“Chapter Eighty-Eight”

"Chapter Eighty-Eight"

The accomplices in the group were panicking. AstroTalk tried to reassure them, but his hands trembled as he put down his phone.

Modern young people tend to believe in astrology, and riding on this trend, AstroTalk's account quickly accumulated many followers, mostly female.

Many young girls harbor fantasies about their favorite creators. Although AstroTalk wasn't exceptionally handsome, he wasn't unattractive either, making it easy to attract female fans who were smitten by him.

Initially, AstroTalk was cautious, engaging only in consensual interactions with adult female fans.

As his fan base grew, he couldn't control his desires and began targeting younger, prettier girls.

He felt no guilt: after all, it was mutual consent, and what man doesn't like seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls?

Having never been exposed, AstroTalk became increasingly bold and reckless… but today, suddenly confronted with the truth, he panicked.

Pacing around the room, AstroTalk muttered to himself, "I didn't force anyone, there won't be any trouble..."

It was just a temporary impact on his career. He could weather this storm. Netizens have short memories, and in the worst case, he could abandon the AstroTalk account and start a new one.

Reluctant to give up his account, carefully built over years and boasting millions of followers, unless absolutely necessary.

As he pondered how to handle the PR, there was a sudden knock at the door.

AstroTalk paused, thinking it was his assistant on leave. He hurried to open the door: "Xiao Li, you must know about the situation, help me figure out how to deal with this…"

But as he opened the door, his words trailed off, stunned.

A stoic police officer stood outside, stating, "Lin Qiangping, right? Please come with us."

Hearing his real name coldly called out, AstroTalk shivered, "May I ask, Officer, what's the problem?"

"We received a report of your involvement with a minor. We need you to cooperate with our investigation."

AstroTalk's pupils shrank in shock. He tried to explain, but his hands were roughly handcuffed.

Shen Wang had confronted these individuals at noon, and by evening, before the heat of the issue had even subsided, netizens were already following the police's announcement.

"[So... AstroTalk not only slept with his fans but with underage ones, confirmed?]"

"[Shameless, luring young girls with astrology, then harming them.]"

"[From the announcement, it seems this isn't his first time. He usually targets older minors, but this time there was one under fourteen…]"

"[Such scum, I wonder how he dared to slander others.]"

Beneath this news, there were still numerous marketing accounts using metaphysical pretenses to fish for traffic in the comments.

"[I could tell from his face that he was destined to fall over a man-woman relationship this year. If you want your fortune read, click on my homepage.]"

It was only now that Shen Wang realized there were more metaphysical bloggers than he had thought… Of course, most of them were charlatans and swindlers.

Not just fortune tellers, but also various related ads popped up while scrolling through videos.

Shen Wang, looking at an ad, read out loud, "Tarot reading? Four hundred yuan per session?"

"'Gypsy witchcraft to reveal your past and present lives'?"

Observing Shen Wang's disdainful expression, Liang Ruri, who came to share the news, laughed, "These frauds are everywhere. When I was a regular game streamer, a fan of mine got scammed out of a month's living expenses."

It was precisely because of this incident that Liang Ruri started transitioning into an anti-fraud metaphysical broadcaster, taking on these charlatans and swindlers.

Shen Wang, previously unaware, was startled upon realizing the extent of it: "Doesn't the platform control this?"

"They do," Liang Ruri sighed, "Every platform has a disclaimer, saying content is for entertainment only and not to be taken seriously… but…"

Liang Ruri's expression was nuanced.

Shen Wang understood. After thinking for a moment, he sent a message to Shi Yan, informing him about the situation.

Receiving a positive response, Shen Wang assured Liang Ruri, "Don't worry, someone will take care of it."

Liang Ruri, still somewhat skeptical, left the room with his phone.

Shen Wang noticed the comments had shifted from condemning the unscrupulous frauds to discussions about metaphysics.

"[There are so many scammers online, so where should one actually go for fortune-telling?]"

"[Definitely not online. You should find a reputable master in real life, maybe in well-known temples or Taoist temples nearby.]"

"[In modern society, can people really believe in such things? Feudal superstition is not good.]"

"[Our ancestors have passed down these traditions for thousands of years. There must be some wisdom in it, like in traditional Chinese medicine. You may not believe, but you should still respect it.]"

"[Better to believe it exists than not. When it comes to the supernatural, it's always good to have a bit of reverence.]"

"[Speaking of unscientific events, we have one right now… Shen Wang, every time he does a reading, it's incredibly accurate, never wrong. If you want your fortune told, you should check out his live stream.]"

"[Exactly, others might be frauds, but Shen Wang is always Shen Wang. I don't believe in those tarot readers, Taoists, or witches anymore, only in Shen Wang.]"

