The Silly Prince Successfully Cancels the Engagement, But the Fiancée is His Childhood Sweetheart - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Misspoken Words

Finally, all procedures concluded. Bai Qing did not linger and immediately got into a hovercar and went home.

Xiang Zhuo, who wanted to ask Bai Qing to dinner, was left behind, sighing at the departing hovercar.

Upon arriving home, a message from Ye Sheng came through: “The other party used an alt account, and it’s clearly the work of an expert. The IP address went through multiple layers of masking, and it even involved military-grade techniques. We can’t trace it on our own. The only organization with any hope of finding the person is likely the ‘Skynet’.”

Skynet was the Eternal Empire’s highest-level intelligence security agency, reporting directly to His Majesty the King.

Bai Qing gave a self-deprecating smile. Although he did have the King’s promise, using Skynet for such a small matter wasn’t worth it.

【BaiShu (Bai Qing)】: Besides Skynet, are there any other options?

【YeSheng (Ye Sheng)】: I’ll ask my sister to look into it. She should have a way.

Ye Sheng’s family was very distinguished. Starting from his paternal great-grandfather, they served in the military. Ye Sheng’s father, Ye Hong, currently held the highest rank: General of the Eternal Empire’s Central Military and Commander of the First Starfleet.

Ye Sheng’s older sister, Ye Zheng, was also a very outstanding Alpha, an excellent graduate of the National Defense Military Academy’s Special Intelligence Department, and her name was still on the department’s honor roll. It was said that Skynet had extended an olive branch to Ye Zheng, but her ambition lay elsewhere. She chose to enter the Special Intelligence Independent Research Center and became a special intelligence researcher. It was rumored that the Empire’s Northeast and Southeast Military forces had begun piloting and replacing a new type of highly challenging encryption, which originated from the research team led by Ye Zheng.

【BaiShu】: “Thank you.”

【YeSheng】: “Don’t worry. I also had the administrator shield the post. Get some good rest today, and we’ll discuss what to do tomorrow.”

…

Even though Bai Qing had prepared himself mentally, when he arrived at the National Defense Military Academy the next day, the pointing, whispering, and deliberate avoidance from passersby created an enormous psychological pressure.

That feeling was ever-present, like a dark cloud constantly hovering over him.

Even though the Mecha Battle Competition Organizing Committee had issued a statement clarifying that cheating by contestants was strictly prohibited, most netizens didn’t believe it. After all, Bai Qing had indeed appeared out of nowhere and was terrifyingly strong. Compared to believing in the existence of miracles and geniuses, people were more willing to believe in manipulation by capital and family influence behind the scenes.

Many people “full of justice” personally came to the National Defense Military Academy to report Bai Qing for faking matches, cheating on the entrance exam, and concealing his true gender and identity to enroll, continuously piling accusations onto him.

Some media outlets even tracked down the rank one student who did not receive admission to the National Defense Military Academy in the latest enrollment, the one just outside the cutoff list, and interviewed him.

Naturally, this interview was broadcast on all major websites. For a time, a huge wave of criticism against Bai Qing surged across the StarNet.

“A while ago, I thought the Eternal Empire had produced an ultimate genius like Bai Qing. I didn’t expect him to be a world-class idiot. Isn’t he afraid of a backlash by doing this?”

“His biological father and grandfather control almost 80% of the Eternal Empire’s military supplies and mecha manufacturing. Dare you provoke him? Dare you backlash against him?”

“So disgusting. I almost threw up my dinner from yesterday. I sincerely voted for him a few days ago, and I didn’t expect the twist to come so quickly. Bai Qing has huge character issues. I—gag—”

“Perhaps His Majesty the King knew what kind of person Bai Qing was all along and could only let Xiang Zhuo cancel the engagement, but they still can’t openly sever ties. The Eternal Empire still relies on the Bai family. I predict that for at least the next hundred years, His Majesty the King will vigorously promote the manufacturing of military supplies and mechas, support other manufacturers, and cut into the Bai family’s market share. The Bai family probably won’t last for a fourth generation~”

“The person being interviewed is too pitiful. He comes from a poor background and has already repeated a year to try to get into the National Defense Military Academy. His father fights in the underground arena to earn money, and his mother can only work odd jobs. If it weren’t for Bai Qing, he would be studying at the National Defense Military Academy now, and his family wouldn’t have to struggle for another year.”

“Oh my god, the underground arena is a place where you can lose your life if you’re not careful. I originally thought Bai Qing’s crime wasn’t worthy of death, but now I think he absolutely deserves to die!”

This wave of attack was highly coordinated, the tactics very skillful and concentrated. It was clearly organized and purposeful, aimed at ruining Bai Qing’s reputation and making him live under infamy forever.

Anyone with a slightly weaker psyche would have already collapsed under this attack—either dropping out or falling into depression. In short, they wouldn’t be like Bai Qing, who calmly found his classroom and began the morning class with composure and seriousness.

Unfortunately, only half the morning class was over when Bai Qing was called to the Dean’s office.

His classmates, aware of Bai Qing’s strength, mostly didn’t believe what the post and StarNet were saying, and the worry in their eyes seemed genuine.

Especially Ye Sheng, who watched Bai Qing leave the classroom with longing eyes and sighed.

Somewhere along the way, news leaked that Bai Qing had been called to the Dean’s office before his class finished, and this was posted on the forum. Although the old post had been shielded and deleted, the news had already spread, and countless students started countless new threads to discuss the matter.

【1L】【Poster】: Good News! Young Master Bai was called to the Dean’s office first thing this morning!

