If the tabloids caught wind of this, there was no telling how they would spin the narrative.
There was already a very vocal segment of the internet dedicated to tearing down institutions.
They lived for this kind of drama, and this was the perfect ammunition.
How could a prestigious, heavily regulated place like Camp Blackwood nearly get a student killed?
The comments would write themselves: *Military instructors don't care about student safety,* or *Brutal hazing leaves freshman critically injured.*
Even if the camp released the truth-that the kid brought it on himself the trolls would pivot. *Why were they starving the students? If they were fed properly, they wouldn't have to steal rations!*
No matter what, it was going to be a PR nightmare.
Sure enough, the rumor that a freshman at The Cabinda University had suffered a catastrophic groin injury during military training spread like wildfire.
Just as Claire predicted, keyboard warriors swarmed the forums, crying out for justice and claiming Hudson Carter was a victim of institutional abuse.
They argued that despite the high tuition, the food quality was abysmal, leaving students so famished they were forced to steal just to survive.
Gullible netizens ate up the narrative, joining the mob to bash Camp Blackwood.
The university's official statements did nothing to quell the outrage. People accused the school of colluding with the military base to avoid paying a massive settlement.
To the internet, they were all cut from the same cloth.
*This is insane. He worked so hard to get into The Cabinda University, and his life is basically over before it begins.*
*Did he really lose a testicle? That's horrifying. What the hell is camp leadership doing?*
— *Notice how the base hasn't said a word? They know they screwed up.*
— *The parents need to sue the school and the base into oblivion. This is tragic.* *Solenia's first modern-day eunuch, courtesy of the system!*
*Good news: My son got into The Cabinda University! Bad news: He lost his balls.*
Van scrolled through the toxic comments, his jaw clenched tight. He had already gotten an earful from top brass.
His superiors had ordered him to write an apology, issue a formal statement, and immediately upgrade the students' meal plans.
In short: make it go away.
It wasn't that the leadership was cowardly; they were trying to protect Van's career.
He was supposed to be on leave. Taking a disciplinary hit for this disaster wasn't worth it.
The easiest path was to pay out, smooth things over, and pretend it never happened.
Everyone wins.
But Van refused to play that game.
"The bottom line is the kid was
acting
other
bet
a total idiot. None of the
its were starving. Why
was he the only one?" content
"If he was hungry, he could have talked to the cafeteria staff. He
could have offer
to wash dishes
for extra food, or reported it to his
instructor. Starving isn't an excuse
to become a thief." 'FindNovel.net
"The instructors don't care about a couple of stolen snacks, but we draw the line at zero integrity."
The students were just being lazy and entitled.
Instead of issuing an apology, Van directly uploaded the camp's daily grocery manifests and
high definition photos of the buffet lines to the official website content
The cafeteria policy was explicitly stated: *Eat as much as you want, just don't waste it.*
There was absolutely zero need to hoard or steal food.
If students got hungry late at night, the kitchen was open for them to cook a midnight snack.
All they had to do was pitch in with some basic chores to earn it.
The problem wasn't hunger. It was kids wanting a free ride without putting in the work.
Once the official evidence dropped, the public narrative shifted immediately.
*I knew it! Why would a military base skim off the top of student meals?*
— *Wait, what if the kids don't know how to cook? Are they supposed to eat raw ingredients?*
*What do you mean he doesn't know how to cook? His family runs a diner! He grew up in a kitchen. Don't give me that.*
— *He was just being lazy. Didn't want to do the chores for an extra meal, so he tried to steal it.*