Chapter 26: Do you dare to prove that you know Jiu-Jitsu?(Part 2)

She could have done the same.

It wasn’t like she lacked the money.

Why hadn’t she thought of using this PR approach to change public opinion herself?

Now that Gu Zhaoping had done it first, even if she followed suit, it would just seem like she was copying.

It wouldn’t have the same impact anymore.

Seeing someone else successfully execute a clever idea before she could, she felt a sense of discomfort.

But for now, what mattered most was…

“System, what’s wrong with this supporting character?

Isn’t she supposed to be professional?

Shouldn’t she be acting like the old Gu Zhaoping constantly trying to make things difficult for me and creating situations where people would feel sorry for me?”

Feeling anxious, Ruan Nian was on the verge of a breakdown.

“My pity value has been stuck for so long.

Is this situation going to continue?”

The system was silent for a moment before replying: I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s going on either.

“Did you give her the wrong instructions?

She doesn’t seem to think that helping me should be her top priority!”

Ruan Nian was truly distressed.

“Does she actually believe she’s supposed to be the villainess, opposing me and making me look bad?”

“No!

She’s just a supporting character!

Everything she does should be to highlight my charm!”

The system remained silent for a while before replying: Dear Nian Nian, I will try reconnecting with her and clarify her mission again.

There may have been an error in the initial briefing.

Since it was still fixable, Ruan Nian took a deep breath and continued watching the show.

She couldn’t afford another loss like this.

On the screen, the self-introduction segment for Ruan Nian was now playing.

She simply smiled and greeted the audience, saying, “I’m Ruan Nian.”

She didn’t need to say anything else.

Her fame was already so high that everyone knew who she was.

Sure enough, the program immediately cut to another scene.

It was a behind-the-scenes clip of Ruan Nian telling the crew not to film her injury.

This footage had been secretly recorded, with a caption describing her as “dedicated and considerate.”

In the video, during the preparation for filming, Ruan Nian gently reminded a staff member,

“Please be careful not to capture my injury on camera.

I don’t want my fans to worry, and it might not look good for the production.”

The show’s text overlay read: “Oops, we accidentally leaked it. Sorry, Nian Nian~”

The comments section exploded with sympathy.

Oh my god, even in this state, she’s still thinking about others.

Nian Nian, we don’t need you to worry about us!

Just take care of yourself and rest well!

Exactly!

And her injury just got worse probably because she works too hard!

She’s so dedicated… Gu Zong must feel terrible seeing this.

Ruan Nian had been watching the comments with a soft smile.

But when her eyes landed on that particular comment, her expression suddenly stiffened.

Right…

She just remembered Gu Zong wasn’t actually appearing in this episode.

With such high expectations for his presence, if he didn’t show up in the end, the show’s overall popularity would take a hit.

Her face darkened slightly.

At that moment, the self-introduction segment ended, and the program moved on to showcasing each participant’s skills and expertise.

The audience quickly noticed something odd.

People started asking Where is Gu Zong?

Wasn’t this show hyped up as the only one that could get Gu Zong to make a public appearance?

Where was he?

An awkward silence spread in the comments section.

Was this a public embarrassment waiting to happen?

No, no let’s wait a bit longer.

Maybe Gu Zong was meant to be a surprise guest?

Ruan Nian clenched her teeth and shut her eyes.

She had already foreseen the result of this episode.

To salvage the situation, she needed to release some new interaction with Gu Zong something to generate media buzz.

Otherwise, the press would start claiming that her relationship with Gu Zong was falling apart.

They’d say that she would never truly marry into a wealthy family.

Gu Zong had been adamant about his stance.

Her only remaining strategy was to use Grandpa Gu as leverage.

If she could make it look like Gu Zong missed the show due to important family matters, that would be a reasonable excuse.

That way, it wouldn’t be too disappointing for the audience.

If people believed he was avoiding the show because of Gu Zhaoping, then leaving her alone to deal with Gu Zhaoping on her own would create instability in their CP’s public image.

The segment showcasing each participant’s skills finally circled back to Gu Zhaoping.

By now, people weren’t as dismissive of her as before.

Though no one openly admitted it, many viewers were actually looking forward to seeing what she could do.

What skills did a wealthy heiress with a double degree from a world-class university possess?

What had her life really been like?

Gu Zhaoping leaned casually against the sofa, her tone indifferent.

“In addition to my studies, I have trained in chess, jiu-jitsu, shooting, and astronomy & archaeology…”

A long string of words flowed smoothly from her mouth.

Silence.

This wasn’t just silence it was shock.