Seeing the last comment, Shen Wang chuckled and shared it: "[Don't believe in rumors, trust science. We are the successors of socialism, let's not indulge in such nonsensical stuff.]"

People who had been following him saw his post and were instantly shocked.

"[Shen Ge, others might say that, but do you really have the nerve to say it?]"

"[The Taoist priest spoke of believing in science and then flew away on his sword.]"

"[We do believe in science, so Shen Ge, when will you be live streaming? Been waiting for your fortune-telling for a long time.]"

While Shen Wang and his followers were joking around, those who had stirred up the controversy were not having such an easy time.

In just half a day, nearly everyone involved had their secrets exposed by the astute netizens. Diviner Zi's hometown was revealed, and he lost all the followers he had painstakingly accumulated.

The company employing both Xiao Wu I Ching and Qingqing Tarot was also uncovered, not only revealing evidence of their long-standing relationship but also exposing other hosts fostered by the company.

Fortune-telling, feng shui, tarot, astrology… spanning both ancient and modern, covering a vast array, not only were the netizens stunned, but Xiao Wu I Ching and Qingqing Tarot themselves hadn't anticipated this level of investigative prowess from the netizens, who managed to expose every signed host in their company.

As a result, not just them, but other hosts in the company also faced a plummet in their follower count.

Shen Wang didn't follow up on their news anymore. All he needed to know was that Shi Yan would provide a satisfactory response.

The next day, Shen Wang bid farewell to the Liang family and flew back to City C.

Dropped off at his villa by the driver arranged by the Liang family, Shen Wang was about to enter when he noticed someone standing outside, shivering and looking utterly shaken.

Shen Wang paused and glanced sideways at the person.

Realizing Shen Wang's gaze, the person's eyes lit up, and they hurried over: "Master Shen!"

Shen Wang tilted his head, "Who are you?"

The man looked familiar, but Shen Wang couldn't immediately recall where he had seen him.

The man eagerly grasped Shen Wang's hand, excitedly saying, "Master, it's me... the person who sold you this house!"

With that reminder, Shen Wang suddenly realized, remembering that this was the person who had sold the villa to him at an extremely low price.

Shen Wang's face brightened with a smile, asking warmly, "What brings you here? Have another house to sell?"

The previous owner's face twisted momentarily: "No, not that."

Shen Wang's bright smile instantly faded, turning cold as he asked, "What is it about then?"

The former owner glanced fearfully at the villa and cautiously began, "Master, since you moved into the villa, have you noticed anything... unusual?"

"Unusual?" Shen Wang thought for a moment and then shook his head confidently, "Not at all."

The former owner, frowning and skeptical, hesitated for a long time before finally mustering the courage to step into the villa at Shen Wang's invitation.

Since moving in, Shen Wang hadn’t changed any of the decorations, just tidied up a bit, so the previous owner felt an intense sense of familiarity, almost like returning home.

Standing anxiously in the living room for a while, the former owner finally relaxed and sat down on the sofa. Just as he was about to speak, his pupils dilated in shock, nearly fainting on the spot.

A fist-sized little ghost floated out of Shen Wang's pocket, joyfully circling in the air several times. The ghost swelled up like it was being inflated, eventually taking the form of a five-year-old child.

The ghost's appearance wasn't terrifying or frightening; the former owner's reaction was limited to an accelerated heartbeat, rapid breathing, and dilated pupils.

After circling the room as if surveying its territory, Xiao Kong finally fixed his gaze on the man sitting stiffly on the sofa.

Xiao Kong tilted his head in confusion, then tugged at Shen Wang's clothes, beaming with joy, "Master, master, it's my former playmate!"

The previous owner, rigidly seated on the sofa, feeling uncomfortable all over, blurted out in shock upon hearing Xiao Kong's words, "Playmate?! What playmate?!"

Xiao Kong's eyes widened, and he shyly smiled, greeting his 'little friend', "We used to play together all the time. Don't you remember?"

"I would knock on your door in the middle of the night, waking you up."

"I also turned the water in your faucet red. You screamed so happily then!"

"When you fell asleep, I was too bored to play alone, so I would just sit by your bed and watch you..."

As he listened, the former owner's face gradually turned ashen: "You call this, a playmate?!"

Seeing his uneasy expression, Xiao Kong hid behind Shen Wang, not showing even a strand of hair, his voice drifting out, "You used to have fun too, playing hide and seek with me every day."

In reality, there are indeed many such metaphysical bloggers.

There are metaphysical ads on Bilibili, metaphysical bloggers on Weibo, and even cyber fortune-telling on Taobao (though definitely fake, not as impressive as Shen Ge), and various wilderness adventures on short video platforms...

And a friend of mine once spent thousands on fortune-telling.

My reaction upon learning this: They must be really rich (sigh).