Chapter 951: Offline Reality

"Real accounts are easily investigated; after the announcement offering voucher compensation was released, the vast majority of people's dissatisfaction with Miss Tatsumaki has already disappeared————"

There are quite a few gods in the One Punch Man world, but ordinary people are even more numerous; property damage caused these people to generate no small amount of complaints against Tatsumaki, but once a willing-to-compensate attitude was shown, this sort of people are also the easiest to soothe emotionally.

After all, everyone knows that the city destruction caused by dealing with monsters cannot be blamed on this hero, Tatsumaki.

The Hero Association's PR Department also stopped playing dead and stepped in; negative public opinion against Tatsumaki on the Internet quickly improved.

"But there is still a portion of stubborn people who do not accept the soothing of voucher compensation; this includes some obstinate elderly, people whose important belongings were damaged beyond repair, and people who are inherently hostile toward heroes — a motley mix, comparatively difficult to handle."

"Nothing difficult to handle; categorize them, send people offline to soothe — for those with actual losses, adopt a soft apology strategy; for those who cannot be reasoned with at all, even those hostile toward heroes, you can go tell them about our physics of eliminating monsters."

Soft means and iron-fisted wrists advancing in parallel; under Hell's Blizzard's command, the Blizzard Group combined gentleness and rigidity, dispatching people to walk streets and alleys, in Z-City representing Tornado of Terror either using soft means to apologize or using hard means to teach a lesson.

In just under half a month, negative public opinion regarding Tatsumaki in Z-City was reversed.

"Those remaining rhythm-leading guys should be professional water armies; it's just their IPs are concealed through massive jump servers, making it very difficult for us to trace these water armies' real offline locations."

"So, you mean I just have to swallow this grievance?"

"Miss Tatsumaki, actually your reputation in Z-City has already been reversed; these remaining Internet water armies, they want to continue leading your rhythm, but now there is hardly anyone responding to them."

"No, I must find those guys secretly leading my rhythm, badmouthing me, and give them a harsh lesson."

The Blizzard Group's Eyelash was somewhat troubled: "Miss Tatsumaki, this is a bit difficult for us; we are heroes, not professional hackers; although we have some Internet technology, the technology of the guys behind those water army accounts is obviously not something that can be tracked with just this level of skill."

"I don't care about that."

"To find those guys, we need to seek help from professionals."

Fubuki touched her chin.

"Ah, Mr. Broly, you want me to help find the people behind the water army accounts leading Miss Tatsumaki's rhythm on the Internet?"

Genos, being sought out, was somewhat taken aback.

"Yes, aren't you a mechanical cyborg? I feel you should be good at this sort of thing."

Broly nodded.

"I am a mechanical cyborg, but the one who modified me was not myself, but Dr. Kuseno; moreover, mechanical modification and tracing the source of certain accounts on the Internet are not the same category of technical matter.

I cannot help, but I can go ask Dr. Kuseno for you; Dr. Kuseno is a very powerful Justice Scientist; he might be able to help in this regard."

"Since that's the case, then we'll trouble you, Genos, to go ask your Dr. Kuseno about the situation."

"You're welcome; I'll call right now."

Genos is a man of action; he immediately took out his phone, turned on speaker, and called Dr. Kuseno.

"Tracking the real IP addresses of certain accounts on the Internet belongs to the comprehensive technology of computer network security and communications; it is not my area of expertise; very sorry."

Dr. Kuseno's reply was disappointing.

"No matter; we just came to ask; sorry to have disturbed you, Dr. Kuseno."

"Mr. Broly, right? I've heard Genos mention you; thank you for always looking after Genos.

Hmph, you didn't disturb me; I'm just an old man, usually just doing research in the institute; I'm quite idle myself.

""

Dr. Kuseno on the phone exchanged a couple of pleasantries with him, then suddenly asked: "Tracking Internet IPs — actually the Hero Association has talent who do this kind of thing; why go far when the near is available?"

"Precisely because we can't find out, that's why we came seeking outside help."

"S-Class Hero, Metal Knight can't do it either?"

"Genos, you are the first S-Class Hero we sought out for help."

"I see; however, our side probably can't do it, but Metal Knight, as an S-Class Hero who remotely operates mechanical combat, the person behind him absolutely possesses extremely superb network communication technology; the other party should be able to."

Dr. Kuseno gave the suggestion.

"What, you want me to help investigate the real IP addresses of those professional water armies leading Tatsumaki's rhythm on the Internet?"

