Mind reading saves the whole family; I'm firmly in the role of a charlatan.

Chapter 22 Not a Single One Will Escape

Du Hexuan's face turned green: "Which media outlet wrote this? I'm going to sue them for defamation!"

His furious, jumping-legged manner successfully amused the group of people who were initially somewhat taken aback.

Seeing Du Hexuan's strong reaction, Director Gao guessed that things might be different from what they had thought, and hurriedly asked, "What's written on it isn't true, is it? Why did you come here so late at night, and why did you happen to be photographed and trend on social media?"

“The area outside is now full of reporters who have come to take photos secretly. If this matter is not handled properly as soon as possible and the public opinion is allowed to ferment, not only you, but my crew will also suffer.”

At that moment, Du Anrao was looking through Zhou Shunzhe's phone; the photos had been taken more than an hour earlier.

In the past hour or so, countless interpretations have emerged from this photo, and Du Hexuan and Director Gao's crew have also been trending on social media.

This is a common tactic in the industry: first, hire online trolls to create buzz. The more opinions there are, the more points of contention there are, making it easier to start a fight, and once a fight breaks out, the buzz naturally increases.

Once the hype has built up sufficiently, have a relatively authoritative major media outlet confirm the story, revealing more detailed information to gain the trust of netizens and solidify the matter.

The headline that Du Hexuan just saw is the confirmed result, and it's currently at the top of various online trending topics lists.

While Du Anrao was checking the news, Du Hexuan had already briefly explained to the two of them why they had come here today, which startled them.

Zhou Shunzhe couldn't help but feel a lingering fear: "Luckily you were observant and noticed something was wrong early on. Otherwise, if we had gone alone, we probably would have been devoured by now."

Director Gao also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that his crew had been saved.

"Since you've already reported them to the police, why are those media outlets that were staking out the area still posting these things randomly online?"

"Perhaps they thought everything was going smoothly according to plan, and that Second Brother was arrested along with those other people?"

After her reminder, the group suddenly realized what was going on.

This was a meticulously planned scheme; with paparazzi staking out the police station beforehand, reporting the incident to the police was clearly part of the plan.

However, the executors inside had no contact with these paparazzi, so they were completely unaware that the plan had changed and still leaked the information as originally arranged.

Meanwhile, the online trolls responsible for guiding public opinion were unaware that the plan had gone wrong and were still trying to fan the flames and escalate the situation.

This was a misunderstanding caused by information asymmetry.

Everyone: "..." For some reason, they suddenly felt like laughing.

Du Hexuan couldn't laugh, because while he was browsing the news, one or two celebrities couldn't help but jump out and accuse him of forcing them to engage in sex work in exchange for resources.

Some online trolls also took the opportunity to label him a "pimp".

After all this time, I've ended up getting involved with this stuff again. What bad luck!

"So what do we do now? Should we have the company issue a statement in response? Or should we ask someone here to issue a statement?"

"What's the rush?" Now that things have progressed to this point, Du Hexuan is no longer in a hurry. "How can you catch a big fish if the water isn't muddy? Let's take this opportunity to see who are the kind-hearted people who offer help in times of need and who are the treacherous villains who like to kick someone when they're down."

Since Du Hexuan had already said so, Zhou Shunzhe didn't insist anymore. However, Director Gao reminded him with some concern: "Fishing is fine, but you should also be careful not to overdo it."

Du Hexuan knew this too, and nodded without refuting it.

Due to Du Hexuan's deliberate leniency, online discussions about the matter quickly intensified.

Paparazzi and online trolls are paid to do their jobs; they don't care about the facts.
Those internet celebrity media outlets that swarm in like great white sharks at the sight of blood are solely driven by popularity, and they wish they could suck Du Hexuan dry.

The only person who could possibly discover the truth was the mastermind, Jiang Huaiying. Unfortunately, she was too arrogant and didn't consider the possibility of the plan failing at all. She also subconsciously ignored the unusual fact that Ni Fang didn't call her to report on the progress afterward. She was only excitedly thinking about how to add fuel to the fire.

Under her covert encouragement, more and more minor artists came forward to testify against Du Hexuan's "evil deeds," which amazed Zhou Shunzhe.

He had been in the industry with Du Hexuan for so long, practically inseparable, yet he had no idea that Du Hexuan was so "heinous".

By the time the online buzz had died down, the police investigation had also made initial progress, with Duhexuan Company's statement and the police report being released almost simultaneously.

On [Date], following a report from a concerned citizen, Mr. Du, regarding a case of mass suicide and drug use, our bureau took the matter very seriously and immediately launched an investigation. Subsequently, suspect Ni and five accomplices were apprehended at a hotel in the city, and a quantity of prohibited drugs were seized.

An investigation revealed that Ni and his accomplices conspired to lure Du and her sister to a hotel to set them up in a "honey trap," and planned to force them to drink illegal drugs to control them after the plan succeeded.

Currently, Ni and his accomplices have been arrested and brought to justice. The Du siblings, who did not go to the hotel after realizing something was amiss, have also returned home safely. The investigation is ongoing, and the criminal acts will be severely punished according to law.

Compared to the police report, Duhexuan Company's statement was much simpler and clearer.

Regarding the recent malicious defamation and rumor-mongering against our artist Du Hexuan online, our company filed a police report on [date] and has preserved relevant evidence. We will take legal action to seriously pursue the defamatory and rumor-mongering activities of certain media outlets and individuals.

The statement was simple, but its tone was very firm.

The police report further alarmed some media figures and celebrities who had previously been making waves, prompting them to delete comments and posts, hoping to maintain a facade of peace and tranquility as if nothing had happened.

Of course, some haters and keyboard warriors are unwilling to admit they've been proven wrong, insisting that flies don't land on eggs without cracks, and that with so many celebrities coming forward to testify against Du Hexuan, he must not be a good person.

Du Hexuan was too lazy to deal with these annoying pests. He simply forwarded the company's statement and then tagged several news media outlets and online influencer marketing accounts that the company and his older brother had found to have collaborated with Jiang Huaiying in the past two days, arrogantly stating:

"None of Jiang Huaiying's dogs will escape."

Upon seeing this post, many people were suddenly reminded of Du Hexuan's arrogant personality when he first entered the entertainment industry, always ready to challenge everyone and everything, as if he wanted to tear a hole in the sky.

It's only because he's filmed more dramas in recent years that he's become more mature and settled, which makes people feel that his personality has changed and he's no longer as fearless as before.

But they forgot that some people's arrogance is ingrained in their bones. Even if they hide it normally, if you really cross their bottom line, they will quickly reveal their sharpness and pierce through the rat who dares to stroke the tiger's whiskers.

(End of this chapter)