23: Chapter 23 Undercurrents on Campus and Abnormal System Movements

The atmosphere of finals at USC was like an invisible, tightening film, pressing down on the campus's originally casual vitality until it felt somewhat stagnant.

Alex weaved through students clutching books and looking hurried; his pace remained steady, forming a subtle contrast with the tension surrounding him.

The initial location scouting and visual outline for the complete "echo gallery" short film had already consumed a significant amount of his energy, but he could not let his studies fall behind.

He had just emerged from a seminar on "postmodern visual theory," with the professor's obscure terminology still lingering in his mind, when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

It was Lena, her tone carrying a rare hint of seriousness: "Alex, where are you? Is it convenient to talk?"

"Just finished class, what's up?"

"Something's come up, it's better to talk in person. The usual spot, the coffee shop, ten minutes?"

Alex sensed something off in her tone: "Alright, I'm on my way."

In a corner of the off-campus coffee shop they often frequented, Lena was already waiting with an untouched cup of coffee in front of her.

Seeing Alex, she gestured for him to sit and lowered her voice: "Have you been collaborating with an organization called 'Harmony Bridge' recently? Regarding a Taylor Swift music visual project?"

Alex's eyes flickered slightly; he had only mentioned this to a very select few, and Lena was one of them because she had provided insider information previously.

"Yes, it has just advanced to the formal collaboration stage. Is there a problem?"

Lena pursed her lips: "I just heard about it too. Over at the film school, there's a graduate student named Derek Winston, whose uncle seems to be a mid-level manager at 'Harmony Bridge.' Derek himself has been working on some experimental short films and has always wanted to break into that circle, but it seems his attempts haven't been well-received."

She looked up at Alex: "He somehow heard that you landed this project, and his reaction... was quite intense. He's been talking in several small circles, saying that an undergraduate freshman, relying on internet influencer traffic and opportunism, snatched away an opportunity that should have belonged to someone more professional with a better academic background. He's been implying that your work is 'too gimmicky' and 'lacks depth,' and that you only got the collaboration through luck and good marketing."

Alex picked up his water cup and took a sip, his face expressionless. "And?"

"So you need to be careful." Lena said seriously, "Derek has some influence among the graduate students at the film school, and his connections aren't bad. He might not be able to do much openly, but causing trouble behind the scenes or spreading unfavorable rumors about you in the circle could be very troublesome. Especially with high-end collaborations like this, reputation and public opinion are highly valued."

"Got it, thanks for the heads-up." Alex nodded.

A tall tree catches the wind; this was within his expectations. He just hadn't expected the wind to start blowing from this corner of the campus.

He had a vague impression of that Derek Winston; he seemed to have seen his work at some student film festival. The style was very deliberately pursuing obscurity and a "philosophical feel," but the technical execution and emotional expression were both slightly stiff.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Lena asked.

"No need, I've got it handled." Alex gave her a reassuring look, "By the way, how did that short film assignment of yours turn out in the end?"

The topic was shifted, and Lena sighed in relief, starting to complain about the anti-human design of the editing software.

Alex offered her a few practical suggestions, as if the earlier warning had just been a minor interlude.

But after leaving the coffee shop, Alex's thoughts did not completely leave the matter.

He wasn't worried that Derek could truly affect the "Harmony Bridge" collaboration—work and quality were the bottom line.

However, this kind of implicit condescension and exclusion from within the "academic" or "professional" circles was a norm he would have to face in the future.

His path to rising was too unconventional, breaking certain inherent "advancement" orders.

A few days later, at a small inter-collegiate student creative salon (Alex had been dragged there by a professor he knew well to share his experience), he met Derek Winston head-on for the first time.

Derek was tall and thin, wore rimless glasses, and was dressed in a neatly pressed Oxford shirt; he liked to lift his chin slightly when speaking, carrying a natural sense of superiority that graduate students held over undergraduates.

During the open discussion session, just as a few people were gathered around Alex discussing "new media narrative," Derek "coincidentally" walked over and joined the conversation.

"Student Su's work is indeed very popular online," Derek began, his tone gentle but his choice of words precise, "especially in terms of visual impact. However, I have been thinking, as content creators, especially in an academic environment, shouldn't we have a clearer understanding of the boundary between 'popularity' and 'artistry'? Does catering too much to the fast-food aesthetics of mass communication sacrifice the more enduring, deeply interpretable value of a work?"

His words sounded like an academic discussion, but the targeting was very obvious.

The few students around them quieted down, looking at Derek, then at Alex.

Alex put down the drink in his hand, his face still wearing a faint smile, not refuting immediately.

