Chapter 36: The Reborn Song Jiaru

Xu Yunzhou began to provide real-time "tactical guidance" in her mind, his tone as calm as if commanding a battle:

"Attention, targets locked. Plan A, courtesy before use of force. Walk over, don't get stage fright, look straight at the other party. First sentence, inquire politely to occupy the moral high ground."

Song Jiaru took a deep breath. She straightened her slender yet hard-working back, and like a soldier marching onto the battlefield, walked toward those three "Old Masters" who were still shooting unscrupulously.

Her heartbeat drummed in her ears, but the support of "Big Brother" behind her made her eyes shed most of their panic, leaving only the determination of "breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats."

She walked in front of the man with the main lens, blocked his uncomfortable viewfinder, and spoke in a voice as steady as possible:

"Sir, may I ask if you were photographing me just now without my permission?"

Those three men were clearly stunned, their cameras pausing.

The one being questioned directly put down his "long gun."

A trace of embarrassment from being caught flashed across his face, but his experience mixing in the marketplace made him quickly pile on a greasy smile, attempting to muddle through:

"No, little sister, you misunderstood. We were just shooting the street scene, shooting the architecture. Look at how interesting the design of this Chunxi Road is..."

"Please stop shooting immediately, and delete all photos regarding me in your cameras."

Song Jiaru wasn't led off rhythm by him. Following Xu Yunzhou's guidance, her tone was resolute and decisive,

"Your behavior has already infringed upon my portrait rights and privacy rights. According to the relevant provisions of Article 42 of the 'Public Security Administration Punishments Law,' photographing or peering into others' privacy without the person's consent, or publicly insulting others, are all illegal acts."

She actually accurately recited the legal clauses!

With this, the faces of the three men completely changed, going from slick to alarmed and uncertain.

The pedestrians originally rushing by around them also began to slow down, stopping curiously to watch, and the sound of pointing and discussing gradually became clear.

Seeing the situation wasn't good, another man tried to resolve it by smoothing things over:

"Aiya, little girl, don't elevate this to the level of principles! We just thought your temperament was good and matched this scenery perfectly. Taking a few pictures as an artistic creation, absolutely no malicious intent! Look at you..."

"Whether there is malicious intent is a question of your motive! But photographing without permission is an established fact and an illegal act!"

Song Jiaru didn't yield at all. Her voice rose another pitch, her clear voice appearing exceptionally distinct in the relatively quiet outer area of the luxury stores, attracting more inquiring gazes.

She felt her palms sweating, but her back straightened even more,

"I demand you now, immediately, right now, delete all my photos in front of me! Otherwise, I will call the police to handle it immediately!"

The two words "call the police" were like an ultimate ultimatum. Coupled with the increasingly gathering crowd of onlookers and phone cameras, the three "Old Masters" completely lost face.

They exchanged panicked glances with each other. Under the watchful eyes of the masses, their bit of flaunting seniority and wretched intentions were completely exposed, appearing incomparably wretched.

"Delete! Delete! Delete! Deleting right now! What a big deal, is it really necessary..."

The face of the man from the very beginning turned green and white in alternating waves.

Muttering, he operated the expensive camera, brought up the photos, and under the supervision of Song Jiaru's burning gaze, reluctantly pressed the delete button.

The other two also sheepishly followed suit, their actions rough, clearly feeling they had completely lost face.

"Please check clearly, including burst shots and potentially existing backups, they must all be deleted clean."

Song Jiaru firmly remembered Xu Yunzhou's last instruction and added a sentence.

"Gone! Really gone! All deleted clean! Are we done?!"

The three almost exasperatedly put away their cameras. Ashamed and crestfallen, with hurried footsteps, they squeezed through the crowd and fled the scene.

Watching them disappear wretchedly into the sea of people, Song Jiaru's tightly strung nerves instantly relaxed. Only then did she feel that her back had already been soaked by a layer of fine cold sweat, and her legs were somewhat weak.

