The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 493 - 496. Gu Yang Receives Punishment (8 Updates)
"Holding our taxpayers’ money yet beating us taxpayers, they’re simply the scum of society, the worms of the military."
"My goodness, what did I just see? A soldier actually beating a civilian, this is just unbelievable."
"How could such a person wear a military uniform? Are the qualities of our nation’s soldiers really this poor?"
"..."
Shen Qinglan looked at those comments online with a deep and profound gaze. The person who uploaded the video clearly had ulterior motives, suspect of deliberately smearing the image of the military. But who could this person be? And why do this?
One thing was certain, though, the video must have come from someone in that train car on the day of the incident.
Shen Qinglan’s fingers tapped on the keyboard as a dialog box with indecipherable codes appeared on her computer screen. She wanted to track down the original sending location of the video. However, it seemed that the other party was also an expert with computers, having disguised their ID well, making it untraceable. Shen Qinglan called Jin Enxi for help.
"An, I’ve got it, I’m on it right now. I’ll call you back as soon as I find something."
"Okay."
Gu Yang was actually off duty and lazing at home, planning to enjoy some variety shows on his phone for leisure, but then he happened upon that video. When he watched it, his face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.
This matter was clearly targeted at the military. Why say so? Even though it was his beating video that had been uploaded, the video had pixelated his face. If the person was targeting him, they would not have done that.
But what was the reason for someone to smear the image of soldiers like this? What benefit could it bring them? The first thought that came to Gu Yang’s mind was that this could be the work of a spy from another country—in fact, any Z country citizen with a shred of righteousness wouldn’t do such a thing.
If it was a spy from another country operating within ours, then it made perfect sense to him. Such videos were the easiest to incite dissatisfaction with the government among our people and to stir public outrage.
This was an insult beyond endurance. Gu Yang’s knuckles cracked as he made a fist. He swore if he found out who it was, he would not let them off.
There were many comments online, with the majority being derogatory towards soldiers, though a minority questioned the authenticity of the video, defending the soldiers’ image. However, such comments were in the minority and quickly buried by others.
No matter how angry he was, Gu Yang couldn’t just watch the video spread online. He first called Shen Qinglan and only then learned that Shen Qinglan had already been aware of it and was investigating the instigator. He immediately headed to the Fu Family’s residence.
But as soon as he arrived at the Fu Family’s home and before he had the chance to speak with Shen Qinglan, he received a call from his superiors, directing him to return to the military immediately.
"Sister-in-law, I need to leave first."
Shen Qinglan nodded, "Call your brother on the way back. He probably already knows about the incident since it’s gotten so big. Tell him the full story of what happened."
Originally, Shen Qinglan hadn’t planned to tell Fu Hengyi about this, but now it couldn’t be hidden. Gu Yang nodded.
Jin Enxi was investigating the source of the video when another complete video surfaced online. It went from the woman demanding a seat to the arrival of the conductor, lasting a total of ten minutes, fully restoring the whole process of that day. The uploader’s ID was "Red-clothed Heroine," and Shen Qinglan knew almost immediately it must have been the red-clothed girl she had encountered that day. The video quickly gained everyone’s attention, and in a matter of minutes, it topped the trending searches with a striking title—"The Big Showdown Between True and False Videos, Another Truth Behind the Soldier Beating Incident."
At the end of this video was an audio clip, featuring the voice of the red-clothed girl, detailing the events of that day, the couple’s extortionate demands at the police station, and Chen Li’s injury in the line of duty, resulting in amputation of his leg.
"I am a junior at Beijing C University and was in that train car that day. I saw everything with my own eyes. I don’t know what purpose someone had in smearing the image of soldiers by uploading such a misleading video. Here is the full version of that incident. I swear on the honor of my homeland that every word I have just spoken is true. If there is a single lie, may I suffer a terrible fate. Being a soldier is a noble profession. Most of them are young like me, who should be enjoying the best years of their lives, but have left their homes to go to the frontier, training in the most difficult conditions. They guard our motherland with their blood and sweat, securing the peaceful life we enjoy now. Before meeting these two soldiers, my understanding of a modern soldier’s life was just exercises and training, without real casualties, the same as most people think. But after meeting them, I understood that even though it’s a peaceful era, there are still instances of conflict. The peace we see is secured by the sacrifice of their youth and their very flesh. These heroes who protect and defend our country are treated like this, and yet on that train, so many passengers saw it and not one stood up to speak for them. Honestly, I feel chilled to the core, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. What’s more terrifying is that there are people who would use a misleading video to deliberately tarnish the image of our soldiers. They protect our homes and our nation—shouldn’t we, as ordinary citizens, at least hold a basic respect for them?" In the end, the red-clothed girl said such words.
