C18 Solving

Meng Jingxian was still in a back-and-forth with the reporters, while Chu Yang continued to explain his side.

Chu Yang addressed the onlookers, "I truly didn't hit this elderly woman."

"I didn't hit her, she came at me on her own. She really did, risking her life to bump into me."

The crowd eyed him skeptically, convinced that Chu Yang was throwing his weight around. Despite his explanations, they sided with Zhou Wei, convinced that Chu Yang had hit the old lady and, fearing the cost of compensation, refused to own up to it.

Chu Yang insisted, "If I had actually hit her, I would absolutely take responsibility. But I didn't hit this old lady; she ran into my car on her own."

The onlookers regarded Chu Yang with contempt.

He continued, "If I had hit someone, I'd own up to it. But this old lady, she ran into my car herself. I didn't touch her, understand?"

An elderly man in the crowd spoke up, "Just admit it already. Why would an old lady like her play with her life and run into something? You're just avoiding responsibility. It's a shame for us Keglinesians, doing something and not having the courage to admit it."

After the old man's words, Chu Yang clenched his fists and retorted, "Is it right to accuse someone without knowing the truth? I've told you, I didn't hit this old lady. She ran into my car. If I had hit her, I'd be responsible, but I didn't."

Another voice chimed in, "Is lying like this really okay? Would an elderly woman lie, especially risking her own life as a joke?"

The crowd nodded in agreement, pressing Chu Yang to accept responsibility.

At the brink of tears, Chu Yang had a sudden realization – his car was equipped with a dashcam. The footage could clear his name. He announced to everyone, "I can prove I didn't hit this old lady. My car has a dashcam. Once you see the footage, you'll know everything I've said is true."

With that, Chu Yang retrieved the dashcam footage from his car, securing the evidence of his innocence.

After retrieving the dashcam, he held it up and announced to the onlookers, "This contains the truth. Soon, you'll see I'm not the liar here. You'll find out who really is."

No sooner had Chu Yang finished speaking than a sudden force yanked the dashcam from his grasp. The old lady had snatched it away, only to smash it on the ground, breaking it.

Sitting on the ground, the old lady burst into tears, "It's all fake. He hit me and now he's trying to dodge responsibility. He doesn't want to pay my medical bills, so he's presenting fake evidence."

Chu Yang retorted, “You smashed my dashcam because you're the one with something to hide. What are you afraid of? And how could I fabricate evidence in such a short time? You've all been watching me; I haven't left this spot.”

The old lady shot back, “You were in your car for quite a while. Who knows what you might have done then?”

Hearing this, the crowd grew more skeptical of Chu Yang, murmuring among themselves, "This guy, bringing out fake evidence... the youth today, they have the audacity but not the accountability."

Chu Yang felt helpless; no amount of explanation seemed to suffice.

Despite his insistence on his innocence, no one around seemed willing to believe him. They couldn't fathom an old lady risking her life just for some money. They were convinced that Chu Yang was simply avoiding responsibility.

"Why won't any of you believe me? I truly didn't hit this old lady. She ran into my car herself. I haven't lied to you. Every word I've said is true. I swear, if I'm lying, may I be struck by a car the moment I leave here. Does that make you believe me?"

Some in the crowd replied, "What good is your oath? We all know it's a sham. How could you possibly get hit by a car? Just pay the old lady and be done with it."

The incessant chatter of the crowd only added to Chu Yang's frustration.

Chu Yang struggled to keep his temper in check, repeatedly telling himself, "Just endure it, endure it. I know I'm innocent, just endure it, endure it."

The surrounding crowd continued their chatter, painting Chu Yang as if he were an irredeemable criminal. Many approached the old lady to check on her, reassuring her, "We're here for you. We'll make sure he gives you a proper explanation, and we'll see to it that he compensates you."

Tears streaming down her face, the old lady expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, thank you all. You're such good people. I don't know what I would have done today without you."

The onlookers were quick to respond, "Don't worry about it. We can't stand by and watch someone bully an elderly person like this."

"Exactly, I can't stand this kind of behavior either."

"Men like him who bring shame upon us are just intolerable. He's the dregs of manhood."

"He probably treats his own mother with the same disrespect. His family must have endured so much suffering because of him."

More comforting words were offered to the old lady.

"Don't cry, old lady. People like him will face divine retribution someday."

"Rest assured, old lady. We won't let him leave today without a proper account and explanation."

