Chapter 18: Midnight

Qiong Cang’s video seemed to have been filmed at night. The background was pitch black, with a single dim yellow light illuminating her face from the side.

Yesterday, Qiong Cang had been struck with a stick by Xiang Qingxi, and her forehead had collided with a metal shovel. The wound had already been treated at the hospital. In the video, however, the bandage on her head had been removed, and a ring of red bloodstains spread around it, making the gash look particularly gruesome. In addition, the rest of her face was covered in bruises, as if she had been severely beaten.

Her gaze toward the camera was vacant, making her look mentally drained.

He Jueyun leaned in close to the screen to watch for a long time. Because the lighting was too dim and cast from an awkward angle, even he could not tell whether the injuries were makeup or real. They looked incredibly lifelike.

The police officer next to him, unaware of the truth, bluntly cursed, “What a beast.”

Just then, Qiong Cang began to speak in the video. Everyone held their breath to listen.

“Today, many people on the internet have used all kinds of language to curse at me. I reject all of their accusations. Since the leadership of First High School has confused right and wrong and twisted the truth, showing that they refuse to admit they beat me, I will tell the whole story today.”

She pursed her lips and ran her fingers through the loose hair falling by her forehead to push it back.

“In January of this year, a classmate of ours named Tian Yun committed suicide by jumping from a building. The reason she took her own life was that a school official sexually harassed her. She was a student from a low-income family, and her financial situation was very difficult. Her parents favored boys over girls, and she had a younger brother. Her refusal angered that official, so the school withheld her Poverty Subsidy and pressured her from all sides. Her parents were also instigated by the official, wanting her to drop out of school early to support the family. Tian Yun relied entirely on Zhou Nansong’s financial aid to get by day-to-day. Under immense pressure and with nowhere left to turn, she pretended to invite the school official out, got him drunk, and managed to obtain a piece of evidence from his phone.”

She seemed to find it difficult to speak, pausing to rephrase her thoughts after every sentence. After finishing this explanation, she quickly shifted the topic.

“The second victim who jumped to her death was Zhou Nansong. She was my roommate, the very person the school accused me of bullying. I did not bully her. She was Tian Yun’s close friend. She knew the whole story, obtained the evidence, and told me about it.”

She swallowed hard, looking visibly distressed. After saying this, she fell silent and raised a hand to run it roughly through her hair.

Her anxiety was palpable. Anyone could see that her current mental state was far from normal.

She stared at the camera, her eyes welling with tears that threatened to spill over but remained pooled in her eyes.

It was this exact reaction that greatly enhanced the credibility of her words. She looked entirely like an innocent victim who had no way to defend herself, making it impossible to connect her to the malicious girl described by the school.

Qiong Cang gathered herself for a moment before speaking again in a raspy voice.

“They edited the recording, thinking I was unprepared. But I actually bought a new phone before going in to negotiate with him, because I didn’t trust their character. Everything that needs to be said is in here. See for yourselves.”

What followed was a shaky video clip. The camera was aimed at a middle-aged man whose arrogant expression made it hard to feel any goodwill toward him.

A young female voice spoke with clear agitation: “You’re forcing my hand, you’re doing this on purpose. You know perfectly well that Zhou Nansong committed suicide because of Tian Yun, yet you told everyone that I was the one who drove her to it! You deliberately let the other students bully me. You want to drive me to my death!”

The middle-aged man replied casually, “The school did no such thing. The students came to that conclusion on their own.”

His expression combined with his words would make anyone want to punch him in the face.

“It’s all written in the notebook Zhou Nansong left behind! This is exactly how you force students to compromise, to keep quiet, to be enslaved and endlessly harassed by you! Then you use tiny favors to buy them off and placate them. Once they step out of line, you threaten them with the college entrance exams!” the girl shouted. “Zhou Nansong’s notebook still exists! I can hand it over to the police!”

The middle-aged man spread his hands. “None of that can be used as evidence. She had depression, and her mind was unstable for a period before her death. How can anyone believe what she wrote? Besides, she was just repeating hearsay. There’s no basis to it.”

“She said there are photos too! Photos you took secretly! She saw them all! Principal XX, Dean of Academic Affairs XX, General Manager of X-tech Company…” The girl rattled off a list of names and titles, her breath short. “You secretly photographed them, coerced them, and even graded and judged them, taking pleasure in watching them struggle. You aren’t human!”

The middle-aged man asked, “Then where are the photos?”

