Public Opinion Ferments

The stabbing case at Binhai City South Station quickly shot to the top of trending searches across major media platforms.

Binhai City's official media was the first to release the news, followed closely by official media outlets across the country reposting the report.

"Our station reports that at around 2:20 p.m. on September 30, a vicious violent assault occurred at Binhai City South Railway Station. While committing the attack, suspect Chen was subdued by a Brave Young Man Who Did the Right Thing. He is currently in local police custody. One person was seriously injured and five others sustained minor injuries at the scene. They have been taken to the hospital for treatment. Further announcements will be released immediately once the police have completed their thorough investigation."

Below the news release was roughly a minute of surveillance footage from the scene.

For a time, the internet exploded.

All sorts of self-media accounts and online influencers sprang into action like hounds catching a scent, churning out long articles.

Some took the sentimental route, writing emotionally charged pieces from the victims' perspective. From their wording, it was as though they themselves were the victims, making it as moving as possible.

Yet in reality, they scoured the internet for bloody photos from the scene, showing no regard for anyone's privacy as they plastered images of people lying in pools of blood across their article covers, afraid they would not draw enough attention otherwise.

Others, with at least a bit of conscience, analyzed why the high-speed rail station's security measures had allowed a watermelon knife through inspection.

But articles like those were most prone to overcorrection, broadening their criticism until it rose to the level of social governance as a whole.

That was how public opinion worked. Everyone had something to say, people's hearts were complicated, and public opinion was just as complicated.

Beyond that, there was another important reason why the news had sparked such overwhelming discussion.

It was that Brave Young Man Who Did the Right Thing.

On Feibo, the country's largest social media platform, he became the subject of discussion for countless men and women.

In the surveillance footage released by the authorities, the sight of Lin Yuan disarming the blade barehanded and saving a little girl in the blink of an eye was simply breathtaking.

Though the footage was somewhat blurry, his movements could still generally be seen clearly.

There were also quite a few people who had been at the scene, and they uploaded clearer footage they had taken on their phones.

From multiple angles, it showed what had happened at the scene.

When pieced together, the footage was even more thrilling than a wuxia drama.

@Love You, One Firewood Stick: "That guy's got some nerve. He just charged right in."

@Lost in Feifei's Thoughts: "He was savage. It was like an action movie."

@Kunlun Mountain Fairy: "Damn it, why wasn't This Fairy at the scene? I really want to ask him for his Feixin."

@Adorably Silly: "He was so gentle. I want to be that little girl and get patted too."

@Xuanxuan: "What do I do? Suddenly, my Weak Chicken boyfriend doesn't seem so appealing anymore."

@Rich Woman Xiaoyuan: "Offering a huge reward online! Looking for the Brave Young Man Who Did the Right Thing's contact information!"

@Sword Immortal: "Heh, what's so impressive about that? Didn't he just beat up some weak chicken? What are you all hyping him up for?"

@Irritable Peacock: "Replying to the above: You fucking only know how to talk. If you can do it, then go do it. All you know is run your mouth. Dare to give me your address? I'll come over tonight and tear your mouth apart, then see how many scallions you've got shoved in it."

@Yang Guo's Condor: "Did you see what he did with his leg? The moment that watermelon knife hit the ground, he hooked it with his leg and then firmly pinned it beneath his foot."

@Little Whirlwind: "Why did he go to all that trouble?"

@Yang Guo's Condor: "Are you stupid? The little girl was right beside the knife. He was probably afraid it would bounce up and cut her."

@Once Upon a Mountain: "That micro-control was seriously amazing!"

@This Fairy Is the Most Beautiful: "Such a warm, handsome young man. Too bad he was wearing a mask, but based on This Fairy's years of intuition, he must be a handsome guy."

Under this trending topic, besides all the gossiping bystanders, quite a few martial arts enthusiasts also voiced their opinions.

