UCS Chapter 76.1

Very good—recently all sorts of demons and monsters had been emerging. He hadn’t gone to find trouble with that fake Wen Liang yet, but Wen Liang had come looking for trouble first.

 

“Qiu, has Wen Liang been behaving in there recently?”

 

Ran Qiu pulled up the files to check, “Pretty well-behaved. Right now they’re operating sewing machines.”

 

Currently, both the Wen Liang at college and the one in prison could be considered well-behaved. Aside from this incident, there hadn’t been any other moves. However, even if evidence was placed right in front of Wen Liang for this matter, he could completely argue that he was just trying to protect Gao Gusheng from these rumors and gossip.

 

Gao Shi made a mental note of this underhanded sabotage.

 

Chang Yang looked at those screenshots, getting more and more indignant the more he looked. He looked up and asked, “Boss, what should we do? Those things seem really hard to catch.”

 

“Qiu, how is it? Can you do it?”

 

Ran Qiu shook his head with a frown, “The person who deleted the posts has some skills.”

 

“At first, seeing the data deleted so cleanly, I thought it was a problem with their forum system, but I checked other deletion data and found they all had records.”

 

“The person who deleted this post definitely has an expert behind them—they were actually able to delete all the post’s related data completely clean.”

 

“Logically, anything that’s been online should leave some traces, but I can’t find even a trace of this.”

 

He leaned back somewhat angrily, making his cast knock and clatter.

 

Gao Shi patted his shoulder, “Alright, stop hammering your cast, or you’ll end up with a second disability.”

 

“Wuwu, Boss, don’t curse me like that!”

 

“Sigh, what can we do about Lele now? These little brats have such foul mouths, I really want to follow the internet cable and beat them up.”

 

Gao Shi wasn’t in a hurry. Based on his deduction, those accounts posting defamatory comments online probably weren’t in cahoots with Wen Liang. What Wen Liang had done was likely just deleting that thread.

 

This created a time gap between their actions. The time gap was his opportunity.

 

Gao Shi asked Gao Gusheng for his campus network account number.

 

The campus network could only be accessed by current students and teachers from their college, requiring verification with student ID and password, and mandatory connection to the campus network. After graduation, forum accounts were immediately deactivated—this was for better management of the college forum.

 

So it could be deduced that there was an 80% chance those defamers were students at the college, and a 20% chance they were outsiders who had bought student accounts.

 

Gao Shi waved his phone and said to Ran Qiu, “Qiu, keep close watch on the forum. I’ll be right back.”

 

Gao Shi’s workplace wasn’t far from Gao Gusheng’s college—it was just a short drive. After entering the college, he found a bubble tea shop, sat in a corner, and opened his laptop.

 

Gao Shi thought for a moment, then typed a title—

 

《I’m an acquaintance of a certain student, I can testify for him》

 

Original poster:

 

【I’m sure everyone has seen that high-rise thread on the forum before, right? Since directly saying names would get the account banned, I’ll just use “a certain student” as a substitute—those who understand will understand.

 

I’m a classmate of this certain student. Our relationship isn’t very good, I can only say we know each other, but I can testify for him that all the information in that thread was completely fabricated.

 

This certain student has always been quite low-key. When he first enrolled, although he rarely communicated with classmates, he never caused trouble for anyone or any incidents. When classmates asked him for help, he would help if he could.

 

So I’m curious—why was there so much hostility in that previous thread?

 

The Economics Department scholarships just came out. Can I reasonably suspect that certain people are jealous?】

 

Any thread about Gao Gusheng was a hot topic—he had become a man with his own bloody storm buff. Within minutes, the floors were building high, and each refresh brought dozens of new posts.

 

2F:

 

【Actually, I think the original poster is right. When you opened that previous thread, it was full of malice.

 

A certain student just changed his image, and certain people started making baseless speculations about him being kept. Can’t it just be that he suddenly became enlightened?】

 

3F:

 

【Yeah, I agree. Those comments were truly disgusting.

 

The highest scholarship isn’t judged only on grades—classmates vote together at the end. If they ruin a certain student’s reputation, even with good grades he won’t be able to get the highest scholarship, only second-tier. Second and first tier differ by 3000 yuan!

 

Everyone knows Gao Gusheng’s family circumstances aren’t great, so this 3000 yuan is definitely important to him. What are those rumor-spreaders really up to?】

 

…

 

5F: 【Ultimately, that previous thread didn’t present any solid evidence at all—it was all speculation.

