At eight o’clock on Monday morning, the road outside the courthouse was completely jammed. Thousands of fans held up signs, reporters carried equipment, and livestreamers clutched their phones, practically shoving their cameras into the face of every passerby.
The hashtag #LinWanwanCourtToday was trending at number one.
Views: 2.3 billion.
Live stream viewers: 37 million.
A taxi slowly approached and stopped outside the security cordon.
The door opened, and Lin Wanwan stepped out. She wore that white shirt with jeans, no makeup, her hair tied back casually. In her left hand, she held a cup of soy milk; in her right, a deep-fried dough stick.
She glanced at the massive crowd, paused for a second, then smiled.
“So many people?” She took a bite of the dough stick in her hand. “Have you all had breakfast?”
The fans froze, then erupted into laughter and screams:
“Yes!”
“Sis, you eat yours!”
“Don’t worry about us!”
Reporters swarmed forward, microphones almost pressed against her face:
“Ms. Lin, are you confident?”
“Will there be a settlement today?”
“Do you think you’ll win?”
Other artists involved in the same case hid inside their vans, curtains tightly drawn, wishing they could disappear.
And Lin Wanwan?
She finished the last sip of soy milk, tossed the cup into a trash bin, then proactively walked up to the reporters.
“Come on,” she said to the cameras, “get a clear shot.”
Pointing at her own face, she smiled: “What if this is the last time I show my face?”
The entire scene fell silent for a second. Then, the sound of camera shutters erupted like firecrackers.
The live stream chat exploded completely:
“Holy crap! She’s so bold!”
“Last time showing her face? You can’t just say that!”
“She must be joking…”
“Why do I feel she’s serious…”
“Sis, don’t scare me!”
【Eye of Truth】
Lin Wanwan swept her gaze over the crowd.
The reporters’ emotions: 【Excitement 93%】, 【Anticipation 87%】. Inner thoughts: “Big news! Whether she wins or loses today, it’ll be headlines!”
The fans’ emotions: 【Worry 76%】, 【Trust 89%】. Inner thoughts: “She can definitely do it!”
In the corner, several people from her former company, dressed in sharp suits.
Emotions: 【Smugness 82%】, 【Contempt 74%】. Inner thoughts: “We’ve prepared for three months. Today, we’ll make sure she never recovers.”
Lin Wanwan withdrew her gaze, then walked toward the courthouse entrance.
Behind her, the fans chanted in unison: “Lin Wanwan! You can do it!”
She didn’t look back, only raised her hand and waved.
The courtroom gallery was packed.
Reporters, fans, legal bloggers, and over a dozen self-proclaimed “passersby” ordinary citizens—though no one believed they were just passing by.
On the plaintiff’s side sat three people from Star Glory Media: the legal director, the proxy lawyer, and a middle-aged man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses, his expression arrogant.
On the defendant’s side, only Lin Wanwan sat alone. She hadn’t hired a lawyer.
The judge entered, and everyone stood.
The trial began. The plaintiff’s lawyer stood up—a man in his forties, balding, with sharp eyes, clearly a seasoned professional.
He began his statement: “Your Honor, the facts of this case are clear, and the evidence is conclusive. The defendant, Lin Wanwan, signed an exclusive artist management contract with our company three years ago, with a term of ten years. Clause 17 of the contract explicitly states: All public activities of the artist must receive written approval from the company.”
He paused and looked at Lin Wanwan. “However, the defendant participated in the variety show ‘Strive, Artists!’ without our company’s consent, seriously violating the contract terms. According to Clause 43 of the contract, the breaching party must pay a penalty—five million yuan.”
The gallery erupted in murmurs.
A penalty of five million?
Live stream comments:
“Five million?! Where would she get five million?”
“This company is trying to ruin her!”
“What on earth is Clause 43?”
The plaintiff’s lawyer continued, “Additionally, during the contract period, the defendant repeatedly refused work arranged by the company, was passive and uncooperative in normal promotional activities, causing significant economic losses to our company. Relevant evidence has been submitted to the court.”
He picked up a document. “These are the seventeen work opportunities the company arranged for the defendant over the past three years, all of which she refused. Here are the refusal emails, WeChat records, and phone call recordings—the evidence is conclusive.”
He handed the document to the judge.
In the gallery, whispers could be heard:
“Seventeen times? All refused?”
“Does she even have a case?”
“Wait, wasn’t she supposed to be shelved?”
Lin Wanwan listened quietly, her expression unreadable.
The judge looked at Lin Wanwan. “Defendant, do you have anything to say?”
Lin Wanwan stood up.
She held no documents, glanced at no notes, and simply looked at the plaintiff’s lawyer with a faint smile.
“May I ask a few questions?”
The plaintiff’s lawyer frowned. “Your Honor, this is not in accordance with procedure…”
The judge raised a hand to stop him. “The defendant has the right to ask questions.”
