Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

During her year abroad, Lacey had passed by this university countless times,

occasionally pausing at its gates to gaze at the campus. She'd always known Jason had studied here, which gave her a peculiar feeling each time she walked by.

She would imagine that he had once walked these same paths. Perhaps a leaf from one of these trees had once fallen on him.

Today was the university's centennial celebration, and the campus was elaborately decorated. The gates stood wide open, welcoming a diverse stream of visitors from various countries.

Under the guidance of her two new acquaintances, Lacey entered the campus without difficulty. The girls pointed out the auditorium where the celebration would take place before bidding her farewell to prepare for their performances.

After watching them leave, Lacey wandered aimlessly through the campus. Despite passing by so many times before, this was her first time actually setting foot inside.

The campus buzzed with excitement as people gathered for the special occasion. Along the tree-lined entrance path, display boards showcased photographs and biographies of distinguished alumni.

Scanning the photos one by one, Lacey immediately spotted Jason's. In the picture, he smiled broadly, revealing perfectly aligned white teeth his face youthful and radiant. Beyond the tree-lined path, crowds were moving toward the auditorium. Lacey caught sight of Jason among them, and her heart skipped a beat.

He was walking alongside several international friends, smiling as they conversed about something apparently amusing. Yet his smile now lacked the radiance from that old photograph, as if something weighed on him that he couldn't shake off.

She thought perhaps it was the accumulation of life's burdens-unrequited feelings, perhaps, or the gradual buildup of loneliness. These things, though invisible, carried substantial weight.

Lacey was soon directed to a different entrance by the crowd. Jason glanced around briefly, thinking he'd glimpsed a familiar figure, but in the blink of an eye, it vanished. He dismissed it as his imagination-how could Lacey possibly be here when she was back in Harmonia?

The auditorium was spacious, reportedly hosting major concerts regularly. Lacey found arseat tirutler ulimy with lan, pronuniger athéniorsportáson, rettsren ernanier can' knowing she would see him soon during his scheduled speech.

The ceremony began with the dean's address, followed by several artistic performances. Lacey spotted her two new friends in both the choir and a dance. ensemble. Despite being student productions, the performances were impressively professional.

When the time came for distinguished alumni speeches, Lacey sat up straighter, eyes fixed on the stage. Jason was the fifth speaker-she later learned he was the only international student among the featured alumni representatives.

On stage, Jason carried himself with elegance and confidence, delivering his speech in flawless English. He had clearly prepared thoroughly for this occasion.

After the speech, students were invited to ask questions. Jason handled academic inquiries with ease, earning rounds of applause.

When the microphone reached a young man, he mentioned knowing Jason was from Harmonia. The student introduced himself as a local before sharing his experience visiting Harmonia. What seemed like an expression of appreciation for Jason's homeland suddenly shifted as he began discussing medical disputes in Harmonia. Jason stood on stage, his expression gradually hardening as the student's comments became increasingly inappropriate, yet he waited patiently for him to finish.

The audience grew restless as the student became more emboldened, eventually declaring that being a doctor from Harmonia was pitiful, and Harmonians shouldn't aspire to medical careers at all.

Despite the lengthy diatribe, university officials didn't intervene, perhaps welcoming the controversial discussion at their celebration.

Jason didn't respond with anger but with a subtle smile. He stated that he had been a doctor in Harmonia before becoming an educator, and considered it an honor to have served as a Harmonian physician.

His response was met with brief silence before the audience erupted again. Some supported the student's mockery of Harmonia, while Harmonian international students began arguing back, escalating the situation.

Suddenly, a woman's voice came through the sound system, momentarily diverting everyone's attention and quieting the hall. People looked around until they spotted a woman standing in the audience, microphone in hand.

Jason stared at her, slightly surprised. The figure he'd glimpsed earlier hadn't been his imagination it really was Lacey.

She walked toward the stage while speaking with fluid eloquence through the sound system. With ironic praise, she commended the previous speaker for his "brilliant" speech.

Upon reaching the stage, Lacey gave Jason a brief nod and smile before facing the audience. Despite addressing thousands of strangers, she maintained her composure and confident smile.

"That student from Unityland has shared his perspective on Harmonia," she began. "As a Harmonian, I believe in reciprocity, so allow me to share what I've observed about Unityland as a foreigner."

Though her appearance wasn't part of the official program, university officials didn't stop her. Her few sentences and self-assured demeanor seemed to captivate everyone present, instantly calming the previously unruly atmosphere. The audience waited expectantly for her next words.

"Everyone knows that Unityland leads the world in many fields," she continued. "I'd like to acknowledge these impressive achievements."

This brief statement earned applause, including from the student who had spoken earlier, who looked quite pleased with himself.noveldrama

"For instance, technology, military, astronomy-and according to Unityland's own media, they also lead the world in rape statistics," she added.

The abrupt shift left the audience stunned. The student's self-satisfied expression twisted uncomfortably, as if the applause he'd just given had slapped him in the face. Lacey recounted a specific rape case from Unityland, leaving the audience completely silent.

As university officials prepared to intervene, she pivoted again.

She began, ""Even the finest systems have flaws. These challenges exist in every society, not just one country. Individual cases shouldn't be mistaken for the complete picture."

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"Harmonia isn't perfect, but it's evolving. When issues emerge, there are genuine efforts to address them and improve."

"In our society, medical professionals are deeply respected for their life-saving work. We have many exceptional doctors and numerous touching stories of compassionate care."

"I acknowledge Harmonia's shortcomings, but they don't diminish its overall strengths. The country I experience remains largely positive, and I believe it will continue to improve. As a citizen, I'm proud of the progress we're making.""

After a moment of silence, students from Harmonian erupted in enthusiastic applause. Gradually, others—including students from Unityland-joined in, moved by her words. Lacey's spontaneous response, delivered eloquently without any preparation, resonated deeply with the Harmonian students in the room. Even the student who had been critical earlier appeared thoughtful, seemingly taking in Lacey's alternative viewpoint.

Jason watched her intently throughout. Her words awakened his own sense of pride, and in that moment, Lacey seemed to glow in his eyes.

After the speech, Lacey and Jason left the stage together and exited the auditorium, skipping the remainder of the celebration.

A group of Harmonian students followed them outside, surrounding them with

expressions of admiration.

"You were amazing! Your eloquence was incredible," one said.

"Yes, that guy's comments made me furious. I'm so glad you stood up to him," added

another.

Jason smiled at Lacey, saying sincerely, "Indeed. You were brilliant."

"You were amazing too," a student told Jason. "I've seen your photo here. During my

two years studying here, I've always looked up to you."

A female student glanced between Jason and Lacey. "Is this lady your girlfriend?"