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

The suite's constant-temperature air conditioning sent out a gentle breeze, but it couldn't dispel the heavy feeling that settled in the air.

Lin Jing placed the ballpoint pen on the coffee table, staring at the nine characters she had just written on the edge of the outline for a full half minute. Her breathing slowed, and her chest rose and fell.

A few seconds later, Lin Jing raised her head, her gaze passing over the glass of water and landing back on the young man on the opposite sofa.

"Student Zhao." Lin Jing leaned forward completely, a posture that completely abandoned any sense of distance during the interview. "As the ancients said, 'Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me.' I used to think that was just a humble expression, but after hearing what you said today, I have truly experienced the value of that saying."

Zhao Shuyao sat upright, not responding, waiting for the other party to continue.

"You are far more outstanding than many of our contemporaries, and even more so than many seniors who have been immersed in academia for many years." Lin Jing's tone was extremely serious, with the excitement of a professional media person discovering rare news value. "As long as you continue to maintain this clarity, after the program airs, you will definitely become a role model for many young people today."

Lin Jing crossed her hands and rested them on her chin, praising her without reservation: "Your remarks, your deconstruction of history, and the depth of your understanding are not something that can be achieved simply by sitting in a library and memorizing historical materials."

"You give me an extremely strong intuitive feeling; you have a kind of innate radiance that belongs to thinkers. I really admire you so much."

Beside him, the cameraman nodded vigorously twice, zoomed in slightly, and gave Zhao Shuyao a close-up shot.

Faced with such high praise that practically elevated him to godlike status, Zhao Shuyao's eyelids twitched slightly.

While the endorsement and affirmation from official media are invaluable, the word "role model" is a death warrant in today's rapidly evolving online public opinion landscape. Once someone accepts this label, even something as simple as eating an extra grilled sausage at a roadside stall will be scrutinized and criticized.

Zhao Shuyao immediately leaned back, pressing his entire body against the dark gray sofa cushions, and waved his hands repeatedly in front of his chest.

"Reporter Lin, you'd better stop your nonsense." Zhao Shuyao's serious expression vanished instantly, replaced by the helpless look of a street urchin facing a major problem. "Your assessment is a bit too exaggerated. Let's make a deal. Please don't broadcast this video verbatim."

Lin Jing was taken aback by his sudden change of heart: "Why not broadcast it? This is entirely positive feedback."

"The burden of being a role model is too heavy for my body to bear." Zhao Shuyao spread his hands, his tone revealing his down-to-earth nature. "I'm just an ordinary student from a rural area in northern Jiangsu. I have to queue up ten minutes early to grab the braised pork from the cafeteria lady."

"Sometimes I have to cram for exams all night. If you portray me as a shining role model in the media, my roommates will stuff socks in my mouth when I go back to school."

A short, muffled laugh echoed from the suite. The cameraman covered his mouth with one hand, his shoulders trembling.

Lin Jing's tense expression was completely shattered by these extremely humorous and straightforward remarks. She burst out laughing, which was precisely what made Zhao Shuyao so terrifying.

One second he can be chatting and laughing with you, discussing the past and present, and the next second he can immediately let down his guard and deconstruct all his aloofness with the most mundane details of life.

"No joke." Zhao Shuyao sat up straight, his smile fading, and his tone becoming calm. "I would never dare to be a role model. I would rather be a fellow traveler. I hope to fight alongside those young people online who share the same goals and are unwilling to be brainwashed by false history."

Zhao Shuyao pointed his index finger at the edge of the coffee table: "This is something that one person can't do alone, and one generation can't finish. Our ancestors already provided a solution: the Foolish Old Man Who Moved Mountains, a task that can be continued endlessly by generations of descendants."

"Our generation has laid a solid foundation and weeded out the ideological weeds. We'll leave the rest to the next generation. As long as we maintain the right attitude and perseverance, we're sure to succeed."

Lin Jing picked up her pen and circled the words "fellow travelers." She took a deep breath, her thoughts following Zhao Shuyao's rhythm.

"I completely agree with this concept of a protracted war," Lin Jing nodded. "But you just mentioned that returning to the top of the world is not the end goal, but long live great unity. Why do you set your sights so far ahead? So far that the results might not be seen for several generations, or even a dozen generations?"

Zhao Shuyao picked up his water glass and took a sip of warm water.

"Because history has already given us a bloody lesson." Zhao Shuyao put down his water glass, his voice steady. "Reporter Lin, go and look up the Qin, Han, Tang, and Ming dynasties. Go and see what happened after those unified dynasties that once stood at the pinnacle of the world, when they swept across the four seas and had no rivals left in their vicinity?"

Several turbulent scenes from the middle and late periods of dynasties flashed quickly through Lin Jing's mind.

"Internal strife." Zhao Shuyao gave the answer directly. "Party strife, regional warlordism, and land annexation—when a large group loses its long-term goal of common outward expansion, its excess energy will inevitably turn inward to compete for existing resources. This is determined by human nature and is also the most difficult link to break in the law of prosperity leading to decline."

