Fireworks

That evening, several well-known marketing accounts on Feibo suddenly posted photos with accompanying text, showing Zheng Xing entering a room carrying takeout.

Water Entertainment v: Su Li, who gained some popularity through "Brave Challenge," was photographed with an unfamiliar man entering his room. This man is neither his assistant nor his manager. Who is he?

Big Events in the Industry v: Su Li's suspected sugar daddy was seen entering his room at the production's accommodations. Does having backing not only get you onto a phenomenally popular variety show, but also let you bully your seniors?

Entertainment Circle v: Su Li's sugar daddy exposed! Definitive proof he's being kept. A rundown of Su Li's scandals and plastic surgery history.

Several other marketing accounts used more or less the same wording.

The comments section, meanwhile, was quite a spectacle:

[I told you he had to be someone's sugar baby. Otherwise, how would a nobody qualify to be on this show?]

[Isn't this way too blatant? He's being kept, and they're still openly coming and going at the production's accommodations??]

[I told you. He's got no fame but still got onto this show. Looking like that, who'd believe he had no backing?]

[No wonder he got so much screen time during the livestream and found what he needed so quickly. It had to be scripted.]

[I'm going from fan to hater. So disgusting. I never thought he was that kind of person.]

[Su Li, get out of the entertainment industry!!]

[All these paid trolls and marketing accounts suddenly showing up. Whose way did Li Bao get in?]

[These marketing accounts all posted the same photos and practically the same wording. Anyone with a brain can tell someone paid for this deliberately.]

Su Li's manager, Zhou Jing, called just then. "Su Li, what's going on? Who did you offend? Who was that person who went into your room?"

"It's fine, Zhou Jing. He's my assistant. I hired him a few days ago because he seemed decent and worked efficiently."

"Then what are you going to do about Feibo? There are so many marketing accounts and paid trolls, and we can't count on the company..." She was very worried.

Su Li sounded relaxed. "Don't worry. I can handle it."

Just then, Chen Zhuo spoke up for him on Feibo:

DX Chen Zhuo v: Do these marketing accounts have nothing better to do? How much did they pay you to post fake news? You managed to make up all this about an assistant. You think you can frame people without going to jail?!

It's Xiao Qian Himself v: That's Mr. Su's assistant, Zheng Xing. I met him when I went to deliver something today and exchanged a few words with him. Marketing accounts, stop stirring things up.

Chen Zhuo's manager called. "Have you two lost your minds? Why are you taking sides for no reason? Delete that Feibo post right now!" Chen Zhuo managed his Feibo himself rather than handing it over to his team.

"No. I believe in Su Li!" His voice was furious.

"He's a complete nobody. Why do you keep associating with him? What good does it do you? Hello!! Hello!" Before his manager could finish, Chen Zhuo hung up.

Just then, An Hui and Cheng Sirong also posted on Feibo:

An Hui v: Young Su is a very good kid. Please don't let yourselves be so easily swayed. Thank you!

Cheng Sirong v: I believe in our little brother Su, and I trust my own judgment!

[I'm standing with Su Li too. I trust An Hui's judgment. Anyone he thinks is good must be good-looking.]

[Just how powerful is Su Li's sugar daddy? Even a best actor and a queen of song are helping him?]

[Still going on about a sugar daddy? Xiao Qian already said that man really is Su Li's assistant.]

[You believe it just because he said so? I still think Su Li's dirty!]

[I realized Zhao Yuhao is in the hospital, so Meng Chichi's the only one left who hasn't said anything. Do you think she did this? She deliberately picked fights before, after all.]

[That's possible.]

[What does this have to do with Chichi? Su Li is being kept!]

Meng Chichi stared at her phone. She had initially looked smug, thinking Su Li was surely finished, but she had never expected those people to keep speaking up for him even now.

"Are they all blind?! The photos are right here, and they're still helping him!! A bunch of blind idiots!!" She angrily smashed a drinking glass onto the floor. Fortunately, the room was fairly well soundproofed.

Her assistant was still soothing her. "Chichi, don't be angry. Liu and I have contacted the team. We'll add more paid trolls and fabricate dirt. He'll definitely be finished."

"Make it convincing. Let's see who still takes his side!"

