Chapter 44: Public Opinion Campaign, Everyone is a Villain
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At first, a headline author with 200,000 followers on their official account posted an article titled “Uncovering the truth behind the suicide of the Linhuai high school entrance exam top scorer, who may have been bullied in school.”
Introduction: Do you still remember the Linhuai City high school entrance exam top scorer, Zhan Yating, from two years ago? If you have forgotten her name, it doesn’t matter, you must remember the “Ice Cream Girl” who was once popular on the internet.
In the summer of 2048, after the Linhuai high school entrance exam, local reporters waited outside the exam room to interview the first student who handed in their exam. That student was Zhan Yating.
Wearing her school uniform, she patiently answered the reporter’s questions in front of the camera, but her gaze would occasionally drift away. It turned out her father had bought her an ice cream and was waiting for her next to the camera. Seeing that the ice cream was melting, she became anxious while the reporter kept asking questions.
In the end, she completed the interview, and with her melted ice cream in hand, she looked heartbroken.
That day, this video clip was edited and posted on the official account of the local TV station. Originally just an ordinary news report, the cute and eager-to-eat-ice-cream appearance of the “Ice Cream Girl” caused the number of clicks and reposts to skyrocket, pushing it to the top three in the hot search list.
Now the whole country knew this lively and cheerful girl, affectionately calling her “Ice Cream Girl”.
Half a month later, the high school entrance exam scores were announced, and “Ice Cream Girl” Zhan Yating became the top scorer in Linhuai City with a total score of 744, achieving full marks in math and English.
The local TV station interviewed her again that night, and she once again made it to the hot search list.
Originally, such an outstanding girl was expected to have a bright future, but who would have thought that she would take a path of no return.
On August 21, 2048, Zhan Yating jumped from a building and died despite rescue efforts.
During the interviews with her parents, they cried incessantly, saddened and puzzled. Why would their lively and cheerful daughter make such a choice? What made her no longer cherish this world? Unfortunately, no one gave them the answer.
The police ruled out the possibility of homicide, and the only one who knew the truth, Yating, was no longer able to speak. At the time, there were many bizarre and horrifying speculations on the internet, but none had sufficient evidence to prove them. All the netizens could do was express their regrets and condolences.
Now, two years have passed, and the once sensational suicide event has been covered by countless new and exciting news, and no one cared anymore.
However, the internet remembers! And the truth may be late, but it will never be absent!
The following video may tell us the reason why. (Warning: If you have a low tolerance for violence, please proceed with caution!)
In the video, a beautiful girl was cowering in a corner, trembling, while another girl was holding a camera and filming her. The camera shook because the other girl was laughing uncontrollably.
When she slowly approached, recording from 316 degrees without any blind spots, and finally switched the camera to the front to take a close-up photo with the victim girl in a victorious posture, she said, “Zhan Yating, aren’t you very proud? You’ve been on TV and on the trending list. What do you think will happen if I post this video online? Everyone will come to watch? How fun, hehehe…”
The 12-minute video played throughout, and the desperate crying of the victim girl never stopped.
This post was sent out at two o’clock in the morning, a time when it was not lively, and could even be said to be extremely quiet.
But surprisingly, within an hour, the number of views surpassed 100,000, with over 60,000 people watching and almost flooding the friends circle.
At 2:06 am, the first big V came forward and reposted the video to Weibo.
At 2:10 am, more than 20 big V accounts angrily reposted the video and tagged a group of more influential big V accounts.
After more than four hours of fermentation, by seven o’clock in the morning, public opinion had gained momentum but had not yet attracted widespread attention.
At 8:02 am, the famous commentator and Weibo blogger with tens of millions of fans, “Brother Xingbudeye,” reposted the video and commented, “What may be bred among peers is not empathy or sympathy, but rather coldness, wickedness, jealousy, and ugliness.”
Soon, a large number of bloggers with millions and tens of millions of followers voiced their opinions, pushing the situation towards a “high fever.”
Then, the first official news account for this incident spoke out, and many mainstream media outlets were alerted.
Celebrity accounts also began to pay attention to the situation, and their natural traffic advantage allowed the video to spread rapidly on a large scale.
At 12:16 noon, four search terms including “Ice Cream Girl suicide truth,” “bullying video,” “Zhan Yating,” and “Linhui high school top scorer” climbed to the top of the trending list.
By 12:30, “Ice Cream Girl suicide truth” topped the trending list, followed closely by the word “explosion” tag.
At this point, the situation was pushed to the extreme, and netizens were furious–
“I have never wished for someone to be doxxed so much before, no, she is not a person, she is an animal!”
“In one minute, I want to know all the information about this bully!”
“Why did such a beautiful and clean girl have to suffer such dirty treatment? The person who took the video should go to h*ll!”
“So the little sister left this world with despair.”
“That beautiful smile will forever remain in the summer of 2048 and never be seen again.”
“H*ll is empty, and devils are on earth!”
“How desperate must Zhan’s parents feel when they saw this video? Their daughter, whom they held in the palms of their hands, was treated so badly by others.”
“I’m sorry to meet you in this way. I hope you’ve already passed the Yellow Spring Road, drunk the soup of Meng Po, and forgotten the suffering of your past life, and gained happiness and joy in this life.”
“Rest in peace, little sister. Your sisters will definitely help you get justice.”
“I was in the same class as Yating. She was a goddess since the first day of school, beautiful, smart, enthusiastic, and patient with all her classmates. But some people didn’t return her kindness, and instead hurt her, insulted her, and eventually killed her! Li Xue, you will have retribution!”
“…”
Others may not recognize the person who took the video, but how could anyone who attended the same high school as Zhan Yating and Li Xue not recognize them?