 

Spreading rumors is illegal. These people really dare to say anything.】

 

…

 

The first few floors still spoke up for Gao Gusheng, but within minutes, malicious comments targeting Gao Gusheng began emerging again.

 

18F:

 

【The mindless defenders are all girls and gay guys, right? Are you lusting after his body?】

 

19F:

 

【Gao Gusheng really is a social butterfly—so many people speaking up for him without considering right or wrong.】

 

20F:

 

【No way, no way? The evidence was slapped right in your faces, how can people still mindlessly defend him?

 

Don’t you see? Whether it’s Li Mochen or Qin Shi, they’re not even on the same level as Gao Gusheng. If Gao Gusheng hadn’t deliberately seduced them, they wouldn’t even look at him.】

 

…

 

25F:

 

【Who’s not considering right or wrong here? A bunch of people slandering someone’s reputation without any evidence, talking like they know everything—if you’re so confident, present some evidence!】

 

26F:

 

【I was the original poster of that previous thread. Don’t know which administrator deleted it for me.

 

I want to state here that I never said anything about him being kept from beginning to end.】

 

30F:

 

【Laughing to death, the original poster chickened out.】

 

35F:

 

【Is the original poster afraid of receiving a court summons?】

 

38F:

 

【It was just a casual joke. Who knew the thread would blow up? Seems like quite a few people have issues with Gao Gusheng.】

 

Gao Shi’s gaze sharpened as he immediately called Ran Qiu.

 

“Qiu, check the forum. Can you find the IP address of this person claiming to be the previous thread’s original poster?”

 

“No problem, piece of cake, Boss.”

 

Within a minute, this person’s IP address was sent to Gao Shi’s phone.

 

Dormitory Building 12.

 

So close to him. Gao Shi took several deep breaths to suppress his impulse to go directly knock down their door.

 

He first called the cyber police and nearby police station, truthfully reporting the situation using his authority as a family member of an Anomaly Police victim, then provided them with evidence.

 

Then Gao Shi sat in the bubble tea shop, continuing to bait that original poster into arguing with him.

 

Within two minutes, this thread was deleted by an administrator again.

 

“Qiu, check if the method used to delete this thread is the same as before.”

 

“Same method, Boss. This thread was also deleted extra clean, leaving no traces at all. It wasn’t deleted through proper procedures but by directly invading the database to delete the data.”

 

Gao Shi nodded.

 

Very good—he wasn’t afraid of him making a move, he was afraid he wouldn’t make a move.

 

Wen Liang had done this matter seamlessly, with no way to convict him, so from beginning to end, Gao Shi had never intended to use the forum incident as evidence to convict Wen Liang.

 

What Gao Shi really needed was the little tricks Wen Liang had pulled on the college forum.

 

Actually, most colleges maintained a delicate balance of caring yet not caring about forum security.

 

Forums were, most of the time, a dispensable existence. Often, aside from periodic updates by the forum management department, almost no students would look at them. Only during finals would they become a lifeline for countless underclassmen, with the forum homepage flooded with help requests and study materials.

 

Most of the time, forums served no purpose for students, and their content basically had no need for confidentiality. But no matter how overlooked, the forum was still college property, a reflection of the college’s security management—to put it plainly, it was the college’s face.

 

Being invaded by outsiders—whether through external intrusion or students using software to modify system data—would result in disciplinary action.

 

This was like when a certain senior had privately modified the cafeteria meal card data—Jing University had once produced a computer talent who changed the cafeteria meal card balance to 2 million yuan.

 

When swiping the card to get food at the cafeteria, the lunch lady was thoroughly startled, and that senior was immediately apprehended.

 

Later on the forum, students evaluated this senior: “Has brains, but not many.”

 

Wen Liang did have brains—his methods were covert, and when he acted, he had even thought through how to defend himself. Unfortunately, Gao Shi would still teach him a lesson.

 

Gao Shi looked at the evidence with a cold laugh and submitted what Wen Liang had done to their forum’s security administrator teacher.

 

…

 

Within five minutes of reporting to police, officers arrived.

 

The location Gao Shi provided was very detailed—within two minutes they found those students. These people were obviously not professional trolls, and they hadn’t properly deleted their chat records, making it easy to find the evidence.

 

If Gao Gusheng had been present, he would have discovered that the ringleader spreading rumors about him was actually that male classmate who had wanted to buy secondhand candy from him for 100 yuan to give to his girlfriend.

 

When these people were taken away by the police officers, they were all completely bewildered.

 

Although that malicious post existed for only a short time, it had very high engagement and extremely wide circulation, seriously damaging Gao Gusheng’s reputation.

