Chapter 376 |
I watched the video twice, and it got me pretty pumped!
By that time, the video had already hit over a million views. In the comment section, lots of people were praising Xiao Qi!
They said things like…
"This kid has a future!"
"This is what a true student leader looks like!"
"He's got more guts than some adults!"
Some people even recognized the brand of 3D projector and asked in the comments if his family was rich…
That actually gave me a wake-up call!
Being too conspicuous isn’t a good thing either!
I also sent the link to Ah Chu. After a while, he replied:
"That kid’s got promise. Did he buy the megaphone himself, or was it from the school?"
I nearly died laughing!
What a weird thing to focus on!
When I got home, I praised Xiao Qi like crazy!
I said, Son, you did an amazing job!
That cafeteria deserved to be flipped. If you hadn’t done it, I would’ve wanted to do it myself!
At that moment, he was so proud. He said he’d hated that cafeteria for a long time, and when that girl was yelled at until she cried, he wanted to blow the place up on the spot!
But he held back and decided to do something big today.
And big it was!
I said, Next time you plan to blow something up, can you at least give your mom a heads-up?
He said that would ruin the fun.
That little rascal!
Of course, some unpleasant stuff was unavoidable.
That afternoon, I got a call from the school’s vice principal. His tone was even harsher than that teacher’s!
He talked about how serious the situation was—causing a large student assembly, the cafeteria getting flipped, and it even making the news, with a terrible influence.
He said Xiao Qi, as the instigator, had acted without solid evidence and was being considered for a warning or even expulsion!
“If Fang Qi doesn’t make a public apology and admit everything was fake rumors, AI-generated images, then…”
I didn’t even acknowledge him—I just hung up!
School higher-ups?
Hah.
They can all pack it in!
My call!
And they dared to subtly threaten me on the phone!
They thought we were just an ordinary family, easy to push around, huh!
Even if I can’t reveal my identity, handling them is still a piece of cake!
Looks like Xiao Qi was right!
This school really is in cahoots with the cafeteria, all rotten from top to bottom.
Since the second AI crisis, there have been so many of these shady incidents…
Good thing my little troublemaker didn’t get sick from the food. Tomorrow I’ll take him for a checkup.
But still, my little rascal did well.
So I said, Tomorrow night, I’ll reward him with a home-cooked dinner from me!
The smile on Xiao Qi’s face completely vanished the second he heard that. Ah Chu, who was passing by, nearly tripped.
The little devil said, Mom, maybe we should skip it—he suddenly thought the school cafeteria food wasn’t so bad after all…
What’s that little brat implying?
You’re going to eat it whether you want to or not!
You dare refuse your mom’s reward?
I don’t care! Tomorrow night, I’m cooking!
…
…
Year XXXX, February 14.
On Xiao Qi’s 12th birthday, the whole school cafeteria incident finally came to an end.
Everyone who should’ve been taken down was taken down, and those who should’ve been arrested went in.
I, Miss Su, deliver on my promises!
But really, it was mostly because they had their own issues—not just the cafeteria, but other stuff got dug up too…
Sigh, a whole lot of dirty business.
Anyway, they all got canned!
The authorities were pretty efficient this time, mostly because the media blew it up. That video had tens of millions of views, probably hundreds of millions across the whole internet?
With that many eyes watching, they had to act.
Of course, the online buzz later got suppressed by the authorities, citing the need to maintain social order.
Honestly, that worked in my favor.
Even though it felt great seeing my little rascal steal the spotlight, it wasn’t good for us.
He can’t have his identity exposed now. At least the earlier video didn’t show his face clearly.
Anyway, that kid’s been getting way too much attention lately. We need to lie low for a while!
Just now, Xiao Qi was attacking his strawberry birthday cake. Ah Chu teased him:
He said, Son, you must be super popular in school now, right? Are you already the school’s top dog?
Xiao Qi puffed up, saying he wasn’t just popular—he had the whole school at his beck and call!
The whole campus was full of his “eyes and ears”!
Even the security guard’s dog wagged its tail when it saw him!
He claimed his network stretched from the middle school to the elementary school, with even older students recognizing him as their leader!
He said if he wanted to become student council president, he could get elected next week.
I told him, You’d better keep a low profile, or you’ll drive me crazy!
That little brat—where did he learn to win people over like that?
I was proud when he was the king of his kindergarten class, but now in middle school…
This leadership quality is getting out of hand!
Oh, right. Xiao Lian’er called me earlier!
She’s in high school now and busy with studies, so she usually only calls once or twice a week.
Today she called because she saw the video about Xiao Qi’s school cafeteria online. She said it was going viral in her class group chats.
She said even though it was blurry, she instantly recognized Xiao Qi—how amazing and brave he was!
She said she’d never dare to do something like that—leading classmates to surround the cafeteria and shouting through a megaphone…
I said, Don’t compare yourself to Xiao Qi. That kid’s got a thick skin! Don’t you copy his antics!
The right way to handle problems is to use legal tools to protect yourself, not storm into the cafeteria for some live projection!
Xiao Lian’er gave a soft laugh on the other end and said she understood.
But I could hear a hint of envy in her voice.
She was probably thinking, what if someone had stood up like Xiao Qi back then…
Would her parents and brother still be alive?
…Sigh.
Anyway, I talked with her for a while—asked how her studies were, if she was eating well, if anyone had been bothering her.
She said everything was fine and told me not to worry.
These two kids are like total opposites.
One has the nerve to give a speech to the whole school through a megaphone, and the other is so quiet she barely speaks above a whisper.
But both are great in their own ways.
Everyone has their own path, right?
And honestly, that little rascal is really impressive!
Sigh!
When will I ever be able to brag about my son openly?
My son is so outstanding—handsome, popular, and accomplished—but I have to keep it all hidden…
It’s frustrating!
