In fact, Chen Yijing had never given any so-called evidence to Zhang Chenyan. Whether it was out of a sense of familial duty or some other reason, even if there was evidence, only Chen Yijing knew where it was stored.
However, Zhang Chenyan saw this as a great opportunity. People who have done nothing wrong don't fear being exposed. Given the numerous wrongdoings committed by Chen Yijing's parents, the sudden revelation from Liu Xixi that Zhang Chenyan had evidence would certainly unsettle them, prompting them to take action.
Moreover, with Zhang Chenyan currently in the hospital, it was the perfect time for them to strike.
But Zhang Chenyan wasn't foolish. He had already promised Xie Han not to hide anything from her regarding this matter. He explained the whole situation to Xie Han and also informed the doctors and the intern who had provided him with evidence.
During this time, Xie Han stayed by his side to take care of him, and the hospital staff also kept a close watch on him.
Even so, Liu Xixi was still worried and insisted on assigning bodyguards to protect him from the shadows.
Originally, Zhang Chenyan intended to trap the culprits, but he didn't expect such a big setup.
Meanwhile, 0810 had also started taking action.
Part of the informed consent agreement that Chen Yijing had signed with Ters Company was released, and the conversations during the signing were fully recorded and videotaped.
In this footage, Chen Yijing never mentioned his parents.
This video was edited together with a video where Chen Yijing's parents played the victim, claiming their son was attempting to volunteer them for human trials, trying to take their lives. The combined footage spread widely.
Chen Yijing's parents quickly reacted, claiming they had been misled and that the rumors were not from them, insisting they had misunderstood their son due to misinformation.
In response, 0810 traced the source of the initial rumors, revealing the addresses involved and "accidentally" exposing the identity IDs of Chen Yijing's parents along with their avatars.
Another round of digital retribution ensued, targeting the original culprits—Chen Yijing's parents.
No one wants to be used as a pawn, especially not if it leads to further defamation.
With the release of the video, Chen Yijing's parents became public enemies.
0810 was summoned for a privacy violation investigation. However, 0810 argued that the release of the parents' private information was an unintentional error made to disprove their lies and prove the truth, attributing it to a minor oversight.
Ultimately, 0810 received a formal reprimand.
Zhang Chenyan, bored in the hospital, helped 0810 draft the written reprimand, which was well-received for its earnest tone.
Having had enough of being public enemies in the digital world, Chen Yijing's parents reported the privacy breach to the Privacy Management Department.
"She deliberately leaked our private information!"
"You lied first. She was only trying to prove the truth by investigating."
"But she leaked our identity IDs!"
"How else could she prove your lies? It was an unavoidable measure... we acknowledged her mistake and punished her."
"What was her punishment?"
"She had to write a formal reprimand! You wouldn't believe how thorough she was—thousands of words, very earnest."
"And that's it?"
"What else do you want? You were at fault first, acting like a thief crying thief. Despite that, we still punished the adjudicator. What more do you want?"
"But…"
"Let me give you some advice: don't push your luck. You reported, we handled it. Case closed."
"But this result…"
"Fine, if you're not satisfied, you can express your dissatisfaction with the outcome. We'll then conduct a thorough investigation into all your activities in the digital world, making everything public to avoid accusations of favoritism. The adjudicator has nothing to fear, but you... well, I believe you're determined, so sign this consent form and we'll start the investigation and make everything public."
Hearing this, Chen Yijing's parents were speechless.
They knew what they had done. As the staff said, the adjudicator had nothing to fear, but they…
The staff remained calm, the consent form was handed over, and their attitude was clear: they could manipulate public opinion just as well, if not better. If pushed too far…
After hitting a wall at the Privacy Management Department, they were blocked by others before leaving the building.
They had just bought a new set of avatars to "seek justice," but somehow, their new avatars and their location had also been exposed.
"Is it them? The scum?"
"The avatars match, and the timing and location are right. Want to check the IDs?"
"Here? Aren't you afraid of the adjudicator?"
"Didn't you notice? No adjudicators patrolling here."
"Ah, I see."
...
Later, 0810's colleagues criticized and detained the attackers according to protocol.
The attackers showed no remorse, and Chen Yijing's parents suffered greatly.
This video also spread widely before being taken down.
Escaping back to the physical world, Chen Yijing's parents didn't dare touch their immersion pods again.
Soon after, Liu Xixi came to their door.
"I saw the videos online. Is what you said true or false?"
Liu Xixi put on a look of severe disappointment, her words cutting.
"It's just a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding," Chen Yijing's parents fervently assured her.
