From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent ( Anthea )
Chapter 303

"Are you out of your mind?" exclaimed a post that quickly went viral in the Northbridge High School online forum.

In no time, the forum was swarming with spectators.

Anthea found herself under fire, accused of plastic surgery and plagiarism by trolls, enduring a rough patch. Meanwhile, Rebecca seemed to thrive amidst the chaos, subtly leveraging the situation to her advantage. Her follower count, which had plummeted to just under five million, miraculously bounced back to six million in a matter of hours.

Thor HammerStriker chimed in: "Team Griffin, let's stand by Anthea! We've got to have faith in Ann! She'll prove herself with her talents!"

Pupper added: "Exactly, believe in Ann!"

Caught up in her schoolwork, Anthea was oblivious to the online storm.

Ding!

She had just completed a task when a friend request popped up.

ID: Varn.

Her friend list wasn't full, so Anthea accepted.

Elsewhere, in a lab.

"Yes! Phoenix actually accepted!" A middle-aged man in a radiation suit nearly jumped for joy.

Just then, someone entered the room.

"Doctor, what's got you so excited?"

Dr. Varn couldn't contain his exhilaration. "Phoenix accepted my friend request!"

"Really?"

Dr. Varn nodded. "Andrea, should I drop him a message now? Maybe chat about artificial intelligence?"

Dr. Varn was a tech fanatic, having made significant contributions to human research. He had long awaited a discussion with Phoenix-YC, who seemed even more adept than many abroad, on professional topics. Phoenix's enigmatic nature had kept him at bay, until today.

When titans meet, excitement is inevitable.

Andrea suggested, "Perhaps start with a task for him, then ease into other topics."

"Good thinking, Andrea," said Dr. Varn.

Anthea found Varn intriguing. After completing a task worth $700,000 for him, he bombarded her with questions about future tech like light-speed spacecraft, miniaturization, and aerial architecture, showcasing deep professional insight. He even suggested adding each other on Whatsapp.

Anthea hesitated and ultimately declined, unwilling to expose her personal life to a stranger from the digital realm.

Back at the lab, Dr. Varn frowned. "Andrea, he didn't accept."

Andrea consoled him, "Patience is key, Doctor. These things take time."

Dr. Varn had to agree. Just having Phoenix on his friends list was satisfaction enough.

Meanwhile, Anthea tackled missions online, her forum account becoming increasingly popular.

Phoenix JustYourAverage Joe: "Dad's so cool!"

Phoenix PowerMax & YoungAce: "Dad, save some of those good genes for us!"

Phoenix InfinityAeon00: "Holy cow! Dad just accepted my friend request! You guys should try too!" Phoenix-IGotADog: "It actually worked! Thanks, bro!"

Suddenly, Anthea found herself bombarded with friend requests, all claiming to be her long-lost sons. Seeing thousands of requests, she raised an eyebrow. When did she acquire such a vast progeny?

Nonetheless... free sons are not to be declined.

But addressing them one by one was too cumbersome. With a stroke of genius, Anthea scripted a batch approval.

Just as she finished, the school bell rang, and she put away her phone.

"Holy moly! Can you believe these people?" Lizzie exclaimed, clutching her phone.

"What's up?" Anthea turned slightly.

Lizzie passed her the phone. "Annie, see for yourself!"

Skimming through the comments about her alleged plastic surgery, Anthea remained calm.

Lizzie was fuming. "They're the ones with the plastic surgery! Their whole family! A bunch of jealous lemons!"