Judge of Souls - Chapter 60

It was an unexpected situation.

When the online criticism began, the uncles and relatives finally remembered the previous events.

But was this important? Compared to money, of course it wasn’t important!

Many people were still mocking this entertainment company, indicating that the company was truly black-hearted and money-grabbing. Moreover, Kong Su was their relative, and she only had an employment relationship with the company, so why should they interfere with her private assets? They were already being considerate by not asking the company to verify the settlement payments!

When it came to matters of personal interest, these people’s minds worked quickly. They immediately changed their story and provided explanations.

“Because Kong Su was a big star, she didn’t get to enjoy any peace and quiet in her normal life. We didn’t want her to continue suffering disturbances from various sources after she became a vegetative patient, so we said she was already dead.”

“She needs rest and recuperation. We believe that one day she will wake up.”

“Taking photos with flash at a time like this shows disrespect to the patient. She’s just an ordinary person. Those paparazzi are too despicable!”

“We might not understand grand principles, but does caring for our niece require understanding grand principles?”

However, internet users were completely unconvinced this time.

[Principles my ass! Don’t understand grand principles but understand how to hire water armies? The traces of these paid commenters are too obvious!]

[To hell with ‘not wanting to be disturbed.’ You set up a memorial tablet and cursed her because you didn’t want her to be disturbed? I could tolerate being treated as an idiot, but being treated as mentally disabled? Unforgivable!]

[I think internet users are sometimes truly mentally disabled. whispers softly]

[Even if we’re mentally disabled, we won’t be fooled twice in a row by a group of mentally disabled people.]

[I think the biggest question is, where exactly is Kong Su now? While we’re gossiping, don’t you think this person is very mysterious?]

[I thought something was off when Kong Su was said to have been cursed. She was such a normal person before, then suddenly went crazy. After going crazy, she suddenly died, and after dying, she suddenly became a vegetative patient and then disappeared. Damn, these dramatic twists and turns have left me stunned.]

[This is the most magical gossip I’ve ever followed! What kind of absurd plot is this?]

At that moment, the topic #Feel Sorry for Kong Su# was pushed to the top trending list.

Having such relatives at home, how difficult must her life have been?

Because the matter involved a celebrity’s life and death, some people reported it to the police.

The company side was completely unaware of this situation. A massive pot had fallen from the sky. Although it hadn’t caused them pain, it was enough to make them depressed.

The PR team thought they were just a bunch of psychos, so they refused to respond. At the same time, they called Gao Yuqing to confirm whether he had done anything that violated the contract.

Popularity meant money! Gao Yuqing didn’t want to waste this opportunity and sought various connections to organize a high-profile comeback for Kong Su that would captivate millions.

However, the company kept urging Gao Yuqing to return for a situation briefing. The next morning, when he went to work, he was unfortunately intercepted at the entrance by several of those guarding relatives.

In the midst of pushing and shoving, they failed to control their strength and tempers, and a fight broke out.

In the end, a video of the manager fleeing with his head in his hands was captured by passersby and posted online, causing an even bigger commotion. The entire family of extreme characters was creatively mocked by netizens. With Kong Su’s precedent, they were collectively nicknamed the #Curse Family#.

What kind of psychos were they?

“They’re simply handing themselves over,” Kong Su said as she was trying out a pile of newly bought cosmetics. “That’s enough now; any more hype and it will become overdone. Pick an earth-shattering, ghost-crying date for me. I want to rise from the dead!”

So, Kong Su’s workshop, which had been dormant for a long time, finally revived and announced that on April 1st, April Fool’s Day, they would hold a press conference to provide a complete explanation for everything. They also invited the few relatives who had been causing a commotion to come for a face-to-face confrontation.

For those relatives, having a public platform to speak was exactly what they had been hoping for.

At noon that day, all the key players were in position, and the event was livestreamed online.

A forum even featured a synchronized live post with a rather morbid title:

—— “Decoding Kong Su’s Path of Black Magic.”

Gossip fans rubbed their hands in anticipation, setting up their virtual seats to enjoy the show.

The screen appeared on time.

At the press conference venue, there was a long table. Gao Yuqing sat alone on the far left side of the table, the only person from his team in attendance. Kong Su’s relatives, six of them, had arrived in full force, occupying two-thirds of the space.

Below, a row of reporters were quite confused by the sight. Was this meant to be a clarification? The company’s attitude toward Kong Su seemed too perfunctory!

Gao Yuqing had always been a cold and elite figure in public. Now, sitting there all alone with bruises on his face, he looked weak and somewhat pitiful.

He remained silent while the Kong family members beside him chattered incessantly. Reminiscing about the past, they seemed determined to start from when Kong Su was three years old. The audience found it quite depressing.

The scene was extremely bizarre. Even the typically sharp-tongued reporters temporarily fell silent.

Those at the venue still showed some patience, but online users directly shouted their displeasure.

[I didn’t come to watch the livestream to see these people act out emotional dramas!]

[Gao Yuqing isn’t what he used to be; he’s old and his tactics aren’t enough to promote new talents.]

[Is this guy a stone statue waiting for his husband?]

