Chapter 122: Ten Thousand Refusals

Not long after seeing the two apology statements, Chen Qi received a call from the middle-aged man. The man told him that the 4S dealership had just contacted him, agreeing to replace his car with a new one. If he accepted, he could go handle the formalities the next day.

It seemed the man was seeking his advice, but Chen Qi offered none. Matters like this were not something he felt comfortable advising on. As far as he was concerned, persuading the 4S dealership to compromise meant his role was finished. Whether the man chose to replace or return the car was up to him—as long as he was satisfied, Chen Qi had no preference.

Seeing Chen Qi had no suggestions, the man didn’t press further and expressed his heartfelt gratitude. In his words, if not for Chen Qi’s help, he would have had no choice but to accept the repair plan, swallowing his grievances.

After hanging up, Chen Qi couldn’t help but smile. He had to admit, the 4S dealership’s crisis management was impressive—they responded swiftly as soon as they saw the official news reports.

By a little past eleven the next morning, the dealership publicly announced their new resolution: they had replaced the man’s car with a brand-new one and offered three years of free maintenance. The new car was prepared that very day, and the man drove it home immediately—the efficiency was almost frightening.

What was amusing, however, was that even with this outcome, netizens still harbored no fondness for the dealership. Online, it was a field of relentless mockery; arrogance remained their defining trait.

More interesting still, the dealership apologized to many but ignored Chen Qi entirely. He wasn’t surprised in the least. If they actually called him to apologize, it would be nothing short of miraculous. He suspected that at this point, they probably wished they could wring his neck. Thanks to his interference, while the manufacturer’s stance was unclear, the dealership’s reputation was undoubtedly ruined. They probably weren’t sure whether the business could continue at all. Even if it did, there would likely be no customers for a long time.

But none of this interested him any longer. For him, the matter was over.

After skimming through the news, Chen Qi thought of something and eagerly opened the system, eyes fixed on the bottom right corner of the virtual screen.

Destruction Value: 123.

Staring blankly at the number, Chen Qi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He remembered clearly that yesterday’s destruction value was 23. In other words, the 4S dealership incident had earned him a hundred points.

Only a hundred points?

Wasn’t that a bit too little?

The second folder required ten thousand points to unlock. At this sluggish pace, he wondered if he’d ever open it in his lifetime.

He sat dumbfounded for quite a while, then sighed deeply, shook his head in resignation, and put away the virtual screen.

Forget it. He should be content with a hundred points. Last time, plagiarizing “World of Immortals” had taken enormous effort and only netted him eleven points; this time, a hundred was already generous.

After sitting a little longer and seeing that it was nearly noon, he got up to head out—there was still a big task he had to take care of.

Just then, his phone rang.

Chen Qi assumed it was another friend calling. After yesterday’s press conference, both Xu Man and Zhao Qingqing had called, clearly startled by the event and his subsequent statements. According to them, they felt they needed to get to know him all over again.

So, he figured this call was from another friend surprised by recent events. But when he checked the caller ID, he froze.

Professor Song?

Which Professor Song?

Chen Qi’s expression turned serious. He had no idea who this Professor Song was.

He hesitated about answering. Judging from the “teacher” label, the caller was probably a professor at Jinghua University. But why would a professor from Jinghua be calling him? Had yesterday’s events reached the faculty?

When he was investigating himself earlier, he’d obtained a list of classmates but hadn’t thought to get one for the faculty. What now?

After half a minute of deliberation, he gritted his teeth and answered. He still respected the teaching profession.

“Professor Song?”

“Yes, it’s me. I hope I’m not disturbing you?” A hearty voice came from the other end.

“Not at all,” Chen Qi replied quickly.

Professor Song laughed and began by saying he’d seen news of Chen Qi’s actions at the 4S dealership yesterday.

Chen Qi gave an awkward laugh, unsure what to say.

Professor Song offered some official-sounding praise, then explained the purpose of his call. The new semester would start in five or six days, and as usual, Jinghua University was preparing a welcome event for the incoming freshmen. Professor Song wanted Chen Qi to attend and, as a senior, give a speech to the new students—something to inspire them with positive energy.

Inside, Chen Qi was screaming in protest.

For one thing, he didn’t even know how many gates Jinghua University had, let alone dare set foot there. He wasn’t familiar with the campus at all—he didn’t even know which way to walk. Wouldn’t he be walking into disaster?

And what if he ran into a familiar professor and failed to recognize them? That would be a nightmare.

No, he couldn’t go. Absolutely not.

“Um…” His mind raced, and he put on a troubled expression, explaining that he would be leaving the capital in a couple of days and already had his schedule set. It was a flawless excuse—he was in the process of preparing a film.

“I see…” Professor Song’s tone carried a hint of disappointment. “Well, if you’re not available, never mind. I should have contacted you earlier. Go ahead and focus on your work; perhaps there will be another opportunity in the future.”

“Alright, thank you,” Chen Qi replied, greatly relieved.

After hanging up, he thought that when time allowed, he ought to quietly return to Jinghua and familiarize himself with the campus. Judging by Professor Song’s tone, there would surely be a next time. He could refuse once, twice, even three times, but continuously turning them down wasn’t a solution.

Besides the campus itself, he also needed to learn more about the professors he’d encountered there.

Thinking of all this made Chen Qi feel weary; just imagining it was exhausting.

Forget it—he’d deal with it when he had both the time and the inclination.

He pushed these thoughts aside and went out to tackle his other big task.