Chapter 16: Memories from Five Years Ago (Part One)
He pondered for a moment and said, “This incident was quite famous back then. Many influential figures on social media, forums, and various celebrities reposted it—it was the talk of the town. Five years ago, ‘That Night of Romance and Snow’ posted claiming that the chairman of Haiyue Company forced her into a relationship when she was not yet eighteen.”
“At the time, she said she didn’t know he was married and that he even had a child not much younger than herself. Chairman Wang told her he hadn’t married yet, that he liked her, and between his wife’s dreams and the chairman’s generosity, she agreed.”
Arthas replied calmly, “Men and women, love affairs—that’s very normal.”
Qin Ye shook his head. “That was only the beginning. The turning point... came a week later.”
“Originally, the post was lukewarm, at most the term ‘eighteen-year-old girl’ struck a nerve for many. Haiyue wasn’t a big real estate player; who cared about him? But there are always those who believe they see through everything, possessing eagle eyes, ready to play moral guardians of the world. And with their faint voices, they try to call forth a thunderous presence.”
“The post was originally on Tianya Forum—it should still be traceable. I didn’t see it myself, but I heard about it. Many who read it instead lashed out at ‘That Night of Romance and Snow,’ claiming she was a ‘phoenix girl’ trying to climb the social ladder by any means necessary. They stood on the moral high ground, dismissing everyone else as trash. So...”
He looked deeply at Chairman Wang. “A week later, ‘That Night of Romance and Snow,’ enraged, uploaded... audio recordings and photos.”
A brief silence.
Wang Zemins’s soul fluctuated violently. Qin Ye continued in a neutral tone, “What attracts attention most easily online? Sex. And unfortunately, ‘That Night of Romance and Snow’ was quite beautiful. Even more unfortunately... the photos of Chairman Wang were so scandalous, they challenged all notions of decency... Even my own worldview was slightly shaken.”
“Do you recall the ‘Eel Gate’ incident? Nowadays, it’s easy to become famous—being pretty, doing things others wouldn’t dare, especially if sex is involved. Instantly, one becomes an ephemeral internet celebrity. When this happened, it was as if a bloody piece of meat was thrown into the sea of the internet; countless people swarmed to it. The post, once pinned for a week, finally caught the attention of major platforms. Suddenly, headlines, shock departments, and Haiyue, previously unknown, shot to the trending lists overnight.”
Arthas hummed thoughtfully.
“Almost overnight, those photos and audio recordings spread across the entire internet. Thousands of self-appointed guardians stormed Haiyue’s simple website, hurling curses and abuse without end. They stood atop their moral pedestals, wielding the vilest words as their right.”
Wang Zemins sighed softly, resolute. “I didn’t do it.”
“But my voice was too faint. I remember posting a single Weibo update. It was instantly drowned in countless ‘rational’ spit! From that simple ‘story,’ they found endless ‘flaws’ of their own making!”
“I shut down the company website and started searching, digging online. I finally found out who she was. She was merely a twenty-five-year-old newcomer—far from the eighteen-year-old girl!”
“A week prior, she had requested a raise, which I personally denied. Haiyue is a small pond; only a few people. She said the pay was low, which was true. But... does any boss ever pay more? Pay less, that’s always the way. It’s a willing cooperation.”
“If you’re unhappy, find another job. But I never imagined how cruel people’s hearts could be!”
Qin Ye nodded. “So, you chose to sue.”
Wang Zemins laughed bitterly at the ceiling. “Can you imagine... can you imagine how twisted some people have become? The moment we posted our lawsuit on Weibo... instantly, everything went silent.”
“Countless ‘prophets’ and ‘guardians’ started feigning contemplation: ‘There must be something behind this,’ ‘Did I misjudge? Is this not what it seemed?’ All in unison... truly all in unison...”
“The lawsuit was a success. What’s true is true, what’s false is false. Haiyue won. I won. But... the outcome was even more unexpected.”
His voice suddenly rose, “The result... we only received a few hundred online comments saying ‘Sorry,’ ‘I was wrong!’”
“Those tens of thousands of insults, curses, and condemnations vanished overnight as if they never existed! Only three words! The longest apology barely ten words! Out of nearly ten thousand abusers, only two or three hundred dared admit fault! Most chose to forget!! Like mad dogs, they hide behind their computers, waiting for the next bait!!”
