The official apology hit Class One like a slap to the face.
Professor Lane's expression turned ugly. "That's one issue. But Riley still has all those scandals. Just because she's ranked first, are we really going to let a fool represent the University? Don't forget—the freshman representative gets recommended to the Academic Committee."
Vice President York frowned.
A fool representing the University?
Unacceptable.
But the rules had always been clear—first place in the vote becomes the freshman representative.
They couldn't just go back on that.
After a long discussion in the office, they finally came up with a solution.
A second vote.
A direct showdown between Riley and Felicia.
After all, the two of them were far ahead of everyone else and the most controversial.
So, immediately after the apology notice, Vice President York released another announcement:
Both candidates' votes would be reset and an external voting system would open.
The decision would be made through a livestream showdown.
***
The announcement sent the forum into chaos.
Some cheered.
Some stayed silent.
Some were furious.
[Hahaha, the school made the right call. A fool can't represent the University. Let the public vote—I'm backing Felicia!]
[The University had no choice. Class Seven cheated with paid votes anyway. Felicia should've been first from the start.]
[This is basically the University telling Class Seven to back off. Stop embarrassing yourselves by pushing a fool forward. LOL, this is so satisfying.]
The students from Class One, still bitter from being crushed earlier, jumped back in, gloating.
With Riley's smear post still circulating, and now this livestream PK added on, it was obvious.
The University was leaning toward Class One.
***
Class Seven exploded with chaos.
"This is straight-up targeting! What the hell?!"
Felicia had already built a following through her girl group audition show and her past as a small-time influencer.
In a livestream battle, the outcome seems obvious.
Riley didn't stand a chance.
Worst of all, the showdown is scheduled for tonight.
8 p.m.
***
That was it.
The final straw.
The more biased the system looked, the more it ignited Class Seven's rebellious streak.
Henry frowned, then spoke decisively:
"If they're breaking the rules, we don't have to play nice either. No classes tonight. At 8 PM, everyone from Class Seven gets into the livestream. Change your profile pictures to Riley's. Show them who we are."
He paused, then smirked.
"Livestream PK is all about spending money, right? Fine. I've never been afraid of that."
"Let's go all in."
***
On the couch, Riley choked on her snack.
Wait—what?
I'm being dragged into a livestream now?
Who came up with this nonsense?
Anyone hearing this would think it's ridiculous.
But I can't refuse.
My name has already been signed up.
If I don't show…
It'll look like I'm guilty.
Riley leaned back, exasperated.
Unbelievable.
***
Meanwhile, Felicia was thrilled. She had just finished appealing to her fans, asking for support in her variety show voting when the school's notice came in.
A livestream PK against Riley at 8 PM.
If I win, I'd become the freshman representative.
Her eyes lit up.
This was her moment.
Felicia's eyes gleamed with excitement.
In a livestream battle, she had absolute confidence she could crush Riley.
The only uncertainty was the students of Class Seven.
If they stepped in and started throwing money around, her fanbase wouldn't stand a chance.
Still, the excitement stayed.
Only she let a trace of worry surface on her face.
Her eyes glistened as she spoke softly to her viewers.
"My dear fans… tonight at 8, I'll be doing a livestream PK with a classmate from my university—Riley. It's related to the freshman representative vote. If you're interested, come join me."
She paused, lowering her gaze slightly.
"Honestly… I already lost the vote to her. I don't know why they're making us PK again…"
The tone was subtle.
Ambiguous.
But it worked instantly.
The comments flooded in.
[What happened?]
[Why do you look upset?]
Felicia gave a small, helpless smile.
"Maybe… Riley really wants to be the freshman representative. So Class Seven helped her by spending money to boost her votes."
She sighed softly.
"But because of her condition… the University is probably in a difficult position. That's why they arranged this PK."
She looked up again, her expression calm but tinged with quiet resilience.
"I don't really care who becomes the representative. But since it involves the school's reputation… I'll still do my best."
She placed herself perfectly on the weaker side.
And just like that the chat exploded into chaos.
The fans began to defend Felicia.
[I just checked the campus forum. She's PK-ing against some problematic 'fool' from a bad class? Seriously? This is ridiculous. You have to win this, Felicia!]
[Exactly! Doesn't that idiot have any self-awareness? Don't worry, we'll make sure you become the freshman rep!]
[All for Felicia! Stay strong! We've got your back!]
The fans' morale in the livestream soared.
Felicia's lips curved slightly, a flash of satisfaction in her eyes.
Then she ended the stream and waiting for 8 PM.
***
At dinner, Riley was unusually quiet.
She ate without her usual chatter.
Adrian noticed.
She must be worried about the upcoming livestream.
From a neutral standpoint, Felicia is the better choice for freshman representative.
But that doesn't mean I'll tolerate others stepping all over her.
It's about time someone reminds Imperial University where the line is.
***
By the time Riley finished eating, it was already 7:30 PM.
She brushed off her clothes, looking completely relaxed, and headed upstairs to prepare.
***
At 7:50 PM., Felicia went live first.
As a small influencer on the QuickFin Live with over 100,000 followers, her stream was immediately pushed by the platform.
Within seconds, there were 20,000 viewers joined the livestream.
Her smile deepened.
Soon, her fans poured in.
Five minutes later, 50,000 viewers.
Watching the numbers climb, her mood soared.
I can already imagine how badly Riley will lose.
Even if Class Seven backs her, without network access, none of it will matter.
Let's see how you win this.
***
Just as Felicia predicted, the network at Imperial University went down completely.
No signal.
No connection.
Henry and the others tried everything.
Nothing worked.
"Damn it!" someone cursed. "Of all times for the network to go down. Why now?!"
"Without internet how are we supposed to support Riley?"