Broly, following Dr. Kuseno's suggestion, found Metal Knight, but was directly refused by Metal Knight.

"I'm currently busy doing reverse engineering research on the universe spaceship power system; where would I have time to help investigate Internet water armies?

Besides, a hero isn't money; it's impossible to make everyone like you; the world always has some haters who can't stand you; isn't that perfectly normal?

If you can't even ignore this kind of external negative public opinion evaluation, then why bother being a hero at all?"

"Metal Knight, what you say makes a lot of sense."

Broly nodded in agreement with Metal Knight's words, then turned to ask Geryuganshoop beside him.

"Is A-City's debt paid off yet?"

"Still short some."

"The rest you don't need to pay; leave it to me; you hurry up and shut down the spaceship's amusement park project, then take the spaceship and bring people back to the hometown."

Metal Knight: "————"

"For the Internet IP investigation matter, you can go find Child Emperor; he was my former student; in network tracing technology, he is stronger than me."

"Geryuganshoop, the amusement park is operating not bad; keep up the good work."

Through Metal Knight, Broly found Child Emperor again.

8888.

"Mr. Broly, I wonder what business you have with me?"

Child Emperor looked somewhat tired; on the notebook computer before him was a document.

"You haven't rested well?"

Broly asked in surprise.

"The Hero Association's current management system has many problems; I am drafting a reform proposal based on the Hero Association's current situation."

Child Emperor answered with a yawn.

"I see. Sorry to disturb you, but I have something I'd like to ask for your help with."

Broly patted Child Emperor's shoulder, passed some Qi over, and then said.

"You're welcome. Whatever Mr. Broly needs help with, as long as I can help, I certainly will."

"The situation is like this————"

Broly told Child Emperor about the matter of Tatsumaki previously being rhythm-manipulated by internet trolls on the Internet.

"Uh————"

After hearing it, Child Emperor's face showed a complex expression.

"What's wrong? Is the matter difficult to handle?"

"That's not it. I just feel that this kind of being rhythm-manipulated isn't something that needs to be pursued to the bottom."

"What? Being badmouthed by someone on the Internet, wanting to find the badmouther — you think that's wrong?"

"It's not wrong, but the social status gap is large. Pursuing this kind of thing easily leaves an impression of small-mindedness on the outside world."

""

"Uh, Child Emperor, why would you feel Tatsumaki's mind is very broad?"

Broly refuted with one sentence, and Child Emperor fell silent; these words left him with no reply.

"If the person isn't found and taught a lesson, her mood won't settle."

"True. Alright, then I'll take this matter."

Child Emperor acknowledged Broly's words and accepted this quest.

He clattered away at the computer keyboard.

In less than half a day, the professional trolls' multi-server jumps, proxy IP pools, and other means of masking real IP addresses were all cracked one by one by Child Emperor.

"IP location is a coverage concept, not precise point positioning. This is the real-world area corresponding to the real IP address I found; the margin of error won't exceed one kilometer. But to find the person behind the badmouthing of Miss Tatsumaki, an offline visit is needed."

Child Emperor handed over a USB drive.

"Thanks. After you find the person, I'll treat you to a meal."

"A meal isn't necessary————"

Child Emperor hadn't finished speaking when he saw Broly jump out the window and fly away.

City 0, an old residential area, inside an ordinary apartment room, several computers with screens lit were placed.

Cooling fans emitted a faint sound; the room was scattered with some bento boxes and empty beer bottles; firelight flickered dim and bright in the slightly dim room.

"The rhythm's getting hard to keep up. The guy who hired me won't come demanding a refund just because the rhythm manipulation didn't work well, right?"

A middle-aged man with a somewhat sloppy outfit and stubble pressed the cigarette burned down to the butt into the ashtray beside him.

He picked up the cigarette pack beside him, pulled out a new cigarette, clamped it in his mouth, and just as he was about to find a lighter, the doorbell rang.

"Who is it?"

"Community delivering warmth."

", such an old residential area still has warmth delivery, this is truly rare————"

The door was opened, the sound instantly stopped; the middle-aged man who opened the door had the unlit cigarette in his mouth drop straight down.

"Judging by this person's reaction, it's likely here."

"M-may I ask———— who are you looking for?"

The middle-aged man asked, forcing calm.

"We're looking for the guy who badmouthed us and manipulated our rhythm on the Internet."

Broly answered honestly.

