Chapter 285: Chapter 285: Manipulating Public Opinion

[Wait a minute, does anyone know what those shocking news articles related to Julian Sterling that just broke out are all about?]

[Are you guys living under a rock, not bothering to read the exclusive reports and hot news that a bunch of bloggers just posted? Click on this and open your eyes (link attached).]

At the exact same time, Helen Lloyd was still sitting quietly within the dim, shadowy confines of the underground parking garage.

The faint blue light emitting from the tablet screen reflected onto her remarkably calm face. She was pinching and zooming on the screen to closely observe the manipulative comments flooding the livestream channel, while rhythmically tapping her slender fingers against the car’s hood.

If Helen Lloyd had not misjudged the situation, the burner accounts throwing out those comments to intentionally divert the audience’s attention were obviously people arranged by Louis York. He was deliberately casting a wide net, taking full advantage of the fact that this livestream channel was currently attracting a massive number of viewers to skillfully manipulate public opinion, step by step steering the entire narrative in order to temporarily and thoroughly resolve the unjust grievances suffered by Julian Sterling.

Just a few minutes prior, she had seen with her own eyes several entertainment news sites possessing astronomically high engagement rates, as well as pages exclusively dedicated to hunting down drama, simultaneously publishing related articles. This flawless synchronization was undeniably the result of the powerful hand of Louis York pulling the strings from behind the curtain.

Their tactic was exceptionally sophisticated.

These published articles completely refrained from directly speaking up to clarify or refute the recent scandals surrounding Julian Sterling. On the contrary, they deliberately utilized those very same tumultuous events as a springboard to generate heat, effectively drawing a colossal amount of traffic to their newly released posts.

However, the content cleverly embedded within subtly and covertly portrayed a pitiful and heavily aggrieved image of Julian Sterling , while simultaneously exposing the calculating complexity as well as the fiercely competitive, underlying war between Julian Sterling and Aaron Sterling.

Immediately following that, several other online news outlets suddenly posted articles exposing the secret romantic relationship between Aaron Sterling and Gabriel Cole. Naturally, the articles were not written in a manner that publicly and definitively confirmed everything, but rather, they utilized the art of clickbait headlines akin to professional paparazzi, accompanied by a series of hazy, blurry photos secretly taken in the dead of night showcasing the ambiguous, overly intimate demeanor of these two individuals. The photographs were lacking in clarity, yet they were more than enough to heavily stimulate the vivid imagination of the masses.

The truly fatal strike actually lay within the posts belonging to the third group of news sites.

The target this time was aimed far more clearly and directly, which was to reopen the case files of the previous lawsuit directly related to the incident where Julian Sterling was kidnapped. But entirely different from the previously pieced-together fragments of information, this time it was a comprehensive and fully detailed report. Not only did it contain the information of the prosecuting plaintiff, but the identity of the defendant was also completely stripped bare. The name Aaron Sterling prominently appeared in the position of the mastermind standing behind the kidnapping, printed in exceptionally clear bold lettering.

Furthermore, the article also attached verified information regarding the fact that Aaron Sterling had been swiftly bailed out by an incredibly renowned lawyer, along with a massive sum of bail money. Based on the financial capabilities and the network of relationships possessed by the Sterling family, there was absolutely no possibility that they could have hired this formidable lawyer. However, that particular lawyer had an extremely intimate professional connection and was considered the capable right-hand man of Gabriel Cole.

Three groups of posts belonging to different online networks, appearing at the exact same moment in time, at first glance seemingly possessed no major commonalities. Beneath the initial comment sections, there was also no one deliberately analyzing the situation deeply, or directly mentioning the fact that Julian Sterling had a meeting with Gabriel Cole. Everyone was simply being swept along, allowing the public opinion to be guided precisely in the direction of the content that the respective page was discussing.

Helen Lloyd skimmed through it all once, unable to stop herself from feeling a sense of deep admiration and respect in her heart.

It was true that Louis York was extremely thoroughly versed in the methods of manipulating mass psychology, knowing exactly how to handle such chaotic information and malicious rumors like a genuine artist. All the posts that seemed disconnected and entirely unrelated to one another did not show the slightest bit of haste to tie everything together to push forward the ultimate goal.

He was like a patient hunter, quietly waiting for the currents of media public opinion to ferment. When all the supplementary puzzle pieces of information had been successfully scattered and fully conveyed into the minds of millions of netizens, at this very moment, all it would take was a tiny spark to be thrown out…

Just that much alone would possess enough power to burn away all the lies, exposing the perfectly orchestrated “truth” that they wanted people to see.

According to the standard procedure, a well-structured plan would also require a few days for the news to have sufficient time to ferment, as well as expend significant effort to create those “kindling sparks” to ignite public attention.

But coincidentally enough, tonight there happened to be a fool who personally lit the fuse and prepared the scene in advance, so Louis York simply had to reveal a cold smile, go with the flow, and strike to manipulate the situation.

The very moment Helena Thornton’s insane livestream channel was pushed to the top of the trending searches, Louis York had already vaguely guessed what kind of chaotic situation was unfolding at the hotel.

Thus, he did not hesitate, immediately ordering the team of subordinates below him to infiltrate that livestream channel. They played the role of sharp-eyed bystanders, rapidly dragging the true identity of the person hiding inside that luxurious room out into the blinding light.

After that, they skillfully took advantage of the close relationship between Julian Sterling and Ethan Caldwell, continuously dropping baiting comments, leading a massive number of curious viewers to personally go and investigate the related information that had just been released.

Once the crowd had gathered enough puzzle pieces, “a kind-hearted person” would suddenly appear on the forums. This person would take on the task of piecing together and synthesizing all the timelines, clearly pointing out the chain of cause and effect of everything related to Julian Sterling, and posting it online.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep