Chapter Thirty-Three: The Army of the Corrupted King?

Weibo Search: Yuan Ning

Profile: Professor at University of Science and Technology. Notable works include books on Exam-oriented Education and How to Make Children Love Learning. Following: 176. Followers: 570,000. Posts: 210.

Seeing Yuan Ning’s 570,000 followers, Luo Chen hadn’t expected quite so many people to pay attention to him. However, how many were true followers and how many were just there to hurl insults was anyone’s guess.

Over the years, Yuan Ning had been touring for lectures and, as a renowned university professor, always appeared amiable and approachable before parents. Many parents, beguiled by his words, became his devoted fans. Of course, this two-faced behavior—one persona in public and another in private—was deeply resented by many students and those parents in the know, yet there was little they could do.

Yuan Ning’s victims were always those who sought something from him. His talks and publications seemed to be in the best interest of children, which, in turn, won him considerable favor among some students and parents.

Luo Chen clicked into Yuan Ning’s Weibo. Apart from the pinned post, the rest were all promotions of his own books. There were quite a few people engaging in the comments, it seemed. The most recent post, however, was the so-called “declaration of war.”

Weibo Statement:

Just yesterday, I encountered something that pained me deeply. As a public figure, a university professor, a tireless and reputable educator, I have been maliciously slandered. This is an issue that must be pondered carefully. Why do these haters exist? Now, there are those with ulterior motives attempting to climb to fame by stepping on the shoulders of well-known figures, seeking attention through defamatory and obscene language. We must unite to resist such negative behavior. Here, I warn certain ill-intentioned individuals to apologize publicly at once and compensate for emotional damages!

After quickly scanning the statement, Luo Chen glanced at the comments—over 300,000, making it one of the hottest topics of the moment. As for how it got so popular, Luo Chen looked at his own video, now nearing four million views, and remained silent.

It looked like Yuan Ning was determined to milk the situation for all the publicity he could get.

But whether this would be good or bad was another matter. The comments below were a mixed bag: plenty of detractors, but also supporters. If Yuan Ning managed to succeed this time, he might even become a household name overnight. Unfortunately, judging from the overwhelmingly negative comments, Yuan Ning was overestimating his chances.

“Today, I discovered something truly shocking: a black African who bought a fake degree, a so-called university ‘beast’, a teacher infamous for ruining students, has actually been criticized? All I want to say is, ha ha ha, well done!”

“For your convenience, here’s a video link—no need to thank me, you can call me Thunder Strike!”

“No matter what, parodies are ultimately inappropriate. We should show more care for the disabled, especially people like Yuan Ning who are clearly brain-damaged.”

“Clearly, the next parody video isn’t far off.”

“This is the perfect spot for a parody!”

Even though, on the surface, it appeared Luo Chen had slandered Yuan Ning out of nowhere and public opinion should logically lean toward Yuan Ning, the disparity in fanbase was simply too great. Of Yuan Ning’s 470,000 followers, Luo Chen estimated about 400,000 had followed just to curse him out.

However, if things continued to escalate and attracted even more attention, the situation would change. Yuan Ning played the victim, appearing weak and wronged. Never mind that everyone seemed to know about his abuse of power for personal gain—it was only common knowledge among students in Qingshui City and not worth mentioning compared to the larger population.

Soon enough, public opinion would turn in Yuan Ning’s favor, and his objective would be achieved. Luo Chen noticed that even amid the sea of insults, there was no shortage of supportive voices.

“No matter what, it’s wrong to maliciously slander others.”

“Professor Yuan Ning, believe that victory always stands with justice.”

“Yes, those trolls won’t be arrogant for long.”

“Professor Yuan, you still have us!”

“Don’t cry, Yuan Baby, we support you!”

So, what should be done now?

Perhaps simply unleash some internet trolls to circulate rumors about Yuan Ning harassing female students, selling diplomas, and so on. Then mobilize fans to support the cause, turning this ridiculous statement into a venue for denouncing Yuan Ning’s crimes.

No matter if the claims were true or not, once Luo Chen’s fans were forced into silence by the weight of righteousness, they’d naturally turn these allegations against Yuan Ning. And when it came to fans and supporters, Luo Chen had the clear upper hand.

If three people repeating a rumor can make it seem true, what about thousands or tens of thousands? At the very least, it would shift from Yuan Ning’s one-sided accusations to a heated battle where both sides had arguments.

“Luo Chen, what are you thinking about?” Li Hua came running over as soon as class ended, eager to pick up their last unfinished conversation.

“Just checking Weibo,” Luo Chen replied helplessly, casting a sidelong glance at Li Hua. The guy was like a stubborn patch—impossible to shake off.

“Yuan Ning’s post?” At the mention of the “Demon King,” Li Hua immediately perked up. “You wouldn’t believe it. My Demon King army just roasted Yuan Ning so badly that he doesn’t even dare show his face. But it looks like more and more trolls are coming to speak up for him.”

“Wait—what’s this Demon King army?” Luo Chen was baffled as to when he’d acquired such a mysterious force.

“That? Oh, that’s a secret.” Li Hua put on a mysterious face, then, seeing Luo Chen’s disinterest, caved. “Alright, it’s not that big a deal. With over a million fans, you didn’t even have a fan group! That wouldn’t do. So a rich fan set up dozens of groups and hired managers. Only true fans can join. I’m even an admin for one of them.”

That was indeed Luo Chen’s oversight—no fan group, no Weibo, no way to contact anyone. How could fans have any sense of unity? Luckily, some fans took the initiative; otherwise, relying only on spontaneous support would never have crushed Yuan Ning so thoroughly.

But with Li Hua able to reach so many fans, there was no need to hire internet trolls, and it gave this chatterbox something to do besides hang around and distract him.

“I heard Yuan Ning has a shady past—taking bribes, harassing female students, that sort of thing. Why hasn’t anyone posted about it?”

“Seems like I’ve heard that somewhere,” Li Hua pondered, trying to recall.

Thanks to readers Ye Hua and The Passing By for rewarding another 100 Qidian coins—flowers all around. Also, please recommend and bookmark!