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

Zhao Shuyao walked along the street to the bus stop. Jay Chou's "Confession Balloon" was playing from the loudspeaker of a newsstand by the roadside, and two- or three-year-old children were chasing smart balance bikes in the square.

In early 2016, the city was filled with the hustle and bustle of the mobile internet era and its influence on lower-level communities.

Back in my dorm at Southeast University, I opened the door to find it quiet; my roommates had probably all gone to the library or an internet cafe.

Zhao Shuyao pulled out a chair and sat down, pouring himself a glass of warm water. As the steam rose, he stared at the rim of the glass, his mind quickly reviewing the interview that had just ended.

He provided a wealth of information and set the tone for the highest level. He knew very well that the views he put forward today, whether it was the "economic deconstruction of the tributary system" or the final "Long live the Great Unity" that shattered nihilism, would definitely trigger a level twelve tsunami in the current online environment once they were edited and broadcast by official media.

Only with shock and exposure can he gain real power and uproot those cultural compradors lurking in academia and the film and television industry.

This is the result he wanted.

But the mind map in my head quickly extended to another branch.

Zhao Shuyao tapped his finger lightly on the rim of the water glass, paused, and raised his eyebrows slightly.

In the interview, he quoted his father's words verbatim: "When farming, you must guard the moisture; when being a person, you must guard your heart."

For self-media and traditional gossip reporters who can find blood in the smear, this is perfect material: a rebellious student who angered a historical figure to the point of hospitalization in front of the camera actually has a pair of farmer parents who work on construction sites and are full of grassroots wisdom.

No one would let go of news stories that highlight such stark contrasts and class tensions.

"If these uncrowned kings showed up at the construction site with their long lenses and cameras, the old folks would probably get high blood pressure from the fright," Zhao Shuyao muttered to himself, quickly putting down his water glass and pulling out his phone from his pocket.

We must give them a heads-up beforehand.

He skillfully dialed the number saved as "Mom".

Three long beeps came through the receiver. Zhao Shuyao glanced at the time; it was 3:30 PM. Normally, his parents should be on the scaffolding tying steel bars at this time, and it would be difficult for them to hear the phone ring.

"Feed? Shuyao." The call connected, but instead of the roar of machinery, the sound of rain hitting the tin roof came from the other end. The mother's voice was filled with undisguised joy and a hint of surprise.

"Mom, why did you answer the phone so quickly today?" Zhao Shuyao leaned back in his chair, his tense shoulders relaxing, and his tone switched to his most familiar local accent, "Didn't you go to work?"

"What kind of work is this? The rain is pouring down like water." My mother chuckled on the other end of the phone, and in the background, you could vaguely hear the shouts of a few coworkers playing cards.

"The contractor won't let us put the scaffolding up, so your dad and I are resting in the dorm. Why are you calling at this hour? Are you short of living expenses?"

Zhao Shuyao laughed. This is typical of Chinese parents. If the phone doesn't ring during mealtimes, their first thought is always that their child needs money.

"I'm not short of money, I'm well-off." Zhao Shuyao waved his hands repeatedly, even though the other person couldn't see him. "I just wanted to see what you guys were doing. It's nice that it's raining, consider it a holiday. Is the temporary housing over there leaking? Where's my dad?"

"No, this temporary house is new this year. Your dad's watching someone play chess over there." The mother paused, then raised her voice an octave, calling out to the side, "Old Zhao, stop watching! Our son wants to talk to you, come and get him!"

After a rustling sound, my father's deep, resonant voice came through the phone, still carrying a faint smell of smoke.

"Shuyao, what happened?" His father cut to the chase, his tone wary. "You usually don't make a single phone call for half a month at a time, but today the sun must have risen in the west. Did you get into trouble?"

Zhao Shuyao rubbed his nose: "Look at what you're saying, what trouble could I possibly cause at school?"

"Didn't cause any trouble?" The father paused for a second, then his tone suddenly rose, even carrying a hint of alarmed anticipation, "So you're dating someone and want to bring them home to meet us?"

A barrage of questions came at Zhao Shuyao like a machine gun, making his eyelids twitch and almost causing him to spit out the water he had just drunk.

This leap in thinking is even wilder than his macro-historical deductions.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Zhao Shuyao quickly interrupted this extremely dangerous topic. "Your son is focused entirely on his academic work right now. As for dating, if he really is dating, I will definitely bring photos for you two to see as soon as possible. I'm calling today to discuss serious matters."

A distinct sigh came from the father's end, seemingly deeply disappointed that he wasn't dating: "Besides dating, what else do you have to do seriously?"

"I'm on TV." Zhao Shuyao didn't beat around the bush and dropped this bombshell in the most straightforward language.

There was a five-second silence on the other end of the phone. The only sound was the patter of rain hitting the tin roof.

Just as Zhao Shuyao thought the signal had been lost, his father's deafening shout almost pierced the phone's receiver: "What the hell? On TV?! What illegal or disorderly thing have you done that got you arrested on a TV legal program?!"

"Old Zhao, what nonsense are you talking about!" The mother's anxious voice immediately interrupted, clearly having snatched the phone, her voice trembling, "Shuyao, what happened? Did you get into a fight?"

Zhao Shuyao helplessly rubbed his forehead. His parents had a natural fear of "being on TV," always feeling that ordinary people would only be exposed if something serious happened or they broke the law.

"Mom, Dad, don't worry, don't scare yourselves." Zhao Shuyao slowed down his speech, his tone firm yet gentle. "I didn't break the law, and I didn't fight. It's a good thing, a great thing. It was an official TV station, or even *TV, that sent a special program team to our Dongda University to interview me."

This time, the two elderly people on the other end of the phone were completely dumbfounded.

