The Soldier King was the protagonist, and the hackers under him were no ordinary people.
He possessed world-class hacking skills, and being abroad, he wasn't afraid of being investigated.
All he needed to do was upload the video Fang Ming had secretly recorded to major online platforms and send it to the phones and emails of hundreds of thousands of citizens.
This kind of high-society scandal, especially one involving keywords like imprisonment, beauties, and abuse, was a massive viral sensation for ordinary people.
There was no need to buy any traffic; in just one night, the news swept across the entire Xia State.
And that was indeed the case.
By the time Fang Ming brought Chen Qian to the lobby for breakfast, the online discussion was already reaching a fever pitch.
[Enthusiastic Citizen Auntie Wang]: My god, my values are shattered! This isn't some rich second-generation heir; this is a beast in human skin! I suggest chemical castration!
[Keyboard Warrior No. 1]: The person above is too naive. This is the Lu Family; money makes the world go round. Believe it or not, in two days they'll say he has a mental illness and release him for medical treatment?
[Justice Enforcement]: @Yanjing Public Security, this must be strictly investigated. The girl in the video is so pitiful; just her crying is heartbreaking. If we don't get an explanation, we'll keep pushing this to the top!
"Huh? What's going on? Why won't the video open?" Li Wei suddenly cried out.
She kept refreshing the page, but the screen only displayed a cold "404 Not Found."
"I can't see it either; the post has been deleted." Zhang Yue also frowned.
"The Weibo trending topics have also been removed. It was just labeled 'Explosive' a moment ago, and now I can't even find the keyword."
"Is this... a sitewide takedown?"
The air in the dining room seemed to freeze for a moment.
After finishing breakfast, Fang Ming wiped his mouth with a napkin, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Has the Lu Family already started taking action? It was a bit faster than he had expected.
However, the more it was suppressed, the more violent the backlash would be when it finally rebounded.
Some things, once they see the light of day, are not so easily covered back up.
"Alright, is everyone full?"
Fang Ming stood up and straightened his collar. "If you're full, go back to your rooms and pack. Get ready for today's itinerary."
"Since we're in Yanjing, we should still have fun. Don't let this unlucky news ruin your mood."
...Meanwhile, in the western suburbs of Yanjing, at the Lu Family Manor Villa.
In stark contrast to the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere of the hotel, this place felt as if it were currently at the center of a storm's eye.
Inside the normally majestic main villa building, the atmospheric pressure was so low it was suffocating.
Bang!
A priceless Ming Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain vase was violently smashed onto the marble floor, instantly shattering into pieces. Sharp porcelain shards flew everywhere, grazing the cheeks of several bodyguards kneeling on the ground and leaving trails of blood.
But not a single person dared to move; they even deliberately suppressed their breathing to the minimum.
"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"
Behind the desk, a middle-aged man wearing a black Tang suit was leaning against the edge of the table, his chest heaving violently.
He looked to be in his fifties with graying hair, but he was full of vigor. His hawk-like eyes were now bloodshot, radiating a murderous aura as if he wanted to devour someone.
He was the true patriarch of the Lu Family and Lu Chenzhou's father—Lu Zhengnan.
"The police have reached our doorstep, and you lot were completely unaware?!"
"Only a few people knew about that basement. How did they find the entrance? Hmm?"
Lu Zhengnan grabbed the Yixing clay teapot from the desk and wanted to smash it too, but he ultimately forced himself to hold back.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. As an old fox who had spent decades navigating the business world, he knew now was not the time to vent his emotions.
"How is the handling of the online news going?"
His voice was as grim as if it had been fished out of an ice cellar.
A bespectacled secretary nearby stepped forward tremblingly, his forehead covered in cold sweat. "Chairman, we've already notified all the major platforms. The trending topics have been removed, and keywords have been blocked, but..."
"But what?" Lu Zhengnan looked up sharply.
"But that video spread too quickly. It was posted in the middle of the night. Although we started PR immediately after discovering it, many people have already saved it."
"And... and some of the servers are overseas; we have no control over them at all."
The secretary swallowed and his voice grew smaller:
"Then there's that Xing Tie leading the team... He's a notoriously tough nut to crack. Our people tried to see the Young Master, but he blocked them all, saying that all visitations are prohibited during the investigation."
"Xing Tie..."
Lu Zhengnan gritted his teeth as he uttered the name, the string of top-grade agarwood beads in his hand creaking under his grip.
If it were any other police officer, the Lu Family would have plenty of ways to shut them up.
But it just had to be this Xing Tie. This guy was like a stone in a latrine—both smelly and hard. He responded to neither carrots nor sticks, and he was rumored to have the backing of some veteran leaders.
But that wasn't what alarmed him the most. What truly terrified him was that this entire affair, from beginning to end, exuded an eerie precision.
Precise timing of the leak, precise positioning, and there was even video from inside the basement.
What did this mean? It meant there was a mole in the Lu Family!
And a high-level mole who could access core secrets at that!
Or... there was an invisible enemy staring intently at the Lu Family from the shadows.
"Investigate!"
Lu Zhengnan slammed the table, his eyes dark. "Find out for me exactly who leaked the information!"
"Also, contact the best legal team. No matter how much it costs, you must bail Chenzhou out!"
"If that really doesn't work..."
His eyes flickered with a ruthless glint. "Then find someone to take the fall."
"As for that basement, say the butler set it up privately behind the master's back. The girl was also kidnapped by the butler. Chenzhou only... failed to report what he knew, or was kept in the dark."
Although this excuse was so flimsy even a three-year-old wouldn't believe it, in the world of capital, the truth was often the least important thing.
As long as there was enough money and enough connections, black could be called white.
"Yes, I'll get right on it!" The secretary felt as if he had been granted a grand pardon and turned to run.
"Wait."
Lu Zhengnan suddenly stopped him.
He walked to the window and looked at the lawn outside that he once took pride in, now trampled by police cars, his voice low.
"That girl is named Ye Nuannuan, right? Look into her background. If she's just an ordinary person... find a way to make her change her story."
Lu Zhengnan's meaning was simple.
Since the problem originated from this source, then snuff out the source.
As long as the victim changed her story, or... was forever unable to speak, then all accusations would naturally fall apart.
"Understood, Chairman."
The secretary's figure disappeared at the door.
Lu Zhengnan stood by the window, looking at the silhouette of Yanjing City in the distance. The sunlight was blinding, yet he only felt a bone-chilling coldness.
He had a premonition that this storm was likely not as simple as just arresting a Lu Chenzhou.
The hand behind the scenes might be trying to shake the entire towering tree that was the Lu Family.
"Just who is it..." he muttered to himself.
At this very moment, the true mastermind, Fang Ming, was sitting in the back of a private car, eyes closed, sending a relaxed emoji in the Myriad Heavens Mutual Aid Group.
[Nameless Guide]: "@Marvelous Doctor of Chinese Medicine, that Calming Powder from last night worked well. Do you have any in stock? I want another two pounds."
[Marvelous Doctor of Chinese Medicine]: "??? Two pounds? Brother Ming, are you eating it like a meal?!"