A prominent Feibo user named "Martial Arts Research Monk" made a post:

"If I'm not mistaken, that young man used Tai Chi. Both that joint lock and the final palm strike look very similar to certain techniques in Tai Chi."

His judgment was correct, but many netizens were unconvinced and flooded the comments.

"Who are you trying to fool? How could Tai Chi, that soft health exercise for old folks, be that fierce? If you ask me, it was clearly Baji Quan."

"Is that what Baji Quan looks like in your house? Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand. To me, it was clearly Bagua Zhang."

"Replying to the first comment: Who told you Tai Chi is some soft health exercise? Tai Chi has combat applications and training forms. Most people nowadays only practice simplified training forms, which is why it looks so weak and powerless."

"The commenter above nailed it. I practice a little Tai Chi in my spare time too, and some old masters have indeed said the same thing."

"A master out of nowhere?"

"Enough already. Stop hyping Tai Chi. Does it have any actual record to show? Bring it out and let us see."

Just as everyone was arguing endlessly, a blogger with the ID Little Sister Yang Style Tai Chi made a Feibo post:

"What he used was Elbow Push and Yin Supplement from the Tai Chi Loose Hands of Yang Style Tai Chi."

She also attached an image of the relevant movement.

Little Sister Yang Style Tai Chi was fairly well-known in martial arts circles, having won so many awards in Tai Chi competitions of all sizes across the country that her hands were practically full.

With her stepping forward to explain it herself and even providing an image, the matter was settled at once.

To a certain extent, this also indirectly boosted the reputation of Yang Style Tai Chi.

Beijing, inside a Siheyuan. After posting on Feibo, Yang Wanrou casually forwarded the news to the [Young Heroes Group].

The group immediately erupted into discussion.

"Sister Wanrou, do you know him?"

"No."

"This person's technique is very seasoned. His actual combat experience must be extremely rich for him to think of using Elbow Push and Yin Supplement in such a short time," Wu Zhongze messaged.

"Not only that, his reaction speed was incredibly fast too. After locking the other man's arm, he was able to raise his leg instantly and firmly catch that knife," Dong Jiaojiao of Bagua Zhang sent.

"Jiaojiao, how do you think that palm compares to your Bagua Zhang?"

Dong Jiaojiao sent an eye-roll emoji, then wrote:

"Li Changan, can you show a little common sense? Is that even comparable? Martial arts techniques are dead, but people are alive. Many schools have similar techniques, but what matters is how you use them, when you use them, and the circumstances in which you use them. In some people's hands, they become divine skills. In others', they are nothing but fancy moves."

As soon as Dong Jiaojiao finished speaking, a whole string of "666" emojis appeared below.

"Actually, that handsome guy didn't need to throw that palm at all. The first time he grabbed that man's wrist, the attacker had already lost his ability to fight. But... this Sister likes it. He should have hit him hard in the kidneys," Sun Xuemei of Sun Style Tai Chi messaged.

She immediately followed up with another message: "If it were me, I'd have given him a groin kick too, so he could experience some unforgettable pain."

"Sister Sun is awesome."

"Sister Sun is badass."

"Sister Sun is tough as nails."

While everyone in the group was discussing it animatedly, Wu Zihan finally woke after sleeping the entire afternoon.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes, pulled the body pillow out from between her legs, wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, then picked up the phone on her bedside table.

Opening Feixin, she saw the 99+ message badge for [Young Hero Warriors]. Her eyes instantly lit up, and she immediately tapped into it.

After reading through the chat history, Wu Zihan's eyes widened.

She cried out, "Isn't this Lin Yuan?!"

Though he wore a mask that showed only his eyes, she would never mistake him for someone else.

His height, build, and gaze were exactly the same.

The people in the group clearly had no idea that the person they were discussing was Lin Yuan. Only she knew.

Wu Zihan's eyes darted around as she revealed a knowing smile, who knew what scheme was brewing in her mind again.