#33: The Long Weibo Post

Shi Min stood in the middle of the studio, looking up at the camera in the corner.

Luo Mingjing came down from upstairs, set the cat down, and glanced briefly at where she was looking. “It’s a camera—I installed it.”

“Is it working?”

“Of course, it’s always on. I thought you knew.” Luo Mingjing smiled faintly.

Shi Min patted the sofa. “Come sit and talk.”

Luo Mingjing sat down, and instantly his mind went blank.

He fell silent, and the calm smile he had maintained just moments ago shattered, replaced by an overwhelming sense of confusion and helplessness.

Shi Min asked, “You were detained before? Right before university graduation?”

“Yeah, for fighting—fifteen days of administrative detention.”

“How long?”

“Fifteen days of detention, three months of corrective labor afterward,” Luo Mingjing replied. “All according to procedure.”

“What happened after that?”

“...Sexual harassment charges,” Luo Mingjing hesitated. “But I never went to court, didn’t have a lawyer, not even concrete evidence. They... they just wanted money from my family.”

What kind of city is Haishi? A small coastal city in a coastal province, where nearly everyone is involved in business. Marriages are messy, and traditional values run deep—sky-high dowries, women not allowed at the dinner table, doing all the housework, having a boy first before registering marriage. These were the unspoken rules of the city.

In such a dehumanizing environment, Haishi’s public security, prosecution, and judiciary system was absurdly laughable.

Haishi had its share of rich second-generation heirs, and these heirs carried the local flavor—gambling, drinking, prostitution, indulging in every vice forbidden by law. To them, these crimes were their code of conduct; they lived like beasts wearing fur coats. And Haishi’s Public Security Bureau adapted to this local culture, conducting itself with its own “special” style.

Haishi’s police station—the marketplace for the second-generation heirs. Under the guise of the law, money exchanged hands, and both sides understood the deal.

Arrested, pay, released—repeat.

After Luo Mingjing walked out of Haishi’s detention center, for an entire year, the words of those policemen echoed repeatedly in his dreams: “How can you call it collusion between wolves? This is mutual benefit. Second-Generation Luo, if you want to blame anyone, blame yourself for being so impractical. That girl’s father said it clearly—marriage isn’t necessary, but eighty thousand yuan is non-negotiable. If it can be settled privately, settle it privately.”

Shi Min gently patted him. Luo Mingjing snapped back to reality and said:

“Hard to imagine, isn’t it?”

He continued, “That’s our normal life... a city with no poor people or beggars, where per capita wealth surpasses many first-tier cities. Abnormality is the norm here. No one would believe it if I told them, so I’ve always...”

Tongue-tied.

The most terrifying thing is when you’re entangled in something absurd, tormented by it, and yet, because of its absurdity, no one believes it actually happened.

Shi Min asked, “Mingjing, what really happened back then?”

After a brief moment of confusion, Luo Mingjing tried to speak but paused, then slowly began: “...They said I touched her.”

“My childhood friend... opened a studio during winter break that year.” Luo Mingjing shook his head lightly, starting from the beginning, trying hard to explain. “We took in some high school students preparing for art exams—an advanced training class. One of the students was a girl... I don’t remember her well, truly... Suddenly, a group of people burst in, smashing things... Her father and some older brothers came in, saying her diary accused me of touching her... I spent a night at the police station, and then they said that girl identified me... I don’t know, I don’t know anything... I got out... It was autumn, and I’d never seen that girl before.”

Luo Mingjing finished his story in fragments, skipping over many details. His narrative was disjointed, unable to clearly explain what had happened. He avoided too much—not intentionally, but because he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Shi Min recalled the glaring preliminary diagnosis on his medical record: PTSD, delayed onset, patient exhibits scattered attention, inability to describe event details, cannot recall the full incident, accompanied by moderate depression requiring medication.

Shi Min sighed silently and began peeling an apple, saying, “Luo Mingjing, I won’t break the skin.”

Thankfully, his focus quickly returned, and after staring at Shi Min’s hands for a while, he said, “You’re left-handed.”

Shi Min handed him the apple and asked, “Did they have no evidence?”

“The diary,” Luo Mingjing said. “...I know how difficult it is to prove these accusations, and we couldn’t have the girl testify. But why did they pin it on me? It wasn’t me. I would never touch a girl’s butt—how could I? My family may not be perfect, and there’s plenty of drama in Haishi, but my mother was different. She taught me better... touching someone’s chest is absolutely impossible.”