The situation took another turn, and the online tide of netizens who had been berating the shameless soldiers suddenly changed, directing their criticism at that couple and rallying to defend the soldiers.
"I knew our country’s soldiers were good people, they wouldn’t do anything to hurt the people."
"This couple really deserved it. Soldiers are human too, they pay for their tickets, why should they give up their seats to you? They shouldn’t have let them. With how capable they are, why don’t they go to the sky instead?"
"Soldiers bleed and sweat to protect our nation on the front lines, but I don’t see you taking their place," he said.
After watching the video, Shen Qinglan noticed that the red-clothed girl had carefully pixelated the faces, making it seem like just the full version of that video. A smile immediately appeared in her eyes. What a clever girl.
At the Beijing Military Region, Gu Yang had just arrived at the base when he saw the person standing in the leader’s office and shrank back, "Big brother."
Fu Hengyi’s expression was ice-cold, and his eyes cast a chilling light on Gu Yang, "Getting skillful now, have you learned to hit civilians?"
Gu Yang hung his head. Hitting people was indefensible, and now it had brought shame upon the soldiers, "I’m sorry, big brother."
Fu Hengyi looked at him coldly, "Know you were wrong?"
"Sister-in-law has already lectured me."
Only then did Fu Hengyi realize that Shen Qinglan had rushed to Yang City to clean up after Gu Yang. He let out a cold laugh, "Gu Yang, you’re quite something."
Gu Yang felt a chill down his spine. He had a bad feeling. His big brother was terrifying right now, and if he weren’t expelled from the military after this affair, things with Fu Hengyi wouldn’t be easy either. But before he could plead for mercy, leaders from the Beijing Military Region command had already entered.
The leader looked serious, "Gu Yang."
"Present!" Gu Yang instinctively responded.
The leader scrutinized Gu Yang. While Gu Yang’s scalp tingled, he had no choice but to stand straight, accepting the leader’s inspection. After a long moment, the leader finally spoke softly, "The soldier hitting people in that video online is you, right?"
"It’s me." Gu Yang hadn’t thought to deny it.
"Good, you’re brave enough to admit it," the leader remarked.
But Gu Yang didn’t take the leader’s words as a compliment. Couldn’t he see the leader’s face had turned dark?
"A real man dares to act and take responsibility. Since I did it, I have nothing to fear in admitting it," Gu Yang responded loudly. The leader snorted coldly, "Gu Yang, do you still remember you’re a soldier of the people? You even dared to hit a civilian! Even if you had a justifiable reason, as a soldier, hitting someone is wrong. The military has also been smeared because of you, and you have to take responsibility for this. The military will issue a corresponding punishment for your actions, so go back and wait for it."
Gu Yang’s expression shifted a bit, "Yes."
"Leave now." The leader waved him off, and Gu Yang gave a military salute before walking out. As soon as he stepped out of the office, Gu Yang’s face fell, despondent.
That afternoon, the decision on Gu Yang’s punishment was handed down. In addition to writing a self-criticism and a 5-day confinement, Gu Yang was also suspended from duty for a month.
Originally, Gu Yang’s assault had been provoked, and he hadn’t caused any disability, meriting at most a verbal warning. However, the video’s leakage and the subsequent terrible social impact, despite later clarifications, compelled the military leadership to impose a severe punishment after discussions. If Fu Hengyi hadn’t intervened on his behalf, Gu Yang could have been discharged from the military. But even now, the punishment was heavy enough for Gu Yang; for the next three to five years, he could forget about any promotions.
Gu Yang accepted the punishment without objections. He had realized that his duty as a soldier was to protect the country. He had been first to fault that day, and as a soldier, he should have held himself to a higher standard. His impulsive actions and assault were his mistakes, which he admitted, so he accepted the punishment.
Gu Yang’s predicament had become so publicized that Old Sir Fu couldn’t have been unaware. When Gu Yang returned home from the military, Old Sir Fu severely reprimanded him.
The video deliberately smearing the soldiers’ image had already been taken down by the related authorities. Jin Enxi had also traced the origin of the video. It had started in an internet cafe, and the uploader was cunning and somewhat skilled, masking their ID as if the video was uploaded from a remote mountain area. Jin Enxi checked nearby surveillance and discovered that the uploader was a young man. Jin Enxi handed her findings over to Shen Qinglan.