"I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't know the person you're looking for. Please, the two of you, leave my home's door「6

As the middle-aged man spoke, he prepared to close the door, but soon discovered an invisible force bracing against the door.

"Whether it's him, we'll know if we go in and look."

"Ah, you guys are illegally intruding————"

The man tried to stop them, then discovered he himself was also controlled by an invisible force.

"I know. If I got the wrong place, I'll say sorry to you."

Tatsumaki walked in unconcerned, but the room's turbid air made her knit her eyebrows.

The curtains were pulled open by an invisible force, and the windows were also controlled to open.

Immediately after, a wind wrapped in psychic power exchanged the room's air once through.

"It's this person, no mistake."

Several computers with screens not turned off hung many websites; the accounts logged into those websites were all doing the same thing — badmouthing Tatsumaki, manipulating Tatsumaki's rhythm on different forum websites.

"You're heroes, you can't harm me————"

Seeing the matter exposed, the middle-aged man hurriedly said.

And Tatsumaki's body had long since been draped in low pressure.

Sharp eyes, cold gaze, looked straight at this person.

"Rest assured, you won't die."

A figure flew out the window at extreme speed, directly ascending upward at extreme speed.

After reaching over a thousand meters in the sky, it plummeted down at extreme speed again.

When the head was about to impact the ground, about to be shattered to pieces, it suddenly stopped.

"Speak. Why did you manipulate my rhythm online?"

"Someone paid money to hire me to do this."

The man experiencing cordless high-altitude bungee jumping for the first time had already soaked his crotch, tears and snot streaming out, completely daring not to conceal anything.

"Who?"

"I don't know who————"

"Huh?!"

"Really, I'm not deceiving you, the other party used an unregistered alt account to find me online, then paid offline and completed the transaction with me————"

Seeing Tatsumaki raise an eyebrow, seemingly dissatisfied with his answer, the middle-aged man hurriedly poured out everything he knew like beans from a bamboo tube.

"The person who traded with me was a tall, thin youth about 1.7 meters, wearing a mask and sunglasses the whole time. The other party didn't explain their identity, just paid me to lead rhythm for you online. True purpose unknown. As for the rest, in this line of work, one doesn't inquire, all unclear."

"Then you're of no more use?"

"No, I've really confessed everything, please don't kill me————"

The middle-aged man hurriedly begged for mercy.

"I have a question, when you accepted the commission, you should have known the identity of the person you were to lead rhythm for, right?

"Mm, Hero Association, S-Class Rank 2 hero, Trembling Tatsumaki."

"Since you knew, how did you dare accept this commission?"

Broly was somewhat curious.

"The employer paid a lot, and what they asked me to do was just shift the responsibility for Z-City's massive house damage onto Miss Tatsumaki.

And the internet and news also proved that Z-City's massive house damage was indeed caused by Miss Tatsumaki's psychic powers. I thought just guiding some netizens' emotions should be fine————"

"You really thought that? If you're lying, I can't guarantee your personal safety.

"Really."

"Tatsumaki-nee, this guy lied, finish him off."

Broly stood up and said to Tatsumaki beside him.

"Fine."

Tatsumaki nodded, then used psychic power to lift the man, seemingly preparing to smash his head into the ground.

"Ah, I'll talk, I'll talk————"

The middle-aged man was scared, hurriedly adding explanation.

And the reason this person dared accept Tatsumaki's commission was mainly his confidence in his own internet skills.

Second, the target of the rhythm-leading was a hero. Even if the matter was exposed afterward, a hero with head and face would never bother calculating with a minor character like him.

But calculate a thousand times, ten thousand times, he just didn't expect that a big shot S-Class hero would actually, because of being rhythm-led and badmouthed online over such a trivial matter, directly come offline to seek him out in reality.

"I was wrong, I know I was wrong, all those commission fees, I'll take them all out to compensate Miss Tatsumaki————"

"You don't know you were wrong, you're just cornered by me, knowing you're doomed!"

The middle-aged man, controlled by psychic power, was forced to undergo half an hour of airborne simulation training.

Only after he nearly vomited bile was he let go.

But only physical torture was let go; afterward, this person still has various lawyer's letters to receive.

The Blizzard Group will help Tatsumaki, sue this guy clear as day.

Vomit up all illegal gains, and pay the corresponding legal consequences.

Tatsumaki vented some anger, but still felt somewhat displeased.

Because of this matter, she suffered quite a few stab wounds.

But the person who hired this guy to badmouth her hasn't been found, because the clue broke right here.

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