Chapter 330: The Footage From The Surveillance Camera – 5
Chapter 330: The Footage From The Surveillance Camera – 5
Fu Zhi was stunned.
From the moment Gu Zhi blatantly said “I’m the one who stole the flash drive”, it appeared to her that Gu Yan still did not know what she had done wrong. At the same time, Liu Mi watched the confrontation between Gu Yan and Fu Zhi with a pondering face. He had a wide network, so he knew everything that happened on Weibo.
When the few hot topics regarding Fu Zhi popped vividly clear into his mind, he contemplated it for a moment and then decided to chime in, “According to China’s criminal law, a person who causes significant damage to the right holder of a trade secret shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of no more than three years of detention and shall be punished with a single fine. If a particularly serious consequence is caused, they shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of no less than three years but no more than seven years and shall be punished with a fine.”
Grinning, Liu Mi turned to Fu Zhi and said, “The Li Family has a few good psychiatrists on hand, and I think they will be more professional than this lady. Ms. Fu, do you need me to hire a lawyer for you?”
“I already told you that I didn’t mean it!” Gu Yan shouted, her voice laced thick with impatience and fear. “Didn’t both Yu Sui and Sheng Hua already stand up for you? Can’t you be kinder? Why do you have to take it personally?”
Liu Mi squinted his eyes and looked at Gu Yan.
‘Yeap. She’s another phony little b*tch.’
“You didn’t mean it, huh.” Fu Zhi parroted as she put the invitation in her drawer. Her face was devoid of any emotion, and her voice was calm as she was talking again. “So, are you saying that you’re innocent of stealing the flash drive and we’re slinging mud at you because we have the evidence to prove that you’re the thief?”
The words pierced Gu Yan’s heart. Before she could say anything, Fu Zhi added, “I’ve let you off the hook more than once for all the things you did before. Also, don’t keep using my second brother to threaten me. If you don’t want to treat him, just quit.”
Gu Yan was stunned. She had not expected Fu Zhi to come on so strong.
‘Quit being Yushen’s doctor? Does she want his condition to get worse?’
She took a deep breath, and just as she was about to say something, Fu Zhi interrupted her. “Why are you still here? Do you need me to show you to the door?”
When she looked at Liu Mi’s emotionless gaze, Gu Yan’s cheeks suddenly started to turn red from embarrassment.
“Very well, Fu Zhi! Just wait and see! You’re going to regret this!” She growled before she stormed out of the room.
She would like to see how Fu Zhi was going to help Lu Yushen without her and how much money the country would be willing to pay the hacker group to recover the surveillance footage for her!
*
Liu Mi closed the door and walked up to Fu Zhi.
He wanted to say goodbye to Fu Zhi, but before he could say it, Fu Zhi said, “The psychiatrist you mentioned just now... Can you introduce me to him?”
She sounded obedient, and he did not know why, but he seemed to trace a hint of eagerness in her voice. There were plenty of people in the Li Corporation, but if they wanted a psychiatrist who could treat Lu Yushen while at the same time have a close relationship with Fu Zhi, there was only one person in his mind.
Liu Mi’s eyes glittered with a manic light, as he was impressed by his own intelligence.
Then, he said, “President Li knows a lot about psychotherapy. He used to have a double degree in economics and psychology. Miss Fu, if you don’t mind, you can give your second brother’s WeChat number to President Li...”
As for whether or not Li Nanli could cure Lu Yushen, Liu Mi was certain that his boss would do anything, including cramming his brain with psychology knowledge, as long as he could impress Fu Zhi.
Fu Zhi nodded. After she told Lu Yushen about it, she gave his WeChat number to Li Nanli.
*
On the other side of the city...
This was the first time Li Nanli came across Fu Zhi’s second brother.
The young man had been born with autism. He could not talk, and he did not know how to communicate with other people. However, he was Li Nanli’s brother-in-law.
Li Nanli immediately contacted a dozen professional psychiatrists and got their WeChat numbers.
