Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Could it be the Internet Cleanup Campaign?
In Qin Mu’s video, it detailed the takeout delivery incident he had been involved in just a few days prior. At that time, he had argued strenuously on behalf of the delivery worker in the comments section. He called for everyone to treat takeout delivery workers with kindness and understanding, but he encountered many people with "twisted worldviews" who actually claimed that leaving a bad review was their legitimate right. After his temper flared, he argued with these individuals with "twisted worldviews" for hours. Eventually, with an overwhelming numerical superiority, he "persuaded" them.
After all, the world is still mostly full of kind-hearted people.
But what he hadn’t expected was that, in Qin Mu’s video, Qin Mu had turned around and accused the delivery worker of poisoning!
"It must be fake, right? Just for spitting? At most, he’d compensate for the order—how could that be a poisoning offense?"
He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. After much thought, he still felt uneasy. So, he tracked down the uploader takeout Xiao Liang’s account and sent a private message.
"Uploader, another uploader has posted a video slandering you, claiming you’ve been jailed for a crime. I suggest you sue him!"
The private message also included a link to the new video Qin Mu had just posted.
Afterward, he patiently began to wait. It wasn’t long before he received a reply from the uploader.
"I knew it, it’s fake! Definitely fake! How could he reply to messages if he were in jail?"
Excited, he quickly opened the message, only to see a response that made his scalp tingle and scared him witless.
"Thank you for your concern. I’m the uploader’s girlfriend. He is currently detained and temporarily unable to reply to messages."
Looking at this line of text, he turned somewhat pale, a bad premonition suddenly washing over him.
If what Qin Mu said was true... then as an active participant in the comment section, with a comment that had over ten thousand likes, wouldn’t he be one of those listed among the sixty names?
"I haven’t been sued as well, have I?"
He swallowed hard. Gone was the confidence and composure he had when he used to pontificate online and denounce others for lacking empathy and humanity.
Obviously, Qin Mu had already sued him for defamation and insult.
"No way!"
After several minutes of anxiety, he suddenly raised his head, a realization dawning on him.
"I can’t just sit here and wait; I need to delete my comments first!"
Picking up his phone, he found his comment that had received over ten thousand likes, but then he witnessed a shocking scene. The number of comments in the entire comment section was decreasing at an alarming rate. If he remembered correctly, there had been thousands of comments before. But now, with every refresh, the number of comments dropped by dozens. His "comrades-in-arms" who had fought alongside him were not faring any better. It seemed they were doing the same thing he was.
「...」
「The next day.」
Qin Mu got up in the morning and habitually took out his phone to look at the video he had posted last night. He had been busy making this video until late after work yesterday. After just one night, its view count had already reached three million, with hopes of breaking ten million.
"Why is all my good luck being used up on this?" Qin Mu’s mouth twitched as he watched the view count rise rapidly, feeling somewhat helpless.
He had added 500 luck points to himself through a system reward. Logically speaking, his luck should now be considered outrageously good. But, apart from catching the Ancient Wood and ensuring his videos always went viral, he hadn’t noticed any other effects for now. Instead, Old Zhang and the others were always trying to set him up on dates. His romantic luck had certainly increased quite a bit.
"Maybe my daily life is too mundane," Qin Mu muttered to himself. "Should I... spare some time to buy lottery tickets every day? With my current luck, I should be able to win something like five million in the lottery, right?"
Afterward, he looked at the comment section of his own video and almost thought he was seeing things. The comments had all turned into diary entries of various styles.
"The moonlight is nice tonight; I must be awake, tossing and turning with no sleep in sight."
"Tonight’s forecast is cloudy to clear, with a temperature of 39°C, as high as my current body temperature."
"After watching the video, I was reminded of the two trees in front of my village home. One is a jujube tree, and the other is also a jujube tree."
"I don’t know what to say, so I’ll just wish everyone an early Happy New Year."
"..."
Thousands of comments, and every single one was beating around the bush, with not a single one discussing the video’s content. Anyone who didn’t know better might think this was some kind of forum for recording one’s mood.
He shook his head helplessly and clicked on Ma Xiaotiao’s account, finding one of his videos. There, he saw his "real" comment section.
The number of comments there had accumulated to over one hundred thousand. The latest comments were all discussing the content of his most recent video.
"I have a feeling this uploader is going to break another record! Suing everyone in one building last time was nothing. This time, he’s taking down the entire comment section!"
"Whether Little Station is in chaos or not, the uploader calls the shots!"
"Dude! Quick, go check out takeout Xiao Liang’s comment section! The trolls are deleting their comments and fleeing. Thousands of comments are now down to less than a thousand!"
"I just saw it too! Refresh, and a dozen comments disappear. These trolls actually know fear!"
"It seems only this uploader can deal with these trolls. Never try reasoning with trolls!"
"..."
Compared to his own civilized and harmonious comment section, this one was much more normal, with everyone discussing the poisoning offense. His video also served as a wake-up call to everyone: not everything could be done without consequences. Sometimes, actions that seemed trivial could actually land someone in jail!
After reading the comments for ten minutes, Qin Mu found takeout Xiao Liang’s account again and looked at the video that had incited cyberbullying against him. But he discovered the comment section there was much cleaner than before. Although it still contained some comments sympathizing with the delivery worker and criticizing him (Qin Mu), they were only a small fraction. The oppressive feeling from the collective condemnation of thousands of comments was gone. That kind of pressure could genuinely drive a person to become reclusive, or even to commit suicide by jumping off a building.
"Time to get up and go to work!"
After watching the video, Qin Mu stretched, got out of bed to wash up, and then headed off to work at the nursing home.
「...」
「Zizhou.」
In a high-end residential community, at eleven in the morning, Qing Lan, who had just woken up, was sitting in bed, staring at her phone, lost in thought. Her delicate features were etched with shock.
After watching Qin Mu’s video last night, she had been closely following the development of the events. Therefore, upon waking up, she specifically checked takeout Xiao Liang’s account. But she discovered the comment section, which was originally full of trolls, now had just over a hundred comments left. Many of these remaining comments were the result of her and fellow netizens’ efforts! And those comments attacking them for lacking empathy and being cold-hearted had all mysteriously vanished!
The current comment section was incredibly clean. Not a single comment with foul language or malicious condemnation could be seen.
"Could it be... an internet cleanup campaign?"
She rubbed her eyes, almost thinking she was imagining things. The change had been too swift, happening in just one night.