No. 58: The Revelation of the Counterfeit Prevention Expert

“As soon as my actions begin, he’ll be ready to close the net.” Little Jin reached for a slice of meat and continued, “As for those slandering you, only a handful are their own people, and those few speak ambiguously, like passersby. But their words contain hidden suggestions. Anyone who has no fondness for you will have their malice amplified and vented. The more discussions there are about you, the more people dislike you, and the more will join in the crusade against you. This is how they manipulate the trending topics, keeping your name firmly on the list… This meat is rather strange.”

“It’s Thundercloud Starbeast meat, bought from the virtual market. The reviews say its taste is ninety-nine percent similar to the real thing,” explained Sang Sang. Then, frowning as she remembered, she asked, “I recall there’s a law in the Temple’s code forbidding the use of suggestive mind magic to spread rumors and cause trouble?”

“You remembered correctly, but the full regulation is: no employee of the Temple may use suggestive mind magic to spread rumors or cause trouble when speaking publicly. The Star Network is an indispensable second society, even freer than reality. Only the Bulletin Zone counts as public speech; what’s said in gossip news is considered private socializing. Interstellar law states that unless actual bodily harm is done, it’s not a crime.” Little Jin finished a slice of Thundercloud Starbeast meat, picked up another, sniffed it, licked it, and only then tasted it. “The last bite had the numbing spice of thunder, this one has the sweetness of clouds.”

Sang Sang wiped sauce from the corner of Little Jin’s mouth. “The Children’s Protection Organization won their appeal. What level of punishment will be enforced?”

Little Jin licked his lips and replied, “Until you forgive them, they’ll lose the right to raise offspring. Those who already have young will be closely monitored by the Children’s Protection Organization. If any overstep occurs in raising their young, their guardianship will be revoked and new guardians appointed.”

Sang Sang recalled, “That’s a level four to six punishment. I’ve seen some cases; if there’s no real harm, the penalties tend to be lighter?”

“You forgot—there’s no true fairness in society, and you have the Temple’s Archbishop as your backer. Old Anthony is back.” Little Jin’s eyes turned sharp. “Sang Sang, you’re not going to go easy on them, are you? Even if they were under a suggestion spell, only those who already harbored ill will towards you would be affected. You mustn’t forgive them!”

Sang Sang shook her head. “I’m not soft-hearted. I just thought they’d pay a fine at most, but now it seems even if I make exorbitant demands, it won’t be a problem.”

Little Jin pouted. “Demanding compensation for emotional distress is certainly a lucrative opportunity, but to help you build goodwill and a positive public image, compensation should be the last resort. According to Sena and the others’ plan, the first choice is to have them swear lifelong allegiance as your followers.”

“That’s not bad either—faith is even more valuable than star credits.” Sang Sang nodded, then added, “The footage has been released everywhere. We can begin our move too. Have you spoken with Sena?”

“Yes, we’ll expose the truth about the Flower Saintess targeting you. He’s agreed to act as a promoter and guarantee the topic reaches the top of the trends.” Speaking of action, Little Jin’s face lit up. He pulled Sang Sang over to watch the multidimensional video he and the other AIs had edited…

[Live: Exposing the Hidden Hand Behind the Trending Figure Sang Hongye]

A post like this appeared in the gossip zone. At first, the onlookers were put off by Sang Hongye’s name and had no desire to click, but then saw that the post’s author was the renowned, time-tested Anti-Fraud Specialist, famed for his truthful and substantial exposés. One after another, curiosity got the better of them and they clicked in.

The Anti-Fraud Specialist appeared as a pink-and-blue ringed octopus. With two brains that could alternate, the octopus had long symbolized wisdom. The little octopus, glowing with blue rings, swam back and forth on the projection, highlighting details while narrating non-stop.

“This time, we’re exposing the hidden hand behind recently trending figure Sang Hongye. I know everyone’s seen the news, but let’s recap: Just days ago, the Soul-Reviving Tree Clan, long known for their infertility, saw a pregnancy. Candidate Saintess Sang Hongye’s creative exhibit revealed the nurturing effect of her work as a prank. The uproar in reality was nothing compared to the frenzy on the Star Network, where topics criticizing Sang Hongye dominated the rankings.”

“Some claimed insider knowledge, saying it was high-level power struggles, and that Sang Hongye was just collateral damage. With Archbishop Anthony absent and guardian Sena inactive, Sang Hongye stood no chance against the onslaught. This view is widely believed. Another, less popular opinion holds that it was all orchestrated by Archbishop Anthony’s PR team to promote Sang Hongye and pave the way for her future career as Saintess—after all, there’s no bad publicity.”

“I believe the majority take the first version as truth and see the second as a ploy by the real mastermind to deflect blame and muddy the waters. Sang Hongye is still just a juvenile—don’t talk about how twenty years old in a low-level civilization equals sixty-three in a high-level one; that kind of conversion is nonsense. Even after refinement, Sang Hongye is just a twenty-two-year-old child. Marketing campaigns designed to smear a child aren’t about promotion but destruction. As a candidate personally brought and endorsed by Archbishop Anthony, and possibly the future successor to the former chief Saintess’s faith sector, no one would dare launch such a campaign without his approval.”

“True or false, it doesn’t matter. As for myself, I’ve found no evidence for either theory. Lacking proof, I treat them as rumors. What I do have real evidence for is someone truly targeting Sang Hongye. And that someone is—the Flower Saintess!”

Impossible!

That was the first thought to flash through everyone’s mind.

The Flower Saintess had always had an excellent reputation. To non-plant species, she was as enchanting and pure as a blossom.

“Impossible! This is slander!”

“Anti-Fraud Specialist, you were silent yesterday and the day before, but now that Central News reports Archbishop Anthony has returned, you ‘expose’ the so-called truth? Have you been bought off?!”

“As the seventh seat among the Saintesses, would the Flower Saintess really bother with a candidate whose success in the final selection isn’t even certain?”

“Even if Sang Hongye is gifted and has a good chance of making it, she’s still far from being a threat to a seated Saintess. Why would the Flower Saintess target her?!”

“That’s right. The last time the Flower Saintess was interviewed, she even praised Sang Hongye’s talent, said the problems arose from her guardian’s negligence, and that Sang Hongye’s humble origins left her ignorant of interstellar conventions. She even urged us not to be too harsh on Sang Hongye.”

Among those responding were followers, devotees, and even admirers of the Flower Saintess.

PS: Sisters, don’t forget to vote and bookmark after reading~~~ By the way, about the paywall: the collection numbers are too low. The editor said we need at least 150,000 before launching, probably in two weeks, so bear with the slow updates for another ten days or so. Hang in there!