Chapter 33: Now, I use myself as bait to lure the world into the game.

Although the encounter with Gu Yeling was purely accidental, it saved Su Chen the trouble of plotting how to expose the truth. It was a remarkable coincidence that this woman happened to be a journalist at a newspaper; this identity would make it much easier to convince the netizens.

Su Chen wanted the outrage, but as for this wave of incredible popularity and traffic, he had no intention of letting it slip by.

At this moment, Gu Yeling returned to the newspaper office, her face glowing with excitement.

"Yeling, what happened? Why are you so happy?" the editor-in-chief asked with a smile upon seeing her.

"Hehe, hello, Editor-in-Chief!" Gu Yeling said, beaming. "I’ve found a blockbuster news story! Oh, I’m just so thrilled!"

Modern newspaper offices are quite different from those in the eighties. Although government agencies still support the sales of traditional print, every major newspaper has shifted its resources to the internet. Douyin, with its massive user base, has become a mandatory platform for every news outlet. Therefore, anyone who could produce a viral news story would receive extremely generous rewards and immense traffic.

"Oh? You’re that confident?" The editor-in-chief chuckled. "By the way, didn't you take leave yesterday to go see that little girl? Was her surgery successful?"

While this was certainly good news, the buzz surrounding that story had already faded. It would be very difficult to spin it into a viral hit now.

"Oh, it's not about that!" Gu Yeling said with a smile. "It’s about the truth behind the donation incident. There’s been a massive turnaround. Guess who I ran into at the hospital today?"

Old Xu, the editor in charge of content review, chimed in: "Who? Don't tell me it was your little boyfriend?"

Gu Yeling shook her head with a smile. "Old Xu, stop teasing me. It was that 'Number One Romantic,' Su Chen!"

Because Gu Yeling had scolded "Number One Romantic" Su Chen in the office more than once before, everyone knew exactly who he was.

"Ah... what was that scumbag doing at the hospital?" Old Xu asked, his face full of shock. "Don't tell me he even followed them to the hospital to pull some despicable stunt?"

If that were the case, this "Number One Romantic" Su Chen would truly be rotten to the core.

"What are you thinking? Of course not!" Gu Yeling said, sounding somewhat exasperated. "Actually, the turnaround I mentioned is all about this 'Number One Romantic' Su Chen!"

The staff in the office began to discuss it in a flurry.

"Tell us quickly, did this 'Number One Romantic' Su Chen suddenly realize his mistakes and run to the hospital to apologize?"

"Even so, that wouldn't really count as a turnaround, would it? A delayed apology is worth less than nothing!"

"Stop guessing, it's none of those!"

Gu Yeling was about to speak when she saw the editor-in-chief looking solemn. He mused, "I suspect... perhaps all of this was his plan?"

The crowd froze, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.

"This... that shouldn't be possible... For a man in his twenties to have such depth of scheming—if it’s true, that would be terrifying."

"I feel that although it sounds incredible, it might actually be possible!"

"Yeling, is that really the case? Tell us!"

Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, Gu Yeling spoke with a grave expression: "You guessed right. It is exactly like that. Everything he did was to help that mother and daughter raise the necessary funds!"

As soon as she finished, the office erupted in an uproar. No one had expected that the most unlikely answer was the actual truth. It was such a dramatic reversal.

Subsequently, Gu Yeling told them about Su Chen's entire plan. Although they had guessed part of the truth, they were still shocked and overcome with excitement.

"This is amazing! He actually manipulated all the media and netizens!"

"Indeed, Su Chen's grasp of human nature is exquisite. I can't believe a man in his twenties could come up with such a strategy."

"This isn't just a conspiracy; it's a brilliant, transparent maneuver. If this guy had been born in the ancient era, he would have been a rival to Zhuge Liang!"

"True, this strategy is truly formidable!" The editor-in-chief nodded, sighing with emotion. "However, once this is exposed, there will likely be further backlash."

Old Xu paused, confused. "Ah, why? That shouldn't happen, should it? He clearly did a good deed!"

"For that mother and daughter, it is certainly a good thing. But what about those who donated?" The editor-in-chief sighed slightly. "Regardless of Su Chen's motives, whether they were good or bad, they were the ones who were deceived and suffered financial loss. In other words, they were the stepping stones for 'Number One Romantic' Su Chen to build his reputation. Do you think they will be convinced? Will they be willing to let it go?"

"Uh..."

The staff looked at each other, whispering. They wanted to argue, but they knew that what the editor-in-chief said was the most realistic view of the situation.

Gu Yeling smiled indifferently. "Su Chen actually told me that regardless of the final outcome, or how others view him, it doesn't matter to him because his goal has been achieved. He doesn't care about the rest. When I was chatting with him, he said something that still leaves me shaken: 'I know human nature is wicked, so I don't gamble on your kindness; I only gamble on your malice. I won't bet on you letting them live; I will bet on you wanting to see me fall.' When Su Chen said this with such indifference, I almost couldn't hold back my tears..."

When Gu Yeling relayed these words, no one on the scene remained unmoved. The courage and determination to face such malice, even when thousands of people were slandering and cursing him, possessed a power that was truly stunning.

"We were indeed too shallow. Perhaps for a person like him, he never cared about others' opinions or judgments."

"He has a clear conscience and fears no malice; Su Chen is truly a man of great character!"

The editor-in-chief sighed. "Then let's get to work on editing and producing this news segment. Let it be our contribution to this young man who does not fear the darkness of the human heart!"

Soon, a video titled [The Strategist Enters the Game, a Single Move to Defy Heaven] was posted on the *Urban Express* Douyin account. Because the *Urban Express* already had a significant following, the video quickly garnered many views.

As soon as the video started, a deeply resonant voice-over began:

[The strategist enters the game, a single move to defy heaven! Although a mortal struggles to turn the tides of fate, every step is dictated by his own heart. I do not bet on the kindness of human nature, but I can bet on its malice. Today, I use myself as bait to invite the world into my game. Know that life is like a game of chess; once the piece is placed, there is no turning back! What follows is the new century's top strategist—'Number One Romantic' Su Chen.]

The netizens were stunned. They were no strangers to the name "Number One Romantic" Su Chen. Not long ago, he was a rat crossing the street, a piece of trash and a beast that everyone wanted to beat up.

But what did this video mean? Was the official media trying to forcibly whitewash this animal, or was there some hidden truth?

Carrying their confusion and skepticism, the viewers continued to watch. As the donation incident was slowly unraveled before them, every viewer was shocked and struggled to accept the reality. It turned out the truth was like this—it was simply too incredible and too dramatic.

Especially when Su Chen's words about human kindness and malice appeared in the video, their shock reached its peak. In just a few dozen minutes, the video spread across the internet at an incredible speed.