A live stream that dramatically transformed a depressed schoolgirl shocked netizens across the count

As the five words fell to the ground, the knuckles gripping the casing lost their strength.

In the past, what awaited her was always a pre-booked train ticket and a firm order to "do as instructed."

Now, what my father gives me is "to make my own decisions."

The invisible force pressing on the back of her neck dissipated most of its intensity. She tilted her head back and took a deep breath of the river breeze, which even helped to alleviate the stuffiness that had been weighing on her chest.

Chen Lang stood with his arms crossed to the side, quietly serving as a backdrop.

Shen Jianguo asked, "Who gave you that photo?"

"Still under investigation."

"Hand the items over to the police, don't chase them into the crowd. If you dare to cut off the surveillance cameras at the rescue site, someone is pushing you from behind."

"clear."

"Qingci."

"Um?"

"Take good care of yourself."

She pursed her lips, suppressing the stinging sensation in her nose.

"Stop glaring at the legal department."

Shen Jianguo's laughter came from the other end of the phone.

"understood."

The call ended.

Shen Qingci lowered his hand and stared at the water droplets rolling around the edge of his shoe.

Water droplets hit the cracks in the rocks, splitting into streams that flowed into the river. Her thumb brushed against the edge of the screen, repeatedly turning on the dim backlight.

"I can tell from the sound that everything is alright."

"I didn't run straight back just now."

"Perfect score this time."

She glanced sideways.

"You always bring up exams."

"It's a habit." Chen Lang said seriously, "A total score of 250 doesn't stop me from grading papers for top students who score 700."

Shen Qingci raised her hand and pushed him.

Chen Lang took the opportunity to step back, his heel pressing down on the damp stone covered with moss, and his body tilted backward.

Shen Qingci grabbed his sleeve.

"Hold on tight!"

"To match the ratings, it has to have some entertainment value."

"Don't pretend."

She flicked her sleeve, a flush rising to her ears, and quickly turned her gaze toward the distant police sirens.

Two police officers and the scenic area manager walked along the elevated drainage channel. The east entrance was closed and reinforced, and tourists were being driven to the west bank, their wet shoes leaving trails of mud as they stepped over the stone slabs.

Chen Lang took out the evidence bag and handed it over.

"The deliverymen wore gray raincoats and baseball caps, with masks covering their chins. They entered through the east gate and exited through the west bank. There was a 47-second blind spot in the surveillance, and three different gaits were observed along the route."

The person in charge of the scenic area spread out a map.

"The troubleshooting team has gone to check the power outage point, and no more mice have been found at the site."

The police officer collected the photos: "Can you identify who was playing chess behind the scenes?"

Chen Lang shook his head.

"We only found that the hospital used an old label from three years ago; the 'critically ill' label was purely a setup. The next person and the source of the appointment are still under investigation, so we can't convict them of a capital offense yet."

Shen Qingci stepped forward.

"Then let's find out who the errand runner is first."

The police officer turned on the body camera.

"Don't worry, every step of the process will be followed without fail."

Chen Lang did not request the road be closed; he waved his hand to instruct the security personnel to continue directing traffic.

The point of impact is right beneath our feet, and the low drainage line is constantly rising. With everyone piled up here, a second disaster could occur at any moment.

Feedback from the medical center was then delivered.

The boy who fell into the water changed into dry clothes, and the mother applied medicine to her knee. The mother and son finally stabilized.

The height to which the suspended ball rises.

The camera cuts off the tourists' faces, leaving only the enclosed stone blocks, warning ropes, and the white paper Shen Qingci is holding in her hand.

The screen was flooded with comments.

What did that bastard just hand you?

[Has Qingci been infected?]

Don't follow the crowd and push blindly; security is still clearing the area!

Shen Qingci stepped onto the center of the camera position.

The photo of the patient in the hospital bed was tightly sealed in a bag, with the black writing on the note facing the camera.

"Just now, someone took advantage of the chaos of the rescue to slip me a fake medical record and this note, hoping that I would scramble away from here and return to the cage they had designated."

Press down on the corner of the paper with two fingers.

"I've already called, and my dad is at the company, perfectly fine. It's all a scam."

The screen froze for half a second, and the comments section exploded with messages.