[I bet he’s holding back for a big move! If Gao Yuqing can’t pull off something big, he might as well retire.]

After watching for about ten minutes, the online viewers noticed that Gao Yuqing continued to sit there indifferently.

Finding it uninteresting and thinking there wouldn’t be any highlights, several media outlets left with their staff, and some netizens quit the livestream room.

Just as the atmosphere was cooling down, Gao Yuqing made a move.

He glanced at his phone, then silently stood up. Under the focused gaze of everyone present, he walked with a solemn face to a small door on the side.

He placed his hand on the doorknob, gently pulled it open, and a wheelchair was pushed out. Gao Yuqing took over from the person behind it and pushed the wheelchair to the table.

Sitting in the wheelchair was a pale-faced, emaciated woman.

Perhaps due to the lighting, her cheeks were sunken, and her cheekbones were overly prominent. Her exposed wrists were all bones, appearing too fragile to grasp.

She opened her mouth and said hoarsely, “Hello, everyone.”

As soon as these three words were uttered, the comments on various forums and livestream platforms exploded.

[Hello, everyone?? Is this pre-recorded or live?]

[Damn, damn, damn! We’ve been played; this is some brilliant hype!]

[Female celebrities nowadays will stop at nothing to become famous! Damn!]

[Vegetative state my ass! Dead person my ass! Are they going to claim a medical miracle next?]

[Wait, everyone, she really looks weak. She must have been sick all along, right?]

[Finally, we have some real gossip to enjoy. Look at the faces of those extreme characters, hahaha!]

[Awesome! Gao Yuqing can clearly fight for another hundred years, hahaha!]

The Kong family relatives were even more shocked, standing up and retreating together, grabbing each other’s arms, looking at her with faces full of terror.

Camera flashes lit up intensely. Kong Su uncomfortably closed her eyes.

She still looked very weak, as if saying just one sentence required tremendous effort. But her makeup was natural and elegant, not without color. It was a beautiful kind of weakness.

“I’m sorry for worrying everyone during this past period,” Kong Su said. “A month ago, I fell into a deep coma and was then sent to a suburban sanatorium. It wasn’t until a few days ago that I suddenly woke up. I know everyone is surprised and doubtful about my illness. The certificate issued to me by the hospital was what the elders used to change my bank withdrawal password. During that time, I had no consciousness and still don’t know the cause of my coma.”

Entertainment media reporters fired questions one after another, directly ignoring the relatives nearby.

“Are you really not just creating hype?”

“Did the hospital actually make such a diagnosis? So were you in a vegetative state or not?”

“Are you suggesting this is a medical miracle? Or was it purely a misdiagnosis by the hospital?”

“When exactly did you wake up? What was the trigger?”

Gao Yuqing stepped forward and said, “Please remain calm, everyone. Kong Su is just recovering from a serious illness and doesn’t have much strength to speak. Since we invited everyone here today, it’s to answer your questions. We can address them one by one.”

Kong Su said, “I know that no matter what I say, it won’t dispel everyone’s doubts, including my own. It’s hard to believe. So, please watch this surveillance footage.”

Gao Yuqing opened his computer.

What played was surveillance footage obtained from the sanatorium.

The camera was installed in the corridor, and sometimes when the door opened, a corner of the patient’s room could be seen.

The footage began from when Kong Su was sent into the room. Afterward, nurses and patients came and went, but Kong Su’s figure never appeared. Even played at high speed, it was still very slow.

Kong Su said, “The video is too long to watch completely. I will upload the file to our homepage. This is surveillance footage from my more than a month at the sanatorium. The bed near the corner is in my room. The doctors and nurses there can all testify for me. Below are also the results of my daily physical value checks. I don’t think I need to lie in such a place for over a month just for so-called hype, do I?”

Kong Su signaled Gao Yuqing to switch to another video.

“This is how I looked when I was just discharged from the hospital.”

Kong Su liked taking selfies.

This video was taken just when her soul had returned to her body. Her physical form was lifeless, an effect that makeup or disguise couldn’t create. At the same time, to prove it was a recent video, her other hand held a phone showing that day’s news.

She looked eerily similar to an old mummy just taken out of a coffin. Releasing such a photo showed she was really putting everything on the line.

The reporters on the scene couldn’t see clearly because the screen was too small, but the video released by the workshop was clear. When netizens opened it, they immediately dropped their phones in shock.

[Oh my god, that face scared me to death!]

[Is that even a human? Don’t lie to me!]

[If anyone could fake being sick to look this convincing… then they must actually be sick!]

[So why did she become a vegetative patient?]

“I don’t think it was a vegetative state, but rather a deep coma or deep sleep.”

[The human body is so complex, so this must be real.]

[Are they really claiming a medical miracle now? But somehow I can’t refute it.]

Uncle Kong raised his voice at this point, approached and said, “Why didn’t you tell us when you woke up? Did he tell you something? We were worried about you the whole time you were in a coma! Kong Su, we’re your real family!”

Gao Yuqing moved to block him, keeping Kong Su behind himself.

Uncle Kong glared at him angrily and said fiercely, “She’s my niece!”