He stared at the chat box for a long time, not knowing what he should say to Lu Yushen. In the end, after long contemplation, Li Nanli, who was five years older than Lu Yushen, finally sent the first message. “Second brother, nice to meet you. I’m Nanli.”
Lu Yushen was really baffled when he saw Li Nanli call him second brother.
Therefore, he did not reply. Li Nanli knew he did not know how to interact with a stranger, so he sent another message, saying in a soft tone, “Zhizhi has told me about your condition.
“I will send you a questionnaire, and you should try your best to finish it, second brother.
“After that...”
There was nothing after that. This was because there was a red exclamation mark next to Li Nanli’s third sentence.
He looked down and then saw a notification on the bottom.
[The user has requested friend verification. Please send a friend request to chat.]
Li Nanli was stunned.
On the other side of the line, Lu Yushen was sending messages to Fu Zhi. [He’s so old, yet he still calls me second brother. It must be because he wants to hit on you because you’re pretty! He’s so disgusting!]
Then, after a bout of rumination, he sent another message to Fu Zhi. [I don’t like this doctor. Let’s look for another doctor. He looks like a scumbag who cheats money out of people with online dating. I’m going to ignore him/ Zhizhi, you have to ignore him as well, okay?]
Fu Zhi, the real scumbag who cheated money out of people with online dating, felt offended but did not know what to say.
*
Two days later...
The award ceremony for the international Physics competition finally started. The Physics Association of Country M had invited many famous media and press outlets, both domestic and international, to have live broadcasts on the scene.
Since the government had stepped forward to defend Fu Zhi, most of the netizens had changed their attitude toward her. However, things were different in Country M. Not only did the malice there not dissipate, but the anger and resentment of the netizens for Fu Zhi grew even stronger.
Since there was a total of 12 teams from different countries, the award ceremony this time had received an unprecedentedly high amount of attention.
Right now, Gu Yan was sitting in front of her computer, watching the award ceremony through a live webcast.
Two days ago, a little bird had told her that China had not sent a professional team to get the surveillance footage from the hall.
She was slightly relieved, but she had sworn that she wanted Fu Zhi to pay the price for her condescension. She even wanted her to apologize to her on Weibo and admit that she was jealous of her!
*
The award ceremony was a mere formality. After the chairman of the Physics Association said a few words on the stage, it was time for the Q&A session with the reporters on the scene.
Chen Ming stood up and asked him about a few recent rumors on the Internet regarding Fu Zhi’s stolen flash drive and whether the 7.4 points that Fu Zhi had gotten was the international judges’ attempt to put a spoke in her wheel.
He said, “I wonder if you can give us an explanation in front of the cameras?”
As soon as Chen Ming asked this question, both the live-streaming rooms in China and Country M came alive. The netizens in China were filled with excitement and anticipation. However, the attitude of the netizens in Country M was different.
[The quality of Chinese people is unsurprisingly low if you have to make excuses for losing!]
[From the moment they started throwing mud at Mia and her team, we should’ve expelled them from Country M and deprived them of their right to participate in the international Physics competition for a lifetime!]
[There are not many Chinese people that can become an international judge because most Chinese scientists are as stupid, cunning, and unaware as Fu Zhi!]
[Get out of Country M, Fu Zhi!!!]
The chairman was obviously dumbfounded, as he had not expected this question at all. After he snapped out of his daze, he dusted his shirt off and replied in a calm voice, “Stealing is indeed an act related to bad nature, and those who steal must face immediate consequences. However, as far as I know, Fu Zhi has no evidence, and she apparently had a flash drive with her during the competition, which contradicts her claim about losing her flash drive. She should be glad that Mia didn’t sue her for defamation.”
Then, he paused for a moment before adding, “We assure you that the international competition is fair and open and there is no falsification. Fu Zhi’s speech was good, I’ll give her that, but the content of the speech was not quite in line with the ‘aesthetics’ of some judges.”
Once the chairman had finished answering Chen Ming’s question, the netizens from Country M blew up again.
[I support Mia defending her rights and suing Fu Zhi for defaming Country M’s contestants!]
