Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

Yang Che felt much better, smiled, and sat down next to Zhao Xiaoding, then started the meeting.

This was Yang Che's first real participation in a preparatory meeting for Zhang Yimou's team. It was similar to what he had envisioned—a purely industrial-scale simulation of the implementation plan. Of course, there were many creative discussions, but the decisions were made decisively.

Yang Che quite liked this kind of meeting; it gave people a positive and uplifting feeling. Despite his advanced mental age, he craved this feeling, even more so than his lust for young girls' bodies.

His reputation was well-deserved, and Zhang Yimou's meticulous attention to detail in props, lighting, and actor direction greatly inspired him. What impressed him even more was that Zhang Yimou remained energetic throughout a nearly 13-hour meeting.

Damn, I'm 50 years old...

Yang Che thus began the second phase of the Olympic Bid Committee's work.

On May 13, Yang Che led a part of the filming team to the Jiangzhe area to shoot the mountains and rivers. During the trip, he took care of both his personal and professional needs and treated Xiao Pang to a few meals. Xiao Pang was very busy, much busier than him. He said that he had to rush from one location to another for a week and only slept an average of 5 hours a day.

"Brother, you don't need to worry about me cheating on you. I really don't care. I just fell asleep as soon as I got to the hotel."

This made Yang Che feel heartbroken, but she was enjoying it, genuinely embracing the busy schedule that stretched until the second half of next year. It just goes to show that people's joys and sorrows are indeed different.

While Yang Che was traveling and enjoying the scenery in Jiangnan, something happened on Xingfu Street in the capital that the people both enjoyed and condemned. It was around six or seven o'clock in the morning on Monday, May 15th, when a dilapidated Daihatsu drove down Xingfu Street, and then a large number of leaflets were scattered from the vehicle.

Those who exercise, those on the early shift, and passersby were instantly drawn to the flyer because it featured several color photos of a couple in bed, taken from multiple angles and with remarkable clarity.

The caption below the image reads: "Wang, the chief editor of the entertainment section of the Beijing News, and Kong, the editor of the social section, had an extramarital affair."

People passing by the Beijing News office on Xingfu Street would always glance at it subconsciously, and those walking together would whisper among themselves... Wang and Kong hadn't even started work when they received a notice that they were suspended from their duties pending investigation.

When the two learned the reason, their world collapsed.

The photo was taken and uploaded online. Thanks to the recent improvement in internet speed and the lack of regulation, it spread incredibly fast.

On the third day of the rectification meeting, Dai, the president of the Beijing News, criticized this in a strong manner and officially announced the dismissal of Wang and Kong. No one pleaded for them at the scene, given the current public opinion environment.

However, before the meeting could end, the municipal discipline inspection commission knocked on the meeting room door. Then, Dai was placed under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law, and the deputy director, Cheng, was placed under investigation for suspected embezzlement…

The downfall of the two newspaper leaders did not spread to the public. People were still talking about the bed photos and analyzing that the woman's eyes were full of love.

However, this news spread extremely quickly throughout China's media circles, which is highly unusual.

This is not a top-down operation; it is being carried out by extremely capable and energetic people.

Exactly! First, they release the bed photos to attract public attention—that's the overt. Then they submit materials to the disciplinary committee—that's the covert. For the disciplinary committee, this is almost a blatant threat: they either handle it or they let the public handle it.

So who is this capable and powerful person?

Who knows? Anyway, no reporter has interviewed Yang Che, the biggest "suspect".

Secretary-General Wang Wei personally called Yang Che, first offering his condolences, and then directly asked, "How did you manage that?"

Yang Che was completely bewildered. After finding out the reason, he said, "Boss, I really want to say that I did it, so that I can make an example of someone."

Wang Wei asked in confusion, "Not you?"

Yang Che laughed and said, "If you vouch for me, I'm willing to admit that I did it."

"......"

Wang Wei was even more puzzled, but he also breathed a sigh of relief.

No matter who asked, Yang Che would give the same answer, even if it was Liu Chang or Gao Yuanyuan.

Some say: When others suspect you have nuclear weapons, you'd better actually have them.

This statement is actually biased, at least in the context of Chinese society. Moreover, although this method is simple and direct, it is despicable and will arouse people's vigilance.

This is similar to how our Party established the ironclad rule of "not engaging in white terror" during the revolutionary period.

Therefore, Yang Che would never admit it, even if everyone thought he did it. Human memory is reconstructible.

As time goes by, without continuous evidence or new topics of discussion, people's memories of the details of old events will gradually become blurred. At this point, a firm denial may become a new anchor point for memory, creating the illusion that "perhaps there was a misunderstanding back then," and further, the feeling that "there really was a misunderstanding back then."

This relates to the lie repetition effect and cognitive reconstruction strategies in psychology and social communication, and also involves strategies to avoid the self-justification trap.

Actually, Yang Che didn't originally intend to make things this serious. He just wanted to scatter the photos, send some materials to the president, have everyone meet, and then accept him as a dog. However, the two brothers, Yuanhang and Shanghua, who were actually doing this, were too capable and too righteous.

So for the sake of his brother's loyalty (and ability), the dog became less important, and the slight risks were no big deal.

The evidence was all solid; these people were truly unscrupulous and had very little sense of concealment. Yang Che felt that even if he didn't take action, these people were not far from their demise.

Yang Che was mistaken. In another timeline, these people were indeed all arrested, but that was many years later. Over those years, they were frequently reported and investigated, but ultimately all were found innocent...

Yes, those are the management team at the Beijing News.

Therefore, Yang Che actually did a good deed, indirectly saving the lives of several people who were later driven to death by the Beijing News.

The impact of this incident is that the media's attitude towards Yang Che has changed from mockery when he was called "Jia Jingwen's most promiscuous mistress" to now keeping their distance.

Regardless of whether Yang Che was the instigator, most newspapers and magazines would advise people to avoid him and not cause trouble for no reason.

They understood that even if Yang Che had indeed done it, it was somewhat understandable. After all, the Beijing News had gone too far first, and then kept going on and on, again and again.

But they are still afraid, they feel a sense of shared sorrow, because many of them are not clean themselves.

The impact on the industry and society as a whole was that for a period of time, many people stopped booking hotel rooms. Even those who did book a room would face various checks, such as locking the inner door.

As for Yuanhang, Shanghua, and the other participants who had finished their work, they all returned to their hometowns. Firstly, to lay low—obviously, the police would investigate. Secondly, to see what these people would do after receiving the money.