There are so many of these "pig butchering scam" tactics; people are easily manipulated when they panic.

That's a really dirty trick.

[Anyone who dares to pull any tricks at a rescue scene, investigate them to the death!]

Shen Qingci raised his chin slightly.

"Zhao Yulan, if you're watching, I'm going to rebel today."

Chen Lang glanced sideways.

She stared directly at the camera, her voice still tingling with the afterglow of pain, yet she enunciated each word with utmost precision.

"I've thrown away your roadmap, and I've had enough of your fake critical illness act. My dad has a mouth, he can speak for himself, and I'll walk my own path."

Chen Lang stepped to her side, his tall figure blocking the evil wind blowing from the river.

"Her statement has been released, and no one can delete even a single word from it."

The popularity of live streaming is soaring.

[So tough! This is the right way to slap someone in the face!]

[Qingci is finally no longer a doormat!]

[The charismatic leader controls the scene, the refined poet sets the tone—a perfect match!]

[The tactics used to force marriage and force someone to come home—anyone who's experienced it knows best. Just yell back!]

The comments section transformed from a place for casual observers to a forum for victims to vent, with screenshots and stories of their experiences scrolling by.

The phone vibrated in Shen Qingci's palm.

She forcefully suppressed the trembling, gripping the casing tighter and tighter.

"I don't need everyone to go to war for me."

She shouted into the camera.

"Don't block my stepmother's door, and don't harass my family's company. Hand over all the clues to the police; no one needs to be a part-time judge."

Chen Lang casually cut off the private message and added all the location keywords to the system blacklist.

"It's fine to join in the fun, but don't end up in jail. Meeting adjourned."

The trend of comments shifted instantly.

【Received. I won't cause trouble.】

Trust Uncle Hat.

[Qingci, take bold steps forward!]

Police left with a backup disk. The east entrance was cordoned off with tight police tape.

After confirming that everything was correct, Chen Lang led Shen Qingci back through the high-level passage.

After walking halfway down the stone path, Shen Qingci stopped.

"You could have explained what I just said perfectly for me."

"I'm only responsible for checking the cards in the deck," Chen Lang said, looking at her. "You have to handle the discarding yourself."

Shen Qingci lowered his head and ran his thumb around the ebony prayer beads on his wrist.

The wooden beads, damp with rainwater, felt cool to the touch.

"In the past, I had to rehearse refusing someone's request eight hundred times in my mind."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid things will break, I'm afraid people will be shaken, I'm afraid the door lock will be turned inside out."

Her speech was flat, but her steps slowed.

Chen Lang didn't respond.

Rotten leaves were soaking in the puddle. The person holding the umbrella slipped past him, brushing against his shoulder. Chen Lang reached out and waved away a long-handled umbrella that was tilted to one side.

"And now?"

Shen Qingci raised his head.

The river overflowed the warning line, and the waves carried the broken branches all the way into the sewer.

"Let's flip the table first, then see who jumps in anger."

Chen Lang laughed.

"You've improved."

"Stop putting on airs like a mentor."

"Based on the number of class hours, you need to pay for two more strings of ginger candy."

"You said you never take anything from tourists for free."

"I call this boosting the local economy."

Shen Qingci rolled her eyes, but quickened her pace.

Chen Lang put his hands in his pockets and deliberately lagged behind by half a step.

"Don't rush, we haven't finished grading today's exam papers yet."

What will the exam be about?

"Combate fraud, maintain the scene, and quell public opinion."

What's the maximum score?

"Seven hundred points."

"Is it your turn to give a score?"

"I have the right to grade the papers."

"The test paper was torn up."

"Tearing up the exam paper counts as submitting a blank paper, barely passing the mark."

Shen Qingci couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.

Laughter flew into the rain and shattered on the stone slabs.

Back at the camp, Shi Mancang stood in front of the iron gate with a black umbrella, two cups of ginger tea at his feet.

"The station called, the data has been read." Shi Mancang handed over a paper cup. "The entire east side is closed, all water sports are suspended. You two go back to the car and warm up first."

Chen Lang took the cup.

"Thanks for your help, Brother Shi. How's that family they pulled out of the water?"

"The mother went to the health center for an X-ray, and the rest of us are able to breathe and run."

