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

"Mr. Li," Zhao Shuyao sighed, his tone filled with the sincerity of "I really want to go, but I really can't," "Let's just forget about it."

The air in the corner of Starbucks seemed to freeze for a good few seconds.

Li Zhengming's face, which had originally been wearing a sincere smile, slowly lost its warmth as he stared at the innocent-looking young student opposite him, his mind racing.

The other party said they get camera-shy and are afraid of ruining the foundation's reputation?

This reason is so absurd that even a dog on the street wouldn't believe it. How can someone who can talk and laugh on a national live broadcast and speak eloquently in front of national media suddenly become weak-kneed at the sight of a camera?

But ironically, this sentence was like a soft cotton ball, completely blocking all the moral high ground and the bait of fame and fortune that Li Zhengming had prepared.

He couldn't find any point of rebuttal unless he confronted the other person on the spot and accused them of lying. But as the executive director of the Tianyin Charity Foundation, he couldn't afford to lose face in the coffee shop opposite the main gate of Dongda University.

Li Zhengming placed his hands on the edge of the table, his fingers tightening little by little, and then slowly relaxing.

"It seems we came all this way for nothing." Li Zhengming shook his head, forcing a slightly stiff smile, his voice returning to its calm tone.

"Since Comrade Zhao Shuyao has his own principles for doing things, we will not force him. Charity is, after all, a voluntary act from the heart. However, if you change your mind in the future, you can contact me at any time."

After saying that, he picked up the business card that had been pushed back to him, put it back in the inside pocket of his coat, and then stood up. His female assistant in red next to him also stood up and picked up the designer bag that was on the chair.

"Then we'll take our leave now, so as not to keep you two from going to the movie." Li Zhengming nodded slightly and turned to leave.

"Mr. Li, please wait a moment."

Zhao Shuyao's voice came steadily from behind.

Li Zhengming stopped and turned around, a barely perceptible hint of expectation flashing in his eyes: "Is there anything else you'd like to teach me, Zhao?"

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance." Zhao Shuyao remained seated, his hands folded in front of him, a puzzled look on his face. "I just have a small question that I haven't been able to figure out, and it's been bothering me to keep it to myself. I'd like to ask you for your advice."

"you say."

Zhao Shuyao tilted his head slightly and looked at Li Zhengming: "A couple of days ago, I received text messages and phone calls from you guys, and the language you used was a little bit intense."

He paused deliberately, observing the subtle changes in Li Zhengming's face.

"Some people even hinted that they wanted to ruin my career in this industry." Zhao Shuyao spread his hands, looking like he was still shaken.

"I thought it was some people who were unhappy with me and were going to do something behind my back to deal with me. I'm a coward, and because of this, I haven't been able to eat properly for the past two days. I've been reflecting on which deity I've offended."

"After meeting Mr. Li today, I'm even more confused." Zhao Shuyao's tone shifted, and he asked with utmost sincerity, "Your charity is so large and so compassionate, what exactly was the meaning behind those text messages and phone calls the day before yesterday?"

The female assistant in red changed her expression and looked at Zhao Shuyao as if she were looking at a crazy person who didn't know what was going to happen to him.

Li Zhengming's smile vanished instantly. He hadn't expected Zhao Shuyao to use such an almost naive tone to expose the pressure tactics they had been using in the shadows.

Admitting it would be tantamount to admitting that the Tianyin Foundation was using underhanded tactics to threaten a student, which would be a huge scandal if it got out.

Denying it is unacceptable. Since the other party dared to bring it up at this critical juncture, they must have some kind of evidence, such as communication records.

Li Zhengming's eye muscles twitched twice. He took a deep breath, and his expression quickly changed to a kind and apologetic smile.

"Zhao, you've really misunderstood this." Li Zhengming took a step forward, his tone light. "It's not about targeting you. Our foundation has a very strict background check process before recruiting core members."

He pointed at Zhao Shuyao: "After all, what we are looking for is someone who is truly responsible and does not compromise in the face of pressure. Those text messages and phone calls are actually a stress test that our people are putting on you."

