Chapter 91
Just as the internet was abuzz with the identity mystery of "Ling Yao or Shen Qingyuan", with fans of both sides engaging in fierce attacks and defenses and passersby dazzled by the spectacle, a more secretive and ruthless operation was quietly taking place in the dark.
Ling Yao's agency reacted swiftly and fiercely to this sudden scandal. Sometimes the first priority in crisis public relations isn't to clarify the situation itself, but to create a bigger explosion, or...find a more suitable "scapegoat."
They quietly contacted a former financial officer and a key employee of Shen Qingyuan's agency (a typical family-run business with chaotic management and a tainted reputation). With the promise of a large sum of money, they obtained irrefutable evidence of the company's tax evasion in recent years.
Ling Yao's company then didn't immediately release the evidence. Instead, they used it as leverage, quietly leaking it to Shen Qingyuan's team. The message was clear and brutal: if Shen Qingyuan dared to clarify or deny the rumors in any way, at any occasion (implying that it was Ling Yao, not Shen Qingyuan, who was there that night), then the evidence of tax evasion and undocumented evidence would be immediately sent to the tax authorities and major media outlets. For an actor who relies on reputation and image, this would be a devastating blow, enough to completely end his career.
Shen Qingyuan's team was caught off guard. The family business's flaws were now fully exposed, and they simply couldn't withstand the impact of such a massive scandal. Under immense threat, they were forced to remain silent, abandoning their planned clarifications. They even dared not act rashly, and could only watch helplessly as public opinion escalated.
At the same time, under the secret guidance and "encouragement" of Ling Yao's team, the investigative direction of the "Sherlock Holmes" on the Internet began to shift subtly but consistently.
More and more "eating melon posts" and "analysis videos" began to focus on a point that had been ignored before: "Didn't you notice? The boy who was protected in the video, his height and build, as well as the blurry style of clothing that day, are very similar to Su Rui, the photographer who often takes pictures of Shen Qingyuan!" "Yes, yes, Su Rui! That's him! Look at the pictures he took of Shen Qingyuan, the relationship between the two must be unusual!" "The case is solved, the case is solved! So Shen Qingyuan and Su Rui were on a date that day! Ling Yao was just unlucky and was accidentally injured!" "I said! Ling Yao is a straight man at first glance (I don't mean to say that straight men are good), but Shen Qingyuan and Su Rui have worked together so many times, their eyes are so familiar, okay!" "Shen Qingyuan is always very charming under Su Rui's lens. Who would believe it if it's not true love?" "So Shen Qingyuan and Su Rui's relationship is exposed! Ling Yao has become a background board!"
Previously captured photos and videos of Su Rui and Shen Qingyuan's frequent work interactions were also dug up in large numbers. After editing and manipulation, every frame was interpreted with an air of ambiguity. Ling Yao's team may have even secretly released some vague "explosions," suggesting that "a photographer named S has a close relationship with a male star named Shen."
The powerful internet troll army and public opinion manipulation machine began to work at full capacity, with the aim of firmly pinning the label of "romance" on Shen Qingyuan and Su Rui.
As a result, a shocking reversal took place in the public opinion field.
Although Ling Yao and Shen Qingyuan both maintained a strange silence and neither admitted anything, the crazy public opinion had already rushed towards Shen Qingyuan and Su Rui like a guided flood.
The entry for "Shen Qingyuan and Su Rui's relationship" went viral. Comments swirled below, with comments like "Analysis confirmed," "Feeling sorry for Ling Yao," "Wishing Shen Qingyuan and Su Rui happiness (fake)," and "Shen Qingyuan actually likes boys?"
Ling Yao successfully and neatly extricated himself from the center of this storm, transforming himself from an idol whose "relationship exposure threatened to ruin his reputation" into a victim who was "innocently involved and even a little pitiful." His fans frantically defended him, celebrating his "innocence" and blaming Shen Qingyuan and Su Rui for bringing Ling Yao down.
Shen Qingyuan and Su Rui were pushed to the edge of the volcano of public opinion. One was strangled by the company scandal and could not speak out, while the other was powerless to fight against the huge capital and crazy public opinion. They could only watch an absurd but "set in stone" relationship being forced upon them.
Su Rui looked at the trending searches on his phone, such as "Shen Qingyuan and Su Rui are a perfect match" and "Feeling sorry for Ling Yao being pulled into the trap." He felt a chill run down his spine, a sense of absurdity and powerlessness completely engulfing him. He felt as if an invisible, cold hand had easily twisted the facts, pushing him and his cherished colleagues into an abyss of no return, without even a chance to struggle or cry out.
Ling Yao... and his team chose to protect themselves in the most cruel way.
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