"Misunderstanding? The address was verified, and it came from you. You still call it a misunderstanding?" Liu Xixi sneered.
The middle-aged woman quickly nodded. "We misunderstood. We misunderstood our son… We were just scared, so we lied."
Liu Xixi acted skeptical, "I'll ask Zhang Chenyan tomorrow to see if his evidence is real."
With that, Liu Xixi left, her goal achieved—to pressure them.
Given that Liu Xixi had said she would see Zhang Chenyan the next day, Chen Yijing's parents would likely act that night to avoid any surprises.
Zhang Chenyan prepared thoroughly. In the afternoon, the hospital was bustling, and nothing seemed out of place. The bodyguards reported seeing some suspicious individuals, but none were Chen Yijing's parents, so no action was taken.
"Smart enough to hire others to scout, impressive," Zhang Chenyan noted.
He could guess what Chen Yijing's parents intended.
"But since they're hanging around here, their appearances are already recorded. They'll serve as key witnesses later," Zhang Chenyan said calmly.
As evening approached, Zhang Chenyan and Xie Han had dinner together, discussing daily matters in a harmonious manner.
After nine, the hospital quieted down, with most visitors leaving, including Xie Han.
Unwilling to leave entirely, Xie Han planned to stay nearby for easy communication but was eventually persuaded to use the intern's dorm. The intern himself took the night shift to watch over Zhang Chenyan.
That night, Zhang Chenyan feigned sleep but was more alert than anyone.
Chen Yijing's parents were patient. It wasn't until 2 AM that Zhang Chenyan sensed someone sneaking closer.
Initially, Zhang Chenyan wanted to wait longer but remembered Xie Han's warnings and didn't dare risk it. He immediately shouted for help.
His cry for help produced an immediate response.
As soon as he called out, the intern, doctors, and bodyguards rushed in, with one already hiding in the room directly subduing the middle-aged man attempting to act.
The lights turned on, revealing Chen Yijing's father.
"What are you doing!" he struggled, panic evident on his face. "Let me go!"
"Visiting hours are over. How did you get in? What are you here for?" the doctor asked calmly.
"I… I just…" he stammered, unable to provide a reason.
"He's trying to harm me!" Zhang Chenyan accused. "Call the police."
The intern quickly called the police, briefly explained the situation, and then informed Xie Han to avoid worrying her.
Xie Han, staying in the hospital, arrived quickly.
By then, Chen Yijing's father was clamoring to use the bathroom, claiming his rights were being violated.
"We can't search you, but if you're hiding poison to harm me, you could destroy evidence in the bathroom," Zhang Chenyan argued logically.
Under tight control from the bodyguards, Chen Yijing's father couldn't move.
"I wouldn't have poison. You're slandering me," he protested.
Zhang Chenyan nodded. "Fine, say what you want. When the police arrive and search you, if I'm wrong… I'll write you an apology letter and make a sincere self-criticism."
An apology letter… should be similar to a self-criticism letter, right?
Having just finished a self-criticism letter, Zhang Chenyan found this manageable.
His reasonableness was partly because he firmly believed Chen Yijing's father had something to hide.
Why else sneak in at this hour? To check on his condition? Not even ghosts would believe that.
"I need to use the bathroom!" he continued to struggle.
"Trust the police. They'll be here soon and will conduct a search quickly," Zhang Chenyan reassured him.
Shortly after, the police arrived.
"They're restricting my freedom!" Chen Yijing's father complained first.
"He sneaked into the hospital at night, violating hospital rules. We reasonably suspected he intended to harm our patient, so we took preventive measures," the doctor explained.
"He might be hiding poison to harm me, but we can't search him," Zhang Chenyan added.
The police were well-informed, having been briefed by the intern.
"Come with us."
As they prepared to take him, he started acting again, "No, my stomach hurts. I need the bathroom."
This time, no one stopped him.
"Fine, let our officers accompany you, using our special facilities."
The officers were unfazed by his request, handling it professionally.
Observing this, Zhang Chenyan couldn't help but admire the police's resilience.
With no way to dispose of or hide anything, Chen Yijing's father's performance was futile.
"I suspect his motive is related to an agreement Chen Yijing signed," Zhang Chenyan added, "causing a financial dispute, which might be his motive."
The officers nodded, "If there's a problem, we'll call you in for questioning."
"Just a heads-up, he's good at manipulating public opinion. Any slight misstep could be used against you," the intern warned. "Our hospital faced this but had surveillance as proof. If needed, we can assist in the investigation."
Watching the police take him away, Zhang Chenyan finally exhaled.