system of this land and has not yet been weaned."

After checking for typos, Zhao Shuyao confirmed that every sentence maintained the refinement expected of a cultured person, without any vulgar language, but every word ruthlessly dismantled the other person's logic.

Click the mouse to send.

The moment Zhao Shuyao posted his reply, the entire comment section seemed to be paused for a very short time.

Then came an unprecedented rebound.

As a popular influencer with millions of followers, he carries a very high level of influence, and this reply was automatically pinned and bolded by the system.

Countless netizens who were originally observing suddenly flooded into the thread.

"Holy crap, we've caught Teacher Zhao in action!"

"Hahahaha, as long as Mazu agrees, that's all that matters! What an amazing joke! Teacher Zhao's sense of humor is simply unbeatable!"

"That's it! When a die-hard fan of Yilin magazine meets a hardcore scholar from the University of Tokyo, they're stripped bare, left with absolutely nothing!"

"The description of 'overprotected giant babies' is so accurate. These people enjoy the safest public security in the country, but then they turn around and recognize their enemies as their fathers online. Teacher Zhao's criticism is so cultured!"

"I've taken a screenshot! I'm going to save this reply so I can use it as a template to memorize the whole thing if I ever encounter this kind of Western-worshipping dog again!"

The original sarcastic and lengthy comment was met with ridicule and attacks from hundreds of thousands of netizens within five minutes of Zhao Shuyao's statement.

Zhao Shuyao looked at the instantly cleared comment section and logged out of the account with satisfaction. This interaction further solidified his persona as a humorous, sharp, and principled individual.

Just as he was about to get up to get a glass of water.

The phone screen suddenly lit up on the table, accompanied by a slight vibration.

It's an unread text message.

From: Lin Jing (**News).

The message contained only one line: "Professor Zhao, your writing is sharp and your logic is meticulous. I watched your reply from beginning to end. I am extremely looking forward to the face-to-face interview tomorrow."

Zhao Shuyao held his phone in his hand and glanced at the darkening night outside the window.

A smile appeared on his lips.

The aftermath of this storm has been cleared away; now, it's time to step onto the true battlefield of the highest order.