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

For two full days after the video was released, the internet remained in an uproar, but Zhao Shuyao's real life presented an eerie calm.

No department leaders came to talk to him again, and no so-called public intellectuals or scholars continued to publish long articles in response. The teacher A, who was holding a folding fan, went silent after Zhao Shuyao posted his ten-minute video. His homepage was not updated at all, as if he had suddenly lost his ability to access the internet.

Zhao Shuyao knew very well that the other party was weighing the pros and cons. In this traffic field dominated by algorithm recommendations, as long as they did not respond, netizens' attention would soon be drawn to the next piece of entertainment gossip. This was the survival rule of the veterans.

Zhao Shuyao maintained his usual routine: morning runs, reading books at the library, and revising his graduation thesis, which had already undergone major revisions.

11:30 a.m.

The second canteen of Southeast University was bustling with noise, and the air was filled with the aroma of braised pork, stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts, and hot and sour soup. Zhao Shuyao carried his stainless steel tray and found an empty seat by the window.

The LCD TV on the cafeteria wall was replaying a variety show from last night. Zhao Shuyao picked up a mouthful of rice, put it in his mouth, and casually took out his phone and unlocked the screen.

I habitually click on Toutiao to enter the main page.

The first recommended item on the homepage is marked with a very eye-catching red "hot" label.

The headline was highly provocative: "Head-to-Head Clash! Reporters Press for Questions, Diva Responds to 'Uncultured' Remarks for the First Time, Erupts in Anger!"

Zhao Shuyao swallowed the rice in his mouth, his finger hovering over the top of the screen as he saw these headlines directly naming the diva and mentioning her "lack of culture." The diva had obviously attended a public event, and those extremely perceptive entertainment reporters had caught her out.

Then I have to click in and see this good show.

The video started playing, and the picture was slightly shaky.

This is the backstage area of ​​a brand endorsement launch event. The backdrop is covered with luxury brand logos. The diva is wearing a well-tailored black haute couture gown, her hands folded in front of her, and she is originally showing a formulaic smile to the cameras of several official media outlets.

Just then, a microphone bearing the logo of an unknown website abruptly squeezed through the media crowd, almost touching the diva's chin.

A slightly hoarse male reporter's voice rang out clearly, drowning out all the surrounding noise.

"Queen, Queen, could you please respond to this? Have you been following the online discussions these past few days?" The reporter spoke rapidly, as if afraid the other person would leave. "That history blogger named Zhao Shuyao has responded to your comments from a few days ago!"

The pop diva's eye twitched rapidly, her smile vanished instantly, and her gaze swept in the direction of the sound, her eyes carrying a clear warning. The security guard beside her was already preparing to push the reporter away.

But the reporter's professionalism was on full display at this moment. Without any hesitation, he quoted Zhao Shuyao's words verbatim.

He said he forgives your lack of education, and that you may not understand the meaning of some words, which you can say directly. However, he suggested that you refrain from expressing misleading opinions on serious historical issues that you do not understand.

The reporter's voice grew louder, even trembling with excitement: "Furthermore, he publicly commented that the depth and popularity of your songs are far inferior to that of the singer from Northwest China who sang 'Kashgar Poplars.' What is your opinion on this?"

A decisive goal.

These two sentences were like two resounding slaps to the face of this leading lady of the music industry, right in front of dozens of media outlets.

In the video footage, the diva's breathing became visibly rapid, her chest heaved violently, and her hands clenched into fists.

According to standard public relations practices in the entertainment industry, at this point, all she needed to do was smile, say "Thank you for your hard work, we will not respond to this question," and then turn and leave to minimize the damage.

But her self-proclaimed "genuine" temperament completely overwhelmed her reason when she heard the song "Kashgar Poplar".

"Don't you media people have anything to do normally?" The diva forced down her anger, her voice trembling as she spoke with a cold face.

She pointed to the reporter's microphone: "That internet celebrity you mentioned, I've heard my assistant mention him these past few days, and I've also taken a look at some of the things he posts."

She slightly raised her chin, trying to regain her condescending aura: "Isn't he just a clown who likes to create hype online and attract attention by belittling others? I've seen plenty of people like him who want to be famous, I don't even bother to comment on him!"

