Chapter 24: Taking the Blame? Igniting Public Opinion!

Xiao He didn't go far. He returned to Sister Zhou's café. Finding a quiet corner, he took out his laptop from his bag. If before he hadn't wanted trouble, now trouble had come knocking, and Xiao He wasn't about to back down.Online, discussions about the "mysterious boyfriend" had already exploded.

Despite being mentally prepared, seeing these comments made Xiao He realize his preparation hadn't been enough. Netizens these days... well, the entertainment-seekers always outnumbered the actual fans.

Without hesitation, Xiao He first tracked IPs and quietly restricted Cheng Hongwen's water army accounts, including those related to Hao Entertainment. These accounts could still post, but Xiao He's tech limited their reach—others would experience "network lag" when viewing them, reducing exposure.

Next, Xiao He opened the paparazzi photos of Xu Youyou's mysterious boyfriend and began coding a comprehensive search. According to Cheng Hongwen, this guy should also be in the industry with massive fame—enough to cause a sensation if exposed.

Got it!

Xiao He quickly identified the target.

Su Shengxi, artist under Jiaxing Entertainment, top idol with hundreds of millions of fans, currently one of the hottest stars. His identity and appearance matched perfectly. Plus, he was currently in Shanghai—Xiao He found his assistant's hotel records.

Hmm, basically confirmed.

Xiao He immediately drafted articles and mass-sent them to rival marketing accounts of both Hao Entertainment and Jiaxing Entertainment. With hacking skills, he could precisely select these accounts. And for traffic, these accounts would do anything—even tear skin off a top idol if given the chance!

These accounts had been quietly following Xu Youyou's dating rumors, so they quickly picked up Xiao He's anonymous tip. Some hesitated fearing Su Shengxi's influence, but most swarmed in, pushing "Su Shengxi and Xu Youyou's relationship" to top trending.

Before either party could react, the real scoop was everywhere.

"What the hell is this?" Cheng Hongwen glared red-eyed at his computer. "How did those marketing accounts move so fast?" Since when were they this efficient? They actually dug up Su Shengxi?

"Clarify immediately and send the water army to steer the narrative!" Cheng Hongwen barked at his assistant, who was sweating over his phone. "S-sir, the water army's messages won't send! Their networks keep showing busy."

"Are you joking?" Cheng Hongwen almost laughed. "Everyone else's internet works fine. And aren't they literally next to China Mobile's building?" These weren't amateur water armies—they had proper offices in central business districts, neighbors to China's largest telecom provider. Bad connection? Ridiculous!

"It must be Xu Youyou's rivals seizing the chance to kick us while we're down." Cheng Hongwen gritted his teeth, dismissing any thought of Xiao He. "Find new water armies. Contact platforms to remove the trending tags."

"Yes!" The assistant nodded hastily, slipping out before Cheng Hongwen's anger escalated.

Chaos also erupted on Su Shengxi's side. Liu Rulan had Jiaxing Entertainment issue denials, determined to stonewall. Without clear paparazzi shots, they could still salvage this if they held firm.

Yet the online storm raged uncontrollably. Xu Youyou had skyrocketed to fame with her debut film, achieving nationwide recognition. Su Shengxi needed no introduction—his idol group's debut had swept the nation, his fans famously relentless, dubbed "the craziest in the industry" by some. Putting these two names together was nothing short of detonating a bomb.

As for Xiao He? Nobody cared anymore.

With the real target exposed, few bothered about the scapegoat. Aside from some curious souls still asking about the "masked guy," most had migrated to the two stars' comment sections.

Seizing the moment, Xiao He—who'd ignited this "war of the century"—quietly erased all traces of his photos before packing up. Borrowing a thin plaid jacket from Sister Zhou to conceal his clothes and black backpack, he slipped out of the café unnoticed.

This melon was too big—let everyone else feast on it. He wouldn't stick around for the aftermath.