Kseniya Green

In the context of the release of the Epstein files, I'm thinking again about Yu Menglong and what could have happened to him. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and people corrupted by absolute impunity are exactly the same all over the world. But sooner or later, the truth will come out, and I believe that one day, China, too, will publish its own "Epstein files," metaphorically speaking. But it's terrifying to think how defenseless the people who fall under the purview of these "elites" are.

I believe the choice of Qian Hong Chu as the main character stems from the fact that they wanted to tell this story not from the perspective of a grand historical figure, but from the perspective of a character more relatable to the audience – an empathetic, life-loving person who simply wants to live well and for others to live well, but finds himself caught in the middle of a bloody mess of historical upheaval.
And in my opinion, Bai Yu is one of the best actors for such a role. It's easier to play a strong-willed hero than a doubting and vulnerable person, grieving the collapse of his idealistic world. And in my subjective opinion, Bai Yu truly succeeds in conveying this piercing yearning for a better world.

The problem is that fitting such a humane character into the very inhuman reality of the narrative is very difficult. In reality, such a person would have died somewhere early on. And the screenwriters have to sew this character into the epic plot with crude threads. And this leads to contradictions and inconsistencies in the character.
But even despite all these inconsistencies, I continue to watch this drama precisely because of Bai Yu.

Yes. I can understand that one's own suffering can sometimes dull one's capacity for compassion. But in that case, one can simply pass by in silence. But coming to the comments section of an article about someone's death and mockingly remarking on someone else's suffering is absolutely disgusting and, in my opinion, not justified by any personal experience of oppression. No personal suffering gives one the right to be a jerk to others.
And dividing people into groups based on gender and treating them based on gender is what sustains the entire system of oppression and violence. I wish more people understood this.

If you justify violence against a man simply because he's a man, you're becoming the same as those scumbags who justify violence against women—no better. If you want to defend women's rights, go and do it, write about the women you believe were treated unfairly, but not here. Transferring your resentment against society to the man it killed and those who mourn him is disgusting. Only a truly cowardly and pathetic person would, instead of attacking the rapist, attack the victim for "getting too much sympathy."

If this is a written appeal and not a video, it might not even be from her. Those with power over the police are quite capable of isolating the mother and sending messages on her behalf.

In such cases, a loving family usually suspects someone is responsible for the death of their beloved child and strives to find the culprit—even when it's not true; that's just how human psychology works. The last thing a loving mother cares about in such cases is "getting back to living a quiet life." That's the most terrifying and infuriating thing in such cases—when you've lost what's most precious, and the world around you tries to pretend nothing happened.

But! But even if you imagine such a strange mother. No ordinary family can silence an entire country. Only those in positions of power can. And their motives are absolutely not based on sympathy for the victim's family.

Yes. It's very painful and unfair. I haven't seen his work, but just seeing photos and videos of him in my feed suddenly filled me with great sympathy. I usually have a good intuition about people. There's just something in his eyes in every photo that seeps into your soul and stays there. Something no one can erase.

Of course! Wild rumors, conspiracy theories, videos with the "shocking truth" always appear when someone famous dies suddenly. But in a normal situation, these rumors are drowned out by a flood of more "normal" information—eyewitness accounts and the recollections of friends and family about the person they were and how they lived. But the thing is, in this case, there's simply no such normal discussion. Only silence. And this clearly indicates that the entire last years of Yu Menglong's life are one big incriminating piece of evidence against the system. Therefore, the system wants him forgotten.

The very first thing that alarmed me wasn't the rumors or even the video, but the official report. The way they rushed to declare it "an accident". If Yu Menglong fell in front of witnesses, there should be witness testimony and an explanation of what happened. If Yu Menglong fell without witnesses, how can you rule out suicide? But the problem with the suicide theory is that fans might then demand an investigation into the cause. And, say, driving someone to suicide through abuse is the same as murder.
From the very beginning, and the further it goes, it's become increasingly clear that the authorities don't want people to ask any questions about this case. They want people not to even think about it. And this screams foul play louder than any rumor.

Perhaps the answer is that we shouldn't rush to believe anyone. Demanding justice for Yu Menglong doesn't mean unconditionally believing every rumor. It means continuing to demand an adequate, detailed explanation from the police—something that hasn't been done so far. People are simply being silenced with a formal "accident" without any explanation.