When Shen Qinglan saw the person in the surveillance footage, she unexpectedly raised an eyebrow; she hadn’t expected it to be him.
At Beijing C University, the red-clothed girl, also known as Tao Ran, turned to her boyfriend, no, her ex-boyfriend, and said, "Zou Hongyang, stop following me. We’ve already broken up."
Zou Hongyang continued to follow Tao Ran, "Tao Ran, we dated for three months. Are you really breaking up with me just because I stopped you from meddling in others’ business that day?"
Tao Ran looked at him, "I already told you that our breakup isn’t because you wouldn’t let me interfere with other people’s business."
"What is it because of, then?" Zou Hongyang was confused. Initially, they had planned to visit his family during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, but instead, they encountered that incident on the train and were delayed in the police station for a long time. He thought that once the incident was over, they could continue their trip, but as soon as Tao Ran came out of the police station, she said she wanted to break up and went to a hotel alone.
"It’s because you have a flawed moral compass. Your values are distorted, and I don’t think we are on the same path." Seeing that Zou Hongyang was incessantly pestering her, Tao Ran simply made things clear to him—words that she hadn’t intended to say because she felt they might hurt his self-esteem, "That day at the Yangcheng Police Station, you actually defended that couple."
"Where’s the problem with my values? I was just telling the truth," and at that time, he hadn’t known Chen Li’s leg was injured, Zou Hongyang didn’t think he was in the wrong.
"See, even our most fundamental outlooks on life and values are different; we’re simply not on the same wavelength. Is there any need to continue this relationship? Let’s end things amicably." After saying this, Tao Ran turned to leave.
Zou Hongyang grabbed her, "Tao Ran, I didn’t know that man’s leg was injured at that time. Later I admitted my mistake, didn’t I? We’re practically family, you can’t just break up with me over an outsider."
"A soldier isn’t obliged to give up his seat just because he’s uninjured. Which law stipulates that soldiers must give up their seats to others? Are soldiers not human too?"
Tao Ran looked at Zou Hongyang’s hand holding her arm, "Let go, or I will hit you."
"Go ahead and hit me, I won’t let go. If it’ll make you feel better, hit me a few times, as long as you stop being upset with me."
"Zou Hongyang, you know what I’m like. When I say we’re breaking up, it means we are really breaking up, not that I’m just being difficult. If you let go now, we can still be friends when we meet in the future. If you don’t let go and create a scene that’s embarrassing for both of us, we won’t even be able to be friends later." Tao Ran was getting angry, she really disliked such persistent and bothersome behavior.
It was true that Tao Ran and Zou Hongyang were boyfriend and girlfriend, but her feelings for Zou Hongyang weren’t particularly deep. It was Zou Hongyang who pursued her, persisting for over a year before Tao Ran reluctantly agreed to give the relationship a try.
The result was that she had never expected him to be such a person on the inside. She expressed that she could not continue a relationship with someone whose values were misaligned.
The two were entangled at the school gate, Tao Ran wanting to leave, Zou Hongyang trying to hold her back.
Tao Ran was growing impatient and suddenly turned her head to see Shen Qinglan standing at the entrance of the campus. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly walked towards Shen Qinglan, "It’s you."
Shen Qinglan smiled faintly, "Hello."
"Why are you here at the entrance of our school? Are you here to see me?" Tao Ran was surprised to see Shen Qinglan there.
Shen Qinglan shook his head, looked behind her, and puckered his lips slightly, "I’m here to see him."
Tao Ran turned around in surprise to look at Zou Hongyang, not understanding why Shen Qinglan was looking for him.
On the other hand, the moment Zou Hongyang saw Shen Qinglan, a hint of panic flashed deep in his eyes, though he tried hard to retain his composure, standing still.
"I have some matters that I need to confirm with him," Shen Qinglan said calmly. Then, turning to Zou Hongyang, his demeanor became colder, "Would you prefer to talk about it here, or shall we find another place?"
Zou Hongyang pursed his lips, "Come with me."
The suspicion in Tao Ran’s eyes deepened. Seeing the two of them leaving, she followed them. The three of them arrived at a small sports field behind Beijing C University, where there were rarely any people, making it a convenient place to talk.
"What did you do?" Tao Ran demanded.
Zou Hongyang shook his head, "Tao Ran, don’t ask. You should go back first. We’ll talk about our issue later." There were some things he didn’t want Tao Ran to know.
He told her to leave, but Tao Ran refused to go and stood her ground, insisting on getting to the bottom of it today.
"I also believe she should be aware of this," Shen Qinglan spoke indifferently, "You’re the one who uploaded that video, aren’t you?"
