Chapter 3

Portia sensed something immediately.

"It seems your family is just as surprised by this decision? Ethan, is it something you can't talk about?"

When I heard the words "can't talk about", my heart tightened. I looked at the camera, knowing that millions of people might be watching the live broadcast right now.

"No one is pressuring me, and there are no problems at home," I answered.

"As the state's top scorer, your choice will influence many younger students. Don't you think you owe everyone a more reasonable explanation?"

I looked at her stern expression and felt a wave of helplessness. "I have nothing more to say."

An awkward silence fell over the room.

Portia glanced at her colleagues, then turned to the camera and said, "Dear viewers, we're live right now with Ethan Walker, the state's top scorer. Unfortunately, he refuses to reveal the real reason he's giving up Easton and Northbridge. The choice is certainly puzzling.

"Our live coverage ends here. Thank you for watching."

She signaled the cameraman to cut the feed, then looked at me. "Ethan, your answer is very disappointing. I hope you won't regret today's choice in the future."

With that, the reporters gradually left the room.

Uncle Leonard shook his head while scrolling through his phone.

"Ethan, do you know how many people were watching that live broadcast? Probably millions! And they'll all be thinking that you've gone crazy!"

Sure enough, it didn't take long before the Internet exploded.

Uncle Leonard scrolled through the comments, his face growing darker by the minute.

"The comments are flooding in, and almost all of them are criticizing you."

He read out the most-liked comments, "This is what today's youth are like—they don't know how to cherish opportunities!

"He's wasting educational resources! He should be stripped of the top-scorer title!

"I bet he's trying to be an Internet celebrity. How disgusting!

"A person like him doesn't deserve the title of top scorer. Apologize to all the other examinees!

"It's his upbringing. How on earth did his parents raise him?

"This is a classic example of a person who has book smarts but no real capability!"

As he continued reading, Uncle Leonard noticed that some people had already started doxxing our home address. Some even said they wanted to come to our house to demand an explanation.

At that, Mom's face turned pale with fear, and Dad panicked as well.

I looked at their expressions, filled with despair, and I knew that this was only the beginning.

Online violence was like an avalanche—once it started, it was almost impossible to stop. And an even bigger storm was brewing.

…

The next day, the harassment reached a frenzied level. Our address had been exposed online.

Early in the morning, a large crowd of reporters and angry people gathered at our doorstep, holding up banners that read "Wasting Educational Resources Makes You the Public Enemy!" and "Brain-dead Top Scorer—Get Out of the Education Sector!"

Mom didn't dare step outside at all and spent the entire day crying. Dad took the day off and stayed at home, but his face grew darker and darker.

Uncle Leonard was even suspended from the Department of Education for an investigation. They said they needed to thoroughly investigate whether there was anything wrong with our family.

"Ethan Walker!" Dad finally exploded. "Look at the mess we're in now! Our whole family is going to be destroyed because of you! How long are you going to keep hiding the truth?"

Mom cried, "Ethan, I'm begging you. Just tell us the truth! If this continues, we won't be able to survive!"

I peeked through the curtains. The crowd outside was massive—reporters, people, and even some parents with their children. All of their faces were filled with anger.

Suddenly, someone started banging on the door.

"Ethan Walker! Come out! My son scored 1540 on the SAT, but he couldn't get into Easton! What gives you the right to waste the opportunity? Come out and apologize! Apologize to all the examinees!"

The banging grew louder, and someone even started kicking the door. It shook under the heavy blows.

I knew that if I didn't act soon, the door would really break down. I took a deep breath and walked over.

"What are you doing?" Mom cried, grabbing my arm in panic.

"I'm going to explain things to them."

Dad's eyes widened. "Explain? What could you possibly explain?"

I saw the despair coloring their faces. I knew I had to say something to calm the crowd's anger.

I opened the door, and the chaos outside instantly stopped. Everyone stared at me, their eyes full of rage and suspicion.

Reporters raised their microphones and cameras.

"I know everyone is very angry, and I understand. I have to tell everyone the truth."

The crowd went completely silent. Everyone was waiting for my next words.

Gritting my teeth, I started to talk.