[The Ford Family is the most elite family in Country M, and the balance in their savings account is more than the money Fu Zhi could earn in ten lifetimes of work! Just wait for the lawsuit, Fu Zhi!]
[Fu Zhi has to pay the price for defaming Mia!]
Chen Ming took a look at Fu Zhi, who was busy tapping away at her laptop on the chair, and then looked at the big screen in the hall. He cleared his throat and asked, “So, are you saying that Fu Zhi’s speech deserved a high score but Mia’s speech had the best content? Also, if Mia stole, she’d be disqualified from the competition, right?”
The chairman nodded. “Of course!”
The corner of Fu Zhi’s lips curled up as she let out a scoff.
Chen Ming sat down after he finished asking his questions. Since he had used up the quota allocated to the reporters from other countries, the chairman did not want to answer any questions posed by them anymore. He announced, “Now that everyone is here, let’s welcome our winner on the stage and give her the award.”
Mia got to her feet. She lifted her chin and did not spare Fu Zhi a single glance when she walked past her.
She walked step by step toward the stage as the music gradually rang out from the screen.
Just as she was about to take the crystal trophy from the chairman’s hand, the music came to a sudden stop.
Then, a second later, a beautiful face appeared on the screen.
This was the surveillance footage that Fu Zhi had recovered.
Gu Yan’s face was clear on the screen. In the footage, after Lu Yubai and Jiang Zong walked away, she bent her body down and grabbed the paper bag on Fu Zhi’s table while staying in a twisted position.
After doing that, she pulled out the document and flash drive in the paper file before giving them to Mia.
Mia smilingly patted her shoulder and changed the name of the presentation slides in the red flash drive to the name of their team. Then, she went on the stage and began her presentation.
Everyone in the live-streaming room was stunned by Mia and Gu Yan’s actions.
The hall was as silent as a cemetery. The netizens of Country M were still finding excuses for Mia, but the netizens in China’s live-streaming room went berserk.
[Are you guys seeing what I’m seeing? Doesn’t she feel any shame? She just betrayed her own country!]
[Yeah, I’m seeing what you’re seeing. I nearly threw up, to be honest.]
[Everything about her is fake. There’s nothing real about her.]
[Get out of China, Gu Yan! You aren’t welcome here!]
[This girl keeps on comparing herself to Fu Zhi. The more Fu Zhi ignores her, the more enthusiastic she becomes. I used to think that they were evenly matched and I enjoyed watching them fight with each other, but now... Hah, just go to hell, Gu Yan. You are a disgrace to our country!]
The viewers in the live-streaming room became extremely agitated. Some of them even went to No.1 High School’s official account and asked, “What are you guys doing? Why don’t you expel her from school? Do you want us to attack you on the internet?”
The school authorities of No.1 High School did not know what they should reply.
They had just received the news as well, and even if they wanted to expel Gu Yan, they’d need to wait until she returned first. They did not understand why the netizens were being so restless at all.
At the same time, Gu Yan was restless as well.
Her hands and feet had turned cold. She did not have to wait for No.1 High School to respond, and she already knew what would befall her. It was still fine if her public image was shattered, but once the national interests came into play, she was certain that the netizens would not let her off the hook so easily this time. If No.1 High School expelled her, then no other school would accept her anymore!
This was the most devastating thing for Gu Yan.
Things were going in the worst possible direction, and the tide had changed in Fu Zhi’s favor once more.
Gu Yan watched the live-streaming session in a daze. The expression on her face was dark.
In the hall, Mia was visibly shaken, and the smugness was gone from her face. While looking at the footage on the screen, she was both filled with disbelief and rage. She grabbed the staff member standing beside her and shouted, her voice laced with panic, “What’s going on? The footage is fake! Someone must have made it to slander me! Chop-chop, turn off the computer! Turn it off now!”
The technician was addressing the matter, but since the computer had been hacked, there was nothing they could do.
The process of Mia and Gu Yan stealing Fu Zhi’s flash drive was being repeated again and again on the screen.
