43: Chapter 43: Those who defend scumbags will suffer a terrible fate.

Her words were full of implications and guidance, letting the audience fill in the blanks themselves to create a modern, melodramatic soap opera featuring Chen Shimei and Pan Jinlian.

Gifts poured in even more enthusiastically, and her tearful complaints became increasingly poignant and moving, firmly capturing the emotions and wallets of those viewers in the livestream who pitied the "sister" and cursed the "scumbag."

Gossip media with a keen sense of smell caught wind of this and immediately contacted Lin Mengyao to conduct an exclusive interview.

In front of the camera, her performance was even more polished. She took out a few ordinary photos of herself with President Chen Ran from the past, pointed at her innocent-looking self in the pictures, and recounted their deep past love. Then, she changed the subject, implying that after President Chen Ran became wealthy, his private life became chaotic and he was cold and heartless toward his old flame, and that the young girl was of unknown origin and had loose morals.

She didn't dare to make direct accusations, but that style of "writing between the lines," where she would hint at something and leave it to the imagination, combined with her tear-streaked, fragile image, was devastatingly effective.

The headline "Billionaire President Chen Ran Accused by Ex-Girlfriend: Abandoned Old Love After Success, New Flame Arrogantly Insults Others" quickly seized the headlines of major entertainment sections and social media platforms.

The original positive reports about President Chen Ran's legendary wealth and adventurous spirit were quickly torn to shreds by this wave of salacious gossip and melodramatic plot.

Online public opinion was in total chaos.

The "righteous netizens" and "emotional influencers" supporting Lin Mengyao were outputting like crazy, denouncing President Chen Ran as "heartless despite his wealth" and "morally corrupt," and cursing the "mistress" to have a miserable end.

More rational voices tried to sort out the timeline, pointing out the fact that Lin Mengyao had broken up with President Chen Ran when he was at his lowest, as well as her motive for receiving gifts during the livestream, but they were quickly drowned out by a massive wave of emotional attacks.

"You're all just man-obsessed scum!"

"Anyone whitewashing the scumbag deserves to die a horrible death!"

"It takes two to tango, a woman wouldn't frame a man for no reason!"

"The sister is so heartbroken, and you still question her? Do you have any humanity?"

In the villa, Chen Yan was the first to scroll past this upsetting news. Seeing herself described as an "arrogant mistress," she was so angry she nearly threw her tablet computer away.

"She's full of crap! Nonsense! Who's a mistress! I'm his own sister! This crazy woman! I'm going to sue her for defamation!"

Wang Xiaopang saw it too, and his face turned green: "Holy crap! This Lin Mengyao has really gone all out!"

"The way she's cooked up this story, why doesn't she go write novels instead!"

"Brother Ran, this is fucking intolerable!"

"She's spreading rumors and defamation, plus infringing on Chen Yan's reputation!"

Xiao Lin, Wen Wen, and Xiao Yu were also furious, grabbing their phones, ready to go online and argue with those uninformed netizens.

President Chen Ran looked at the sensational headlines on the screen, the screenshot clips of Lin Mengyao's livestream, and those unsightly comments. His face showed no expression, but his eyes were already as cold as ice.

He didn't care what outsiders said about him, but this behavior of dragging his innocent sister into the mud, slandering her with vicious language, and profiting from it had already crossed his bottom line.

"Everyone, calm down." President Chen Ran spoke up to stop the agitated group. "Online arguments are meaningless; they will only increase traffic and heat for her and those platforms."

He picked up the encrypted satellite phone and dialed Samuel Colt directly.

"Colt, have you seen the trending topics back home?" President Chen Ran's tone was calm, but those familiar with him could hear the coldness beneath that calm.

"I just received the synchronized information, Mr. Chen." Colt's voice remained steady and professional, though he spoke slightly faster. "Ms. Lin Mengyao's actions are suspected of involving multiple illegal acts: fabricating facts to defame the reputation of you and your sister, Ms. Chen Yan;

spreading false information in livestreams, disrupting online order; and illegally obtaining gifts through this, which may involve fraud.

The circumstances are serious, and the impact is severe.

The lawyers in Elliot Dunne's team responsible for media law and defamation disputes are already prepared to intervene."

"Hmm." President Chen Ran acknowledged.

"My requirements: First, secure all evidence: livestream recordings, videos, reports, and screenshots of comments—not a single one missed.

Second, in my name and Chen Yan's name, as well as in the name of Deep Blue Explorer Company, send attorney letters to the involved platforms like Douyin and Weibo, demanding the immediate deletion of all false information, the banning of relevant accounts, and the provision of backend data.

Third, prepare litigation materials to file a criminal lawsuit against Lin Mengyao for defamation, and a civil lawsuit for defamation of character and damages. Count every cent of the tips she received as illegal income.

Fourth, prepare a sternly worded joint statement, releasing some key evidence, including communication records that can prove she proposed breaking up during my misdiagnosis period, as well as proof of the family relationship between Chen Yan and me.

Fifth, investigate which media outlets spread rumors without verification, and send letters to their headquarters and legal departments as well, reserving the right to pursue legal responsibility."

"Understood. Evidence securing and attorney letters will be sent out within the day.

The draft of the statement will be sent to you for review in an hour.

Litigation procedures will start immediately, and we will apply for property preservation to freeze the funds in her relevant accounts.

