novelraw Chapter 11: Call the police to arrest the culprits!
Chapter 11: Call the police to arrest the culprits!
"clear."
Old Liu replied on the other end of the phone.
Zhang Juan put down the landline receiver.
The knuckles turned white from the force applied.
On the computer screen, the red negative data curve in the real-time public opinion monitoring chart began to plummet.
The number of positive green data points is steadily increasing.
The overwhelming online troll offensive was abruptly breached by the sudden emergence of the song "Sorrow".
Zhang Juan took a deep breath and grabbed her personal cell phone from her desk.
Unlock.
Without hesitation, I pressed down those three numbers with my fingertips.
110.
Dial out.
Turn on speakerphone.
There were two beeps from the receiver.
"Hello, this is the Shanghai Public Security Bureau's emergency call center."
The operator's voice came through smoothly.
Zhang Juan suddenly leaned forward, spreading her fingers wide.
"I want to report this to the police."
Her tone was completely flat.
"Someone is suspected of organizing a criminal gang to illegally tamper with network backend timestamps and hire a large number of trolls to carry out commercial defamation. The victim is Song Ze, an artist signed with Xingyao Entertainment."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by the rapid clatter of keyboard clicks.
The operator spoke faster, demanding that she provide specific evidence.
"The underlying, solidified chain of evidence has been packaged and completed."
Zhang Juan stood ramrod straight, her gaze sharp as a knife.
"In the early hours of the morning, Xingyao Network Security Department conducted reverse data tracing on the platform involved. The original code screenshots of the other party tampering with the server logs, traces of operation commands, and a tree diagram of the IP node of the black public relations team contacting online trolls were all printed out."
She paused for a second.
"I am Zhang Juan, the victim's agent. I am filing this report under my real name."
"We do not accept mediation."
"We demand that the other party be held criminally liable in accordance with the law."
These resolute words made the operator realize the seriousness of the situation. She immediately confirmed the information, informed the operator that the case would be urgently transferred to the cyber security department for review, and asked her to keep her phone accessible.
Zhang Juan hung up the phone and slammed her back into the chair.
She tilted her head back and exhaled a long breath.
Inside the "YinTui" musical instrument store on Tung Wai Street.
The last harmonic of the guitar dissipated into the air.
The number of viewers in the upper right corner of the live stream suddenly jumped to over four million at that moment.
The barrage of comments that were previously filled with heated arguments has now been reduced to a screen full of "Holy crap" and "I'm speechless".
The long-haired shop owner practically shuffled out from behind the counter.
He took out his phone.
Scan the QR code in WeChat.
He leaned forward slightly, his waist curving into an extremely humble arc.
He respectfully handed the phone to Song Ze with both hands.
"elder brother."
That shout was truly convincing.
"Can we add each other on WeChat?"
The long-haired boss's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
"I've been running this shop for almost twenty years. I listen to those underground bands rehearsing every day, and I thought I knew a thing or two about music. But today I've really opened my eyes. Those strumming strokes you just did were absolutely amazing."
He leaned forward, his eyes full of eagerness.
"Add me as a friend. You can come to the store anytime and play whichever instrument you want, it's free for life."
Song Ze lowered his eyes and glanced at the green QR code.
He pulled his hands out of his shorts pockets.
Take out your phone and tap "Scan".
"Lifetime free is not necessary."
Song Ze faces the camera.
A crisp "beep" sounded.
I don't play the piano much.
He casually clicked "add friend" and gave a slight smirk.
"Just don't block me on WeChat Moments. I love seeing what my bosses post."
As soon as he said that, the live stream chat exploded with laughter.
[Who the hell loves checking WeChat Moments!]
My older brother's hobbies are always so unique.
[The "King of Cool" persona remains unshaken]
Amidst the commotion, Lin Shishi, who had been hiding in the shadows by the glass door of the music store, made a move.
She stopped a meter away from Song Ze.
Their gaze didn't fall on Song Ze's face, but rather on the fingers of his left hand.
Clean.
Slender.
There are no rough calluses left from years of playing the strings.
Lin Shishi remained silent for a few seconds.
The entire music store was so quiet that you could hear the ticking of the wall clock.
"This song."
She finally spoke, her voice cold and clear.
"Sorrow"
"Did you really write this in just a few minutes?"
Song Ze casually stuffed his phone back into his shorts pocket.
