Zombie Bodyguard-Chapter 1615 - 1612: Truly Unjust

"Senior, do you believe it was a circuit trip?" Lin Tian asked indifferently.

"I... I’ll make a call to check." Yang Lin hesitated, no longer daring to believe in the fairness of this voting.

She took out her phone to make a call, and a minute later, she put it down with a somewhat shifting expression: "Junior, they said it’s an issue of a circuit trip."

There was no need to ask; Lin Tian already knew this would be the outcome. If they really wanted to alter the data, though Yang Lin was the backend manager, she was merely a student and had no right to know about these things.

About ten minutes later, the stage lights gradually lit up, and the projected images reappeared on the curtain.

Seeing the voting data on the screen, the students erupted into a hubbub, as the previously leading solo guqin performance was shockingly overtaken by Bitong, while the rest of the program saw little change.

Now Bitong was in first place, Xiao Manxuan in second. This result was hard for the students to accept. Lin Tian glanced at Yang Lin, whose face was very unpleasant.

The host checked the time and announced loudly, "Alright, the voting time is over, closing the voting channel."

With the host’s words, all voting data was frozen, unable to be changed.

"We don’t believe it; someone tampered with the backend data!" A voice shouted from the audience.

"We protest; we want a revote..."

One by one, students stood up to protest the voting results, creating a chaotic scene. This was what one would call public outrage! The host on stage had never encountered such a scene; no one listened to her, no matter what she said.

The leaders in the front row looked even more displeased. A perfectly good event turned into this; it was most embarrassing for the school’s leaders. One middle-aged man took out his phone, made a call, and shouted angrily, "Idiot, what have you done? If this isn’t handled properly, bring me your resignation letter and get lost!"

A group of leaders shook their heads and left early, feeling vexed by the situation and utterly embarrassed.

As soon as the middle-aged man’s call ended, a man hurriedly ran up to the stage. He was about thirty, dressed in a suit, his hair slicked back neatly, though his face was stern with anger.

Once on stage, the suited man grabbed the host’s microphone and shouted loudly to the audience, "All class teachers and class leaders, please maintain your class’s order immediately. Anyone who disobeys management or disrupts the venue’s discipline will receive a disciplinary record!"

The threat of a disciplinary record was stern, as it would go into the students’ files. However, it proved effective, and under the management of the class teachers and leaders, the scene soon calmed down.

"Not bad, this teacher has some skills." Lin Tian smirked faintly, though his smile carried a hint of sarcasm, as he believed this teacher was involved in altering the voting data.

He was the head of this event; without his approval, who would dare to alter the data? Likely, when inviting the star performer, there was an agreement to ensure the star’s dignity. Based on past experiences, it should have gone smoothly because no student could compete with the star’s popularity, making intervention unnecessary for the star to secure first place.

Who knew that this year a guqin performance and Xiao Manxuan emerged? The mysterious guqin, along with Manxuan’s unparalleled performance, captivated everyone, surpassing Bitong in popularity.

Faced with such a situation, the person in charge was naturally unwilling, as he had no way to account to the star Bitong, thus sacrificing Xiao Manxuan. As for whether Xiao Manxuan felt wronged, the person in charge did not consider it at all, deeming her just a first-year student who couldn’t compare to a big star.

"Students, I completely understand your feelings, but you must believe in the voting system; this is a fair and just result..." The suited man insisted that there was no issue with the voting results, speaking confidently and without blushing.

After finishing his statement, the suited man signaled to the host, who then announced the voting results immediately.

"According to the voting results, the first place goes to Miss Bitong, second place to Xiao Manxuan..." The host read out the top ten winners with trepidation.

The third place was street dance, the fourth place was a skit, the fifth place was ethnic dance, the sixth place was flute...

Bitong undoubtedly "secured" first place, while Xiao Manxuan was forcibly pushed down to second place. Although second place sounded good, Lin Tian wasn’t happy at all. The only comfort was that Qiao Xiaoyi surprisingly got sixth place.

With the results announced, the students dared not speak further, as the suited man’s threat loomed over them, with the disciplinary consequences intimidating the freshmen greatly.

Upon seeing the results declared, the outcome settled, the suited man swiftly left the stage. Lin Tian’s eyes flickered coldly as he silently turned to leave.

Xiao Manxuan quickly caught him, shaking her head slightly, "Lin Tian, let it be. Though it’s a bit regrettable, I don’t want to end up in the spotlight. Do you want me to be the center of attention wherever I go?"

Although Lin Tian said nothing, Xiao Manxuan saw through his thoughts. This kind of mutual understanding eased most of Lin Tian’s anger.

"Junior, let it go. What’s done is done. Going there won’t help; they’ll staunchly deny any data manipulation, and you can’t change that," Yang Lin also advised, somewhat dejected.

Xiao Manxuan glanced at Lin Tian, smiling bitterly inside. What couldn’t this troublemaker change? If left alone, he might puncture a hole in the sky.

As they were talking, a female student ran over, hastily saying, "Sister Lin, the teacher called for a meeting immediately."

Yang Lin nodded, glanced at Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan, and left with the female student.

"Let’s go too," Xiao Manxuan said cheerfully, unaffected by the earlier incident.

Lin Tian had no desire to linger further. Upon returning to the dressing room, most of the students had already left. Bitong and her bodyguards had long departed, as she had no wish to stay in a place without air conditioning.

Helping Manxuan carry the guqin, Lin Tian left the dressing room with her. The corridor was quiet, and as they passed a room with the door ajar, conversation could be heard inside.

"No discussions or dissemination about today’s event. Each of you must convey this to your respective classes. Moreover, notify all major forum moderators on campus to delete any posts discussing the welcome party’s voting results. Positive, uplifting news articles are allowed, but no false and negative posts are permitted."

Lin Tian immediately recognized this voice; it belonged to the suited man who had just been on stage.

"Positive energy..." Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan exchanged a smile.

Suddenly, Lin Tian realized something. The guqin had gained enough attention, as Xu Feibai mentioned, and this might not be a good thing. Perhaps it would all settle down, which might be beneficial—let them cause a ruckus if they wish.

Both were broad-minded individuals who no longer cared and walked out of the auditorium door, where an old man seemed to be waiting for someone at the entrance.