The internet has given rise to a new type of crime: cyberbullying.
But very few people are actually punished for cyberbullying others, which makes the internet a stage for carnival every day.
Like the legendary Colosseum, new stories unfold here every day.
Few people care about the fate of the main characters in the story; people simply watch for entertainment.
In this information age, Zhan Chengwen's past identity was quickly revealed.
Wu Wencai, a Weibo influencer, renowned writer, and member of the Writers Association, posted:
"According to sources familiar with the matter and my subsequent verification, Zhan Chengwen, whose original name was Zhan Peng, graduated from the School of Literature at Yunmeng University."
Yunmeng University is a second-tier municipal university.
Zhan Peng himself did not demonstrate any special learning ability while studying at this school.
Moreover, he couldn't find a job for a long time after graduation.
It's hard to believe that someone like that has any amazing talent!
But on the internet today, some netizens call him "a rare example of literary integrity!" and "a poet!"
What did he do to deserve such integrity? It's utterly laughable.
He released inflammatory videos, causing extremely negative social impact; I have no idea what his motives were.
But I urge that our literary federation and writers' association should never accept this kind of person.
Zhan Chengwen is just a show-off; he is not a poet at all!
He must apologize for the negative impact his video had!
They should truthfully surrender themselves to the judicial authorities and admit their actions of maliciously instigating social conflicts, stirring up public opinion, and violating the Public Security Law!
Following Wu Wencai's Weibo post, numerous influential figures and self-media outlets reposted it.
As influential figures entered the fray, many more independent media outlets followed suit.
Cute little squirrel: "One of my buddies was Zhan Chengwen's college classmate. According to him, Zhan Chengwen was a jerk in college and had a lot of fun."
Entertainment Big Sister: "[Picture][Picture] This is a photo of Zhan Chengwen delivering food a while ago, from an enthusiastic netizen."
According to this netizen, Zhan Chengwen wasn't someone who could endure hardship; he only worked for two months before quitting. When they saw him again, they heard he had become a famous internet poet, which they found quite amusing.
Insider: "According to information I found, Zhan Chengwen's academic performance was not outstanding during his university years. After graduation, he held several jobs, none of which lasted long."
Not long ago, he quit his job as a rice ball delivery rider. The time between quitting his job and posting his first short video under the online name Zhan Chengwen was only a week.
From this, I deduce that there's likely a behind-the-scenes team pushing him forward!
…
A barrage of negative news about Zhan Chengwen has emerged, leaving many netizens who initially supported him feeling quite incredulous.
Originally, they thought Zhan Chengwen was a genius poet who came from a prestigious university and whose edges had not been worn down by the world, and whose heart was full of sincerity, dreams, freedom and equality.
Zhan Chengwen should have been a role model; he should have possessed high moral character and the noble spirit and pride of scholars throughout history.
But in reality, Zhan Chengwen is just an ordinary graduate from a second-tier university.
They were even unable to find work at one point.
Many netizens who are doing poorly expressed their lament, saying that they are not even as well off as themselves.
Many netizens who originally supported Zhan Chengwen felt they had been greatly deceived, and then became angry and ashamed after being cheated.
They all switched sides, joining the ranks of netizens who had previously held opposing views in the campaign against Zhan Chengwen.
"What are you pretending to be, poet? You're deliberately creating public opinion to profit from tragedy! Bah!"
"Write fewer short essays, work harder, and stop running around like a clown."
"Some netizens have revealed that you went to deliver food after graduation. If you're going to deliver food, then so be it. Don't keep thinking about creating social conflicts. I strongly suspect that you took funds from other countries. I suggest a thorough investigation."
…
For a time, it seemed as if the whole world was condemning Zhan Chengwen, as if he had committed an unforgivable crime.
In the minds of some netizens, he was labeled as the kind of person who is despised.
The reversal of public opinion is so volatile, as if an invisible hand is manipulating the emotions of everyone in this reality show.
Some people are eager to see Zhan Chengwen admit his mistakes, to see him weep and look remorseful.
Just when the fire was burning brightest, Zhan Chengwen updated his video on Douyin.
Zhou Tao was well aware of the nature of the internet.
The internet's favorite thing to do is create gods. They use grand narratives and majestic background music to create a legend.
They attract countless admirers, as if they were perfect, without flaws, and omnipotent.
Then one day, the person involved was exposed for saying or doing something inappropriate.
He will be brought down from his pedestal and ridiculed mercilessly, as if the whole world is spitting on him.
Zhou Tao understands these things too well. He won't pay too much attention to those debates; he will follow his own rational analysis.
He doesn't think Zhan Chengwen did anything wrong in the whole incident. He neither falsified his academic credentials nor was he accused of maliciously editing or distorting the facts.
Currently, the things that are badmouthing him on the internet are mostly things like he attended a second-tier university, his grades were average, his work ability was also average, and some rumors that are of unknown veracity.
But upon closer examination, there's nothing to criticize about these flaws.
This is one of the biggest characteristics of the internet: people tend to follow the crowd.
This occurred at the height of the online bullying against Zhan Chengwen.
Zhou Tao noticed that Zhan Chengwen's audio and video feed had been updated.
The video is titled "Confession"!
Upon seeing these two words, Zhou Tao suddenly recalled the words of the famous writer Wu Wencai, who advised Zhan Chengwen to turn himself in.
The video opens with the words "confession," showcasing a strong and confrontational tone.
Zhou Tao was eager to see what happened next.
In the video, it's still that handsome young man, wearing glasses, sitting on a large rock by the lake, watching the sunset in the distance.
He sat upright with his hands on his knees, like a prisoner who had confessed and was being treated leniently.
A magnetic voice came from his mouth:
I'm not lying to you, I'm not a poet.
The very first sentence made Zhou Tao feel somewhat suffocated!
From the title "Confession" to the line "I am not a poet," one can sense that Zhan Chengwen is relentlessly attacking that famous writer!
This perfectly matches Zhou Tao's image of Zhan Chengwen!
Zhan Chengwen's poetry continues.
Even though I love the steadfastness of white stone, the green pine and the sea, the sunset carried on the backs of crows, and the twilight woven with the wings of bats.
Zhou Tao felt a deep stirring within him.
The video features white stones, green pines, birds, and a sunset!
They blend so perfectly into the poetry.
Bai Shi Jianzhen.
The pine tree is resilient.
The sea is vast.
The sight of crows carrying the setting sun on their backs creates the most beautiful scene!
Zhou Tao listened quietly to Zhan Chengwen's voice.
You know I love heroes, and I also love mountains.
I love a national flag fluttering in the wind.
From pale yellow to bronze chrysanthemums.
Remember, my sustenance is a pot of bitter tea!
As Zhou Tao listened to the line "I love a national flag waving in the wind," she thought of those people on the internet who fabricated stories about Zhan Chengwen taking foreign funds. It really was a "confession"!
Thinking about it, it's really ironic.
Before Zhou Tao's thoughts could wander, he heard Zhan Chengwen's last line of poetry.
But there's another me, are you afraid?
Thoughts like flies, crawling in the trash can.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Tao felt an uncontrollable surge of excitement, trembling with rage. He felt like he was about to explode!
Aren't you afraid of those fly-like thoughts crawling into the trash can?!
Zhou Tao murmured the poem to himself for a while before he came to his senses and blurted out, "How dare he!"
But soon Zhou Tao felt a deep sense of admiration. Yes, this was the image of a poet he had in mind!
He felt a genuine and lasting happiness.
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