"Only those comrades who have undergone such extreme testing and demonstrated a firm stance are qualified to receive a core invitation from our foundation." Li Zhengming sighed, his face full of self-reproach.

"I just didn't expect that the people below us would act so inappropriately and not grasp the proper boundaries, causing you to have such a big misunderstanding. This is a mistake on our part, and I apologize to you on their behalf."

They put on airs, calling threats "tests" and intimidation "selections."

Sitting next to her, Gu Nanxi held her coffee cup and silently turned to look out the window, afraid that if she looked any longer, she would burst out laughing.

After hearing this explanation, Zhao Shuyao immediately had a look of sudden realization on his face.

"Oh, I see!" Zhao Shuyao waved his hand magnanimously, his wariness vanishing completely. "You should have said so earlier. It turns out it was all your good intentions. I'm so sorry for all this trouble."

He looked at Li Zhengming and sincerely praised, "To be able to make the test so realistic, Mr. Li, you guys are so meticulous in your work. Now I'm relieved. Otherwise, I would have really thought that a charity would secretly have someone cut off someone else's internet connection."

Li Zhengming's smile twitched slightly, but he forced a nod: "It's good that Zhao understands. We'll be going now."

"Take care, be careful." Zhao Shuyao waved.

Only after Li Zhengming and his assistant in red walked out of the coffee shop and left did Zhao Shuyao slowly lower his hand, pick up the iced Americano, and take a sip.

"You really have a sharp tongue." Gu Nanxi turned her head and looked at Zhao Shuyao.

"I am very well-mannered," Zhao Shuyao corrected. "I am grateful for their meticulousness."

Outside Starbucks, a black Alphard minivan was parked on the side of the road.

The electric car door slid open, and Li Zhengming stepped into the car, followed closely by his assistant in red. The moment the door closed, the noise outside was completely shut out.

Sitting in his airline seat, Li Zhengming's gentle and sincere expression vanished in less than half a second. He loosened his tie, forcefully unbuttoned his dark gray overcoat, and his chest heaved violently.

"What makes him think he's so great!" Li Zhengming whispered, almost spitting out the words, then turned to stare at the assistant in red. "A mere graduate student, just because he insulted a few people online, he thinks he's something special? Who does he think he is!"

The assistant in red sat in the passenger seat, her back pressed against the seat, looking at her boss's face, which was twisted with anger. She didn't dare to say a word. She knew very well how respectable Li Zhengming appeared in public, and how ruthless he was in private.

"Trying to get my way?" Li Zhengming sneered, his fingers digging heavily into the armrest of the leather seat. "You're asking for it. You think I can't handle a poor student?"

He turned to look at his assistant in red in the front row: "I'm very angry right now."

The assistant in red immediately understood the look in her eyes, lowered her head, took out an unopened bottle of mineral water from the storage compartment next to her, and unscrewed the cap with extremely skillful movements.

Li Zhengming ignored his assistant's actions, took out his phone from his pocket, found an unmarked number, and pressed the call button.

After three rings, the call was connected.

Li Zhengming straightened his back instantly, bent slightly at the waist, and the rage on his face completely disappeared, replaced by humility. He even lowered his voice by two decibels.

"It's me, Zhengming," Li Zhengming said respectfully into the phone.

A slightly languid female voice came from the other end of the phone, carrying a sense of superiority: "How did the talks go? Has the contract been signed yet?"

"President Su, I'm really sorry, but this kid is a bit ungrateful." Li Zhengming slowed down his speech and carefully reported, "I've offered him the consultant position and the connections with overseas foundations, but he's completely uninterested."

"Later, I mentioned our Tianyin Foundation and asked him to endorse our fundraising gala. He made up an extremely absurd excuse and refused outright."

Li Zhengming paused for a moment, then added, "Moreover, not only did this kid not appreciate it, he even used our online probing from a couple of days ago to tease me to my face. He's a troublemaker and doesn't follow the rules of the industry at all."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"They rejected it," the woman said calmly, her tone unreadable. "Young people, when they suddenly gain popularity, they always feel like they can fight against the world. I can understand that."