Shen Qingci held the scalding hot paper cup in her palm, the heat spreading all the way to the back of her hand.

"As long as everyone is alright."

Shi Mancang glanced at the two of them.

"Do you need me to guard the gates for all the messy things that happen during the live stream?"

"Make a backup of the campsite's surveillance cameras," Chen Lang instructed. "The hidden stakes outside haven't been cleared yet, so just follow the usual route and don't deliberately get close to the RV to attract attention."

"You know your stuff." Shi Mancang nodded. "I'll keep a close eye on the west wall and the south gate."

The person walked away.

Chen Lang opened the armored door and stepped aside to make way.

Shen Qingci stepped onto the pedal, stopped moving, and looked back at the misty river.

"Chen Lang".

"Um?"

"If I hadn't been able to get through on the phone, the thought of going home would still have popped into my head."

Chen Lang gripped the steel handle of the car door.

"Come back whenever you want."

Shen Qingci tilted his head.

"Aren't you going to hold me down?"

"I'll pave the way and check for mines for you. Going back on your own initiative is one thing, and being forced back at gunpoint is another."

She stared at those eyes for five seconds.

"What if there's an ambush in Jiangcheng ahead?"

"If you want to go, I'll bring Lei Tangping with you."

"You're just using that kind of talk to fool people?"

"It doesn't matter if a move is old, as long as it works."

Shen Qingci lowered her eyes and stared at the paper.

The steam blurred the three black characters into a mushy mess.

She neither tore it up nor looked for a trash can; instead, she pinched the corner of the paper between two fingers and handed it over.

"Keep it safe."

"To be passed down as a family heirloom?"

"Keep it for filing a case."

"I thought you were going to use it to polish your shoes."

"Use it as a table leg after the case is closed."

Chen Lang smiled and sealed the bag in his pocket.

"Shen's methods of utilizing waste materials are getting more and more sophisticated."

"A good teacher produces outstanding students."

I climbed into the carriage, and the heavy armored doors closed.

The hovering sphere was attached to the outside of the vehicle as a sentry post. Titan cut off all coordinate transmissions and started frequency band scanning.

The soaking wet shawl was tossed onto the drying rack, and the muddy shoes were kicked into the shoe cabinet.

The leather notebook sat neatly on the folding table.

Pages open:

"Upon receiving the message from my father, I immediately returned home."

The penmanship is so neat and flawless that it's impossible to find a single fault. It comes with a standard retreat diagram.

Shen Qingci pulled out a chair and removed the pen cap.

The pen tip plunged heavily into the first character, sweeping across the entire phrase horizontally. The crude ink completely obscured the original meaning, making it impossible to discern any further interpretation.

She did not stop writing.

The dryer hummed in the background as rain shattered against the bulletproof glass.

She wrote in a blank line:

"Verify the information first. I'll decide where to go."

The ink seeped into the paper, and she added a bold stroke at the bottom:

"When I leave is up to me."

The pen cap snapped shut.

Chen Lang placed the ginger tea next to the paper, the bottom of the cup smoldering.

"Is it over?"

Shen Qingci turned the notebook around and pushed it across half the table.

"New industry rules".

Chen Lang read it once, took out a pen, and quickly signed his name at the bottom of the page.

Shen Qingci raised an eyebrow.

"Who asked you to sign?"

"Signers".

"These are the rules I set."

"You decide yours, I'll add mine. Double the firepower."

She looked at the close-knit handwriting on the paper, and an undeniable smile spread across her lips.

"Granted."

"No need for a stamp?"

Shen Qingci flipped her wrist, and the ebony prayer beads tapped on the table, producing a crisp wooden sound.

"This will serve as a stamp."

Outside the car, the muddy river water gnawed at the stone piers, relentlessly battering downstream.

She didn't spare a single glance for him.

The new ink on the tabletop has overridden the old rules, and the handwriting is crisp and clean.

Chen Lang tapped the edge of the solid wood with his knuckles.

"When will those two strings of ginger candy hanging on the tent be sold?"

"I owe it."

"Failure to pay will incur penalty interest."

"Giving a paper to a student who scores 700 out of 250 is basic morality; extending the repayment period is a fundamental moral principle."

"Logic is perfect, approved by special permission."