Just as the diva was about to withdraw her hand.

The hoarse male reporter's voice rang out again, this time with a clear tone of rebuttal and provocation.

"But Ms. Tianhou, this can't be simply categorized as creating a sensation, can it?" The reporter moved the microphone forward an inch further. "Many of his viewpoints, as well as those articles refuting you, clearly cite sources from Qing Dynasty county gazetteers and even specific imperial tax ledgers. They are supported by extremely rigorous historical books. This shouldn't be considered creating a sensation, right?"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Shuyao couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and pick up a tissue to wipe the corner of his mouth.

This reporter is incredibly knowledgeable about the job.

First, provoke the other party with emotions, wait for them to say something definitive, and then use logic and facts to launch a second attack, completely escalating the conflict. This is treating that diva as a ready-made ATM for generating traffic.

The pop diva in the video froze after hearing those words.

She had never seen those county records or ledgers, let alone understood those terms. Being humiliated by a reporter explaining them to her on the spot in this high-profile setting, the feeling of being deprived of her intellectual superiority, caused her to completely explode.

"Stop talking to me about books!" The diva's voice was almost cracking as she pointed at the camera, completely losing her composure.

"Instead of wasting his days posting useless articles online to popularize things about the past, he should be thinking about how to make some money!"

Her words began to be filled with an extremely strong sense of class arrogance, which was the only shield she could offer when she was in the wrong.

"A person should first think about how to support themselves. Spending all his time creating conflict online, I think he's just desperate for fame!" The diva sneered repeatedly, her eyes filled with utter contempt. "He has time to teach me how to speak; he should check his own bank account balance first!"

"When will he reach my level of professional standing? When will he possess even a tenth of my wealth? Only when he reaches that position will he be qualified to speak to me as an equal. Otherwise, he doesn't even have the right to evaluate me!"

She turned around and quickly waved to the security guard beside her.

"From now on, don't ask me about people like that again, and I will absolutely not answer any more questions about him!"

After saying this, the diva, accompanied by a group of assistants, strode into the backstage dressing room without looking back, leaving behind a flurry of flashing lights.

The video ended, the screen lingering on the excited expressions of the media.

In the cafeteria, Zhao Shuyao put down his phone and leaned back in his chair.

He showed no anger whatsoever; on the contrary, his eyes were filled with extreme humor and a hint of knowing-it-all mockery.

Are you in a hurry?

Using money and social class as the sole criteria for judging eligibility for dialogue means that when a cultural worker abandons cultural discussion and starts flaunting her bank account balance, she has already completely lost in the judgment arena of the internet age.

Zhao Shuyao clicked on the comments section below the video, and as expected, the tide had completely turned.

Netizens have a natural aversion to this kind of condescending flaunting of wealth, especially since the person she was mocking was a student who stood up to academic cliques for the sake of historical truth.

Zhao Shuyao finished the last mouthful of hot and sour soup on the plate.

Pick up your plate and head to the recycling area.

As Zhao Shuyao poured the leftovers into the plastic bucket, his gaze drifted to the tree-lined path outside the window, his mind replaying the two sentences the diva had just shouted in the video.

"Industry status and wealth."

"One-tenth of the wealth."

Zhao Shuyao's lips curled slightly, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

There is a very simple rule in this world.

Don't you say you earn a lot?

Since you flaunt your wealth and status in front of the national media to gain a sense of privilege that puts you above ordinary people.

So, according to the current rules and regulations, since you earn more, shouldn't you also pay more?

Zhao Shuyao is very clear about the ecosystem of the entertainment industry in this era.

Dual contracts, false tax returns, and using studios under their names to transfer income—these industry practices that will only be exposed and cause a massive upheaval years later are still being treated as legitimate tax avoidance methods by celebrities at this point in time.

"Wealth, huh?" Zhao Shuyao murmured to himself, his voice barely audible.

He turned and walked out of the cafeteria.

He could already guess how things would escalate; the diva's ostentatious display of wealth would soon provoke resentment from countless ordinary people.

What he needs to do next is no longer to engage in online arguments with her, but to find out information about the registered locations of the companies under her name.

Next, it's time to let these self-proclaimed noble cultural compradors experience the iron fist of reality.