“You want to deny it?” The girl stood up abruptly. “If you have the guts, show your phone! Let the police search it and see what you used to store! The internet leaves a trail. Do you think deleting it changes the facts? What you did is a criminal offense!”

“Enough!” the middle-aged man barked, gesturing for her to sit down. “That’s called mutual consent. It doesn’t constitute a crime, do you understand?”

The girl shrieked, “You’re lying! Shut up!”

The middle-aged man snapped, “That’s enough!”

The girl slammed the table, yelling in anger, “Don’t push me! If it comes down to it, I’ll jump from that dormitory building too! Two people have already died at this school. If there’s a third, none of you will get away clean!”

The middle-aged man laughed. “Then go ahead and jump. Go on. Everyone will only mock you and assume you committed suicide to escape punishment! The police station has always cooperated with the school, did you know that? The Education Bureau is also a government department. Just wait and see who they’ll believe in the end. Young people shouldn’t overestimate themselves.”

The girl breathed heavily, clearly livid.

The middle-aged man pulled a cigarette from the pack beside him, lit it with a lighter, and leaned back in his armchair. After a moment, he said in a patronizing tone, “Why make things so ugly for everyone? Did you think you could threaten me with your life? Are you joking? I want to have a proper chat with you. But with you in this emotional state, how are we supposed to talk?”

“I advise you to drop this matter. You’d be better off making some useful demands instead,” the middle-aged man advised, his tone seemingly earnest. “Think about your own future. You’re a senior, and the college entrance exam is less than a month away, right? What do you stand to gain by making a scene?”

Qiong Cang: “Justice.”

The middle-aged man: “How much is justice worth?”

He exhaled a plume of white smoke, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

The girl fell silent for a long time. When she spoke again, her voice trembled. “Did Tian Yun die for nothing? You drove her to her death. You were the one who laid hands on her first, yet you didn’t even pay her family the bare minimum in compensation.”

“Exactly. Isn’t it much easier when we can talk about money?” The middle-aged man tapped the desk. “Two hundred thousand.”

“Not enough.” The girl gradually calmed down. “There’s also Zhou Nansong. Her mother only had her.”

The middle-aged man: “Then how much compensation do you think is appropriate?”

The girl: “Those were human lives. How much do you think they’re worth?”

The middle-aged man: “One million. What do you think?”

The girl fell silent once more. Even through the screen, her internal struggle was palpable.

Finally, she gave a weak, defeated response, adding softly, “You can’t go after my mother anymore. I can pretend none of this ever happened. She’s just an ordinary person.”

The middle-aged man waved his hand, gesturing for her to leave.

The girl asked, “I have one more question.”

The middle-aged man seemed to be in a great mood. “Go ahead.”

“Do you have a conscience at all?” the girl demanded, suppressing her anger. “You used the financial aid system established by the Principal to gain both fame and wealth, yet behind closed doors, you did things worse than a beast. You’ve wronged so many people, and you’ve even wronged the Principal. You trampled on his goodwill and ruined the entire school. Sooner or later, you will reap what you sow.”

“The Principal?” The middle-aged man scoffed, clearly not taking her seriously. He waved his cigarette and said, “Go ahead and find the Principal. Ask him why he had me do this. Young lady, you’re hilarious.”

The screen suddenly went dark before cutting back to Qiong Cang.

Qiong Cang held her head, her gaze not quite focusing on the camera. She said in a low voice, “Everything I said is true. I don’t know why no one believed me, or why they went after my family. Do I have to die to prove it? Is this your idea of justice? I can guarantee the truth with my life, but can you take responsibility for the words you’ve spoken?”

Qiong Cang choked back a sob and continued, “I’ve said everything. For those who believe me, please don’t hurt the victims. Don’t try to guess who else was coerced. The ones who truly deserve to be discussed are the liars and deceivers… Goodbye, everyone.”

·

When this video was released, the school administrators were in the middle of a media interview. With downcast eyes, they hypocritically expressed their disappointment and regret over Wang Dongyan, while making a perfunctory self-criticism, claiming the school had failed to properly monitor the students’ mental health and should bear some of the responsibility.

The media’s instincts were much sharper than theirs. Halfway through the administrator’s speech, several reporters’ phones buzzed with new notifications. They stepped back to check the messages in secret.

The administrator being interviewed sensed that something was wrong. He cleared his throat, preparing to speak again.

