At the research institute, a large crowd surrounded Rong Yu.
From 10 AM yesterday until 2 PM today—nearly thirty hours—Rong Yu had only managed to catch about forty minutes of sleep, hunched over her desk, tirelessly calculating and verifying data.
They had witnessed firsthand how she used nothing but a pen to deduce the deviation of a planetary orbit.
Then, they watched as she transformed the calculations on paper into lines of code on the computer...
"Professor Yun’s student is truly a genius among geniuses."
"Her brain operates with more precision than a computer. How is that even possible?"
"She’s been a tremendous help to the institute. We must issue her a bonus—I’ll have it transferred to her personal account immediately."
Min Shenyan’s eyes burned with envy.
If only he had met Rong Yu earlier—just a little sooner—she would have been his prized student. But he had missed his chance by a single step...
"Rong Yu’s advantage is her youth and quick thinking. She’s hardly a genius—no need to overpraise her," Yun Xiaoyuan said, though his grin stretched nearly to his ears. "Lin Rang, escort your junior out."
"Professor Lin has difficulty walking. Let me handle it," a young female doctoral student offered, picking up Rong Yu’s backpack. "Rong Yu, this way."
Rong Yu followed her out.
Once outside, she pulled out her phone, only to find it long dead.
She directed the car straight to Ji's Entertainment.
By the time the sixth group’s performance ended, Rong Yu still hadn’t arrived.
He Qiqi was on the verge of tears, frantic with worry.
The morale of the other group members plummeted, their sighs filling the air.
Rong Ruoyao had already finished her performance.
Her group was currently leading by a wide margin.
With a faint smirk, she approached He Qiqi. "I’ve learned your group’s choreography before. Why don’t I step in for Rong Yu?"
The live stream’s fans erupted.
"Our Yao Yao is as kind as she is beautiful."
"Both share the surname Rong, but the difference between them is night and day!"
"Yao Yao is too good-hearted. Everyone, don’t forget to vote for her!"
He Qiqi lowered her gaze. "No need."
A group only needed one standout performer.
If Rong Ruoyao joined, all attention would shift to her, reducing He Qiqi to a mere background player.
Since last place was inevitable, she might as well secure as many personal popularity votes as possible.
Rong Ruoyao wasn’t genuinely offering help either.
This was all part of the show—crafting her image. Having been in the industry long enough, she knew the importance of maintaining a persona.
Soon, it was time for the seventh group’s performance.
The director’s room was in chaos.
"We still can’t reach Rong Yu."
"Director Chen, this Rong Yu girl is acting like a diva despite being a nobody. She’s causing nothing but trouble for our show."
"For this round, let’s just rig the votes and eliminate her. It’s what the audience wants anyway."
Director Chen frowned. "Enough nonsense. Our show operates on fairness and transparency. There’s no vote manipulation—watch your words."
He knew Rong Yu had close ties to the Ji family.
Lan Rouxue, the former secretary-general under Ji’s CEO, had been fired simply for reassigning Rong Yu’s makeup artist.
This talent show was fully funded by Ji's Entertainment. If they offended someone the Ji family was backing, his career as a director would be over.
Not only could he not eliminate Rong Yu—he had to ensure her debut.
But—
The online backlash against Rong Yu was overwhelming. Pushing her forward would come with immense pressure.
Just then, the assistant director gasped.
"Someone snapped a photo of Rong Yu leaving the Haicheng Fourth Aerospace Institute. What was she doing there?"
Rong Yu’s photo quickly trended.
"The Fourth Aerospace Institute is a top-secret national facility. Unauthorized personnel aren’t allowed inside. How did she get in?"
"She skipped the show to visit an aerospace institute? Does she have no sense of responsibility?"
"Word is the institute’s begonias are in full bloom. Maybe she sneaked in for photos like those influencers who shoot through the fences."
"I’ve never seen anything like this. The institute should hold her accountable!"
"If she trespassed into a national security site and leaked classified information, who’s going to take the blame? The Fourth Aerospace Institute must sue her!"
"Could she be a spy? National security should investigate her background."
The assistant director broke into a cold sweat. "Director Chen, this girl has some nerve, breaking into the aerospace institute. Is she out of her mind, crossing such a line?"
Another director chimed in, "Our show needs to issue a statement distancing ourselves from Rong Yu immediately. If this blows up and gets the show canceled, we’re finished."
Director Chen examined the photo closely.
Rong Yu had been escorted out by a woman in an institute uniform. If she were truly trespassing, would an employee have seen her off?
As he pondered, a Weibo post exploded online.
Wang Xiaoli, a doctoral researcher at the Fourth Aerospace Institute, had posted a photo of Rong Yu from the show.
Her caption read—
"Rong Yu, Rong Yu, your starlight never wavers."
Wang Xiaoli was just an ordinary citizen, but her post went viral because the official account of the Fourth Aerospace Institute reposted it moments later.
The verified endorsement sent the internet into a frenzy.
"First time seeing a national-level institution engaging with entertainment news!"
"I knew it—the institute’s security is airtight. Rong Yu clearly had authorized access, and Dr. Wang personally escorted her out."
"The official account just debunked all the rumors. Shouldn’t the trolls apologize now?"
"Still, why was she allowed in? Just because someone there is a fan? Seems a bit unprofessional."
"My cousin’s uncle works in the institute’s cafeteria. He mentioned a major project recently invited top experts for collaboration. Maybe Rong Yu was among them."
"I looked up Rong Yu—she aced the national physics competition with a perfect score. She’s insane."
"If her physics skills are that advanced, it makes sense she’d be invited for observation..."
"Wait, so Rong Yu is still in high school?"
"Damn, her demeanor made me think she was already working."
"Getting invited by a top-tier national institution? That’s elite academic status."
"Contributing to something this meaningful outweighs a talent show, doesn’t it? How can anyone still hate on her?"
"I have a soft spot for geniuses. I’m voting for Rong Yu!"
The online narrative flipped entirely with one post from the aerospace institute.
The director’s room was stunned.
The Fourth Aerospace Institute was an untouchably prestigious establishment.
They couldn’t believe its highly educated staff would watch their show.
Even more unbelievable—an intellectual elite would stan one of their contestants.
And most shockingly, the institute’s official account had just participated in an idol survival show...
It all felt surreal.
