Chapter 971: Breaking 100 million views!
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
A call came in.
It was from Zhang Ye’s former boss at Beijing Television, Hu Fei.
Hu Fei: “Little Zhang, you are way too ballsy!”
Zhang Ye laughed. “Not too bad, right?”
Hu Fei also laughed and said: “This time you’ve torn a hole in the sky!”
“This was exactly what I wanted,” Zhang Ye said.
Hu Fei said: “I’m calling just to tell you that no matter what, your former colleagues at the BTV Arts Channel are all proud of you!”
Zhang Ye was surprised. “Thank everyone on my behalf.”
But Hu Fei said: “It’s us who should be thanking you this time.”
…
On the Internet, the commotion was still ongoing!
“That’s too frightening!”
“Is there anyone who has not watched it yet? Quickly share it with them!”
“Ah!”
“It’s gone! It’s gone again!”
“Damn, why was it deleted again?”
“What’s going on? Didn’t they restore the video just now?”
“Why did it get taken down again?”
“What are these people doing?”
“Ah, it’s up again!”
“It’s up again! It’s up again!”
“Ah, it’s gone again!”
“Ah, it’s up again!”
…
At an online video hosting company.
In the general manager’s office that was responsible for liaisons.
The phone kept ringing. Ring ring ring, ring ring ring.
Director Yan picked up the phone with a smile and said in a friendly tone: “Hello, Chief Wang….Yes, yes, yes….OK, OK, OK….You’re very right, we’ll take it down immediately….OK….OK….There won’t be any problems….We’ll handle it as the executives instruct.”
The call ended.
Director Yan called his secretary over at once. “Quick, take down the documentary on air pollution!”
The secretary nodded and went to get it done.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again.
When Director Yan saw the caller ID, he quickly answered the call with a smiling face. “Hello, Division Head Sun….Yes, yes, yes….OK, OK, OK….You’re very right, we’ll immediately restore the video….OK….That’s for sure….We must give our fullest support to public service documentaries!”
The call ended.
Director Yan called his secretary over again right away. “Quick, restore the documentary!”
The secretary grunted, “Yes.”
Ten minutes later, yet another executive called!
Restore it back!
Take it down!
Restore it again!
Take it down again!
Finally, Director Yan was enraged!
Fuck your third uncle’s grandma! This is fight between you gods! Who have I offended to deserve this?!
Similar situations occurred at numerous online video hosting companies and other media outlets. Some people even turned off their cell phones and went into hiding. Some of them put on two faces, trying not to offend anyone. Some were so frightened by the situation that they simply feigned illness and checked into the hospital!
At this moment, the industry was in a state of extreme shock!
A fight had started! The executives above them had started to fight!
The entire country was turned upside down all because of a documentary!
….
On the same day.
It was as though some people had discussed beforehand as they suddenly popped out of nowhere together!
A medical professor publicly issued a statement to condemn Zhang Ye. “Don’t get deceived by Zhang Ye. He is completely misleading the public. He says that smog is related to lung cancer? That smog can cause lung cancer? Science has not shown any links, so what is he talking about?! Isn’t that trying to deceive the people?!”
“Fuck off!”
“How much evidence has already indicated that there is a correlation between smog and lung cancer? How many organizations have conducted research that show that smog is a possible cause of lung cancer? No scientific links? That’s right! Indeed, there are no organizations that have successfully researched how smog causes lung cancer. But we’re misled exactly by people like you! By simply saying that science has shown no links that smog causes lung cancer, what signals are you trying to send to the people? The first impression that everyone gets is that there is nothing harmful about smog! That smog definitely does not cause lung cancer! You all are tricking people!”
“Deceiving the people? The ones who are deceiving the people are the lot of you!”
“You people come forward to make a statement when we have yet to bother with you?”
“Idiots!”
The people were enraged!
Elsewhere.
A scientist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences fired shots publicly at Zhang Ye. “It’s just scaremongering and complete nonsense! What’s the point of saying all this? What motives do you have? Have you thought of the consequences? The air pollution is an inevitable product of human development. It is the price to pay for societal development. We must definitely govern it, but how do we do it? Are we really going to stop the steel mills from operating? Do the people really have to stop using heating? Are we going to scrap all the cars? Do you want to revert back to a primitive society?”