"So what do you mean?" Li Zhengming asked tentatively.

"Since he doesn't know what's good for him, then don't blame us for being unreasonable." The voice on the other end of the phone gradually turned cold. "The reputation of our Tianyin Foundation cannot be disgusted by such uncertainties. Since he is now relying on the persona of 'speaking out for the people' and 'being a clean stream,' then let's destroy his persona first."

"Your instructions."

"Contact our media resources on major platforms immediately, find a few influential media outlets and marketing accounts, and release press releases," the woman's voice instructed methodically.

"There's no need to fabricate lies. Just say that the Tianyin Charity Foundation sincerely invited Zhao Shuyao to participate in a public welfare project to help children in remote mountainous areas, but he coldly rejected the charity because of 'personal loss' and 'dissatisfaction with the remuneration'."

"Let's steer the conversation toward his persona." The woman sneered. "Doesn't everyone think he has a conscience? Let the netizens see just how much conscience someone who won't even help children in the mountains really has. Let's bring him down from his pedestal, get him covered in mud, and then it'll be much easier to deal with him later."

"I understand, President Su." Li Zhengming nodded repeatedly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "I'll arrange it right away. The press release will be available online before tonight."

"Do it cleanly, don't leave any loose ends."

"Don't worry."

The phone hangs up.

Li Zhengming let out a long breath, threw his phone on the seat next to him, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the smug satisfaction of his impending revenge.

The assistant in red looked up at the opportune moment, holding a bottle of mineral water with the cap already unscrewed, and handed it over very quietly.

"Mr. Li, have some water to soothe your throat," the assistant said softly.

Li Zhengming took the bottle of mineral water, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp. The icy water flowed down his throat, extinguishing the fire in his heart.

"Let's go back to the hotel," Li Zhengming instructed the driver in front.

The vehicle smoothly drove away from the street in front of the main gate of Southeast University.

Around 4 p.m., on the main road of Dongda University, the sun began to slant westward, lengthening the shadows of pedestrians.

Zhao Shuyao and Gu Nanxi walked side by side on the sidewalk toward MixC Mall, which was not far from the school. A spring breeze blew by, bringing a touch of chill.

Gu Nanxi walked a long way, stepping through the cracks in the paving stones, before finally unable to resist turning around to look at Zhao Shuyao.

"You never really intended to agree to their proposal from the very beginning, did you?" Gu Nanxi's voice carried a hint of certainty, but even more so, doubt.

"Of course." Zhao Shuyao put his hands in his trench coat pockets and walked slowly. "It's not like I'm really short of that travel expense."

"Then I don't understand." Gu Nanxi stopped and looked at him. "These past few days you've been emphasizing online the importance of paying attention to charity. I know you genuinely care about these things."

"But the Tianyin Charity Foundation has always had a good reputation; many media outlets praise them. Why are you so quick to refuse today?"

She frowned. "In fact, your dismissive attitude in the coffee shop just now was practically provoking them. Why?"

Zhao Shuyao looked at Gu Nanxi's puzzled face. This girl from Jiangnan was very smart, but she was still in the ivory tower and had not truly witnessed the plundering carried out by capital under the guise of its prestige.

"It's actually very simple," Zhao Shuyao smiled, his tone relaxed. "Their approach to charity is exactly what I envisioned. Since it's the same, I can do it anywhere, right?"

Gu Nanxi stared into Zhao Shuyao's eyes.

She shook her head and said with absolute certainty, "You're not telling me the truth. The way you looked at that Mr. Li just now wasn't how you would look at someone doing charity work."

Zhao Shuyao's smile slowly faded. He raised his head, his gaze passing over Gu Nanxi, and looked towards the bustling commercial street in the distance.

"Nanxi, do you know what true charity is?" Zhao Shuyao asked softly.

[Dear readers, the three-day bonus update I promised is now on its last day. Thank you again for your support. I will work even harder to research and write more in-depth content in the future. I hope you will continue to follow my updates. I've lost a lot of updates recently, which makes me very sad, but I'm still very happy to have you all. Thank you again for your support, and here's a free gift for you!]