Ye Chen cursed under his breath. He'd known Gao Zuo was no good. The moment Ye Chen refused to sign with Starlight Entertainment, Gao Zuo had released a video spreading rumors.
It was the classic case of "if I can't have it, I'll destroy it."
Ye Chen opened a few videos at random and saw that none of them featured the same woman.
Gao Zuo was a sick pervert. He'd actually taken advantage of so many girls.
A few of the girls looked dazed, and it was obvious they hadn't agreed to it.
If these videos got leaked, wouldn't these girls' lives be ruined?
Ye Chen couldn't figure out why Gao Zuo had recorded videos like these.
Could he be planning to use them to blackmail the girls?
What a scumbag!
Gao Zuo was truly despicable!
Although these videos could be used to strike back at Gao Zuo, Ye Chen didn't want to resort to that.
There were plenty of ways to deal with someone like Gao Zuo. There was no need to stoop to his level by using these videos.
Still, these were evidence of Gao Zuo's crimes, so Ye Chen wasn't about to delete them.
After the police investigated, they would surely handle the videos properly and see that the girls got justice.
Ye Chen closed the folder and continued searching through the computer.
Soon, he found chat records showing Gao Zuo arranging to hire an escort model for sex.
Judging by the time, Gao Zuo was probably having a great time right now.
Ever since he debuted, Gao Zuo had cultivated the image of a pure-hearted boy idol.
If Gao Zuo got caught in the act, it would be enough to end his career for good and make him disappear from the entertainment industry.
He'd brought it on himself.
A grudge should be settled on the spot, especially when the opportunity was this good.
Ye Chen took out his phone and called Gu Jia, the captain of the criminal investigation team.
He reported Gao Zuo's soliciting of sex.
Gu Jia trusted Ye Chen completely. He immediately gathered a team and went out himself.
They headed straight to the hotel address Ye Chen had provided, ready to catch Gao Zuo in the act.
After hanging up, Ye Chen continued looking through the information on Gao Zuo's computer and phone.
Before long, he found another folder named "Broke Loser." It wasn't even encrypted.
Ye Chen frowned, sensing that something was very wrong.
He opened it, and sure enough, it contained the video from that night, uncut and unedited.
The video clearly showed what had happened from beginning to end.
Gao Zuo knew the full story too.
He'd deliberately cut out that particular segment, hoping to ruin Ye Chen's future. The guy was rotten to the core!
Ye Chen downloaded the video to his own computer.
Just then, he noticed someone else trying to attack and break into Gao Zuo's computer and phone.
He wondered if they'd traced the video's IP address.
If so, they might be on his side.
He had everything he needed, so Ye Chen quietly logged out of Gao Zuo's computer and phone.
With this video, the rumors would naturally fall apart.
Given how much attention the story had attracted, it was only a matter of time before the whole truth came out.
Star Shine Media wouldn't just sit back and let people smear its name, either.
Gao Zuo was just as stupid and rotten as ever, a blight on society. He'd be better off behind bars, doing hard labor. Just looking at him was irritating.
As Ye Chen was thinking this, his phone started vibrating again.
It was Ke An calling.
He'd only signed with her that morning, and he'd already caused her so much trouble.
It was all that damn Gao Zuo's fault, always pulling this sort of stunt.
Ye Chen answered and explained, "Sister An, I was just about to call you. I saw the video. Things didn't happen the way it showed..."
"Ye Chen, I know, I know. You saw someone being abused and stepped in to stop the man. That's a brave and admirable thing to do. You're clearly a good kid with strong principles. Why would you attack someone for no reason?" Ke An sounded delighted and excited on the other end of the phone.
Ye Chen was completely confused.
The unedited video hadn't been posted online yet, had it?
How did Sister An know?
He couldn't help asking, "How did you find out?"
"Not just me—the whole internet knows now. Everyone knows you're a brave young man who stood up for others. Your popularity has surged again, and the company plans to seize the momentum and get you to the top of the trending charts. You're going to be a huge hit," Ke An replied with a smile.
"The whole internet knows? What happened?" Ye Chen frowned slightly.
His allies couldn't have moved that fast, could they?
Ke An explained, "A girl named He Qiaoqiao made a video under her real name to prove you stepped in that day to protect her and her mother."
"He Qiaoqiao?" Ye Chen repeated.
"That's right. She said she was the daughter of the person who got beaten, and she explained what happened in the video. This has turned into a blessing in disguise. Get ready to go live tonight from nine to ten. The baby should be asleep by then, right? You can address the whole incident again, and maybe sing while you're at it. That'll bring in even more fans."
"Okay, Sister An. Got it," Ye Chen replied.
"Then that's settled. I'll make arrangements for tonight's livestream. I'll send you the talking points later. I have to go." Ke An hung up.
Ye Chen quickly opened the video app.
He Qiaoqiao's video had made it onto the trending charts too.
The moment Ye Chen opened the app, it appeared in his feed.
In the video, He Qiaoqiao was dressed simply. She looked even prettier now, poised and graceful.
Facing the camera, He Qiaoqiao held up her ID and used her real name as she explained what had happened. She thanked Ye Chen for bravely stepping in, urged people not to take things out of context and misunderstand him, and warned them not to discourage good people from helping others. She also shared photos of the injuries she and her mother had sustained when the police documented the case, along with her parents' divorce certificate.
After watching the video, Ye Chen felt a rush of emotion. Yang Qiufang and He Qiaoqiao were still as kind and sincere as ever. They had definitely been worth saving.
He opened the comments section.
Most of the commenters were supporting Ye Chen, and many said they'd become his fans.
User A: "I told you Singing Orange had stepped in to help someone! All you keyboard warriors who smeared Singing Orange, show yourselves and take a good look. Stop barking everywhere and attacking people!"
User B: "Exactly! Those keyboard warriors who smeared Singing Orange must be idiots. They started talking nonsense before they even knew what happened."
User C: "I won't let you call those keyboard warriors idiots... You need a brain to be an idiot."
User D: "Looks like the person above me is on our side. Say that more clearly next time—I almost couldn't stop my forty-meter sword!"
User E: "The person who posted that video to spread rumors and mislead everyone is even worse. What were they thinking? Everyone, find out who they are! Go!"
User F: "Yeah, find the person who posted that video to mislead everyone! I want to slap them so hard they stick to the wall!"
"..."