Chapter 309 - 201: Silu is Questioned, Lu Fan and Elder Meng Staunchly Support Her and Deliver a Face-Slap

Chapter 309: Chapter 201: Silu is Questioned, Lu Fan and Elder Meng Staunchly Support Her and Deliver a Face-Slap

But she never expected Shen Hong to publicly question her in such a large group chat.

She looked at her roommates speaking up for her, at Peng Chengshuai and Kong Le defending her, and her eyes grew hot.

But she couldn’t help but wonder, ’Is there some truth to what Shen Hong said?’

’It’s true I’m a freshman. I don’t have any experience, and I was recommended by Elder Meng...’

’Am I really not good enough?’

Just then, her phone buzzed again.

It was a message from Teacher Chen in the group chat: "Please refrain from baseless speculation. The university’s recommendation process is fair and impartial."

Immediately after, the department head also sent a message: "We will investigate this thoroughly. Please remain calm. Shen Hong, if you have any objections to this outcome, you may come to my office. We will be sure to resolve this matter."

The group chat exploded again.

Some said Shen Hong was done for, while others said that since the department head had gotten involved, it must be serious.

Jiang Silu read the messages, and her thoughts grew even more tangled.

Song Miaomiao leaned over, saw the look on her face, and quickly asked, "Lulu, what’s wrong?"

Jiang Silu shook her head and said softly, "Miaomiao, do you think... I’m really not good enough?"

Song Miaomiao froze for a second, then said urgently, "What are you talking about? How are you not good enough? Is your gold medal fake? Is your design fake?"

"Silu, don’t listen to Shen Hong’s nonsense. She’s just jealous and trying to slander you," Lu Yao chimed in, leaning over indignantly.

Jiang Silu looked down, her confidence wavering. "But... but I really am just a freshman. I don’t have any experience..."

"So what? Who says freshmen can’t be brilliant? Even third-years couldn’t produce a design like yours. Why shouldn’t you be allowed to participate?" Lu Yao said, throwing an arm around her shoulder, her tone firm.

"Lulu, you have to believe in yourself. For your group’s gold-medal project, the judges’ comments praised your design contributions the most," Liu Shiting said comfortingly.

Song Miaomiao chimed in, "Exactly! You have to believe in yourself."

Jiang Silu looked at them, her heart warming a little.

But she was still deeply unsettled.

Word of this soon reached Lu Fan’s ears.

Lu Fan’s brow furrowed, and his expression darkened.

His first instinct was to step in and help.

But on second thought, if he intervened, wouldn’t that just give people more to gossip about?

That would only make things harder for Jiang Silu.

After a moment’s thought, he gave Elder Meng a call.

He explained the situation to him. "Someone is publicly questioning her in a group chat, and it’s blowing up. I’m worried the kid will take it to heart and it’ll affect her performance in the competition."

He then explained, "Elder Meng, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to get involved, so I was hoping you could..."

"You don’t need to. I’ll handle it. She’s my own disciple; you think I’d let someone bully her?" Elder Meng laughed, a note of pride in his voice.

"That would be for the best. Thank you for your trouble, Elder Meng," Lu Fan said with a laugh.

"It’s no trouble. I’d like to see for myself who dares to question my judgment."

「Later that afternoon.」

In an office at Jinling University.

Shen Hong sat on the sofa, her hands gripping the hem of her shirt so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

Her head was bowed, obscuring her expression, but her faintly trembling shoulders betrayed her inner turmoil.

Across from her, the department head and Teacher Chen both wore grim expressions.

Teacher Chen spoke first, her tone stern. "Shen Hong, do you have any idea how much damage those things you posted in the group chat have caused?"

Shen Hong bit her lip and looked up, her eyes already rimmed with red.

Her voice trembled slightly, but it carried a defiant edge. "Teacher Chen, everything I said was the truth. Why wasn’t I allowed to say it?"

"The truth? What proof do you have that there was some backroom deal involving Jiang Silu? The university’s recommendation process is fair and impartial. You dismiss it all with a single accusation. Is that fair to Jiang Silu? Is that fair to the university?" Teacher Chen’s brow furrowed in exasperation.

Shen Hong took a deep breath, her voice rising. "Fair? Teacher, you’re talking to me about fairness? Do you have any idea how I was kicked off the team?"

Teacher Chen was taken aback.

Shen Hong stood up, tears welling in her eyes, but she fought to keep them from falling. "Back on the Landscape Cup team, I was the leader. I was the one who led them through the designs for every competition. And what was the result? Just because I refused to give credit to Jiang Silu, I was kicked off the team! Teacher, do you think that’s normal?"

She grew more agitated as she spoke, her voice cracking. "A senior, replaced by a freshman who just started school, without a single word of explanation! And now she gets to go to the national competition? On what grounds? Isn’t it just because her family has connections? Because she knows Elder Meng?"

The department head’s expression flickered, and he groaned internally.

Of course, he knew about Shen Hong being kicked off the team. The order had come directly from the vice-chancellor.

Although he didn’t know the specific reason, he had an inkling that Jiang Silu had powerful backers.

This sort of thing was nothing new at the university, but as the department head, he couldn’t very well say so out loud.

"Shen Hong, please sit down. Calm yourself," he said, clearing his throat and softening his tone.

Shen Hong didn’t sit. She just stood there as tears finally streamed down her face. "Head, I’m not targeting Jiang Silu personally. I just can’t accept this! I’m a senior! This is my last chance! I want to compete, I want to win an award too! So why? Why does a freshman get to walk all over me?"

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and continued, "I was the one who mentored every single one of those team members. Was it so wrong for me to want Jiang Silu, a freshman, to start from the bottom? Why should a first-year student get to demand credit for the project, and when I refuse, I’m the one who gets kicked off the team?"