Everyone sitting in front of their TVs was stunned.

What did she just say?

What was Gu Zhaoping even talking about??

Was this something a human would say? Was she joking?

Damn, it felt like they had wandered into the wrong show as if they had mistakenly tuned into a business elite documentary instead of a reality show!

Even if someone were reading from a script, they’d still need time to memorize these achievements.

Some people would even struggle just to pronounce them correctly.

But Gu Zhaoping just casually listed them out as if they were her own credentials?

Even if she only slept two hours a day and spent every remaining minute working, studying, and developing new skills, it still wouldn’t be possible to achieve all of this!

Is this real? Is she just making stuff up? Please don’t tell me this is true if it is, then I suspect she secretly got her hands on a Time-Turner like Hermione!

Sure, successful people are usually multi-talented and can handle multiple tasks at once.

But this is too much!

Is she even human?

How are you all even questioning this?

Let me tell you straight I’m from XXX university, and I specialize in AAA and BBB.

Mastering just these two fields alone takes years of dedication.

It’s impossible for someone to achieve all of that in just a few years.

Honestly, whoever wrote her script clearly has no common sense.

It seems like they’ve never experienced what it’s actually like to live as an elite professional.

This is pure exaggeration.

Take this debate to Quora or XiaoHongShu (Little Red Book).

We don’t do this nonsense here.

…

Boom!

Shock!

The moment she finished speaking, the already highly anticipated show instantly hit a new peak in attention.

Some viewers were amused, others were skeptical, and a few were determined to verify the facts.

Someone had already posted screenshots showing their real-time searches:

I’m at Stanford right now.

I’m going to fact-check this in real time.

Let’s see if Miss Gu is telling the truth.

Wait… someone actually has connections?

Damn.

Is Gu Zhaoping about to crash and burn in record time?

This could be the fastest reputation collapse in the history of reality TV.

Is she aiming for a Guinness World Record?

Even Grandpa Gu, who had been sitting loyally in front of his television, was left completely dumbfounded.

For a long time, he sat frozen, his stiff neck slowly moving as he turned to look at the other equally stunned chess association elders sitting around him.

Cold sweat dripped from Grandpa Gu’s forehead.

“Granddaughter… no… I didn’t expect you to be THIS bold!”

He had always considered himself to be pretty good at talking big, but compared to her, he was nothing.

She had outdone him.

She had taken “talking big” to a whole new level!

Jujitsu? Astronomy? Archaeology? Shooting?

Was she seriously listing all of her hobbies as professional skills?

She wouldn’t be counting the few times she had visited the shooting range, right?

Or the time she paid millions to fire a tank shell during a tourist experience in a foreign country?

That was just a vacation activity!

Grandpa Gu pretended not to notice and continued watching the screen in silence.

The show was almost over, but the internet was exploding.

Everyone was obsessed with discussing Gu Zhaoping’s credentials.

Nobody even cared about the show’s other guests anymore.

After a while, Grandpa Gu reluctantly spoke up.

“Ahem.

Well, Zhaoping’s chess skills are undeniable.

The Chess Association has already confirmed that her solution to the puzzle was the only correct one.

My granddaughter is indeed outstanding, truly outstanding.”

Clearing his throat, Grandpa Gu put on a serious face.

One of the chess association elders finally snapped out of his shock and said,

“Oh, hahaha!

Yes, Miss Zhaoping is indeed impressive!

We just… never knew she had so many talents!

Truly, we must not underestimate her.”

Grandpa Gu kept up his calm facade, but inside, he was sweating buckets.

(Zhaoping… I can vouch for your chess skills, but what if they find out the rest is fake?

What are you going to do then??)

He discreetly wiped his imaginary sweat from his forehead and muttered under his breath,

“How long until the official certification arrives?”

The chess association president chuckled.

“Just a few more days.

It should be fully confirmed within a week.”

Grandpa Gu exhaled in relief.

“Alright.

Just one week.

Zhaoping, you’ll have to hold on until then.”

But at that very moment…

The internet suddenly erupted with a shocking claim:

FAKE!!

IT’S ALL FAKE!

GU ZHAOPING IS COMPLETELY LYING!

My friend was her college classmate and knew her personally.

Gu Zhaoping is not athletic, hates working out, and has no sports expertise whatsoever.

We even have video proof of her struggling against Gu Zhaoyue in a past altercation.

She has zero combat skills!

Gu Zhaoping, how desperate are you to show off?

You’re literally making things up at this point.

Do you really think you can get away with lying about something so easy to expose?

If you’re so confident, prove it!