After reading the messages, the reporters looked shocked, exchanging incredulous glances. Their attitude shifted instantly. They rushed forward, thrusting their microphones in front of the administrator, and demanded sharply, “How does your school respond to the video Wang Dongyan just released?”

The man being interviewed was taken aback. He slowly replied, “What video? Student Wang Dongyan lies frequently. If she said something, I believe we should verify it before believing it.”

“She released the full video of the negotiation in your office!” a reporter exclaimed excitedly. “The lip-syncing and voices in the video match perfectly! Do you dare to release the original audio?”

Cold sweat broke out on the administrator’s back, but he still forced himself to maintain his composure. “What we released was the original audio. We need to watch the video you mentioned before we can give you a definitive answer.”

The reporters gave him no chance to escape, swarming him with questions:

“Are you aware that Wang Dongyan committed suicide by jumping into the water this morning?”

“Are you aware that Wang Dongyan used her own death to protest your tyrannical behavior?”

“Did you hire the internet trolls who attacked Wang Dongyan online?”

“Did you manipulate Zhou Nansong’s suicide to make it look like school bullying? Please answer directly!”

The middle-aged man couldn’t take it anymore. He tried to push his way through the crowd, waving his hands. “Wait a minute… wait a minute…”

“Stop right there!”

“Are you aware that although there is no explicit statute for instigating suicide, the judicial organs recognize it as intentional homicide? Did First High School coerce students into committing suicide? Did you?!”

“Get your leadership out here! We want the truth! We need the truth for three human lives!”

“How do you explain the situation Wang Dongyan described?”

The school’s administration building was completely surrounded. Reporters also rushed to the Principal’s office, as well as the residences of the other individuals Qiong Cang had mentioned in the video, demanding justice.

Caught completely off guard, these people were tracked down one by one. Before they could even understand what was happening, they were confronted by dark camera lenses and a barrage of angry questions, leaving them utterly speechless. In their state of panic and confusion, they were suddenly taken away by the police to the station for investigation.

Along the way, their utter embarrassment was captured on camera. Upon arriving at the police station, they were surrounded by a massive crowd, subjected to the fury of the public like rats crossing the street¹.

Angry parents threw trash in their faces, and the police showed no sympathy, only going through the motions of asking the public to clear a path.

Everything happened so quickly, like the sudden burst of light when the sun rises above the horizon.

The news of Wang Dongyan’s suicide by jumping into the water spread slightly faster than her video. The police department’s official account posted information about her fall, stating that they were currently conducting a search but had not yet found any trace of her.

When netizens first heard the news, their emotions were incredibly complex.

“She really committed suicide?”

“Isn’t she a bit too fragile?”

“Didn’t you guys drive her to her death step by step?”

“Serves her right. Didn’t her classmates say she deserved it too?”

Out of respect for the dead, although some people still spoke harshly, their voices grew noticeably quieter.

Then, the video exploded, drawing out the silent majority.

They flocked to Wang Dongyan’s Weibo page. Seeing the comments left there, they were chilled to the bone by the sheer malice, which in turn sparked a wave of intense grief.

“Nag, nag, nag! I fucking told you all to shut your mouths! You’re all a bunch of goddamn executioners! Devouring people whole without spitting out the bones²! Are you satisfied now? Are you?!”

“I’m so incredibly sad. I started crying while watching it. It feels like she died right in front of my eyes. A girl with such a strong sense of justice, yet she committed suicide carrying the stigma of a criminal. What is wrong with this society?”

“My scalp is fucking tingling. This is real, cold-blooded murder!”

“These people are all fucking idiots!”

“Is cursing going to help now? She committed suicide, and her fate is still unknown. Can we please pray for her? Anyone who lives nearby, please go help search for her. Every second counts right now!”

“The people who went to Wang’s mother’s company to cause trouble yesterday had better get over there and kneel down to apologize!”

“Kindness has been exploited, and people’s hearts manipulated. What’s even more detestable is the capital pulling the strings behind the scenes. Stop dividing us and stirring up conflict. We demand an explanation from First High School!”

“They can’t give an explanation anymore. They’ve already been taken away for investigation. The police reacted very quickly this time.”

“And what is going on with the students of First High School? Who could have guessed there would be a twist like this!”

Once someone was proven to have lied, the public instinctively doubted everything they said. Even without definitive evidence, everyone already believed the various claims Qiong Cang made in the video. They also assumed the injuries on Qiong Cang’s face were the result of a beating by school staff.