"Don't cry, old lady. You don't deserve your tears for someone like him. With us here, he won't get away with denying his responsibility and just walking away. That's not going to happen."

"Everything's going to be okay, grandma. If he doesn't explain himself, we'll take him to the police station and let them deal with his crimes."

...

The crowd then urged him, "Come on, pay up already. Stop dragging this out. A real man doesn't do things he's not prepared to stand up for. You're a disgrace to all of us."

Chu Yang insisted, "I truly did not bump into this old lady. It was an accident on her part. I know I didn't hit her, and if I had, I would certainly be responsible. But the fact is, I didn't cause this."

The people around him looked at Chu Yang with disdain and scorn.

Finally, Chu Yang's patience snapped. "You all pass judgment without knowing the facts. Put yourself in my shoes—imagine you didn't bump into anyone, yet everyone around you is accusing you. How would you feel? What would you do? Would you accept it if you were in my place?"

As soon as Chu Yang finished speaking, the crowd around him sprang to the old lady's defense, exclaiming, "How can you be so cruel? Accusing an innocent elderly woman is shameful. How can you live with yourself for framing her? And you have the audacity to be angry? The old lady hasn't even lost her temper, and you're the one making a scene. What right do you have? The victim hasn't uttered a word, and yet you keep on accusing her. Have you no shame? You show no respect for the elderly. Is this how you repay your parents for their upbringing? They raised you well, only to see you become a disgrace to society. You've brought shame upon us all."

Chu Yang's attempts to clarify only made things worse, leaving him on the verge of a breakdown. How could everyone be so irrational? His face was a portrait of despair, on the brink of tears.

Meanwhile, Meng Jingxian had tracked down the reporter who snapped the photo of the old lady's alleged scam.

She demanded the photos from the reporter, but he stubbornly refused to hand them over to Meng Jingxian.

His eyes twinkled with slyness as he considered her offer.

Then he proposed to Meng Jingxian, "What if you buy the photos from me?"

Annoyed, Meng Jingxian asked, "How much?"

"Given that you're Miss Meng, I can tell you're wealthy, so I won't ask for much. Three photos, one million each. What do you say?"

Meng Jingxian, fists clenched, tried to reason with him, "You know full well that the old lady is a scammer, yet you won't help clear her name. Instead, you're in cahoots with her. Do you think it's acceptable for a journalist to withhold the truth like this? Are you even a journalist at all?"

The reporter just smirked.

"Whether I'm a qualified journalist is none of your concern. If you have the money, I'll sell you the photos. If not, then it's a no-go. For someone of Miss Meng's financial standing, three million is a mere trifle, barely the cost of a new outfit. But since you're being so unpleasant, let's say two million per photo."

Meng Jingxian's fists tightened, her delicate face seething with rage.

"Oh, can't handle it, Miss Meng? Typical princess syndrome. If you're not interested in the deal, then there's no point in continuing this conversation."

"Looks like you don't want a future in this field," Meng Jingxian remarked before pulling out her phone to call the chief editor of the news outlet.

She spoke to the editor-in-chief, "The photos I need are with one of your staff. He's refusing to hand them over and is trying to charge me six million for them. I think it's time for you to let him go."

The editor-in-chief responded promptly, "Absolutely, Miss Meng. Who is this person? I'll issue a company-wide ban on him immediately."

Meng Jingxian gave the reporter a meaningful glance, and he was visibly shaken, quickly mouthing, "I'll give them to you."

"To the editor-in-chief," Meng Jingxian said, "never mind, he's handed them over. Let's just drop it since he's complied."

"Of course, of course," the editor-in-chief replied hastily. "And Miss Meng, please feel free to call me if you need anything."

"Sure, will do."

The reporter swiftly offered his apologies to Meng Jingxian, "Miss Meng, I apologize. I was out of line earlier. I shouldn't have behaved that way. You're right; as a journalist, my duty is to expose the truth. I'm sorry if I've made a fool of myself."

"Just focus on doing your job well from now on."

As soon as she finished speaking, the reporter handed over the photos to Meng Jingxian.

Meng Jingxian then showed the photos to Chu Yang, who astutely used them to expose the old lady's scam. The onlookers had an epiphany and quickly dispersed, while Chu Yang and Meng Jingxian headed back to their car to continue their journey home.

Back in the car, Meng Jingxian revisited the question that had been on her mind earlier. She couldn't resist asking Chu Yang once more, "What's so great about Gu Panpan?"