He bit into the apple, took a deep breath, calmed down, and fell silent.

Shi Min asked, “How many teachers were there in the studio?”

“Just me and Li Xiang.”

“Xiang as in ‘flying’?” Shi Min pulled out her phone and opened the email Xiao Pi had sent. Luo Mingjing nodded.

Shi Min said, “If the girl didn’t lie, then either it was you or him.”

“She probably didn’t lie,” Luo Mingjing said. “What girl would make up such a lie? But I don’t understand... In the end, she identified me. Maybe it was about the money.”

“Did they propose a private settlement? Who brought it up first?”

This time, Luo Mingjing’s memory was clear. “The day after I entered the police station, the girl’s father, uncles, and cousins suggested it.”

“You didn’t agree?”

“How could I?” Luo Mingjing gave a bitter laugh. “She wanted to marry me. Her father told me to marry her—first pay eighty thousand yuan, then the dowry, provide a house, cover her college tuition, and host a wedding banquet. Oh... now I remember—they were after money.”

As if he had suddenly found the key point, Luo Mingjing’s confusion lifted, replaced by a mix of resignation and anger. “So they let Li Xiang go. Li Xiang’s family had no money—he had several older sisters. But I was different. My family had money, so they could ask for a price.”

“What happened next? When you refused, did they lower their demands?”

“...I think they went to my father. This wasn’t something I could just write a check for at the police station—it was impossible. So they must have gone to my father. Later, they stopped talking about marriage... Eventually, they only mentioned settling for eighty thousand yuan. They said if my father paid, they’d let me go without pressing charges. I remember they even blocked Qianqian at school, maybe because they couldn’t find my father.”

Why couldn’t they find Luo Heqiang during that period? What was he busy with?

Why did they suddenly stop mentioning marriage?

Luo Mingjing sat still for a moment, then tears began to flow.

He remembered—because Mother was gone.

Shi Min’s phone vibrated. Shi Chu called just as she finished reading the email Xiao Pi had sent.

Luo Mingjing was nearby, curled up on the bed, asleep.

Thankfully, he had drunk alcohol and managed to fall asleep despite his exhaustion.

“Mom and Dad want you to come home,” Shi Chu said. “Dad’s a bit angry—you should prepare yourself.”

“They saw it?”

“Little sister, how could Mom and Dad miss seeing the Weibo post?” Shi Chu said. “It’s going to explode soon. Even after your brother threw three bombshells, the heat hasn’t diverted much.”

Shi Chu had leaked explosive information about the opposing side’s influential figures, but it still hadn’t diverted much attention.

“Do you have a plan, Shi Min?” Shi Chu asked. “If not, come home and deal with Mom and Dad first. I’m exhausted. I didn’t sleep at all last night—I’m so pissed...”

“I’ve contacted Lawyer Huang, but it’s not time yet. I’ve asked Xiao Pi to track down the students from that studio back then. I need to wait for him to gather everything before bringing in Lawyer Huang.” Shi Min said. “The focus is on Haishi Public Security’s dereliction of duty.”

“...Are you serious?” Shi Chu’s voice carried a mix of sarcasm and admiration. “You’re daring to put the spotlight on government agencies. You know how dangerous this is, right?”

“It’s fine,” Shi Min said. “We’ll have to face them sooner or later.”

“Do you trust him?”

“Do you think he’s the kind of man who would grope underage girls?”

Shi Chu laughed sarcastically. “Even murderers have mothers and children—they cry and plead innocence. Spare me. Why don’t you go find Li Xiang instead? Use money to pressure him into confessing.”

Clearly, Shi Chu hadn’t sat idle—he was also following the matter closely, and judging by his tone, his investigation progress matched Shi Min’s.

“I’m arranging it,” Shi Min said. “Li Xiang got married this year. His wife is a fourth-year student majoring in oil painting from Haishi—a local family heavily tied to the city’s public security and legal systems. Her name is Liu Rong. She’s the same girl who accused Luo Mingjing of sexual harassment back then.”

Shi Chu caught on and cursed. “Little sister, next time pick a man with a simpler family background and upbringing! What kind of freaks live in his hometown?!”

“There won’t be a next time,” Shi Min said. “I’m pulling him out of this complicated environment and giving him a simple family life.”