Su Li held his phone and cradled a Coke, laughing happily as he read the comments, when the marketing accounts' Feibo posts suddenly showed as deleted.

"Yuan, was that you?"

"Master, I think it's time." Yuan's voice was icy and tinged with murderous intent.

"All right, Yuan. I'm not even angry, so why are you? They'll all turn into beautiful fireworks in a little while anyway. How pretty." He could hardly wait.

The trending topics on Feibo and the marketing accounts' photo posts were suddenly deleted. While the accounts' teams and the spectators were still bewildered, another set of photos began spreading wildly online!

There were all sorts of high-definition photos of Meng Chichi being kept by company bosses: explicit chat logs, hotel room booking records, pictures of her being embraced at KTV venues or sitting on laps, and so on. There were even more explicit ones, and the men were not all the same person!

Her face was perfectly clear, and someone had verified that the images were not composites. A new round of trending topics began on Feibo.

#Meng Chichi's explicit photos#

#Meng Chichi being kept#

#Meng Chichi's pure innocent girl persona collapses#

The netizens were like a pack of wild animals leaping around a melon patch:

[The internet is really something today!]

[Offering a fortune for a pair of eyes that haven't seen these photos!]

[How could Chichi be that kind of person?! These photos must be edited!!]

[That fake innocent Meng finally got what was coming to her. As a Zhuo Bao fan, I'm setting off firecrackers for three days to celebrate!]

[Meng Chichi is disgusting. She's dirty herself, yet she tried to frame Li Bao.]

[Now I believe Meng Chichi really did pay for those earlier trending topics attacking Su Li.]

[Doesn't Su Li have no team? How did they act so fast?]

[There's no solid proof against Su Li, but Meng Chichi really is finished. It probably wasn't Su Li's team. I heard the company doesn't bother with him.]

[Then that fake innocent Meng brought it on herself.]

Su Li posted on Weibo just then:

Su Li Doesn't Eat Pears v: First, thank you to An Hui @An Hui v, Cheng Sirong @Cheng Sirong v, and little Zhuo @DX Chen Zhuo v for trusting me so much and speaking up for me [heart].

Poor Zheng was just doing his job as an assistant, and this whole uproar gave him quite a fright. He's apologized to me several times. Who knew bringing me a meal could cause something like this? What I want to say is, you don't have to drag Zheng into it to smear me, do you? I might not be a big name, but surely I can still afford an assistant [laughing through tears] [image]

The image showed Zheng Xing's résumé and work ID. Yuan could fabricate as many of those as needed.

[Boohoo, I knew Li Bao was innocent!]

[He really is an assistant.]

[I need to bring my brain along next time I go online, or it's way too easy to get swept up in things.]

[He's an assistant just because you say so?]

[The person above is still desperately trying to smear him! The evidence is right here.]

[Anyone who got swept up in this is stupid too. Calling someone a sugar daddy over one photo. It's not like the solid evidence against Meng Chichi.]

[I suspect that fake innocent Meng deliberately hired people to smear Su Li, only for it to backfire.]

["Backfire" is killing me. But as a Chen Zhuo fan, I have to say Su Li really is that fake innocent Meng's nemesis. So satisfying.]

At that moment, something strange happened in various places:

The computers and phones in front of those marketing accounts' teams or owners, along with the people managing the paid trolls attacking Su Li, suddenly froze, then exploded. Those farther away were fine, but those nearby either had fragments fly into their faces or eyes, or suffered blast injuries to their hands.

Blood and sparks formed brilliant fireworks.

After the incidents were reported to the police, technicians examined the electronics. All the results indicated accidental explosions caused by circuit problems due to aging equipment.

Watching the footage Yuan sent him, Su Li could not help marveling. "Yuan, this really is a feast for the eyes." His face looked extraordinarily sinister in the red light.

The online comments had already swung to the opposite extreme. His eyes brimmed with mocking amusement. "Yuan, look at these people. A disorderly mob, parroting everyone else. They believe whatever other people say, without a single thought of their own."

"That's why they're all so stupid and self-righteous, like those so-called single-celled organisms." Yuan was mocking them too.

"Master, about Meng Chichi..."

Su Li's lips curved into a smile. "Just wait and enjoy the show. I've already sent Zheng Xing."