Every time I chat with others and they talk about their kids,
I can only nod and say, “Oh, mine’s no good… he can’t even solve a simple math problem!”
It’s driving me crazy!
…
…
Year XXXX, March 17.
Today, Xiaolin came to discuss something with us.
He said he wanted to ask the company if he could bring his daughter to work every day from now on.
He mentioned he’d been paying attention to the news near Xiaoyou’s school lately, especially that recent incident…
The food safety issue at a school cafeteria!
It wasn’t far from her school, and he was scared.
When I heard that, I felt a bit guilty…
That “school cafeteria food issue” was exactly what my little rascal had stirred up!
Ah Chu glanced at me sideways, clearly holding back laughter too. We exchanged a look, neither of us letting on.
None of my coworkers know what Xiao Qi looks like.
They also don’t know that the “speech boy” in the video is my son.
They’re still praising the boy in the video for his courage and insight, and all I can do is smile beside them, saying nothing.
…Killing! Me!
Anyway!
Xiaolin said school isn’t safe anymore—he just can’t bear to leave his daughter in someone else’s care again.
He’s raising his kid alone now. He used to hire nannies or ask relatives for help, but at some point, he suddenly became afraid to entrust her to outsiders.
I understand what he means.
Since the last crisis, though society has gradually recovered, Xiaolin is a core researcher at Chenxi Company. There are plenty of people outside who’d want to target him.
Leaving his seven-year-old daughter with a nanny or relative—what if something happened?
Ah Chu and I don’t dare to acknowledge Xiao Qi in public, while Xiaolin wants to keep his daughter by his side at all times to protect her…
We all protect our children in different ways.
As for the other reason Xiaoyou comes to the company, Xiaolin told us too.
Xiaoyou has mentioned to him many times that school can’t teach her anything anymore. She thinks going to class is a complete waste of time.
She prefers coming to the company to read!
She says the uncles and aunties here are amazing—much more interesting than her classmates.
Of course, Ah Chu and I agreed right away!
I’ve always adored Xiaoyou, I’ve been thinking about her for ages!
The stuff they teach in elementary school—even my Xiao Qi can get perfect scores every time, let alone Xiaoyou!
Making her sit in a classroom listening to addition and subtraction really is a waste of her talent.
And Xiaolin’s situation…
Well, we know it well.
He was in that elevator that shot up to the top floor and was in a coma for months.
During that time, the company was facing the chaotic second wave of the mechanical intelligence crisis, besieged both internally and externally.
He told us his wife raised their daughter alone, visiting him every day in the hospital, not knowing if he’d ever wake up—she was completely worn out.
Later, when he finally woke up, she had ruined her health from all that caregiving…
And not long after, she passed away.
She left him and their young daughter, who barely remembered her.
The old-timers in the company all know about this. Everyone has both admiration and heartache for Xiaolin’s wife.
Now, Xiaolin—a single father—raises his daughter, playing both father and mother. It’s no easy task.
Even though bringing a child to work goes against company rules…
Well, that bunch of old fogeys from the authorities are gone anyway!
Rules? We decide them now!
Helping Xiaolin out is something we’re more than happy to do!
Let Xiaoyou come to the company from now on. With her father by her side, she can focus on reading and learning!
We uncles and aunties can look after her too!
And such a brilliant little kid…
Chenxi definitely needs to lock her in early!
…
…
XXXX, March 20.
Today, I need to record two important pieces of news.
First major news: Xiaoyou is officially “stationed” at our company!
We threw her a little welcome party!
Lao Zhang, Xiao Wang, and the others went all out—snacks covering the whole table, balloons, flowers, ribbons, filling half the room—more elaborate than the company anniversary!
Ah Chu gave Xiaoyou a thick book called An Introduction to Quantum Computing, saying, “This is a great entry-level read.”
I glanced at it, and it was covered in formulas—I doubt you could even call that “writing”!
Lao Zhang gave her Fundamentals of Particle Physics.
Xiao Wang gave her An Introduction to String Theory.
These people—giving a kid gifts that are all professional textbooks!
They get more ridiculous every time!
I gave Xiaoyou a pair of cute little black patent leather shoes, shiny, with a small bow on the toe.
I figure every little girl ought to have a few pretty pairs of shoes!
Xiaoyou took the shoes, whispered “Thank you, Auntie,” and looked really pleased!
She held them in her hands and stared at them for a long time, carefully placed the box back in the bag, handling it very gently.
But later, I noticed that kid’s true love was those books Ah Chu and the others gave her!
The moment she got An Introduction to Quantum Computing, she sat down in a corner and opened it. As she flipped through, she couldn’t help tracing her finger on the table!
When she looked up, I asked her if she liked Auntie’s shoes.
She said yes, then hugged the book and kept reading.
Alright!
Looks like Xiaoyou is just as crazy as that bunch of nerds!
Well! Xiaoyou is definitely different from ordinary girls.
Even though I don’t fully understand, seeing Xiaoyou so happy made me feel happy too!
It’s fine this way!
Every child has their own path, right?
Of course, I can’t let Xiao Qi find out about this.
Otherwise he’ll start grumbling, “Why can Xiaoyou go to the company but I can’t?”
That little brat is still mad at me for sneaking Xiao Lian’er on a company tour last time—every now and then he throws out a sarcastic comment!
If he finds out there’s another little girl staying at the company permanently…
He’d probably write a complaint letter and tape it to the fridge!
I’ve got to keep this info locked down!
As for the second piece of news…
Well, it’s not so pleasant.
Ah Chu told me about it after coming home from work today.
The higher-ups told him…
Recently, members of the Bomo faction have started showing signs of trouble.
They need Chenxi’s help to do testing and repairs.
Hah…
They actually have the nerve to make that request!