"*TV?" The father's voice came again, stammering, with extreme disbelief and probing. "You...you're not kidding your dad. You mean that thing that's on TV in our workers' canteen every night at seven o'clock...the news broadcast?"

The mother, standing nearby, had already started chanting Amitabha Buddha's name: "Heavens above, our ancestral graves are emitting auspicious smoke! Our son is going to be on the evening news!"

Zhao Shuyao was amused by his parents' extremely simple and honest reaction, and the heavy feeling of reviewing the situation in his heart just now instantly disappeared.

"Dad, stop for a second, don't get agitated." Zhao Shuyao quickly corrected this increasingly absurd cognitive bias. "It's not the evening news, that's for leaders. This is a special interview, a special feature."

"An exclusive interview? What's that?" The father was completely unfamiliar with the term.

Zhao Shuyao's brain raced as he tried to explain in a way that he could understand: "Let me put it this way, the TV station thought your son was good at studying history and had some unique insights, so they sent a reporter with a camera to sit on the sofa and ask me questions, asking me to share my views on history and contemporary society."

"This is called an exclusive interview. It will be broadcast on a special TV channel, and you can also see it online, on the smartphones you use."

After hearing this explanation, the father remained silent for a while, clearly trying to process the massive amount of information.

"So you mean... people specifically go there to listen to your nonsense?" The father summarized it very succinctly.

"That's pretty much the idea," Zhao Shuyao admitted with a smile.

"Good lad!" The father suddenly burst into laughter, his voice full of energy, and you could feel the ultimate pride of a father even through the screen. "To have a TV station specifically to listen to you speak, that's even more prestigious than getting into university."

The mother chimed in, "So what did you say on TV? What were you wearing? Was it that blue jacket I bought you last time?"

"You were wearing a white shirt, looking quite smart." Zhao Shuyao followed up on his mother's words in a relaxed tone, "Actually, I didn't say anything special. I just chatted with the reporter about the history of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and then, here comes the important part—"

Zhao Shuyao deliberately dragged out the last syllable, keeping everyone in suspense.

"What's the key point?" the parents asked in unison.

"In the interview, I gave you two a grand introduction." Zhao Shuyao said with a smile, "The reporter asked me where this uprightness and integrity came from, and I told the whole country exactly what you said when you sent me to university."

"Which sentence?" The father clearly hadn't quite grasped the meaning.

"Farmers must guard the soil moisture, and people must guard their hearts," Zhao Shuyao repeated, emphasizing each word.

There was an instant silence on the other end of the phone.

After a long while, when the father's voice came again, it was less rough and more tinged with a barely perceptible unease and emotion: "You child... that's a big stage, why are you bringing that up? You'll make people laugh at us peasants for being uncultured."

"It's not a joke at all. The reporter was really impressed with you after hearing it." Zhao Shuyao immediately perked up, "People say you're wiser than many university professors."

After enjoying his parents' brief moment of excitement, Zhao Shuyao's eyes gradually cleared. With the preamble over, it was time to get to the real point.

"Dad, Mom, don't get too excited yet. The main reason I called today is to give you a heads-up." Zhao Shuyao's fingers traced the edge of the table, his tone becoming extremely serious.

"What's with the reminder? What, do we have to pay to air this program?" The mother keenly noticed the change in her tone.

"Not paying is a slightly more troublesome matter than this." Zhao Shuyao explained his logic clearly and meticulously. "Think about it, I mentioned you two on such a big platform. With the speed of online dissemination these days, once the program airs, it will definitely be a hit."

"Once this happens, those media outlets and websites that love to stir up trouble online will definitely try to find your address in order to get more clicks. There's a high chance they'll go to your construction site with cameras to film you."

"They're here to film us?" The father was startled. "What's so special about two old farmers like us?"

"This is called a news headline. It's okay if you don't understand." Zhao Shuyao decisively issued the response order, "Dad, remember, if there really are people holding microphones, carrying cameras, or even holding cell phones and randomly filming you..."

"First, no matter what they ask, even if it's how old I was when I wet the bed, just say you don't know and tell them to come directly to me and ask."

"Secondly, never express opinions casually. The media is very good at editing these days. If you say something unintentionally, they can edit it into all sorts of meanings and put it online. This is called stirring up trouble, and it can easily cause problems."

"Third, if they refuse to leave and keep pestering you, go directly to the contractor and tell him that these people are affecting the safety of the construction site. Have the security guards kick them out without any leniency. Do you understand?"

One countermeasure after another, extremely swift and decisive. Zhao Shuyao absolutely refused to allow his grand scheme of rebirth to have any weaknesses exploited by others, especially in the crucial rear area of ​​his family.

On the other end of the phone, the father sensed the seriousness of the situation, and his years of experience traveling around the country and working at the grassroots level made him make a decision immediately.

"Okay, I understand." The father's voice regained its deep and wary tone. "So, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down, huh? Son, don't worry, no matter who comes, your mother and I will pretend we don't hear them. I'll just say one thing: if they want an interview, go to the school and find my son. I have to work and earn my wages; I don't have time to deal with them!"

"Yes, that's the attitude, you've got it figured out perfectly." Zhao Shuyao laughed, his heart finally at ease. "Alright, you two rest now, I'm going to the cafeteria for lunch."

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Shuyao threw his phone on the table and let out a long sigh of relief. With the rear area stabilized, all that was left was to wait for the media to ignite the fire and completely expose the fabricated history.

[I'm sorry, I probably won't be able to keep my promise to update extra chapters for the next few days. I have two days' worth of drafts saved up, but I have to go to Zhejiang tomorrow because a relative passed away there. I probably won't be back until Monday. However, I will update extra chapters for the next three days starting next Monday. I hope you won't be angry or give up on the book. Thank you again to all my readers for your continued support. It's because of you that I can keep writing. I love you all.]