Jiang Yuqi had already sensed Zhang Kexin's underhanded schemes through the restriction placed in her mind. In fact, she had been waiting for Zhang to make the first move so she could catch her red-handed with solid evidence of defamation.
Though this method of revenge was roundabout, it was also the most effective in a society governed by the rule of law.
After all, Jiang Yuqi was now living in the modern world. Just because she had power didn't mean she could act recklessly and decide others' fate on a whim.
So for this mission, she had no choice but to take the long route. It was slower, yes—but as long as the result didn't change, she didn't mind.
Just before the live broadcast of the show's first team-versus-team battle, a shocking exposé went viral online, accusing Jiang Yuqi of school bullying during her student years.
Within just two hours, the post had hit the trending charts, with countless netizens leaving angry comments beneath it.
"Wow, never expected this. Jiang Yuqi looks so pure and elegant, but turns out she did something this disgusting?"
"Exactly! The poster claims to be her classmate and even has voice recordings. They said there's more dirt coming soon!"
"This feels super real to me. No way an ordinary person would go public like this without solid proof."
"Well, unless the police confirm it, I'm still not buying that Jiang Yuqi would bully anyone."
"Come on, it's already this far. Stop defending her. The evidence is right there."
"Yeah, bullies like her need to be kicked out of the show. We don't need someone like that in a girl group."
In an instant, Jiang Yuqi's reputation hit rock bottom, and public outrage exploded.
As things spiraled, the show's staff approached Jiang Yuqi for a talk, mainly to ask if she had indeed bullied anyone. If so, they advised her to step down quietly.
At least this time they were giving her a chance to explain. In her previous life, the original host of this body had been kicked out without warning.
But just as Jiang Yuqi was in discussions with the show's producers, the tables suddenly turned online—sharply and dramatically.
The exposer's own dirty laundry was posted for all to see. Not only that, but their recent bank records were leaked too, revealing they had just received a suspiciously large sum of money.
Jiang Yuqi had bought hacking techniques from the system mall in advance and had been practicing diligently. She even stashed a laptop in her personal storage space.
As soon as the smear post was published, Jiang Yuqi had already scheduled her counter-evidence to go live—timed precisely two hours later. Perfect for both damage control and publicity.
Even the system was shocked by how prepared she was.
System: "Wait, what? How did I not notice any of this?"
Jiang Yuqi: "Oh, right. You were probably playing a game that day and didn't see me buying Complete Hacking Techniques in the system mall."
When netizens saw the new evidence and realized they had been manipulated, their outrage turned in a new direction.
"Classic case of a thief crying thief. She's the real thug! Thank goodness someone posted those high-def photos of her beating people up—way more legit than those vague accusations earlier."
"Seriously. With those bank records, it's obvious this exposer was just a paid puppet."
"Money really can buy anything. Fifty grand is a huge bribe. No wonder she was willing to fabricate lies."
"Yup. According to the law, what she did already crosses the threshold for a criminal case. Authorities better investigate this thoroughly!"
"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have believed the rumors and doubted Jiang Yuqi. I owe her an apology."
"Same here. We almost wrongly condemned an innocent girl."
"…"
Watching this sudden reversal, Zhang Kexin was so furious her teeth nearly cracked from grinding. She had never expected Jiang Yuqi to have such a powerful force backing her.
Fortunately, she still had the ace up her sleeve: a voice recording of that little brat. If she edited it carefully to emphasize Jiang Yuqi's sharp and arrogant tone, that would be her new evidence.
"Hey, A-Bing, can you edit the audio I just sent you? Focus especially on her cold and domineering tone—I need her to sound like a total tyrant."
"Sure thing, Miss Zhang. I'll get right on it."
"Wait, Miss Zhang... Something's wrong. I just opened the audio file and—it's empty. There's nothing in it?"
Zhang Kexin froze in shock. She couldn't believe it. She quickly hung up and opened the recording herself.
Unfortunately, it was filled with static and noise—no dialogue at all.
Furious, Zhang Kexin slammed her fists on the bed… only to accidentally jolt her injured leg, causing her to wince and grimace in pain.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yuqi used the excuse of feeling unwell to return to the dorm alone. The other contestants were eating at the time and didn't suspect anything—after all, in light of recent events, it would've been surprising if she had any appetite at all.
Fu Yueran had wanted to accompany her out of concern, but Jiang Yuqi gently declined.
No way was she letting someone tag along while she had things to "take care of."
Back in the dorm bathroom, Jiang Yuqi swiftly booted up her laptop and packaged the evidence of Zhang Kexin's attempts to pay others to spread rumors and coordinate smear campaigns.
She then sent everything directly to the city's internet monitoring office and the police's online reporting platform, signing her tip-off anonymously as:
"A Justice Seeker Who Can't Stand Online Bullying."
What happened next would depend on whether the authorities were truly impartial. If they ignored the evidence because of Zhang Kexin's background, then she'd make sure it got leaked to the entire internet.
Fortunately, the initial response was promising. The state authorities acted swiftly—Zhang Kexin and two other suspects were detained that very night.
Their identities weren't publicly released in order to protect their privacy, but the police did issue an official online statement right away.
"Thanks to the assistance of a concerned citizen, the Public Security Bureau has successfully apprehended three suspects responsible for spreading false rumors about Jiang Yuqi. Further updates pending. We urge the public not to believe or spread misinformation."
Netizens applauded the police for their quick action.
"Thank you to the brave citizen and to the authorities for acting fast!"
"It's honestly comforting to live in a country with such responsible oversight."
"No joke—I'm dying to know who that righteous netizen really is."
At the moment police arrived to arrest Zhang Kexin, she was inside her room throwing a tantrum. The second she saw them, her eyes flicked around in panic.
Though she quickly composed herself, her momentary nervousness didn't escape the sharp eyes of the officers on duty.