Chapter 354: The Plan Fails (Part 2)

Chapter 354: Chapter 354: The Plan Fails (Part 2)

"I’ve never seen such an arrogant freshman! Since you don’t believe us, you can just wait here. I’m going to find the freshman counselor! That’ll make you give up for good!" With that, the upperclassman girl dashed off and was gone in a flash.

’Running away at the first sign of trouble—what kind of habit is that?’ Seraphina Sterling glanced at her watch. There were still two minutes until the registration deadline. ’Going to find the counselor now? What was she doing before? Even if the counselor could run like the wind, there’s no way they could get here in two minutes. What a great way to stall for time!’

The upperclassman boy said no more, immediately turning back to take down the sign for the new student registration desk and slowly packing up the equipment.

Seraphina Sterling quieted down as well. She took out her phone, narcissistically snapped a selfie—complete with the ever-popular, cliché peace sign—and casually posted it online. She added a melodramatic, indignant caption, detailing how Aethelgard University had been her lifelong dream. She greatly exaggerated her story, describing her painstaking, sleepless nights of studying and the intense pressure of preparing for the college entrance exams. Finally, heaven had rewarded her efforts with an acceptance letter, only for her to be turned away at the gates of Aethelgard University. An upperclassman, she wrote, was refusing to let her register, claiming the deadline had already passed!

The internet really is a powerful tool. Seraphina Sterling’s long, emotional post—backed by what appeared to be solid evidence and concerning Aethelgard University, Apex Premier Academy—instantly captured the attention of netizens. Her post included the selfie and eight other photos, making her case seem irrefutable. That single message immediately kicked up a storm online!

Aethelgard University, being Apex Premier Academy, was always under intense public scrutiny. Combined with the school’s notoriously strict rules on deadlines, the public was paying extra close attention to it, especially during the registration period. Sharp-eyed netizens noticed the clear timestamp on the selfie, compared it to the post’s timestamp, and immediately smelled a conspiracy. The moment people saw Seraphina Sterling’s post, a FLOOD of comments and shares erupted, and it spread like wildfire in under twenty minutes.

"Aethelgard University acting up again?"

"Isn’t the registration deadline at Aethelgard University 2:00 PM? It’s only 1:58 right now, how is it over? Am I seeing things?"

"The poster above isn’t seeing things. Maybe all the clocks at Aethelgard University are running two minutes slow!"

"I’d like to ask the associate professors, experts, and scholars of Aethelgard University: where did the two minutes go?"

"A Treatise on the Whereabouts of Two Minutes!" ℯℯ𝘭.

"A Brief Analysis of Two Minutes Lost in Space-Time!"

...

"That poor cute girl, standing out in the hot sun. Don’t people at Aethelgard University have any chivalry?"

"Don’t cry, sweetie. Aethelgard University is for immortals. We’re just mortals; we can’t comprehend their ways!"

...

All sorts of comments and a wild variety of messages flooded in, eventually derailing the conversation completely. Nevertheless, the story of Aethelgard University turning away a new student spread like wildfire online, and the university’s name went viral in a rather infamous way.

With nothing better to do, Seraphina Sterling scrolled through her phone, reading everyone’s comments. Finally, after a full half hour, the counselor from the School of Economics and Management came strolling over. Seraphina stretched lazily. ’Half an hour! This counselor must not be much of a runner!’

"Isn’t new student registration over? What are the three of you still doing here? You’re core members of the student council. Military training starts tomorrow, and there’s a ton of work to be done. Get a move on!" The moment the counselor arrived, they laid into the three upperclassmen, completely ignoring Seraphina Sterling.