"Ah? Yes, yes, I uploaded it," Tao Ran thought Shen Qinglan was speaking to her and subconsciously replied.
Shen Qinglan held her forehead, "No. I’m not talking about your video." She turned to Zou Hongyang, "That clipped video, you uploaded it, didn’t you?"
"It wasn’t me, don’t accuse me wrongly," Zou Hongyang denied.
Shen Qinglan raised an eyebrow, originally thinking that since he agreed to come out and talk, he wasn’t planning to deny it; she even thought that at least he was somewhat honorable in his actions. However, she hadn’t expected him to start lying so quickly. But she was prepared for their denial. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
"What? You uploaded that video!" Tao Ran was utterly incredulous, "Zou Hongyang, why would you do such a thing?" She believed Shen Qinglan’s words immediately because if Shen Qinglan had sought him out, it meant she had solid evidence.
"Tao Ran, don’t listen to her nonsense—it wasn’t me who uploaded it. What benefit would there be for me in doing that?"
Tao Ran frowned; if Zou Hongyang indeed did it, there really was no benefit to him. She turned her head to look at Shen Qinglan, "Could there be some mistake? Uploading that video wouldn’t bring him any benefits."
Shen Qinglan didn’t speak but took a USB drive out of her bag, "Zou Hongyang, 21 years old, a computer science major at Beijing C University, usually excels academically, and has been a recipient of the national scholarship every year," she slowly recounted Zou Hongyang’s impressive academic performance.
Tao Ran didn’t understand why Shen Qinglan was talking about these things, while Zou Hongyang’s dangling hand involuntarily clenched into a fist.
"Are you investigating me?" Zou Hongyang said angrily, "You’re infringing on my right to privacy; I have the right to sue you."
Shen Qinglan gave a faint smile, "You may proceed." These were things that could be found with a simple check; if Zou Hongyang thought he could scare her with this, he was severely underestimating her.
"Preemptive accusations are useless, and they can’t hide the fact that you’re the one who uploaded the video. Although you disguised your ID when uploading the video, making it difficult for most people to trace back to you, don’t forget the saying ’If you don’t want anyone to know, don’t do it.’ This USB contains surveillance footage of you at the internet café uploading the video. Do I need to find a computer to show you, or should I hand it directly to your teacher?"
"You... you’re slandering me; who knows if this content wasn’t fabricated by someone you hired." Zou Hongyang stubbornly insisted, but the panic in his eyes betrayed his true emotions. How could he have forgotten to erase the internet café’s surveillance?
"Whether it’s fabricated or not can be verified by experts. It is you who deliberately used the video out of context to tarnish the image of a soldier, causing a negative impact on society. The state has the right to hold you legally accountable."
"It wasn’t me, I didn’t do it," Zou Hongyang suddenly cried out, "I didn’t do it; the video was taken by somebody else, not me."
Of course, Shen Qinglan knew the video wasn’t filmed by Zou Hongyang, "But the person who uploaded it is you."
Zou Hongyang fell silent, effectively admitting it.
"Tell me, who told you to do this and what benefit were you given?" Shen Qinglan could have handed the matter directly to Fu Hengyi but she wanted to know who was behind the scene.
"No one, no one told me to do it."
"So it was done on your own initiative. What was the reason?" Shen Qinglan asked calmly.
Zou Hongyang glanced at Tao Ran; Tao Ran felt a strange sensation rising within her. Before she could figure it out, she heard Zou Hongyang say, "Because that day I made a comment to that couple and my girlfriend broke up with me right after. I did it out of spite."
Tao Ran was shocked that he would do such a thing over such a trivial matter, and she looked at him with disappointment, "Zou Hongyang, I originally thought you just had some odd ideas, but I didn’t expect you to be such a disgraceful person. You are also a citizen of this country; how could you do such a thing!"
"It was just a moment of foolishness; I didn’t expect things to escalate to this extent," Zou Hongyang tried to justify.
But Shen Qinglan did not believe a word of his explanation, "I must say, you’re very clever, but it’s a shame you didn’t use your intelligence for something worthwhile. I came here today to give you a chance to confess, but since you are not willing to seize this opportunity, I will hand this USB to the military, and you can await legal retribution."
Beijing C University’s computer science major is nationally renowned and extremely competitive. Zou Hongyang’s admission and consistent top-three performance in his class proved his high IQ. If he had applied himself correctly, he could have been a great talent. Shen Qinglan felt a rare sense of regret over a wasted talent, but since he was unappreciative, she would leave the matter to Fu Hengyi.
