Zhang Ruizhe never imagined that the content he had leaked about Song Qiao would cause such a tremendous impact.
Most crucially, Song Qiao possessed such a mysterious identity.
Upon hearing He Lan's introduction, he was struck as if by lightning, unable to recover for a long time.
He simply stood there blankly, muttering repeatedly, "Brigadier General, Song Qiao! Brigadier General, Song Qiao..."
Only then did he recall that Song Qiao had seemingly said he didn't care about what he was about to do.
So, Song Qiao had such a background.
He had no idea at all?
Suddenly, he felt as if he had been slapped hard. Who, who was hitting me?
He finally came to his senses.
He saw He Lan withdrawing his hand.
It was then that he truly recognized his predicament. A shiver ran through his entire body, and he quickly spoke.
"I'm sorry, truly sorry. I, I didn't know Song Qiao... Mr. Song had such an identity. I'm sorry! Woo woo..."
In that instant, he thought of many things, especially the mysterious disappearances of many rich young masters in China. Had he also gotten himself into trouble?
Thus, he bowed repeatedly, apologizing.
Finally, he burst into tears.
Indeed, he appeared genuinely remorseful.
"Alright, take him away!" He Lan waved his hand, and two soldiers stepped forward.
*Clang!*
A pair of steel handcuffs were placed on his wrists.
Cold and hard.
Then, the two men, one on each side, gripped his arms and began to drag him away.
Recalling the rumors he had heard about the Chinese military, Zhang Ruizhe became anxious.
He absolutely did not want to be sent to some remote mountain area to dig coal or perform heavy manual labor.
He felt that with his background as a young master and his physique, he wouldn't survive in such places.
"Please wait. I need to contact the South Korean embassy. I am a South Korean citizen. You can't just arrest me like this!"
He Lan's gaze sharpened. "Heh, don't worry, we've already contacted them for you. But you must understand that your actions are of a serious nature, and we must detain and interrogate you first. They can monitor this matter and supervise, as your actions have severely impacted diplomatic relations between the two countries."
"I, I didn't expect it to turn out this way..." he stammered.
Zhang Ruizhe's face immediately turned as pale as paper. He was utterly dejected, as if he had lost his parents.
If things truly escalated as embassy officials had warned, it could indeed involve the relationship and interactions between the two countries.
Even his status as an important family member within the conglomerate would be rendered utterly useless.
He truly hadn't expected this Song Qiao to be so mysterious, a Brigadier General from China's security department.
No wonder he had never heard of him before, let alone seen him.
By a twist of fate, he had obtained Song Qiao's photograph and, in a scandalous manner, leaked it to the news media, spreading it far and wide.
Another unexpected turn was China's official response. They hadn't sat idly by but had reacted strongly.
Was he finished?
No, this couldn't be happening. I'm still so young, how could I be arrested?
Zhang Ruizhe was put into a special vehicle.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary car.
But upon entering, one would discover that its interior had been modified, resembling a prisoner transport.
Soon, he entered a vast compound, covering the area of two or three football fields.
High walls, at least five or six meters tall, surrounded the perimeter.
And on the walls, many armed soldiers patrolled.
They walked back and forth, occasionally looking down into the yard.
In the yard, he saw many prisoners engaged in activities...
What Zhang Ruizhe didn't know was that the news he saw online was also being seen almost simultaneously by many people in China.
China's official response was also swift. They contacted the South Korean authorities immediately and issued a formal protest, sternly warning them to take action as soon as possible to have the news withdrawn and for the relevant media outlets to issue a formal apology.
Furthermore, regarding the claim in the news report that Ms. Shen and Song Qiao were in an improper relationship, professional personnel quickly refuted it.
They pointed out that what was written in the news was not the truth. In reality, the man was saving the woman, and there was no clandestine affair between them.
And shortly after Zhang Ruizhe's arrest, less than half an hour later, South Korean media outlets began to issue corrections.
"Suspect Who Published Maliciously Fabricated News Arrested."
"News Alleging Improper Relationship Between Ms. Shen Jing and Chinese Man Severely Inaccurate; Involved Media Issues Statement."
"Ms. Shen States She Will Use Legal Weapons to Defend Her Rights."
...
During this period, many professional and amateur individuals posted analyses from various perspectives, dissecting the insider story of the matter.
For instance, netizen "True Vision" carefully examined the photos and pointed out that the text and images were seriously mismatched.
The post argued that while the pose of the two people in the photo might appear somewhat intimate, the man's action was actually a professional rescue maneuver commonly seen during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The author specifically emphasized paying attention to the man's movements, with his left and right hands overlapping. Who had ever seen such a position for an illicit affair? They should have been embracing each other long ago.
Additionally, the author specifically reminded readers that the clothes of both individuals in the picture were relatively neat. The woman lying on the ground, however, had an unusual posture, appearing completely unconscious. This could serve as evidence of their innocence.
Moreover, it went without saying that the location where they were was a relatively open area.
Even if they wanted to have a tryst, it wouldn't be a good spot. Did they genuinely have a penchant for being watched?
Of course, many Chinese readers did not agree with the views expressed in this article, or rather, were somewhat disappointed.
After all this effort, a Chinese man had brought glory to the country by winning over a wealthy South Korean woman, only for it to fall apart like this?
And many wealthy woman enthusiasts continued to fan the flames, claiming that among the wealthy women they had encountered, some truly had a preference for such activities in easily visible places.
Some also suggested it was role-playing, implying these wealthy individuals knew how to have fun.
Various comments, one after another, captured the readers' attention.
However, many posts that skirted the boundaries of decency, assertively arguing for the authenticity of Song Qiao's affair with the wealthy woman, quickly disappeared.
This, in turn, caused dissatisfaction among many, who believed the authorities had something to hide.
Of course, these comments also vanished quickly.
All of this happened within a mere half-day, like a grand drama with constant reversals.
It was like a roller coaster ride; those with weak hearts might not have been able to endure it.
For such extreme reversals, the onlookers had a feast for their eyes.
They truly hadn't expected things to develop in this manner.
And in the end, the negative news disappeared, the public opinion shifted, and all unfavorable comments about Song Qiao were suppressed.
Meanwhile, the South Korean keyboard warriors experienced a brief period of confusion after the official clarification.
Some searched for the reason why Mrs. Shen had come to China, others explored the logic behind her actions, and some inquired about the danger she might have faced, possibly falling into the water.
Later, the consensus largely leaned towards the innocence of Song Qiao and Mrs. Shen, thus supporting Mrs. Shen.
In summary, the incident was quickly quelled.
Mrs. Shen had also been closely following the developments of the news reports.
Her mood fluctuated with the shifting tide of public opinion.
Of course, after the initial tension, as the events began to develop in her favor, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She let out a huge sigh.
She immediately called Song Qiao, "Mr. Song, you are truly amazing, with boundless influence! May I have the honor of treating you to a meal to express my gratitude?"
Song Qiao heard this and replied without hesitation, "Alright, then let's meet again. You choose the place, and let me know when you've decided. Then it'll be fine."