Meanwhile, the official media urgently released another interview video.

Unlike the previous media outlet, this time, the reporters entered the campus the moment the gates opened and directly interviewed students from Wang Dongyan’s class.

These were not students who made assumptions based on rumors, but the students of Class 1, the very source of the news.

The reporter asked, “Do you know Wang Dongyan?”

The student mumbled, “Yes.”

The reporter asked, “Did she commit acts of violence against Zhou Nansong?”

“No. She didn’t hit anyone.”

“Was there psychological violence, then?”

“I don’t know how to put it. She just deliberately scared Nansong.”

“How did she scare her? To what extent? I heard some students say she deliberately played ghost tricks to scare people. Is that true?”

The student’s voice grew quieter. “I didn’t see that myself. She just used those small toys to scare people.”

The reporter took out a small toy box and asked, “Like this?”

The student said, “Yes.”

The reporter pressed the switch on the box. As the lid slid back, a black rubber spider popped out. He asked, “She used a toy like this to scare Zhou Nansong into committing suicide? Is that what you all believed?”

The student fell silent. Although the mosaic blurred his face, obscuring his expression, his shame was almost entirely unconcealed.

The reporter asked again, “Did anyone at school play ghost tricks? I heard from some students that it did happen, and it was quite severe.”

The student remained silent, unwilling to speak.

The reporter asked again, “Was there?”

The student answered, “Yes.”

“Who was the target?” the reporter asked.

The student seemed to find it hard to say. “Wang Dongyan.”

“Let me confirm this with you,” the reporter said. “It was Wang Dongyan who was being targeted and scared, correct?”

“Yes. Everyone just wanted to get revenge for Zhou Nansong.”

The reporter asked again, “Did Wang Dongyan lead the class in ostracizing Zhou Nansong?”

“No. She just didn’t like hanging out with her.”

“Do you think that counts as school bullying? Do you think she deserved to be called a murderer?”

The student fell silent once more.

The reporter’s voice was calm, yet every question cut like a knife. “Do you know she committed suicide to prove her innocence?”

A choked sob could be heard on camera. The student raised a hand to wipe his glasses.

“Why did you all do this?”

“Everyone at school was saying it,” the student said.

“But didn’t the rumors originate from your class?” the reporter asked.

“That’s what the school teachers and administrators leaked. Someone overheard it when Zhou Nansong’s mother was talking to the Principal,” the student said. “I didn’t think too much about it.”

The reporter fell silent as well. After a long pause, he asked, “Do you know what I want to say?”

The student hung his head low.

“You are… the future pillars of our society, you know?” the reporter said. “Everyone has high expectations for you. But for a tragedy like this to happen, I truly find it hard to comprehend.”

The student asked, “How is she now?”

“Good,” the reporter said. “You’ve finally asked that question. But I don’t know either. At this time of year, the river flows quite fast, and she jumped in holding a rock. Her body hasn’t been found under the bridge yet, and the rescue teams are expanding their search area.”

The reporter checked his watch. “It’s been two hours since she jumped, and they haven’t found anything yet. The police are currently mobilizing citizens to search downstream. Do you know what that means?”

The student burst into loud, bitter tears.

“I won’t press you,” the reporter said. “I just hope you all can be well.”

The student said guiltily, “I’m sorry.”

“I hope you’ll get the chance to say that to Wang Dongyan in person,” the reporter said.

The student nodded. “Can I go help look for her?”

“That’s not for me to decide,” the reporter said. “If you feel it’s necessary, you can go. If you feel you need to calm down, then take some time to compose yourself first. Life is the most precious thing there is. I don’t want to see any more tragedies like this.”

The student sobbed again, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

·

Wang Dongyan’s suicide and the sudden reversal of the truth became a sharp blade, stabbing deep into everyone’s heart. Whether they had participated in the attacks or merely stood by, everyone felt a profound ache from the depths of their souls.

They were angry, yet had nowhere to direct their rage.

They fell silent, yet found the weight of their guilt unbearable.

A thorn remained lodged in each of their hearts, to varying degrees. It was guilt over Wang Dongyan’s death, shame for the victim’s misfortune, and a sobering self-reflection on their own past arrogance.

All the erupted emotions transformed into a new force, silently sparking an online revolution dedicated to rejecting cyberbullying.

Soon after, a massive, spontaneous campaign to “Find Wang Dongyan” began to take shape across the city.

Translator’s Notes