Exactly. I don't know if it's copycats. Or just the "close minds" of totalitarian regimes. But I'm originally from Russia, and I sensed something fishy about this whole thing even when I caught a glimpse of the official news, no other rumors. I'm absolutely not a fan of conspiracy theories and am generally a big skeptic. I'm hesitant to believe all the photos and videos circulating online about this case. But by now, I'm almost certain that Yu Menglong was murdered. It's not a given that everything happened exactly as the rumors claim. But the fact that he was killed and that very high-ranking people were involved is clear from the way the situation around the case is unfolding.

Of course. I was born and raised in Russia. I hate the Russian government to the core, but do I hate my homeland? Of course not. Or I have a categorically negative attitude toward what's happening in America right now, but do I hate America? Of course not. We're writing about Yu Menglong's case precisely because we were initially fascinated by Chinese culture and because we care.

I'll echo the previous post and add: Yu MengLong may have been killed by specific individuals, but the very fact that such a thing is possible is connected to the entire system. A system in which, if your abuser is higher up in the hierarchy, you have no chance of legal protection.
What kind of struggle and suffering the artists you love and know endure is known only to them. In a system of total silence, powerful psychopaths completely lose all boundaries because they feel untouchable.
This case is a release of steam from under the lid under which a huge number of people have been stewing for many years. If the public ignores even this, the number of accidental falls will increase.

Yes, at least the faces and names of those involved are known. I sincerely hope that even if they can't get a fair trial, people at least won't let them live "in peace".
As for how they're able to sleep at night, I'm afraid it's like Lord of the Flies. Some of them were monsters from the start. Others gradually lost their humanity, adapting to this company—out of greed or fear. The saddest and most tragic thing is that I get the impression that Yu Menglong was killed precisely because he was too strong and bright to be mentally crushed. They weren't able to crush him, so they killed him.

Personally, I can't say with 100% certainty that all the photos and videos in this case are true. But at this point, I'm absolutely certain that he was murdered, and that very influential people are involved. This is simply logically evident from how this case is unfolding.

Theoretically, this is possible, but then three questions arise.
1. For what purpose? China is not like Western countries. By spreading such shocking information in China, you risk ending up not with hype and money, but with a hefty prison sentence and the ruin of your life.

2. If all this information is fabricated, why aren't the authorities releasing detailed information deconstructing these rumors and explaining what really happened, instead of trying to erase his very name from the information space?

3. Even if we completely ignore all the photos and videos, but rely solely on information from official sources, this case still looks very very murky. The fact that they were so quick to call it an accident. The fact that he allegedly accidentally fell out of a window that simply couldn't be accidentally fallen out of, due to its design. And much more.

I think the main thing is that even if a fair trial is impossible, the noise surrounding this case can make life difficult for the criminals. And that's much better than nothing.
First of all, it's important for Yu Menglong's memory. We can't allow him to be erased.
Secondly, it's important for others who remain in this industry, maybe other actors you love. The next time some powerful bastard wants to harm your favorite actor, they'll remember the fuss surrounding this case and think twice.

I also come from a country with a totalitarian regime, where people also have a tendency to "accidentally fall out of windows" from time to time, so I have a good understanding of what it's like from the inside. When the government has total control over the press and the courts, there's simply no such thing as a "fair official investigation" if someone influential is involved. It's simply impossible.
Yes, private investigations can be inaccurate. Yes, they can be mixed with fantasy and speculation. Sometimes there can even be deliberate fabrications engineered by the authorities to sow doubt in people's minds. But still, that's all we have.

When I first saw this news in my feed, there were no photos, no rumors, just the official news. But I immediately felt like this story smelled really bad. It just seemed so strange from the very beginning. And then, the behavior of those involved and the authorities completely confirmed my feelings.

Yes, it's truly heartbreaking. But I want to believe that this case, even if it doesn't bring down this monstrous system right now, will certainly create a crack in it that will eventually lead to its collapse. Even if they can silence the press, they can't silence the minds of the people, and there are many who care. And although I'm not a religious person, I believe that such a bright and strong soul as Yu Meng Long's will forever live on in the world. People like him leave a mark that cannot be erased. And all that remains of the criminals involved in his death will be ashes.