Trending!

The venue grew livelier by the minute, and the audience could no longer hold back their eagerness to talk.

Finally, the organizing committee chairman took the stage to deliver the closing remarks. "I hereby announce that the total amount raised at this event is 4.211 billion!"

Thunderous applause erupted below.

"Here, I sincerely hope that the Earth Era will withstand the test of a 20-light-year journey and reach its destination safely, where it will build a second star system for all of humanity!"

"I hereby announce that the 43rd Galaxy Awards ceremony is officially over!"

As the spectacular performances began, the guests gradually filed out.

"Phew... It's finally over."

Zhang Yuan let out a long breath, lamenting that an entire afternoon of his life had just gone to waste.

He hurried to the restroom, took off his suit, and handed it to Wang Lili.

"Handsome, I didn't know you were such a good speaker!" Wang Lili took the suit, teasing him with a laugh. "I was holding my breath for you just now!"

"Why?"

"Because it was being livestreamed! It's the biggest award in the country, and with the ceremony taking place before the spaceship's departure, it was bound to attract a lot of attention. That question was way too pointed. If it had been me, I'd definitely have panicked a little..."

Wang Lili tapped her phone screen and waved it in front of him.

"If you'd answered badly, you'd have been trending. Actually, you're already trending!"

Zhang Yuan took Wang Lili's phone and looked closely.

A bold black headline sat in the middle of the screen.

<Shocking! Scientist's Son Donates His Entire Prize, Gets Mocked by Female Reporter!>

Would Rather Let the Poor Starve Than Help Them!

His popularity was skyrocketing!

Zhang Yuan was utterly dumbfounded. These unscrupulous media accounts were so desperate for clicks that they'd do anything.

He let out a long sigh. "Forget it. No matter what I said, people were going to criticize me. I was prepared for that. I'd already decided to donate the prize money beforehand. How was I supposed to know it would turn into..."

Then there were the endless online arguments over whether poverty relief or support for aerospace was more important, and so on.

Most people in the world were just ordinary folks with average means. They seemed to think that not donating money to them was a sin. Online trolls could always find the most comfortable position from which to attack someone.

They kept saying strange things like "show-off" and "spendthrift."

"Thanks for the invite. I'm on the moon, just got off the spaceship. Monthly income: one million. Too many insiders here, can't comment. I'm out."

"Mr. Zhang, do you have a girlfriend? You must be a rich tycoon!"

"He probably does. Maybe he even has a few. Interested?"

"Heehee, aren't you?"

"A few is fine as long as he's rich. And he's so handsome!"

The praise for his looks made Zhang Yuan inexplicably pleased.

But he wasn't a rich tycoon.

"I'll bet anything this guy's going into show business! This is great publicity, building him a fantastic public image. (Fighting) (Fighting) Next he'll be starring in a TV drama or appearing on variety shows. He'll conquer both entertainment and sports—just you wait!"

"Spending ten million to advertise himself and make a name for himself is a clever move. What a shame that a great scientist's son wants to be a celebrity."

"What's wrong with being a celebrity? It's great!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

Zhang Yuan's head was spinning. He marveled at the public's incredible power of imagination. If they were so imaginative, why not become scientists?

"Do you want to be a big star? With a little polishing, you really could be one!" Wang Lili said with a laugh.

"No. I'm tone-deaf, and I can't dance."

Some busybodies even tried to dig up Zhang Yuan's personal information. Fortunately, he'd never been in the habit of posting on social media, so after searching for ages, they didn't find much beyond his alma mater and exam scores.

"He only got into Z University, and he didn't even study abroad. His GPA was just 4.58..."

"What era are you living in? Who studies abroad anymore, you idiot? You want to study at some backwater school?"

"What do you mean, his GPA was just 4.58? Z University's maximum GPA is only 5. That's equivalent to an average score of 95.8! If you've never been to university, you should keep your ignorant mouth shut!"

Even so, the Zhang Yuan of the past might not have been the best of the best, but he certainly wasn't bad. There wasn't much to criticize. Still, plenty of people kept searching tirelessly. Even real-name registration couldn't stop these idle busybodies...

Of course, there were also plenty of people supporting him, and a large portion of them were women.

Zhang Yuan had a bit of a headache. He had no idea things would turn into such a mess.

Wasn't it just a donation? What was the big deal?

Where there was admiration, there was jealousy; where there was jealousy, there was hatred. His conscience was clear, so he could let them say whatever they wanted.

After listening to him complain, Wang Lili opened her social media app and left a blunt comment: "Other than being a little handsome, this guy doesn't have many good qualities. I witnessed his wasteful spending firsthand, and it makes me so mad!"

[Like] [Like] [Like]

Within seconds, her comment had racked up a ton of likes.

"You're really kicking me while I'm down..." Zhang Yuan shook his head helplessly.

"Mr. Zhang, please come over here and sign this!" someone suddenly called from behind him.

"Oh, sure."

Zhang Yuan turned around, signed his name on a "Donation Agreement," and pressed his fingerprint onto it.

Once he'd said it, he wasn't going to take it back. With that done, the ten-million prize was officially donated.

He was about to leave anyway, so Zhang Yuan didn't feel bad about it. It was like donating the in-game currency from a video game account; he didn't even blink.

It was a strange feeling.

Under national policy, technology awards didn't need to be taxed. It was basically the foundation transferring the money from one hand to the other.

Even so, the proper procedures still had to be followed. The Deep Space Foundation had a history of a hundred years, and by now it had grown into a behemoth with a highly standardized administrative system. Most of its funding flows were transparent.

Wang Lili and Xu Yunjing, the two volunteers, watched the whole process from the side, occasionally exchanging glances and looking deeply aggrieved.

"There's a one at the front and a whole bunch of zeros after it. When will I ever make that much money? Probably not in my whole life..." Xu Yunjing sighed.

Wang Lili added mournfully, "Yeah. A perfectly good rich, handsome guy, and he's squandered himself into poverty... As if you're rich, when you only have that little money."

"...I know relatives and friends whose assets are worth over a hundred million, but none of them have ever donated this much. Ten million! I want to snatch it away and buy clothes. Lots and lots of clothes!"

Xu Yunjing nodded in agreement. "Good thing he's not my boyfriend, or he'd drive me to my grave. I'd just want to beat him up..."

Though Zhang Yuan knew the two of them were joking, he still felt rather awkward and didn't know what to say.

Wang Lili came out with another strange question. "Can you astronauts change your minds at the last minute? Like... suddenly deciding you don't want to go and wanting to stay home?"

"Of course."

Zhang Yuan thought for a moment, then said, "But if you change your mind at the last minute without a valid reason, you'll be treated as a deserter and face serious consequences."

"You know what a deserter is, right? Someone who refuses to serve in the military... First, you'll be fined an amount equal to the training costs, which is around a few hundred thousand. They'll also cancel most of your social benefits, and you'll end up with a bad credit record. There are all kinds of penalties. Anyway, if you desert, it'll be very, very hard to get a good job in the future..."