Lin Wanwan nodded and walked toward the plaintiff’s table.
Standing before the lawyer, she asked, “You just said the company arranged seventeen work opportunities for me?”
Lawyer: “Yes.”
“Could you specify what kind of work they were?”
The lawyer flipped through the materials. “There were commercial performances, variety shows, endorsements…”
Lin Wanwan interrupted him. “Commercial performances? What kind? Where? How much were they paying?”
The lawyer hesitated, flipping through the materials before replying, “Um… some shopping mall opening events, compensation… two thousand yuan.”
Lin Wanwan laughed. “Two thousand yuan? My appearance fee is two thousand yuan?”
Lawyer: “This was an opportunity the company fought for you!”
Lin Wanwan turned to the judge. “Your Honor, may I present a piece of evidence?”
The judge nodded.
She took out her phone from her pocket, opened a spreadsheet, and handed it to the bailiff.
The spreadsheet was projected onto the large screen: Performance Record of Star Glory Media Artist Lin Wanwan.
2019:
March: Bar singing invitation (compensation 500 yuan per performance, no social security, no contract)
May: Private dinner drinking invitation (compensation? The client said “depends on performance”)
August: Micro-business annual meeting warm-up (compensation 1,000 yuan, must provide own attire)
Number of refusals: 12
2020:
February: Nightclub DJ warm-up (compensation 800 yuan)
April: Rich second-generation birthday party performance (compensation? The client said “a big red envelope”)
July: Plastic surgery hospital advertisement (must cooperate with “before and after plastic surgery” promotion)
Number of refusals: 9
2021:
January: Live streaming platform “borderline” PK (compensation based on viewer tips)
March: Real estate opening warm-up (compensation 1,500 yuan)
June: “Boss dinner” (compensation? The client said “just to get acquainted”)
Number of refusals: 7
The courtroom fell silent, and then Lin Wanwan spoke.
Her voice was calm, but every word felt like a nail being hammered in: “Your Honor, this is what the plaintiff calls ‘work opportunities’: bar singing gigs, nightclub warm-up acts, multi-level marketing company annual meetings, rich second-generation birthday parties, plastic surgery hospital advertisements, borderline suggestive live-streaming platform PK battles…”
She paused, looking toward the plaintiff’s side at the man with gold-rimmed glasses. “And dinner parties—dinner parties where I was expected to accompany and drink with guests. They called this a ‘work opportunity.’ And if I refused, I was ‘uncooperative’?”
The plaintiff’s lawyer’s face changed. “You’re twisting the facts! These are indeed normal work opportunities!”
Lin Wanwan looked at him and smiled.
“Normal?”
She pulled another photo from her pocket and projected it onto the large screen.
It showed a cramped, cluttered room with a folding bed tucked into the corner.
“Your Honor, this is the ‘dormitory’ the company arranged for me.”
“For three years, I lived here.”
“No windows, no air conditioning. Forty degrees Celsius in the summer, minus five in the winter.”
She turned to the plaintiff’s lawyer. “You just said I refused to work? Then let me ask you…”
Her voice suddenly rose. “Does ‘cooperating with work’ mean not paying wages?”
The plaintiff’s lawyer opened his mouth but said nothing.
“Does ‘cooperating with work’ mean forcing me to accompany guests and drink?”
The courtroom fell silent.
“Does ‘cooperating with work’ mean making me sleep on the company floor?”
She pointed at the folding bed in the photo. “I slept on this bed for three years. For three years, I didn’t earn a single cent in wages. For three years, I ended up owing the company one million yuan—because they said accommodation fees, training fees, and styling fees would all be deducted from my future earnings.”
She stared at the plaintiff’s lawyer, enunciating each word clearly. “Tell me, is that what you call ‘cooperating with work’?”
The plaintiff’s lawyer’s face flushed, then paled.
In the gallery, people began whispering.
Reporters scribbled frantically.
The live stream chat was flooded with comments, obscuring the screen:
“Holy shit!!”
“Sleeping on the company floor?!!”
“No wages for three years and owing a million?!!”
“Is this a company or a black-market coal mine?!!”
“Slave contract confirmed!!”
“Was Lin Wanwan’s ‘past life’ she mentioned forced to death by them?!!”
On the plaintiff’s side, the man with gold-rimmed glasses—the legal director of Xingyao Media—could no longer stay seated.
He stood up, pointing at Lin Wanwan. “You! You’re slandering us! We have a contract! It’s all in black and white!”
Lin Wanwan looked at him calmly and asked, “The contract? Are you talking about the one with a 1:9 split, where the artist gets one? Or the one where the artist has to pay five million for breaching the contract, but the company only pays fifty thousand? Or the one where all terms are subject to the company’s interpretation, and the artist has no right to question them?”
She smiled faintly. “You call that a contract?”
At this moment, the legal director’s face turned beet red.
