Chapter 208: School Anniversary

After returning from the Blood Moon Planet, she quickly felt the impact of public opinion.

Though the people around her were the same as ever, restless factors floated in the air.

At an international conference, a reporter blocked her and asked her directly: "I heard you sent your own family to prison? May I ask if you used your power to influence judicial fairness?"

The female reporter before her was blonde, young, and ambitious; her flickering gaze fixed tightly on her, waiting for any word to spill from her mouth.

All the foreign leaders and officials present looked over; the hall, which should have been bustling after the meeting, was now strangely silent.

Yang Yi knew these reporters did not care how she answered; even if she did not answer, they would find corresponding angles to report.

These media outlets came with stances; their stances were influenced by background, traffic, commerce, politics, and many other factors; the only thing missing was the objectivity and fairness the media industry preached.

She should ignore these reporters as usual, as if they did not exist.

But she stopped, looked at her seriously; though she knew her answer meant nothing to them and would only excite them like sharks smelling blood, she still asked softly:

"Am I not human?"

Having said this, she herself seemed to find her response ridiculous, so she ignored the reporters excitedly swarming around and left on her own.

Putting aside the huge controversy and interpretation this response sparked on the internet and media, not long after Yang Yi returned, Feng Liancheng reported work and asked her: "Xicheng University is holding its thirtieth-anniversary celebration in three days and invited you as an outstanding alumnus to give a speech; are you going?"

"I don't really want to go." She paused for a moment and said.

"There has been a lot of public opinion about you recently; I suggest you go to maintain your image." Feng Liancheng's tone was sincere.

Recalling the scholarships and school funding she received during her studies, she thought for a while and forced a joke: "Alright. Since I'm famous, I should go back to my alma mater to show off, right?"

"Of course! If you wear brocade at night, isn't your fame wasted?" Feng Liancheng laughed: "Besides, it's not just showing off; your alma mater is proud of you, and even the country's various resources will tilt toward Xicheng University. These are real benefits."

"Then I'll leave the task of writing the speech to you."

"No way!" Feng Liancheng frowned and muttered, "Truly lifting a stone only to drop it on one's own foot..."

"Anyway, my accounts are in your hands; if you feel uncomfortable, just transfer some money from the accounts to your own bank card; consider it my overtime pay for you." Yang Yi patted his shoulder.

Feng Liancheng slapped her hand away. "How dare I!"

————

Three days later, Xicheng University's thirtieth-anniversary celebration.

This might be the most grand celebration in the school's history; the school administration invited the Minister of Education, the Municipal Party Secretary, the Mayor, and other leaders, academicians and experts, and famous alumnus representatives graduated from Xicheng University—of course, the most famous among them was Yang Yi.

Graduates of the School of Economics and Management from the 21st session gathered together, reunited after a long separation, greeting each other and excitedly discussing their recent situations.

"Why didn't Li Qingchun come? And what about Zhou Yifei?"

"I heard they died during the last alien creature invasion..."

Counting the heads, four or five were actually missing. Everyone sighed over it.

Finally, someone asked: "I heard Yang Yi is coming; has she arrived?"

The air fell silent for an instant, waiting for someone to answer.

"Even if she arrived, wouldn't she be received by the city leaders and school leaders? How would she bother with us little shrimp!"

"Why does that sound so sour? If you have the ability, go save the world too!"

"Liu Yupeng, the group chat said you awakened a C-level water control ability? Is it true?"

"Only C-level, not worth mentioning; far from enough!"

Far from whom, everyone knew clearly in their hearts.

"Class monitor, will Yang Yi come over?"

Qi Heng shook his head, indicating he had just arrived too.

Just as they were talking in a frenzy, they saw the crowd part like Moses dividing the sea, creating a passage; Yang Yi walked over, surrounded by the crowd.

"Everyone has arrived?" she said, looking at the crowd; as if afraid to appear cold, she added another sentence: "It seems I arrived late."

The school receptionist accompanying her immediately said: "Captain Yang said she wanted to catch up with everyone; she was held up by leaders and professors before and barely managed to get away to come over."

"Not late; we just arrived too." Qi Heng quickly said.

Just at this moment, everyone's voices quieted down, waiting only for her opening words to set the tone for what followed.

Yang Yi looked at faces that seemed familiar; these faces, carrying emotions of eagerness, expectation, envy... various emotions, gave rise to a strange feeling in her heart.

What am I doing here? She raised some doubts: Am I very familiar with them? Why are they looking at me so eagerly?

"Ah..." She tried hard to return to reality; facing these classmates who were both familiar and strange, she tried hard to appear a bit more friendly, and finally remembered a few empty and polite words: "Long time no see, everyone; how have you been these past few years?"

After saying this sentence, she finally found a bit of a feeling and pulled a chair to sit down on her own.

"Class monitor? Where are you working now?" She felt the word "working now" she used was very good, making her appear highly socialized, a bit like a worldly adult.

Everyone sat down, looking at Yang Yi in the crowd.

"Just at the family company, working for my dad." Qi Heng scratched his head embarrassedly. "No great achievements."

After saying a few words, the atmosphere finally became harmonious.

A male classmate, with a sigh and a hint of barely noticeable flattery, said: "Yang Yi, back then you were very solitary; we all thought you had very unique ideas; indeed, you are no ordinary person!"

Oh, "solitary"; so this is how they see me—maybe it's beautified; perhaps it should be called "invisible person," she thought.

Yang Yi turned to look at him; after a long time, she couldn't remember his name; a perceptive classmate nearby immediately reminded him without making a sound: "Zhang Feng, I heard you are now a teacher?"

"Being a teacher is good; teaching and educating people, cultivating the next generation for our country." She racked her brains to come up with a formal phrase.

"Yang Yi, how did you awaken your ability? Teach us!" Li Qianqian said jokingly. "Everyone envies you so much!"

"I don't know either; it just awakened inexplicably like that."

Yang Yi shook her head with a bitter smile. "The country is currently researching human awakening; when safe awakening can be achieved, it might be promoted to the public. Everyone, don't worry."

This news was no longer a secret among the upper echelons, but ordinary people were unclear. As soon as Yang Yi said it, everyone became excited, asking with many voices at once.

"Really? When will it start?"

"Safe awakening? Does it require human experimentation?"

"Roughly how long will we have to wait? My brother left in that disaster; I just want to awaken quickly so I can let my parents enjoy their old age..."

"It is still in the experimental phase; wait quietly! The state has its own plan and will implement it steadily." Yang Yi spoke a standard official platitude, regretting having shared this news.

To her, it was merely a comforting remark in casual conversation, but to them, it might be hope, even a promise.

Only then did she feel that she might not belong to their social stratum.

No wonder those in high positions have always been cautious in speech and action, fearing that some word of theirs would become a handle for others to use against them.