【2L】: I saw him go in with his head down. He’s definitely going to be advised to withdraw, right? After all, he’s an Omega! What an outrage!

【7L】: Not just because he’s an Omega. Faking matches, cheating on the entrance exam, stealing the spot of a retaking student, and forcing Xiang Zhuo to cancel the engagement—all these things are enough to send him to jail, right?

【16L】: Upstairs, do you have evidence for these claims? Spreading rumors can also land you in jail. I hope you’re aware.

【17L】: Oh, Upstairs, are you Bai Qing himself? How does dropping out taste? How many years of jail food can you eat?

Bai Qing arrived at the Dean’s office door, quietly knocked three times, and waited for the response inside before pushing the door open.

Two middle-aged men were seated inside.

One was the Dean, Meng Yunting, and the other was the Vice Dean, Qi Zhiyuan.

Bai Qing lowered his eyes and greeted them: “Dean Meng, Vice Dean Qi.”

Meng Yunting was polite: “Have a seat.”

Qi Zhiyuan, however, looked displeased. He gave Bai Qing a contemptuous glance, snorted, and then turned his attention elsewhere.

Meng Yunting asked him: “The discussion about you on the StarNet and the forum has been very high these past two days. Are you aware of this matter?”

Bai Qing looked up and answered confidently: “I am aware.”

Qi Zhiyuan, however, was very agitated: “You are aware? Are you aware of the things you’ve done? Now the academy is in a very passive situation. Can you bear this responsibility? You are going to ruin the century-old reputation of our academy!”

Meng Yunting raised an eyebrow: “Old Qi, don’t get so agitated. I believe Bai Qing knows that he wouldn’t do such a thing.”

“What do you say, Bai Qing?”

Bai Qing looked at Qi Zhiyuan, whose face was flushed red from extreme agitation. Coupled with his graying red hair, he looked like he was about to explode.

“The entrance exam score I got was a result of genuine, hard training, with absolutely no cheating involved. The championship in the Mecha Battle Competition was also won by fighting with all my might. If the Dean is willing to give me a chance, I can prove all of this. As for me concealing my Omega identity to enroll in the National Defense Military Academy…” Bai Qing looked up at Meng Yunting, then stopped speaking.

Qi Zhiyuan was even more furious: “So you knew that our National Defense Military Academy has no precedent for Omega enrollment, yet you still insisted on applying?”

Bai Qing remained silent. Meng Yunting chuckled: “Old Qi, why are you so agitated? Bai Qing, given that everyone’s biggest concern right now is your actual strength, and since the mid-term assessment is just a week away, and you also want a chance to prove your ability, how about we hold a live broadcast of your mid-term assessment for the entire StarNet? You can clarify things for yourself and the academy. What do you say?”

Qi Zhiyuan: “Hmph! How can a live broadcast be useful? A useless person is useless even on live broadcast! Holding another live broadcast will only make the academy’s reputation even worse!”

Bai Qing lifted his eyes and gave Qi Zhiyuan a cold look.

…

During lunch, Ye Sheng frowned: “Live broadcast of the mid-term assessment? They’ve never done that before!”

Bai Qing: “It’s only going to be a live broadcast of my assessment process.”

Ye Sheng: “It seems the academy still believes in you. That’s good, that’s good. As long as there’s a solution.”

Bai Qing didn’t have much appetite: “Qi Zhiyuan, do you know anything about him?”

Ye Sheng: “Isn’t he just our Vice Dean?”

Bai Qing: “He was constantly trying to block this mid-term assessment live broadcast. It was only after Dean Meng firmly decided that the proposal was approved.”

Ye Sheng lowered his head in thought: “If you put it that way, he has a son in our year. Which class was he in? I don’t remember. I think his name was Qi Siyu. Yes, Qi Siyu.”

Bai Qing couldn’t recall any interaction with Qi Siyu, so he gave up trying to figure it out.

“Perhaps Qi Zhiyuan simply doesn’t believe in my ability. It’s understandable.”

…

Bai Qing didn’t expect to run into Xiang Zhuo in the hallway.

Xiang Zhuo looked like he had been waiting for him for a long time. Upon seeing Bai Qing, his eyes lit up.

Bai Qing stopped: “Does Your Highness need something?”

Xiang Zhuo frowned. Hearing the unfamiliar title “Your Highness,” the light in his eyes immediately dimmed.

“I heard there’s been some negative talk about you on the StarNet and the forum… Are you okay?”

Bai Qing was indifferent: “I’m fine. Your Highness, you don’t think I faked the matches too, do you?”

Xiang Zhuo was instantly terrified and quickly clarified: “How could I? I’ve fought you. I’m very clear about your strength, and…”

Bai Qing quietly waited for him to continue.

“They said I canceled the engagement with you because I knew your character was bad. That’s not true at all. I believe in your character. I specifically came to tell you this so you don’t misunderstand.”

There was a faint layer of amusement in Bai Qing’s eyes: “I know. It’s because Your Highness doesn’t like me that you canceled the engagement.”

Xiang Zhuo immediately denied it: “Of course not!”

The amusement in Bai Qing’s eyes vanished: “Oh?”

Xiang Zhuo was speechless.

“Because… because…” Stupid mouth, quickly say you like him! Say you canceled the engagement because of a misunderstanding! Quickly say you want to pursue him!

“Because I have someone I like!”

Bai Qing nodded calmly: “Mhm, I know.”

Just then, Ye Sheng came looking for him. Bai Qing glanced sideways and his voice was flat: “Excuse me.”

After Bai Qing left, Xiang Zhuo leaned weakly against the wall, punishingly hitting his own mouth.