Under the dual pressure of public outcry and international attention, the gears of the judicial process, though heavy, began to turn faster. However, the "truth revealed" that the public expected was not an instantaneous revelation, but rather a slow, restrained "limited disclosure" filled with technical compromises.
The prosecution released some of the investigation results and evidence in batches and selectively. The official report confirmed that Xingyao Entertainment had engaged in illegal activities such as "evading taxes by using dual contracts and inflating costs" and "transferring benefits through related-party transactions," and also confirmed that Lu Tianyu, General Manager Liu, and others were "suspected of multiple crimes including embezzlement, bribery, and illegal detention."
Some relatively "safe" evidence was presented: fragments of forged financial statements, some fund flow charts, and some recordings of power-for-sex transactions that did not involve higher levels. These "fragments of the truth" were sufficient to convict Lu Tianyu, General Manager Liu, and others, satisfying the public's basic expectation of "evil being punished" and responding to the core concerns of public opinion.
However, much more sensitive content was carefully concealed behind veils of "national security," "trade secrets," or "still under further investigation." Records potentially involving broader power networks, details of complex overseas funding channels, and the names of certain "protective umbrellas" speculated about by the public were conspicuously absent from official reports.
Some of the most incisive evidence released by Su Yuqing's team was either "technically" excluded or vaguely described in the judicial process. For example, the part concerning systemic psychological control and torture was ultimately attributed to "improper company management"; while the death threats and violent detention against Lin Chen and his family were downplayed in the indictment as "soft violence tactics such as intimidation and harassment."
This disclosure of "limited truth" is like a meticulously orchestrated surgery, both removing the already necrotic tumor (the obvious culprits like Lu Tianyu and General Manager Liu) and striving to avoid damaging deeper tissues. It aims to quell public anger and restore order, rather than conduct a thorough dissection.
After the initial satisfaction of "the perpetrators being brought to justice," public sentiment began to diverge. Some believed justice had been served and hoped for a return to social calm; others felt unsatisfied, questioning, "What about those who haven't been exposed yet?" and "Is justice truly served for Lin Chen?"
Lin Chen's family, especially his father Lin Jianguo, felt conflicted upon learning the official report. On one hand, those who persecuted their son were about to face legal consequences; on the other hand, their son remained unconscious, and the official report's understated use of terms like "improper management" and "soft violence" contrasted sharply with the blood-stained work clothes he had witnessed and the screams of his father he had heard. The unspeakable frustration and grief still weighed heavily on their hearts.
Su Yuqing looked at the carefully worded and clearly defined official report and understood. She knew this was the best outcome they could achieve under the current circumstances. The price of completely overturning the entire situation was unbearable. Bringing Lu Tianyu and others to justice, forcing industry reform, and raising such widespread public awareness are already remarkable achievements.
The truth, like shattered glass, may have yielded a few large, prominent pieces proving its existence, but the sharper, more revealing fragments scattered in the corners may forever remain hidden in darkness.
This incomplete truth is both a victory and a compromise.
It is an end and a new beginning.