ALL NOVEL
Chapter 132
At the same time, on the internet, a video of a girl being beaten went viral. The video was a bit blurry, clearly from years ago.
But overall it was quite clear, showing a thin girl being ganged up on and beaten by nearly twenty people, both male and female. Some onlookers even joined in and kicked her.
The arrogant faces of the group, along with the mocking sounds from bystanders, made the bullied student seem all the more pitiful.
She could be seen crouched in a corner, clutching her head, curled up tight, her disheveled hair obscuring her face. Her trembling body and pleading voice were visible:
"Please, don't hit me."
"I'll do whatever you want after this, just don't hit me."
The girl's desperate cries begged them, shaking her head violently, only to receive more vicious beatings in return.
This was a post shared by a blogger, who said it was contributed by a fan. The post read:
I'm 21 years old this year, not from a wealthy family. I was born into a very ordinary home, my parents' occupations were not respectable - they collected scrap metal.
Because my family collected scrap metal, they mocked me, called me a 'garbage collector,' gave me all sorts of nicknames, ordered me around, and bullied me.
The person in the video isn't me, it's my classmate. I haven't seen her in many years and can't even remember her name anymore.
Compared to her, I seemed quite fortunate, because in class, she was bullied far more than me.
High school, which should have been a wonderful time, brought me endless pain and despair.
That year, one of the more powerful girls in our class led a group straight to her, grabbing her hair and slamming her head against the wall.
Before she could react, everyone pounced on her like wild animals, beating her, while onlookers laughed and said she deserved it.
And I was the one forced to record the video, crying while filming it.
They said if I didn't obey, I'd end up like her. They wanted to record this 'happy moment.'
Happy? That just showed their evil, vicious faces.
After that, the once quiet girl became even more silent and withdrawn. Then one day, I never saw her again.
And I became the target that everyone bullied. Why am I sharing this video?
Because my younger brother is now going through the same thing. Recently, he came home covered in injuries, refusing to go to school.
That's when I learned he had been bullied too. My brother is a very well-behaved child, quiet and not very socially skilled.
I was furious, so I wanted to share this, to let people know that your actions can truly ruin someone's life.
Also, I sincerely apologize to the girl in the video. Although I didn't participate, as a bystander, I didn't dare speak up or help her. This has always been a thorn in my heart. I hate my own inability to act, but I was too afraid.
I'm sorry for sharing your video, but I hope relevant authorities will take this seriously. Too many people have been hurt, you and I were both victims.
After the post went up, it instantly became one of Weibo's top trending topics, with over 300,000 comments.
"I can really relate, I was bullied in middle school too and eventually dropped out."
"I'm so sorry, when I was young and ignorant I participated in things like this."
"I was bullied too back then, so I transferred schools."
"It was really terrifying, the year I was bullied I was constantly afraid and worried. They even made me wait at the school gate for them, do you know how desperate that feels?"
"That face in the video looks so familiar!!"
"Even though it's blurry, I feel like she looks familiar too."
"Now that you mention it, the girl did look quite pretty."
"I hope netizens won't try to identify her."
"Yes, let's not cause her further trauma."
"I hope the government takes this seriously and strictly controls this kind of behavior. If discovered, there should be severe punishment!"
Netizens were all discussing it fervently, as the incident struck a chord with many.
At this time, Ji Nian had just gotten off the plane and was riding in the same car with Yu Luobai and the others back to their building.
He Yi saw the viral video on the trending topics and was momentarily stunned, staring at her phone in dismay.
"Oh my god, how terrible."
Ji Nian turned to her and asked, "What is it?"
He Yi handed her phone over, saying, "The viral Weibo video of a girl being beaten by nearly 20 people as she begs them to stop. She was so young."
Ji Nian took the phone and watched the video, her whole body shuddering as she fixated on the beaten girl with eyes wide. A sharp pain pierced her chest and her gaze became dazed.
"Please, don't hit me."
"I'll do anything you want after this."
"That crying sounds really tragic," Peng He commented from the driver's seat.
"Yeah, that poor girl was so badly bullied. The post said she was constantly targeted," He Yi lamented, though she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, though she didn't know what.
Sitting next to her, Yu Luobai noticed Ji Nian's face had paled considerably.
Ji Nian stared blankly at the phone, realizing that the person in the video was Ji Xiaonian, the original owner of this body, as a teenager.
She didn't know why, but despite the blurry video and having no memories of that life, her heart immediately recognized this as the original owner.
The excruciating chest pain made it hard to breathe. The phone slipped from her trembling hand and fell onto the car floor.
He Yi quickly picked it up, saying, "Sis, be careful, I just got the screen repaired."
Ji Nian struggled for air, pounding her chest forcefully, trying to ease the overwhelming anguish ravaging her body.
"Nian Nian, what's wrong?" Yu Luobai watched her pained expression with alarm.
He Yi was also stunned, seeing her pound her chest. He grabbed her hand, asking "Ji Xiaonian, what's happening?"
Ji Nian felt her chest tighten unbearably, the searing pain mixed with a suffocating pressure. Suddenly, a sweet, metallic taste surged up her throat.
"Nian Nian!" Yu Luobai watched in horror as the woman coughed up fresh blood, panicking and yelling, "Quick, quick! To the hospital!"
He Yi was equally shocked, frantically wiping the blood with tissues, his hands shaking uncontrollably.
Peng He turned to see her passed out, blood at the corners of her mouth. His eyes went wide with confusion before he anxiously sped up, driving rapidly towards the hospital.
Yu Luobai held the shuddering Ji Nian tightly, deeply afraid without understanding what was happening.