"How is that possible?"
Lin Shishi's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly by half an inch.
That makes sense.
As a professional singer-songwriter who has won numerous awards, she is well aware of the lyrical skill and arrangement of "Sorrow".
That profound sense of vicissitude that strikes straight to the soul is not something that can be put together in five minutes.
But the problem is—even if it was written in advance, the quality is still astonishing.
Just as Lin Shishi was about to press for more information, Song Ze looked up and yawned.
"I wrote this casually a couple of days ago when I was bored at home and picking my toes."
He couldn't very well say that he moved here in 2017. He just gave a vague, perfunctory answer.
Lin Shishi choked for a moment.
Did you just scribble something down while picking your toes?
The live stream chat exploded again.
[Written with a careless attitude? ??? The king of cool has arrived!!!]
I took a screenshot of Lin Shishi's expression just now; it's been making me laugh for a year.
To be fair, although this guy seems a bit off-key, he's actually a really good singer.
Lin Shishi closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
She re-examined the person in front of her.
His nonchalant demeanor was completely different from the commanding presence and loneliness he exuded when singing "Sorrow" earlier.
This stark contrast left her somewhat uncertain.
But no matter what, someone who can write "Sorrow" deserves her humility.
Lin Shishi composed herself and said, "It's noon, let me treat you to lunch."
After a pause, he added naturally, "There's a newly opened Chinese restaurant in the city center. The ambiance is quite nice, and the chef has a lot of ideas."
The cameraman's eyes lit up instantly, as if he had discovered a gold mine.
The most explosive development in the history of dating reality shows!
Upon hearing this, Song Ze suddenly took a step back with his left foot.
The canvas soles rubbed violently against the old floor tiles, making a piercing "squeak."
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his face full of defensiveness, looking at Lin Shishi as if she were a thief.
"What did you say? You're inviting me?"
Song Ze narrowed his eyes and looked her up and down, as if trying to confirm something.
"Are you treating?"
Lin Shishi took a deep breath: "Yes."
Song Ze's posture relaxed instantly.
He lowered his hands, which were crossed over his chest, and gave a bright smile.
"You should have said so earlier."
He swaggered toward the door, and as he passed Lin Shishi, he added, "Let's make this clear first, I won't spend a single penny of my two thousand yuan budget."
Lin Shishi's eye twitched.
The barrage of comments instantly broke through their defenses.
What kind of operation is this?!
[He went to the dinner party right away after Shishi invited him?]
[They didn't spend a single penny on the project, yet they still couldn't figure it out. This person is really stingy!]
[Who lets a girl pay for their meal?! Dude, where's your shame?!]
[When his crush treated him to dinner, all he cared about was whether he'd pay for it or not???]
What kind of dating reality show am I watching...?
One second I was moved by "Sorrow," the next I was so angry at this stinginess that I had a heart attack.
Just as the barrage of comments was filled with lamentations.
Song Ze's cell phone vibrated violently in his pocket.
He took out his phone.
The words "Zhang Juan" appeared on the screen.
He accepted it casually.
She completely forgot that the production team's high-sensitivity microphone was still clipped to her collar.
"The police report has been accepted!"
Zhang Juan's voice, tinged with a fierce and ruthless aura, burst forth from the phone's receiver, only to be completely amplified by the microphone and streamed live to over four million viewers.
"The Shanghai cyber security authorities have officially accepted my report! They said they will initiate a fast-track review according to procedure and begin an investigation immediately!"
Zhang Juan was breathing heavily on the other end of the phone, speaking very quickly.
"The chain of evidence is very solid. They reviewed the materials internally and clearly stated that it met the standards for filing a case for investigation, so a case has already been filed!"
Song Ze moved the phone away from his ear a little.
Meanwhile, the phrase "the case has been filed" spread across the entire internet via the live stream.
The comments section exploded.
Holy crap! They're serious!!!
[They've filed a case directly? That's swift and decisive action!]
[This agency's speed is terrifying; they must have a top-notch legal team behind them.]
The call was then broadcast aloud in the studio.
Those viewers who had previously wavered due to plagiarism rumors instantly sided with Song Ze.
Coupled with the breathtaking live performance of "Sorrow," the entire public opinion situation has been reversed.
On the phone, Zhang Juan's voice suddenly lowered, revealing an barely suppressed excitement.
"Don't hang up, there's something else."