The plaintiff’s lawyer took a deep breath, adjusting his strategy. “Your Honor, what the defendant is saying is irrelevant to this case! The core issue here is that she participated in a variety show without the company’s consent. The breach of contract is clear!”
The judge looked at Lin Wanwan.
Lin Wanwan nodded. “Fine, let’s talk about that.”
She pulled something else from her pocket—this time, a phone recording—and asked, “Your Honor, may I play a recording?”
The judge nodded.
She pressed play.
A man’s voice came from the phone recording: “You must take the opportunity for ‘Strive On! Artist.’ This is the company’s arrangement. Refusing would be a breach of contract.”
Another voice, belonging to the original owner, replied: “But… I don’t want to go. I want to rest…”
The man’s voice grew impatient: “Rest? You haven’t earned the company any money in three years, and you still want to rest? You’re going, whether you like it or not!”
The recording ended.
The courtroom fell silent.
Lin Wanwan looked at the plaintiff’s lawyer. “Did you hear that? ‘Strive On! Artist’ was forced on me by the company. And now you’re saying I participated without authorization? So, tell me…”
She paused. “Who exactly should I listen to?”
The plaintiff’s lawyer was left speechless.
The judge remained silent for a few seconds before striking the gavel. “The facts of this case are relatively complex and require further investigation. Court is now adjourned and will resume at 2 p.m.”
He looked at Lin Wanwan, then toward the plaintiff’s side. “Both parties may submit additional evidence.”
With the strike of the gavel, the trial was temporarily suspended.
Lin Wanwan gathered her things, preparing to leave.
Reporters surged forward but were held back by bailiffs.
She smiled and waved at the cameras. “See you this afternoon.”
Just then, someone stood up from the last row of the gallery. It was a woman in her thirties, wearing a mask and dressed plainly.
Her voice trembled slightly but was clear. “Your Honor, I can testify.”
The courtroom instantly fell silent.
Everyone turned to look at her.
The woman removed her mask, revealing a haggard face with dark circles under her eyes and chapped lips, but her gaze was resolute.
She looked at Lin Wanwan, her eyes reddening. “What she said is true. Because… I slept there too.”
The courtroom erupted in murmurs.
Reporters frantically snapped photos.
The live stream chat exploded:
“Holy crap!!! A witness has appeared!!”
“Who is she?!”
“Another artist who was exploited?!”
“This scandal keeps getting bigger!”
Lin Wanwan stared at the woman, stunned for a few seconds before recognizing her.
She was the original owner’s former roommate, the girl who had lived with her in that storage room before she was blacklisted. But later, that woman had “disappeared.”
The original owner thought she had successfully terminated her contract. It turned out she was still here.
The judge did not leave immediately. He looked at the woman and asked, “Who are you?”
The woman took a deep breath. “My name is Li Meng. I signed with Star Glory Media in 2018, around the same time as Lin Wanwan. I also lived in that storage room, slept on that folding bed, and was sent to accompany clients for drinks. Later…”
She paused, tears falling. “Later, I got pregnant. The father was a boss the company sent me to accompany. The company said it was my problem and had nothing to do with them. When I asked to terminate my contract, they said I could—if I paid three million yuan in liquidated damages. I didn’t have the money, so…”
She raised her hand, revealing scars on her wrist. “I slit my wrists but didn’t die. After that, the company sent me to another city, claiming it was for ‘recuperation,’ but it was really to silence me. For three years, I didn’t dare speak up. Today…”
She looked at Lin Wanwan, tears streaming down her face. “I don’t want to hide anymore.”
The courtroom was deathly silent.
Lin Wanwan walked over and hugged the woman. She said nothing, only gently patting her back.
In the live stream chat, no one posted a comment.
Until someone started typing:
“Stay strong, Li Meng!”
“Star Glory Media, pay up!”
“Support Lin Wanwan!”
Real-time trending topics updated!
#LiMengTestifies (Trending)
#StarGloryMediaEscortScandal (Trending)
#ISleptThereToo (Trending)
#LinWanwanHoldsLiMeng (Hot)
Star Glory Media’s official Weibo account has been completely overrun.
Under their latest post, comments have surpassed one million:
“Are you even human?”
“Escort services? Making artists accompany clients?!”
“Did you know that girl has attempted suicide by cutting her wrist?!”
“Star Glory Media, get out of the entertainment industry!”
Lin Wanwan and Li Meng sat on the steps, eating boxed lunches.
Reporters were filming from a distance, no one dared to approach and disturb them.
While eating, Li Meng suddenly smiled. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a delicious meal.”
Lin Wanwan looked at her and smiled too. “From now on, you can eat this well every day.”
Li Meng’s eyes reddened again, but this time she didn’t cry.
She looked at Lin Wanwan and asked, “Can we win?”
Lin Wanwan thought for a moment and said, “I don’t know, but at least…”
She gazed at the courthouse gates, where thousands had gathered once again, holding signs and shouting words of encouragement. “We’re not alone anymore.”