Zhao Shuyao's gaze fell upon the azure sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Therefore, our goal must be extremely grand, grand enough to transcend the cyclical nature of dynastic changes." Zhao Shuyao withdrew his gaze. "When we truly achieve the revival you spoke of, when we level all the unequal rules on this earth and achieve the great harmony of all mankind, that will not be the end."

He raised his index finger and pointed upwards: "As long as there are stars and universes outside this earth, our nation's drive to explore and move upwards will never stop. Only in this way will we never repeat the cycle of rise and fall."

Only the faint hum of the air conditioner could be heard in the suite.

Lin Jing felt a chill run down her spine. She finally understood Zhao Shuyao's underlying logic. This wasn't about being overly ambitious; it was a safety net set up in advance to prevent the nation from tearing itself apart one day.

"It's incredibly shocking." Lin Jing let out a long breath. "To be honest, if I weren't sitting right here with you, I would find it hard to believe that this is a worldview built by a young man in his twenties."

She paused for a moment, a shrewd glint of a journalist flashing in her eyes. The grand narrative had been fully developed; now it was time to bring it to fruition.

"Since you have such a clear vision of the future, even turning down a permanent position at the university," Lin Jing stared into Zhao Shuyao's eyes and posed a very practical question, "Have you considered starting with the most realistic thing right now? For example, leaving the big city and going to some remote, relatively underdeveloped area?"

"Use your vast knowledge to teach in rural areas, or provide substantial assistance to local development? That's the most direct way to change the status quo."

This is a question with a very high moral high ground, and in the context of mainstream media, the most perfect answer is to nod in agreement.

Zhao Shuyao rested his elbows on his legs, clasped his hands together, and rested them on his chin. He quickly reviewed the current historical moment in his mind: March 2016. Mobile internet was penetrating deeper into the world, smartphones were becoming ubiquitous, and the era of text and images was poised to surge towards short videos and live streaming.

Zhao Shuyao smiled.

"I have considered it," Zhao Shuyao admitted frankly, then immediately changed the subject, "However, Reporter Lin, I will absolutely not use the conventional method you just mentioned."

Lin Jing was stunned. Not going to teach in rural areas? Not going to participate in grassroots development?

"Not using the conventional method?" Lin Jing's eyes lit up with curiosity, and she immediately pressed for details. "What method? Since you're so determined, why not take the paths that have already been proven feasible?"

Zhao Shuyao leaned back, spread his hands, and his smile became extremely mysterious.

"I can't say right now." Zhao Shuyao refused to reveal his hand without hesitation. "This is a personal trade secret of mine."

Lin Jing was unwilling to give up and tried to provoke her: "We can't even say it in front of the media's cameras, this is a perfect opportunity to make a declaration."

"It's precisely because I'm in front of your camera that I have to keep my mouth shut." Zhao Shuyao didn't back down, his tone relaxed but unquestionable. "The timing isn't right. Even if I were to reveal the whole model to you now, many people wouldn't understand, and might even think I'm talking nonsense."

Zhao Shuyao tapped the table: "But I can give you a sneak peek. Not only will I provide assistance, but I will also help those honest people who put in a lot of effort to farm to sell their good products at good prices. I will use a method of overwhelming force to give everyone a big surprise."

He stood up and straightened the hem of his shirt: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. If I go there to teach, I can help dozens of children. But if I can blaze a new trail that connects the whole country, I can help hundreds of thousands of people. It all depends on whether God will grant me that luck."

Looking at the young man in front of her, Lin Jing's intuition told her that he was not exaggerating; he definitely had a huge and sophisticated operating system in his mind.

"Okay, then I look forward to the day you unleash this surprise." Lin Jing didn't delve any further. A smart reporter knows when to stop and maintains suspense.

Subsequently, Lin Jing conducted several rounds of rapid-fire Q&A sessions with Zhao Shuyao on everyday issues such as his methods for collecting documents and his psychological adjustment when facing online troll attacks.

Zhao Shuyao answered fluently, defusing sharp points with contrasting wit, making the whole process extremely smooth.

The hands of the wall clock quietly passed two o'clock.

Lin Jing closed the notebook in front of her, clipped the ballpoint pen to the cover, stood up with her hands supporting her on the sofa armrests, looked at Zhao Shuyao, and showed a completely relaxed and highly professional smile.

"Comrade Zhao Shuyao," Lin Jing addressed him formally, extending her right hand. "Thank you for taking the time to grant us this interview today. It has been a very meaningful conversation, and our interview today has now come to a successful conclusion."

Zhao Shuyao stepped forward, reached out and grasped Lin Jing's hand, the touch just right, and then they parted.

"Thank you, Reporter Lin." Zhao Shuyao smiled warmly, regaining his pure student demeanor. "And thank you to the program team for giving a young person like me the opportunity to express my humble opinions in front of a national audience."

The two exchanged a smile, then turned around and began packing up their equipment and documents.