Chapter 6 — The 'Poor' Girl Who Got Expelled

Madam Lam, relying on a single screenshot is hardly sufficient evidence; names can easily be shared, and without an on-site investigation, reaching a definitive conclusion would be premature.

Xu Nguyen immediately adopted an air of aggrieved innocence. I am perfectly willing to submit to a real investigation! But I cannot endure these malicious attempts to smear my reputation with fabricated images!

If she could only buy herself some time, she would return home and beg her parents to liquidate their assets to patch the holes in her lies. But I had no intention of giving her such an opportunity.

Is that so? Then, everyone, please take a look at this.

I clicked the mouse, advancing the slide. On the large screen appeared a video recording of an online transaction alongside two photos of shipping labels. If your father simply shares the same name, then is this, too, merely a coincidence?

The recording showed that just two nights ago, while the online discourse regarding her situation was at its peak, Xu Nguyen’s verified account had pre-ordered a high-end, latest-model smartphone worth twelve thousand yuan. The accompanying shipping label bore her name, her phone number, and the address for the university mailroom. The product description was clear: a luxury skincare set valued at thirty-eight hundred yuan.

On one hand, you are weeping online, claiming you do not even have enough to eat. On the other, you are using hands that you claim are chapped and bleeding from the cold to unbox a four-thousand-yuan cosmetic set and purchase a phone costing over ten thousand.

I looked directly at her. Tell me, do the impoverished villagers in your hometown use luxury creams to moisturize their feet?

Ah! Shut up! Stop showing that! Turn it off! Turn it off right now!

Xu Nguyen lost all composure, screaming as she lunged toward the podium to rip out the USB drive. Hold her down!

Two male students rushed forward, pinning her arms firmly. Xu Nguyen struggled violently, kicking off one of her shoes and revealing perfectly manicured feet. The tattered shoes were a fraud. The poverty was a fabrication. Even the desperation was a lie. The reporters in the back captured every second of the scene. I looked at Xu Nguyen and pressed the Enter key, unleashing the final piece of evidence. A recording from her own private fan group echoed through the lecture hall:

The post about the mother breaking her daughter's arm has really taken off, hasn't it?

Haha, exactly. In the future, when we secretly film those stupid autistics, we have to use the most terrifying filters possible.

We have to make them look like uncontrollable lunatics. Those hypocritical people on the internet love that kind of content the most!

As long as we make a scene, those millions of views will turn into real money through product endorsements!

And that idiot roommate of mine—whether she has an episode or not, what does that have to do with me?

The recording left the entire room in shock. Beyond feigning poverty, the audio exposed her true, bottomless greed. The lecture hall erupted. Those who had previously donated to her cause were now seething with the fury of the betrayed.

How wicked! Is she even human? She has absolutely trampled on our empathy!

You fraud! Give us our money back! Put her in prison!

Get out of this school! You are a disgrace to the student body!

The head of the board was shaking with rage, his lips turning a pale purple. He stood up, grabbed her poverty verification document, tore it in half, and cast the pieces onto the floor. The dean of the department slammed his hand on the table and stood up. Contact the police immediately!

Notify security to detain her and turn her over to the authorities! Initiate the expulsion process at once!

This university will never tolerate a criminal who falsifies national documents and lacks even the most basic shred of morality!

Two security guards entered and hauled the now-limp Xu Nguyen to her feet. She covered her face and broke into hysterical, ragged sobs. I pulled out the USB drive and stepped down from the podium. As I passed Xu Nguyen, I paused.

You once swore a solemn oath that if you lied even once, you would drop out of school yourself.

I looked at her and continued, Look, now the school has helped you leave with such spectacular dignity. From the moment you decided to monetize the illnesses of others, you should have foreseen this day.

Less than three days later, the official notice was posted on the bulletin board. Xu Nguyen had been expelled for suspicion of document forgery, subsidy fraud, and spreading rumors. The school journalists wrote a front-page expose on her actions, which sparked a massive outcry in society. After receiving numerous reports, the short-video platform permanently banned her account. The millions of followers she had accumulated vanished overnight. Because of the fraud investigation, she was forced to repay every cent she had scammed and now faced full criminal prosecution. The academic advisor who had assisted her in the forgery was severely disciplined and reassigned to the archives department.

On the afternoon Xu Nguyen left the school, the sky was heavy and overcast. I had gone to fetch hot water, leaving Nien Nien to wait in the pavilion downstairs. When I returned, I saw Xu Nguyen blocking Nien Nien’s path. Her face was twisted with hatred, her hands reaching out to grab the girl by the collar.

It’s all because of a fool like you! Who gave you the right to have a single room! You are the one who ruined my dreams of becoming famous!