Xiao Pi sent a new update: “Contact made. Former students from the studio are willing to speak out. I’m focusing on three of them—they’ll post tonight.”

At the same time, Fiona called. “Sis!! Check Weibo!! Sister posted a long article...” The girl blew a snot bubble. “Lili, pass me a tissue... Sis, hurry up and look! Our PR team is ready to follow up. New hashtags are prepared—it’s infuriating!”

Xu Qianqian.

Shi Min opened Smiling-Qianxi’s Weibo.

The latest post was a long article. Shi Min skimmed through it quickly, put down her phone, clicked her tongue, and massaged her temples.

“...Not good.” She picked up a tissue.

She almost cried.

Many of the retweets were from Luo Mingjing’s fans, as well as bystanders who had been following the drama.

“So angry, heartbroken...”

“If this is true, I have nothing to say. There are just too many scumbags in this world.”

“Good people are always driven to despair like this. I wish he were a little worse.”

“Damn! Calling for a witch hunt on Li Xiang, Liu Rong, and that trash police chief. I want to cyberbully them!”

“Seriously... All I can say is ‘tragic.’”

“@HaishiPublicSecurity@HaishiPublicSecurity@HaishiPublicSecurity Please investigate!!”

“@TUniversityOfficial We demand an investigation! @ProfessorKeGe Plagiarized students’ work and used his authority to instruct his nephew Wang Zhenyu to steal Clear Sky Cranes !”

“For the first time, I don’t want to believe it’s true. Heartbroken to the point of suffocation.”

Smiling-Qianxi: “Time to clear my brother’s name. Seeing Wang Zhenyu slander and insult him, I can’t hold back anymore—why?! Why do scumbags in this world get to live comfortably with fame and fortune? There’s no divine justice. For five years, every time I looked up at the sky, I cursed it for being blind. These years, those scumbags are still alive, while good people are driven to the brink, only to be bitten back and smeared today. My brother never sexually assaulted any female students, nor is he a pedophile! He was framed by all of you!”

[Long Weibo Article] Over these five years, what has my brother endured?

I am Xu Qianqian, a fourth-year student in T University’s Fashion Design Department, from Haishi. I am MirrorRealmEnlightenedFairy’s younger sister. Everything I say here is true—if I lie, may I suffer eternal damnation!

Seeing Wang Zhenyu’s Weibo post, I’m shaking with rage. Scumbag Wang, this isn’t an insult—it’s your name! Today, I’m telling the whole story, so you can see who deserves to die!

Alright, let’s start with your plagiarism.

You claim my brother dropped out, that losing Clear Sky Cranes was his fault—does your conscience belong to a dog?!

You dare call it collaboration?! Do you even have the guts to tell the truth? Wang Zhenyu, you’re Professor Ke Ge’s nephew from T University’s Fashion Design Department. You even attacked my brother’s education level on your alt account. Have you no shame? Why don’t you post your own transcript?! International famous exam failure, getting sixty points barely passing! By April, you still hadn’t completed your thesis. Your shameless uncle Ke Ge shoved you into my brother’s thesis group. Fine, for the diploma, my brother tolerated you.

My late mother suffered from severe depression. During the second semester of his senior year, my brother stayed home in Haishi to work on his thesis. He invited you to join, saying multiple times that if you wanted your name on it, you could come to Haishi. Food and lodging would be covered—at least do something to contribute.

But you acted like royalty, refusing to leave T University. When my brother submitted the first draft, you didn’t even look at it. When he submitted the second draft, you didn’t even know about it.

Fine, my brother got into trouble, was falsely accused, and ended up in jail. Afraid his thesis would fail, you finally decided to come to Haishi—but not to check on my brother. You went straight to the studio to steal his third draft. When you couldn’t open his password-protected laptop, you smashed it and poured water on the keyboard. Wang Zhenyu, aren’t you a piece of trash? When I caught you, you hit me, pulled my hair, kicked my stomach, slapped me, and cursed me. You’re a dog! Garbage! That day, I was on my period—aren’t you the lowest of the low?!

You and Ke Ge stole my brother’s thesis, not understanding its value. When it won awards, you, Wang Zhenyu, used it to apply to Italian schools. Ke Ge even secured you a public-funded scholarship spot. How dare you, who flunked English IV three times, use my brother's job to study abroad?

