Chapter 84: Mercilessly Criticized

Lin Zhixia also returned to her hotel, soaking in the bathtub with her eyes closed, pondering the events of the day. She was in no hurry to leave, as the son of Binzhou's richest man had extended her an invitation as well. In truth, she had another purpose for coming today: to see if she could gain a foothold in the electronics sector once more.

Her cousin, the highly accomplished angel investor Lin Zhiyin, would be arriving in two days. With the rapid development of the internet, the electronics industry was flourishing, teeming with new opportunities. The richest man in Binzhou had managed to break into the world's top 500 enterprises in this field, making his company one of the top ten domestic smartphone manufacturers. Even the aristocratic families of the capital had no choice but to curry favor with such a titan. After all, those who excelled in industry rarely lacked for cash flow.

Across the capital, Hong Kong, and overseas, many of these noble families were facing the need to upgrade or transform their businesses. The profitability of traditional industries was steadily declining, and each family was searching for a way to break through the bottleneck. Among the younger generation, Lin Zhiyin—Zhixia's cousin—stood out as the most accomplished. She had moved early to invest in the internet, and had already established the beginnings of her own industrial ecosystem, from online literature to animation and games.

Meanwhile, the richest man in Binzhou was also working to build his own ecosystem, but it remained only a rough outline, with many details still to be worked out.

It was already eleven o'clock by the time she arrived home.

Qingqing was already asleep in Shen Xian’s arms. Shen Xian gazed at her chubby little face and murmured, “So adorable.”

Zhou Wan replied softly, “I’ll take a shower first. Wait for me.” As soon as the words left her lips, both of them paused, momentarily surprised. Zhou Wan quickly realized something was off in her tone; her face flushed bright red, and she hurried into the master bedroom, which had its own bathroom.

Once Qingqing was settled, Shen Xian sat on the sofa and began playing on his phone. Suddenly, he noticed that the events of the day—his triumphant sweep through Jinshan Temple, Gushan Temple, Queqiao Pavilion, and the reward of a million—had already begun to trend online. Someone had edited the footage into a single long video, complete with a headline: “A Miracle Worker Appears, Conquering Two Temples and a Pavilion.”

“Damn, whether it’s the couplets or that poem ‘Queqiao Immortal,’ they’re all stunning!”

“The couplets are grand and imposing, the poetry delicate and refined. It’s hard to believe one person could write all this!”

“What’s his name?”

“Shen Xian!”

“No way—isn’t that the same Shen Xian who hacked Chen Feng’s email? If it’s him, these couplets and poems must be plagiarized, or he’s taking credit for someone else’s work!”

“Definitely. Shen Xian’s character is terrible!”

“Boycott Shen Xian! He needs to be investigated thoroughly!”

With deliberate manipulation, online opinion quickly turned overwhelmingly against Shen Xian. Clearly, after returning, Chen Dabao and Zhang Doudou had reported everything to Chen Feng, who then arranged for internet trolls to smear Shen Xian’s name.

Yet there were still a few clear-headed voices online: “Everyone, calm down. Both Jinshan Temple and Gushan Temple, not to mention Queqiao Pavilion, have been seeking entries for a long time. If Shen Xian had plagiarized, wouldn’t the original creators have come forward to claim those treasures long ago?”

“Exactly! And don’t forget, at the fireworks event, Shen Xian randomly picked a placard and composed ‘Seeking Her a Thousand Times’ within a minute. That can’t be faked!”

“I agree with the comment above!”

But these rational comments were quickly drowned out by the trolls.

“In my opinion, the name Shen Xian shouldn’t even appear online—it’s an eyesore!” Chen Feng posted from a burner account on Weibo. This account had several million followers, having been purchased from a top influencer, and was now dedicated to attacking Shen Xian. With such a prominent figure joining in, the online mob only grew more frenzied.

Shen Xian read the comments with a blank expression, his mind unperturbed. At the same time, he made a silent decision: under no circumstances could he reveal himself as “The Postman” too soon. Given how much the netizens despised him now, if they discovered his alternate identity, the backlash would be even more intense.

The four entertainment giants’ ability to manipulate online opinion was not to be underestimated. “The Postman” simply hadn’t accumulated enough influence yet—even if he could defeat a hall-of-fame musician, it was still far from enough to withstand this onslaught. Unless he could reach the status of a grandmaster! But in the country, there were only seven grandmaster-level musicians. Attaining that title was exceedingly difficult: it required the recognition of countless listeners, official awards, and victories in major international competitions.

Lost in these thoughts, Shen Xian was startled when Zhou Wan emerged from the bedroom. Her hair was still wet, droplets glistening as she tilted her head, drying herself with a towel. Tonight, she wore a silver silk nightdress that revealed her alabaster arms and long, slender legs. The sight made Shen Xian’s breath catch, and he instinctively crossed his legs.

“Qingqing really likes you,” Zhou Wan said softly as she approached, oblivious to Shen Xian’s awkwardness.

Shen Xian replied, “Kids usually like me.”

“Why is that?” Zhou Wan asked.

He chuckled, “Because I’m good at showing kindness.”

She nodded. “For the next few days, Qingqing and I will be staying here. Is that alright?”