No rumor rebuttal could ever carry as much weight as an official statement.
That afternoon, the Copper City authorities issued an announcement.
It basically stated that Wang Yi's livestream sales campaign had been entirely voluntary, and that he hadn't taken a single cent.
They strongly condemned those spreading rumors.
They also included a picture below the announcement.
It was the photo of Wang Yi being presented with a banner of appreciation.
Once the announcement came out, the haters stopped making noise.
One by one, they fell silent and tucked their heads away.
Meanwhile, the fans and passersby who had doubted Wang Yi after the haters stirred things up finally understood what had happened.
"I'm such a terrible person. I shouldn't have doubted Brother Yi."
"Brother Yi helped farmers completely for free, and I actually doubted him. I must've had water on the brain."
"Not only did Brother Yi do it for free, he even spent several million of his own money. I deserve the worst."
Next, netizens collectively turned their anger toward the haters who had stirred up trouble.
They flocked to the accounts that had originally spread the rumors or reposted the articles.
They all attacked as one.
"You dare smear Brother Yi? You're asking for trouble!"
"Damn you! If you've got the guts, give us your address!"
"Brother Yi was helping farmers for free, while you smear him. Who's going to dare help farmers after this?"
Under the public's barrage, the rumor-monger Qing Qing Zi first shut down the comment section, then deleted the article he'd posted that night.
Those who had reposted the article to chase clout also began deleting their posts one after another.
But they had no idea that the Zhang San Lawyer Group had already taken action.
The team, which numbered as many as