The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 328 Disagreements Arise
Some people with ulterior motives cleverly opened the first lock, and then gathered a large number of netizens into a group of idiots.

Coupled with careful agenda-setting and emotional incitement, this concentrated attack on individuals in society has actually evolved into a systematic process of psychological destruction, like "boiling a frog in lukewarm water."

Its cruelty was no less than that of the continuous violent tortures of ancient times.

What's even more suffocating is that the permanence of the internet imprint makes this malice ever-present, forming a round-the-clock, relentless pressure from public opinion.

Combating this scale of strangulation is far from as easy as Guoguo initially thought.

September 11, 11:9 AM.

Before the first wave of accusations of "money worship" and "snobbery" had subsided, a new and more destructive attack has surged forth—this time, targeting "violence" and "misconduct."

Several anonymous accounts simultaneously released multiple low-quality mobile phone videos with obscure perspectives. These clips were carefully edited, removing all context and leaving only the most impactful and misleading images:

The first segment was filmed in a KTV private room. The footage is shaky and poorly lit. The tall and slender Guoguo suddenly throws a glass of wine at a man opposite her who looks embarrassed, then slams the glass down on the table.

The second segment of the video is shorter and more abrupt. Guoguo suddenly raises her hand, and a swift slap seems to land hard on the face of the man opposite her.

The third segment is primarily audio. A clear female voice with a Northeastern accent threatens sharply: "...Trying to cause trouble here? You'll see! I'll make sure you don't leave this room today!" Her tone is fierce and uncompromising.

No one knew that the wine was thrown because a guest had physically assaulted and verbally abused another girl.
No one knew that the slap was to stop a guest from forcibly dragging a girl who couldn't hold her liquor away from the booth;

No one cared that the fierce warning was only given after the guest pulled out a knife and threatened all the girls in the room.

These deliberately stripped-from-context and pieced-together "facts," coupled with highly inflammatory headlines, instantly ignited a new round of online trials:

"They just started hitting people? That's not just being snobbish, it's practically organized crime!"

"No wonder he was able to 'clear his name,' he was a ruthless character all along!"

"@PingAnJingCheng How can someone with a history of violence be allowed to work in the service industry? Who will guarantee the safety of our customers?"

"A leisurely, slow-paced lifestyle is a breeding ground for filth! Not only do they hire prostitutes, but they also employ professional thugs?"

The truth was completely buried under a tsunami of emotions.

Her past bravery in standing up to protect others has now been distorted into evidence of "violence" and "thuggishness".

This systemic strangulation is sinking deeper into darkness.

Five minutes later, a text message was sent to Zhou Yaqin's phone.

"Get Zhao Xiaochui to show up within two hours, or else..."

"Don't forget, you have thirteen boxes like this!"

If it were Zhou Yaqin's fault, the person behind that number wouldn't be able to escape, but unfortunately she knew that he was just a pawn!
There are also such "abandoned pawns" who take it easy and slow, like Lao Qin who didn't go on the trip.

The premise for activating Lao Qin is to launch a counter-retaliation in a relaxed and slow manner!
However, so far, not a single crucial piece of information about the opponent has been passed on to Zhou Yaqin.

Not a single one.

Little Hammer has gone missing, major shareholder Chen Guifen is refusing to answer the phone, and second-largest shareholder Sister Hua...

Zhou Yaqin shook her head with a wry smile. She finally understood why Zhao Xiaochui had chosen her!
But is she really as cold-hearted and heartless as Zhao Xiaochui imagined?

She witnessed firsthand how these girls rose step by step from the mud and struggle, how they learned to straighten their backs, and how they used their once helpless hands to honestly exchange for dignity and a future.

Now, she only has two hours.

To persist or to compromise.

The first one will soon produce a second fruit.

The latter would mean losing the second spring of her career.

"Yaqin." Accounting supervisor Zhang Minghua rushed over, her exhaustion clearly visible on her face. She looked at Guoguo squatting in the corner with heartache. The once strong and independent girl from Northeast China looked like a wounded fawn, and no one could pull her away from there.

While being comforted by the girls, Guoguo tried to snatch the phone from them. She seemed to want to read online comments and messages, and her compulsive browsing indicated that she had entered the second stage of this shock—the period of persistent anxiety.

Next, self-doubt will drag her into an even deeper abyss, social withdrawal will isolate her from the world, and when the period of despair and helplessness arrives, there is only one ending waiting for her—the countdown to her life will begin.

"Yaqin," Zhang Minghua's voice choked with emotion. These girls were all about the same age as her youngest daughter; how could she not feel sorry for them? "They want to talk, don't they? Then let's talk to them!"

"What are we talking about?" Zhou Yaqin asked to herself, her eyes somewhat unfocused.

"Let's talk about equity investment, let's talk about cooperation!" Zhang Minghua voiced the sentiments of almost all the employees in the office area. "A win-win situation is always better than a lose-lose situation!"

"Investment... cooperation..."

Zhou Yaqin stared blankly at the accounting supervisor, repeating the words as if she were hearing them for the first time, her face filled with disbelief.

Zhang Minghua nodded firmly.

“President Zhou,” the old man who had been silently observing put down his tea and said in a steady voice, “Manager Zhang is right. This business doesn’t belong to Xiao Chuizi alone; it’s the result of everyone gritting their teeth and persevering until now. Right now, if we go head-to-head, we’ll only hurt our own people.”

His gaze swept over Guoguo, who was curled up in the corner, and he sighed, "Sometimes, taking a step back is not admitting defeat, but protecting more people and going further."

"President Zhou~" At this moment, Pan Xiaoli also hurriedly came over.

When Zhou Yaqin saw her, her expression became even more surprised and unpleasant: "Are you here to persuade me too?"

Pan Xiaoli shook her head firmly: "When the boss is around, I listen to the boss; when the boss isn't around, I listen to you. Mr. Zhou, I came here for other matters."

After saying this, the young customer service manager leaned close to Zhou Yaqin's ear and whispered:
"Information about DouDou has already started circulating online."

"..."

…………

DouDou and YangYang were only halfway through their lunch at the kindergarten when a conflict broke out with other children, and they were picked up early by the receptionist and Liu Li and taken back to the courtyard.

The teacher and the other parent's attitude was impeccable, and their apology was timely and sincere, leaving the chubby receptionist with no reason to lash out, even if she had doubts.

The school's background was too unusual. Even though she vaguely sensed that the conflict might have been deliberately orchestrated, she couldn't delve into it. She could only suppress her dissatisfaction and verbally complete the simple withdrawal procedures.

(End of this chapter)