Chen Ming stood up and looked coldly at Mia. “Ms. Mia, we’re the ones who put the video up. There are so many reporters here, and I’m sure they will be able to see if the video is fake and doctored or not. Besides, we would never give fake evidence on a major occasion like this one.”
Mia gritted her teeth. “This is impossible! No! I didn’t steal!”
Chen Ming scoffed, “I guess the reason you’re so confident is that this is Country M and the judges are your teachers. You know they will back you up no matter what happens.”
Mia opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, the chairman beside her interrupted. “Let’s continue the award ceremony first. If you guys are not satisfied with the decision made by the judges, you are welcome to appeal through the official portal. Right now, you can leave the video to our international judges and wait for our investigation!”
Chen Ming turned to look at Fu Zhi again. As if she knew he would say something like this, she said, “But as I recall, you said that those who steal must face immediate consequences. And now that we presented you with the evidence, you are saying we should wait for your investigation?”
A commotion began to spread amongst the other participants in the hall.
“This is unbelievable. I thought they only suppressed the participants from China, but I didn’t expect that Mia would really steal their flash drive and documents!”
“They already gave them the evidence, yet the international judges still want to give her the award!”
“I can understand that they don’t want China to win, but now that things have reached this point, they still won’t apologize? They really have gone too far this time.”
...
Mia was stupefied. The chairman had not expected Fu Zhi to have the surveillance video as well. He hastily said, “Everyone, listen to me. I—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Fu Zhi pressed on her keyboard again. Then, the scene changed, and the image of two people, the chairman and Mia, in the office of the conference hall appeared on the screen.
The chairman’s head buzzed.
Fu Zhi then said, “Although the video is soundless, I have hired an international lip-sync master to translate the conversation between the chairman and Mia. The subtitles are right below. They have not changed a bit in the last ten years. They’ve been suppressing participants from China, and they never wanted us to win!”
After the chairman came back to his senses, he quickly said, “We can talk about this in private. If you think we’ve slighted you, we apologize. We’re willing to give the championship to you, but about the things you said...”
Fu Zhi appropriately allowed some dissatisfaction and anger to show on her face. Nobody knew when it happened, but by the time they realized it, she was already on the stage. She walked straight up to the chairman, and when she threw up her small fist to cheer herself up, she “accidentally” rammed her fist into the chairman’s jaw, breaking it in the process and causing the chairman to double up in pain.
Like the head of a cult, Fu Zhi raised her small fist into the air, interrupted the chairman once again, and shouted to the other participants in the hall, “As far as I know, we Chinese aren’t the only subject of suppression! There are also little poor guys like you!
“International Physics competition? Fairness, justice, and openness? It’s all nothing but a sham! Country M is bullying us, all the while thinking our country is backward and uncivilized! They have used us as their participants’ stepping stone to gain glory, and more than once, they have insulted our country and ridiculed our fellow participants! Do they think we are pushovers? Can we tolerate this?”
The remaining participants answered, “No!!!”
Fu Zhi said, “While he said he would deal with it publicly, he asked me to meet with him privately. Everyone knows what he’s thinking. They just want to buy me off with the championship that originally belonged to me so that I can put things to rest. They even want to sign an agreement with me so that I will work with them to suppress you all. China has been a good friend to your country, and we Chinese people have known about decency and righteousness since we were young. Therefore, there’s no way I would wallow in the mire with them! They’re so ridiculous!”
The remaining participants threw their fists into the air and shouted, “Yes! Ridiculous!”
“They can’t give us justice at all, and they bully us personality-wise and tarnish our hearts and blood! What should we do to them?”
The remaining participants shouted in unison, “Overthrow the decadence and build a new dynasty!”
“That’s right!” Fu Zhi smacked the table. “Starting today, I will apply for my country to not participate in any international Physics competition held in Country M. We will fight with them until the end! Are you with me?”
The remaining participants that had been successfully brainwashed by Fu Zhi roared out loud in unison, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
The viewers in the live-streaming room stared at the scene dumbfoundedly, and there was only one thought in their minds: ‘Holy cow. Where are those government sectors that back Fu Zhi up? Hurry up, come and take a look at your daughter! She’s gone insane!’