The truth revealed: a joint attack

Prelude: Rebirth after Adversity

After surviving Gu Yanting's meticulously laid prison trap, Ah Yu finally escaped imprisonment temporarily with the help of a key witness found by Lin Wanqing. As he walked out of the police station, sunlight shone on his slightly tired yet resolute face. He knew this was only the beginning; unless Gu Yanting's evil deeds were thoroughly exposed, they would never truly have peace.

Meanwhile, Zhong Hua was also suffering greatly during this period. She was subjected to cyberbullying, and both her work and life were in turmoil. However, she did not succumb to despair. As a journalist, she relied on her professionalism and unwavering spirit to constantly seek opportunities to fight back. An old document related to the fire from years ago, which she unexpectedly discovered during her investigation, made her vaguely aware that a huge secret was hidden behind it.

Initial Discussion: Consensus Reached

The first thing Ah Yu did after being released from prison was to contact Zhong Hua. The two met at a secluded coffee shop, where the soft music could not soothe their tense nerves.

“Zhong Hua, we owe Wan Qing a great debt this time, otherwise I’m afraid I would really have spent the rest of my life in prison. But Gu Yanting will never give up so easily, we must take the initiative.” Ah Yu said with her arms crossed and her expression serious.

Zhong Hua nodded slightly, her eyes revealing determination: "I agree. The cyberbullying I've been suffering lately is definitely orchestrated by Gu Yanting. And this old document I found might also be related to him." As she spoke, she carefully took the slightly yellowed document out of her bag.

Ah Yu took the document and carefully read through it, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper: "It seems there's a lot more to this than meets the eye. Gu Yanting has used any means necessary to achieve his goals over the years. We must expose the truth about his manipulation of public opinion behind the scenes, to give the public justice, and to clear our own names."

The two reached a consensus and decided to join hands to fight against Gu Yanting.

Clue gathering: proceeding step by step

In the days that followed, Ah Yu and Zhong Hua began a tense and clandestine investigation into their leads. Ah Yu used his connections within the industry to secretly investigate the link between Gu Yanting's commercial crimes and his manipulation of public opinion. He contacted several business partners who had previously done business with Gu Yanting but had left due to dissatisfaction with his methods, obtaining crucial information from them.

"Mr. Li, I know you previously worked with Gu Yanting, but later parted ways due to differences in ideology. Are you aware of any improper manipulation he has done in terms of public opinion?" Ah Yu asked a slightly weathered middle-aged man earnestly in a private tea room.

Mr. Li sighed, took a sip of tea, and slowly said, "Gu Yanting will use any means to suppress his competitors. He once hired online trolls to smear them and manipulate public opinion, causing their business to plummet. I have some email records from that time that might be helpful to you."

Zhong Hua, leveraging her journalistic skills, contacted several key figures in the online smear campaign against her through various channels. In a dimly lit corner of a bar, Zhong Hua met a young man with dyed blond hair and somewhat evasive eyes.

"Hello, I know you participated in the cyberbullying against me. As long as you reveal who instigated you and the detailed process, I can guarantee that I will not pursue legal action against you." Zhong Hua tried his best to make his tone sound calm yet intimidating.

The young man hesitated for a moment before finally speaking: "A man named Brother Wang contacted me. He gave me a detailed list and asked us to smear the people on the list. The funds for each operation were transferred to me through an anonymous account. Later, I heard that this Brother Wang was working for Gu Yanting."

As the clues gradually came together, Ah Yu and Zhong Hua saw more and more clearly the dark threads of Gu Yanting's manipulation of public opinion.

Planning: A Strategy to Break the Impasse

After a period of gathering evidence, Ah Yu and Zhong Hua had acquired considerable substantial evidence. However, they were well aware of Gu Yanting's immense power, and a well-thought-out plan was needed to expose him in one fell swoop.

The two of them sat at Zhong Hua's home, surrounded by a table full of documents, and began to discuss their plan.

“We can’t release this evidence directly. Gu Yanting will definitely have ways to handle public relations. In that case, we will not only fail to achieve our goal, but we may also fall into an even more dangerous situation,” Zhong Hua said while organizing the documents.

Ah Yu pondered for a moment and said, "I think we can find an influential and impartial media outlet to cooperate with. We can give them the evidence first and let them conduct an in-depth investigation and verification. Then we can expose it through formal channels. This way, we can ensure the authenticity and credibility of the evidence and deliver a fatal blow to Gu Yanting."

Zhong Hua's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! I have some friends in the media circle. I can contact the Justice Times. They've always been known for daring to expose the dark side of society."

Zhong Hua immediately picked up the phone and contacted Ms. Chen, the editor-in-chief of the *Justice Times*. During the call, she briefly explained the situation and stated that she had important evidence to provide. Ms. Chen showed great interest in this lead and arranged to meet the next day to discuss it in detail.

Media Cooperation: A Glimmer of Hope

The next day, Ah Yu and Zhong Hua brought the prepared evidence to the office of the Justice Times. Teacher Chen warmly received them, but after listening to their account and examining the evidence, his expression became serious.

“If this evidence is true, it will be a major news event. Gu Yanting has a great influence in the business world, and we must act with caution. However, our Justice Times has always adhered to the principle of pursuing the truth and will not let such a bad person get away with it,” Teacher Chen said firmly, adjusting his glasses.

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