 

If Gao Gusheng sued these people, he’d win for sure. Though it didn’t reach the level of defamation charges, a rumor-spreading and libel charge was inevitable.

 

Generally in such situations, police preferred to mediate.

 

As for whether to take these people to court, Gao Shi still planned to let Gao Gusheng make the decision, since Gao Gusheng was now an adult.

 

In the end, Gao Gusheng chose not to mediate.

 

Sun Jun was somewhat worried. He looked at Gao Gusheng, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

 

“Little Sheng, if you insist on suing them, it might give people the impression that you’re being aggressive. I…”

 

He opened his mouth, smiled bitterly, and stopped talking.

 

When he had first entered college, Jia Qi had slandered him behind his back in various ways, ruining his reputation. Especially after Jia Qi framed him for destroying his own painting, his reputation had completely hit rock bottom.

 

He understood the power of those four words “words can be fearsome” better than anyone.

 

If this had happened to himself, he would choose to fight to the end. But when it happened to Gao Gusheng, he began to become hesitant and cautious.

 

Gao Gusheng seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled with blinking eyes, “It doesn’t matter. I am being aggressive, I am being unforgiving when I’m in the right.”

 

“I’ve been wronged—why should I consider other things?”

 

Actually, Gao Gusheng had a somewhat stubborn streak. He normally wouldn’t be obstinate about things, but once he’d made up his mind about something, he never compromised.

 

He felt that since he’d come to this world once, he should live freely and happily.

 

Sun Jun suddenly realized he actually had no way to persuade Gao Gusheng. Looking at Gao Gusheng’s unrestrained smile and that youthful defiant spirit, he sighed softly and smiled along.

 

If it weren’t for Gao Gusheng’s personality, he probably wouldn’t have stood up for him back then either.

 

It was fine. He now had some influence in the art world. Under Teacher Wu’s guidance, given time, he could also become an influential master.

 

That way, no matter what, he’d be able to protect him.

 

Gao Gusheng was his first true friend in this world.

 

…

 

Not too long after, those students were released and sent back. Looking at their expressions, which were comparable to having eaten shit, you could roughly guess what they’d experienced.

 

Since seeing them uncomfortable made him comfortable, Gao Gusheng happily hummed a little tune, his voice clear and melodious like a lark singing.

 

That male classmate—the one Gao Gusheng couldn’t understand how he had a girlfriend—blocked him on his way out of class, his face full of indignation. “Gao Gusheng, we’re all classmates at the same college. Why do you have to be so aggressive? I already said I was just joking.”

 

Gao Gusheng shrugged, “Just joking? Sorry, but I don’t think it was a joke. For something to be a joke, both parties need to find it funny. What you did is called defamation.”

 

“Do you know those screenshots spread throughout the entire college? If I hadn’t clarified things, do you know what I would have faced?”

 

“Everyone at the college would think I was being kept, would think my scholarship came from improper sources.”

 

“I would also be targeted by that movie king’s crazy fans.” Recalling unpleasant memories, he sneered, “You should know about the big incident with Qin Shi before, right? His brainless fans wanted to corner me. If it weren’t for the two security guard uncles doing their duty diligently, I’d probably still be lying in the hospital.”

 

“You call this a joke?”

 

The male classmate was left speechless for a long time, finally only managing to choke out one sentence: “But you’re fine now, aren’t you? Everything’s been clarified, and there’s no real damage anyway. Why do you still need to send out subpoenas?”

 

He was the only child treasured by his entire family at home. After starting college, he got a girlfriend who was always obedient to him. Even when she occasionally threw small tantrums, he wouldn’t indulge her, so his girlfriend had always been well-behaved in front of him.

 

When had he ever been so harshly confronted by anyone?

 

In his memory, it had only happened twice—once by Gao Gusheng, and the other time also by Gao Gusheng.

 

Gao Gusheng smiled sweetly, “Oh, I didn’t expect things to move so fast. You’ve already received notification to pick up your subpoenas?”

 

Feeling his dignity had been trampled, the male classmate began making unreasonable arguments: “Gao Gusheng, do you know? With your unforgiving attitude, no one in the college dares to get close to you.”

 

“You care so much about your reputation—what reputation do you have left acting like this?”

 

Gao Gusheng smiled like a fox, “My reputation is none of your concern. Anyway, your reputation is completely ruined. See you in court!”

 

After saying this, Gao Gusheng walked away, no longer paying attention to the male classmate whose face was alternating between green and white.

 

…

 

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