But immediately after, an unprecedented, massive feeling of refreshment and achievement surged up in her heart like a volcanic eruption!

She solved a big trouble relying on herself again!

And this time it was frontally clashing with older males who were harder to deal with, cunning, and possessed social experience!

This refreshing feeling of successfully defending her rights relying on her own knowledge, courage, and calmness, leaving the violators speechless and fleeing wretchedly, was simply more hearty and drippingly joyful than drinking iced cola on the hottest days of summer!

"Big Brother! Big Brother! Did you see? They ran away! The photos are all deleted! I succeeded!"

She screamed excitedly in her heart, like a jubilant little peacock that had won a victorious battle.

"[System Notification: Street Monster Farming (Elite Monster 'Old Master' x3) Quest completed! Rating: A+-Rank! The Host displayed outstanding adaptability, firm stance, and precise ability to utilize legal weapons in actual combat. Courage Value +10, Social Adaptability +15, Big Brother's Favorability +100.]"

Xu Yunzhou's voice finally carried explicit approval, although still restrained,

"Mhm, you handled it well this time. Logic clear, aura sufficient, legal clauses utilized appropriately. Remember this feeling. In the face of injustice and violation, calmness, knowledge, and courage are your sharpest weapons."

He paused, changed the subject, and issued a new command:

"Alright, monster farming is over. Physical strength consumption is huge, need to restore MP and HP. Next, go challenge a high-end buffet alone! The goal is—eat until the boss's heart aches! Make up for those few ounces of meat you lost for me!"

During the subsequent game time, Xu Yunzhou appropriately used the [Fast Forward] function, condensing the boring repetitive training process.

In the ensuing week of "real" time, he completely switched roles.

He was no longer the "guardian deity" who did everything on her behalf and possessed her at any time, but a "strategic observer" hidden behind the scenes.

Like throwing a sandbag, he continuously threw Song Jiaru into various social melting pots she once viewed as nightmares, letting her face them, adapt to them, and even conquer them alone.

He made her barge into the noisy morning wet market alone, learning to bargain with shrewd vendors;

He forced her to attend an offline book sharing club, muster up courage, and express her personal insights on a book she had read under the gaze of everyone;

He even made her try being a simple volunteer, helping to guide directions in a park where people came and went, although most of the time she just stood there quietly holding a sign.

Of course, the training list also did not lack more challenging "instances":

[Billiards Hall Solo Challenge] (Successfully played a whole game alone in the corner, completely ignoring the inquiring gazes and unclear whispers of a few boys at the next table, as focused as if participating in the World Championships.)

[Quiet Bar Refusing Pick-ups Actual Combat] (Under "Big Brother's" remote guidance, using a sentence "I'm waiting for someone, it's inconvenient" coupled with a cold gaze, successfully repelled two waves of "flies" coming to hit on her.)

[Amusement Park Roller Coaster Screaming Release] (Although she was so scared she kept her eyes tightly closed and gripped the handrails tightly the whole time, she felt a lightheartedness of breaking through shackles after coming down.)

[Haunted House Courage Limit Test] (Less than three minutes after going in, she was scared by the NPCs and ran out screaming. It was considered the only failed activity, but at least she dared to buy a ticket and go in. Xu Yunzhou internally: Fuck, I wouldn't dare go in alone either.)

The effects were significant and gratifying.

That girl who once dodged gazes like a frightened little deer and retreated blushing at the slightest provocation, seemed to have been injected with a resilient soul.

Although she would still be somewhat uncomfortable when facing strangers, she had already learned to control her breathing, straighten her back, and try hard to express her needs and thoughts with a clear voice.

She began to be willing to proactively look into other people's eyes; although the time wasn't long, it was already a massive progress.

The world in her eyes was no longer a thorny land that needed to be avoided, but a vast heaven and earth full of things that could be observed, tried, and even slightly "conquered."