Chapter 29 Adding Fuel
For a full five hours, the live stream room was completely silent, with only the clicking of the mouse and the occasional tapping of the keyboard.
The screen displays monotonous code, data, and documents.
Not all netizens understood what she was doing, but those who knew the ropes started explaining it to them.
[Look at this record, it was still being edited at 3 AM.]
[She uses this programming software so smoothly! I had to download five pirated versions, and they were all riddled with viruses.]
[Wow, is this a fast-forwarded demonstration of the academic writing process?]
Netizens are emotional beings; the fact that they could sit here motionless for so long has already made them feel sincerity, and their guilt has begun to reverse public opinion.
[...Although I didn't understand it, I was deeply moved!]
[It's numb, baby, please stop your magic!]
My mom thought I was playing on my phone, came in angry, and left satisfied.
[Just downloaded this software, thanks to the expert for the free tutorial!!]
[Thank you for the tutorial! + your ID number!]
The hype was soaring when the system promptly alerted: "[Host, it's the You family behind this hype.]"
Even after the live stream ended, Ling Wei still hadn't opened a personal account, but the clips from the live stream had already been frantically screenshotted and forwarded by netizens, immediately disproving any suspicion of academic fraud.
The doubts surrounding Ling Yang have not completely disappeared, but on the same day, the official account of the Public Security Bureau to which Ling Yang belongs released a brief and powerful statement: "After verification, Comrade Ling Yang's recruitment procedure was legal and compliant, and his work performance was excellent. We welcome supervision from all sectors of society in accordance with the law."
Lingyang also posted a comparison of his grades before and after repeating his senior year of high school, with the caption: "Young and impetuous, I encountered a family crisis, which made me realize the importance of hard work. Thank you for the organization's trust."
Those who had always stood by Ling Wei finally felt relieved:
[Official slap in the face! Satisfying!]
[Questioning state-mandated political vetting? Who do you think you are?]
[A prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold; now he's a police officer!]
[Have some people been brainwashed by foreign forces? They see everything as having a hidden agenda?]
Ling Wei's alma mater and her mentor, Academician Zhang, also spoke out publicly, using the reputation of the school and her mentor to vouch for her academic innocence.
Public opinion has completely reversed.
Netizens began to feel sorry for the girl who silently endured everything, and keenly noticed some clues.
Why is my sister so disliked? Whose cake did she touch?
[We've been set up by capital! I get it! It's like setting an alarm but still being late for class...]
[Thumbs up for the comment about being set up (upvote)]
[But Mei Bao feels she's really been set up.]
[Agreed, someone in the entertainment industry is trying to sabotage her. She's been targeted by haters ever since the music video.]
Soon, the agent who forged the chat logs couldn't withstand the pressure and released an apology video, saying that he shouldn't have fabricated the data for the sake of traffic.
The account has been permanently banned for maliciously violating platform rules.
After releasing the apology video, the manager, trembling, picked up the phone and said to the person on the other end, "Brother Ye, I really know I was wrong. Miss Xu made me do it, you know, I only listened to her because of you..."
On the other end of the phone, Yu Xingye's face was somber, his eyes cold, and he showed no emotion whatsoever.
Xu Ziqi knew that Ling Wei was the one he loved, yet he recklessly intended to destroy her completely, severing the last vestige of their childhood friendship.
You Xingye pushed open the study door and stood in front of You Jingxuan, who was reading documents, his voice low and deep: "Brother."
You Jingxuan's gaze fell on his younger brother's tense face, his expression calm and unwavering: "Hmm?"
"Don't help her." This "her" is a tacit understanding between them.
You Jingxuan leaned back in his chair, his voice still steady, yet exuding an air of absolute confidence: "We've been cutting ties with the Xu family these past few days. Do whatever you want without worry."
A hint of surprise flashed in You Xingye's eyes, as if he hadn't expected his brother to agree so readily, and as if he had been prepared for this all along.
But that suited him perfectly, so he seized the opportunity and said, "I need your help, brother."
You Jingxuan nodded slightly, which was taken as an agreement.
Online, accounts claiming to be Ling Wei's high school classmates began to appear one after another.
They spoke calmly or with a sigh about the girl who was once an excellent student but was almost ruined, their words filled with emotion for her current situation.
Following this, Xu Qian, one of the ringleaders of the incident, under pressure, posted a vague apology on social media: "...Back then, due to some misunderstandings and youthful ignorance, I did some bad things to Ling Wei, and I am deeply sorry..."
This was clearly the result of You Jingxuan putting pressure on the Xu family.
One by one, some of his former followers also came forward to apologize.
The internet was in an uproar, and public opinion completely shifted towards sympathizing with Ling Wei:
[Oh my god! So that's how she developed her aphasia!]
[So heartbreaking! To be bullied to the point of losing her voice and still manage to pursue a PhD—what incredible willpower!]
Just then, even more shocking news broke.
Some anonymous accounts have begun to reveal that Xu Ziqi was the real mastermind behind the bullying incident years ago.
They posted evidence that the Xu family's businesses suddenly received funding and business support from the Xu family after the bullying incident. Even the families of those who had just apologized were exposed as having received "kickbacks" from the Xu family.
Netizens instantly transformed into Sherlock Holmes:
[Case solved! The real big fish is Xu Ziqi!]
[Look! Those marketing accounts that were most ruthless towards Ling Wei before also accused her of stealing a role in a music video months ago.]
[Whose was it stolen? Whose could it be? Didn't Xu Ziqi go to great lengths to market herself as the 'Nation's Little Sister'? Turns out, Mei Bao snatched it away!]
[Holy crap! So this was a meticulously planned attack that started in high school and has continued until now?! Xu Ziqi is so vicious!]
An overwhelming surge of anger instantly overwhelmed Xu Ziqi:
[Bullying Sister, Get Out of the Entertainment Industry!!!]
[Nation's Little Sister? Pshaw! Bully!]
[Xu Ziqi, is your heart black?]
The system was ecstatic: "Host! Xu Ziqi is finally doomed!"
Ling Wei knew that this counterattack was not her doing, but most likely You Xingye's doing.
But her eyes remained calm: [Doomed? This is nothing! Do you think Xu Ziqi and the Xu family will just sit idly by and wait to be destroyed?]
As expected, Xu Ziqi quickly released a strongly worded statement, denying all accusations and posting a lawyer's letter, threatening to sue the rumor-mongers.
At the same time, the Xu family's massive public relations machine was mobilized, frantically suppressing trending topics, deleting comments, and cleaning up the online forums, resulting in a visible decrease in popularity.
The online trolls have been mobilized again:
[Ugh, the person in charge hasn't even spoken yet, and a bunch of bastards are already charging in for them?]
[What's wrong with the young lady being beautiful and kind-hearted, helping out a friend's business? Why is she being attacked for that?]
[Exactly, if there really was something going on with the young lady, why didn't Ling Wei say anything?]
[I've started to dislike Ling Wei; just watching an innocent woman being cyberbullied like this.]
But netizens have become more discerning and are no longer easily swayed:
[How much does it cost per post? I'd like to become a paid online commentator too. Xu family, please consider me.]
[What can I say about Mei Bao? First, she was bullied until she lost her voice, and then, without doing anything, her career and family were on the verge of collapse. If she comes out and identifies someone again, won't she be sold to northern Myanmar by the Xu family?]
Because Xu Ziqi is certain she has no evidence, she doesn't want to let things cool down and is eager to clear her name, so the controversy has resurfaced, and she wants to continue to label Ling Wei.
Ling Wei watched Xu Ziqi jumping around and knew the time had come.
She sent a short message in an encrypted group: "It's ready."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com