Under this sensational public opinion wave, Li Xue’s personal information was quickly dug up and exposed thoroughly. Her parents and friends were not spared either.
As expected, netizens discovered that this girl came from a wealthy family, with luxury cars picking her up and dropping her off at school, and living in a famous rich area in Linnan, with branded clothing from head to toe.
Netizens’ divergent thinking and association ability never disappoints –
When the little sister’s suicide caused such a big stir, how could she get away unscathed? Did her family help cover up the aftermath?
How did they cover it up? By using power to suppress others.
How did they handle the aftermath? Probably by deceiving the public.
If this is the daughter they raised, what kind of people are her parents?
Is there a bigger backing behind the scenes?
Is their family business clean?
…
In this world, many things can’t stand up to deeper investigation. Once you really delve into it, the impact can be devastating!
At 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon, the lunch break ended and the bell for the first class was about to ring. The classroom was quiet except for the sound of the English teacher’s lecture, but online, a fierce digging operation was unfolding.
Firstly, there was Li Yongsheng, Li Xue’s father, who had committed two economic crimes in his youth and was sentenced to three years in prison. After being released, he was involved in several cases related to deaths, but managed to escape unscathed each time.
Secondly, there’s Li Xue’s mother, Wei Shaohong, who owns five KTVs in Linhuai and is said to be a notorious figure there, attracting special attention from the authorities.
Finally, it turns out that Li Xue’s grandparents had also been imprisoned for fraud.
“Oh my god! What kind of family are they?!”
“I thought it was a good bamboo that produced bad shoots, but I didn’t expect the son of a rat to dig a hole.”
“Li Yongsheng and Wei Shaohong must have something to hide!”
“So it’s true that evil and wickedness can be inherited.”
“Three generations of the family, all villains!”
“Only a family with a criminal record could raise a demon like their daughter!”
Soon, “Li Xue”, “Li Yongsheng”, and “Three generations of villains” appeared on the hot search list.
At the same time, at Linhuai airport, Li Yongsheng had just turned off airplane mode upon returning from a business trip, when his phone started vibrating wildly.
Countless messages flooded in, but before he could read them, his wife Wei Shaohong called him.
“Husband, what do we do? We’re finished… we’re really finished this time…”
“What are you talking about?! I just landed and I’m already having bad luck. If you want to act crazy after drinking, look for your little gigolo, don’t bother me!”
“No, I didn’t drink! It’s about Xue Er!”
“Xue Er? With so many bodyguards looking after her, how could anything happen to her?”
“You should go online… Ah! Who are you guys? Why did you break into my house?”
Click.
“Hello? Hello?!”
No one answered.
Li Yongsheng’s heart sank as if something was slipping out of his control.
He opened the messages he hadn’t had time to check, and without even needing to go online, he understood everything.
Instantly, his face turned pale as paper.
…
The explosive information uncovered by netizens had no solid evidence and only provided entertainment for those following the story. It could not actually convict Li Yongsheng and his wife.
But the power of public opinion was not about “judging,” but rather about pushing those who hold “judicial power” onto the stage!
Huaan Online V: This is a crime! @BrotherXingBudeYe: [Video]
DeepBlue V: Underage is not an excuse or shield for committing crimes.
Zhitongche V: The legal bottom line cannot be crossed!
“The relevant media has finally taken action!”
“This response came just in time. [Thumbs up]”
“I burst into tears when I saw the repost.”
“This is a public execution that is two years overdue. Unfortunately, Yating cannot witness the punishment of the culprit with her own eyes.”
“The tireless efforts of netizens have not been in vain. Sisters, keep pushing forward!”
“Why are they only mentioning Li Xue? Don’t they need to investigate her parents too?”
“I strongly suggest exposing the dirty secrets of this family of scoundrels. There might even be loss of life involved!”
“Some people are rotten to the core. They may appear beautiful on the surface, but once you peel back the layers, it’s all decay.”
If the current evidence only points to Li Xue, then the subsequent statements from the local media in Linhuai will be enough to completely destroy Li Yongsheng and his wife.
Police Online – Linhuai V: Acting on public reports, Li Yongsheng and Wei Shaohong may be connected to a murder and corpse disposal case from ten years ago. The police have gathered substantial evidence and are now officially arresting the two individuals.
Linhuai Court V: We will reopen this case. @Police Online – Linhuai V: Acting on public reports…
Economic Investigation Brigade – Linhuai V: Acting on public reports, Charm Daily Necessities has shown unusual cash flow, and its responsible party, Li Yongsheng, is suspected of economic crimes. The office premises have been sealed, and the company’s assets have been frozen.
“They can’t escape now.”
“A family should be dealt with together, every single one of them!”
“Wow, someone actually dug up the criminal evidence of Li Yongsheng and his wife?”
“Is this just a show to appease public opinion? Will they release them once the attention dies down?”
“No way! Pay attention to the phrases used: ‘substantial evidence,’ ‘officially arresting.’ They mean business.”
“I’m curious who the enthusiastic member of the public was who reported them, hehe…”
Linnan First High School, 11th-grade class.
It was just a regular break between classes, but it became restless with the sound of sirens.
“Who is Li Xue?”
“No…it has nothing to do with me…I didn’t do those things…you’ve got the wrong person…”
Fifteen minutes ago, she opened Weibo and saw everything.
That video…and all the accusations and insults against her…
She was panicked, at a loss, and her first reaction was to call her parents. Yes, her dad and mom would help her handle everything, just like they did with the incident involving Zhan Yating.
But all she got was a cold, automated response: “I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is unavailable.”
Li Xue collapsed on the spot, feeling like she was in a wilderness, surrounded by a pack of wolves.
What should she do?
How should she handle this?
Before she could come up with a plan, the police arrived…
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Truly satisfying.