When my brother got out in September, he asked Ke Ge how to resolve the thesis issue. Ke Ge, you coward, didn’t dare answer his calls. Only when my brother arrived at school did he realize his thesis had been stolen, his name erased, and he didn’t even receive his diploma!

What did my brother do wrong? His mistake was being betrayed by you scumbags! Li Xiang, fine, it’s your turn. We met in elementary school. Your father fell from a crane and died while working. My mother pitied you and your mom, providing you with housing and covering medical expenses. Your father’s funeral was paid for by us. My brother treated you with sincerity. During our senior year, you asked him for money to open the studio. Fine, my brother gave it to you—your family was struggling. He included you in his thesis project and credited you for inspiration. Fine, count you in.

But how dare you repay him? You spent class time seducing girls, and when trouble came knocking, you cowered. You pointed fingers at my brother, accusing him of harassing students.

Yes, my brother is a second-generation rich kid, and yes, some rich kids are trash—so you assumed my brother was trash too.

You and that slut Liu Rong conspired to accuse my brother of groping.

Evidence? Liu Rong’s diary! Liu Rong, you were groped by Li Xiang, too scared to admit it, so you wrote it in your diary. Then your trash father claimed my brother violated you, leading a mob of thugs from the police academy to smash our shop. Even that police chief uncle of yours joined in! You held my brother hostage, demanding money from my uncle. Your family demanded two million yuan and even insisted on a grand wedding procession to marry you into the family. How dare you not choke on greed!

You went to my mother’s place to cause trouble, pretending to cry and claiming my brother stripped and raped you. My mother, already a patient, couldn’t handle it. Everyone in Haishi knew her condition!

My mother valued her reputation deeply. After your family caused chaos and left, she couldn’t bear it and jumped off the building. Fine, you stopped talking about marriage and lowered your demands to eighty thousand yuan. Eighty thousand to release my brother.

If you couldn’t get the money, you targeted me, demanding I pay. Just days before my college entrance exam, you showed up at my school, blocking the gates and holding banners.

What treatment did my brother endure in prison?! Even though we paid for food, you starved him, dragging him in for interrogation during meal times to force him to admit to sexual harassment. What crime did my brother commit?!

Fifteen days yielded no money, then twenty days, then three months. Who sentenced him to three months? Was there a court ruling?

Stripping, rape—all labeled as sexual harassment. You had no evidence. Eighty thousand became thirty thousand, then ultimately three thousand to settle. My brother developed pneumonia from the abuse in the detention center, and only then did you release him. Arrested in May, released on September 7—with no detention warrant or judgment, you illegally detained him for months!!

When my brother got out, his mother was gone, his diploma was gone, his future was gone, his reputation was gone—everything was gone, and nothing could be explained.

In the detention center, he was beaten and starved, coming out covered in injuries. No one came to pick him up. Alone, he walked home, running a high fever. When he arrived and saw my mother’s memorial photo, he collapsed!

For the first two years after the incident, he couldn’t speak or remember anything. All he could do was tutor me for my art exams and academics. Back then, that was the only thing he could focus on. He couldn’t sleep, suffering from insomnia night after night. Tell me, aren’t you all garbage?! It wasn’t until I got into T University that he finally came out with me.

He developed PTSD and severe depression, relying on medication for a year!

What did my brother ever do to deserve this? He was framed and betrayed by you scumbags! Haishi Public Security is nothing but a den of thugs!

Criminal and victim colluded to accuse my brother—one to escape punishment, the other for money!

How dare you?!

Why are people’s hearts so filthy? Why?!

And you, Wang Zhenyu, the ultimate opportunist! How dare you slander my brother!

Why don’t you all just die?!

Why are you still alive?! Why do you have the audacity to live?! Why?!

Attached to the long Weibo post were images of Luo Mingjing’s psychological treatment records, his prescription slips, and photos of his medication taken by Xu Qianqian. The cover photo was blurry, unfocused, showing Luo Mingjing sitting on the sofa, hugging his mother’s memorial portrait, lost in thought.

Shi Min exhaled deeply and muttered, “I’m still so angry.”

Her heart was a tumultuous mix of pity, sadness, and anger—all converging into pure fury.

Shi Chu called again, speaking at length about how their parents had seen it and wanted Shi Min and Luo Mingjing to come home. Shi Chu asked, “What’s your plan?”

“What’s my plan?” Shi Min’s voice turned cold. “One by one.”