When Yao Xin saw that reply, she almost stamped her feet in frustration. She had to admit that Anping's authorities were the hardest opponent she had ever tried to smear, bar none.
The comment above was actually quite right. Anping's authorities understood the public's psychology very well, and they understood the usual tactics people like her used to smear them and steer public opinion even better. That was why they could always take timely, targeted measures to counter them effectively.
As the saying went, starting a rumor took only a mouth, but debunking it could run your legs off!
They could originally have exploited gaps in information and online reach, using fools who knew nothing of the truth and were quick to get worked up to keep whipping up hostile opinion, abuse, and smears against the authorities.
Just look: generally speaking, articles debunking rumors received only a handful of comments, while the rumor-mongers' comment sections seethed with anger and righteous indignation.
A few minutes and a quick search would have been enough to find the truth in the official response, yet some people refused to lift so much as a finger.
And no matter how many previous incidents had turned out differently from the initial reports, these people still lacked the patience to "let the bullets fly for a while." Time and again, they foolishly let public intellectuals and internet trolls lead them by the nose.
As a veteran public intellectual, Yao Xin was also very good at exploiting and stirring up these fools' emotions.
But that tactic did not work on Anping!
Unlike other authorities that could only passively take a beating, Anping's authorities also commanded a powerful publicity apparatus capable of shaping public opinion. That power ensured that the moment the truth was released, it drew the public's