We will also apply pressure on the media side simultaneously." Colt responded clearly and logically, "A case with such clear facts and solid evidence will proceed very quickly and can form a powerful deterrent to potential copycats."

"Good. The specific execution in the country can be entrusted to the law firm we cooperate with, but you must oversee the entire process." President Chen Ran added.

"Received. We will cooperate with top law firms in Xia Country to ensure the legal procedures proceed smoothly."

After hanging up, President Chen Ran contacted Victor: "Victor, Lin Mengyao is in Hangzhou. Have our domestic partners find her, keep an eye on her, and track her every move and the people she comes into contact with.

If she does anything else out of line, or attempts to approach my parents, control her immediately and call the police.

Note, keep it legal, and preserve the evidence."

"Understood, Boss. The domestic team will handle it properly and report at any time." Victor replied in a deep voice.

After arranging all this, President Chen Ran put down the phone and looked at Chen Yan, whose eyes were red with anger. His tone softened slightly: "Alright, let the lawyers handle it. Everything she swallowed, we'll make her spit it back out, with interest."

"Brother, I just can't stand it! How dare she say that about me! And so many people believe her!" Chen Yan was aggrieved and angry.

"The internet is like that. Many people are only willing to believe the stories they want to believe and don't care about the truth."

President Chen Ran patted his sister's shoulder, "But we have the truth, we have evidence, and we have the law.

Soon, this noise will disappear.

Before that happens, don't look, don't think about it.

You are my sister, and that is a fact no one can change."

He walked to the window; the night in Providence was quiet.

The clamor and malice of the online world seemed to be isolated by the thick glass and the vast distance.

Lin Mengyao's farce was ridiculously insignificant in the face of the grand picture he was about to unfold.

But no matter how insignificant a fly is, if it dares to bite his family, he will not hesitate to swat it dead.

As for Lin Mengyao and that ridiculous online carnival... let's leave it to Colt, Dunn, and the fifty legal elites behind them to resolve it with the Heavy Hammer of the law and solid evidence.

He believed that in a few days, this farce stirred up by jealousy, lies, and greed would quickly evaporate under the sunlight of the law, leaving behind only a mess and the regret of those who tried to fan the flames.

The legal team led by Colt and Elliot Dunne had already begun to take action.

Attorney letters, like precision-guided missiles, were fired at the capital offices of platforms like Douyin and Weibo.

The evidence-gathering team was working day and night to secure evidence, sorting through massive amounts of livestream recordings, short videos, and comment screenshots to build a chain of evidence for Lin Mengyao's suspected defamation, insults, and illegal profiteering.

The top domestic partner law firms had also been contacted and were preparing to initiate litigation procedures.

Everything was proceeding in an orderly, efficient, and cold manner.

However, just as this net woven by professionalism and law was slowly tightening, Lin Mengyao, who was at the center of the web but completely unaware—or rather, blinded by money and fake attention—made another fatal mistake.

That night, she started her livestream as usual. The number of viewers in the room remained at a fairly high level due to the "tragic drama" and media interviews of the past few days, and gifts and tips were constant.

She was wearing a slightly thin knit sweater, her hair half-draped, and her face carried the fragility of someone who had been crying. Facing the camera, she spoke in a mournful yet self-deprecating tone, recounting, "Another sleepless night; thinking of the past makes my heart ache."

In the chat, there was the usual overwhelming flood of "Pity the sister," "Scumbag go die," and "Mistress must die."

Suddenly, a highlighted, paid SC comment floated by: "Yaoyao, you said that mistress is very arrogant, do you have any evidence? Empty words are baseless!"

This SC seemed to hit a certain point for Lin Mengyao, or rather, it gave her an opportunity to show evidence, further consolidate her victim image, and stimulate another wave of traffic.

Her eyes turned red again instantly, and she bit her lip, looking both aggrieved and strong.

"Evidence... I have it." Her voice trembled as she operated the computer beside her. "That day I video-called him, wanting to ask for the truth one last time... and the result, look..."

She switched the livestream screen. A screenshot, clearly taken during a mobile video call, occupied the entire screen.

In the screenshot, the background was President Chen Ran's study in the Providence villa. President Chen Ran was sitting in a chair, only his profile and shoulders visible, and his expression looked somewhat cold.

The focus of the image, however, was Chen Yan, who was leaning in beside him, looking curiously at the camera.

Chen Yan was wearing simple loungewear, her hair tied up casually. Because of the angle, she was tilting her head, leaning near President Chen Ran's shoulder. Her expression was lively, carrying a touch of girlish cuteness and curiosity, as she looked at the camera.

This screenshot was taken very cleverly.

It captured the moment Chen Yan happened to lean toward President Chen Ran, with the two of them very close. It only showed President Chen Ran's profile and the young, beautiful Chen Yan, and the composition carried a sense of inexplicable intimacy.

President Chen Ran's cold expression at the time looked, in the screenshot, more like helplessness or indulgence toward his current partner.

And Chen Yan's curious gaze was deliberately interpreted as provocation or a show of force.

The livestream room exploded instantly!

"Holy crap! It really is a young girl! She looks so young!"

"She looks quite pure, but I didn't expect her to be so shameless!"

"Leaning so close! Disgusting!"

"This man's look... amazing. Is this how he treats his new flame?"

"Yaoyao, don't cry! We support you! This is ironclad proof!"