Chapter Nineteen: The Ruse of Self-Sacrifice?

Chapter Nineteen: A Ruse of Self-Harm?

At this moment, Zhang Le felt as if a herd of alpacas was stampeding through his mind.

"You mean Li Ming was beaten into the hospital, and he claims I ordered it?" Zhang Le looked uncertainly at the policeman and asked.

"Yes," one of the officers nodded in confirmation.

"He says I hired someone and you just believe him?" Zhang Le said, speechless.

"We only trust our investigation. Rest assured, Mr. Zhang, we won’t wrong a good man..." The officer tried to continue, but Zhang Le waved him off impatiently. "You won’t wrong a good man, nor let a bad one go unpunished, right? So am I the good man or the bad one now? Never mind, I guess you’ll say you’ll only know after the investigation. But let me ask you, as police officers, you should know the law better than I do—is false accusation a criminal offense?"

"If it’s not intentional slander, but simply a mistaken or unsubstantiated report, it doesn’t constitute a crime," the policewoman beside him replied.

"So you mean, even if you find out it wasn’t me, at most it’s just a mistaken accusation?" Zhang Le frowned, pressing the point.

"Mr. Zhang, we’re just following procedure. We hope you’ll come with us to make a statement. According to Li Ming’s testimony, after he was attacked, the assailant warned—or rather threatened—him not to attack you online anymore. That’s why he says you’re behind it," the officer explained, trying to clarify for Zhang Le.

Someone takes a beating, gets threatened, and the incident is somehow linked to you—the police coming to ask questions and take a statement is perfectly standard procedure.

"All right, I'll go with you," Zhang Le agreed, then turned to Feng Lei. "Feng Lei, I’ll head to the station for a bit. I’ll be back soon. You go ahead with your work."

"What’s going on?" Feng Lei came over, frowning.

"Li Ming got himself beaten up and now claims I sent someone!" Zhang Le spread his hands, half amused and half exasperated.

"Serves him right—he’s been asking for it! But could it be one of your die-hard fans standing up for you?" Feng Lei shrugged it off.

"I’ve been insulted to the point I hardly know my own name, where would I get fans? Besides, no matter how harshly Li Ming slandered me online, he was only humiliating himself. Forget fans—even you hope he keeps cursing so you can watch us fight and be entertained. If anyone genuinely supported me, why would they threaten him to stop insulting me online?" Zhang Le retorted with annoyance.

"True enough! You’ve already shamed him so thoroughly, why bother with violence or threats? Unless—could this be his own ruse, a self-inflicted trick to win sympathy?” Feng Lei nodded thoughtfully.

The two police officers, overhearing this casual exchange between Zhang Le and Feng Lei, suddenly had a light in their eyes.

The war of words between Zhang Le and Li Ming had become a massive spectacle. Even if these officers hadn’t followed entertainment news before, taking on this case meant they had to get up to speed. They knew Zhang Le’s retorts were few but scathing, having sparked a huge wave online and amassed a formidable momentum.

Riding this wave of online popularity, Zhang Le had crushed Li Ming, leaving him on the verge of collapse. The more Li Ming lashed out, the more he damaged himself, not Zhang Le.

Given this, Zhang Le had no motive at all.

In any verbal duel, the one to resort to violence first is rarely the one with the upper hand. In this rivalry, Zhang Le was clearly winning, and having met both men, the officers had formed their impressions—Li Ming was quick-tempered and impulsive, while Zhang Le was calm and composed. The contrast unconsciously inclined the officers to favor Zhang Le.

Li Ming being hospitalized, with rumors swirling that Zhang Le was behind it, quickly became public knowledge.

A celebrity being beaten and sent to hospital was sensational news, and the involvement of the current media darling only added to the frenzy. The story was almost as explosive as Yang Xin’er’s recent public romance—just shy of making the front page.

Truth notwithstanding, the fact that Li Ming was hospitalized could not be denied. Countless reporters staked out the hospital, eager for firsthand information.

Whether Zhang Le had ordered the attack was still under investigation, but the media had no need for the truth—rumor was enough. They’d simply pepper their reports with terms like “allegedly” or “it is said.”

Whether or not Zhang Le was behind it made all the difference in the story’s punch. Until the truth emerged, the media was happy to hype it up.

The media didn’t care about truth—they wanted headlines and attention.

But events seemed to be turning against Zhang Le. The silent tide of online abuse revived, growing louder and more vicious, filled with sympathy for Li Ming and condemnation for Zhang Le.

Naturally, as more people turned against Zhang Le, his supporters also grew in number. They didn’t believe he was behind the attack and argued fiercely with his detractors, escalating into full-blown flame wars.

The impact snowballed. Though Li Ming was indeed beaten, his hospitalization stirred his fans’ sympathy, regaining much of the support he’d lost.

When Zhang Le left the police station, he found himself immediately besieged by a horde of reporters.

“Mr. Zhang Le, Li Ming was hospitalized after being attacked—rumor has it you ordered it. Any comment?” a reporter blurted out.

“Mr. Zhang Le, is your visit to the police station related to the attack on Li Ming?”

“Mr. Zhang Le, what are your thoughts on Li Ming being hospitalized?”

On and on the questions came.

“May I speak now?” Zhang Le interrupted, looking at the never-ending line of reporters.

The crowd instantly fell quiet.

“I came to the police station because of the incident with Li Ming, but only to give a statement. His being hospitalized has nothing whatsoever to do with me. As for the claim that his attacker threatened him not to insult me online—do I strike you as someone afraid of being cursed at, who’d need to hire thugs to threaten anyone? If he insults me, he only brings shame upon himself. Why would I bother?”

“As for your question about my thoughts on his hospitalization—well!” Zhang Le chuckled, “I suppose plenty of people are sympathizing with him and seeking justice on his behalf. I imagine the internet must be full of people cursing me by now!”

With that, Zhang Le smiled and turned to leave.

But the reporters had no intention of letting him go so easily. One quick-witted journalist picked up on the implication in Zhang Le’s words and hurriedly asked, “So, Mr. Zhang Le, are you suggesting that Li Ming’s hospitalization is a scheme of his own making—a ruse to win sympathy and repair the damage to his reputation caused by his attacks on you? Or perhaps he’s using his fans’ concern to incite them to take your side and attack you online? After all, there are rumors that Li Ming’s agency forbade him from targeting you any further, and he’s doing this out of resentment?”