Chapter 28: 028 Entire Web Explodes Literature

Shi Huai, a red-hot top star, was someone whose frozen account no one ever expected to see active again after his agency regretfully announced his beastification. Fans occasionally checked in on Shi Huai’s StarBlog, reminiscing, almost mourning him.

Yesterday, StarNet was already churning violently over Ming Ruan’s rehashed affairs, but no one expected Shi Huai’s account to be updated early this morning!

Wasn’t this far more interesting than Ming Ruan’s rotten gossip?

People clicked in with surprise, excitement, or morbid curiosity.

They found that Shi Huai had posted nine photos in a retro format. Each photo’s background was different: a warm little room, a snowy outdoor wilderness, a serious research institute… The only constant, the star of this nine-grid post—was the interaction between a sweet, sunny young man and a little fox in every single picture:

A little fox attempting a sneak attack, held up in the air, looking at the young man in confusion; a little fox baring its teeth in anger at the young man; a little fox nestling in the young man’s arms; a little fox running over from afar with a flower in its mouth—

Clearly, the photos depicted the most terrifying, irreversible beastification. Clearly, one of the main subjects was a ‘beastman’ rejected by society.

But the young man’s eyes looking at that beastman were filled with sincere joy and cherishment.

No matter what feelings people had when clicking in, right now, their Light Brain screens lingered long on the page of these photos.

These images were like a beautiful dream no one dared to imagine in the dark, fearful Era of Beastmen.

Shi Huai didn’t explain his situation, didn’t explain his relationship with Ming Ruan, and didn’t offer any opinion on the events.

He simply quoted a saying rumored to be from the legendary Ancient Earth era:

[Shi Huai (StarNet Celebrity Verified)]: “Please grant me the power to love and be loved endlessly.”

This inexplicable, even somewhat pretentious line momentarily silenced the countless gossip-eaters.

As people were lost in thought, amidst the overwhelming smear campaign against Ming Ruan on StarNet, some posts quietly appeared.

Some posts praised Ming Ruan’s cooking. Some admired his little tricks for handling beastmen. Some brazenly hyped their CP. Every post came with screenshots from the livestream that couldn’t be more real.

This formed a stark contrast to the posts that were just text and a few blurry, unrecognizable dark pictures.

Simultaneously, in Shi Huai’s official fan group and countless unofficial ones, after many arguments and venting their emotions, a scattered few fans left the groups. They simply couldn’t accept Shi Huai reconciling with Ming Ruan.

However, far more fans choked up and expressed:

[I’m really crying my eyes out, I don’t know if you all understand my point]

[When he beastified, I cried for days and nights, checked his StarBlog every day, prayed for him to recover his human form]

[Now I feel like what am I even]

[Is our brother not our brother just because he beastified? Is a beastman no longer human just because they beastified?]

[Our nostalgia for him, our prayers for him, were precisely the ultimate rejection of his current state]

[I really can’t imagine how hard it was for him alone, a little fox in the forest, how painful it was for him to see our words]

[Thankfully, thankfully Ming Ruan exists, I really…]

[Ming Ruan truly has won me over. I’ve never genuinely gone from anti-fan to fan before]

[Everyone, I can never forgive Ming Ruan’s past, but I also can’t turn a blind eye to his present kindness!]

So, after casual viewers got over that inexplicable shock and exited Shi Huai’s StarBlog, they discovered that the once dormant, previously the most formidable fanbase on the entire web—the ones who retreated after Shi Huai’s departure—had actually returned!

Some fans pointed out logical flaws under Ming Ruan’s fabricated scandals. Some took on the task of boosting enthusiasm for the drowned-out Ming Ruan fans. Some made long blog posts objectively summarizing the sequence of events. Some creators simply rolled up their sleeves and started producing fan content.

What a joke. As former anti-fans of Ming Ruan, who knew him better than they did?

Popularity steadily rose. Many passersby uninterested in gossip and scandals were drawn in, and then, while questioning, “Is it really that good?” they plunged headfirst into those livestream replays, unable to extricate themselves!

Public opinion shifted rapidly. In mere moments, it had completely reversed!

Ming Ruan’s Inspector Livestream Room was instantly flooded with traffic! The authorities had to urgently divert traffic, setting up Line Two, which then flooded, leading to Line Three…

The nobles attending a banquet in a small hall were forced to witness this dramatic reversal firsthand. For a moment, the hall was filled with noise.

“What’s going on! Which family’s servants handled this? How could it be so poorly managed!” A noble angrily threw his cup.

Even though no one had connected this to them yet, the nobles felt those questions were like slaps across their faces, causing inexplicable shame and irritation!

A noble seated at a higher place leisurely swallowed his food, saying, “Don’t be impatient, sir. They are just a rabble.”

Just then, someone, head bowed, body hunched, quickly walked over to the noble. “My Lord! Mr. Xie, Mr. Xie seems to have posted on StarBlog!”

The noble frowned, irritably looking at the Light Brain page the servant handed over. But after reading it several times in disbelief, he abruptly stood! He even knocked over several plates of food in front of him.

Everyone thought this wave of heat should have peaked and would now slowly subside, replaced by other matters occupying people’s attention.

However, right at that moment, a StarBlog post from a clean, simple personal star account inexplicably descended upon the trending charts!

[Xie Gewen (Personal)]: What you have done has been submitted to the Council for review. An official complaint will be filed soon. Be advised.

“Official complaint” means one official group within the Alpha Galaxy believes another official group has acted improperly and submits relevant materials demanding a public adjudication.

Simply put: The Council was about to sue someone!

And for the Council to file a complaint of this magnitude, the opposing party was highly likely one of the groups among the Royal Family, the Adjudicators, the Nobility, or the Conglomerates!

This wasn’t just any ordinary gossip!

The netizens who had just started to settle down, flowing into the livestream, exploded like fireworks again!

[Holy sht, holy sht, what is this!!]

[Is this really Xie Gewen’s personal account? The former Council Speaker! Is there really no mistake?!]

[So official complaints actually happen!! My family is young, I’ve never experienced this personally!!]

[No wait!! Why did Xie Gewen post this! He can’t possibly still participate in official activities after beastifying, and watching the livestream he’s always with Ming Ruan, right?]

[??? Don’t scare me, previous commenter. Suddenly thought of a possibility, but that’s just too absurd.]

Netizens stuffed with huge gossip tried to trace things back to the source, but the implications in Xie Gewen’s StarBlog post, combined with his current situation, no matter how you interpreted it, inevitably pointed towards the most ridiculous answer—Xie Gewen filing an official complaint, related to Ming Ruan.

Impossible. Absolutely impossible, right!

[I’ve asked for time off, I’m jumping all over this melon field, it’s killing me! Any moles out there with insider info, spill!]

[Who is the target of the complaint, who is the target!]

[Goodbye, everyone. I’m going to go live in Ming Ruan’s livestream. I just have to see what kind of heaven-defying ability this little bewitcher has.]

So, the agitated and explosive netizens once again charged into Ming Ruan’s Inspector Livestream Room.

However, the scene inside the livestream was quite different from what they imagined.