Perception Sharpening allowed him to clearly capture the hint of anxiety, mixed with jealousy and an eagerness to prove himself, deep in Derek's eyes.

Mental Pillar left his heart completely calm.

"Senior Derek's thoughts are very meaningful," Alex began, his tone peaceful, "Boundaries do exist, but I think they might not be as fixed as we imagine, nor should they become pre-set shackles. 'Popular' does not equal shallow, and 'art' should not be self-appreciating in isolation. The key perhaps lies in whether the creator, through the medium, sincerely conveys some kind of perception or emotion that can connect different levels. Whether it makes tens of thousands of people feel 'blown away,' or makes one person fall into deep thought, as long as the touch is real, the dissemination itself should not be an original sin."

He paused and looked at Derek: "Just like your work, Senior. I remember seeing your short film about urban loneliness at the 'Prism Film Festival.' That three-minute long empty shot—although many viewers said they couldn't understand it, I personally felt that the tension in that stillness captured exactly a certain indescribable sense of isolation in modern people. That is also a kind of power; it doesn't necessarily need Parkour or AR to be presented."

Alex's words not only responded to the questioning without falling into the opponent's pre-set "popularity vs. artistry" debate framework but instead pulled the issue back to the "essence of creation," while also incidentally affirming the other person's work (even if that evaluation was a bit subtle).

It both showed grace and hinted that he had seen the other person's work, and was not ignorant of the "academic school."

Derek clearly hadn't expected Alex to respond this way, and that he had actually seen and remembered his work.

A trace of awkwardness flashed across his face, and his prepared follow-up rhetoric seemed to be stuck in his throat.

The surrounding students, seeing this, felt the atmosphere subtly relax, and some began to smooth things over or change the subject.

This small encounter, which barely counted as a confrontation, made Alex confirm once again that the best weapon to deal with this kind of "academic" criticism was not arguing, but more solid work, a broader vision, and a calm and composed demeanor.

The salon ended, and Alex walked to the parking lot alone.

The night was deep, and the campus streetlights stretched his shadow.

He pondered Derek's words; although the motive was impure, it also reminded him that as he stepped into more professional fields, he needed to build a more solid theoretical framework and discourse system to defend and bolster his own creations.

Just then, a strange, subtle throbbing coming from deep within his body arrived. It wasn't an accelerated heartbeat; it was more like some dormant mechanism had been gently tapped.

He stopped and focused his perception.

It wasn't external sounds or sights; the throbbing came from... the System?

He immediately submerged his consciousness into the system interface.

The blue popularity value and the dark gold Core Influence value floated quietly, unchanged.

But when he turned his attention to those high-level categories with harsh redemption conditions, especially in the directions of 【Life Evolution】 and 【Rule Peering】, he clearly felt that the 43 points of "Core Influence," like a magnet, were generating an extremely weak but definitely existing sense of attraction with those blurry options.

It was as if these 43 points of "gold dust," while far from enough to pay for the "ticket," had already, by their very existence, allowed him to more clearly "perceive" the indescribable "field" emitted by those high-level options.

He could even vaguely distinguish that the 【Life Evolution】 direction transmitted a kind of cold, vast attraction regarding the essence of existence; while 【Rule Peering】 leaned more towards a kind of mysterious, precise curiosity regarding the logic of world operation.

At the same time, he realized that the 【Physical Sublimation】 and 【Mental Pillar】 he had redeemed seemed to be running more smoothly and naturally under this weak attraction, and the coordination between his body and mind had reached a new level.

This wasn't a direct increase in attributes, but a deeper kind of "fit" and "solidification."

"So that's it..." Alex had a realization.

Acquiring "Core Influence" wasn't just for future redemptions; its very existence seemed to be subtly optimizing his existing foundation and allowing him to "contact" higher-level possibilities in advance. This was a kind of pre-warming, and also a kind of invisible nourishment.

This discovery invigorated him.

The minor annoyance brought by Derek completely vanished.

The undercurrents on campus and the contempt among peers seemed so insignificant in the face of the tiny possibility of touching the deeper rules of the world.

He opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat.

The engine growled low, and the headlights cut through the night.

Ahead, there were art projects that needed careful polishing, interpersonal undercurrents that needed to be handled, and system evolution that needed accumulation and waiting.

But at this moment, his heart was clear and firm.

His hands gripping the steering wheel were steady and powerful, his gaze cast toward the deep night ahead on the road, as if he could pierce through the darkness and see the faint path formed by the trickle of "Core Influence," leading to an incredible future.

The road was still long, but he already knew the direction and felt how the scenery along the way would unfold layer by layer.

This feeling was good.