Chapter 217
Tu Hengsha profoundly reinforced the lesson of behaving well after getting a spanking, remaining compliant for a few days, at least not angering Mr. Su.
Hao Ren still accompanied her in advocating against domestic violence. Although the report on Liu Hong’s case stirred up a storm online, it ultimately did not impact the case itself since the fact remained that Liu Hong had committed murder.
Remembering the little girl covered in bruises still pained Tu Hengsha. She discussed with Hao Ren about visiting the girl’s grandma when they had time to check on her.
However, when the two were making these plans, an article suddenly appeared online condemning Chenjiang Daily for false reporting on Liu Hong’s case, accusing them of profiting off the victim’s corpse.
The reporting on Liu Hong’s case was done by Hao Ren and Tu Hengsha, but this sudden article was first published by a self-media account, subsequently shared by major marketing accounts. It quickly gained traction, sparking a wave of "anti-Chenjiang, seek the truth" sentiment online, with the most compelling evidence being the little girl’s video and some recorded phone interviews.
In the video, the little girl, given the pseudonym An An, timidly expressed on camera, "Dad didn’t cause her injuries; it was the reporters who told her to say that, and that it was her mom who often hit her."
As for the phone interviews, they spoke with Liu Hong’s granny and Liu Hong’s own elder brother. Both stated over the phone that the deceased—Liu Hong’s husband—was an honest man who simply couldn’t earn money. Liu Hong despised her husband, frequently quarreling and threatening divorce. When he refused, she’d vent her anger on the child. Liu Hong’s granny broke down crying on the phone.
Suddenly, almost all public opinion sided with the deceased, meaning Liu Hong’s father. A group of people began copying and pasting replies under every news article, "The granny’s words might be doubted, but her own brother is saying this, so what’s there not to believe?"
More replies inundated them with insults, saying they knew the news couldn’t be trusted nowadays and expected a twist within days. They didn’t foresee that even Chenjiang was untrustworthy! They cursed Hao Ren and Tu Hengsha by name for tarnishing Chenjiang’s reputation, calling for the removal of such unethical journalists. They argued that it was such journalists manipulating public opinion that ruined the entire media environment. Some went further, calling Hao Ren and Tu Hengsha "prostitutes" and cursing Hao Ren’s entire family to die and wishing Tu Hengsha to be raped and murdered...