Ge Haide logged into Dong Yi's social media platform and posted about the articles for two consecutive days. On the first day, he sent out Dong Yi's obituary, and the other post was about making public a letter Dong Yi wrote to the police during his lifetime after discussing it with Jiang Ming, encouraging more victims to report. At the same time, the criminal investigation team of Changjing District in City B conveyed the police's stance on the case to the public through official channels— no tolerance, no leniency, yet seeking justice. Public opinion accordingly exploded on social media.
After finishing their evening physical training, Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng arrived at the bar on the lower level of the rooftop, and with a turn of the high stool, the city's panoramic view came into sight. The two tacitly avoided mentioning public opinion on social media; they were more aware than anyone of the pressure of public opinion.
Yu Cheng took a sip of whiskey, gazing at the towering buildings, and suddenly sighed, "The lights in this city are too bright." The bustling sounds of the city were mesmerising yet chaotic.
Zhong Shao also took a sip of whiskey and chuckled softly, "You should like smaller towns with more of a lively atmosphere."
Yu Cheng candidly admitted, "A bustling city is great, but it moves so fast that it makes people numb."
"You should like Pingcheng City." Yu Cheng was surprised and asked, "What made you think of Pingcheng?"
"I went there while filming before; it's a city with a lively atmosphere, but unfortunately, I couldn't explore it properly."
Zhong Shao had been to many small towns like Pingcheng while filming, but strangely, only Pingcheng came to mind.
"I grew up there." Upon hearing the answer, Yu Cheng lowered his gaze, the corners of his lips slightly raised, and looked at Zhong Shao again, "Next time we go, I'll be your tour guide."
"Sure."
The two gently raised their glasses and swallowed the last sip of whiskey.
Upon setting down his wine glass, Tan Ye's phone call came in.
Prof. Wang Shuo was implicated in this public opinion storm by a marketing company specialising in We-media.
Tan Ye also casually asked Zhong Shao, "Do you remember Chen Jian?"
Zhong Shao remained expressionless; he remembered Chen Jian but not in a positive light.
Chen Jian was two years senior to Zhong Shao and majored in screenwriting. When preparing his graduation piece, Chen Jian invited Zhong Shao to be the lead actor. After reading the synopsis, Zhong Shao refused due to the conflicting values in the script. Chen Jian did not insist further.
It was later heard that Chen Jian did not successfully graduate due to his final project, and it was unknown if he obtained his degree the following year.
At the same time, Yu Cheng learned of a piece of news from the performance undergraduate group. He handed his phone to Zhong Shao.
The news was from Bao Yifei, a former-class beauty and current head fashion blogger with millions of fans, who had just posted a lengthy Weibo post minutes ago and shared the link in the class group.
In the extensive over 3,000-word post, Bao Yifei detailed the whole process of the sexual harassment she endured from Chen Jian back in the day.
At the age of 17, Bao Yifei chose Beyond Scenery as her pre-art examination training school.
Beyond Scenery, a well-known domestic art examination training centre, is the top choice for numerous students applying to performing arts colleges and universities. At its peak, it could enrol over 500 art examination candidates in one session. Since its establishment, Beyond Scenery has a tradition of organising overseas art school visits for observation, learning, and cooperation during summer and winter vacations each year. This provided Chen Jianxing with "convenience" and "opportunity" in his role as a "teacher."
The 17-year-old girl was slim and graceful, with exquisite facial features and a tall figure that stood out in a crowd. During the summer exchange program for performing arts that year in Japan, Chen Jian took advantage of the guidance role to engage in unnecessary physical contact with Bao Yifei. On the last day of training, during the group photo, Chen Jian directly placed his hand on Bao Yifei's shoulder, causing her to resist and shudder at the touch of his rough and filthy hand.
As it was the last night in Japan, everyone gathered for dinner, and Chen Jian treated them. While Bao Yifei went to the toilet midway through the dinner, she saw Chen Jian smoking and leaning against the wall in a secluded area. With smoke billowing from his nostrils, he appeared more like a thug in the haze, despite his decent appearance. Chen Jian's face showed no signs, but he was likely intoxicated, stumbling towards Bao Yifei in a non-straight line. He took out a room key card, leaned down and whispered in Bao Yifei's ear, "Bao Yifei, Iwase Mori wants you to star in his script. Come to my room later to get the script," lifting his head, he waved the key card and said, "Room 8025, remember that."
Bao Yifei's face turned pale, her hands trembling uncontrollably at her sides. Although she was a minor, the blunt implications in Chen Jian's words were not lost on her. Chen Jian moved away from Bao Yifei, seemingly satisfied with her expression, took two steps back, smirked, and extinguished the cigarette against the wall.
Footsteps were heard nearby, as a lobby manager and a server hurried over. The lobby manager, speaking English that was not entirely fluent but understandable, stated, "Sir, we have a smoking room on the second floor. If you wish to smoke, please proceed to the smoking room. Additionally, in accordance with Japan's Health Promotion Law, smoking is prohibited in all public areas, and violators may be subject to fines. Please come with me."
Chen Jian was not unaware of Japan's no-smoking culture, but being a bit tipsy, his cautious demeanour relaxed, revealing his craving for a cigarette, momentarily forgetting about Japan's smoking regulations. The lobby manager's words helped Chen Jian sober up a bit, prompting him to restore his "gentlemanly image" and apologise to the lobby manager before following them.
Before leaving, he gave a meaningful glance at Bao Yifei.
After Chen Jian left, Bao Yifei sat on the ground, feeling weak for a while before getting up, returning to the private room and finding an excuse to leave early.
She took a taxi back to the hotel, booked the next flight back, hastily packed, and departed. It wasn't until the plane glided into the familiar city that her trembling heart finally calmed down slightly. From then on, she never attended any training sessions at the Beyond Scenery Art Training Center. While Bao Yifei had considered exposing Chen Jian's actions, a text message from him poured cold water on her intentions. The message contained a photo of a rehearsal room, cleverly angled to make it seem like Bao Yifei was intentionally or unintentionally flirting with Chen Jian.
In the message, Chen Jian warned that some things should be kept secret, as a woman's reputation may not be preserved if exposed.
In the face of coercion, 17-year-old Bao Yifei chose to compromise; but a decade later, with enough confidence and strong inner strength, she dares to speak out and peel back a layer, not for anyone else, but because when we shout for women's rights, what we want is not just men, but even this society to give women the most basic respect and fundamental fairness. What we hope for is that men will no longer arrogantly ignore things, and society will no longer maintain a high sensitivity and bias towards women's bodies, weight, and appearance. As individuals, women always have the freedom to decide how to treat and protect their bodies and to seek a rightful outcome when violated. This due right does not submit to male privilege.
One stone causes a thousand ripples. It is unknown why the performance art class is so supportive of Bao Yifei's "Dare to Say," with the class teacher representing the entire class saying "Always stand by you."
Following Bao Yifei, more and more victims have come forward, accusing Chen Jian of sexual harassment and even assault during art exam training.
There are allegations that Chen Jian's actions were all under the instruction of Wang Shuo. According to corporate records, Wang Shuo holds a 5% stake in the Beyond Scenery.
Zhong Shao and Yu Cheng saw this news but did not call their mentor or speak up on the platform for the teacher. In this age where public opinion is fatal, what they await is the truth.
They believe in Prof. Wang Shuo's character and trust that he will provide an explanation to the public. If the final truth turns out to be as alleged, they will face the public's interrogations alongside Prof. Wang Shuo.