Another scientist from an atmospheric pollution research facility posted: “@Zhang Ye Stop talking nonsense if you don’t know anything. Governing and controlling the air pollution is not as simple as you think. There are many complicated issues behind it. Right now, I am seriously doubting the motives for Zhang Ye to create this documentary!”
A steel company’s CEO posted on Weibo mockingly: “Zhang Ye is still driving his BMW X5, right? Get rid of your car first before talking to me about other things!”
The netizens were fuming!
Countless people immediately gathered around online!
“Get rid of his car? Why should he need to dump his car!?”
“What kind of fucking logic is that?”
“Based on what you said, people who are calling for charitable activities to be performed would have to donate their houses first, don’t they? Are they all going to have to sell their houses away? So that they can devote themselves into a career of public welfare? Fuck!”
“Why are there idiots like you in society?”
“Let me tell you this! Teacher Zhang Ye is not a scientist. He is a documentary director and a host. Must he come up with a solution to solve the air pollution issue by himself? And he even has to find a way to do it so that everyone would accept it? Using the most proper way? Only then is he allowed to speak up? Only then can he announce the truth? Fuck you all! Isn’t that what you experts and scientists must think of instead? Zhang Ye has shown the truth behind the smog to all of us. Even though what he can do is limited, he has already done his best to declare war against air pollution. What about you all? I would like to ask just what you people are doing! You people are unable to think of ways to govern the air pollution or come up with any research findings, so you started to scold him instead and nitpick? Fuck you!”
Thousands and thousands of criticisms came flooding in!
Several experts and scientists were instantly stunned from being scolded!
Immediately, another group of experts and academics came forward to cast their doubts on the documentary. They brought up claims of data fraud, baseless reports, and scaremongering. These accusations were all targeted at Zhang Ye!
But the next moment, they were drowned out by the criticism!
Their entire screen was filled with criticism!
Every time it refreshed, thousands more would come flooding in!
When someone jumped out to scold Zhang Ye, they would get scolded off!
When another jumped out to scold Zhang Ye, they would get scolded off too!
Zhang Ye’s fans and even majority of the populace were all standing on Zhang Ye’s side!
Zhang Ye was unlike Chai Jing from his previous world. There was no dispute about his nationality and his documentary did not involve any foreign organizations either. Moreover, for a Professional Korean Insulter like Zhang Ye and his case of chasing away the Japanese delegates with his scolding, to say that he was an agent of some foreign powers 1 plotting to destroy China’s development? They would probably not believe it themselves either! Zhang Ye’s background was extremely clean; there was no disputing it! And most importantly, Zhang Ye’s popularity was much higher than Chai Jing’s in his previous world. He also had a much greater influence than her. Furthermore, the people of this world were basically uninformed about the smog, so even Zhang Ye had probably not expected them to give him their support with such little reservation!
The documentary was taken down again.
After a while, it was back up again!
The views on the video were soaring!
Five hours passed very quickly!
To the shock and horror of the industry insiders, the total views of Zhang Ye’s Documentary on Air Pollution in China had already broken 100 million!
This was insane!
This was fucking insane!
“Carry out strict inspections on the offending corporations that cause pollution!”
“Hand over the murderers!”
“Who are the ones sacrificing our lives to make money?”
“We will not remain silent anymore!”
“Hand over the murderers!”
“Return us our white clouds!”
“Return us our blue skies!”
On this day, seven of the top ten Weibo hotly discussed topics were related to either Zhang Ye, the smog, or Department 14!
On this day, the regional centers 2 of the Ministry of Environmental Protection from all over the country received a total of 110,000 calls and over a thousand complaints lodged by the populace against the organizations that had violated the emissions standards!
On this day, environmentalists and the people surrounded an organization that had issued fake emission level certification labels for heavy vehicles, which had violated the emission standards and was exposed by the documentary. After a full three hours, they witnessed the CEO of the organization and a group of people involved in the case getting taken away in police vehicles!
On this day, the people awakened.
On this day, a lot of things happened.
On this day, Zhang Ye raised his head up in the streets and felt that today’s sky…seemed a little more blue than before!
