Chapter 1020: 1019. Bounty Order!
However, online discussions once again propelled Tang Shu to several trending topics for her relentless fan dedication, successfully overshadowing the massive casting debacle for Vast Entertainnt’s grand wuxia drama.
Looking at the trending list, only one or two topics near the bottom were still related to Feng Yan, leaving Vast Entertainnt’s crew grinding their teeth in frustration.
“This Tang Shu sure knows how to stir things up! Even sothing that’s clearly a losing proposition—she goes ahead with it? What’s her ga?”
“What kind of celebrity uses their own money for fan events? It’s already a blessing to break even without charging for rch or posters. And here she cos, being such an outlier! How are we supposed to compete?”
“Fan events are spiraling out of control like this. Guess we’re all in for so pain down the line—”
“Hmph, just another attention grab!”
Several celebrities let their jealousy take full reign, shedding crocodile tears for themselves while embarking on the arduous task of pacifying their own fanbases.
***
When Starshine dia finalized the list of 1,000 lucky fans, Tang Shu’s na finally slipped off the trending board.
But predictably, Vast Entertainnt and Feng Yan instantly jumped to the top of the rankings, once again pushing the casting debacle to new heights of absurdity.
Though Tang Shu had retreated from the spotlight, her legend lingered in the industry, while other Starshine dia artists gradually erged one after another.
The Imperial dical College had begun its new sester.
After finishing three consecutive classes on Monday, Tang Shu bid farewell to her two friends and headed to the faculty housing. Professor Yu was already waiting for her in the study.
“Perfect timing—I was just about to call you.”
Professor Yu adjusted his glasses and pulled out a thick stack of docunts. It wasn’t an exaggeration; the pile looked like it could easily have over 200 pages.
Tang Shu accepted it, and upon seeing the familiar text on the cover, she imdiately knew what it was.
“The other research groups already finished their assignnts? That quickly?”
“Yes, all done. This is the condensed and revised version compiled by the dical College. They trimd a lot, but even so, it’s still fairly detailed.”
The docunt contained thorough cultivation, processing, and dicinal recipe details for five new rare herbs, including snow lotus, moon-facing grass, and full moon plant. The level of detail encapsulated a year’s worth of overti contributions from the entire research team.
It weighed more than gold.
Tang Shu paused for a mont of contemplation. “Are you asking to review it?”
But that didn’t seem quite right—if the dical College had already printed this as a template, it should soon be distributed anyway.
Professor Yu smiled. The gray streaks in his hair seed even more prominent under the sunlight. “The contents have already been verified by Professor Chen and ; no major issues. I needed you for a different matter.”
“Go ahead.”
“These herbs are exceptionally rare, and currently, only your Tang Village has managed to cultivate them successfully. The dical College wants you, under your alias ‘She and Yu,’ to record a few videos on the processing techniques. I’m here to hear your thoughts on this.”
When he ntioned this, Professor Yu’s gaze carried a tinge of amazent. He still found it unbelievable that the once-talented student he had taken under his wing had reached such heights.
What had he said at the ti? Sothing about asking the young woman to call him ‘master?’
Recalling his earlier impulsive words, Professor Yu felt his face heat up. If Tang Shu had actually agreed back then, it would’ve been utterly embarrassing—for in her journey of learning traditional dicine, she had not only exceeded all expectations but had also often given him fresh inspiration.
Good thing she never called him that…
Tang Shu’s focus remained on the docunt in her hands, not noticing Professor Yu’s increasingly conflicted expression.
“Sure, it’s no big deal.”
Most dical Colleges were already using educational videos under her alias, explaining dicinal herbs. Adding a few more wouldn’t take much extra ti.
Professor Yu had anticipated this answer and nodded in satisfaction.
“Thank you. The dical College says you can directly join the research departnt after graduation, and they’ll even reserve a position for you.”
“Uh… I actually prefer to take the exams myself.”
As for the job offer, Tang Shu thought she might enjoy working independently more.
But for now, she decided to hold back from saying so—lest Professor Yu find it hard to accept…
“Planning to try this year?”
“Yes, I’ve been preparing and will register along with my classmates in the second half of the year.”
“That’s a good idea. Go for it—the exam shouldn’t be too difficult for you. By the way… about the Gu insects—I heard a few old friends ntion it during Lunar New Year. What’s the story?”
Hearing this, Tang Shu thought to herself, No surprise, the traditional dicine circle is indeed small. She also marveled at Professor Yu’s knack for staying inford.
She selectively disclosed what was appropriate to share, engaging in an exchange of ideas with the senior scholar regarding the use of Gu insects in dicine.
By the ti Old Madam Yu called them to dinner—she had prepared smoked at and fungi Tang Shu had brought over—the setting sun was already dipping below the horizon.
***
At the end of January, the dical College released a groundbreaking announcent that left the entire dical field stunned.
As for this year’s students, whether they were undergraduates or pursuing their third year of graduate studies, their initial shock quickly gave way to collective despair. The universal reaction was akin to the expression from the famous painting *The Scream.*
Sothing big had happened! The curriculum had been updated—again and again and again and again!!!
“This is the end of ! Wasn’t it bad enough to endure textbook changes the year before last—and again last year? Now it’s happening all over again at the start of this year?!”
“What kind of karmic debt did our batch rack up? Why does everything keep landing on us?”
“And the worst part? This ti, there’s more than 200 pages…”
“This isn’t a curriculum revision—it’s practically an entirely new book!”
“Say no more, my friend. Ti to hit the books.”
“We just started the sester, but why does it feel like we’re back in the gauntlet of the college entrance exams? Tell this isn’t real!”
“Hey, stop wailing, people. You think your stress level matches ours? We’re already drowning in the original material, and now cos a whole new book!”
…..
Thus began the widespread “who-has-it-worse” contests across dical schools, shining a blatant spotlight on academic misery. And sohow, Tang Shu’s na kept popping up among the contributors—though she was rely one of more than a hundred involved in compiling the content—making her the primary target of many students’ pent-up grievances.
Unnoticed, the pity contest gradually morphed into sothing else. By the ti Tang Shu learned about the latest developnt from Cheng Ranran, a *bounty order* had already been issued.
“What’s a bounty order?”
Is this supposed to be so martial arts drama?
Upholding the fine tradition of asking when in doubt, Tang Shu earnestly sought clarification from Ye Xiaohui.
Ye Xiaohui gave her a cryptic smile, full of foreboding mischief.
“Think of it as a grand paparazzi ambush outside your doorway.”
“???”
I’m pretty sure there’s a generation gap between us.
“Speak plainly.”
“Better you see for yourself.”
Ye Xiaohui logged into the campus forum and tossed her phone to Tang Shu. Tang Shu started scrolling, her eyes scanning page after page of student comnts, the weight of their collective resentnt nearly leaping off the screen.
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