This time, however, it was not the work of Lin Yi or Director Lu, but of a Su Qing fan, or rather, a former Su Qing fan.
This former fan was the very same person who had previously posted the secretly taken photo of Su Qing, only to have it deleted after being reported by other fans.
This time, she posted the photo again, and the accompanying text was written with blood and tears:
“Su Qing, when you posted those misleading statements, many fans asked you if it was Jungle Assault. Why did you never clarify? The issue became a huge uproar, I refuse to believe you didn’t hear about it. Why did you only come forward to explain when things turned against you?”
“We are your fans, not fools for you to toy with and push out as shields. I only hate myself for being blind and wasting so many years of devotion. Oh, and before I leave, here’s a parting gift for you.”
“Please, explain to everyone, what kind of training allows you to appear in a shopping mall on Capital Star during your training period?”
Unlike the previous wave of uniform reporting and abuse, this time, the Su Qing fans who saw these words remained uncharacteristically silent.
As if those words had also struck some hidden corner of their hearts.
One fan stared at the screen for a long time, then finally unfollowed Su Qing’s account and turned off the screen.
After all, she had once liked him. In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do anything to harm Su Qing.
But… this was as far as it went.
This photo once again stirred up a storm on the Star Network. Along with its exposure, more people began digging up Su Qing’s activities over the past few months—
He had been staying within Capital Star the entire time, never once traveling to a desert for training as he had claimed.
Su Qing thought his lies were seamless, but a lie always has its cracks. He was a living person staying on Capital Star, no matter how careful he was, how could he possibly leave no trace?
If someone was willing to look, clues would always be found.
#Su QingLied#
#Su QingMaliciouslyStirredUpPublicOpinionToCyberbullyAnAmateur#
Within hours, several blacklisted topics about Su Qing climbed onto the trending list.
But this time, no fans stepped forward to argue for Su Qing or suppress the heat. The company’s few bots were useless against the overwhelming tide of public opinion.
Unlike before, this time the evidence was solid, and he had long since been abandoned by everyone. There was no chance of recovery.
His agent, who had been running around in circles dealing with this matter, had now uncharacteristically gone completely off the grid.
Su Qing knew this was a sign that the company had given up on him. He understood very well what being abandoned meant.
After all, three years ago, he had personally pressured the company into abandoning one of his own rivals.
The wheel of fortune had turned. Now, unable to defend himself, he had become the very one the company discarded.
Precisely because he knew what was coming, he was all the more terrified of what lay ahead.
Trapped in his room by rabid haters and opportunistic media, Su Qing kept calling his agent, only to hear busy signal after busy signal.
Just as he was pacing back and forth neurotically, his wrist terminal rang. He glanced at the caller ID and answered like a drowning man grasping at a lifeline—
“Mr. Zhao…”
His deliberately ingratiating, fawning voice was brutally cut off by the person on the other end: “Don’t call me that. Do we know each other?”
Su Qing froze in place. He heard the person he had regarded as his lifeline say in an icy tone, cutting all ties: “There has never been any connection between us. Do you understand? If you dare to spill even a hint of that little matter—”
The other party gave a cold laugh, unusually agitated. “Back then, when Si Han tried to expose you and me, you know very well what happened to him. Don’t push me.”
Overwhelmed by a surge of panic, Su Qing still tried to struggle. “Mr. Zhao, what exactly happened…”
“What happened? Don’t you have eyes?” A roar, and then the call was abruptly hung up, leaving only one final remark: “You can’t accomplish anything but you’re more than capable of ruining everything.”
Amidst the busy tone of the disconnected call, Su Qing fearfully opened the Star Network. The number one trending topic was posted by an account that had been silent for three years:
@Actor Si Han:
【Perhaps it’s too late to reveal all this now, but I still hope justice can be served. Back then, the one with improper ties to the investors was Su Qing, not me. I have a recording as proof. I’m sorry to my fans who always supported me. You have been wronged.】
Su Qing didn’t manage to click on the recording Si Han had posted, because he fainted on the spot.
Just before losing consciousness, only one thought crossed his mind:
It’s over.
At the same time, Lin Yi also received a message from Si Han:
【Brother Lin, I… I’ve decided to expose all of this after all. I can’t keep being this cowardly forever.】
【I’m prepared. Even if Su Qing’s fans cyberbully me again, I’ll accept it. I can’t let the people who like me down again.】
【Maybe no one will believe me, but I still want to tell the truth.】
Lin Yi naturally saw the recording evidence Si Han had posted. Reading the first message, he thought this person was indeed teachable, the timing of the evidence release was also just right.
It wasn’t until he read the subsequent messages that he sensed something was off—This naive kid… he hasn’t been following the news on the Star Network, has he?
From their intermittent chats over the past few days, Lin Yi knew that Si Han had some psychological trauma regarding the Star Network, so he wasn’t surprised. He simply replied with a chuckle, telling him to catch up on the recent drama first.
After all, although so many things had happened, it had only been a day or two. It was perfectly normal not to know what had transpired.
The online news probably left Si Han stunned. It was a long time before Lin Yi received his reply:
【I’m sorry. I still posted it too late.】
Lin Yi didn’t expect such a response, the implication being that Si Han felt guilty for not having posted the evidence when public opinion was against Lin Yi, for not being able to help.
Naive and kind-hearted. No wonder Su Qing had easily manipulated him back then.
【It’s fine. It’s already been three years late. A few more hours don’t make a difference.】 Lin Yi made a casual joke.
【Besides, the ones you should be apologizing to aren’t me, but the fans who still support you.】
That’s right, the link Lin Yi had sent Si Han a few days ago was a link to his fan group.
At the very beginning of this incident, Lin Yi had received a private message from a fan of Si Han. That was how he had learned that such a group still existed, still silently believed in him, waiting for his return.
It was likely thanks to that link that Si Han had finally mustered the courage to release the evidence.
Either way, the appearance of this recording had nailed Su Qing to the pillar of shame once and for all. What awaited him was not only an overwhelming tide of public condemnation but also the judgment of interstellar law.
But the matter would not stop with him alone. Pulling up a radish brings up mud. The intricate web of interest groups behind this affair would probably not escape unscathed either.
The upheaval in the entertainment industry, and even across the Star Network, was a story for later. For Lin Yi, this matter was finally, completely, over.
Lin Yi had never expected to be inadvertently drawn into such a huge storm. He couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional.
Now that the dust had finally settled, he breathed a sigh of relief.
These past few days, he had been busy dealing with the turbulent waves of the virtual world. Suddenly returning to the simplicity of daily life felt almost like waking from a different lifetime.
…
Seeing the news on the Star Network that Su Qing’s agency had sued to terminate his contract and that Su Qing would soon face a massive compensation fee, Lin Yi sighed. He could only say that Su Qing had brought it upon himself.
For Su Qing, this was probably just the beginning.
One wrong step led to another. The debts he had incurred in the past were now destined to be paid back, one by one.
Lin Yi put down his wrist terminal, picked up his buckets as usual, and was about to head to the river to draw water for irrigation. The moment he stepped outside, he saw two people blocking his doorway.
It was Du Hong and Du Pangzi, whom he hadn’t seen for several days.