His voice was loud, echoing through the room. He lowered his head, grinding his teeth: “The price for slander is far too low. That’s why so many act with impunity. If the law doesn’t punish evil, small wrongs will become great ones!”
“In their eyes, it was merely a handful of words. But for me... apart from leaving Donghai Province, there was no other way.”
Arthas was calm—she had experienced too many life-and-death partings, like herself and Jaina...
No, she was merely puzzled. “If so, why did the other party become a vengeful ghost?”
Qin Ye answered equally calmly, “Because the outcome was simple. When the verdict was delivered, the wind online shifted. Those who had condemned Haiyue now turned even more viciously against ‘That Night of Romance and Snow.’”
“They needed to cover their shame. The last bits of conscience and remaining sense of shame compelled them to act. But what could they do? Leave a comment under their previous remarks about Haiyue? No, ‘remorse and courage’ are not in their dictionary. They chose to attack her. As if telling Chairman Wang: See, I’m avenging you. I’ve cursed her fiercely. As for what Haiyue endured, they selectively forget. Even when slapping themselves, they want the angle right—slapping someone else’s face is best.”
Arthas clicked her tongue several times. “Tsk, tsk, tsk... Humans, sometimes, are less lovable than ghosts.”
“Naturally.” Qin Ye’s gaze deepened. “Ghosts will always be ghosts, but humans... are not always human.”
“And our pitiful, hateful ‘That Night of Romance and Snow,’ after being relentlessly abused and humiliated, finally chose to end her life.”
“She jumped from Haiyue’s rooftop.”
Wang Zemins smiled. “Did you know... when I heard she jumped, I forbade anyone from collecting her remains. At that moment, I was happy. Incredibly happy—never so happy before! I wished her corpse would lie beneath the sun for three days to vent my anger...”
Just then, an astonished voice rang out, “Dad?”
Qin Ye froze, whipping around. At the corner of the bed, Wang Chenghao had awoken, staring wide-eyed at the scene.
Clatter—a bowl at the incense table overturned, spilling rice meant for the dead. Click—the lights in the room went out.
The yang energy clashed; the ghost extinguished the light.
“Hurry! Get to the point!” Qin Ye shouted, “What happened next? Where’s the stone? How did you die?”
Wang Zemins hesitated, then his form began to fade rapidly. He stared at his hands in shock, then looked up and shouted, “After that woman died, I had nightmares every night! A week ago, someone mailed me a stone, left it in my office safe! The password is 200086—Ah Hao’s birthday! Tomorrow is his birthday!”
“As for how I died... I can’t recall. It’s as if I slept and never woke up again...”
Before he finished, a sound of chains echoed through the void, and Wang Zemins’s soul, bearing his unfinished words, vanished forever from this world.
Silence.
Expressionless, Qin Ye splashed chicken blood on the incense table, to dispel residual yin energy. He walked up to the stunned Wang Chenghao. The latter stuttered, “Wh-what is this? My father’s soul? What happened? Just now...”
Before he could finish, Qin Ye struck him sharply at the nape. He rolled his eyes and fainted in a most dramatic manner.
The lights flickered back on. No one spoke; the two were lost in thought.
“So, that woman’s obsession was ultimately not becoming the chairman’s wife? How absurd,” Arthas said indifferently.
Qin Ye smiled, cradling his tea cup. “In your long life, I suspect you haven’t met many living people. Humans, when they see no hope, are as quiet as salted fish. But once they glimpse hope only to lose it again, it’s enough to turn the kindest soul into the vilest ghost.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“Simple.” Qin Ye glanced sidelong at Wang Chenghao. “Just have him fetch the stone—isn’t that it?”
A sudden silence.
Seconds later, Arthas spoke in disbelief, “You mean... you’re not going to exorcise this ghost?”
Is that even possible?
Qin Ye glanced at the elf ball with inexplicable amusement. “Of course! Why confront head-on when you can sneak past? This is a tower-pushing game!”
“But... you were so determined before, striking first—why the sudden change in approach?”
Qin Ye sighed deeply, his mood profound. “As I said, humans... when hopeless, are quiet like salted fish. But when hope appears, they go all out.”
“You’re going all out to cheat and scheme... But is it really okay to let a ghost go free in front of a former judge like me? You didn’t even struggle for two or three rounds before? If you tried harder, maybe I’d see you in a new light?”
“Impossible!” Qin Ye declared righteously, solemnly, “Unless forced to the edge... Struggling is impossible, not in this lifetime.”