The comments section under Jiang Feng's "Qian Zhong" post never quieted down. The two sides went back and forth, creating a heated debate.
The post's popularity skyrocketed right before Jiang Feng's eyes.
3 million views!
4 million views!
...
The post's popularity quickly broke his previous record, reaching over 8 million views.
As a result, the post climbed up the trending search rankings and landed in the 9th spot.
It's important to note that as the "Qian Zhong" post's ranking increased, so did the amount of popularity it needed to do so. This time, not only did Jiang Feng's post climb up in ranking, but it also broke into the top 10!
Jiang Feng was the most direct beneficiary and had reached a new milestone, as his system data showed that he had officially surpassed 1 million followers!
Upon seeing this result, Jiang Feng couldn't help but laugh out loud and think to himself, "This is just the beginning. What will happen after I fully utilize my fan base? Won't I be able to reach millions of followers with ease?"
He was filled with anticipation at the thought and figured that the system would give him several random missions if that were to happen.
However, he didn't dwell on this anticipation for too long. After thinking about it for a bit, he continued to search for geological-related information online.
He looked up things like the distribution of the Blue Star's crustal plates, the causes of earthquakes, and the theoretical methods of earthquake prediction proposed by certain experts. He was open to anything he could find.
He continued searching until he fell asleep...
...
It was already 10 pm.
Due to overworking his brain in recent days, Jiang Feng had been asleep for almost 4 hours and showed no signs of waking up.
On the other hand, Liu Shuzhe, a senior employee at the Jizhou Seismological Bureau, was tossing and turning in bed and couldn't fall asleep.
His mind was filled with scenes of being scolded in Jiang Feng's "Qian Zhong" post earlier that day.
At first, when he saw those comments, Liu Shuzhe just smiled and didn't pay much attention to them. He thought it was just a joke and that he was being trolled.
But now, in the middle of the night, he couldn't stop thinking about those comments. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He felt like he didn't have a strong enough comeback and that those people were taking advantage of him.
Liu Shuzhe couldn't sleep. He was too angry. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep for a while, so he sat up and grabbed his phone to check "Qian Zhong."
He quickly found his own comment under Jiang Feng's post and became even more upset after reading the replies. There were nearly 100 comments under his post, and all of them were insults directed at him.
Liu Shuzhe's hands shook with anger, and he was about to retaliate when he realized that there were too many people on Jiang Feng's side. He wouldn't be able to gain anything from fighting back alone.
So he deleted his reply and took a screenshot of the post before exiting and going into another chat group called "Kuai Liao."
Liu Shuzhe then posted the screenshot in a group chat for the geological department at Daxia Geological University and wrote a message:
"I encountered something new today! I need to vent."
"There's someone on 'Qian Zhong' who is spouting nonsense about predicting earthquakes with pinpoint accuracy! He even predicted the time, location, magnitude, and even the exact second that a tsunami would hit the coast! Is this science?"
"Anyone with common sense can tell that this isn't scientific, but there are too many people who believe this blogger. If we don't do something about it soon, we'll all be criticized online for not doing our jobs properly."
"If it really comes down to that point, we won't just be criticized by netizens. You know what will happen once our superiors feel the pressure."
None of these comments addressed the real issue at hand. The real problem was that this blogger seemed to have some sort of ability to predict future events accurately. His previous predictions about the Dafu Cup were spot on. If he was correct about this earthquake prediction as well, then what would happen?
It wouldn't matter if someone else tried to manipulate the situation. The public would rise up against them on their own.
After reading through all of his classmates' comments, Liu Shuzhe's former class president couldn't sit idly by any longer. He quickly sent out an emergency group announcement:
"To all members: Based on everyone's analysis of this situation, it seems that it has already surpassed our ability to control it."
"So please refrain from making any comments related to this topic on social media for the time being. This includes but is not limited to discussions, attacks, or inquiries into why this is happening."
"I repeat: Please refrain from making any comments related to this topic on social media for the time being."
"I will contact Professor Cheng Da Kui from Daxia Geological University immediately."
"At the same time, I urge everyone to try their best to contact President Gu Qing Shan from Daxia Geological University!"
...
At the same time, in the living room of Nan City Villa.
Lin Wan Ge and Su Meng Meng were sitting on the sofa discussing Jiang Feng's new "Qian Zhong" post reaching the top 10 trending searches.
"Wan Ge, the 'Qian Zhong' post has already reached the 9th spot in trending searches. It's not far from reaching 8th place. It's really moving fast!"
"But there are some unfriendly comments on his new 'Qian Zhong' post."
"I'm not talking about those trolls who are just spewing nonsense. They're keyboard warriors who aren't worth our time."
"But there's also a large group of geological experts who seem to be commenting with authority. Their comments have a lot of influence and credibility. It seems like the comments section is becoming biased."
Lin Wan Ge listened to Su Meng Meng's words without immediately responding. She was lost in thought.
(End of Chapter 42)