Howard slammed his phone down. "Riley's just a girl, and they're cursing her like this? What the hell is wrong with these people?"
"Wait—what's with Class One?" someone else cut in.
They scrolled.
The top comments were no longer just targeting Riley.
Now it was Class Seven.
Calling them dead weight. Trash. Saying Riley had colluded with them to steal exam papers—and that the entire class should be expelled.
The replies were even worse.
[Class Seven is garbage. They shouldn't even be at IU. Kick them out. Don't let one rotten apple ruin the whole batch.]
[They cheated and stole exam papers. Disgusting behavior. Throw them all out!]
Someone tapped into the profiles.
Class One.
That was the final straw.
Class Seven exploded.
We don't provoke trouble—but we don't run from it either.
If you come for us, we hit back.
Henry's fingers flew across the screen as he dropped a message into the class group and tagged everyone.
[Henry: Brothers, they're dragging Class Seven for no reason. Let's go. If they started it, we finish it. No mercy—pin them down and crush them. @all]
The replies came instantly.
[Got it. Let's wreck them.]
[Say less. Smash Class One.]
[Finally. I've been waiting for this.]
Within seconds, a pack of fired-up boys stormed into action.
Flooding the comments, controlling the narrative, firing back.
Under the top trending post, Class Seven hit back hard.
[Skipper: Acting like the university belongs to you? Go ahead, expel us if you can.]
[ClassSevenHunk: Buddha says everything exists for a reason. Buddha says don't argue with idiots. Buddha also says—damn it, even Buddha can't take this anymore!]
[ImYourDad: I love how you hate me but can't do a thing about it. Come find me in Class Seven if you've got the guts.]
They moved as one.
Liking, boosting, pushing their comments straight to the top.
Class One's students faltered almost instantly.
Their momentum collapsed.
They went silent.
Howard dropped another command in the group:
[Howard: I don't want to see a single Class One comment in the top 15. First rows—clear the cheating accusation. Back rows—dig up dirt on them. Return the favor. Move! @all]
Downstairs, Riley sat on the couch, snacking leisurely.
Watching everything unfold.
Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
Not bad.
Sure enough, Henry and the others had completely taken over the top comments within minutes.
The first three posts now laid out the truth behind the exam leak.
Clear surveillance screenshots.
And Henry even dropped a video link.
Footage of Vice President York investigating Class Seven.
But cleverly, Riley had been edited out.
Only the final conclusion remained.
And Evan was never mentioned.
That was Class Seven's rule.
Handle your own fights. Don't drag others in.
Clear lines.
No fear.
Riley silently gave them a mental thumbs-up.
Smart. Very smart.
***
Meanwhile, Howard and the others started tagging Vice President York directly—
Demanding a public apology.
The tone was aggressive.
Unyielding.
At first, the crowd had been biased against Class Seven.
But now, the evidence spoke.
They hadn't stolen exam papers.
They hadn't crossed the university's bottom line.
So people backed off.
Still dismissive.
Still prejudiced.
But quieter.
After all, a bunch of rich kids didn't seem like much of a threat anyway.
***
In his office, Vice President York stared at the notifications flooding in.
He was being tagged everywhere.
Asked for an apology
Again.
He had thought the matter was buried.
Now it was back and escalating fast.
His expression darkened.
He had never intended to apologize.
And Class Seven hadn't pushed for it before.
Yet now, because of this mess, he was being dragged right back into it.
Vice President York was livid. He slammed his desk and glared at Professor Lane. "Look at the mess your students has made! Why provoke those troublemakers from Class Seven in the first place?!"
Professor Lane sneered inwardly.
He had never liked Class Seven.
Now, seeing his own students getting pushed around, he felt just as angry—and blamed Class Seven for going too far.
He adjusted his expression and said, "Quentin, Class Seven has clearly crossed the line. Leading a public disturbance on the campus forum like this… I think disciplinary action is necessary. We don't expect them to bring glory to the university, but at the very least, they shouldn't embarrass it."
Vice President York's eyes flickered as he turned to Ethan. "Ethan, what do you think?"
Ethan pushed up his glasses. "I agree with Timothy. Class Seven is already a lower-tier class. Now they're stepping all over Class One—this could discourage our top students. Class One is your flagship class. If they perform well, this year's Outstanding Recognition will surely go to our team."
That was the line he had been waiting for.
Especially that last part.
Outstanding Recognition.
For five years straight, that honor has gone to President Langford and Sutherland's team.
We've been suppressed long enough.
And Class Seven?
They were admitted under Langford's authority.
The more trouble they cause, the worse it reflects on him.
A sly smile crept across Vice President York's face, though he quickly masked it with a stern expression.
"You're right. Class Seven clearly has issues with conduct—bullying classmates, causing disruptions. They must be dealt with."
Especially after he publicly humiliated me and demanded an apology.
Unacceptable.
Professor Lane added, "Not just Class Seven. Riley can't be spared either. With such a record, how can she represent the freshmen? I think the second-ranked candidate, Felicia, is far more suitable. She ranked in the top five on entrance exams and is well-rounded. That aligns with our selection standards."
The three reached an agreement.
They were just about to issue the disciplinary notice when a new post appeared on the forum.
And this time, it targeted Class One.
The post, created by an account named "HenryKing", was explosive.
It compiled screenshots of Class One insulting Class Seven—clear evidence of provocation.
Timestamps were highlighted.
And then a sharper, clearer video.
It showed Vice President York himself, confidently promising to restore the truth for Class Seven.
His words sounded polished.
Innocent.
Almost righteous.
But layered beneath them was pressure.
A threat.
If they could release one clip, they could release everything.
The message was obvious:
[Apologize or protect the student council president, Evan. Choose.]
Vice President York's face turned red with fury.
From a personal standpoint, he absolutely refused to bow to Class Seven.
But, Evan was Ethan's nephew.
And more importantly, he had already promised to release an apology statement.
Ethan's expression darkened as well.
The post had tagged him directly.
This wasn't subtle.
It was a direct threat.
With this post now circulating, Class One went silent.
No one dared respond.
The thread shot up to the second most trending spot.
"I'll have it deleted," Ethan said through clenched teeth, pulling out his phone to message Evan.
As a forum administrator, Evan had the authority to delete posts.
After all, Riley's smear post had been pushed to the top by him.
But this time, something was wrong.
It wouldn't delete.
Ethan's face turned grim.
"We overlooked something," he said slowly. "Class Seven… knows tech. Evan says he can't remove the post."
Professor Lane and Vice President York both sucked in a breath.
Silence fell.
After a long hesitation, they gave in.
Reluctantly, grudgingly they drafted an official apology and pinned it to the university's homepage.